Daisynation's Blog

Farewell for now...

2013-05-09T15:24:00.000-07:00

Hey friends,

This is a hard post to write, but one that I must write, unfortunately. After my recent hiatus, I came back to the online beauty community hoping and intending to get back in the swing of things. In the last few months it's become clear that I'm unable to commit to running my Youtube channel, Twitter and blog as I once was. I haven't been able to keep up with correspondence, this blog or my channel for some time, due to a combination of life commitments and health issues.

It's time to admit that I can't be involved as I once was, and I think rather than ignore the problem, it's better to call time and say farewell for now.

I apologise to my friends and subscribers for not writing sooner. I also want to sincerely and wholeheartedly thank everyone I've had the good fortune of meeting, each and every reader and subscriber. I have had a wonderful, blessed time with blogging and Youtube.

I hope everyone knows how much I appreciate my time here, sharing and connecting with you. I'm sorry I'm unable to continue at the moment. I have felt and received so much love, care and positivity that I will carry with me throughout my life. There may be a time in the future when I can become involved again, but for now I must say farewell. Much love and endless thanks.

Daisy

Sherilyn Fenn/Audrey Horne Style Muse

2013-03-10T10:44:00.001-07:00

I recently posted a tutorial on Youtube which was my interpretation of Sherilyn Fenns' look from Twin Peaks:

Here's another pic of that look:

I thought I'd feature a few ways to bring a little Twin Peaks into your wardrobe! So here's a few inspirations for achieving the Audrey look:

ww.ericbompard.com

Classic Audrey tartan a-line skirt from D & G

Bloch Jive Leather Brogues in Black from www.lyst.com

Tommy Hilfiger sweater from www.polyvore.com with great pencil skirt

I'll also put a link to a LBD that I think Audrey would have looked KILLER in. I think Marilyn Monroe would have loved this dress, me too for that matter! It's simple, classic and totally perfect: http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/336504

Valentines' Day Inspiration/FOTD!

2013-02-14T07:24:00.004-08:00

A sexy yet soft and romantic look (i hope!) to show off your features, keeping it pretty. Have a great Valentines Day! xx
Products used:
YSL Touche Eclat Foundation in BR10
Clinique Airbrush Concealer in Fair & Collection 2000 LP concealer in Fair
Rouge Bunny Rouge Sea of Tranquility liquid highlighter - for sexy skin emphasis & on brow
Guerlain Guerlain Blush G Serie Noire (LE) - the pink parts
Mac Taupe Shape blush to contour - LE, grab it, I luv it!
Ben Nye White shadow pencil on brow & lid
UD Sin on ball of eye
Mac Wedge & Haux e/s in crease
YSL Faux Cils mascara
Clinique Gel Liner in Black
Illamasqua Vow Medium Pencil in lower waterline - fleshtoned
Lancome Le Crayon Sourcils brow pencil in Brun
Mac Stripdown lipliner
Mac Lady Gaga 2 lipstick with Chanel Extrait de Gloss in Insolence

More Musings and Muses...

2013-02-07T08:23:00.003-08:00

I'm unable to film or take shots at the moment, but I wanted to quickly post something about my beauty-related thoughts today. I find I'm drawn to makeup that I consider more sultry, defined and European than I am used to wearing. Maybe it's the time of year, or my makeup style is transitioning into something suiting my current phase of life...I feel I want to wear makeup more in (what I consider) the style of beautiful Italian women. Not just Italian, but classic European brunettes like Isabelle Adjani, Monica Belluci and the Dior models of the late 80s-early 90s.
It's a stronger look, with stronger colours and definition. I'm wearing winged liner heavier and on the daily. I'm wearing neutrals and darker browns on my eyes most the time and not seeing them as dull or the "safe route". Plus I'm taking them further up and out, smoking all these warm, cafe coloured shadows with aplomb around my eyes. Smoking out to the side and up under the browbone. Or in towards the inner eye under where the eyebrow meets the nose. Plus adding bronze or bourbon-coloured liners and shadow on the lower lashline with abandon, even though I've enough going on upstairs.

Monica Bellucci

I'm using stronger blush colours such as a shade darker and more tawny pink or a more russet coral. More intense, interesting bronzers are satisfying me, the ones with added coriander and cumin and a touch darker to really pull the cheekbones a la the divine Miss Sophia Loren. Think Armani or Dolce & Gabbana ads. Plus I'm not worrying about pairing my brown smokey eye with a nude lip, again I'm using tawny pinks and rose petal colours. I'm loving it, but it does all combine to make a more defined, stronger look. Especially with the well-defined, heavier, arched brow I currently like to wear.
I associate it with a more Latin makeup style, where girls with darker hair, skin and eyes use stronger, darker makeup to emphasise their beauty. I know I have very pale skin so this is a risky style to flirt with. I know if I push it I won't carry it off and may look harsh and overly made-up. But I find if I am careful with the intensity of the shades, keeping them to a general medium, it's pleasing. I find that having such dark hair allows me to go a bit darker and heavier, and it many cases it actually suits me a lot better to go stronger in emphasis.

Sophia Loren

I am taking inspiration from muses such as Sophia Loren and Sofia Vergara - two stunning dusky brunettes who wear this smokey style far better than I ever could. Rather than a strong eye and a lighter lip, or dark lips and light eye work, I'm liking an all-round 'composite' of flattering earthy, skin shades that pull the face together beautifully. Perhaps it is just the time of year, and by the Summer I'll be all about bright lips and light, fruity blush colours. Or perhaps it's indicative of a more confident me, learning to work with what I have and not force a style on myself so much.

Sofia Vergara

Let me know what you think, should a pale Brit being wearing this style? What shades and styles are floating your boat right now?

Musings and Muses

2013-01-23T09:56:00.001-08:00

Snow is coming down thick and fast right now, and I'm one of those people who is enjoying it. I guess because it's not causing too much chaos in my life, I'm lucky, I can just see the magic. At the weekend at the countryside, it looked like a scene from 'Meet Me In St Louis' with sleighing and snowmen. I love cold weather fashion so I really dig seeing all the girls in their cute hats (little individuality signifiers), leather boots and snoods. Most guys seem a little bit less prepared with a pair of Tesco Value £3 grey gloves grabbed from the back of an old drawer, and an ill-fitting beanie. But the girls go to town with textures, shapes and layers. Fur, lacing, prints, knit, angora, denim....bunny ears or Uggs, I love cold weather wear.

Going out to brave the snow

It's time to move on and control what I think has become a slight skin obsession. My hyperpigmentation is now under control, it's looking so much better than it did last Summer. So I will step back and ease up a little. Thanks to everyone who left comments on my video complimenting my skin, it's made me realise I had my perspective a little out of whack.

Liking....

Warm browns on the eyes: matte or slight shimmer; earthy; ruddy; blended out fuzzily near the browbone. Worn with khaki, beige and dark ashy browns to contrast. Think Nars Surabaya duo.

The new launches from Robert Piguet. I'm a devoted fan of Fracas by Robert Piguet, the tuberose-based classic. I think Piguet designs are so classically beautiful with their slightly Art Deco fonts and heavy, blunt black bottles. Piguet has launched Petit Fracas, with notes of chocolate to entice a younger market, that "really doesn't smell like Fracas at all" according to the CEO of Piguet Fragrances. He describes the Robert Piguet DNA as "very powerful fragrances using delicate ingredients".

Available at selfridges.com

There is also Chai, Blossom and Jeunesse. The concept behind this collection is "China for the Pacific market". Chai has jesty top notes of bergamot and orange blossom, with hints of white tea and honey. Blossom has a champagne and citrus quality with mandarin, orange leaf and orange blossom on a clean and bubbly musk base. Jeunesse is aiming straight at the younger market (as the title suggests) with a light, fruity "raspberry macaroon" quality. It references Asia with a sweet raspberry and sour pomegranate and is supposedly the more powerful of the three.

As you might guess, I'm most interested to try Petit Fracas. It's going to be quite hard to try these new launches as the house of Piguet is very selective about where it's fragrances are sold, and I'm not often is stores where Piguet is sold to be able to test these out. Unfortunately.

Kate Moss for Rimmel in 03 - a nice brownish nude with a hint of peach. I got over my aversion to Rimmel lipsticks and tested this as it reminded me of Mac Shy Girl lipstick. I hardly ever look over the Rimmel lipstick range as it takes me back to being thirteen again, hanging out with a gang of not-that-nice girls who all wore Rimmels' Heather Shimmer. I think they still make it, shudder, that wasn't a happy time! But I thought it was time I looked over the Moss range and I like number 3. It's pretty nice with a Mac lipliner for daytime wear. But it's not a drugstore Mac Shy Girl, unfortunately.

Neroli essential oil - for getting over any kind of shock, anxiety or restlessness. I particularly like it's presence in Decleors' Essential Balm which lulls you into the slumber of babes when used as a night treatment.

Boots No7 vouchers, a marvellous incentive to experiment with a skincare line that keeps improving and moving with the times, yet retains an old school, classical essence.

Anne Hathaway

A lovely and accomplished actress proving that the Gamine Crop can still have something to say in 2013. I hope she keeps it, as many actresses who flirt with a crop seldom keep it beyond their role as Edie Sedgewick or whatever. She has shown she can move effortlessly from Disney teen films to playing Jane Austen with a perfect Brit accent to sleek and sophisticated Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises. I used to favour Michelle Pfeiffers' Catwoman, but I think Anne may have just won me over with her perfect pitch in that role. I was worried about her a few months ago when pictures showed her looking extremely thin, pale and as if she were about to faint. She had to lose a lot of weight to play the starving Fantine in Les Miserables, just premiered. She has put on a pound or two since then and is back looking healthier, not that it's any of my business, and I think she looks absolutely stunning. She is glowing, with good looks, sweet-natured charm and the confidence that starts to appear when you hit 30. A lovely girl, in every sense of the word.

Thanks to all those who purchased from my Blog Sale, I hope you enjoy your picks. There are still some things left, many at reduced prices so I'll keep the sale up for another week or two. Keep warm and safe if you're in the snow and have a great rest of the week everyone!

BLOGSALE 2013

2013-01-16T08:06:00.000-08:00

Hi guys, welcome to this years' blog sale. These products are all lovely, and I wouldn't part with them if I was using them more, and couldn't do with the money. I hope you enjoy having a peruse through my sale, and that you find something you like. Give a blush a good home, not just for Christmas!

It's a first-come-first-served basis.
Only shipping within Europe, sorry.
I accept only Paypal as it is the safest way to send and receive online payments.
If you would like something, leave a comment below this post with your email address and I will send you a Paypal invoice. The invoice will give the total amount of the items(s) including postage. If I haven't received payment within 24 hours I will re -list the item(s).
Postage will be £1.50 in most cases. In some of the more expensive items (eg. Dior Rose Diamond) I will be sending Recorded Delivery and in those cases postage will be £2. In case of multiple purchases I will add 50p for each additional item.
If you have any questions about the items please let me know, I'd be happy to give any additional information.
Everything has been cleaned and sanitised well and will be wrapped for delivery securely. I'll notify you of postage via email, unless you require other proof of postage. Last time I found no need to do Signed For delivery, but I will require an email from you letting me know that you have received the item.

Makeup For Ever HD Blush #2 - used 1-2x £10, Mac Fleur Power pan blush - slightly used £5SOLD (will send in Mac pan packet)

Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in Petticoat (Limited Edition) - some usage but looks new £15SOLD, Christian Dior Rose Diamond highlighter- fairly used £15SOLD, Deborah Milano Mogano baked blush - very slight usage £4SOLD

Makeup For Ever Aqua Cream Waterproof for Eyes, Lips & Cheeks in #09 Coral - fairly used £7, Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks in Pink Raspberry - slightly used £8SOLD


Chanel Illusoire Illusion D'Ombre cream e/s - fairly used £12, Catrice Made to Stay cream e/s - fairly used £2

Mac Quad w/ L-R: Electric Eel, Trax, Rule, Purple Haze. Heavy use on Trax, v slight on others £12, Wet'n'Wild Night Elf (LimEdition) palette - swatched, only the light colour has been used £4SOLD

SPARITUAL Chill mini - unused £1, Orly Frolic - unused £4, OPI I'm Suzi and I'm a Chocoholic - used 1-2x £4SOLD, Catrice #170 Scream Peach - unused £2

Illamasqua Feint e/s - slight usage £10, Catrice I'm A Coal-Girl e/s - maybe swatched, looks unused £4, Wet'n'Wild Penny and Envy e/s' - still sealed £1 each

Yves Rocher glitter pigment in 01 Nacres Roses - slight usage £3, Nars All About Eve e/s duo - lightly used £15SOLD, Mac Lithe pigment (LimEdition) - 3/4 full £8SOLD

Nars Velvet Matte Lipstick in Madere - fairly used £7SOLD, YSL Rouge Volupte #30 Faubourg Peach l/s - lightly used £8SOLD, Catrice #160 Tell Me A Berry-Tale l/s - unused £3, Giorgio Armani Rouge D'Armani #516 l/s - fairly used £6SOLD

Benefit Hoola Bronzer - half-used £4.50SOLD, Illamasqua Bacterium n/p - used 10x £6

Burberry Brit half-full, no cap £4SOLD

Mac In Synch lip liner - 3/4 used £5, Revlon Pink In The Afternoon - slight usage £2

Thanks for stopping by : )

Fuschia Fever + Melissa Odabash Part Deux

2013-01-14T10:22:00.000-08:00

Earrings from Melissa Odabash

A Wintery fever caught me today, inspiring me to use strong fuchsia on the lips. Perhaps the first yearning for Spring stirs within me; a craving for the bright, bold and fresh.
My FOTD:
Mac Face & Body foundation in C1 and White
Graftobian Ultra Lites cream foundation palette
Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair - a new love, I'm late to the game on that one.
Stila Convertible Color in Poppy mixed w/ Illamasqua Lies - on the apples with a Mac 130 brush. Really liked the mix and that brush is a dream.
Nars Douceur - a subtle contour
Maybelline On & On Bronze Colour Tattoo, Bare Minerals Patience e/s and Mac Patina e/s on the eyes - these three products are constantly in rotation.
YSL Faux Cils Mascara - combed through with a CG Lashblast brush to separate.
Laura Mercier Brow Pencil in Soft Brunette - mixed with a little of my new Lancome brow pencil in Brun. Love the spoolie on the end, who knew spoolies could be so good?
Mac Chromagraphic pencil in Process Magenta & Milani HD Advanced Lip Color in Vivacious Fuschia - a high pigment balmy lipstick that packs a real colour punch and feels gorgeous on the lips.
Nails Inc Baker Street nail polish - this actually jarred with the mood of my day, although I love this polish.

I'm wearing black leggings and my new grape coloured ankle boots (see recent OOTD on YT). I have a long grey vest under a white shirt from silence + noise at Urban Outfitters. Then I wore my long wool coat.

I'm wearing my second pair of earrings from Melissa Odabash and I can't recommend them highly enough. If you recall I bought a pair of rose gold hoops with a lotus design on the front of the hoop. These are still hoops, but in silver and the hoop is front-faced and the lotus sits on the base of the hoop. There's a black teardrop gem connected to the base of the hoop.
Having found that the rose gold hoops were quality, glam yet understated and wearable with just about anything, I knew I wanted a pair in silver. I went back to John Lewis and instead of picking the same pair in silver I chose these and have no regrets. My parents (bless them) bought them for me as a Christmas present, which makes them more special. The Odabash hoops have become staples for me.

Chanel Coromandel nail polish

2013-01-12T04:04:00.001-08:00

Hey guys, just a few pics of Chanel Coromandel which came out in a great reds collection last Autumn, I think. It should be still available though, I see it all the time. This is a brilliant cherry tomato red full of vibrancy and cheer. It has a fine red shimmer running through that heightens the colour. I wore it over the Christmas period and loved it so much. The name and colour is suggestive of Oriental red lacquer, Coco Chanel was passionate about Oriental styling.

This goes on beautifully, I find even one coat is passable. It is opaque, glossy and gloriously rich in colour. It doesn't chip quickly and lasts a good time, especially with a top coat you should get a week with this one. I think if you're after a good red, this is definitely one to look into. It is a warm red, which can look orangey red in some lights , just to let you know. Have a great weekend! xoxo

L'occitane Immortelle Water & Simple Anti Wrinkle Day Cream

2013-01-10T09:32:00.000-08:00

I've been enjoying these two skincare items lately, so much so that I've finished the whole jar of Simple cream in a short time. I'm reviewing Simple new Anti-Wrinkle Day Cream from the Repair line, plus L'Occitanes' Immortelle Essential Water which is also purported to help fight ageing.

Simple Anti-Wrinkle Day Cream is £8.99 at Boots, Immortelle Essential Water is £17 for 200ml at L'Occitane

I bought Simples' cream after seeing it on my Mums' dressing table and trying a dab. I was impressed with the rich texture and the many excellent ingredients listed. Iris Extract is not often seen in lower end creams to be bought at this price, so I was intrigued. Other great anti-ageing ingredients and good moisturising agents are Mushroom Extract, Seaweed Extract, Vitamin E, Black Oat, Glycerin, Pro-Vitamin B5 as well as sunscreens. It doesn't give an SPF for the sunscreens so you wouldn't rely on those just in this cream. It's white, slick and heavy. It claims to reduce wrinkles in four weeks.

I loved this cream, it made my skin plumper, tighter and more radiant with some reduction in fine lines. It's a richness of this cream made it wonderful for my dehydrated Winter skin. I found it deeply moisturised, rehydrated and nourished. Dry skin types would love this, with a lot of creams on the market for dry skin not doing the job at deeply moisturising. It also restores suppleness to the skin.

It does have a funny non-smell though, the absence of perfume I suppose. Not unpleasant or strong. I'm moving more towards adding in fragrance free products (all Simple skincare is fragrance free). I feel the more frag-free I use the less chance of my skin getting irritated, leading to collagen breakdown. I will definately repurchase.

The Essential Water is a toner from the new Immortelle range from L'Occitane. L'Occitane has harvested the Immortelle flower, known as the "everlasting flower" in Corsica. The flower retains its' colour and form even when dried. The flowers'essential oil is said to have anti-free radical and anti-wrinkle properties.

I had read about this being one of the best anti-ageing toners on the market, so I was thrilled when my Sister had this trial size in a Christmas present and was good enough to trade with me! I don't use toners in the usual fashion really, I use this like I do any water spray I'm using such as La Roche Posay Thermal Water: I spritz over the face after cleansing and before moisturisers or serums.

I find sometimes that if I put a serum or moisturiser straight onto clean skin, it soaks in so quickly and so voraciously, I go through products in no time at all. My skin can drink things up before they've hit the surface. Adding a mist of water allows my products to sink into the skin in at a slower rate: it helps my skincare item stretch much further. Plus you get all the nourishing, antioxidant and free-radical fighting ingredients of the toner/water into your skin too.

Immortelle Essential Water is like many expensive essential oil based toners, you can never really tell if they do that much! However, this does smell DIVINE ( a hint of rose and green tea) and I reach for it for that reason alone. It's alcohol free, which is great so it won't dry my skin, and I'm getting an extra moisture boost. Sometimes I spray it on during the day to give my skin a hit of moisture, to refresh my face. I am enjoying using it immensely!I will keep you updated when I finish the product and let you know whether I think the precious Immortelle flower is an anti-ageing godsend, or it's basically a lovely scented toner.

Mac The Stylish Brow Collection

2013-01-07T11:18:00.001-08:00

I am so happy and excited to hear that Mac is coming out with a Brow collection in January 2012. It's already out in the USA I believe. I have been teetering on the edge of purchasing new brow products of late, so I'm going to wait until this comes out (very soon I hope!) to stock up. I'm really intrigued to see what their formulations are like; how they feel and look. I want to see how much thought has really gone into this long-overdue overhaul of their brow range.
Here's the link to Temptalias' promo information and pics:
http://www.temptalia.com/mac-the-stylish-brow-collection-for-spring-2013

I'll definately be pouring over their range of Brunette brow products, looking for that perfect dark, neutral brown. I have products I love for my brows, but it's always a concern and I'm always looking for something better, cheaper, replacable etc. It's going to be great to have the different formulas to try. I'm really interested to find out what the Fluidline Brow Gelcremes are like.

They sound really interesting, how will a Fluidline look on the brow? Won't it look too intense or gloopy? We'll have to wait and see. To have two different shaded Veluxe Brow pencils for Brunettes is great. They are often too light, or too ruddy.

It reminds me of some of the brow products that came out with the All Ages, All Ranges, All Sexes collection which had some excellent items, particularly for the oft overlooked redheads. I am looking to see what items are available for people with red tones in their hair, not just strong-toned redheads, but strawberry blondes.
I find brow products are lovely and ashy on the blonde side, but too red and not ashy enough on the brunette side.

Be aware though that the Brow duos are just regular line Mac eyeshadows. You may already have the shades or could purchase them cheaper in pan form.
Let me know if you see it up, and let me know your opinions! xx

Mannequin

2013-01-05T14:02:00.000-08:00

No, not the farcical 80s comedy with the young Kim Cattrall. I'm talking about "mannequin hands" a term used for skintoned, nude nail looks that make you look like you have the hands of a department store model. Here's a great link to a Grazia article on the Spring 2013 nude nail trend: http://tinyurl.com/a3uswa2
I recently got Becca Cala Blanca nail polish on last chance sale from zuneta.com and I've been trying it out. I'm really liking it, certainly the quality of the polish is beautiful. I'm aware that the "mannequin hand" look is not to everyones' taste and to be honest I wasn't sure where I stood. I'm still not absolutely sure.
It depends on the hue of the polish and your skin tone, for example Essie Body Language (a fave nude of mine) wouldn't be what I would call "mannequin" on tanned skin. There are some polishes I would just class as pale. To make the look work, I think you definately have to have a shade that suits your skin tone.

I'm pretending to be a mannequin in a department store in these photos, finding it hard to grip the Christmas baubles lol.

I can only touch them, it's tough being a mannequin : (

Becca Cala Blanca

Becca Cala Blanca has a beautiful quality. It's what I would call half-cream. It's lovely and light, sheer but has great coverage so opaque but not masking the nail if you know what I mean. A very natural looking finish. It's totally streak free, gorgeous to apply, builds up flawlessly. 2 coats is fine and 3 is opaque. It's a beige, caramel, butterscotch colour with yellow undertones. It reminds me of Mac Myth lipstick and slightly of Shy Girl. Maybe Viva Glam Gaga 2 as well.
I think it's slightly darker and less pink toned than Deborah Lippmanns' Naked polish. That's a beautiful nude on my wishlist to try. If you're after the nude look and you've more yellow undertones, this would a good choice for you. Even neutral tones could wear this. The fact that it has this butterscotch hue to it means it a little less total nudity on my hands, and I don't feel it drains the colour from my hands.

Overall, I'm really enjoying it, especially the beautiful quality. I'm very impressed with Becca polishes. I'm enhancing it with OPI Start to Finish dual base and top coat. It's pretty good. It strengthens my nails, stops them from getting jaundice hues from putting polish onto bare nails and it's a good top coat. Not too glossy, it's more natural looking. It's formeldahyde free which I really like.
Speaking of butterscotch, this was a Christmas gift from South Africa given to my fiancees' parents and I like the design:

Once I remove Cala Blanca, of course I'll be able to move my hands freely again and grip as normal. Haha, trying out mannequin hands has been fun and I highly recommend this polish. It came out with Beccas' Balaearic Love collection (all the shades were gorge), and is on last-chance sale at zuneta.com for £8.40 with free shipping. The pictures show it be more metallic and rosey than it is but if you watch the video it shows the true colour: http://www.zuneta.com/shop-by-brand/becca/becca-balearic-love-nail-collection-cala-blanca.html

Please let me know what you think of the trend, and what your recommendation for a good nude or "mannequin hand" polish would be. However, I think I have the mannequin hand covered with this one, I can dance around to Kraftwerk The Model and do mannequin hand moves with this one just fine : )

Taupey Silvery Wintery FOTD

2013-01-03T14:00:00.000-08:00

I had some goodies arrive in the mail today from zuneta.com. I really love getting a zuneta order, particularly as they do free shipping and if you spend £30 you get to choose 3 samples.
I ordered Becca Cala Blanca nail polish (on last chance sale), Hourglass Calligraphy liner in Cognac and then my 3 samples were Rouge Bunny Rouge Sea of Tranquillity, Hourglass Mineral Veil Foundation in #3 and a sjal cela intuitif light cellular renewal creme.

A milky toffee, nude colour

It was bought with some money I'd had for Christmas and it brightened my post-holiday blues to see it arrive. I'm so excited to try most of these. The Hourglass liner may be returned, and the Hourglass foundation sample is too dark for me but I knew that, I intended it to test on someone else. They were out of stock of the paler shades. The Becca polish is lovely. It looks like an almost rosey gold in the zuneta pics, but after watching the handy zuneta videos, I saw it looked much more like a Deborah Lippmann Naked kind of colour. I have it on now and it's gorgeous. I will do a post solely on this polish for you.

I'd had a sample of Rouge Bunny Rouge Sea of Tranquillity before and it became my favourite liquid highlighter. It's pretty flawless, so I'm working my way to getting the full size one day. But I will eek out this sample sparingly as I did the last one. Review soon also!

The sjal (it has an umlaut over the j but that's not on my keyboard) cela intuitif is for combination or oily skin, designed to "fight the damaging effects of photoaging by promoting cellular renewal" It also evens out skin tone and reduces fine lines - sounds just perfect for me!

Here's my FOTD:

I have my hair back here but it makes me want to try a Winona Ryder-esque crop one day

FOTD:
Graftobian Ultra Lites palette, mix of foundation shades
Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair
Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in Medium Dark - to warm up the face
Tarte Amazonian blush in Starlet

Laura Mercier Eye basic in Linen and Metallic Creme Eye Colour in Alloy on lid and crease- a taupe that flashes gorgeous hues of bronze, silver, violet
Nars Ashes to Ashes - on top of the Alloy. One of my all-time favourite shadows that compliments the Mercier Alloy really well and sets it to stay longer.
Urban Decay Deluxe Shadow in Zero - smudged into the top lashline, my review on this is here: http://daisynation.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/smokehound-urban-decay-zero-eyeshadow.html
Laura Mercier Brow Pencil in Soft Brunette
YSL Faux Cils Mascara
Chanel Rouge Allure in Mademoiselle w/ Bourjois 3D gloss #33 - the gloss is a lovely milky beige that works well with so many lipsticks and has a balm action on the lips too.

Hope you liked that, here's what I wore today. A pair of grey woollen leggings from last year H &M, with my new SixtySeven Shela boots, a long sleeved navy shirt and a favourite navy/silver mix woollen jumper with a unique shape.

Headband from the Oasis sale at Debenhams

Hope you aren't having the post-holiday blues at all. There is all of wondrous Spring to come and we can still drink Mulled Wine in February haha! I love hearing your comments so leave me one : ) xoxo

Musings on NAKED 3, Brad & Chanel No5 etc....

2013-01-02T10:43:00.001-08:00

Well it's another year over, a new one just begun. I feel a different person in 2013, do you? Older and wrinklier, definitely. A little frazzled around the edges, maybe. However what hasn't killed me has put me in a coma - just joking, made me stronger, wiser and still up for all life has to offer.
For a start I have a new hairdo, when I lost a lot of hair I made offerings to the rock'n'roll gods and channelled something between Joan Jett and Keith Richards. When life gives you lemons , make margaritas.

I'm going to make my blog a place for more reviews, OOTDs and FOTDs - all of which I neglected. Plus this is going to be more of a daily beauty/style/journal. I hope you'll follow along. Cos everything is about clicking that follow button these days, so click on me baby ; )

Musings of the day

Why oh why did Chanel sign off on that Brad Pitt commercial? I thought it was great that they flouted convention and used a guy in a Chanel No5 advert for the first time - and what a guy! But they made one of the most beautiful men on the planet look like homeless-soup-queue guy. I still would.
Who wrote that script? Who ok'd that shifty eyed, awkward acting? Who ok'd that face fuzz? The other Chanel TV ad they ran over Xmas for Bleu de Chanel would have been so much more suited to a Brad star vehicle. No wonder it stayed as a print ad while the Bleu de Chanel one ran on TV. With something as iconic as Chanel No5, they had to get it right, yet it came out sloppy, incoherent and dull.
The NAKED palette 1- "Such great quality, wearable, everyday, versatile shades. So travel friendly, such great value, such universal colours, all you could want in one palette"
NAKED Palette 2 - "Such great quality, wearable, everyday, versatile shades. So travel friendly, such great value, such universal colours, all you could want in one palette, duplicate shades but some are a bit cooler"
NAKED Palette 3 " Such great quality, wearable, everyday, versatile shades. So travel friendly, such great value, such universal colours, all you could want in one palette, but less shades and less variety" (all quotes by me)

I was a huge Naked palette champion, but that doesn't mean I'll throw money at anything called NAKED. I'm not in a strip joint on Superbowl day. I think I'm good.

I'm also glad I didn't throw money at Mac because they glued poor Marilyns' image onto a lipstick. Exploited even after death. The cult of celebrity....

Times are hard, it's harder to keep things buttery smooth. However, it's not all porridge no honey, leaner times make you a far better, more resourceful and determined bargain shopper. I am a big thrifter and wholeheartedly encourage you to spend your pound, dollar or yen in a charity shop so you have even more mular for those lil' luxuries. Plus you'll feel great for giving to a good cause! Finding a diamond in the rough is the best feeling. Plus it's a good idea to always check online to see if that product you're after isn't £10 less on strawberry.net before you rush to the store. But I'm patronising now. See you tomorrow for a review or two ; )

Favourites of 2012

2012-12-31T11:47:00.000-08:00

Products:

Face

YSL Touche Eclat Foundation in BR10

Clinique Airbrush Concealer

Blush/Bronzer

Edward Bess Daydream Bronzer 01

Nars Orgasm blush

Kevyn Aucoin The Pure Powder Blush in Shadore

Lips

Nars Terre de Feu Pure Matte l/s

Guerlain Le Stylo Iris Noir #25

Revlon Lip Butter in Macaroon

Eyes

Cream:

Laura Mercier Eye Basics in Linen & Metallic Crème Eye Colour in Alloy

Maybelline On and On Bronze

Powder:

Mac Patina e/s

Nars Ashes to Ashes e/s

Laura Mercier Brow pencil in Soft Brunette (not mentioned)

Nails

Chanel Coromandel

Chanel Attraction

Debroah Lippmann Glitter Is In The Air

Brushes

Shiseido Foundation

Sigma P84

Laura Mercier Face Puff

Skincare

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum

Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector

Muslin Cloths (Liz Earle)

Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Facial Shield SPF40

Keep checking this blog for a new style of honest daily beauty journalling and reviewing. Lots more daily product musings and reviews with plenty of FOTDs and OOTDs. Looking forward to 2013 with you ; ) Happy New Year!! xoxo

FOTD and Hourglass Concealer & Brush Review

2012-07-16T11:36:00.002-07:00

Here's my review of the Hourglass Hidden Corrective Concealer and Concealer Brush #8:

I thought I'd also make this a FOTD cos I think it's purrty. I like the mix of the hot pinky-coral of Mac Viva Glam Nicki with this mustard shirt. I forget where I got this shirt from, it has no label, but it does has an exposed zip at the back which makes up for it.

I love these chain necklaces, the silver cross is my Moms' from when she was a lass, and the amethyst on a chain is also an old favourite of mine. Also just some random silver bracelets and one of those religious icon bracelets that I still wear.

FOTD:
Giorgio Armani Luminessence Brightening Primer - wonderful plumping serum/primer
Becca Luminous Skin Colour in Porcelain
Hourglass Hidden Corrective Concealer in Fair
Illamasqua Lies Cream Blush - almost a liquid highlighter it's so light but can be built up to a dewy cream blush. Gives a degradation of colour that helps soften a bright pink blush
Kevyn Aucoin The Pure Powder Blush in Shadore - j'dore Shadore
Laura Mercier Soft Brunette Brow Pencil - stays all day so not so much need for Painterly PP so I'm enjoying UDPP more. going with the lightweight feel I like at the moment.
UDPP, Mac Tissueweight e/s, UD Virgin e/s (browbone)
Maybelline Gel Liner & AVON Supershock Gel Liner pencil - stays all day on the waterline!
Benefit Eye Bright - great multi-tasker, even like it on areas of the face to neutralise green undertones
L'Oreal Voluminous CB mascara with Lancome Cils Booster - gives extra volume to already OTT lashes
Mac VG Nicki Minaj lipstick - injects some Summer into this grim, wet day.

Thanks for reading xoxo

Making the Buddha Happy

2012-07-12T10:01:00.002-07:00

I have been wearing Tom Ford Bitter Bitch nail polish solidly since I bought it, and boy does that Bitch last. She just won't give up! She is so strong in colour and resilience I felt it was time to give up. So I had to chill out, wipe the slate clean and put on something calming. I felt I needed to get rid of all that bitterness and enter a neutral zone.

I put on a polish that is not only one of my favourite nudes but one of my favourite Summer colours. I applied Essie Sand Tropez and thoroughly enjoyed having such a creamy beige after the intense bitter chocolate of Tom Ford Bitter Bitch. It's a real palate-cleanser.

In fact I was so neutral zoned-out that I tickled my Buddha for awhile until he started laughing! With all his blessed might : )))))) (that's from the Laughing Policeman song, in case you wondering wtf?)

Happy Days! xoxo

Laura Mercier Brow Pencil in Soft Brunette

2012-07-02T13:43:00.000-07:00

How hard is it to find a brow product that fits your colouring?! How hard is it to find a formulation that suits as well? I've had some struggles for sure. Some companies offer a general brow colour, others give you a few shade options. But it's often one of the hardest things to get just right. I'm always on the look out for a brow product that is not too red, but not too grey or green either. I like either pencil or powder for myself. In a pencil I like a pretty hard formula that still strokes on with ease. I stopped using brow pencils on myself so much when I found my perfect combo in a Stila eyeshadow and the Illamasqua Brow brush. I still love the beauty of using the Illamasqua Eyebrow brush with any shadow, and that Stila shade is still perfect, but I needed a faster option. I needed a no-fuss option that I could do in about a minute without really thinking about it.

So I went back to a brow pencil that was tried, tested and true. I have always loved Laura Merciers' brow products, in particular her pencils. Her range has great options for all hair colours and undertones. You can choose from the

Eye Brow Pencil - in five different shades
Brow Powder Duo - a two shaded compact with three shade options
Eye Brow Gel - colourless gel in a tube with a brush head
Brow Definer - a potted wax/gel hybrid with three shade options

While all of the above are quality products, especially the Brow Definer, I love her Brow Pencils. When I bought this in a John Lewis store a few months ago (for £15.50) there were the round and triangular versions on offer, but when I just looked online I was confused. Www.lauramercier.com seems to show the round as the Eye Brow pencil whereas www.johnlewis.com showed the triangular pencil as the Eye Brow Pencil. I'm reviewing the Triangular version. The fact that she offers such a variety in both formula and shade range is commendable. It's typical of a range created my a Makeup Artist. Ranges conceived by MUAs' often reflect what they feel to be product inadequacies or deficiencies.

Finding out the right brow colour is similar to working out what skin undertone you have. So a good starting point is working out whether you have cool, neutral or warm undertones to your skin and applying that to your general colouring outlook. If your skin is warm, your hair probably has warm undertones. But of course many people colour their natural hair, so that has to be taken into consideration and should affect the shade of brow shade you choose. I spent half my life mixing two different shades of brow pencil to match my hair, often a dark red-brown and a grey-black. It's a good idea to go too ashy than too warm, as the warmer the brow the more it stands out and looks overdone in my experience.

I'm fairly neutral, but I find many brunette brow pencils too warm. My hair is a very dark brown, but a lot of people with almost black hair have warm undertones to their hair. I find that's reflected in the brow shades on the market, particularly general "Brunette"colours. So that's one of the main reasons I love Laura Merciers' Soft Brunette pencil, it's the perfect neutral dark brown for me. Other favourite brow pencils I like are Shu Uemura Seal Brown, Kanebo Grayish Brown and Mac Lingering. However I often have too modify and mix to get the perfect colour, whereas Mercier Soft Brunette is perfect, so the time on my brows is halved from the get-go.

Merciers' Brow Pencils come in five shades: Blonde; Fair Blonde; Soft Brunette; Brunette; Warm Brunette. I love Soft Brunette, although I could get away with Brunette. It is semi-hard in firmness giving a quick, fine, precise stroke. It's neithery too powdery nor too waxy. It sharpens to a fine point and, combined with the texture, allows you to create authentic looking brows with ease. I think it's Triangular shape also helps you get an excellent stroke because you really get a good grip on the pencil. I also appreciate that it doesn't have any doodley-doos on the ends, that also aids your grip. Merciers' products are not ornately or imaginatively packaged, but they are highly effecient, functional, classy, reliable products. They rely on function and form rather than fashion and fantasy. It makes her range great for basic yet extremely important products. Things that are structural, integral and lay the foundation for the rest of your work. So she's to great to rely on for things like a perfect brow staple.

The Bermuda Triangle of brows:

Mercier Soft Brunette, Mac Lingering, Kanebo Grayish Brown, Barbara Daly Dark

You can see the Mercier has a smooth, consistent texture and can create a sharp, fine stroke. Mac Lingering pencil has been swatched heavily, a softer stroke is lighter than shown here. You can see that Lingering doesn't create as fine a point, it's an automatic pencil so you can't control the sharpness as much.The Kanebo is just a little too grey and cool for me, although it has one of the finest points of any brow pencil I've used. The Barbara Daly for Tesco pencil is a pretty good cheap option, the colour is not bad, but as you can see the texture isn't the best. I'd recommend it as a cheap option though, I can use this.

Let me know what your favourite brow products are, I'm always on the quest for the perfect one! Even if you don't have a similar hair colour to me I'd love to know your recommendations for brow stuff. Thanks for reading and have a good week ; )

My Festival Style Guide

2012-06-25T20:15:00.000-07:00

Festivals are the time when you can let it all hang loose, and do what yo momma told yo not too for a few days. Freedom, sun (hopefully), music, interaction, maybe a little inter-lovin-mingling, who knows? Amongst your peers and fellow festival go-ers, it's a time for making a personality statement and with a bit of luck looking super cool. But in a laid back, and "I didn't think about this for weeks" way. It's about rock'n'roll, being loose in your styling and actions, making statements of individuality or maybe oneness with the crowd - it's up to you...that's the beauty of festivals. You can do what you damn well please, within reason, of course. Some people who work hard but don't play hard go a little OTT at festivals, whereas you want to look like you are always this outre and cool. So stay away from jester hats, glow sticks, and anything beginning with the letter K.
You have two options to pack for really - sun and rain. If it's a European festival you'd be well advised to prepare for rain and mud, as well as some sunshine. You also need to prepared to forget any ideas of keeping up your usual hygiene routine, festivals have notoriously bad bathroom facilities, so you should pack stuff that will keep you looking and feeling semi-clean, but at the end of the hazey Summer day, it's ok to look a little grungey and funked up. There's no better time to look tousled, messy, loose and un-put-together than at a festival, in fact it's sort of the chic way to be - even Paris Hilton dons a flowery headband & floaty maxidress for Coachella.

If you're lucky enough to have sunny days, you'll be grateful for some aftersun and maybe some chamomile ointment. You'll also be very glad if you've packed Mitchums' 48 Hour Protection deodarant. Baby Powder is a great thing to pack. It can serve as a dry shampoo or root lifter to give a grungey hair look, to mattify a sweaty decolletage, or even dust it under armpits or the backs of knees. You can buy travel size Baby Powder to save space.

Deborah Lippmanns' Glitter Is In The Air is a Summer festival in a bottle as far as I'm concerned - it's so pretty, fairy-like and awesome. I can't think of a better time to wear it. It has a milky blue base, topped with blue, silver and pink glitter circles of differing sizes. It looks SO beautiful, lasts and will look wicked in the Summer sun. Something to gaze at lovingly as you wave your hands in the air or if you're bored in your tent.

I think trying to create your "normal" makeup is a fruitless pursuit, so I think option A - the Kate Moss smudgey kohled eyes and lip balm look, or option B - a bright or neon lip with little else. Makeup should be really be the sort that can be applied straight from the tube or with fingers, but if you must then double- ended, travel-sized makeup brushes are preferable.

Macs' Smolder Eye Kohl or AVON Supershock Gel Liner (pencil form) are perfect for a smokey kohl look, the messier the better. Vaseline tins double up as lip or eye glosses for an extra rocked out eye effect. Macs' Viva Glam Nicki Minaj is a great lipstick for a 2012 festival.


Lip & Cheek Tint

A tint or stain for the lips and cheeks looks natural and lasts a long time, removing the worry to keep reapplying. A tube like this one from Becca is also much more sanitary to be dabbed on the face and thrown into bags, plus this one is waterproof good for a sunny days' dancing. It's also a two-for-one product, saving space.


MUFE Glitters - needs no explanation I think

SUNSCREEN!!

Why not take a roller ball or purse atomiser of your favourite scent instead of a fragile, bulky full sized bottle? I think Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh is perfect for keeping you smelling lovely.

Available at Boots

Handbag size hand sanitizer is a MUST, as you're often far away from a sink most of the time. Face or baby wipes are also extremely handy. Paracetamol and green teabags will help with those likely hangovers.

It's always a good idea to take some Tampax, just in case.

I highly recommend taking leggings or at least footless tights. They won't take up much space in your bag but will be a lifesaver if it gets chilly or it rains. You can wear them under dresses or cropped denim shorts. I also think one jumper is needed. Perhaps a jip-up hoodie or a coloured knit with a cool print. Something like this:


River Island Neon Aztec Jumper - £38.00

Had to add this one - Wildfox at ASOS

I also think an oversized cricket jumper borrowed from your boyfriend makes a really cool throw over jumper. I love those! I think they look great with jeans.

Also from River Island is this bag, perfect for a festival, and for this Summers' fringing trend. Fringing has also been a festival/hippy classic so this is perfect and would carry everything you needed during the day:

Dark Beige Leather Fringe Bag - £40.00

Festivals are the perfect time to enjoy, revel and go crazy with your dress styles. Floaty, floral, maxi, fringed, tie-dyed, crocheted, kaftan,...whatever takes you fancy is the fanciest way to be!!

Enjoy this time to be out of the ordinary, play around, have the sort of satisfaction you felt as a kid wearing bright clothes and wellies. I think you will need to pack some wellington boots in case rain should befall.

Lovely dresses:


This is a dresss I bought I would wear to a festival, from ASOS Salon


Alos from ASOS - love for the rock looseness & versatility

A wizard little sundress for only £15 from River Island

Michael Kors £230 at Net - A - Porter

What about this acid yellow dress from TOPSHOP - £40. Comes in bright coral too.

MuMu Kiersten dress - just beautiful

If you go to a festival this Summer, I hope you have a fabulous time! I also hope that some of this post has helped you in some way. Have a groovy Summer wherever you are!! xoxo

Ciate Jelly Bean: Nails Of The Weekend!

2012-06-22T06:14:00.002-07:00

This bright medium pink has a lovely glossy feel and has lasted really well. Gawwwgeous ; )

Have a great Friday and an even better weekend xxxx

Tim Walker Photography

2012-06-20T12:03:00.000-07:00

I've just stumbled across a British photgrapher that I love and want to share with you. He has an aesthetic and sense of beauty that I understand and relate to, I feel very at home looking at his work.
This is what Wikipedia says about Tim:

"Tim Walker’s photographs have appeared in Vogue, month by month, for over a decade. Extravagant staging and romantic motifs characterise his style. After concentrating on the photographic still for 15 years, Tim Walker has begun directing short films.
On graduation in 1994, Walker worked as a freelance photography assistant in London before moving to New York City as a full time assistant to Richard Avedon. On returning to England, he initially concentrated on portrait and documentary work for UK newspapers. At the age of 25, he shot his first fashion story for Vogue, and has photographed for the British, Italian, and American editions ever since.
The Victoria and Albert Museum and the National Portrait Gallery in London include the photographs of Tim Walker in their permanent collections. He staged his first major exhibition at the Design Museum in London in the spring of 2008, coinciding with the publication of his book ‘Pictures’.
In November 2008, Walker received the ‘Isabella Blow award for Fashion Creator’ by The British Fashion Council and, in May 2009, he received an Infinity Award from the International Center of Photography in New York for his work as a fashion photographer.
The Lost Explorer is Walker’s first short film"
Taken from Wikipedia

I'd love to know what you think of Tim Walker ; )

OOTD - Aucoin, Zara and OPI

2012-06-20T00:41:00.000-07:00

I am absolutely head over heels in love with this blush from Kevyn Aucoin, it's his Pure Powder Glow in Shadore. I'll review it either here or on Youtube, but these pics show how beautiful this incredible blush is, I think. I just wish you could touch it and feel how nicely it goes on, how stunning in person...it's incredible. I just want to wear it everyday.

Worn with Mac Hue


Melissa Odabash earrings, TOPSHOP sunglassess.

I am wearing the Zara white top that I showed in a recent video, it is lovely, like a vest top at the front, diaphonous and longer at the back. I may go back for one of these in another of the colours.

I'm wearing it with black leggings, my Office sandals and my Patrick Cox bag, worn bowling style without the strap. I'm also wearing a shawl in a light beige with gold detail tassling that runs down the shoulders and front of the chest, it's actually my Mums' (shhh! please dont tell!) that I've borrowed cos I loved it.

Here's another pic of me wearing the Aucoin blush with a more natural face, just a bit of mascara and Mac Hue lipstick.

As you can see I can't stop wearing it!

Pearly blue-white, OPI I Vant To Be A Lone Star

It looks like it's shaping up to be another glorious day so I'm gonna grab a coffee (French Vanilla Nut) and speak to you soon. Thanks for reading! xx

A Sunny Wednesday Afternoon

2012-06-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

FOTD:
Mac Retrospeck all over eye, Mac Patina on the lid & lower lashline, Nars Ashes to Ashes in crease
Dior Nude Glow Summer Powder in Sunset
Nars Luster blush
Rimmel Match Perfection concealer
Guerlain Meteorites Perles De Nuit
Mac Shy Girl and Bobbi Brown shimmer gloss in Sandy Beige

However this was me, halfway through getting ready.

Kind of a Swedish feel to this pic, and you have the sublime pleasure of seeing me sans makeup. A work in progress. I look like a woman you'd meet if you arrived at a freaky, cult/commune where polygamy was the norm, and I breed goats and embroider headscarves in silence.

I'm wearing my Melissa Odabash hoops and bracelet. My Sister gave me a black pearl pendant for my birthday, which I linked onto a leather cord to make a bracelet.

The partys' over

Green, glorious life

A secret garden! This peephole looks into a garden being renovated

Chanel Attraction nail polish, beautiful in the sunlight

Zara top, boyfriend jeans & OFFICE sandals.

Wild beach flowers, there's something so cool about them, like beauty wants to exist and burst through wherever it can.

Modes of Transport

What little girl would not love this Hello Kitty bicycle?

I'm so not into cars. I can tell you is "it was red and small" etc. I have no real knowledge or appreciation for them. I don't desire to have better cars particularly, they're not on my fantasy buy list. But this Range Rover caught my lustful eye. Range Rovers are really good vehicles practically: if you live in the country; have kids and animals; have to pack gear for transportation and so on. Not really for dropping off kids at the Notting Hill school five minutes away though. They are also gas-guzzlers. But I really liked this one, it's pretty cool. I would choose a sleek, glossy black one like this - not the khaki, Barbour jacket and wellies kind.

This freaky little Sheila-Na-Gig reminds me of my old Art teacher. Good lip colour though ; ) And she's ready for Glastonbury with that hat.

Thanks for reading and have a great Thursday! xoxo

Strawberries and Stars

2012-06-12T11:21:00.001-07:00

Here's my face and outfit of the day. This lovely sun dress is from Niche at ASOS, with embroidered stars and brightly coloured star buttons. The link for this dress can be found here:
http://www.asos.com/Nishe/Nishe-Sweetheart-Tea-Dress-with-Star-Embroidery/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=2274564&SearchQuery=star%20dress&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=20&sort=-1&clr=Cream

I enjoy summery tea dresses so much, I even wear these type of dresses in the colder months with a cardigan and tights. I found this one a perfect dress to wear with a new favourite Revlon lipstick called Strawberry Suede that I received in a swap with makeupbymsvalerie - thanks Val! It is my kinda colour, to say the least.

I wore it with some cream/gold, heeled flapper-style shoes, a River Island cropped denim jacket and the Modalu Pippa bag. Jewellery is my gold chain with the mirrored side and my Melissa Odabash Lotus hermatite bead bracelet.
I'll start with my FOTD:

Prescriptives Traceless tinted moisturiser (no longer available but sent in a swap w/ the fab Thekatieab) mixed with Mac Face & Body foundation in Pro White
Hourglass HC Concealer in Pearl
Guerlain Meteorites Perles De Nuit - my God this is beautiful, a luminous setting powder par excellence
Daniel Sandler Soft Peach Watercolour Cream Blush set w/ Mac Stereo Rose MSF
Kiko 03 All Over Light gold e/s w/ Nars Nepal single e/s
L'Oreal Voluminous CB mascara
Revlon Strawberry Suede lipstick
Chanel Attraction nail polish - review to follow
Fracas EDP

Here's my OOTD:

Have a great Wednesday and thanks for reading! I really love reading your comments so say hi : )

Boots No7 Lift & Luminate Day & Night Serum

2012-06-12T10:23:00.002-07:00

After the massive success of Protect & Perfect, Boots recently launched a range called Lift & Luminate. Designed to target the anti-ageing market, this line is more specifically geared towards tackling hyperpigmentation and age spots. I am never very drawn to Boots skincare because the packaging seems so blah, mumsy and generic looking to me. Mumsy partly because my Mom used to use it, I'm not just being catty! It's wrong to judge a brand like that, for one thing Boots No7 are a long standing, well respected skincare line. If you pass brands by on assumption you could miss little gems in the line that you are too stubborn and ignorant to notice. I'm not like that with makeup, so why was I so silly with No7 skincare? I have had my eyes opened and my ideas reformed.

I was shopping around for moisturisers one day and was cornered by the Boots No7 lady who asked me what my skin concerns were. I'd run out of my Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair and was feeling pretty open to suggestion. I was pretty concerned about some hyperpigmentation patches that suddenly arrived due to starting on a new contraceptive pill. Hormonal changes can bring about pigmentation problems, for example many women get melasma when they're pregnant, which often generally goes away post-pregnancy.
What I have is not age spots, but my skin is producing too much melanin due to an hormonal imbalance plus some scarring from hair removal creams. The patches show up in areas where the skin has been damaged usually. Melanin is the naturally occurring chemical in skin that causes skin to tan, freckle or hyperpigmentation. If you want to control pigmentation you have to limit exposure to sunlight and use high sunscreen. You can also experiment with the new breed of products that aim to help existing problems and reduce the production of melanin. For example, Clinique has a product designed for just that which I have yet to try. You can also go down the laser treatment route which is a costly but effective treatment.

I have been hesitant to use products that lighten the skin like Hydroquinone as they have had some negative press. I can't choose laser treatment because a lot of my problem areas are too close to my eyes and the laser may damage my eyes. I already use Vitamin C treatments to help with my skin generally, and Vitamin C (specifically L-Ascorbic Acid) has been shown to help reduce hyperpigmentation. I use Alpha-H Rejuvenating Cream with 10% Glycolic Acid and Vitamin C a few nights a week to help too. I may review that at a later date. But I wanted a new serum and this new Boots product seems designed for my current needs. I need a product to smooth, plump, hydrate, prevent early wrinkles and most importantly - reduce my hyperpigmentation. So I decided to try this new innovative product from Boots.

This product is brilliant. I have the Lift & Luminate Day and Night Serum. According to Boots this is:

"Clinically proven to lighten age spots. Targets the 3 key signs of ageing, evens skin tone, visibly lifts....for younger looking skin"

L-Carnitine is one of their key skin-boosting ingredients, an antioxidant and amino acid. In certain forms it is a peripheral antagonist of thyroid hormone action, so maybe this is why it has been helping my hormonally related pigmentation problems. It also contains the highest levels of their famous Protect & Perfect technology to restore skin structure.
There are two small, slim tubes for day and nighttime usage that I apply post-cleansing and pre-mosituriser/sunscreen. It's fairly concentrated so I use it sparingly on my problem areas. The serums are just lovely to use, light, silky, with a delicate fresh scent. The effects are best seen after 4-8 weeks and I've been using them for roughly four weeks and I can see a difference already. Although my hyperpigmentation is not gone, it's significantly better. The most surprising benefit is the youthful glow, vitality and radiance this has brought back to my skin. My skin was dehydrated, out of balance, dull and in crisis.
It's very gentle, soothing and refreshing to use, and it's hypo-allergenic. I look forward to applying it. It's worth every penny of the £24.95 for the 30ml duo pack. There's also a range of other Lift & Luminate products that can be used in tandem with the serum, which is the cornerstone of the range.

I am so pleased with this, and will never judge a product by its' bottle again. I have plumper, revitalised skin with less hyperpigmentation, and I can't wait to see what results future use will bring. My skin just loves this serum and I can see it becoming a staple, especially as it's much cheaper than EL Advanced Night Repair. It's given me the skin I had years ago in terms of plumpness and moisture balance.
I also believe the Starflower Oil supplement I've been taking has made a huge difference too. It is very high in GLA, known to help skin, hair and balance hormones.

http://www.boots.com/en/No7-Lift-Luminate-Day-Night-Serum-30ml_1254287/

2012-06-09T15:58:00.000-07:00

I've had to take a break from the beauty community for awhile, this video kind of explains why:

It's well worth a watch for some cool jewellery, groovy fringed sandals, beauty, and a beautiful dress from ASOS. I will probably do a separate post on the Melissa Odabash pieces.

As a away of getting back into the blogging swing, I'm going to show you todays' OOTD & FOTD. I'd promised to post a pic of the Rouge D'Armani 516 and there's no time like the present. There's also some mini reviews of a few products I've tried recently.

FOTD:

Mac Prep & Prime SPF 50 under Face and Body Foundation in N1 and Pro White mixed
Hourglass HC Concealer in Pearl
Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder
Nars Sin blush
Inglot AMC 37 over lid, blended through crease with the creamy one and the beige one shown (ask for numbers)
Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier Pencil in Tanzania - lower lashline
Giorgio Armani Rouge D'Armani #516
Benefit Bad Gal Lash - FREE WITH GLAMOUR MAGAZINE!

Bad Gal Lash is very nice, soft, non-clumping, graceful. But the wand is HUGE and just lacks oomph for me. This ain't a mascara that typifies a bad gal, for me. A bad gal needs the drama of L'Oreal Voluminous. Preferably Carbon Black for extra rock swagger. Don't tell me this is a drama mascara. It's girly and non-offensive. Glad I tried it though, it's now off my to-do list.

OOTD:

Plain beige vest under a black studded vest I've had for ages
Peach pleated skirt from a charity shop
Zara Linen Cardigan in charcoal grey - current season £19.99
Fringed Leather Sandals from OFFICE - £50 current season. Also in Tan, LOVE. Shown in detail in the video above.
Patrick Cox Black Bowling bag with straps.
Silver cross necklace, given to me by my Mom who wore it when she was younger.

Revlon Lip Butter in Macaroon

I found a Lip Butter I really like - Revlon Lip Butter in Macaroon. I was perplexed by the success of these, I blind-bought two online initially, which really disappointed and confused me. There seemed to be a lack of consistency in quality. The attempt to make a gloss-balm-lipstick hybrid like Chanel and Dior didn't seem to work. A disappointing shame as many Revlon lipsticks are higher-end comparable. I hated Cupcake, it looked on me like I should be in an 80s' exercise video complete with spandex, tan and scrunchie. It seems to look frosty on me, just really unflattering. Cupcake at best is a tinted balm-stick. Not even hydrating enough to wear as a lip balm.
Sweet Tart - a bright, medium carnation pink is better. A really nice shade with a smoother, even application . Sweet Tart is a glossy lipstick, much more "buttery" in texture than Cupcake with decent pigmentation and longevity. I quite like this one but not enough to repurchase.


Top right: Sweet Tart. Top left: Cupcake	. Bottom: Macaroon

Having being recommended some shades by subscribers I decided to give them another chance. I thought it unjust to judge a range on only two lipsticks. I was drawn to Macaroon as it reminded me of a L'Oreal lipstick I had a teenager, a strawberry red with fine gold shimmer and a hydrating feel. Macaroon is a red for those who want to edge into reds, or wear them during the day. The colour is a muted, oriental, russety berry red with amber shimmer. It's much more evenly pigmented than the others I mentioned, and well worth trying. Especially if you want a "my first red" (ahhh those sweet days!!). It also feels much less siliconey than Cupcake or Sweet Tart. It reminds of the Estee Lauder Crystal Shine lipsticks. Anyway, I like it a lot and will maybe try another shade from this range.

Riemann P20 Once A Day sunscreen

I'm looking for a sunscreen that will last all day without much reapplying, resist perspiration and offer good full spectrum protection. I had seen this in my my Boots for a long time, however it's pricey (around £20) so I thought I'd stick with what I was using. Anyway, this was on offer in Boots at half price and seeing as I had some a need for heavy duty sunscreen, I gave it a go. This claims to be a "Once A Day" sunscreen that is very water resistant. So you should be able to put this on in the morning and feel protected throughout the day, no matter the weather or how much you perspire. It has SPF20. I have a niggle with that because I would prefer the SPF to be higher, especially to feel protected throughout the day.

I thought this would be milky or a matte cream formula, and easily absorbed. I suppose I just assumed because of the hefty price tag it would feel nice on the skin and cause few problems. This is actually an oily sunscreen. It smells badly of chemicals. No attempt whatsoever has been made to disguise that you are applying serious chemical agents to your skin, which puts me off. It's so overpowering. I also dislike the oily formula, I don't need any extra oil right now, and it takes awhile to sink in. Even though it claims to be "Quick drying", I have to wait a good while before dressing or applying makeup. I will use it up on arms and legs where a little oil is ok and gives a sheen to pasty legs.
Also, I can imagine you having you repurchase this frequently because a lot goes a little way. It's runny and slippy and generally not fun to use.
The chemical smell lingers and it SERIOUSLY affected my eyes, so please stay away if you have sensitive eyes. I need to use sunscreen around my eyes, but I can't use this because it's actually makes me poorly (headaches, blurry sore eyes etc.) I don't think I should be using this! I don't even have particularly sensitive eyes or skin. The concept is really great, I'd love to try a once-a-day high SPF sunscreen that resists water and sweat, and allows you the freedom to forget reapplication. But this isn't it, and I'm still on the hunt.
My new wishlist sunscreen is the Peter Thomas Roth brush-on powder sunscreen - any other recommendations? I would love to know!