Christmas Gift Guide - Luxury Edition Part 2: Gadgets and Electrical Beauty!

Christmas shopping can invariably lead to stress, headache, and panic (for the unprepared, last minute Larrys, like I am this year)… not to mention extremely painful feet and potential for mild assault from other keen shoppers if you’re braving the shops, rather than shopping online. Personally, I try to stick to buying online as much as I can, so as to avoid the physically painful part, at least.

Now I know there’s loads of gift guides floating around, but I firmly believe that you can never have too much inspiration if you’re truly stumped for things to buy – especially if like me, you have to buy both for the people who seemingly have everything, and also the people who actually want nothing (thanks dad… a jumper it is then, again); and so I’ve compiled a couple of guides for you covering a whole host of fabulous looking ‘stuff and things’ in the hope that I can maybe inspire you on the perfect gifts to buy for your nearest and dearest.

This guide focuses on luxurious and expensive products… my favourite. It was always going to be seriously difficult to keep the amount of ‘stuff and things’ that I want, errrr I mean that would be lovely for you to purchase for your loved ones to so few items – especially spanning so many categories such as gadgets, accessories, jewellery and more, and so I’ve split this particular guide into 3 posts for easier digestion!

And so without further ado, here’s a whole heap of fabulousness that I’d personally love to own/receive. I could probably have just called all these guides ‘Claire’s Wish Lists’ if I’m honest.

1. Alienware Area-51 Gaming PC £3,000 (or less, maybe) – If you’re anything like me, you put your computer through a lot of shit and expect it to deal with it all promptly, and without complaining. I actually have a top of the range gaming laptop, which doesn’t really do this at all, in fact it failed miserably on many counts – shame on you Samsung. So I think that any self-respecting fellow computer abuser would benefit greatly from a desktop system that could potentially put up with more being thrown at it, and be able to ‘man up’ through the tough times.

2. Pioneer CDJ 2000 Nexus & DJM 2000 Nexus Set £4,378 – Since being back in ‘clubber mode’ music has played an even larger part in my life, to the point that I rarely have the chance to catch up with any TV series that I enjoy as I’ve always got music on instead, errrk. Anyway, I’d pretty much do anything for this set up as this is the crème de la crème of DJ set ups; and just look how pretty they are – all the lovely lights… and there I go again with my magpie tendencies. Seriously though, this is a beast of a set up, as is reflected in the price; however if you have the money, then these would definitely be a present that wowed your recipient. Especially if it was me, ha.

3. Samsung Galaxy Note 4 £599 – I own the Note 3 and I love it, although I suffer with this expensive glitch within me that makes me feel like I NEED every new phone that comes out, ever. I don’t know what’s so addictive about getting a new phone, but I love it. And so I can’t wait for April when I can upgrade to this beauty… although I suspect that when the Galaxy S6 is released shortly after, I’ll want that too, and when the Note 5 comes out in September, I’ll also want that. Basically, I want the moon on a stick, and then some. I’m not even that materialistic as I put more value on relationships, memories and experiences… but that doesn’t stop me liking, and coveting lots of ‘stuff and things’ at the same time.

4. Caci Microlift ‘Personal Facial Toning System’ £350 – This claims to lift and tone the face and jawline, and reduce wrinkle depth by over 1/3. Well sign me up; I’m totally up for some of that action! I’d love to see how effective it is, and this is why it’s going straight on my wishlist.

5. Sqoom Skin Treatment Device £549 – This is something that caught my eye a couple of months ago due to the seemingly multitasking nature of it. The device is said to deep cleanse, massage, improve texture, wrinkles, acne and even skin conditions such as psoriasis, something that appeals to me on many levels as I’ve suffered with psoriasis for as long as I can remember, and I’m obviously not getting any younger, so the anti-aging claims also appeal to me greatly. I believe the gels that you can buy are what tackle each ‘problem’ rather than the device, but this is something I will actually be reviewing soon on here, so keep your eyes peeled for that one. Exciting, eh. ;-)

6. Philips Lumea Precision Plus (SC2006/11) IPL Hair Removal System £350 – Removing body hair is such a chore, right?! There has been an influx of at home laser/IPL devices in the last few years, giving us mere mortals the chance to lessen this chore, almost permanently (maintenance is needed as new follicles ‘wake up’ at different times) and save time in the future to boot (hurrah). I’ve heard nothing but good things from people who have used these devices, with time saved in getting ready and also things like no ingrown hairs, always being 'match fit' if you get my drift and suchlike. It’s miles cheaper than going to a salon, and can be done in the privacy of your own home, making it ultra-convenient too.

So just a handful of gadgets and electrical beauty products that could make a loved ones Christmas. Would any of these be on your wishlist? :-)

Part 3 coming soon...

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Christmas Gift Guide - Luxury Edition, Part 1: Handbags & Accessories!

Christmas shopping can invariably lead to stress, headache, and panic (for the unprepared, last minute Larrys, like I am this year)… not to mention extremely painful feet and potential for mild assault from other keen shoppers if you’re braving the shops, rather than shopping online. Personally, I try to stick to buying on the internet as much as I can, so as to avoid the physically painful part, at least.

Now I know there’s loads of gift guides floating around, but I firmly believe that you can never have too much inspiration if you’re truly stumped for things to buy – especially if like me, you have to buy both for the people who seemingly have everything, and also the people who actually want nothing (thanks dad… a jumper it is then, again); and so I’ve compiled a couple of guides for you covering a whole host of fabulous looking ‘stuff and things’ in the hope that I can maybe inspire you on the perfect gifts to buy for your nearest and dearest.

This guide focuses on luxurious and expensive products… my favourite. It was always going to be seriously difficult to keep the amount of ‘stuff and things’ that I want, errrr I mean that would be lovely for you to purchase for your loved ones to so few items – especially spanning so many categories such as gadgets, accessories, jewellery and more, and so I’ve split this particular guide into 3 posts for easier digestion!

And so without further ado, here’s a whole heap of fabulousness that I’d personally love to own/receive. I could probably have just called all these guides ‘Claire’s Wish Lists’ if I’m honest.

1. Michael Kors Selma Large Satchel Bag £315 – This stunning bag is definitely on my ‘most wanted’ list this Christmas, but alas I fear it’ll be a present that I’ll have to purchase for myself at some point in the New Year instead. I make no secret of my love for the colour pink, after finally realising that it is indeed my favourite colour (as opposed to pink, or purple) after only 33 years on this earth. I don’t really do favourites, due to my indecisive nature, and tendencies to like EVERYTHING, and lots of everything at that.

2. Dolce & Gabanna DG4192 Sunglasses in Bordeaux £125 – Now I’d usually go for sunglasses that were a bit bigger in size (hides more of my face, you see – ha) but the fact that these are sparkly just lured me in. I am SO easily won over when it comes to this stuff. SOLD… to the magpie named Claire.

3. Prada PR08OS Oversized Square Framed Sunglasses in Tortoiseshell £215 – Now these are more the kind of size I would normally go for, and I’m also partial to a bit of animal print, so these subtle tortoiseshell glasses are totally my kind of thing. I love the gold accent on the arm too, the shiny pleases me greatly.

4. Mulberry Alexa Polished Buffalo Satchel £1,100 – Who doesn’t want to own a Mulberry bag? I mean there must be some people, but there can’t actually be that many people who don’t secretly covet one of these beauties. The Alexa bag is probably one of the most well-known bags, and rightly so as it’s bloody lovely. I’d have one in multiple colours, just to sit and gaze at, mostly.

5. Mulberry Clemmie Embellished Satin Clutch £1,200 – Now put your hands up if you wouldn’t like to own a sparkly Mulberry bag. Holy macaroni, I love it. I don’t even care that it probably wouldn’t even fit half of my shit in it. I need it, give it to me now. Please. Thanks.

6. Saint Laurent ‘Monogramme’ Glitter Clutch £710 – I don’t know about you, but I’ll always call this brand Yves Saint Laurent, I mean why drop the Yves but then keep it in the iconic logo? It’s madness if you ask me. Anyway, this is another sparkly clutch that will no doubt hold about 0.01% of my ‘essentials’ on a night out, and again I don’t even care. It’s probably another item that I’ll just sit gazing at, and possibly stroking at home. I might even put it on a shelf as a display piece, ha.

7. Marc Jacobs Luna Messenger Bag in Orange £405 – This bright messenger bag stuck out to me during my massive window shopping session due to its vibrant orange colour. I’m a huge fan of bright colour, and whilst I still love muted, neutral shades too, I do lean more towards the bright. Even in autumn and winter. I’m especially a fan of orange with pink, which is a good job really, since those are the colours I currently sport in my hair. ;-) This bag looks perfect for everyday use, and I think it could even fit a great deal of my ‘stuff’ in it too – bonus.

8. Michael Kors Jetset Travel Chain Flap Over Purse in Gold £145 – There is probably no point in me ever owning this gorgeous metallic purse, owing to my utterly rubbish luck when it comes to not losing them lately. However, it doesn’t stop me wanting it all the same. I’m not sure if it’s more of a yellow gold in reality, but on my screen it looks like a rose gold, which I think I’d probably prefer. Stunning.

9. Michael Kors Dylan Baguette-Bezel Chronograph Watch (MK5412) in Rose Gold £279 – I love Michael Kors watches, in fact I just seem to love Michael Kors full stop; but in particular I love the watches. This rose gold sparkly affair is definitely on my ‘need to own’ list, since I can never have too many Michael Kors watches, especially if they have extra added sparkle to boot.

10. Michael Kors Stainless Steel Bracelet Watch (MK3359) £379 – Shut the front door, sparkle galore!! My magpie senses are on full alert for this watch (and the next couple also), as well they should be. Any watch that has this many crystals automatically gets put on my list of things I need, imagine all that sparkly goodness every time you checked the time?! I don’t think I’d ever be late again… ok; I might be but let’s not dwell on that part.

11. Michael Kors Kerry Gold Tone Pave Crystal Bracelet Watch (MK3360) £399 – This is the gold version of the previous watch, as obviously it’d be rude to have one without the other. I’m not one for favouritism; I’m not even one for favourites due to my indecisive nature – hence the length of these guides (wishlists, ha)!

12. Michael Kors Two Colour Zebra Print Bracelet Watch (MK3315) £279 – This watch combines my love of animal print with my love of sparkle. What’s not to love?! I want it, I need it… I know I can only wear one watch at a time, but I really don’t care. Can I make wearing two watches or more at once a ‘thing’? It should be when there’s this much Michael Kors goodness to be had.

I think it's quite obvious that I love Michael Kors, so sorry if it's a bit Kors heavy but I like what I like and I'm certain others would love to receive anything from these items too. :-)

Part 2 coming soon...

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Christmas Gift Guide - Winter Warmers!

Christmas shopping can invariably lead to stress, headache, and panic (for the unprepared last minute Larrys, like I am this year)… not to mention extremely painful feet and the potential for mild assault from other keen shoppers if you’re braving the shops, rather than shopping online. Personally, I try to stick to buying online as much as I can, so as to avoid the physically painful part, at least.

Now I know there’s loads of gift guides floating around, but I firmly believe that you can never have too much inspiration if you’re truly stumped for things to buy – especially if like me, you have to buy both for the people who seemingly have everything, and also the people who actually want nothing (thanks dad… a jumper it is then, again); and so I’m compiling a few guides for you covering a whole host of fabulous looking ‘stuff and things’ in the hope that I can maybe inspire you on the perfect gifts to buy for your nearest and dearest.

This guide focuses on products to purchase to keep your loved ones nice and toasty in the ‘weather ridden’ coldness that we call winter. I mean who doesn’t want to be warm, right?! So without further ado, here’s a whole heap of fabulousness that I’d personally love to own/receive. I could probably have just called all these guides ‘Claire's Wish Lists’ if I’m honest.

1. Ted Baker Prata Zip Front Cape in Taupe £249 – I’ve got a massive thing about capes at the moment and this one is just so chic that I just had to include it in this guide. It’s pricey-ish, but to me this is more of an investment piece that would see somebody through many seasons, complementing many outfits for a variety of occasions.

2. Ted Baker Riza Leather Biker Jacket in Grape £399 – This is a more casual option, but I love it all the same. I’m a big fan of the colour, the gold accenting and the quilting on the shoulders, as I’m also very partial to quilting… preferably on a Chanel bag, that I own (I don’t own one though *sob*). Again I feel this is another investment piece that will quite easily see you through the years.

3. New Look Black Tartan Check Reversible Oversized Scarf £14.99 – I’m loving the tartan trend that we’re seeing this season, it makes me think I should have kept my tartan trousers from the 90’s, although they were seriously unfashionable until this season… so probably best that I didn’t. This scarf combines the fabulous red tartan print with one of my other favourite prints, dogtooth/houndstooth. I adore it. I would wear this all day, every day, possibly even in bed. Love it.

4. New Look Parisian Blue Check Hooded Blanket Wrap £22.99 – If a scarf just doesn’t cut it for you, then this gorgeous blanket wrap should do the trick. I love the pattern, the style and that is has a hood to boot. Perfect.

5. Ruby & Ed Husky & Coyote Faux Fur Hand Muff, £34.00 – I have wanted a hand muff for ages, as I just don’t seem to get on with gloves, spending time taking them off, putting them back on, then off again and then invariably losing one, or both. These hand muffs/mufflers seem to be the answer to my problem, since they just hand around your neck and you can insert/withdraw your hands as needed without any extra effort. I’ve just realised I’m a lazy so and so when it comes to my hand warming needs, and an idiot that loses things. Wonderful, ha.

6. Ruby & Ed Brit Candy Hood in Burgundy, £99 – How comfy and warm does this bugger look? This looks ideal for the cold weather we have to put up in this wonderful country during the winter months. Plus my theory is that it wouldn’t ruin your hair as much as a normal hat would, due to it’s looser fit. Bonus, right?!

7. AX Paris Aztec Multi Coloured Printed Cape £19.99 (down from £35) – Another cape, but this time with an Aztec print, which is equally as fabulous as the tartan, but slightly different styling. I’m mad on capes at the moment, can you tell? Plus, it’s in the sale so it means you save some money to boot… or are able to purchase more, which is the route I usually take. ;-)

8. Boohoo Emily Parka with Fur Hood £45 – I adore this coat! The fur hood and the fluffy fleecy lining look like a cuddle in a coat. Plus, I like the more casual style of this for every day wear, and especially cold days where thinner coats just wouldn’t cut it in the keeping warm stakes. Perfect, I want it.

9. Berghaus Women’s Dovenby Fleece Pullover £45 – For the sportier types, this fleece top from Berghaus may just fit the bill. I’m a sucker for pink, hence that’s the colour I have posted, but actually I’d be happy to own these in all the colours available. They’re perfect for active types who are able to drag themselves out into the cold weather to go running, or something equally as horrifying when they could lovely and warm, sat indoors. ;-)

10. Berghaus Women’s Ramche Hyper Hydrodown Jacket £230 – Again, another one for the sportier, more active types… although I’d totally still wear this, and just pretend I was one of those kinds of people, ha. This loooovely bright pink coat looks like it will keep you warm without weighing you down, and will make sure you’re seen if you’re out running in the dark too – health and safety, guys. :-P

So there we have just a very small selection from a handful of websites (I could have gone overboard and listed about a thousand products, but I held back) to give you some inspiration when it comes to purchasing gifts for those, like me who never seem to have enough warm clothes when it gets to winter. I think my issue is that I just like purchasing dresses to go out partying in so that I don’t get seen in the same dress in clubs too often, oh well. ;-)

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Raving Mad: Cream Birthday Part 1 and a Little Update!

You may or may not have noticed that I've been a bit of a party girl ever since becoming single last year, I have basically reverted back to type, back to how I was pre Mr Ex Beauty Scoop; and so I've decided that along with the usual beauty, fashion and lifestyle bits that I normally feature on here (and will continue to do so, even more now my internet seems stable again), that I'll also be writing about events and club nights I've been to, since they're such a large part of my life these days.

Posts that I write will be about the nights themselves, and also as 'What I Wore' fashion and beauty type features too.. so there'll still be a definite fashion and beauty element in there for you all. It recently occurred to me that I do my make-up for these nights out that I have each weekend, and you never get to see it... so I'll be showing you my favourite looks, must have products and tips/techniques for stay put make-up that will survive even the longest night out. :-)

I also have a larger article planned about my favourite events from this year so far, and events to look out for in the future in the pipeline (I'm just editing down a mass of photographs with a partially working laptop, which is taking some time and finalising the text), but this weekend I shall be raving my tush off at Cream's birthday (part 1)  in Liverpool, so expect to see what I wore and my thoughts on the night very soon.

If you're fancying a night out there yourself, then get yourself over to Skiddle for a ticket as it's due to be a biiiig, brilliant night. I can't wait.

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

My New Hair Pictures - Pink & Orange.

I’ve been a bit (ok, a lot) delayed in getting this written up and posted due to both illness and also technical issues as I actually had it done on September 9th, but better late than never, right?!

Let me finally introduce to you my new hair that I had 'done' at the Wella Studio in Manchester; a place I’ve been going to since I was about 16 years old (I've spoken about it before here). I’m actually that late in posting this that I’m due to go for my next colour appointment on Tuesday next week – oops, sorry about that. ;-)

Anyway, I still really wanted to post about it as I was over the moon with how bright they finally managed to get it, especially the orange. Before my appointment I had toyed with the idea of changing to peacocky colours (turquoise, blue and purple) at the ends due to a number of failed attempts to get the brightness of orange that I was looking for, but I decided to give it just one last shot… and I’m so glad I did.

Throughout the month since having it coloured, I have been complimented on my hair more than ever. I guess as it’s so noticeably bright, and with such a contrast of colours that it’s hard not to pay attention to it. I actually don’t mind though, I mean it’s always nice to receive a compliment... even though I still don’t know how to take them and usually get flustered before saying thanks and rushing off with a bright red face.

Sorry for the quality of these ones, but I wanted to show images under different lighting, although the top images are more colour accurate.

In case you wanted something similar colour wise (as I do get asked about this a lot via email) the shades/products that were used to get this result were as follows: For the pink they used Wella Special Mix 0/65 with Koleston Perfect and I believe 6% and the orange was Wella Magma 0/34 and 9%. The percentages are to do with how much lightening/lifting your hair would need, so don’t focus too much on those if you were to want a similar colour, just make sure you know the shade numbers for your hairdresser.

Also the technique is somewhere between dip dye and balayage as I wanted all the ends orange, but without a definite line showing, so they brought the orange tips to varying levels where it meets the pink to achieve this. It was done freehand and using foils to keep the colours from merging.

I’ll be sure to get any images from my appointment on Tuesday posted up a bit sooner, especially if there’s anything new to report on the colour front. ;-)

Do you like bright hair colours, or do you tend/prefer to stick to natural shades? x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

No Makeup for Marc Jacobs Models at New York Fashion Week!

So what do we think of Marc Jacobs models having not one single scrap of makeup on whilst on the runway at his spring/summer 2015 show at New York Fashion Week?

I love it, actual natural beauty (ok, they're models... but still) and a focus on skincare rather than hiding 'flaws'. Brilliant.

Only moisturiser was used by makeup artist Francois Nars (the genius behind the NARS makeup brand). It must have been the easiest job he's ever been paid to do too. :-)

Does this give you more confidence to go out sans makeup?

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Non Invasive Skin Tightening Treatment, Pellefirm Launches in the UK; Plus My Experience So Far!

Me having a treatment at Dr Rita Rakus' Clinic in London.

We've all got our body hangs ups... you know those parts of the body that you desperately try to cover, conceal, hide and generally prevent others from seeing, or noticing! I personally could quite easily tell you at least one thing that I didn't like about pretty much any part of my body that you named; and would definitely struggle to find something overly positive to say about pretty much any other part too.

I'm sure I'm not the only person who has this eternal life struggle either; and whilst there may be greater issues going on in the world, when something makes you unhappy about yourself and you have to 'put up with it' every day, it does become a larger issue to you. To name just one of my many, many body hang ups, it would be my 'sorry for itself' state after my 6 stone weight loss. I'm talking about the slightly loose, somewhat flabby skin that covers areas such as my stomach, bingo wings, bottom... in fact; it would probably be quicker, and easier for me to list the places that weren't affected, ha. You get the idea.

However, I'm also a big advocate of changing the things that make you unhappy if you can... in all aspects of life; and so when I'm faced with treatments, products and procedures that can change, or at least improve things then I'm all for giving them a go. Why carry on suffering if you don't have to, right?! That's why I was extremely happy to have been invited recently to attend a demonstration of Pellefirm, a high tech, non-surgical skin tightening treatment that has only just hit UK shores, as I’m always interested in this kind of thing on a personal level as well as to be able to tell you guys about it too.

Now don’t think that this treatment is to help you lose weight, as it isn’t for this purpose at all. Nor is it a one stop ‘quick fix’ in an emergency ‘I might be seen naked/semi naked imminently’ panic, as a course of around 6 (depending on each client and their start and desired finish points) is recommended to see results.

It’s a treatment for those who have may have lost tone/tightness in their skin to help to tighten and smooth it out. This is skin that may have been stretched through weight gain, pregnancy and/or ageing that will not just ping back into place, no matter how much you exercise, or how healthily you eat. It's skin that would normally require surgical intervention to rectify, in the form of tummy tucks and other such skin reducing procedures.

Before & after images, and the Pelleve machine with Pellefirm handpiece from the Ellman website.

The claims by Ellman International, are that by raising the temperature of the skin through the use of a hand piece that is attached to the main Pelleve machine (which has multiple functions, I should add), delivering radiofrequencies into the skin and heating it to temperatures of around 45 degrees that this will in turn heat the dermis and sub dermis to a higher level and trigger collagen synthesis… which basically (as far as I understand it) causing the collagen to break down, and then reform, thus creating the skin tightening effect that occurs afterwards.

Whilst at the demonstrations (one in London at the clinic of Dr Rita Rakus, and another in Birmingham with Dr Hugo and Dr James Kitchen of the Stratford Dermatherapy Clinic taking charge) I was also lucky enough to get the chance to trial the procedure as their case study, so I got to experience it first-hand.

Me having the treatment in Birmingham with Dr James Kitchen from the Stratford Dermatherapy Clinic.

The treatment itself wasn’t painful, although I was told that I appeared to deal with the heat exceptionally well (the heat was increased gradually, which I think helped a lot), and I didn’t experience a great deal of reddening of the skin either which is something that can happen during/afterwards, (but causes no ill effects and does disappear relatively quickly too, should it occur to you), so I was all good with that too. The treatment lasts around 40 minutes per area, depending on the size of the area and also how long it takes your skin to reach the optimum temperature too.

Results aren’t immediate either, as mentioned… although on my short trial so far, I did notice a slight change in the appearance of my skin, so I’m hopeful that with further sessions (something I’m also told I can continue with), will increase and become more noticeable – expect further updates in due course.

Is this something that you’d try out? Do you have many body hang ups?

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Models Own Diamond Luxe Nail Polish Collection!

L-R: Princess Pink, Trillion Taupe, Heart Red, Pear Purple, Marquise Maroon, Carat Coral, Asscher Blue, Radiant Pink, Emerald Green, Oval Plum.

I have literally *just* received this information in my inbox, and I couldn't wait to hop-foot it over to you to tell you all about it. My magpie senses are going mad already for this fantastic, sparkling collection from Models Own, due to be released on 19th September 2014.

Not only do these polishes look totally blingtastic, but they form part of Models Own's first ever 'luxe' collection - Diamond Luxe, and who doesn't like diamonds, right?!

This ten-strong shade of polishes all contain real, actual, bonafide, genuine diamond dust. Now I don't know about you, but that's definitely a type of dust that I can get down with! The diamond dust is said to give a 'completely unique, multi-dimensional super-sparkly finish'... well that's me sold already. ;-)

But wait, there's more! Apparently this level of sparkle and bling doesn't come at the cost of having to put up with rough nails that grab onto on any old piece of fluff, like a child clinging to their favourite comfort blanket.

Now I don't know about you, but even with layers of top coat, glittery sparkly nails (other than gel based) never, ever go smooth for me... which ends up giving your beautiful sparkly manicure a more 'dipped in fluff that just happened to contain some glitter' look about it.

Another bonus is that they say these are both quick drying, AND long lasting - 2 of my favourite things to put together when considering the chore of applying nail polish, because let's face it, it looks great, but does anybody actually enjoy applying nail polish? Especially if you're a clumsy oaf like me, that ruins it within minutes. Seconds even, sometimes!

Each polish will retail at £4.99, which is a total bargain in my opinion, and will be available from www.modelsownit.com from 19th September, UK Models Own Bottleshops from the 20th September and Superdrug stores nationwide on 24th September 2014.

Holy yes!! I need them all in my life... right now. Are you loving or leaving this collection and are any colours screaming out 'own me' to you straight away?

P.S, I'll post again when I have some in my hands to show you!

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Wordless (ish) Wednesday!

This made me laugh out loud when I saw it on Facebook as I know this life struggle waaaay too well*!!

Who's with me on this?



*Although I have to say, I was also slightly irked by the lack of capital letters. ;-)

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

50% Off Lashes at Benito Brow Bar Nationwide Today and Tomorrow Only.

This is just a quick heads up that lash and brow brand 'Benito Brow Bar' are treating their customers to a fabulous 50% discount on lashes today (Wednesday 13th August 2014) and tomorrow (Thursday 14th August 2014).

Not only that, they also offer complimentary tinting every Tuesday - I'm not sure about how this works, having only seen it on their Twitter feed, but I'll find out more and update this post later on.

If you're wanting to take up the 50% discount, call or head over to your nearest 'bar' to make use of this great offer, just in time for weekend too. ;-)

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

What Questions Would YOU Ask The Pixiwoo Sisters?

I recently posted about Sam and Nic Chapman's upcoming Real Techniques UK tour that's due to start, and finish next week and have since been given the opportunity to interview the girls ahead of the Manchester leg of their tour. So, I thought I'd find out if you guys had any burning questions that you'd like me to ask them - especially if you can't make it to any of the locations, or there's not one close enough to you.

If you do have a question that you'd like me to try and have answered for you then please leave it in the comments box below and I'll get through as many of them as I can, in the time that I get. x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

The Sims 2 Plus All Expansion and Stuff Packs For FREE Until July 31st (Tomorrow)!

Ok, whilst games aren't what I'd normally talk about on here (although I really should as I do love a bit of gaming here and there with The Sims, and other simulation games), I thought this offer was too good not to pass on the information; especially as these games back in the day would have cost you hundreds of pounds to purchase (that I happily paid back in the day too)!

The offer is ending imminently (tomorrow 31st July 2014), so I'll keep this post short and sweet and just paste in what they say on their information page!

"Because you’re a passionate The Sims 2 player, we’re making The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection available free of charge to download to your Origin library. To add the game, just follow these steps:

• Note, if you already have another version of The Sims 2 installed, make sure you backup your The Sims 2 saves and uninstall your version of The Sims 2, either automatically or manually, before following these directions.

1. Start by downloading and installing Origin. If you already have Origin you can skip to step 3.
2. Not an Origin member? Create a free Origin Account to get in the game.
3. Launch Origin and log into your Origin Account.
4. From the ‘Games’ tab in the Origin menu, select ‘Redeem Product Code’ and enter the code
   I-LOVE-THE-SIMS 

If you’re already an Origin member, you can also redeem your code online. Just visit the Origin code redemption page and log in to your Origin Account. Then enter I-LOVE-THE-SIMS in the ‘Product Code’ field. 

Log into Origin and download and play the game any time you want .

Thanks for being a passionate The Sims fan, and enjoy your copy of The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection.

This code will available for redemption until July 31st, 2014 at 10AM PDT."

Go get it! :-) x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Sam & Nic Chapman aka Pixiwoo to Tour UK With Real Techniques!

Makeup artists and YouTube/Blogging gurus, Sam and Nic Chapman are/heading off on an official 5 day tour of the UK in August with Real Techniques, the makeup brush brand designed by the pair that has taken the UK by storm, to meet their customers and fans.

During the tour they will be demonstrating hot makeup looks, giving makeup application tips and advice, answering any all important beauty questions that you may have for them, and posing for photographs too.

If this sounds like something you want to get involved with, you can catch the talented duo in the following locations:

• Monday 4th August - 5pm to 7pm; Superdrug, Marble Arch, 508 – 520 Oxford Street, London W1C 1NB 
• Tuesday 5th August - 5pm to 7pm; Boots, 116 Cribbs Causeway Regional Shopping Centre, Patchway, Bristol, BS34 5UP 
• Wednesday 6th August - 5pm to 7pm; Superdrug Beauty Studio, 51-52 St David’s Centre, Cardiff, CF10 2DQ 
• Thursday 7th August - 5pm to 7pm; Boots, Trafford Centre, 10 Peel Ave, Manchester, M17 8BD 
• Friday 8th August - 12pm to 2pm; Boots, Jervis Shopping Centre, 125 Upper Abbey St, Dublin 1, Ireland

I'm hoping to attend the Manchester leg of the tour, so hopefully I'll see you there. :-) x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Imperial Leather Foamburst Shower Gel - Honey & Almond and Sweet Vanilla & Cherry!

There are not many better feelings in life than being fresh out of the shower in my opinion, and so choosing a shower gel that makes you smell great, and feel as fresh as a daisy is very important to me. So, when I was given the opportunity to trial a couple of the new Imperial Leather Foamburst fragrances, I jumped at the chance, as I’ve always got on well with their products in the past.

The new fragrances each have their own genie to represent them, and with that, their own ‘personality’ which you can read up on here that reflect their individual scent.

I was sent the Sweet Vanilla/Cherry Blossom (Sebastian) and Honey & Almond (Cael) varieties to test out, and both are absolutely lovely.

The Sweet Vanilla and Cherry Blossom Foamburst is a stronger, more noticeable sweeter scent with a big hit on the cherry front to my nose. This is totally up my street as I do love a strong scent, especially when I’m not necessarily layering up on other fragrances. Great for you sweet scent lovers out there.

The Honey and Almond is a more subtle fragrance, just a nice clean and fresh scent… which I also love for a different reason; as sometimes you want your other fragrances (perfume, body lotion etc.) to do the talking, and this variety works much better in this instance, as fragrance clashes are never a good thing in my book. This is also perfect for those of you who don’t necessarily want a lot of fragrance, just a neutral, clean scent.

The thing I like about the Foamburst range is that the products really are true to their name. Literally moments after squirting out the gel, you see the gel turn white and start to foam in your hand. This makes it feel a lot more luxurious and expensive than it actually is, at £2.99 per bottle. Plus there’s something totally satisfying about seeing it foam up like this for me, is this weird? Maybe, ha!

However, this also means you don’t need to use as much product to start with, meaning it’s cost effective, and also means that it’s perfect for using not only for washing, but for shaving too – therefore saving you more money on having to buy extra products.

They say you get 40 uses from one 200ml can, which at full RRP of £2.99 per can works out at approximately 7p per shower, which is dirt cheap (pun intended). I’d agree with this, as you really don’t need to use a huge amount per wash, since the foam covers a large area, especially when used with a sponge, or flannel.

All in all, I would totally recommend this range from my experiences so far. I’m very much a luxury end of the scale kinda girl; and this, even though it doesn’t have a huge price tag or designer name, still ticks all the boxes for me on every level… so a big thumbs up here.


*In association with Imperial Leather, my views remain unaffected by this.

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Speechless Saturday!

This made me laugh out loud.

Have a great bank holiday weekend my lovelies. x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Moving House... Back Soon. x

Didn't realise I had so much 'stuff'... 3 days to pack a full (and I mean full) house up: challenge ON! x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

eBay Introduces New Collections Tool - See My Collections & Tell me What You Think!

eBay to me has always been the place that I turned to when I couldn’t find an item in stock, or had baulked at paying, or just couldn’t stretch to paying full price for something in a shop/online. Yep, it’s hit and miss as to what you find on there, but that’s the beauty of it as, whilst at times it may not have what you’re looking for, you can set up alerts for these searches… and when you get that email saying something you had been looking for has been listed, it is game on!!

Sometimes though, eBay can be daunting, with the sheer volume of items on there that it can be hard to find the products you want, especially when running with a theme, or trying to match them up to other items in general. So, eBay have come up with a pretty cool solution with their new Collections tool, a way of saving, and showing items that you think work well together.

This is perfect for your own organisational reasons or for sharing with friends and family; and I can totally imagine this working well for things like birthday and Christmas wish lists, as when people are asking what you’d like, you can just point them in the direction of your collections. Clever, huh?!

In preparation for the launch, eBay asked me to make some collections of my own and so I spent a good few hours scouring the site to see what treats took my fancy. You could say this was just a more elaborate form of my usual way to window shop, where I add everything I would like to own into any given ‘cart’, see the total cost, laugh (and cry) before closing the tab in defeat – as attempting to whittle down any shopping cart like that is near on impossible for this indecisive lady. ;-)

Here are just a few of my favourite collections from all of the collections I have been making (all clickable):

Modern Twist on a Vintage Wedding

Natural Glamour.

GOLD...

Wild About Animal Print.

Girls Night Out!

All Hail The Nail.

The rest can be found HERE!

The collections format actually reminds me somewhat of Pinterest, and other similar sites in the way that you add items, and the way it appears overall, and I think it’s going to be a great addition to the site. I’m already making more collections to lust after, in the hope that I come into some money. Ha.

What do you think about the new addition? Have you seen or used the new collections tool? Could you make use of it? x

P.S: Apologies if you're using a mobile to view this post, if the images are a bit wonky - not entirely sure what has happened with that.

This post has been sponsored by eBay.

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Wordless Wednesday!

True ^

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Wordless Wednesday - Models Own Offer Starts Today!

http://www.modelsownit.com/

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Deichmann Collaborate With Fashion Blogger, Caroline Blomst for Spring Summer 2014!

Most people have their ‘thing’ when it comes to fashion… be that dresses, hats, bags, jewellery, shoes or whatever else takes their fancy. Me? I’m an ‘everything’ kinda girl. I like things, I like lots of them and they have to meet my exacting style standards; especially as I’m also incredibly indecisive. However, it has to be said that I do hold a dear place in my heart, and my wardrobe, for shoes. You see shoes are the only things I could always rely on, even at my heaviest, to fit me.

So am I a ‘shoe’ person? Why yes, yes I am.

When it comes to purchasing shoes, I’m totally a Carrie wannabe, in that I would love to be able to say that my budget stretched to the likes of Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahniks to be worn as my shoes du jour; alas, I tend to be more of a high street girl. That’s not such a bad thing though, as the good thing about fashion these days is that you don’t actually have to spend the earth on an outfit for it to look good, or make a statement.

This is why I love brands that pull out all the stops to bring us designs that look great, but without the threat of bankruptcy, or broken hearts due to our weeping bank balances. It’s not even necessarily that you end up saving as much as you think, as if you’re anything like me, money off/money saved just means you can buy more. Half price? This to me just means I can buy twice as much!

Which brings me onto the new spring/summer 2014 collection from forward thinking European shoe brand, Deichmann, which launched today (here) and was under heavy embargo so as excited as I was to tell you, I was unable to do so!

The collection, comprising of 7 different shoe designs has been designed in collaboration with Swedish fashion uber-blogger and all round fashionista Caroline Blomst, is to be stocked in store and online by Deichmann UK, with prices starting from just £17.99 and reaching no higher than £27.99. Good news for your bank balances, girls!

Video footage of the collection, provided by Deichmann UK.

The collection was an instant hit when I saw it, and whilst I might not wear every pair of shoes myself, I think that it's bang on many trends that are current right now. The 2 styles from within the group that totally caught my eye were these beauties:

Peep toe shoe boot with cut out detail, 27.99

These boots are so flexible, and could be worn with pretty much anything from your wardrobe, from jeans and leggings to skirts, dresses or even shorts; meaning they will easily span throughout any season. The 4.5 inch heel is fairly high, and with only a very slight platform to offset the height too. However, I found these shoes more comfortable than I first thought they would when they arrived with me, largely due to the fact that the boot styling almost fully encases the foot, instantly giving much needed support to the foot and ankle (the adjustable fastening adds to the overall look of the boots and can be tightened or loosened to suit your ankle size thus avoiding the shoe slipping off the foot as you walk - safe as well as stylish?

Peep toe with drop side and metallic heel, £27.99

These glam metallic accented heels are possibly my favourite item as they totally appeal to my glam nature and weekend wardrobe of bodycons and bandage dresses. The design is also mega flattering as they instantly lengthen your legs, and who here doesn't want longer looking legs?! Metallic accented shoes featured highly at Paris Fashion week recently, so these are totally now, however I expect to get wear from these for quite some time to come! Adore.

 My final thoughts?

You can see the thought that has gone into the collection as a whole; and it's apparent that whilst style is high up on the agenda, Caroline also wanted these shoes to get a lot of wear, with comfort also seemingly factoring highly.

Her consideration that the designs were versatile, and could be styled with a plethora of different outfits, tailored to your own personal style preference, is also glaringly obvious; and I'm quite sure that this collection would not look out of place on any of the fashionistas that we all know and love.

Unfortunately my camera gave up the ghost which meant that I could not shoot the shoes sent to me in the manner I had planned, so I apologise for the stock images, but it at least ensures that you actually see the collection.

View the boot-y!

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Happy Birthday To Meeeeeeee, I Am Twenty Threeeeeee (again)!

It's that time of year for me again today, getting old day haha. And, whilst I don't plan on growing old gracefully, or ever looking my age (if it can be helped), I do dread the official upping of age all the same.

So, I plan to spend my weekend with my great mates, drinking myself sober (probably) and probably having way too much silly, stupid fun, like I was having on a recent night out in a club, with my mates Rodney mask - see picture. Said mask was also worn around my waist, and wiggled around a bit too... ha. Anyone else have these ridiculous nights out? :-)

The dress is by Forever Unique at The Chic Boutique, and I love it!

Hope you all have a great weekend too. x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

What to Wear This Valentine's Day, with New Look!

The chance of a date for me would be a fine thing, but hopefully this information will help some of the luckier amongst us who do have plans this Valentine's weekend. x


This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope that you all have a great day... whether you're single, in a relationship or something in the middle-ish. This made me laugh, and is kinda perfect for me today - haha. x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

The Correct Way to use a Kirby/Hair Grip... Apparently?!

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? Surely not?!?!

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Wordless (ish) Wednesday - I Don't Have a Drink Problem, But I Do Need These in My Life.

You may remember a post I did back in July, "I Don't Have a Drink Problem, But I Do Need These in My Life." where I had found a couple of items that I rather liked the look of to sneak booze into clubs and festivals, but unfortunately were only available in America, or to be shipped at huge expense. Well I've just come across another item on Facebook that looks ideal for the task AND is available in the UK too. Winning.

The 'Bev-Brush' (£15.74, currently on offer), holds 185ml of fluid, and can even be used as a proper brush - complete with mirror on the back. I am seriously tempted with this. ;-)

Another item I saw on the same site was this 'Bev-Cam' (£10.59), which holds 145ml of fluid and seems legit enough to get through some security, maybe?

Would you use any of these? Or have you got any other sneaky ways to save money whilst out drinking? Ha. x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Wordless Wednesday!

True. :-)

Net still wonky but I will be back very soon, as I have told Virgin I will leave if things aren't fixed soon. x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

I Have the Lurgy... Blerrrgh! Oh, and Happy New Year! x

First of all, let me say Happy New Year, I hope that you all had a great time and have started the year off with a bang, and on a positive note!!

I haven't been around much, as I've had absolutely no broadband and only have a phone for connection, which can prove difficult when trying to do anything more productive than browsing Facebook - or so it appears! Hence why I am recycling an image I used last year for this post!

I've also come down with the lurgy, which hasn't helped matters... it's all happening here, ha.

Anyway, I hope to be back and blogging very soon, I am working on new stuff, and so as soon as my internet is back up (hoping to have it fixed by next week), there'll be (hopefully) no stopping me, then.

Hope you're all well. xx

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk