Wednesday, 29 December 2010

Product Rave: Nude Miracle Mask

Just before Christmas I was I received a very nifty sample set of NUDE Skincare products in the post courtesy of The Beauty Bite and I gave them all a whirl, I will be honest, only one of them truly stood out to me and that was the Miracle Mask...I put in a request to Santa and low and behold It was waiting for me under the tree on Christmas morning.



The mask is a lightweight, gel formula that emulates a cantaloupe melon in colour but deceptively has no real scent.

NUDE's organic credentials are also a massive bonus, they don't contain parabens, sulphates, PEGs, TEA, DEA (R.E.S.P.E.C.T?), propylene glycol, phthalates, GMO, mineral oil and silicones...

Now if I can't pronounce them they can't be good for my skin, so good riddance!

It applies to the skin like a lightweight film and might be a tad unnerving to those of use who like to slather a mask on to feel it working, or just those who favour the swamp monster look to reassure us we're doing something good to our skin.



It's £38 price tag for a relatively small 40ml might seem steep but for a once weekly use it should last a good while.

The one thing is does mention on the bottle is that it might tingle as it works over the 5 minutes your supposed to leave it on, now it may just be me, or my hardened beauty blogger skin but I don't get any hint of discomfort just the slight sensation of tightness that you expect from most face masks...

Most importantly it leaves my skin smooth, clean and feeling all together more pleasant.

Overall, whether it's the sleek packaging, natural ingredients or the positive results on my skin it's a winner, Well done NUDE.

This is definitely Beauty Spark Approved...

Laura x

Tuesday, 28 December 2010

Neal & Wolf Haircare...

When it comes to spending money on Shampoo and Conditioner I'm always dubious. If I'm honest I tend to pick up what's on offer or happens to be in the shower. 


 The Neal & Wolf Daily Ritual Shampoo & Conditioner first comes across as quite a low key product. It's sleek plumish brown packaging screams quiet sophistication and it has a pleasant subtle scent which may please your or leave you yearning for a more out there fragrance.

What Neal & Wolf Say....

Indulgence...shouldn't have to be an indulgence. Even daily routines like hair care should be made to feel special. With Neal & Wolf, indulgence is redefined. Combining the ultimate in science and glamour to form a unique, affordable hair care range, Neal & Wolf allows you to spoil yourself, everyday.

The Science Bit: The Shampoo contains Silk & Milk Proteins whilst the Conditioner spoils you with Silk Proteins and Shea Butter.

  The both lather up really well but make sure to wash them out really well as on a couple of occasions I felt like they left a bit of a residue, but strangely both of the products gave me an insane amount of volume without using any additional hair products which is always a bonus!!

Retailing at £10.95 each I wouldn't exactly call this an affordable everyday haircare range for the masses, but as an occasional buy I'm more than happy with it.

I've found the ultimate seal of approval is when the men in house start to 'borrow' it...and comment on how much they liked it!!

Neal & Wolf is available from http://www.nealandwolf.com/.

Laura xxx


Monday, 27 December 2010

Sleeker Than Your Average?

I've held off from writing about this as I don't generally like to bring negative attention to brands if I can help it...

BUT

What the bloody hell is going on with Sleek?

You may recall back in Novemeber Sleek held a 50% off everything event and as expected, chaos ensued.

Now I'm not one to stamp my feet and I was more than prepared for the site being slow and having to hang around.

I was prepared to encounter a bit of madness and a bit of delay...

But the observant amongst you may have noticed that it is nearly January...and the sale was the middle of November...

I recieved a dispatch email/confirmation on the 26th November and I'm yet to recieve a bean.


Now the reason I've decided to talk to you about it is because I know i'm not alone by any means.

Despite my best efforts to repeatadly contact Sleek, I've recieved no constructive reply and had to resort to facebook group where I recieved the standard "it will be dispatched in a few days" answer...now I don't know about you but a few days doesn't equate to over a month, does it??

- I went to link the facebook page that was privy to many complaints but according to Sleek it was removed as all issues had been resolved...I highly doubt this -

You must excuse the overly negative tone to this unfortunate entry, but they've had the money and I've had nothing back, that's just bloody shoddy if you ask me.

They had the money on the 18th November to be exact.

NOW

Have any of you encountered any of the same problems??

Please let me know as it's getting beyond a joke.

The sad thing is I adore some of Sleek's products but feel slightly stung by the appauling customer service that I've encountered...

ALL OF THIS FOR TWO BLUSHERS!

It's left a bitter taste in my mouth and I just had to share!!

Laura x

(Normal Positive Blogging Will Resume Shortly!)

Sunday, 26 December 2010

Christmas Winner

Just a very quick one...

The Winner of the mini giveaway is...


Well Done!

If you could email me at thebeautyspark@hotmail.co.uk I can send it out to you!

Laura xxx

Saturday, 25 December 2010

Christmas Eve Eyes

The Christmas spirit really got me this morning when I was applying my make up, and I decided to actually make an effort...


This look distinctly none interesting on this photo but in the flesh it was a lot more exciting!!




FACE: NARS Sheer Glow in Mont Blanc & Vichy Dermablend in 15 Opal
MAC Tippy Blush

EYES: Urban Decay Naked Palette - Sin (Lid) Darkhorse (Crease) Virgin (Hightlight)
Ardell Flirty Black Lashes
Maybelline Lash Stiletto & L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara
MAC Espresso through brows.

Naked Lips...

Did you do something a bit different for Christmas Eve....

Lots of Love, Laura xxx

Friday, 24 December 2010

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.

Hi Guys,

Hope you're having a wonderful Christmas and are full of festive cheer...

Here are a few of my favourite things about Christmas...


Gingerbread





Eats and Treats...


Pretty Decorations...



Frosty Trees and Sparkling Lights!

I hope you have a magical Christmas and get some well earned rest!!

Lots of Love, Laura xxx

Friday, 17 December 2010

The Glam Kit

There are a few items a girl simply cannot live without, they make her feel smart, groomed and altogether human...I have my own key set of products that are with me through thick and thin that always do the job...

Inside my glam kit is....


Tweezerman Tweezers: I get my brows waxed once every two months and keep them tidy with these tweezers. Believe the hype because they really are the king of tweezers.

Otylia Roberts Wax Strips: I was turned on to these by British Beauty Blogger who raved about them over summer and they really are the best thing for any waxing emergency, by far the easiest home waxing system i've ever tried, quick easy and with great results. I usually leave this to the professionals but if you're in a jam, these are lifesavers.

Mascara: If I could only keep one make up product it would be without doubt be mascara, it makes the world of difference. My all time favourites are Dior Iconic & Maybelline Lash Stiletto Voluptuous. 

False Tan: I haven't fake tanned for months, BUT it does give me such a lift when I do! I've been embracing the pale partly because it's winter and partly because I just haven't got the time at the moment but when I use it I adore Xen-Tan and St Tropez Everyday Spray which is a godsend for use pale paulines!

Indavidual False Lashes: If you don't want to go all out with strips of false lashes, adding a couple of these to your outer corners will make you feel a little bit more "done", You can get these from a range of brands but I'm making my way through some Ardell ones at the moment.

Lip Balm: If I want to look polished in a hurry I avoid some lipsticks like the plauge, my lips can get really dry throughout winter and I don't always have the time to prep and prime them to wear a bit of lippie, Burts Bees always does the trick and if I want a bit of a colour Snow Fairy lip tint from Lush is a winner.

Finally...

Sort your hair out!!


However polished my face is looking, if my hair is looking less than groomed I'll walk around feeling blurgh all day.

Straighteners are my lifeline as I've been "blessed" with crazy curly hair that has been beaten into submission for years now.

I'm using Cloud Nines at the moment...

I'm hopefully being treated to a new hairdryer this Christmas and I've asked Santa for a Parlux 3000, hello faster drying time!

Finally I cannot get enough of Charles Worthington Dream Hair, I know i've talked about it before but it really does leave me with amazing shine.

Last but not least in my Glam Kit is Elnette Hairspray...It's an oldie, but god is it a goodie!!


What would go into your Glam Kit?

Laura xxx



Wednesday, 15 December 2010

Favourites of 2010

I was watching a lovely video from Fleur and was really inspired to share my top products of 2010 with you all!    
NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

Vichy Dermablend Corrective Foundation 


Urban Decay Afterglow Blush in Quickie

Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara
Cloud Nine Straighteners (how to use them)

Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat



Barry M Nail Paints

MAC 130 Brush (close up here)

What are your favourites of 2010?

xxx

Monday, 6 December 2010

Christmas NOTD & MINI GIVEAWAY -CLOSED-

I don't know what it is about this time of year but my magpie tendencies tend to be magnified...
If it's gold, glittery or sparkly I'm like a moth to a flame.

All of this usually manifests itself on my nails...



Dior Vernis - 708 Gold Nugget 
Girls With Attitude Stick on Rhinestones....I know RHINESTONES!  

It's ridiculous and I probably should have grown out of it by now but hey!!

MINI (or mani?) GIVEAWAY

What's Christmas without a little bit of giving??
To Continue with the theme of the post.

Up for grabs...


1 x Girls With Attitude Press On Nails
1 x Girls With Attitude Nail Stickers

RULES:

NOW CLOSED

1: You must be a follower of 'The Beauty Spark' and Twitter 
2: Comment below with what's top of your list this Christmas!
3: Open Internationally
4: One Entry Only Please!

I'm going to run this up until Midnight Christmas Eve, that's the 24th December if you didn't know already!!
I'll pick the winner at random as always...

Laura xxx 

Saturday, 4 December 2010

Jingle 'Belles'...Christmas Beauty Buys!

A LITTLE BIT OF LUXURY...

Neal & Wolf Tranquility Collection


rrp. £23.95 from http://www.nealandwolf.com/

This would be the perfect present for a friend or family member who likes the best in life, this candle smells AMAZING and I can't stop smelling it!!

GIRLY GIRLS...

Soap & Glory Mini Series

 I adore this lovely little set and it's full of mini Soap & Glory to tickle your tastebuds!!

I found this for £8.00 at http://www.asos.com/ who are offering 20% of a wide range of christmas treats at the moment!!

GET SOME ATTITUDE...

These gorgeous goodies will make the perfect stocking fillers, adorable nail gems, stickers, lashes and nails for some ultimate christmas glam!!


Ranging from £2.50 for nail gems to £5.00 for fluttery lashes, any self respecting girly girl will adore these little gems...

http://www.girlswithattitude.co.uk/ or Boots or Superdrug!!

Also, get 25% off when you spend over £10 until the 11th December!  


GO ALL OUT...

Cloud Nine Gift of Christmas Volume


rrp £199.95  from http://www.cloudninehair.com/

This is TOP of my Christmas Wish List this year, I'm a volume addict and would urge anybody whose after huge hair to give this a whirl, it's not cheap but would be the ultimate hair indulgence!!

I hope this has helped any Christmas gift dilemmas and happy shopping!!

Laura xxx

Thursday, 2 December 2010

Hot Shots 001.

Just a few things that have tickled my fancy this week.

- Beautiful Cupcakes from an AMAZING cupcake shop near to where I live.



- The Snow...Partially...


- Red Nail Polish...



- This adorable key necklace my clever sister made for me out of an old broken necklace!


- Ma Kitteh: Chillin' Like A Villain...


What have you been loving this week?

Laura xxx

Thursday, 25 November 2010

Random Ramble...In A Pickle.

Good Eveningg,

Firstly, apologies for the lack of blog action this week, I've had a crazy few weeks work wise, I've had a massive report due in and this week has been lectures and workshops galore...

I've also been a tad uninspired, I've kept this little baby running over the past 18 months and a bit and I think it's only natural to not "feel it" all the time. If my heart isn't in the post I'm writing, It's not the best I can do and you certainly won't enjoy it.

(A picture says a thousand words!!)

I don't think I'm alone is feeling like this at the moment, we're all aware that things are shifting around in the Beauty Community at the moment and I'm not sure where I sit in all of this.
We can all protest that we just do this for ourselves but at the end of the day we all do care what our peers else think/have to say. It's a vicious cycle to break!

I'm not saying it's the end, I'm just going to have a think about where this is going! I need to recapture that excitement I felt when this whole thing took off.

I really would love to know what you all think, is this just blogging block or are you feeling it too?

In other news... 

- I'm enjoying the Sigma E45, a godsend if you want to achieve a precise crease colour.
- The Nude Miracle Mask...Is, well, a Miracle...
- Barry M Dusky Mauve is the cat's pyjamas.

Laura xxx





Saturday, 20 November 2010

A Few Bits & Pieces

I haven't got anything planned today, so here's a few bits and pieces from this week!

A Few Bits From Boots


- Barry M Nail Paint In Indigo
- Barry M Dazzle Dust in Oyster Grey
-Barry M Lip Pencil in No3

Rummaging in TK Maxx



I picked up a few pairs of Ardell lashes for £2.99 each, don't mind if I do! I might test my patience tomorrow and apply the individual lashes! 

I'M IN LOVE WITH



The Sigma F82 Round Top Kabuki brush, seriously flawless skin...


I'm Rather Enjoying...


Backcomb in a Bottle by Umberto Giannini...It's GENIUS.

FOTD....

Excuse the blank expression, I'm all shopped out and little tired!


Face - MUFE Face and Body
MAC MSF Natural
Bourjois Bio Detox Concealer
NARS Penny Lane Blush
Urban Decay Blush in Quickie
Brows - MAC Espresso
Eyes - Urban Decay Naked Palette...Sin & Virgin 
MAC Gel Liner in Blacktrack 
Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara 

Have a lovely weekend, i'll be in my tracksuit bottoms watching XFactor tonight, i'm just that rock and roll!

xxxx


Friday, 19 November 2010

With A Little Bit of Gold And A Pager...


I've had this vile of chunky gold glitter staring me in the face for the past few weeks and I swear it's been calling my name...

I painted my nails with Barry M last night and it was just missing that special something...a big old chunky glitter nail??



It's almost as if i'd stuck gold leaf on my ring finger, I kinda like it! It survived the shower this morning as well, thank you seche vite!

Laura xxx

Thursday, 18 November 2010

Getting Naked...?!

After using all of my (limited) willpower to avoid this little devil I finally caved...

Hello Urban Decay Naked Palette!


I'm definitely a neutral kind of girl, I've bought into brighter eyeshadow before but in reality it just sits in my drawers feeling unloved...

It's a neutral girls heaven, 12 luscious shades packed into an adorable suede box - Urban Decays most sophisticated offering yet.

It's a lovely mix of matte, satin and glitterfest eyeshadows that we know and love from old UD and it will satisfy almost all of your everyday shadow needs.

l-r
virgin, sin, naked,sidecar, buck, halfbaked, smog, darkhorse, toasted, hustle, creep, gunmetal.
Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Whiskey & Zero.

Priced at £27.00 I think it's an absolute bargain for what you're getting, I could happily only just use this palette for the rest of my life...or until something else comes along!

Have you got Naked yet?

xxxx

p.s The eagle eyed amongst you may have noticed some changes to The Beauty Spark layout, what do you think??

Monday, 15 November 2010

NOTD: Barry M Bright Purple

Another polish dug from the archives...


It's a bright, but creamy purple that's the perfect antidote to these dark and wintery days!


Over & Out
xxx


Sunday, 14 November 2010

Product Rave: Vichy Dermablend Corrective Foundation.

Well all have are own ideas of what makes good make up, and I must say, mine is a flawless base. I will admit I watched in amazement at the THIS Lisa Eldridge video as she transformed her models skin.

The star product was Vichy Dermablend Corrective Foundation. 


Now I don't have terrible acne but I sometimes suffer from the occasional spot and due to a massive workload and the stress that comes with it, my skin took a turn for the worse a couple of a weeks ago. 

I had a couple of evenings out planned and didn't fancy venturing out looking less than my best so I popped into Boots and picked it up in shade 15 Opal. 
(I probably don't even use this much on my whole face, but for the purpose of the photograph!)

I wisely decided to follow Lisa Eldridge's instructions and  only apply it to areas that needed more coverage, using my usual MUFE Face and Body over my whole face first.
I couldn't use this any other way as it is FULL COVERAGE! Buffed on with a 224 brush leaves a flawless finish, however red the spot, however discoloured the skin - it covers it. I didn't even touch any concealer apart from a tiny bit under my eyes. This has imperfections covered!

(blended with a 224 brush)
I don't use this on a daily basis as I just don't feel I need it but for that extra confidence boost on a night out or special occasion it's amazing.

It also lasts for ages and doesn't budge. I lightly dusted my MAC MSF Natural over my t-zone and it was there all night. I didn't touch up once, which is a miracle for me!

The one thing I will say is the colour range is a little small and for you very pale ladies this may be a touch on the warm (orange) side for you, Vichy do also make a Corrective Foundation Stick which carries the shade 11 Porcelain that might be slightly better.

It cost me £14.00 from Boots which for what it does is more than worth the money.

Laura xxx

Saturday, 13 November 2010

In & Out

I haven't indulged in one of these little posts for a long time so...

IN


- Scented Candles, I'm burning through them like they're going out of fashion!
- Winter Knitwear, the chunkier the better.
- Starbucks Gingerbread Latte, need I explain this one?!
- Bright Lips, see the post below!

OUT


- No More Jersey Shore...I'm actually getting withdrawal symptoms. The Cat's obsessed too.
- Winter Weather, wind and hairspray do not go!
- Ridiculous work load, I cannot wait for Christmas now.

What are your In & Outs this weekend??

Laura xxx

Wednesday, 10 November 2010

Breaking News...

                             You heard it hear first, I'm forgoing the nude lip and embracing bright lips!



I popped into MAC on Saturday just to get some duo glue, and came out with these two beauties...

L-R

Rebel & Lady Danger

I've been craving a deep plum lipstick for a while and I 'plumped' (terrible) for Rebel, it's a gorgeous mix of plum and pink, it comes out lighter on the lips which is lucky as i'm not sure i'd wear it enough. 

Lady Danger is a classic matte red that i've had on my mind for months, feircely pigmented yet doesn't feel drying, I love it!


L-R Rebel, Lady Danger

A Couple of Ridiculously Sloppy Lips...



If I was going to wear these on a night out i'd line my lips underneath and use something like Current lipliner by MAC underneath Rebel to give it a richer hue.

FYI: Rebel is a lot darker than pictured, my camera was having none of it!



I can safely say I'm a convert!

I'm also IN LOVE with my new chunky cardigan from H&M, it's HUGE and is more of a knitted coat than cardie but I adore it!

Laura xxx

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