Thursday 28 May 2015

Searching for Olsen makeup - Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerise Review

Hands up if you're a member of shopaholics anonymous?! (No, me neither... shopping is good for you.) I was asking myself last week if I actually needed to pick up the new Charlotte Tilbury cream eyeshadows, and given that I've usually found her products quite overrated, I thought these would be different. I'm still on the fence...

charlotte tilbury eyes to mesmerise cream eyeshadow in mona lisa and marie antoinette

charlotte tilbury eyes to mesmerise cream eyeshadow in mona lisa and marie antoinette

The eyes to mesmerise cream eyeshadows are a "cream to sheen formula," designed to create a maximum impact with a minimal amount of effort. Each is inspired by an iconic woman of the past, which Charlotte deems to have mesmerising (duh) eyes...  

I got the shades Mona Lisa and Marie Antoinette, which are a rich chocolate brown and a shimmering gold oyster hue, respectively. Mona Lisa was the biggest disappointment for me, with it packing very little punch in the pigmentation department, and even when layered to have a deeper colour didn't offer much of an increase in the lacking longevity department either. The colour was also very flat, and had none of the warm/red tones as shown on the model on her website. Marie Antoinette, however, while still having the pigmentation and longevity issues looks beautiful as a sheer wash over the lid for a light-catching sheen. These shadows almost have the effect of a glossy lid, but with increased wearability from the lack of stickiness.

While I am loving Marie Antoinette applied with my finger tip with very little other makeup I really feel that these were rushed when they were created. I'll be sticking to Chanel Illusion D'Ombre's in the future, these aren't a win for me.

Not to leave on a sour note, her Classic Powder Pencil in Audrey is an amazing eyeliner for those that don't like regular eyeliner (confusing, no?) well this is much more like an eyeshadow, with the benefits of being in a liner, that can of course be applied at the lash line, and quickly like a liner, but also has the softness and subtlety of an eyeshadow. WIN.

So if you pick up anything from Charlotte Tilbury, make it some of the eye pencils, or her lip liner in Pillow Talk, those won't leave you disappointed...
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Monday 25 May 2015

A Reading List Worth Binging...

I pretty much suck at doing book posts. My reasons? I dunno, I just read whatever takes my fancy when I finish a book, and it usually gets passed on to a family member or a charity shop, so I rarely have them for long enough to take a photo. I'm probably making excuses, so I'll keep it to a minimum; I recently joined Goodreads, so if you wanna know more about what I'm reading in more detail find me there! 
 

I recently finished The Strain trilogy by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan after getting a little obsessed with the television programme (that everyone probably missed - but should watch ASAP for old-school scary vampires.) While the second book is mostly just padding out the narrative, the others are addictive, and really hard to put down. While vampires seem like a huge cliche now, The Strain builds up a number of narratives following the plethora of characters, from different backgrounds, including CDC officials attempting to fight the "disease" and a holocaust survivor who's been fighting the vampires for years. An amazing trilogy for anyone in the market for a new book(s)...

While I'd be the billionth person to bring up Game of Thrones on the internet, I have been truly hooked on the Song of Fire and Ice series by George R.R Martin which inspired the series. I think everyone knows what it's about by now, but whether you're a fan of fantasy (for reference, I'm not!) or the television series, the books go into epic detail about the entire goings on in Westeros. And despite the huge size of the books, I guarantee you won't get bored.

Outside of a book series, I finished The Girl in 6E this weekend, written by Alessandra Torre, this book is awash with smut and blood. (This book list is making me seem like a huge weirdo, I know.) While some of the sexual content is mostly unwarranted, it can be forgiven given the underlying themes of love and isolation in this novel. I read this in less than a day, and sure it's got quite mature themes, but if you've seen/read the previously mentioned series' you've probably already seen worse.

And while I'm also late to this party, I spent the beginning of this year (nb. it was actually about 5 days, I was addicted) indulging in the entire Hunger Games series. As a young adult novel, these really are easy to read, and mostly true to the films. Being super cheap on Amazon, these are a trilogy of books you've no excuse to not pick up. I'm sure you'll become obsessed like me, and struggle to keep a secret what is going to happen in the final movie that comes out this winter...

I could go on for an age about books but these are some of my standouts from the past few months, let me know if you pick any of them up. And I'm always looking for new recommendations so do leave them for me, either here on on Goodreads!


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Friday 22 May 2015

The Latest Addiction - Caudalie Instant Detox Mask

I currently have a thing. It's a mask addiction. No, not like Mike Myers or Freddy Krueger... (although that would be cool weird, wouldn't it?) I'm addicted to beauty masks. Mostly for my face and hair, although if someone invents one for another area of the body - count me in! So I'm finding my skin in a weird place, given how temperamental British weather currently is, and I'm enjoying face masks more and more for a relaxing experience, and for an intensive skin treatment.

I've always been mix and match about my face masks, and avoid sticking it all over my face. I use a number of different types, each in different areas of my face to treat my skin, depending on what is needed most in each area. Hydrating patches under my eyes... Detox/cleansing masks for my nose and chin... acidic formulas for sloughing dead skin on my forehead...

Because who wants to be low maintenance anyway?

caudalie new instant detox face masks

caudalie new instant detox face masks

When I caught wind of the new reformulated (and beautifully packaged!) Caudalie face masks, I knew I had to get my mitts on a couple. I've started with the Caudalie Instant Detox Mask* which is a gel-cream, natural clay mask designed to remove impurities and toxins to have the effect of a detox on your skin within a 5 minute period. Cool, huh?! Soon as I saw that this was ideal for calming down stressed skin, I knew I needed it - because we all know I'm very rarely not stressed.

Because of it's thin texture, I find it absolutely perfect for my favourite method of application; a foundation brush. (Yup, a super cheap foundation brush is the best way to apply face masks minus getting gunk everywhere.) I wash off after about 7/8 minutes, during which the mask will feel tight on the skin as the clay drys. After removing with either my fingers or muslin cloth, my skin texture looks much more even, while pores look tighter and much less visible than previously. At the moment I get most benefits from using this once a week, but I'm sure increasing the frequency of application would work for someone with more blackheads/oilier skin types.

Without swaying my opinion for the super cute wooden cap, this Caudalie detox mask is what dreams are made of; quick to apply, smells like heaven and has visible results immediately. As they're range of four different masks are designed to be used in combinations which will make the best possible results depending on your skin issues, I can't wait to pick up some of the others. For now I'll be using this as part of my relaxation rituals, for myself and for my skin. Bonus points to Caudalie.

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Tuesday 19 May 2015

Double Cleansing for City Girls - Vichy Purete Thermale Range

Bad beauty blogger confession? I'm a bad cleanser. I hate the stuff, mostly because I hate spending money on it, as it's barely the most exciting of skincare products, is it? Then when you can buy things like lipstick or nail polish instead? No, I'll stick to mostly disliking cleansers. 

Vichy's Pureté Thermale range is designed to have something in the range for everybody, and to remove all the pollutants left on your skin from day-to-day life, especially of those living in the city. Pollution can have a really damaging effect on the skin, and can cause premature ageing, excess oil, blackheads, and all the horrible skin conditions you don't want...

Vichy purete themale pollutant cleansing range escentual micellar oil - deep cleanse

Vichy purete themale pollutant cleansing range escentual micellar oil - deep cleanse
Vichy Pureté Thermale Beautifying Cleansing Micellar Oil* - Is a completely new concept, and one that is absolutely not a novelty. We all know of Bioderma, right? The quick and easy cleanser that is gentle on the skin and as perfect as they come? Well, I think Vichy have done one better...

The micellar oil is a very lightweight, non-greasy oil which will remove stubborn waterproof makeup, as easily as it will remove excess oil and sebum from the face. Being infused with camellia oil and vitamin E, it won't strip the skin too much, and will leave skin feeling plump and hydrated without leaving any greasiness or a film on the skin. Much unlike others I've tried this didn't irritate in the slightest, around the eye area, and once washed off left no traces on my eyelashes like i'd found with other heavier oil/butter formulas.

I can't sing this products praises enough. I'm definitely enjoying this cleanser to the extent of having my faith restored and cleansers, and my negative attitude to them has gone out the window - I now love cleansing!

Vichy Pureté Thermale Fresh Cleansing Gel* - Admittedly I didn't get on as well with this one as I did with the wonderful micellar oil. It's a gel to foam formula, which is also designed to remove impurities caused by pollution, and has a host of ingredients designed to not dry out the skin. I'm a sucker for oils, butters, milks and all formulas that feel like silk on my normal skin type, so for me a foaming formula was something out of the ordinary, and had me ever so slightly too much out of my comfort zone. And to not finish on a bad note, this would be amazing for anyone with oilier skins, especially if you wanted a quick cleanse in the morning.

What do you think? Will you be picking up any of these products to remove damage from air-pollutants? I can't recommend the oil enough, and I'll definitely be stockpiling when this runs out...
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Thursday 14 May 2015

New Era Beach Hair - Bumble and Bumble Surf Infusion Spray

I am a strong supporter of beach and bed hair. I love it. I'd quite happily marry it if it was a person, (weird statement of the day) but it doesn't love me. It's a strong love/hate relationship, being that I want tousled, disheveled waves every day, but most "surf" or salt sprays leave my hair feeling dirty, and nothing short of crispy, and just plain gross. And while the best I have ever tried was the infamous Bumble and Bumble surf spray, it did get left behind more often than not in favour of having soft hair.

So you can imagine my excitement when on their Instagram they started rolling out pictures of a  Bumble Surf Infusion, to join the rest of the salty, beach family. This time it's formulated with oils designed for drier and courser hairs that can't deal with the drying which can come from it's sister products...

bumble and bumble surf infusion new hair spray for beach waves

The product inside is a "bi-phase" formula, and to activate, you shake the bottle to combine the salt and the oil. I'm not too sure if this is a gimmick, but much unlike the previous surf spray, this does look much less like you're wearing product on your hair (although I've not tried it anywhere near my roots). I wouldn't call it hydrating, but nor is it as drying as the original.

I tend to only use surf spray on hair thats already a little dirty, as I can't give up the few days of outrageously soft, freshly washed hair. If my hair doesn't already have a wave to it, I'll encourage one with my GHDs, then apply the spray or put on the surf infusion generously, tie it up in the messiest bun possible, do my makeup, et voilà - a perfectly tousled beachy, bed-head!

bumble and bumble surf infusion new hair spray for beach waves

I would definitely recommend this to those with natural curly hair (although I've not trialled it yet on my natural texture) that tends to run drier, but also love the look of the beachy waves that seem to be taking over Pinterest. While I'll be still using the original for the days when I can do nothing with my greasy hair but make my self look like a viking, the new infusion formula will be perfect for the summer months. Now we just need the sun... (or a beach, that would work too. Volunteers?)

Plus, if you head over to Bumble and Bumble UK to buy this, you'll receive the cute waves bag pictured, with an extra dose of shampoo/conditioner samples. Just use the code "BBSURF" - and you'll also receive their standard free delivery. Pretty cool, huh?!
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Tuesday 12 May 2015

Nude goes permanent - Tom Ford Nude Dip Eyeshadow Review

I was completely slow on the mark last time the Tom Ford Nude Dip eyeshadow quad came out. Mostly because I was scared that starting off buying TF products would be a downhill spiral into an expensive addiction oblivion, but after getting shade and illuminate at Christmas, and it being added to the permanent line... I couldn't resist.
Tom Ford Nude Dip Eyeshadow quad Permanent Line



Tom Ford Nude Dip Eyeshadow quad Permanent Line



Tom Ford Nude Dip Eyeshadow quad Permanent Line

The shadow itself is quite a stiff formula, definitely not what you'd be expecting, but in hindsight, removes possibility of fallout, both from the pan and on your eye. While like all other eyeshadow quads, the applicators that come with it are mostly pointless, and these in particular serve only to look pretty with the TF logo on them (me... superficial? No...) But the packaging is just as slick and beautiful as what you'd expect from such a premium brand. If I wasn't terrified of carrying this around and breaking it, I'd be taking it out every five minutes just to brag.

The colours of the shadows themselves are exactly what you'd expect from a neutral palette, but a million times more beautiful courtesy of it's multi-tonal satin shades. The top row holds a frosted, golden champagne colour, and a muted copper/rose (quite similar to the likes of Mac Naked Lunch). The bottom two shades are a medium taupe, and a dark brown both with subtle warm undertones, to link the shades altogether. All the shades are well pigmented, and easy to blend, while lasting a full day (with primer) without any creasing. I can quite easily make a day appropriate smoky eye, and layer a darker shade come evening to "amp up the drama..." don't judge me based on the cliches.

If you're a fan of in your face glittery eyeshadows, and deep intense shades like that of a Mac pigment, you probably wouldn't be the biggest fans of the latest permanent addition. If you're a strong supporter of the glowing, natural look (for both day and night) you will adore this Tom Ford Nude Dip eyeshadow quad - even if it is nearly too pretty to use!
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Monday 4 May 2015

The signature style tag

So the lovely Latasha tagged me to do this "signature style" tag, and while I usually ignore tags for being a little boring... this one really caught my eye. It's basically you're go-to look, and a breakdown of the products, and while the products used can change often, it usually is mostly inspired by looking sun kissed and healthy. Shall we...




For the sake of making things quicker, and far less messy, I use a lot of products which are multi-purpose. Well, they may not be multi-purpose but I sure make them that way...

Full Breakdown:

- This Works Tinted Skin Miracle - in the place of a foundation, this gives skin colour and a beautiful healthy glow.

- Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage - while I only tend to need concealer under my eyes, this covers everything that needs covering.

- Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder - the ideal natural looking powder for an extra, brightening step of the under-eye area.

- Chanel Soliel Tan de Chanel - you probably get the deal with this one, but I use this for a healthy colour on my face with a fluffy brush, and use an eyeshadow brush to sweep over my eyelids for a natural definition.

- RMS Living Luminizer - same as with the Chanel bronzer, this super thick consistency "highlighter" helps to give my skin a healthy glow, and looks amazing on the lids (if you can handle the stickiness!)

- MAC Mystery eyeshadow - current go-to for my brows and eyeliner, especially after I broke my beloved grey brow colour (that was a limited edition - sob.)

- Dior Iconic Overcurl mascara - the one I've been raving about for YEARS. This mascara is truly a holy grail and does incredible things to your lashes. It cannot be beat, especially after using Shu Uemura lash curlers.

- By Terry Baume de Rose - technically skincare, yes... but this lip balm gives lips an incredible healthy sheen that will make even the most cracked and chapped lips look attractive.



So I've basically just proved how much I love emphasising healthy skin, and keeping the look as natural as possible. I do use a lot of other products too, depending on what mood I'm in, how good my skin is, etc. but these are some of my most reached for at the moment. Honorary mentions to MAC Face and Body that I usually rely on mixed with moisturiser when I'm at uni, and Chanel Illusion D'Ombre in Emerveille for when my eyelids require more shimmer.

Thanks Latasha for tagging me to do the signature style tag! I now tag Estelle, and Kirstie to do the same. Meanwhile I'm off getting myself a huge slice of chocolate cake and watching The Vampire Diaries...

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