Barry M Ridley Road.

It's not my usual style, but I'm hooked. 

Barry M Ridley Road has well and truly dragged me out of my neutral rut. 

A perfect pale mint with a concrete effect twist. I never thought i'd see the day that I fell in love with minty pebbledash nails, but it's here. 

The only downside? I've already scuffed them with concealer and cannot get it off... 

At £3.99, it's well worth a whirl. 

xx

Empties.

It's empties time again. 

Caudalie Vinosource SOS Thirst Quenching Serum. You know you're onto a good one when you're scraping the last drops out with your fingers. It's been a lifesaver during the cold weather but it doesn't last long, I'm considering the NUXE serum for a change of pace. 

L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil. This really is my favourite shaving product. It smells divine, gives a smooth clean shave and leaves your legs feeling super silky. As soon as I use up the others oils I've got hanging around, we'll be reunited! 

Seche Vite. I know this doesn't appear empty, but anyone who has used Seche in the past will know it doesn't last longer than 2/3 of the way down. I know Seche Restore is available but I just tend to buy a new bottle. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a quick drying nail... 

Vera Wang Rock Princess. I've had this perfume for absolutely ages, It's only due to resuming my perfume project that it's finally been used up. It's a pleasant scent but it's never going to be a signature of mine. 

NARS Sheer Glow. By far my favourite foundation, but at the moment my heart belongs to lighter BB and tinted moisturisers, coupled with a concealer it's all the base I need at the moment. This is a treat for a night out though.

Arbonne FC5 Moisturiser. It's a good day moisturiser but I was glad to finish it, it just isn't enough for my parched skin at the moment! 

Now for the best part, clearing it all out and staring again! 

xx

The Body Shop Chocomania.

Put your hand up if you're guilty of taking a sneaky taste of an amazing scented body lotion/lip balm/sugar scrub? I know I have... 

Now, you could accuse The Body Shop of being plain cruel when they released the Chocomania range. It is every chocoholics dream. 

I usually laugh in the face of obvious instructions, but in this case the 'do not eat' was a useful reminder. 

I've encountered many chocolate scented products in the past, but this particular range actually smells of proper chocolate pudding. It's divine. 

I won't lie to you, I want to eat it. 

The scrub is especially delicious, I've used all my willpower to not sneak a taste... 

xx

*provided for consideration

Shopping the Stash Take Two.

It's my favourite kind of shopping, the free kind. 

Products I've Been Loving: 

Vera Wang Princess

Benefit Benetint

Prestige My Blackest Lashes

Barry M Lipgloss in No 11

MAC Fleur Power Blush

The Lowdown: 

First of all, I am a big fan of mini perfume rollerballs & this mini Vera Wang Princess is no exception. It was lost in a handbag for a little while but it's now back with a vengeance. It's a pretty, no offensive scent that perks me up throughout the day. I've also managed to find a bargain 100ml bottle AND a rollerball for £33.14, here, amazing!

Now, me and Benetint have a long standing relationship. Along with High Beam, they were amongst the very first make up products I possessed. I often forget about this old favourite, I mean it is the right of a beauty blogger to stray isn't it?! But, I've been reaching for after work if i'm going straight on to something else just to perk me up. Similarly it's been a gem for a quite post gym spruce up. I can never be bothered to put on a full face after showering/hair drying at the gym, but similarly I don't want to look like the living dead if I have a quick coffee after. My only gripe is that is it not the friend of the chapped lip. Looking like you've been scoffing raspberries isn't something I strive to achieve...

Moving onto a sad tale. Prestige My Blackest Lashes has to be one of my all time favourite mascaras, and they only went and discontinued Prestige in the UK didn't they!? So sad. Therefore I rave about this cautiously, I adore it and I rue the day this runs dry.

MAC Fleur Power Blush has won a place in my heart thanks to the recent purchase of the Real Techniques Blush Brush as it applies like a totally different blush when coupled with such a soft, feathery applicator. I've really been shunning lots of shimmer recently and sticking to soft matte shades, it's a trend I can see continuing! 

Finally, Barry M Lipgloss in No11 is firmly back in the mix thanks to a bit of friend envy. One of my lovely friends whipped it out the other day and I was instantly cooing over how nice it is. Low and behold I definitely had it in my collection. It's a soft coral pink that leaves a subtle shine without being too sticky or gloopy, the fact it smells like pineapple only elevates it further up the rankings, yum. 

What have you been rediscovering recently? 

xx

Nars for Thakoon Fall 2013. New York Fashion Week.

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the glittery godliness of the Thakoon Fall 2013 Slap? Amongst the muted browns and subtle shading of the majority of this seasons catwalks, it's a shiny, sparkling blue beacon in the murk. 

We don't need to talk about the dodgy fringe, all has been forgiven in the form of gold glitter and inky blue shadow. 

Created by Lead Artist Diane Kendal, she describes the look as: 

"Thakoon's winter collection is inspired by summer," said Kendal. "So it was a combination of rich fabrics with short-sleeved dresses and heavy stoles with dragonflies. We wanted to reflect that in the makeup, so we did a very dark midnight blue shadow, but to get that summer feel we added glitter on top. It created the perfect juxtaposition between winter and summer."

Products Used: 

FACE

  Radiant Cream Compact Foundation (New for Fall 2013)

                 Available: US - August 1 2013 / Global - September 1 2013

                 For a similar effect, try Sheer Glow Foundation

       Sex Appeal Blush

EYES

    Marie Galante Duo Eyeshadow

        Ubangi Eye Paint (New for Fall 2013)

                Available: US - September 1 2013 / Global - October 1 2013

                For a similar effect, try Night Flight Single Eyeshadow

    Outremer Single Eyeshadow

      Black Valley Eye Paint (New for Fall 2013)

                Available: US - September 1 2013 / Global - October 1 2013

                For a similar effect, try Zardoz Single Eyeshadow

BROWS

        Brow Perfector (New for Fall 2013)

                Available: US / Global - August 1 2013

                For a similar effect, try Eyebrow Pencil
Brow Gel (New for Fall 2013)

                Available: US / Global - August 1 2013

Delicious 

xx

Triangle Nail Art.

Now I'm not known for my nail art prowess, usually just waiting for the polish to dry is enough effort for my liking. But occasionally I do like to get a bit snazzy with the odd triangle or two. I'm a nail art trigonometry trail blazer... 

All you need is a base colour - I went with Essie Sew Psyched - a contrasting colour - Essie Sand Tropez lent itself well to this task, and If you want to get a bit fancy (who doesn't) throw in some glitter for good measure, Models Own Pink Fizz works well against the grey tones. To create the shape, grab a roll of Sellotape and some scissors. Finish with a good top coat, I use Seche Vite. 

Step 1: Slap on a coat or two (depending on how opaque your base colour is) and go about your business until they're completely dry. 

Step 2: This is the semi tricky bit. Take some Sellotape and map out the triangle you want. You can do whatever you want. I just opted for an even shape but you can do stripes, half of the nail, slightly off to the left or right. Whatever you want! 

Step 3: Paint your contrasting colour over the area not covered by the tape. Leave it to dry fully then whip the Sellotape off. You should be left with a fairly presentable triangle shape! 

Step 4: When you're confident your accent triangles have dried. Pop a good coat of topcoat over the top to seal it all in. Voila, le nail art trés facile!

You really can do any combination, any colour, any shape. The results far outweigh the effort and you'll probably get asked how you created it. It's up to you whether you want to let the secret slip or not! 

Here's another version I did a while ago.

xx

All Loved Up: Glossybox February 2013.

Love is in the air, like it or not. 

Even without the contents, I'd be loving this months offering. It's a pink box, with a pink ribbon and pink paper stuffing. It's a pink paradise. 

In this months box I received: 

Micabella Cosmetics Mineral Powder Blush in Terracotta (full size £34.95 for 9g) 

MeMeMe Cosmetics Beat the Blues in Oyster Gold (full size £5.50 for 12ml) 

Narciso Rodriguez for her l'eau (full size £23-£66 30-100ml)

Helen É Moisturising Lipstick in Coral (full size £8 for 3.5g) 

Docteur Renaud Raspberry Soft Cream (full size £25 for 50ml) 

The first thing that struck me was the unfamiliarity of most of the brands presented in this months box, which 

is in fact a big bonus. I love discovering new products and apart from MeMeMe & Narciso Rodriguez it was all new to me. 

I've tried the Narciso Rodriguez perfume before and whilst it won't ever be a lifelong favourite, I love most sample sizes to pop into my bag for a throughout the day freshen up. Ironically, I threw out my Benefit High Beam yesterday as it had seen better days. I'm looking forward to trying it's much more reasonable cousin 'Beat the Blues' from MeMeMe. First impressions are positive and I'm sporting some on my cheekbones right now.

The Docteur Renaud cream smells divine and seems to be not sticky but nourishing, I'm going to give a whirl this evening and get back to you. Hey, it's French pharmacy, I'm there!

 I'm a big fan of mineral blush as it can create a great soft effect and I'm excited to try this offering from Mirabella as the shade seems to be right up my street. I am a sucker for a coral/peach toned blush! 

Finally the one product I'm having mixed feelings about is the Helen É Moisturising Lipstick. I've popped it on and I could rave about the formula (non sticky, smooth, moisturising) but the shade is making me look like an extra from a 90s music video. I really can't pull off a brown/coral lipstick. I would consider investigating different shades though. 

What did you get in your Glossybox this month? 

xx

*PR SAMPLE

Current Hair Favourites.

I will admit, I've never been one to get particularly obsessive about my haircare routine. If my hair isn't greasy or frizzy and reasonably manageable, I'm A-OK. 

But recently I've noticed that my hair felt very weighed down and didn't feel fresh even after I had washed it. There is nothing worse than forging on with lank hair if you're in a rush. Yuck. Considering I am an incessant  hair fiddler/tosser (rude)/flipper having lightweight, bouncy hair was leaving a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. 

So, behold, my current hair favourites that have saved the day. 

I used to be a big fan of Toni & Guy hair products, but they really slipped off my radar over the last few years. I decided to pick up the Cleanse and Nourish for Fine Hair Shampoo & Conditioner as I really just wanted a very lightweight formula. It's a pleasant S&C to use and the Shampoo gives insane amounts of lather. The Conditioner also delivers a punch of moisture without being too heavy. Winners. 

I've been using Berber Oil for an age and It's still going strong, I far prefer it to it's Moroccan cousin. I know I've talked about not weighing hair down, but this is absolutely fine used on the ends of my hair for heat protection and then the remnants are just swept through the rest of my barnet. Glossy not greasy my friend. 

I do altenernate with the Umberto Giannini Frizzi Miracle Worker* but I do use this sparingly on the ends. 

As I previously mentioned I like my hair to be touchable, but a little bit of control is always nice especially in the current blustery weather we're experiencing...

I've been plumping for the Toni & Guy Glamour Firm Hold Hairspray as A) it smells delicious and B) provides a nice hold without being too crispy (blurgh). The little mini wonder from Umberto Giannini is the Rock 'n' Roll Extreme Hairspray*, it also smells amazing and it perfect to pop in my handbag.  

With the power of these products, my hair has returned to it's preferred state. It's about time! 

xx

Barry M Gelly Polish in Prickly Pear.

You may have seen in this recent post, I was definitely craving summer pastels. I got my greasy mitts on this lilac beauty by Barry M and It has certainly scratched an itch. It's a delicate shade of milky lilac that gives an opaque finish in two coats. My only previous gripe about Barry M polish is that it can take some serious coats to achieve an even opaque finish (I'm talking to you Peach Melba) but the Gelly Hi-Shine formula seems to have fixed the problem. 

Despite it being Hi-Shine, I popped on a coat of Seche Vite over the top, purely for longevity. 

Which pastel polish are you wearing this spring? 

xx

Rave On: Dr Jart+ Water Fuse BB Cream.

After weeks of literally scraping the dregs of my beloved Origins Vitazing out, it was either repurchase or branch out and try something new. Well, I did the latter. What can I say, I'm just a crazy kinda gal... 

I've heard encouraging whisperings about Dr Jart+ for a little while now and an glowing recommendation from Anna (actual face shot included!) coupled with a steal of a deal at Boots (Currently £6.00 off) tipped the balance. The doctor was coming home with me. 

 At first, the colour on my lily white hand was a little alarming, but it sheered out to a great match and when I apply it properly (actually on my face) it's enough to give a little colour without looking tropical, but isn't too grey or pale either. 

Worn alone, the coverage is perfect for lazy days but coupled with a good concealer or mixed with a slightly heavier coverage foundation it ticks all the boxes. Lasting power is great when powdered and doesn't go patchy. Winner. 

What can I say, I'm sold. 

xx