Beauty Babble

Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer

2011-12-07T11:49:00.001-08:00

A bit late on the bandwagon but Bourjois Healthy Mix concealer is blooming' brilliant!

Great colour choices for fair skin, conceals a multitude of sins effortlessly and is very reasonable in price!

Happy days :)

Manchester's Christmas Market 2011

2011-11-27T10:52:00.001-08:00

It's that time of year when all the Christmas Markets pop up all over the major cities in the UK. They're great for having a wonder around, a Christmas tipple, a bite to eat, taking the kids or picking up some unique little gifts. There's something for everyone.

Manchester's market has always been one of the best and this year's no exception; rustic, whimsical and beautifully decorated. The stalls are full of interesting trinkets, decorations, foods from all around the world and eateries.

I recommend visiting one near you if you get the chance to. They really are a great escape from the hustle and bustle of the shopping centres and high streets.

Here's a snapshot of my visit this week :)

Chistmas Gift Guide for Her

2011-11-22T12:55:00.001-08:00

O M double G….there are only 30 days left until Christmas!!!

By now everyone will be materialistically finalising their wish list. I know I am, so I thought it fitting to put together a little guide to gifts for you, or the women in your life this year.

Whether you're looking for ideas for a friend, girlfriend or relative; it's always the thought that counts and the personal touch you make.

FYI, I'm not a fan of gift sets, they're too impersonal which is why they don't feature in this post. I much prefer searching for something very specific that I know the recipient will love.

So anyways, here's what I came up with :)

Beauty gifts

Sigma 'Make Me Up' Brush set

Travalo Excel travel fragrance capsule

Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm

Les Tai Tai Model Mirror 'Good as Gold'

Urban Decay Naked Palette

Gucci 'Guilty'

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish

OPI Muppets Collection

Ted Baker Travel Bag

Fashion

New Look Hooded Parka Jacket

Ebay Retro College Satchel

H&M Shawl

River Island Cream Patchwork Jumper

River Island Beige Skinny Trousers

River Island Dark Beige Faux Fur Wedge Ankle Boots

Azendi Large Snowflake Pendant

Ebay Large Tassels tote

Ted Baker Rocksy Small Patent Purse

TopShop Knitted Scatter Stud Top

Miscellaneous

Cowshed Uplifting Room Candle

Knitsound Knitted Music Ear Muffs for iPhone & MP3

Cecelia Ahern The Time of my Life

True Blood Season 1

Rabito iPhone 4G Case

Paperchase Magnetic 2012 Diary

Apple iPod Shuffle

These are all things I would love to see under my tree on Christmas morning. What about you?

Gelish Nails

2011-11-22T12:14:00.000-08:00

So, I'm officially a Gelish junkie!

I opted for Nail Harmony's 'Gossip Girl' this time.

They're slightly longer than I would normally have which makes putting my contact lenses in and out quite tricky but it's worth it. I like the colour and shape (apart from one nail.. it's wonky) so all in all a good result!

November Glossybox

2011-11-21T12:10:00.000-08:00

Oooh what a controversy! Lots of folks out there not happy with their boxes this month. I'm really into my skincare at the moment though, and the premis behind this months box, I think, is quite fitting.

So, it's called 'The Christmas Gift-Guide: Part 1' featuring 5 products from new brands, and new products from brands that have previously featured in Glossybox, all centred around helping to know exactly what to put on your wish list this Christmas.

Ok, enough of the waffle. Lets see what's inside.

Product List

1. Arbonne FC5 Cooling Foot Cerme.

This was the first thing I tried out of the box. It says it's a moisturising, non greasy foot creme that hydrates rough, dry skin and soothes, cools and comforts tired feet.

I'm not so sure it does ALL of that, it's definitely slightly greasy but it feels quite tingly and smell very herbal; birch leaf, clover blossom, watercress and avocado oil and shea butter all feature in there, too. It's a perfect little addition to anyone's winter skincare routine.

2. Dead Sea Spa MAGIK Bath Salts

I'm a big lover of Dead Sea Spa MAGIK, their foot range and sugar scrub is pretty fantastic. This bath salt is unscented, 100% natural and alleviates dry and flaky skin, helps maintain moisture and improves and softens the skin. Again, great for this time of year.

3. MONU Skin Perfector

A weightless cream which instantly smoothes imperfections and enhances radiance as it glides onto the skin. Sounded too good to be true so I tried it out.

It's a hybrid between a cream and a gel and smells very spa-ish. It does glide on, absorbs pretty quickly and leaves the skin very smooth. As for line smoothing.. I don't know; I'm only 25. Although I get the distinct feeling this product is aimed at a more mature woman, I'll definitely be using it up.

4. Nail Rock Designer Nail Wraps

This will be my first experience of nail wraps. I've heard good things about them so I'm excited to try them. I tried nail foils back when I was a young teen which was a unanamous fail but theses wraps seem more user friendly.

The design I got is called 'black lace on red'. Not sure if this pattern would be my number one choice but I haven't seen what other designs were sent out in other Glossyboxes.

5. Serge Lutens; L'Eau Serge Lutens & Vitriol d'Oeillet.

The perfumes in all Glossybox's get a rough deal, this month is no exception. A lot of you ladies are frustrated that you can get perfume samples for free, which is true, so we'll see if GB react to this in the coming months.

Interestingly, both of these scents are unisex which is a nice change. They're both very strong and 'fresh' scents.

If you're a sweet and floral kind of girl these aren't the ones for you. They edge on the masculin side, which I quite like, and last for ages. I've been wearing Vitriol d'Oeillet all day and it's still going strong.

The full size of these are very pricey; 100ml/£86.00 & 50ml/£78.00.

So, what are your thoughts? Will any of these make it onto your Christmas list?

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Lipstick

2011-11-15T11:04:00.001-08:00

I Love love love this range!

They're sheer, glossy, moisturising and light in texture.

I opted for number 57 'Aventure'.

I don't have the nicest lips in the world... there's a distinct lack of a cupid's bow going on.. as my 'better' half always reminds me! But they're quite pink so it works quite nicely.

I've bought a couple of these in the past for friends and family and they, too, really like them. I bough my mum 'Boy', and for my friend Hayley I bought 'Royallieu'.

All of the colours in the range are very wearable so you can't really go wrong when making your choice.

Gelish Nails Review

2011-11-15T10:13:00.000-08:00

While on holiday this Summer I noticed that my regular nail polish was literally melting off my nails from the heat! Not wanting a repeat situation on my cruise holiday a few weeks later, I decided it would be the perfect time to try Gelish by Nail Harmony.

So off I trotted!

The nearest salon to me that offered Gelish (and Shellac) was Your Bella Nails in Manchester. It's a tiny little place in Peter House but I'm told they're moving to a bigger place on Oxford Rd.

Annyyyywaaay... Onto the nails!

The whole process took about an hour; I had a full manicure in addition to the Gelish. It cost £29 which is pricey but it lasts for ages, as you'll see!

I'm not entirely sure but I think the colour is called 'Queen Of Hearts'; a gorgeous deep red colour. Nice and versatile seen as it's going to be there quite a while!

Day 1

Super shiny and nicely shaped.

Day 10

Still looking exactly the same as when it was applied... no chipping in sight. Slight nail growth but nothing too obvious.

Day 21

Slight chip at the bottom of my index finger but at three weeks I'm really impressed. The only reason I'm having it removed now is because my nails have grown a good couple of millimetres and it'll look a bit odd if i left it any longer.

The only question now is what colour next? :)

Pale much?

2011-07-26T11:32:00.000-07:00

Well I am.... very pale in fact, and the sun would rather make me resemble a lobster than give me a lovely tan. But hey ho, such is life.

I have a solution that doesn't involve smelly fake tan or nasty sunbeds!

Bourjois' 'Délice de Soleil' spray bronze powder. Mine is in light/medium.

Bourjois describe it as "A powder mist that delicately melts onto the skin for a perfect, natural and even tan" and that's just what it does.

I'm not a fan of using a lot of powder products on my skin in the Summer months, purely because it makes my make up look cakey. I've tried this spray a few times now and am really impressed. It gives an all over glow to you face AND body and there's no need to blend into the skin. Fan-dabi-dozy!

It's not that badly priced either, £7.99 and is on a 3 for 2 offer at Boots.

Alternatively, if you're in Birmingham or Bristol you can go along to Superdrug and have a Bourjois makeover! Link on piccie below.

Origins Toner

2011-07-02T15:22:00.000-07:00

I finally ran out of my beloved Liz Earle Instant Boost skin tonic, so off I trotted to find myself a new toner.

I still love the Liz Earle toner but I'm a sucker for trying new products. As you can tell from the title of this post, I opted for Origins.

It's the 'Make a Difference' skin rejuvenating treatment lotion... Suitable for most skin tones (Not ideal for those of you with very oily skin, unfortunately). Anyhow, here it is...

And here's what it claims to do!

"The Rose of Jericho and Cactus Extract along with skin-reviving Trehalose and Sea Haricots help the skin rebound from dramatic dehydration.
A unique, natural water-holding complex keeps skin happily hydrated from within and Oceanic Flora helps improve the appearance of damage done by UV and environmental exposure. It helps improve the appearance of damage done by UV and environmental exposure" (Origins)

In all honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about it; the smell is lovely and my skin feels smooth, however, its also irritated my eyes slightly and my skin feels very tight after use. Nothing a bit of moisturiser won't sort but for £16.00 I expected a lot more.

I'm going to give it a chance and continue to use it for a few weeks but I think I'll be back at my local Liz Earle counter sooner than I had hoped. Shame.

Kindle Skins

2011-07-01T12:34:00.000-07:00

I've been looking for a 'skin' for my Kindle for a while now and I've finally found the perfect one.. Insert pretty picture!

Voila! It's cute, right? It's a copy of Van Gogh's painting 'Almond branches in bloom' which I'm now thinking I like so much I'll try and get hold of a canvas print for my bedroom.

I was toying between getting this one or a really vibrant bookshelf design 'skin' but I figured the bright coloured one could be a distraction while reading

I've ordered mine from MobileFun and it was £14.99 excluding postage, which was £2.50.

Charmies

2011-06-22T15:34:00.000-07:00

This super cute charm bracelet is fast becoming my favourite. Mine is turquoise (perfect for summer) but they're also available in pink, black, blue, green, lemon and soft pink. So, something for everyone.

They're £59.99 and available at www.charmies.co.uk

Birthday Cake

2011-06-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

This has to be the cutest birthday cake I've ever had!

It's amazing! My lovely boyfriend got it from a great little shop in Manchester called 'Sweet tooth Cupcakery'. They sell little cupcakes, too, which are all named after famous people. Mine is called Mrs Slocombe (A character from 'Are you being served?')

And now you see why :) They taste amazing, too!

So if you live in the Manchester area I'd definitely recommend checking them out!

Birthday Wish List

2011-06-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

It's June! Which means its almost my birthday! I'll be 25 on the 18th and I've been asked a few times what I'd like. So I did some brainstorming (which didn't take long) and have come up with a few favourites.

Of course, I'm not expecting to get all of these things; they're just ideas :)

1. River Island ankle boots
2. OPI Nail polish in 'Modern Girl'
3. Sigma brush kit
4. Ted Baker 'Kayler' quilted tote in 'Natural'
5. Simon Kernick's book ''The Last 10 Seconds'
6. Quiz butterfly dress

Favourite foundations/tinted moisturisers

2011-05-25T16:07:00.000-07:00

I've tried numerous high end and 'drugstore' foundations and tinted moisturisers over the years; some have been a surprise and others have disappointed.

Here's what I look for in a foundation/tinted moisturisers:

Finish - dewey but skin-like. I don't like to look like I'm wearing foundation
Coverage - light but buildable
Longevity - I work long shifts so I need my foundation to stay put
Colour match - It has to be the exact same colour as my skin (which is very pale)

There aren't many foundations that I've come across that have ticked all the boxes. Those that have may come as a surprise.

In my current foundation collection I have:

Smashbox HD Fx foundation in Light 11
Mac Pro Longwear SPF 10 in NW20
Mac Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 in NC15
Mac Mineralize Satinfinish SPF 15 in NC20
Revlon Photoready in Shell/Nude
Revlon Colourstay for normal/dry skin in Ivory
DiorSkin Airflash in Cameo
Laura Merc ier Tinted Moisturizer in Nude

Of all these foundations I use only three; Revlon Photoready and Smashbox HD Fx and my favourite of all time, Laura Mercier.

I'm not a great advocate of Mac foundations. Of the ones I have tried I find them to be very cakey and often a little bit smelly. I do want to try their face and body however, as I think it would be more suitable for me. The DiorSkin Airflash was just awful; poor colour choices and dried far too quickly to be able to blend into the skin properly.

Revlon's Photoready is brilliant if you like a light/medium coverage and a dewey finish. It's easy to apply and is very light in consistency, which I like. I've heard a lot of reviews saying that it is too 'sparkly', however, I didn't find this. I powder with either Mac's mineralize skinfinish (Medium Plus) or Mac's Prep and Prime translucent powder. I find this leaves my skin with a flawless complexion. If I could make this foundation any better I would make it available in more skin colours as I do have to mix two shades together in order to match my skin perfectly.

Smashbox HD Fx is great if I want a more matt finish. It's light in consistency and very blendable. It's oil free, so great is my have oily skin or suffer from acne. I tend not to powder over this foundation as it is a matt finish.

Laura Mercier's tinted moisturiser is in my books, and many other people's books, amazing. It gives the skin a natural glow, gives a flawless finish, evens out slight discolouration and best of all, it looks like skin. It gives more coverage than your average tinted moisturiser, which I like. I can use this all year round, adding more/less depending on whether it's winter or summer. So no need to go out and buy another foundation... I love it! Can't say enough good things about it!

Nail Polish Collection

2011-05-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

I've been a little indulgent over the past few months as far as nail polishes go. I just can't get enough of them. So I thought i'd share my collection with you.

My favourite brands are; Barry M, OPI, L'Oreal and Revlon.

So here it is....

I have some favourites, however...

Barry M - 273 Raspberry
OPI - Sparkleicious
L'Oreal 'Resist & Shine Titanium' - 734
Barry M - 304 Mint Green
Revlon - 093 Tropical Temptation
OPI - Glitzerland
OPI - Black Cherry Chutney

Lovely jubly!

OPI Black Cherry Chutney

2011-05-17T13:55:00.000-07:00

OPI Black Cherry Chutney

This has to be, without a doubt, my new favourite nail colour. The picture is not a true representation; when on the nails it's a far deeper plumb colour with a slight shimmer.

It's a fantastic colour if you like darker polishes but not keen on black.

Love it!

Skin Care Routine

2011-05-16T14:51:00.000-07:00

One of the most important things to me, beauty wise, is having clear and healthy skin. Your skin is the canvas for makeup; bad canvas, bad makeup. So, here is my current skin care routine. I have normal skin with slight dryness on my T-zone.

Products in order of use

St Ives - Gentle Scrub for Sensitive Skin

Neutrogena - Visibly Clear 2 in 1 Wash and Mask

Liz Earle - 'Cleanse and Polish' Hot Cloth Cleanser

Liz Earle - Muslin Cloth

Liz Earle - Instant Boost Skin Tonic

Liz Earle - Skin Repair Moisturiser

First, I mix the St Ives scrub with the Neutrogena 2 in 1 wash and mask. I've used these two for ages and can't fault them; great value for money. After I've massaged it into my skin I rinse with warm water and pat my face dry with a clean towel. Then I apply Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish and really work it into my skin for a minute or two. Using a hand hot muslin cloth I buff my skin and remove the cleanser. On a cotton wool pad I swipe the Liz Earle tonic over my face and neck. Finally, after that's dried I apply Liz Earle's moisturiser (mine is in normal/combination).

Voila, all done!

Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser

2011-05-06T14:30:00.000-07:00

Liz Earle 'Hot Cloth Cleanser' is a new buy for me. I've heard great things about it so thought seen as my skin is having what I can only describe as a teenage strop (unexplainable and annoying), I'd give it a go.

I bought the 100ml bottle which came with two muslin cloths and instructions for use. I bought mine at John Lewis for £13.25, a reasonable price considering the amount of product needed per use.

I have normal skin in the main, slightly dry T-zone with quite a lot of redness on my cheeks. So the fact that it's suitable for all skin types is a big positive.

I used it today and already I can see that my skin feels smoother. I think it is too early to tell whether or not there is a noticeable difference in the condition and appearance of my skin but so far, I'm impressed.

It, just like it says, removes every last bit of makeup and the muslin cloth gently exfoliates the skin; perfect if you're preparing your skin for fake tan.

Hopefully, incorporated into my skin routine, I'm onto a winning solution to my stroppy skin!

We shall see.

Bargain Websites!

2011-03-22T16:07:00.000-07:00

Ok, I think I may have developed a fixation with getting a bargain!

Over the past couple of weeks I've been trawling the delights of Google searching for bargain websites, and the awards go to...

www.groupon.co.uk

www.hautelook.com

www.kgbdeals.co.uk

www.secretsales.com

I've never been keen on sales but I think that's partly because I have this preconceived mentality that only crap tat that a retailer couldn't get rid of ends up in a sale. I still think that's partly true, however, I really love these four sites.

The likes of KGB Deals and Groupon mainly sell bargain services which I really like. Things like weekends away and beauty services or great deals at restaurants. The only drawback is their deals aren't available nationwide. So the likes of my lovely mum, who lives in the hills of sunny Wales misses out!

Hautelook and Secret Sales sell tangible goods in the main. Jewellery, handbags, home-ware, shoes & cosmetics feature heavily on their sites. All top notch stuff with a nice hefty discount. What more could you want? :)

If you know of any crackin' discount websites then please let me know :)

Happy 10th Anniversary Glamour

2011-03-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

To help celebrate Glamour magazine's 10th anniversary they're giving away an array of Clinique goodies with the mag! And at only £2 a magazine why stop at buying just one? I've gone for the 'Take The Day Off' makeup remover and 'All About Eyes' under-eye cream. Love it!

Redken Real Control Shampoo & Conditioner

2011-03-12T15:54:00.000-08:00

Finding the right hair care products is a pain in the behind for anyone. We're all looking for that miracle product that solves all our hair care problems... and I'm glad to say I've come pretty close!

I have very fine and naturally wavy hair... but a lot of it. So finding the right shampoo and conditioner has been a bit of a mission of mine, and after completely frazzling quite a big chunk of my hair (with Frizz Ease, ironically) I thought enough was enough.

My hairdresser suggested I try the Redken 'Real Control' range which claims to "nourish, restore and reclaims control of dense, dry and sensitised hair". And surprisingly that's exactly what it does. I can't fault it... well maybe except for the price. At nearly £13 a bottle it's very pricey but well worth the money.

The Done Thing

2011-03-12T14:25:00.001-08:00

This, it would seem, is 'The Done Thing'. Blogging.

So, hi!

I'm Amy, a 24 year old Welshie with a slight obsession for all things beauty related.

I've been racking my brains with what to post without regurgitating overworked topics and products (unless they're the bee's knees, of course) and have decided the best thing to do is to go with the flow and, in time, find my footing.

But for now, Blog-Off!

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