Friday 30 September 2011

Warning to all Seche vite top coat users


                                                       Picture from Seche vite website

I am a huge fan of seche vite top coat and i have been using it for years
it has been a fave of mines and repeat purchased and has basically been my HG top coat for the past 3 years

Luckily I started using it after the birth of Bubby  -so no problems for me luckily.

The problem is with the DBP contained within this top coat
but other big brands that use DBP include : Orly, sally Hansen and OPI -unfortunately I use all three brands especially OPI

Heres some information posted by GlitterGeek on SalonGeek which summarises the issues

Due to escalating public and media pressure, three major nail brands are removing DBP from their US polish formulations. OPI, Orly and Sally Hansen have all acknowledged the move following criticism from health groups and consumers that the chemical is dangerous. This is due to a backlash from reports that concluded the substance links to birth defects among other health issues. Polish formulations in the UK however conform to EU regulations. Here DBP is banned, and so up to now all three companies have been manufacturing different formulations for the UK market. DBP is said to be an endocrine disrupter linked to underdeveloped reproductive systems in newborn boys. The chemical has also been associated with accelerated puberty in girls - a factor that might also be linked to breast cancer








Here is the link to the thread
http://www.salongeek.com/nail-geek/44544-warning-label-seche-vite-topcoat.html

I think that this is really worrying
I have noticed many chemicals making a come back into beauty care products and has put me off some products, if not the whole brand


I really wanted to share this with all of you

Be safe

XOXO

Friday 23 September 2011

FOTD :- Smashbox smokey purple eyes


                                      Picture taken with webcam (as are all my low quality pics-sorry!)

                             I did a tutorial on this look recently, I really love this look and wanted to share it with you all

It is using the smashbox quad in charm 

XOXO

Just a quick note and a special offer

Just to let you know that theres only 1 week left to enter my mac eyeshadow giveaway
I will be picking a winner after the month has ended

Also there is a special offer on www.maccosmetics.co.uk
free delivery on all orders over £30 no voucher code needed the offer is on all of the uk mac website
so all cosmetics, brushes, makeup, skincare, etc is included

Also a free elf studio stipple brush and free delivery on www.eyeslipsface.co.uk
UK - STIPPLEUK
EURO - STIPPLEEU
ITALY - STIPPLEIT

minimum order at E.L.F / ELF / Eyes lips face is £13 or 15 euros

PS let me know what you buy from this offer

                                                                    XOXO

Sunday 18 September 2011

Review:- Garnier tinted Anti dark circles roll on

First thing I have to say about this product is 'Holy Grail'

I was in love with the original garnier anti dark circles roll on which is the one in the green roll on tube 
it is basically a liquid gel like eye product and the metal roller ball provides a cooling massage and actually squishes down puffy eye bags and soothes 
the main active ingredient is caffeine 

My only concern with the original one was that as i am a daily makeup wearer I was worried that my foundation, concealer, powder etc was contaminating the solution in my original roll on 
and i could 'imagine' the nasty gunky formula inside 

But since this is now tinted I dont have that concern anymore :)



I use the light shade which works fine for me I think the other darker shade would work fine on NC 35- nc45 skintones and I really hope Garnier read this and create a truly dark one for women of darker colour above nc45 as nobody should be without this product.

The roll on gives light coverage on dark circles, so if you have very dark circles you will need a proper concealer, I have medium dark circles so this works ok for me and better with a highlighter as well such as ysl touche eclat, but my main concern is eye bags and puffiness which is the HARDEST thing to cover up since it is a real problem as puffiness is 3d and not just aflat  discolouration .


I still use an eye product under this and I do go over this with concealer and highlighter but this is mostly out of habit and also to try to cover up my puffiness -which usually fails anyway lol

Have you tried this ?
which eye products do you use ?


                                                                     XOXO

Review :- Loreal True match powder compact

This is my favourite high street or drug store pressed setting powder 
I will do a post on my favourite loose powder soon too


My favourite high stree foundation is probably loreal true match and this powder works amazingly with the matching foundation but Ive used it with many other brands foundation and it works great

It is very fine, and it is pressed really hard so you dont get that nasty dusty texture 
if you like the Revlon colorstay pressed powder you will not like this one 

I might do a review on the Revlon one too if anyone is interested 

The packaging is nice and you can clearly see the shade through the lid
and the mirror is on the other side, it comes with a foundation-sponge 
which ive used in emergencys but i preer to apply this with a big fluffy brush




My shade is golden beige, beige dore, W3, which would work for anyone mac shade nc25 - nc30 but not for nc35 and above 
the W in the w3 means that this is suitable for warmer shades with yellow, golden undertones

This powder really helps to set foundation and is really good to carry for touchups on the go
it is so finely milled that you would have to use alot to get a cakey finish 
which is a good thing since I do have dry skin 
It does give a very light to medium coverage so will need concealer, and/or foundation for blemised skins

Although this cost about £10 I cant remember the exact price 
this powder will last you months so it is economical and budget friendly. 

This is a product that I have repeat purchased so I definitely recommend it 
and i think the true match powder is more colour friendly that the maybelline matte powder which can look cakey and leave a white cast on asian and darker skins.

Which powders are you using and loving ? 

XOXO

Sunday 11 September 2011

Mini Review :- Liz Earle Sheer skin tint spf15 tinted moisturiser

Mini Review at this point as ive only had this product a few days 
The liz earle skin tint is due to release this month september 2011
I was very lucky to be sent a sample package :)


I like the packaging, Its very sleek and will look good amongst any makeup and skincare collection
I like that the packaging has been kept compact and not over-bulked and is lightweight
and is a very decent 40ml 1.3 oz


I think that the spf in the skin tint is a mineral one and not a chemical one so suitable for sensitive skins


I have listed the ingredients of the skin tint because I sometimes get questions about foundation ingredients
The skin tint is also animal friendly inline with the rest of the liz earle skincare line
Liz Earle often talks about how difficult it is to obtain the animal friendly bunny badge and that very few companys pass the criteria to qualify



I have also displayed the customer service number and address incase you have any queries I cannot answer


now on to the swatches
the 2 shades I have tried are beige and beach


Beige is the medium shade in the range and the lightest in the picture
Beach is the darkest shade and the darker shade in my picture

Texture wise the LETM is very creamy, it is hydrating, and it is very light coverage and does give a glow or dewy look
TIP: go up a shade to give yourself a faux tan tint - it is that forgiving

I have bad skin so i do need to use concealer and a powder foundation over this
if you are choosing the LE TM because you want to improve your skin and you need more coverage try the bare escentuals mineral foundation over this
and if you have good skin why not add a cheek tint or cream blush, lipgloss and your chosen eye makeup and your good to go


From my swatches and the swatches I have seen elsewhere of the lightest colour -bare
Im making some colour recommendations

Bare is similar to laura mercier tinted moisturiser in nude
Beige is similar to laura mercier tinted moisturiser in bisque
Beach is similar to laura mercier tinted moisturiser in sand

In mac terms

Bare suitable for mac nw/ nc15  to  nc25
Beige suitable for mac nw/ nc25 to nc35
Beach suitable for mac nw/ nc35 to nc45

In estee lauder terms

Bare - intensity 1
beige - intensity 2
beach - intensity 3

in bobbi brown terms

Bare - beige
Beige - natural
Beach -honey

and I know liz earle herself has dry skin and I know that when she creates and formulates products she makes them for herself, and she would not launch this if it did not work on her and on that note her business partner kim has oilier skin so again if this product was not suitable for her either im sure she would not be happy to release this product either, I love thier business story and Ive been using Liz earle products for years now on and off so Im very aware of about 80% of their products <3

This product was sent to me as above but all of the above is my own opinion


                                                                      XOXO

Haul :- No7 Accessories from Boots

It was no7 £5 voucher time at boots and I tweeted a reminder to say that the vouchers were due to expire so if you like beauty GWP and other offers be sure to follow me on twitter



Items purchased

No7 Magnified mirror
No7 Tweezer set
No7 Makeup mirror
No7 Eye lash curlers 


I already have soo much makeup that I felt guilty buying makeup especially since i have alot of No7 makeup
if you are interested let me know and I will review my no7 cosmetics collection too
and i have a huge stack of the no7 3 in 1 wipes which is actually my Holy Grail 
Ill do a review on these very soon too




What did you buy with your vouchers ??


                                                                     XOXO

Swatches :- Smashbox lipgloss collection

Smashbox lipglosses are unscented and unflavoured 
they are similar in quality to mac lipglass 
and are in a variety of finishes 
this is my first post of smashbox lipgloss shades 
ill be updating my blog part by part and hopefully you can see all of my lipgloss collection 


L-R
- Couture
- Vintage 
- Bohemian
- Fire
- Blur
- Blaze





Fire and blaze are the most sheer formulas 
where as couture, vintage, bohemian and blur are the most opaque 
Couture has the most shimmer 
Blaze is th most versatile and one of smashbox most popular shades 
My favourite of this lot is blaze its similar to mac lipstick in cosmo or clinique lipstick in blushing nude

These colours would be especially amazing on dark skin tones especially darker indian, afro caribbean  and can be worn as a day lipgloss on darker skins or as a more dramatic look on lighter skins.


XOXO

Chanel le vernis Graphite 529

I cant believe I forgot to post this since im completely in love with this its one of my favourite colours this autumn fall to winter 






Chanel Nail polish le vernis in 529 graphite is a smokey grey silver that is shot through with gold sparkly pearls I love anything gold -almost!

                                                              XOXO

Saturday 10 September 2011

Review:- Smashbox High definition healthy FX foundation

I seem to have been quite loyal to this specific foundation and have been through about 4 bottles since its launched, I have already done a video review on this but felt I should share this product with my blog readers too x

I think I love everything about this foundation except for the lid because its abit flimsy and breaks easily

My bottle is soon to finish as I use this product quite alot its one of my HG, no fail, keep coming back to foundations 

SMASHBOX SAYS :-

Now you can have flawless skin from the inside out. Our revolutionary HIGH DEFINITION HEALTHY FX FOUNDATION is an oil-free, weightless formula packed with anti-aging, revitalizing, and firming ingredients that work overtime to provide cellular nutrition for skin.
Vitamin-packed, oil-free weightless foundation that provides buildable coverage with a flawless finish. UVA/UVB SPF 15 offers sun protection, vitamin C fights free radicals, and new cell-energizing Ribose renews the appearance of skin. Our unique, patented bio-delivery system gives you time-released moisturization and firming benefits that last all day. Skin is refreshed and revitalized for a flawless future. 



The bottle is a standard 30ml bottle 
it costs £28.50
which is a so-so type of price, Ill pay it but Ill have an internal toddler type temper tantrum -just joking! 

This foundation and other smashbox products are available in the UK from Debenhams in store or online 

Texture 
This foundation feels like a souffle - not a mousse a liquid souffle 
It has spf 15 uva and uvb protection which im not really bothered about since I love additional protection and ive not noticed an overly whitened face in flash photography but having now said this i think i will investigate this further - but this might just be because I always follow with a powder foundation and bronzer

The foundation also has a tendancy to seperate but you are supposed to shake it before each useage to overcome this 

The packaging is also an air tight airless pump
so its super hygienic too

I love to use this on special occasions because I feel it does make me look good in pics as above. 

The coverage is medium buildable and in the past i have worn this doubled up with an extra layer and I dont feel caked -but you have to do it right !

My colour is L3 or L4 
the pictures show L3 

I love the way smashbox has named the shades its simply broken into 4 categories 
fair, light, medium , dark
and each colouring group has numbers 1-4 (roughly)

I have alsed m3 in the past as a tan but now i just use Mac mineralize nc40 satinfinish or Chanel tan de soleil for this purpose 



I definitely recommend this foundation I know its abit pricey 
but if your budget does not go as far as £28.50 maybe try revlon hd foundation which is £10-13?

I hope you found this helpful 

XOXO


Cheap as chips and from MUA

MUA Clear Mascara priced £1 and available from Superdrug stores 



Im so used to using expensive brands that im often guilty of walking past lower cost brands 
But im glad that i have been trying products from MUA 

The products are packaged ohh so simply which is a good thing because you can see what you will be getting 

The product that Im absolutely loving is probably one of the most simplest products that they have in their range 
Its a CLEAR mascara 
I actually use this on my brows after eyebrow pencil or after a eyebrow powder or even on its own 
especially now that it is contaminated with the colour from my coloured brow products -but i actually wanted this to happen !

No aplogies for the condition of this tube as this product has been loved daily  

I think I was spending too much on my Benefit eyebrow products 
Brow-zing and I never used the wax just the powder colour 

also I was buying the benefit eye brow pencil 

and then I would finish off with the benefit  mascara like tinted eyebrow gel wand 

but this clear mascara can do the job  for just £1 

The only complaint?? 
Would have preferred the tube to be shorter and slimmer 
But that is the worst thing i can say about it 

Ohh and I bought a lipgloss from the range for bubby :) 

Have you tried any MUA products?? 



Fashion:- My Eid Shoes


I shared alot of my eid look from my outfit to my nails 
and i feel my shoes deserve a post of their own since its the first time Ive worn huge heels since I  have had bubby who is now proudly 3 years old 







The shoes are burana and were bought from TK maxx and were reduced from £100 - £50 
They were very comfortable but none the less I was aware that i had my huge body weight on the equivalent of 2 pencils !!

XOXO

Mac lipstick collection and swatches

Swatches are from my 8 pan mp mac lipstick palette top row

 

Mac lipstick shades swatched L - R
Mac Warm me up lipstick
Mac Bombshell lipstick
Mac Surprise me Lipstick
Mac creme d nude lipstick



                                                                     XOXO

Mac lipstick collection and swatches

Part 2
Lipsticks from top row of my 8 pan mp lipstick palette

Swatches L-R
Mac Lipstick in Dream ltd ed
Mac Lipstick in Midimauve
Mac lipstick in Angel
Mac lipstick in Fabby



You can see comparisons of mac lipsticks in dream , midimauve, angel and fabby 
neither are dupes of each other although midimauve is from the similar family to fabby on the lips 
and dream is a glaze lipstick but is frosty similar to angel 

I hope this helps 

XOXO

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge -My collection, a review and swatches.

Ive always had a special place for cream products, they're usually my goto in a rush, as a busy busy mum. And as a summer product. On...