Victoria Beckhams 'Must Have Lip Glosses'

According to Victoria Beckham on Twitter.com 1 hour ago, these 2 lip glosses are apparently must haves in your makeup bags.

They are Burberry Lip Glow glosses No. 9 and No. 10 and below are sample images taken from the Burberry website to show you what they look like, but first the blurb from the Harrods website:

"Plump, moisturise and add a hint of fresh colour with Burberry Lip Glow. This natural lip gloss has a ceramide complex formula that fills fine lines from within, leaving lips supple, and glowing with natural highlights.

• Natural lip gloss
• Creamy, adherent texture
• Light oils and spherical powders give fluidity and comfort
• Reflects light to create illusion of plumper, fuller lips
• Ceramide complex recreates the intercellular cement
• Hydrating formula keeps lips replenished
• Fine lines are filled from within
• Foam tip applicator
• 6ml"

No. 9 (Nude Beige)

No. 10 (Nutmeg)

I think I might have to get my paws on these as they look lurrrvley from the pictures above, and if they're good enough for VB then they're good enough for little old me haha. If you want to purchase one for yourself they retail at £18 each (haven't found anywhere cheaper as they appear to be sold exclusively at Harrods and on the official Burberry website), and here are the all important links.

http://uk.burberry.com/fcp/categorylist/dept/beauty_lips_lip_glow

http://www.harrods.com/HarrodsStore/find/b/burberry,burberry-lips/p/lip_glow

Lovely Lashes - Clinique Lash Building Primer!

If you’re looking for full, long lashes then stop right here as I have found just the product you need, Clinique’s Lash Building Primer. The blurb on the Clinique website states that this product ‘boosts the benefits of Clinique Mascara as it conditions and protects lashes’ but what it doesn’t tell you is that it offers so much more than just nourishment and protection. It volumises and lengthens them whilst also helping to hold the curl longer and doesn’t make your lashes clump together at all – in fact they look more separated than ever before.

For me, it has given a true false lash effect (without the need to be ‘styled with inserts’) with all mascaras I have tried with it, not just Clinique’s. I also found that it seems to keep my mascara in place for a lot longer; even non-waterproof types, as demonstrated at V Festival when my mascara lasted the whole day with no smudging, running or disappearing into thin air. My lashes looked exactly as they did when I applied my makeup.

The product itself is a fairly runny white fluid that is easily applied with a wand, just like you would a normal mascara; once applied you'll also notice that the lashes immediately look longer and more separated and whilst it does go on ever so slightly white, it is a lot less opaque than it seems in the tube. I would still say that you need to apply some kind of mascara over the top of it to disguise this if you’re heading out though, as it’s not a hugely flattering look when left without.

You may be expecting this product to cost a fortune, being that it works so well and that it’s made by Clinique but I bought this at the surprisingly low price of just £10 from Boots. It might be worth noting that it’s currently being sold for £9 in Debenhams in their 10% new season sale and also John Lewis (a price reduction that seems to have come off the back of the Debenhams sale) so if you hurry you may get it even cheaper than I did.

All in all, I can’t recommend this product enough as it has completely excelled my expectations and will have a permanent (or at least very long term) place in my makeup bag.

Essie Autumn 2010 Collection Has Landed Here!

My Essie Autumn 2010 polishes have arrived and I have got to say, they are every bit as gorgeous as I thought (and hoped) they would be. However, I appear to have misplaced my nail polish remover so cannot take any photo’s right now, but I will be putting pictures up soon so be sure to check back.

They are currently on sale at Asos, priced £9.50 each (Merino Cool doesn't appear there currently) or you can do what I did and go on eBay and buy them from America as they work out cheaper. ;-)

 Swatches posted! Click me!

Urban Decay Ammo Shadowbox.

This set was released as part of Urban Decay's 10th birthday celebrations and it is just perfect.

The box is very slim which means it’s easy to pack in a fairly small makeup or hand bag, and light so it can easily be taken with you when you’re travelling or even going out for the night - if you wanted to do some touch ups and it has a strong magnetic clasp which means that it stays shut; so no danger of it coming open and the shadows getting ruined which is a big plus point in my experience. It is purple with a foil and velvet design on that consists of flowers, leaves, and hearts to skulls and even fish – but it looks lovely and feels nice to touch because of the velvet.

Upon opening the case I notice a decent sized mirror, again with a surrounding foil design that matches the outside of the box. It’s quite decadent looking, and so are the shadows it contains.

Each shadow measures approximately 1.5cm x 2cm and whilst this doesn’t sound very big, I have found that they actually last very well. Because the pigment in them is quite strong, I have found that you don’t need to apply a huge amount to get the coverage and depth you need, even if you want to wear the colours strong and opaque.

The hues contained are beautiful, 10 different colours that are said to be arranged in 5 matching duos, running the gamut from subtle to all out sexy. I actually find that whilst these are arranged into ‘matching colours’ these shadows can be mixed and matched with each other very easily to create a number of different looks suitable for any occasion. Below is a quick rundown of the colours from my perspective.

Smog – A deep coppery bronze, lovely in the eye socket.

Maui Wowie – This is a cool medium gold that has a bit of glitter in it; not over the top though. This is one of my personal favourites.

Mildew – A deep, dirty green. This has the perfect name but is a gorgeous colour, despite the name.

Shattered – A turquoise like hue that edges more to the blue, a classy blue – if you will.

Oil Slick – Black, with glitter. I love this; it’s perfect for smoky eyes with a little bit of fun added because of the very slight glittery particles.

Polyester Bride – White with silver glitter. This is great for brightening the inside of the eyes.

Last Call – ‘Plum punch’ A beautiful medium-light plum colour which nods to a more pink plum hue than full on purple, that will blend beautifully with a number of other colours from this set.

Grifter – Sheer lavender with lots of ‘microglitter’ – a very light colour, but a very lovely one all the same.

Chopper – A coppery fawn hue with silver ‘microglitter’ in.

Sin – A nude champagne hue with probably the least amount of shimmer out of all the shadows included in this set, but this doesn’t make it any less noticeable in my opinion.

All the colours have a sheen/shimmer to them and whilst this would make it seem like these shadows could only be for evening wear, you would be wrong to think this true. These shadows are never overly glittery, and all of the colours can be built up and adapted to suit daytime use as you wish. I personally love using smog and maui wowie or sin together for daytime usage – I just use very thin layers of each of them.

The shadow is very good quality and stays put once applied, even without the use of a primer – which is much better than many others that I have tried previously.  It’s also easy to apply, it blends well and I find it doesn’t dust all over my face when applying like some other shadows have been prone to doing. It has also never caused any irritation with my eyes, and although they’re not particularly sensitive to most things, this is still a plus for me.

It has become a regularly used product in my makeup bag, both when on the move and at home and I would have no hesitation to replace it when the time comes, either with the same set or with the individual colours contained in the set (if the set is no longer available to buy). The set costs £22.50, although I am sure it could be found cheaper if you were to shop around but it’s worth every penny, even at full price.

Happy 25th Birthday, Elle Magazine!

It's Elle's 25th birthday this month and I thought it only right that I feature their stunning celebratory front cover, featuring the gorgeous Kate Hudson on there. Happy birthday Elle and here’s to the next 25 years of more fabulous features at the forefront of fashion and beauty. Chin chin!

If you don't already subscribe to Elle, I have just noticed a fantastic offer that gives you the opportunity to dip your toes into the subscription pool without havingn to dive straight in. You get 6 months for just £6 PLUS a fantastic free gift just for signing up, consisting of Elizabeth Arden goodies:

• Eight Hour Lip Protectant,

• Eight Hour Skin Protectant,

• Eight Hour Intensive Daily Moisturiser.

http://www.elleuk.com/subscribe

Lancôme Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover!

Advantages: Removes eye makeup easily but gently.

Disadvantages: A little oily.

Removing eye makeup can be a pain in the bottom at times, especially when you're wearing waterproof products. I love my eye makeup but nothing I ever used would get the stuff off without a big struggle, rubbing away at the eye area it went red through doing so (this is really not good for the ultra sensitive skin around the eye) - not until I found out about this treat of a product anyway!

Bi-Facil is an eye makeup remover from Lancôme that is designed to remove even the most stubborn of eye makeup without a struggle and without damaging the eye area. It is suitable for even the most sensitive of eyes and those who wear contacts and is ophthalmologist tested for safety.

The product comes in a clear bottle with Lancôme branding and product information written in white on it. You can clearly see the two-tone liquid that is inside the bottle which consists of an oil based part and a water based part, which is why it continues to stay separated in there (to put it simply without going into science mode by giving a complete chemical breakdown of why the molecules do not combine).

To use it you need to shake the bottle to combine the 2 fluids and then drip a little onto a cotton wool ball or pad; you don't need to use too much I have found as it is so effective at removing the makeup that a little really does go a long way. Once you have done this, it is just a simple case of sweeping the cotton wool with the product on it over your eyes, basically anywhere that you have eye makeup applied; and the product will work its magic and lift it right off. After using it my eyes feel fresh and clean and most of all do not look red or irritated, and this has continued to be the case in the whole time of using it.

The product claims that it will:

Remove all traces of eye makeup, including waterproof - Well there's no argument from me on this one, as this product has always removed my eye makeup easily and without any real effort on my part.

Leave no oily residue - I disagree with this a bit if I am completely honest, as I do find that there is a slight oily residue left after using this product; although it doesn't bother me so much as the product does as it says it will when it comes to removing my mascara etc and it hasn't made the skin around my eye permanently oily after using it.

According to Google translate (since my French is very rusty after not using it for more years than I care to remember, or admit) the French to English translation for Bi Facil is 'Two Easy' which I would say it quite apt as it is definitely two toned and most definitely easy to use and easy to remove the makeup too.

The price of this product is currently £19.50 for a 125ml bottle but luckily for me so far, I haven't actually paid for a bottle of this as I keep getting it as a free gift (or as part of a free gift) when I buy Lancôme products from various department stores - usually offers such as getting it free when you buy 2 or more items from the range etc; however I would be prepared to buy this if this stopped being available as a free gift, even at full price as I think it's well worth the money.

Summary: Worth buying, does the job!

Wax On, Wax Ooof - My Thoughts On The Rio Complete Wax Kit!

Advantages: Smooth hair free skin, Save money, Convenient, Easy, works well, Easy & cheap for replacement bits

Disadvantages: A little painful (you get used to it), Have to let hair grow to wax it off  

Thinking about body hair reminded me of a fantastic piece of kit that I have owned for the last few years; it’s the Rio Complete Wax Kit and it’s for use at home. I had never heard of this until I was given it as a present a few Christmases ago because my sister had sworn by it ever since she had owned one herself and knew I would make good use of it.

The box contains a number of items that have various uses:

• 1 black and silver unit with a dial on it and a mains lead to plug it in, this is the main item that is used to heat the wax that you use (as it’s a warm wax system) and the dial enables you to control the temperature of the wax and also turn the unit off. This is quite quick to heat up, so you don’t have to spend ages sitting and waiting for your wax to even start to melt.

• 2 silver mini saucepan-type cups with black handles,  these are what hold the wax to heat it up in the unit and also are fully transportable to wherever you are waxing so that there’s less chance of wax getting stuck to everything in-between the unit and your skin. Although you should still keep the heating unit nearby as the wax does cool down if you leave it out too long and can become harder to use, not to mention more painful.

• Spatulas – a number of these (I haven’t counted, but there’s quite a few) and these are for applying the wax to your skin. I have found that whilst these are decent for most areas, they feel a bit too big for my eyebrows and I am not confident using them in that area for fear of ripping out too much hair. For this reason I went to eBay and found some smaller ones for a reasonable price.

• Wax equipment cleaner – to remove waxy residue from bits from equipment that it should not be on, or to try and help to clean any accidental spillages. It says it is effective to use on all surfaces, including plastic and natural fibres – although I haven’t really had any major spillages in the time that I have owned this product *touch wood*.

• A tub of soft wax – this is the most common kind of wax that you’re used to that gets applied with the spatula and then removed using a waxing strip. It’s decent quality and does the job; it’s cheap to replace too, which is a bonus – I’d recommend replacing it with tea tree wax when the time comes as tea tree helps to soothe the skin.

• Hard wax – This used to come in blocks that you broke into quarters but these days comes in flakes in a sealed plastic bag, this is easier to use as you don’t have to break fingers/nails to get the ‘portion’ you require into the cup so it can be heated. It doesn’t need wax strips to remove the wax from the body, but you do have to wait for it to cool down and set/get hard (which traps the hair in the wax) before you can peel the edge a little and then rip it off and the hair will come out along with it. This is said to be better for more sensitive areas and will cause less skin irritation than normal soft wax with no interference with the lymphatic flow, it’s also less sticky than soft wax. Obviously because it has to go hard and set first, it does take a little bit longer (and more patience) but it is definitely worth using.

• Waxing Strips – To remove the soft wax, along with the hair from your body; these can be folded once one side has been used and reused (all be it being a little shorter, but still very useable). This means that you don’t have to buy replacements quite so quickly; although I have found they are quite cheap to replace anyway, but it’s also more environmentally friendly to do it this way which is another incentive to do it. You can also cut the strips into smaller strips for use around the eyebrows or any other smaller/more intricate waxing areas.

• Instruction book – Pretty self explanatory really, and definitely worth reading.

• A DVD – This may or may not come with it, my sister got one and I did not – apparently this has guides for the more ‘troublesome’ areas of the body (bikini, underarms etc), but I have never thought ‘oh I could really do with a DVD to watch for this bit’ so I don’t think it is essential really.

Application of the wax is easy, dip the spatula into the wax (whichever one you’re using) and coat it with a small amount for the soft wax and enough to make a thick coat for the hard wax - make sure you don’t have any wax ready to drip as you move it away from the cup (just for neatness really) and smooth it over your skin following the direction of the hair. Another tip for neatness is to dedicate an old towel to the task and have it under the body part being waxed so if any wax does drip, it drips on something that you don’t mind getting ruined.

Removal of the wax is an easy action in itself, however the pain you anticipate will make it the most difficult thing you could think of doing to yourself. Whilst I’m not saying that it’s not painful, it isn’t anywhere near as painful as it is if you hesitate and end up pulling the skin so like they say for plasters, do it quick and in one go if you can. Pull the skin taut too as this will stop the skin being pulled as much and can help lessen the pain. The action to remove the wax is to either put the wax strip over and smooth over it and then pull AGAINST the direction of the hair (ie opposite to the way you smoothed the wax on) for the soft wax, or once the hard wax has set peel a little bit up at the edge and then rip that up in the same way as mentioned for the soft wax.

You may also find that you need help with hard to reach areas and bikini line etc, but I usually find my fella is more than happy to help on these occasions. I have saved a HUGE amount in salon costs in the time I have had mine so finding somebody help is a small price to pay.

This product is available in many places, most notably Tesco online and Amazon, priced around the £39 mark which is a fantastic price for such a brilliant product that WILL save you money if you replace your salon visits with it, and will save you the embarrassment of stubbly bits from shaving, or hairy bits from not doing anything (haha)!

Rio manufactures in the UK, which is brilliant for economy and environment alike. They have a page dedicated to their environmental actions and aims for the future here: http://www.riobeauty.com/Rio_Beauty/greener_rio.html

Body Hair - Grooming?!

So, Julia’s recently been snapped again with her (hairy) arms in the air, waving (well lifting) them like she just don’t care! I truly believe that she doesn’t care at all; because anybody who is willing to lift their arms up without having first defuzzed them is very, very brave. It's even more brave (or stupid - however you wish to look at it) when the world's paparazzi are nearby watching and taking photos. I salute her for having the guts to do it, but really could not imagine being as bold as to do it myself; in fact I will be getting mine lasered off soon.

What do you guys make of it?