A beauty junkie in London

Nail art challenge from John Lewis

noreply@blogger.com (Beautyjunkielondon) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:28:00 +0000

I took on a bit of a silly challenge from John Lewis recently, and not silly because of their suggestion - it was a great challenge and I totally wanted to be involved! They sent over some lovely nail colours for me to play with and create some nail art looks with. But it was a bit silly because I am TERRIBLE at nail art.

Seriously, I just about manage to paint my nails with a single colour, let alone get all creative with it too! What was I thinking when I said yes?! But I did say yes and gave it a go - I actually did these designs before I went away on holiday, but have struggled with some of the images (I think the universe is telling me something about never trying nail art again...) But here they are.

The colours I was sent to use were: Nars Space Odyssey (Silver), Nails Inc Trafalgar Square (pewter metallic), and YSL No 19 (hot pink) and No 12 (pearl).

If there is a wooden spoon equivalent prize, then I'm sure it will be mine!

The looks I tried are:

Candy Stripe nails (one of the trends for the nail colours chosen is 'candy', so I tried to work with that theme and create a candy-stripe look. All painted free hand rather than with stencils (as if you can't tell already...) this is the pink and white YSL nail colours, layered up.

Star nails... I used the metallic Nails Inc as a base shade and then used all three other colours to paint little stars on. I should have mixed up the colours on each nail really.

Metallic hearts - I used the metallic as a base again, with the magnetised effect and then used the Nars silver to paint hearts on each nail. The better images I took of this seem to be corrupted though so sadly don't have decent images to show of that. I'll re-do just for the sake of the blog as soon as I can. But here's one I took that's not great from my iphone... might give you a vague idea.

So I learnt something new, I have creative ideas but rubbish execution when it comes to nail art! I could probably do with buying some decent tools to make it a bit easier for myself really...

You can check out Lipglossiping, The London Beauty Review and Super Gorgeous to see some far more skilled versions of nail art with similar colours! Good luck girls!

The lucky winner of the challenge will win £150 John Lewis voucher!

Lancome Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Beautyjunkielondon) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:24:00 +0000

I made a little trip to the new Westfield shopping centre in Stratford and of course spent some time around the many make-up counters. I was completely taken by the gorgeous Spring collection, especially the pretty little lipsticks. I pretty much didn't care what the colour was like, I just love the packaging. A little bit of Spring in miserable winter.

I also picked up a sample of the Teint Miracle foundation to try out too - I've tried it once and so far, like it - need to give it the full 'day at work' test though.

Colour wise, in the tube it looks almost neon - but on the lips it's a gorgeous sheer, hot pink. I love how it's glossy, almost like a really tinted balm rather than a lipstick. I picked the shade 'Rose Candy' (shade 314) but there are three shades available - a bright fuscia pink, a bubblegum pink and a coral/peach shade. Rose Candy is the fuscia pink shade.

Lip swatch

Natural Light

With Flash

Because of how it looked in the tube, I genuinely didn't think I would like it as thought it would be too bright. But it's so much lighter and more wearable than it looks. I think it's a perfect day to night lippie, a quick slick is ideal for day - a couple of coats for a stronger pink. Plus, who wouldn't want to pull this one out and apply on the go. My only tiny wish is that it came in a velvet pouch, which might sound really spoilt princess like, but I just don't want the gorgeous packaging damaged if I want to carry it around in my bag.

The number one thing this gorgeous lipstick has done is made me want to explore the Lancome brand more. It was one of my favourite brands when I first started to experiment with make-up (I still remember being heart broken when my white Lancome eyeshadow broke...) and I want to rediscover it.

Either a foundation or eye make-up remover are the first on my list, but if there are any products you love to let me know!

Bought by me.

NYC beauty bits

noreply@blogger.com (Beautyjunkielondon) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:40:00 +0000

Nope, not beauty bits I have bought in NY but bits I took with me and love...

The Clarins moisturisers are from the January Glossy box and I was over the moon when I saw them. I have used both the day and night cream before and love them, so was very happy to see decent sized travel friendly ones in the box.

I picked up the No7 wipes with the £5 vouchers before going away and love the new packaging - all wipes should have the click lids, to prevent wipes from drying out.

Fragrance wise I bought one of my January sale bargains with me, I picked up the gift set of Vera Wang Lovestruck with perfume, shower gel and body lotion for around £18 - I've been loving the perfume and travelling light was the perfect time to get using the shower gel and lotion. Plus I love how using a specific fragrance for a holiday helps form scent memories.

I've really liked both the shower gel and lotion, but if you have dry skin I would advise you have another moisturiser to hand too as it is only light on the moisture front.

Anyone interested in seeing which beauty bits I picked up on my trip?? Let me know and I'll get blogging about them asap.

New York Diary: Day 4

noreply@blogger.com (Beautyjunkielondon) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:28:00 +0000

Another gorgeous, although cold day in New York. When the sun is out it feels pretty warm- a lot warmer than I expected it to when I was packing to come over here!

Today was another wandering day, exploring the city and popping Into a few shops here and there.

Then the afternoon plan was to watch the Superbowl, as the boyfriend is a big NFL fan. So we headed to Legends, a bar on 33rd street. The game was fun, but the best part was heading to Times Square after the Giants won. Amazing atmosphere!

We also stopped at the Brooklyn Diner just off Times Square for some food. When we sat down we were feeling a bit dubious that that food was going to be average and over priced... But it was delicious. Yes, expensive for what it is I guess ($20 for a burger) but the food was amazing. I had mac and cheese- so tasty but I think it may be responsible for me gaining about 10 dress sizes in a single meal... The chocolate milkshake was delicious too, but so filling.

On that note, need to start planning a detox when I get back to London!

New York Diary: Day 3

noreply@blogger.com (Beautyjunkielondon) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:01:00 +0000

More instagrammy pics from my New York trip...

So there may have been some shopping... I've actually been pretty well behaved so far!

Today we wandered around Central Park, I made the mistake of wearing new and seemingly comfortable shoes... And now have giant blisters where my feet uses to be. I also forgot to take pictures on my phone, so the New York Times building is the only one I have from close-ish to our hotel.

We stopped off at cheesy tourist destination of choice, Hard Rock Cafe. I know, not cool but still very fun! Spent most of the meal debating who would be the ultimate half time show at the Superbowl...

Then back to the hotel before popping out for drinks with friends before heading to Madison Square Gardens to watch the Knicks play the New Jersey Nets.

Really fun evening, as my friend described it 'basketball is an autistic kid's nightmare- complete sensory overload', it really was, loud, flashing lights, stuff being thrown into the crowd... All sorts! But great fun, and I'm happy because I bought a giant foam finger.

New York Diary Day 2

noreply@blogger.com (Beautyjunkielondon) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:30:00 +0000

So day two in New York (or first full day) and here are some pictures of what I've been upto... Including, but not necessarily in this order!

Mandatory Starbucks stop....

Equally mandatory Sephora stop...

I was a little over excited to see that the mega sets of mini Sephora-OPI were still in stock in one branch as they were a Christmas thing and I was sure they would have vanished by now. Also picked up a couple of sparkly large Sephora OPI colours and a mini Urban Decay make-up setting spray.

Dinner and cocktails at Gravy - azing food (and the cocktails were pretty tasty too)

Gramercy Park, gorgeously sunny day. It was freezing cold in the morning, but warm when the sun came out.

Amazing views from the top of the Rock, I've been up the Empire State Building every other time I've been to New York but totally recommend this instead, lines are smaller, views of everything - including the Empire State Building we're amazing and nowhere near as crowded.

NYC Diary...

noreply@blogger.com (Beautyjunkielondon) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:32:00 +0000

Here's a few pictures from my trip to New York... So far! Aiming to post a daily update! If you follow me on instagram then sorry if you're seeing these twice!

Recent daily FOTD

noreply@blogger.com (Beautyjunkielondon) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

My current daily face...

I'm trying to change my daily make-up look on at least a weekly basis at the moment, to try and make myself use different products in my collection so I pull out some of the neglected ones and generally rotate things to keep it interesting.

When I say interesting, I mostly mean for me... as the finished look pretty much looks the same... but hopefully you get what I mean with the attempt to change it up regularly.

My current base routine is:

No7 Airbrush Primer* (pic below wasn't the final packaging)

No 7 BB Cream* (unsure of shade, I think it's light, but there's no label)

Bare Minerals Original Foundation* (light)

NARS concealer* (Honey)

I'm really liking the Airbrush primer, it feels light to apply and doesn't just slip off my face throughout the day as some silicone based primers have done before. I've then been using the No7 BB cream to even my skin out, this one is for normal/dry skin and I really want to try the oily one (I looked for it in the Boots in Westfield Stratford this weekend but they didn't have any in stock) as think I would avoid the shiny nose that tends to develop with the normal/dry version.

To help set and build a little extra coverage I've started using Bare Minerals Original again to dust over the top, I like how this takes away excess shine but leaves a glow so isn't totally matte. If I'm having a bad skin day I add a bit more of this.

On the eyes I'm wearing:

Chanel eyeshadow (review here)

L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara* (black)

Terre D'Oc Khol Liner* (black)

The Terre D'Oc Khol Liner has been finding it's way into my daily routine for a while now. It's the first time I've tried a kohl in this style - the cone shape some how makes it really easy to use and the colour is strong, but easy to blend out for a softer look.

The mascara (will do a proper mascara review soon) but here's a snap of the tube and brush for now...

Other make-up bits I'm wearing:

On the lips I've taken to using just a touch of Benefit Posie Tint - (I'm currently using the mini one from Glamour magazine last year) I'm just too rubbish at reapplying lipstick often enough! So this one works a treat at adding a bit of colour that stays and doesn't need reapplying constantly.

Ever since I had HD brows in December I've taken to filling in my brows a little bit darker than they are naturally. I've been absolutely LOVING Cosmetics A La Carte brow ink in 'Taupe'* that came in a Carmine beauty box that I received last year. This has genuinely changed how I do my eyebrows on a daily basis and will repurchase without a doubt.

Blusher wise I have been using a MAC Christmas palette I bought quite a while ago with Peachy Keen on the cheeks with a bit of Sun-Sparked Pearl beauty powder on the tops one the cheek bones for a natural highlight.

Do you try and rotate what you use or do you stick with something once you found something you like?

Products with a * next to the name are PR samples. All others bought by me.

Recently loving...

noreply@blogger.com (Beautyjunkielondon) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Here are a few little bits and bobs that I've been loving recently!

Rediscovering my love of ghd - before Christmas Ia was sent the gorgeous ghd Scarlet collection* and I've been using them almost daily to either smooth my hair down or add a bit of a curl to it (if I've had time in the morning that its). The ghd Scarlet collection include special edition red plated straightening irons all in a gift set that included a red satin clutch, plus a travel hair dryer and some clips. The red style design does look really slick and somehow feels more expensive?!

The latest feature on the ghd's that I'm really excited about is the addition of the plastic heat cover that goes over the plates. So I can put them away without needing them to cool down first.

Other than that the ghd's are the same high quality that they always have been - gliding through hair, allowing it to be smoothed to as straight as you like or used for more clever styling. I'm aiming to do a tutorial type blog post for how to use them to create curls very soon!

The gorgeous Scarlett Collection ghd irons

I picked up this little room spray at Sainsbury's - I've tried a couple of things from the Mandara Spa range and they always smell good enough to eat. So decided a room spray would be a nice addition. I chose Amber Heaven as it was a rich, relaxing scent rather than fresh and awakening since I wanted to use it for the bedroom.

Early Valentines day -thanks to the lovelies at Glossy Box, this gorgeous set of roses arrived at work this week. First I wondered if the boyfriend was having a lovely moment, but when I read the card from the Glossy Girls I was very happy - and the girls in the office where a tad jealous. All to celebrate the imminent arrived of the LE Valentines Glossy Box. It's a good one... I'll be writing about two of the products as part of my NY posts that are coming soon as I already know they are coming with me.

I went along to a blogger event to preview the Spring collection for very.co.uk - fell in love with these floor cushions and want a couple of the blue ones for my flat. I also spotted a couple of other items that are now on my lust list - will do a separate blog post about them shortly. It was really good to see the stuff in person, as with any mail order type of service you don't 100% know what it will be like and I think seeing the items in person showed me that they are much better quality than I expected.

Last but not least - little Chip, he's been loving my ghd box. It's become his new favourite hangout. In other random news, when we took Chip to the vet we were told that he is in fact a she - so technically Chip is a girl. But I am so used to calling her a him now!

What have you been loving this week?

Items marked with a * are PR samples.

Friday Treat: Leather Leggings

noreply@blogger.com (Beautyjunkielondon) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Another week, another Friday Treat time!

I'm really enjoying this whole Friday Treat thing (everyone should have one - the little reward to yourself for making it through the working week). This week's treat is another clothing item - I'm working up to being able to do semi-ok outfit of the day type posts at some point, I need to find a decent height tripod that works with my camera as I tried getting the boyfriend to take photos and I just feel like a bit of an idiot and can't help but giggle. So that's why these aren't outfit shots and focus on the detail...

Anyway, my lame attempts at OOTD posts, here's this week's Friday Treat.

Leather pancel leggings from H&M

The panel details.

Close up of the leather-like part

This is a pair of leggings from H&M (£14.99) with leather panel inserts down the side. I plan to gradually work my way up to full on leather leggings (once I have done a few more spinning classed to get my legs etc in a bit better shape that is). Ideally I wanted to find leggings that were leather all over then with a little jersey insert down the side for extra give, with the theory that the leather-like part would hold in any thigh wobble (attractive, I know).

But these were the ones I found - but if you know where I can find leggings like that, let me know in the comments.

Bought by me.

What Sundays are about: Comfort and indulge

noreply@blogger.com (Beautyjunkielondon) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:34:00 +0000

This is the lovely Neom candle I was recently sent. I only started burning it a few minutes ago and already the room smells of orange blossom.

What's better than a lazy Sunday reading blogs in a cosy room with a gorgeous scented candle making it smell yummy?

Happy Sunday everyone!

PR sample.

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre 'Emerveille'

noreply@blogger.com (Beautyjunkielondon) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

I feel like I'm on a bit of a designer make-up kick at the moment, I spent a silly amount of time loitering around the Dior and Lancome counter in Boots and recently picked up this little beauty from Chanel. This is one of their new-ish Illusion D'Ombre eye shadows in 'Emerveille' (number 82).

Shade wise, Emerveille is very me - nice and neutral. I would describe it as a peachy/rose gold sort of shade - in the pan in looks more peachy/pink than it does when applied. The shimmer shows through more when on the eye.

Texture wise, these are really hard to describe - they feel sort of mousse-like, somewhere between a powder and a cream. But somehow a bit heavier than a mousse. Perhaps a bit like lightly pressed loose pigment... with a hint of liquid to hold together. Does that make sense at all?!

I find there really is something unbeatable about Chanel packaging - the glossy black with the interlinking 'Cs' just feels like the ultimate in luxury make-up. The little glass pot also comes with a brush to apply the shadow, which has bristles similar in texture to a foundation brush but obviously smaller and with an angled head. I didn't get on very well with trying to use this to apply the shadow, I tried an alternative eyeshadow brush too and that just seemed to push the product around rather than pick it up... so I mainly use my fingers to apply this.

This has been my main eyeshadow of choice all week, paired with some fairly thick black liquid liner. Simple, but effective. I haven't had any problems with wear at all - it is designed as a long-wear shadow, but I still use a lid primer just to be sure (currently using Two-Faced Shadow insurance).

Here are the swatches, first in natural light and then with a flash. Obviously, under the flash the cool shimmer tones seem to show up far stronger and make it look quite frosty,

Natural Light

With Flash

I paid around £23 for this eyeshadow, which isn't exactly cheap. Somehow I often feel it's worth splashing out on a bit of Chanel - I can imagine it will last a while and it does come with a brush... yes, these are all my little justifications for spending silly money on a single eyeshadow. I can't say it's a must have that you can't find anywhere else, but I can say it's lovely and I'm happy I bought it.

On my little designer make-up kick I have also got a little goody from Lancome to show you. And considering getting either... a Dior foundation (forever or nude, not sure) or a Lancome (teint idole).. if you have tried either, let me know what you think!

Bought by me.

I heart Mulberry

noreply@blogger.com (Beautyjunkielondon) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

I can't believe I didn't blog about this sooner... back in November/December time I went along for the 'experience' that is the Mulberry Sample Sale. As a pretty devoted Mulberry fan, this is the sort of experience that's on a par with the excitement you see on those kids faces in the 'We're going to Disney World' adverts, but for girls with a bit of a shallow, fashion obsessed side (that would be me).

The line ahead of me...

The line behind me.... yep, snaking around the corner...

So along I went, first thing in the morning (yes, I took the morning off work so I could go) thinking I'd get these just before the opening time of 10, wander in, pick up what I wanted, pay (suffer from a dose of buyers remorse) and head back to the office.

But in reality, I arrived half an hour before opening to be greeted by a line that was already snaking around the block and continued to grow behind me... word of advice, if you go to the sample sale, and want to brave the first day - get there early.

Mulberry East-West Bayswater in 'Olive'

I made it inside after not too long a wait, and was greeted by the sort of chaotic shopping scene that I expect to see in a rom com or something. It was madness. So I surveyed the room, and established that the general approach was to grab anything you see that you remotely like and lug it around with you until you decide what to purchase. This caused a bit of an adrenaline rush whenever you saw someone put something down that you liked the look of - the sort of scene you expect to see go into slow motion with women dramatically reaching out shouting 'Nooooo!'

Anyway, my overactive imagination aside - it was pretty mad. I'm glad I took the morning off work, as the line to pay was long and took around 40mins to work my way through.

Describing the morning aside, what did I buy - I went in there with a budget in my head, and came home with two bags that I love very much. One was the sensible bag - the East-West Bayswater in 'Olive' (above) a nice neutral shade that looks smart and classic.

The other bag is not quite as sensible, but that's why I love it. This is the Sparkle Tweed Tillie with Rose Gold hardware. This is the bag that caused such a frenzy in the sample sale at one point that a woman was carted out by security.

Yes, really.

As much as I love Mulberry, I would not get hysterical or physical with other shoppers over a handbag.

Mulberry Tillie in 'Sparkle Tweed' with Rose Gold hard wear

Tillie in Sparkle Tweed

I was actually lucky enough that one of the lovely sales assistants (bless their patience with slightly crazed women going mad for reduced priced handbags for three days straight) was kind enough to sneak this and another sparkle tweed (the Tillie Hobo) my way.

Moral of the story - have manners and be patient.

Mulberry Tillie in Sparkle Tweed

Once I had the bags in my hand the other women were like vultures - asking if I was keeping them both (I wasn't, I can't live off fresh air) and asking if they could have them when I decided - then loitering around me until I decided.

I decided on the Tillie satchel rather than the hobo as it was a little less expensive and I like the long strap.

I do love both of these bags - I have a Mulberry problem!

What did I think of the sample sale overall? Madness. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat (I'm already saving for next year to soften the blow).

Bought by me. My credit card is still smouldering from the damage.

Charles Worthington Straight and Smooth Hair Straightening Kit: Guest Review

noreply@blogger.com (Beautyjunkielondon) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:44:00 +0000

In Autumn last year, Charles Worthington launched an at-home straightening kit, promising results comparable to the in-salon Brazilian blow dry. I went along to the launch to find out more about it, but when it came to testing the product, as someone with flat, straight hair...it wasn't really for me. So I passed my sample of to my lovely friend LW to test for me - and here are her thoughts.... (I should probably add here that LW has hair I'm very jealous of - I want volume and those beachy waves when my hair dries naturally!)

When my all time favourite beauty junkie, Jen, asked me to try out the ‘Charles Worthington Straight and Smooth Hair Straightening Kit’, I jumped at the chance. It is my lifelong quest to achieve straighter, healthier looking hair without having to spend hours blow drying and straightening.

My hair has seen its fair share of colour treatments (from blonde to brown to red and anywhere in between) and the fact that the kit is ‘for coloured hair’ was particularly appealing to me (I knew there would be no hair ‘side effects’ like turning green or falling out). This is my hair before the treatment, dried naturally:

The kit is available at boots only, for £19.99. It comes with the straightening treatment, a conditioner which activates the treatment, an after care conditioner, gloves and a comb. The instructions are so straightforward it would be impossible not to understand how to do this.

The most difficult part of the process was actually the fact that the product has to be applied to wet, shampooed but not conditioned hair. Using the comb I eventually worked out the tangles from my unconditioned hair (which, trust me, is not an easy task) and was ready to apply the treatment.

The treatment is easy to apply (from the roots to the ends of the hair) but is probably best done in the bathroom if you aren’t the most careful of people (like me), as it can be a bit drippy.

The instructions warn that the product will have a ‘particular’ smell which indicates that it is working. This concerned me somewhat. The ‘particular’ smell seemed familiar to me but took me a while to identify.

Eventually, I realised it reminded me of the smell of wee after eating lots of asparagus ... I then understood the use of the euphemism ‘particular’ on the box. The smell is fairly mild and wouldn’t put me off using the product again, but it’s definitely there.

After leaving the treatment on for 20 minutes (and removing the peg from my nose) I rinsed and applied the conditioner for 5 minutes. Couldn’t be easier!

As instructed, I blow dried my hair after using the treatment (I just used a large paddle brush) and it looked like this:

It didn't look particularly different from when I would blow dry it before the treatment (I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting?!) but I stuck to the instructions and used the aftercare conditioner for the next 2-3 washes. The next time I washed my hair I left it to dry naturally (on a nice warm day) and it dried much straighter than it would have done prior to the treatment. Check it out:

A month after using the treatment my hair, dried naturally, looked like this:

Since using the treatment (now 3 months ago), I have rarely felt the need to get the hair straighteners out for more than a quick finishing job and I have often let me hair dry naturally and been very happy with the result.

I'm now starting to feel like it may be worth repeating the treatment, but overall I’m really impressed with how long the effects have lasted (almost as well as the Brazilian blow dry - which I have tried before).

This treatment has saved me so much time on blow drying and straightening my hair and I would definitely go out and buy it again, especially as, compared to a salon Brazilian blow dry treatment, it’s an absolute bargain.

Thanks Jen for introducing me to this great product!

Product was a PR sample.

I need your ideas!

noreply@blogger.com (Beautyjunkielondon) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:18:00 +0000

If you follow me on twitter, then you probably already know this... but it's not long until I go away to New York. The trip was a bit of a spark of extreme generosity (not that I'm not generous normally... but this was a whole another level of generous) for my boyfriend as a Christmas/birthday present. Of course, whilst it's a present for him, it's still something I'm going to enjoy and I might even be lucky enough to hit the shops once or twice...

Image source

So that's where I need your ideas! What brands/products do you have on your America wish list? I need more inspiration... I have some Sephora OPI colours and some Maybelline products that aren't currently available in the UK - but I want more ideas! Any ideas are welcome, small or large!

Comment on this blog to let me know what you think I should check out over there (if you have other NYC related ideas too then let me know!) and I might just bear them in mind for an upcoming readers giveaway I'm planning...

Nip + Fab Clean Fix Cleansing Oil

noreply@blogger.com (Beautyjunkielondon) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

I love a cleansing oil, I used to be a die-hard foam cleanser fan. Nothing else felt like it made my skin clean enough, but then I tried my first oil cleanser (the one from DHC) and it changed it all. Since then I've tried a few different ones, including Shu Uemura, MAC and Dermalogica and now this one from NIP and FAB.

The first thing I noticed about the oil is that the scent is really lovely - it's light and a little bit citrussy. Feels really refreshing but I haven't found that it irritates my skin at all. When I say it feels light, it's a bit hard to describe - but I feel like it has a lighter texture than the other brands I have tried.

I also find that it rinses of really easily - it emulsifies in both cool and warm water and does a decent job of easing off eye make-up, although I usually add some eye make-up remover too get the rest of it off.

Packaging wise, I love the look of it and the style but my major bug bear that really, really annoys me is that this bottle leaks - and when I say leaks, I mean really bad. If you look at the close up of the pump shot above all that glossiness? That's not just shiny plastic, that's oil that comes out whenever I use the pump.

There's a chance that this is just a one of fault of course, and I really hope it is as the leaking issue really spoils an otherwise lovely product. I'd love to take this away when I travel, but I can't because of the leaking situation! But fingers crossed it's just a one off fault...

Final thing I wanted to say is if you haven't tried an oil cleanser, I really suggest you do - whatever your skin type is, I really haven't found a faster way to thoroughly remove a face of make-up (and London grime).

Nip+Fab is available from Boots and the cleansing oil (£10.16)

PR sample.

Winter tanning

noreply@blogger.com (Beautyjunkielondon) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:15:00 +0000

Earlier in the month I picked up a couple of sale bargains, including Estee Lauder Sensuous Nude fragrance as I already blogged about... plus I bought not one, but two sets of this St Tropez Gradual Tanning set - including Body and Face Moisturiser in Light Medium.

Generally I find gradual tanning the easiest way to get a bit of colour, although I am so pale a 'proper' tan is probably better for me. Plus it doesn't stink of fake tan at all, I can happily apply in the morning and not be bothered by the scent.

I've been using both of these since early Jan and really like them for ease of use. They are light and absorb easily - they don't stain hands or cuticles so far and the body one definitely delivers a subtle body colour. I'm not 100% on the face one as haven't really noticed a difference, but it is meant to be gradual...

Best part of this duo? It was £10. What a bargain, considering the body moisturiser is about £14 full price... I do love a bargain, hence why I picked up two!

Bought by moi!

Estee Lauder Spring 2012 Topaz Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Beautyjunkielondon) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:09:00 +0000

This is the new Spring Collection from Estee Lauder called 'Topaz' and I love the combination of gold and turquoise shades. I first spotted this over on Vex and the City's blog and a couple of the pieces caught my eye.

Standout products that I love the look of are the nail varnish, the nail colour is called 'Teal Topaz' (£14) and I'm not sure if this is possible for someone who is more than a little obsessed with turquoise, but I don't think I have anything in this sort of rich blue/teal/turquoise looking mixture and I love the look of it.

Then how can I not mention the Gelee Powder highlighter in 'Topaz Chameleon' (£28 and LE). I imagine this to be a highlighter equivalent of the Cyber Eyes shadows, which are amazing in texture and the shade looks very pretty - a sort of soft champagne gold with a light bit of bronze. They released something similar to this last year and I'm still kicking myself for not picking one up.

The collection also includes a yellowy/gold lip gloss, an earthy/desert shade eyeshadow compact called 'Topaz Mosaic', some orange/rich brown shades of lip colour (shades such as Sultry Caramel, Sensuous Nude and Sublime Nectar). But for me the winners are definitely the highlighter and the nail colour - love them.

So what do you think of the collection shots? Anything catch your eye? On a side note, I love the colour of the models hair...that's the shade I want to try...

Flat hair loves...

noreply@blogger.com (Beautyjunkielondon) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:30:00 +0000

Hair styling wise, there are a couple of products I have been really loving recently, one from Pantene (which FYI has been repackaged recently, more on that in a mo) and one from Phil Smith 'Xtreme Style'. Both products have been an absolute God-send to me, as someone with fine, flat hair.

Starting with the Phil Smith - this product smells of holidays and Summer, which is no bad thing in bleak January. When I say holidays and Summer, I mean it's scented of coconut - the ultimate summer scent. It's gorgeous. The texture of this is a cream, I usually use around the size of a walnut and use my hands to apply through my hair whilst it's still wet. I find it really helps boost my hair all over, and keeps it full and looking healthy - without turning it crispy as some volumising products can do.

In combination with that I use Pantene Mousse for Volume & Body. I have been loving this and using it daily for a month or two. I use this to volumes at the root and find the combination of the two really delivers decent volume, that lasts longer than my bus ride to work...

I mentioned that Pantene has recently undergone a bit of a change - the brand has essentially repackaged all of it's different hair care sub-brands, such as Aqua Light (which I have professed my love for before) so now the whole range can be selected based on your hair type and needs - so you can pick something that protects your colour, plus conditions thick hair all at the same time. Or volume for fine hair... all sorts of options, but the idea is that it's easier to navigate the brand and find what works for you.

Just in case you haven't spotted the new packaging, here's a little look at the new Pantene post make-over.

Also, interestingly - much of the range has a new scent... so say goodbye to that familiar Pantene smell. Some love this, others miss the old smell - where do you sit?

Overall, this is my styling combination of choice - without them I would be stuck with a head full of flat, lifeless blonde hair!

PR samples.

Discovering Leonor Greyl

noreply@blogger.com (Beautyjunkielondon) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:00:00 +0000

One of the best things about blogging can be discovering new products that if I wasn't quite as obsessed with beauty I would be far less likely to stumbled across. One of my most recent discoveries is the hair care loveliness of Leonor Greyl.

Leonor Greyl is not a new range, it's been around in France since the late 60's but it isn't something that's easily available in salons across the UK. It is however, the product of choice for amazing hair stylist and lovely guy, Johnnie Sapong (quite possibly the most chilled out hair stylist I've ever met) in his Studio. I had the pleasure of visiting The Studio at the end of last year and it was quite an experience - and I wasn't even there for a hair session! I enjoyed a wonderful meal (with dishes inspired by the ingredients in the Leonor Greyl products) surrounded by some amazing and surreal artworks...(by Banksy, amongst others) whilst being introduced to Johnnie and his team and the Leonor Greyl range and what it can do for hair.

Having now had a chance to give the products a try I can share some of my thoughts. First up, I don't love it all - a couple of the products are scented with Jasmine which is loved by some, but not a fragrance I love. But two of the products are a real standouts for me.

The oil solidifies when above a certain temp.
But is easy to liquify again, I usually just run hot water over the bottle for a while.

Firstly, the Hair Oil or 'Huile De Palme', is an amazing oil for a pre wash treatment. I've taken to applying a few drops to the end of my hair and leaving it over night to absorb before washing in the morning. This product is one my boyfriend loves actually - every time I apply it he comments on how good it smells. Which is rare... the majority of things used overnight seems to smell pretty potent. But this is lovely.

I have also been using the oil to massage into my scalp as an overnight treatment too. This isn't necessarily one of the uses that was demonstrated to me, but I've been finding it quite soothing for my sensitive scalp (which has been acting on the crazy side recently) so this is a bonus.

Leonor Greyl Shampooing Reviviscence

Secondly, I have really enjoyed using the shampoo. Again, like the oil it smells really good and not overly 'Jasmine' for my tastes. The 'Shampooing Revivisence' is designed specifically for dry and brittle hair. Like the oil, I've found it works well for my sensitive scalp - not as a perfect cure, but it doesn't seem to irritate it further and my hair feels really clean after washing which I like. Plus it feels light, which is rare shampoo designed for dry hair - usually these feel quite heavy.

Third up is the deep conditioner, which I like in terms of how it makes my hair feel but as I mentioned before - the scent isn't to my taste. The big tub comes with a spatula to dispense, despite this I'm more of a scoop with my hand kinda girl... This is another one that leaves my hair feeling really good. Conditioned, soft but not weighed down. If it smelt as good as the oil I'd be in deep-conditioner-heaven.

Overall, I've really enjoyed discovering something new - as someone who has a tendency to try thing that I see in adverts (yes, I'm a sucker for advertising) or from brands I know, it's been really good to try something that's a bit more 'off the beaten path' for me.

Is Leonor Greyl a brand you have heard of before?

PR samples.

Accessorize Metallic Nails: NOTD x2

noreply@blogger.com (Beautyjunkielondon) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:30:00 +0000

Here are two of my recent 'NOTD' looks with the new metallic shades from the Accessorize range of make-up. The dark blue is 'Sapphire' and the pale metallic pink is called 'Greige' (although it's really not at all greige...)

Accessorize Sapphire: Natural Light

Accessorize Greige: Natural Light

These nail polishes absolutely blew me away in terms of quality of pigmentation. The blue in particular is stunning, a gorgeous colour and one shade and it was perfect coverage. It's rare for a polish to promise one coat and genuinely deliver.

Accessorize Sapphire: Flash

Accessorize Greige: Flash

Of the two, the blue was the biggest winner for me. Not only did it apply like a dream & dry pretty quickly. But it lasted really well, around 3 days before it chipped.

The paler colour didn't fair quite as well - it chipped on day one. But on the other fronts, it fared well (one coat, dried quickly).

For the price of £4 a bottle, I am really impressed with these nail polishes and very tempted to pick up more. There's a very pretty looking metallic turquoise that's on my list!

PR samples.

Friday treat: Sequin Jumper

noreply@blogger.com (Beautyjunkielondon) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 21:58:00 +0000

Bit of a late post on this week's Friday treat, had a fairly busy Saturday and a lazy Sunday where blogging motivation has only just kicked in!

Again, this week's treat is something different - an item of clothing. I popped into Dorothy Perkins (the one near Tottenham Court Road station FYI) to have a quick lunch time browse and spotted this little jumper in the sale section. I liked the look of the little transparent sequins as detail on the shoulders and elbows - combined with the nice neutral beige colour and decided this would be the Friday treat this week.

You can just about see the shoulder sequin detail here.

The sequin detail on the elbows.

The jumper was £22, reduced from £32 and I bought it a couple of size up as I wanted to wear it quite slouchy rather than fitted.

You can buy this jumper online from Dorothy Perkins

I also told myself that I have to have a cheaper Friday treat next week as I'm meant to be saving for New York.... Which is a shame, because whilst I was looking for the link to the jumper I bought on the Dorothy Perkins website I spotted a couple of things I want! Such as... (all around £25 each)

Heart Jumper

Striped Jumper

Blush Jumper

I love the red striped jumper, really, really tempted to buy... but trying to talk myself out of it. The other two, I'm really loving peachy/Spring colours at the moment, and slouchy jumpers... so put these together and these two jumpers are officially on my 'want' list.

Now just to talk myself out of purchasing. WHY DOES EVERYTHING LOOK SO GOOD WHEN I'M NOT ALLOWED TO BUY?!

Sequin jumper bought by me.

£5 off Benefit with Diet Coke

noreply@blogger.com (Beautyjunkielondon) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:30:00 +0000

Last week I popped along to the lovely Benefit store in Spitalfields market to find out about Diet Coke's latest partnership with the brand. Diet Coke are becoming pretty well known for their partnerships with beauty brands, from exclusive Nails Inc collections (the London shade is still one of my favourite nail colours - one of very few I have a back-up of) to Models Own lip gloss... now they have teamed up with Benefit to offer £5 off any online purchases over £20. Not a discount to sniff at!

As part of the link-up, Lisa Potter-Dixon - Head Make-Up Artist for Benefit has created three looks as featured on three of the Diet Coke dolls that star in the brand's ads, each that matches up with the gorgeous Diet Coke can designs and can be recreated with Benefit products.

There's a Rock Chic look, a Fashionista look and a Romantic look. With my personal fave being the Romantic look. Although I do love the Rock Chic look too - the dark blue and turquoise shades look amazing.

Under each of the pictures for each look below I have listed the key Benefit products used to create the look:

Rock Chick

Base = Porefessional

Foundation = Hello Flawless

Concealer = Boi-ing

Cheeks = Sugarbomb

Highlight = Highbeam

Eyeshadow = Smokin'Eyes

Liner = Bad Gal Waterproof

Lashes = They're Real

Lips = Cha Cha Tint

Gloss = Spiked Punch

Fashionista

Base = Porefessional

Highlight = Watt's Up

Cheeks = Benetint

Eyeshadow = Stiletto cream shadow

Liner = Magic Inc

Lashes = They're Real

Under eyes = Erase Paste

Brows = Brow Zings

Lips = Benetint & Flirt Alert lippie

Romantic

Base = Porefessional & That Gal

Foundation = You Rebel

Concealer = Boi-ing

Cheeks = Bella Bamba

Eyeshadow = Leggy Velvet

Liner = Bad Gal Waterproof

Lashes = They're Real

Lips = Posie Tint

Gloss = Dancing Queen

Here's a bit of a closer look at the Romantic look - I love the combination of gold shadow, black liner and perky pink cheeks and lips. Definitely a look I want to recreate myself!

Another thing I learnt at the event... I want to always have sparkly things on a straw when I drink Diet Coke.

All images from PR event (where some goodies were provided - not all listed of course, but more on those later).

MAC Naturally Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Beautyjunkielondon) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:42:00 +0000

I feel a little like MAC had fallen off my radar recently, but the soon to be launched Naturally collection has jumped right back on. It's everything I love about make-up, neutral shades that make you look like you're glowing and healthy.

Top products I have my eye on are the Blonde and Redhead MSF products - I missed these out on the first time around so really want to pick them up. At the moment I can't decide between the two shades, I like the blonde one because I'm blonde... and like the shade of the redhead one. So I should probably go for the colour I love rather than the name... but will see.

MAC MSF 'Redhead'

MAC MSF 'Blonde'

The blushers looks pretty gorgeous too, and again the names are part of the appeal for me. They just sound so darn fresh and wholesome! FYI - for swatches check out Temptalia.

Subtle Breeze

Early Morning

Fresh Honey

The collection does include more than cheek products of course, but I chose to just highlight the ones that caught my eye!

The collection is on counters on Thursday 2nd Feb.

Physicians Formula Happy Booster Blush

noreply@blogger.com (Beautyjunkielondon) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Last time I was in America I picked up this pretty little blusher from Physicians Formula. Apparently it's a 'Happy Booster' that's meant to actually boost mood... not sure about that but I do know that it's up there with some of the cutest products that I've seen, especially for the price. I think this was around $12.

I guess you can tell it's a drugstore product rather than high end when you look at the colours and the imprints, they don't exactly match up - but still, that's just a niggly detail really. Colour wise, these blend together into a gorgeous pink, with a hint of peach sort of shade.

The little compact pops open so under the product there's a brush and a small mirror, which is a nice touch but generally I don't tend to use whatever the brushes are that come with the product. Plus the separate compartment for this does make it a little bit on the chunky side, packaging wise.

Here's the obligatory shot of me wearing the blusher...

My general thoughts are that colour wise, it's lovely - although the largest heard does have a few little chunks of glitter in a it which isn't ideal, but overall they don't show up too badly.

My main reason for loving this blusher though is how pretty it looks... I can't really vouch for the product itself doing much for my mood but if pretty products cheer you up then this is one you need in your life.

Here's another closer look at the prettiness..

Physicians Formula is one of the brands I am keen to try a couple more products from next time I go to the US. So if you have any recommendations from the brand please leave a comment and let me know! Plus any other US-only products that are worth checking out of course!

Bought by me.