Friday Finds

Bonjour my lovelies, and welcome to the very first 'Friday Finds', a new series of posts in which I will be sharing with you the random treats that I have stumbled upon each week.

This week, Etsy takes the stage.

Candle Tart Melts - Hand Crafted Soy Wax Bakery Candles,

Pookaberrys

How cute are these little cupcake candles? They look good enough to eat, and would be a fantastic addition to anyone's dressing table, or vanity, if you are in America.

Snowcap Mountain Nail Polish,

f4polishes

Speaks for itself really. I can't get enough of glitter polishes at the moment, and this bad boy needs to get on my nails now. This seller has a gorgeous selection of unique, colourful, glittertastic creations, so I highly recommend you pay them a visit if you are bored of always having the same polishes as everyone else.

Hand Crafted Artisan Solid Perfumes, 

JOANSGARDENS

I'm not normally one for solid perfumes, but the pretty vintage-inspired packaging won me over. Plus, they come in a vast array of scents (below), with Jasmine, Gardenia and Honeysuckle top of my list.

-Jasmine

-Lily of the Valley

-Magnolia

-Lavender

-Honeysuckle

-Lilac

-Tuberose

-Gardenia

-Snow Drops

-Amber Musk

If you are like me, and you enjoy a good old potter and a rummage around the interwebs, then Etsy is highly recommended by moi. For those of you who are unfamiliar, Etsy describes itself as the 'world's handmade marketplace', and is a treasure trove of handcrafted goodies and bespoke treats. You can find some amazingly kitsch bits and bobs and one-offs, from ceramics and jewellery to furniture and vintage quilts, and it is unlikely that you'll bump into anyone in the street who has the same thing as you.

Hope you enjoyed the first 'Friday Finds'!  If you like what you see then do go ahead and click on the links below each picture.

Have a lovely weekend!

xx

Just Another Revlon Lip Butter: Cherry Tart

(Please excuse my post-shower, drying-naturally hair!)

Now, I know the blogasphere has been absolutely saturated with Revlon Lip Butter reviews, but having included this little beauty in my 'Lipsticks I Can't Live Without' post, I felt it only fair to give you guys a little bit more insight into why it made it onto the list. Plus, I may be wrong, but there seem to be very few reviews on this lovely shade compared to some of the others, at least by UK bloggers, as Cherry Tart is not currently available in the shops over here ( I purchased mine on Ebay here). All you lucky lovelies in the USA will have no problems on getting your paws on this though, and I'm sure many of you already have!

Cherry Tart is a gorgeous , sheer cherry (surprisingly) red, and if you look closely at the product you will see that it does contain a tiny little amount of shimmer particles. Now, those of you who read regularly will know that I am not a fan of shimmer on my lips, so I was a little disappointed to see that this was the case when my package arrived in the post and I ripped it open excitedly to inspect my newest purchase. However, thankfully, the shimmer does not transfer onto the lips at all, and I was really, really pleased with the colour. The pigmentation is great, but being a butter rather than a lipstick, it's quite sheer on first application, so you do need to layer it up if you are going for that bolder look. 

It might sound ridiculous, but I find that my lips actually do look forward to having this applied to them in the mornings! My lips get quite dry, especially overnight, but nothing too excessive, and I really do find that my lips have something of a thirst for it when they know it is coming! Haha. As soon as I apply it, they feel lovely and soft and supple. What I really love about the lip butters is that, unlike lipsticks, they don't cling to any dry areas at all, and as they reflect the light  as well as moisturising, you get a really smooth and even effect.

I actually really wanted to dislike lip butters, just because I didn't believe that they could ever live up to the massive hype surrounding them when they were first released. The first time I used this, I even said  to my other half that it wasn't that great, and that I wasn't sure what the fuss was about. But strangely, the very next morning, when I applied it for the second time, my mind completely changed, and now I genuinely do love it and can't wait to get some more! I've now got my eye on Tutti Frutti, Raspberry Pie and Candy Apple....for starters. I love my lipsticks to bits, but I just find this lip butter to be much lower maintenance, as you don't have to be so precise and apply it absolutely perfectly. The wear time is ok, I'd say about a couple of hours if you don't eat or drink anything, but then I didn't really expect anything more. It's also the kind of product that I don't feel afraid to apply without a mirror if the need arises, whereas I wouldn't dare with lipsticks!

I would also like to suggest to those of you who don't really wear lipsticks, but are finding yourselves seduced (so to speak) by all the gorgeous lip colours out there at the moment, that you start with Lip Butters. They are a great way to ease yourselves into the world of bright lips, without being too scary and intense, and they're not sticky or runny, as most lipglosses tend to be (hands up who hates the lipgloss/hair/wind scenario!).

I'm afraid my camera was being a little bit uncooperative when it came to getting a swatch picture, but you can see one alongside my other favourite lipsticks in this post. I have included a couple of shots of me wearing Cherry Tart anyway though, as personally, I find it gives a much better idea of what to expect from a lip colour.

I hope you enjoyed this review. It's been a little bit more of a chatty one this time, I must be in one of those sorts of moods!

I would ask you if you have tried Lip Butters yet, and if so, what your favourite shade is, but I feel that some of you might already be bored with discussing that! If you're not, please do let me know in the comments below, and equally, if you have yet to pop your Lip Butter cherry, I'd love to know which shades are floating your boat and reeling you in.

Hope everyone has a lovely day.

xx

Weekend Wishlist

1. Sleeveless Print Shirt, £39, Miss Selfridge

2. Scarf Print Shorts, £30, Topshop

3. Bow Collar Necklace, £9.00, Dolly Bow Bow

4.Black High Waist Crochet Shorts, £30, Miss Selfridge

5. Moto Studded Shorts, £30, Topshop

6. Dr Jart+ Black Label Healing Detox BB cream, $42

7. Leather Strappy Flat, £35, Miss Selfridge

8. Cutwork Holdall Bag, £42, Topshop

9. Collar Tips/Necklace, £10, Topshop

10. Calypso Print Crop, £12, Topshop

11. Escada Rockin Rio Eau de Toilette, £33, Boots

12. Chocomania Body Scrub, £12.50, The Body Shop

13. Aztec Print Bralet (Originally Topshop), Ebay (Auction).

14. Petite Scottie Dog Playsuit, £48, Topshop

There are just soooo many gorgeous things in the shops at the moment, it is actually paining me not to be buying them all up. And it doesn't help that there are sales on EVERYWHERE! Ordinarily, that would be a good thing, but when you are not supposed to be spending at all, that means even sales aren't allowed. I'm cheering myself up by reminding myself that whenever I try to sale shop, they never have anything left in my size anyway. Plus, sales make me buy things I don't really want, just because they are going cheap, and they I have nothing left to invest in items I really have been lusting after. So there, sales. I don't like you anyway.

This week, I have decided to try something a little bit different, and so my picks are coming to you in the form of a collage. If I'm honest, I am just trying to figure out how to use Picasa, so what you see here was my first little dalliance with that. Please do let me know what you think in the comments below, whether you like to see my wishlists in collage form, or if you prefer my usual, more traditional format.

These three lonely guys didn't make it into the collage, for some reason, but check out how gorgeous they are, and how bargainous the bright printed scarf is!

Print Scarf, £7 (Sale), Miss Selfridge

Skull Print Blouse, £11.49, Ebay

(Originally Primark, not sure if it's currently in store or not.)

The Multiple in Laguna, £29, Nars

Hope you enjoyed this week's picks!

What's on your wishlist at the moment?

xx

Polka-Dot Nails

Just a 'spot' of nail art for you this evening.......sorry, couldn't resist that one!!

I have been wanting to try polka-dot nails for a long time now, but I had always assumed that I was just too clumsy to be able to do it! I used to be horrendous at doing my nails, but nowadays I am reasonably good, so after a little bit of a foray into crackle effects and ombre nails, with successful results, I decided that now was the time to give this cute little look a go.

I decided to go for this gorgeous pastel turquoise shade as a base, which is called 'Maltese', by popular Brazilian nail polish brand Risque. This is actually from their 'Dogs' line, which features an array of pretty pastels with a hint of shimmer, all going by names such as 'Poodle', 'Husky' and 'SharPei'. A bit of a random theme to go for, in my opinion, but the polishes are lovely all the same.

'Maltese' goes on pretty smoothly, and only requires one to two coats to achieve opacity. In the bottle, there is a subtle hint of shimmer, but this does not appear to translate onto the nail. I did find this particular formula to be a little slow-drying, but nothing too excessive.

For the polka-dots, I used OPI's Alpine Snow, which is a lovely bright, opaque white. I used an orange stick to dot it carefully onto the nails. As you can see, the look this created is not completely uniform, and the dots are not perfect, but I think it turned out pretty well nonetheless and quite like the results.

What's on your nails at the moment?

Have you tried any nail art this week?

I've said it once already today, but I'll say it again: Hope you've all had a splendid weekend!

xx

Little Catch-up

Hello lovelies, hope everyone has had a great weekend so far. For me, it's been a pretty chilled one, hanging out in coffee shops and having lunch with the hubby, drinking huge cups of tea and catching up on blog reading, and browsing the internet for new finds. This morning was hugely self indulgent, as we got up and had breakfast, watched TV for a bit, and then crawled back into bed for snuggles and a siesta. I absolutely love the fact that on Sundays, things like that seem to be totally acceptable.

I had several blog posts planned for over the weekend, but unfortunately I wasn't feeling very well yesterday and so I didn't get very far with them. However, I hope you all enjoyed reading my 'Lipsticks I Can't Live Without' post, as I had been looking forward to sharing my favourites with you for a while, so I was happy to have got the photos together for that one.

This week has been a pretty hectic one again, as I've had lots of paperwork to get through. It's also been one of those weeks where the house just won't seem to stay tidy, so I feel like I've been trying to sort it out every day!

On Wednesday, the hubby and I went out for Japanese, which was amazing as always. I know raw fish is not everyone's cup of tea, and I have to admit that I was totally against it in the past. But being the sort of person who will try anything once, I gave it a go, and now it is one of my favourite foods. And I'm not just talking about the California rolls (rice rolls) - I really go for it when I get the chance to have sushi, and love it all, even the Sashimi (which, for those of you that don't know, is literally just raw fish slices). My other half loves it too, so we always get a big combo and wash it down with some lovely hot Sake - perfect!

I got a few little bits in the post this week that I had ordered online. One of them was a Revlon Lip Butter in Cherry Tart, which I mentioned in my previous post, and I also got some vintage shorts and some aztec-print ones from Ebay. I love getting things in the post, it's so much more exciting that way. Although it's not quite the same when you know what you are getting! Anyway, I will take some snaps of those bits for you when I get the chance and pop them in a post later in the week.

The other thing I bought was this cute vintage tin (pictured above) to keep my earrings in. I have got so many earrings, but whenever I go to put some in, I can only ever find one of them, and it drives me mad. I did already have a big case that I keep all my other jewellery in, but it was becoming a bit chaotic, so I decided I needed to keep my earrings separately in order to actually be able to find them! I absolutely adore vintage tins, and the fact that this one is a) heart-shaped and b) covered in strawberries meant that it just had to be mine. I'm planning on scouring some charity shops and car boot sales now, to get a few more to store my rings and other bits and bobs.

In other news, I have been enjoying trying out my new Mac Matchmaster foundation this week, and my little website is coming along nicely. I will tell you a bit more about that at a later stage, I promise, but for now I'm just going to say that I'm very excited about it and can't wait to launch it!

I think that's all for this week really, it's been a pretty standard one. I'm going to compile this week's Weekend Wishlist for you now, so expect to see that post up before the day is out! I'm also going to do some more blog reading this evening, and try something new on my nails.

Hope everyone has had a wonderful Sunday. How have you been spending  it?

xx

Lipsticks I Can't Live Without!

(L-R) Tracta Hydrating Argan Lipstick in 01, L'oreal Color Riche Serum in Radiant Rose, Topshop Infrared, Mac Amplified in Vegas Volt, Revlon Lip Butter in Cherry Tart, Clinique Ciderberry

I have been going a little bit mad for lipsticks and other lip-related products over the past six months, especially nice bright, zingy shades, and don't seem to be able to stop buying them! There are so many gorgeous options out there, and I'd happily buy up the whole selection in Topshop or Mac without a second thought, if my bank balance was that way inclined (and that full of pennies!)

But despite my recent panic-buying of gorgeous shades and formulas, as always, there are definitely some lip products that I just keep going back to again and again, and I don't seem to be able to find anything to beat them. So I present to you, ladies and gentlemen, my six absolute favourite lipsticks in the world, ever. Ok, so maybe that's a little bit extreme, but I do love them, so I thought I'd share.

I'm not going to do full reviews of all of them in this post, purely because the post would end up being a million miles long and I doubt you'd ever make it to the bottom! But do keep your eyes peeled, as I will be posting separate reviews for some of these very shortly.

Topshop Infrared

First up is Topshop's Infrared, a gorgeous bright orange with a hint of red. This is definitely not one for shrinking violets, and may not be very flattering to the absolute palest of skintones, but aside from this it is actually a very wearable colour, and as an added bonus, makes your teeth look whiter. Win!

I love Topshop lipsticks and find them to be excellent value for money. The formula is fairly moisturising, although with this colour, I do recommend a good exfoliation and a slather of lip balm before you apply, as it will show up any flakey or dry bits you may have. In terms of wear, I'd say it's not that great, and I have to reapply it several times throughout the day. But it's a deliciously bright and juicy colour and looks great with a tan!

Mac Amplified in Vegas Volt

My favourite of the lot. This is a gorgeous bright coral, and any regular readers will know that I absolutely adore a nice bright coral lip. Being an Amplified lipstick, this is really creamy and glides on like a dream. It doesn't cling to any dry bits and is reasonably long-wearing (I've mentioned before though, that no lipsticks I've ever tried seem to have lasted more than about two minutes on me!) It's highly pigmented, but buildable, so you can go for a statement lip by layering it up, or rub one coat in with your fingers for more of a stain effect. This one will take some beating.

Revlon Lip Butter in Cherry Tart

This one is brand new, but has already made it onto my favourites list, which I'm sure many of you Lip Butter lovers will find unsurprising. I'm not going to say too much about this one, as I shall be doing a full review of it over the weekend, but as you can see, it's a lovely shade of cherry red and is so, so wearable. I am completely loving this as a pretty day-time red for summer. I do know it's not, strictly speaking, a lipstick, but that's fine by me - it just had to be included because I can't stop wearing it!

Tracta Hydrating Argan Lipstick in 01 

I picked this little beauty up in Brazil, and surprise surprise, it's another coral. This is actually very similar to Vegas Volt, but is slightly more orange-toned. Again, it's creamy and moisturising, thanks to the Argan oil it contains, and last reasonably well. I also wanted to point out that the packaging of this one makes it feel like quite a luxurious purchase, as it looks quite expensive, but actually, it only cost me about £6.

Clinique High Impact Lip Colour SP15 in Ciderberry

This is a product I have had for an absolute age, but haven't used in a really long time. In fact, I had completely forgotten about it until I moved house recently, and found it while I was packing things away. Clinique lipsticks are actually pretty pricey, at £16, and I don't usually pay that much for lip products. I don't even remember it costing that much really, but a quick browse on Clinique's site has revealed that to be the case!

Ciderberry is a lovely rich deep red. It's a nice alternative to really bright, pillar-box reds and I would imagine it to be more of a wearable shade for all skin-tones. I feel like I am repeating myself here, but I assume you will want to know that yes, again, it is moisturising, and yes, it is also long-lasting - in fact, I'd say that this is the best of the bunch in that respect.

L'oreal Color Riche Serum in Radiant Rose

A stunning medium fuchsia

I have not long reviewed this beauty, so if you would like to know a bit more about it then you can do so by reading this post. I don't want to bore those of you who've already read it by repeating myself again, but I will say that it is just the perfect shade of pink, and looks particularly pretty with really dark hair! When I first bought this, I had just dyed mine a gorgeous deep chocolate colour, which has sadly now faded (but I'm planning on doing it again over the weekend!)

L-R: Clinique Ciderberry, Revlon Lip Butter in Cherry Tart, L'oreal CRS in Radiant Rose, Mac Amplified in Vegas Volt, Tracta 01 and Topshop Infrared

(As above)

I hope you enjoyed reading, and that perhaps I've given you an idea or two if you're on the hunt for a new summer shade, or if you're finding yourself stuck in a bit of a lipstick rut!

What are your favourite lip products this summer? Is there one shade in particular your lips are just too embarrassed to be seen without? I'd love to know, as I am always looking to build up my collection, and sometimes I find I have been missing out on some absolute gems when I see them on you lovelies and read about them in your posts!

Hope everyone is really well and has a fantastic weekend planned! If you don't have anything planned at all, then worry not, as I find that those often tend to end up being the best ones! And who doesn't like a bit of relaxation!?

Enjoy!

xx

Seven Things for Seven Days

Louise over at Sprinkle of Glitter came up with the idea of setting yourselves seven goals to achieve within the next seven days, and I think it's great. In fact, I have recently been doing a similar thing myself, but I hadn't thought to blog about it. I think setting goals can be really valuable and really help you to achieve the things you want to, instead of always putting them on the back-burner, as most of us do tend to do when we are too busy and life gets in the way.

Anyway, Louise has suggested that we bloggers join her in her weekly seven-day challenges (read her post here for full details), whether you would prefer to do them in just the seven days or across the space of a month. The idea is that you set your own challenges, and you'll have the support of other participating bloggers to help keep you plugging away and getting where you want to be!

The banner above was created by Louise for the challenge. If you want to participate, then you need to post this in your related blogpost, as well as commenting on Louise's blog to let her know you are taking part.

(To avoid confusion, this is not a picture of me, it's Louise!)

So, onto my Seven Things:

1. Crafty clothing customisation (check out the alliteration on that). I have been meaning to get on with this for ages, as I have a few items I just don't wear as they are, but they have got great potential as something else. I keep putting this off, as I'm afraid I'll ruin perfectly good pieces of clothing, but at the same time I'm really eager to get on and do it so I'll have some new things to wear! I must admit, I'm not the most skilled with the needle, let alone a sewing machine! But practice makes perfect! As well as actually creating some new pieces, I also aim to photograph the processes and share my 'success' with you via some blogposts.

2. Bake. I've been eating really healthily for the last goodness-knows-how-long, and I have no intention of giving that up, as I feel great for it. But I don't believe healthy eating means that you have to deprive yourself of little treats, and I keep seeing the most delicious-looking recipes scattered about the t'interweb that I am a little bit desperado to try. My oven is absolutely rubbish, which has been another reason why I've been a bit put off, but I'm going to go for it and again, will be posting about whatever treats I whip up!

3. Plan a home date. This was actually something Louise did as one of her previous 'Seven Things for Seven Days' goals, and I thought it was a really lovely idea. My Mr and I have been seriously trying to save some pennies of late, so it's not time to be splashing the cash on expensive dates. But it's so easy to fall into evenings at home with me online and him in front of the TV, and I think it's important to make that little bit of effort from time to time so that we can really enjoy each other's company. After next week, I'm going to have some time off work, so it's the perfect opportunity to plan some fun stuff and treats.

4. Take lots of photos. For a start, I 've got an absolute pile of posts lined up for you lovely lot, and it's only the lack of related photos that's slowing me town, particularly with my reviews and outfit posts (although lack of a tripod definitely doesn't help with the latter either!). My camera seems to be feeling a bit sorry for itself and will only take nice photos outside in natural light, which I sometimes struggle to find time for, but a shoot is definitely in order, and is already scheduled for tomorrow morning.

5. Claim back my PPI. I was one of those people who was unwittingly charged Payment Protection Insurance on two of my previous credit cards, and I keep forgetting to sit down and sort out the necessary paperwork to get it back. I'm not going to lie, I could do with some extra pennies right about now, so it's time to stop procrastinating and get on with it - it'll be worth it in the end!

6. Organise all my paperwork. Some of you may know that I teach English as a foreign language, and I have got an absolute stack of related paperwork to be sorting through, from homework and tests that need to be marked, to extra activities and supporting material. 

7. Be positive! I'm already trying to learn to turn any negative thoughts into positive ones, and not let them put a downer on my various days. I know that this one is not easily done, but it's something I intend to consciously work on a little bit every day, as I genuinely do feel much better when I am able to put a positive spin on things.

I'm giving myself until the end of June to press on and make some magic happen.

Please do leave me a comment below letting me know if you decide to join in with this, as I'd love to read your posts and see what little goals you have all set yourselves!

Also, don't forget to pop along to Louise's page and do the same.

Hope everyone's had a great week. Friday tomorrow!

xx

Paul and Joe: Midsummer Nights (Summer 2012 Collection)

Paul and Joe's Midsummer Nights Collection is due for release, and having seen these beautiful pictures, I just know I'm not going to be able to resist.

There is something really stunning and ethereal about these photos, and everything about the products makes me think of fairytales. Apparently, the collection is actually based upon Shakespeare's  A Midsummer Night's Dream, and I can 100% see the influences this has had on the packaging and the products themselves, not to mention the spot-on photography.

So, onto the products.

Shimmering Pressed Powder G (Limited Edition)

(picture 3)

Paul and Joe say:

"Softly shimmer, like moonlight on a fairy's wings, with this exquisite, spellbinding 3D shimmering powder, designed to captivate and charm."

For me, this looks to be the most beautiful of all the products in the collection. And isn't that just the most delightful description? It comes in a sturdy pastel-green compact, complete with mirror, and has such a pretty, delicate butterfly design upon the powder itself. I'm definitely going to be adding this one to my collection, and I can't wait to do so.

Face Color G (in Nymph, Nubile and Faune)

Paul and Joe say:

"Each one of these limited shades is a summer fairy breath of colour that would inspire a blushing rose with their loveliness."

Nymph is a soft rosey-pink, Nubile is a peachy-nude beige, and Faune is a darker, chocolatey chestnut tone.

I'm not really sure from looking at the promotional pictures whether any of these three shades will be for me, but the pretty pink of Nymph is certainly in-keeping with the magical fairy theme.

Lip Gloss G

Paul and Joe say:

"These three magical, limited love potions guarantee sweet, delectable kisses that will keep you both enchanted all summer long."

Available in 001 Love Potion, 002 Fairie Kisses and 003 Dream A Little Dream, these pretty glosses look as sweet as sugar.

I am particularly intrigued by Fairie Kisses, which comes across as an unusual lemon-yellow shade. Love Potion is a candy pink, while Dream A Little Dream is a light coral-beige. Of the three, I'd be more inclined to go for Dream A Little Dream, being the coral lover that I am, although I do generally go for lipsticks over glosses.

Nail Enamel (Limited Edition)

Paul and Joe say:

"Like imaginary fairies dancing on your fingertips, these three beguiling shades are inspired by the enchanted forest to help you weave and cast your magic."

Available in three shades (028 Fairie Queen, 029 Sprite and 030 Pixie), these little beauties all look to be right up my street.

Fairie Queen is a shimmering translucent shade with flecks of pink, purple and blue, and it looks pretty amazing. It can get on my nails now, if it doesn't mind, please.

Sprite is a pearlescent pastel green which reminds me of an antique opal ring my grandmother used to wear. I always thought it was stunningly beautiful with the unique way it reflected the light, and so this is a shade that has the potential to become very close to my heart.

Last but not least, we have Pixie, a sparkling silver polish with a holographic effect. I said not least, but actually it is, as despite being gorgeous, I'm not usually one for silvers - I'm a gold girl every time.

Shimmering Body Lotion G (Limited Edition)

Paul and Joe say:

"This intoxicating green floral bouquet will cool the skin and calm the senses, while shimmering, irridescent fairy sparks of lame' will ensure you continue to sparkle every summer night".

This, again, comes in beautiful packaging and just sounds so pretty and luxurious. I'm pretty sure most of us would invite a little bit of shimmer into our lives with open arms, and I'm really looking forward to trying this out.

Self Select Eye Colour

(picture 4)

Paul and Joe say:

"Most dreams fade in the morning light, but these six colours will remain a constant reminder of a Midsummer Night's magic."

Available in 26 Gipsy (bold purple), 27 Mon Chapeau (bronze brown), 28 Casablanca (orange-gold), 29 L'Artiste (silver-grey), 30 Plumage (teal) and 31 Chestnut (self explanatory). These all look like lovely colours and would be very welcome to join my collection! I particularly like the look of Plumage, L'Artiste and Casablanca.

        Self Select Eye Colour (Limited Edition)

   Paul and Joe say:

  "Inspired by the delicate wings of fairies, these three limited shades of ethereal colours are inspired by the delicate wings of fairies that magically transform into the otherworldly tones - when layered                                        over other colours."

001 Under the Stars, 002 Love-in-Idleness and 003 Moon Beam all appear white/translucent powders to look at. I really am intrigued by these so will need to try these out, too. I hope my budget will stretch this far!

What do you think of the collection? Will you be adding any of these products to your shopping basket?

Hope everyone is having a lovely week so far - almost Friday, yesss!

xx

Mac Mineralize Blush in Gleeful: Review

This was another one of those rushed, jet-lagged airport purchases, and like the foundation and lipsticks I've mentioned previously, I came away with the wrong colour. When I say wrong, I mean that I am usually more of a rosy pink, peach or coral kind of girl, and this one immediately seemed as though it would be much too dark for me.

Described by Mac as a 'deep, dirty blue-pink with gold pearl', Gleeful is, for me, much more of a reddish, plummy colour than I would usually go for. It's really finely milled and has a lovely soft texture.

With Gleeful, I find that a little does go a really long way, and due to this I think it's going to take me forever to actually hit pan! It requires only a light dusting on the cheekbones and gives a lovely, healthy flush.

It is buildable, but I can't see that you'd really want to layer it up too much, as the effect would be much too harsh. However, this shade would be really pretty and flattering on darker skin tones, and those of you who fall into this category could definitely afford to be a bit more adventurous with it.

Here it is swatched on tha back of my hand (left) next to the MSF in Soft and Gentle.

I do like to use this blush along with the highlighter as I feel that it creates a softer look. While this is a pretty blush, it's not something I usually go for when it comes to every-day looks, and I feel that shades such as Dainty, Warm Soul and Merrily would be the blushes I would reach for more often.

I have actually ordered myself Dainty, so I will be sure to do a review and comparison whenever it arrives.

Do you own any of Mac's Mineralize blushes? What do you think of them? Do you have a favourite shade?

xx

Weekend Wishlist

Hello!

Hope everyone is having a nice relaxing weekend so far, whether that means letting your hair down and partying it up, or having a cosy night in with your favourite people!

This week has just absolutely flown by again. I know I do tend to wish the working week away, but when it does end I am always surprised that a week I thought was dragging by has suddenly come to an end.

I've been really busy with lots of paperwork to get sorted, but I did. of course, manage to squeeze in some shopping time, so I will be putting together a mini-haul post for you very soon. I say mini-haul because it really is going to be very little - I bought a foundation and a lipstick, and then I've got two pairs of shorts which arrived from Ebay, and a lovely bag, courtesy of my lovely other half!

But anyway, it's not haul time just yet.

I've found myself lusting after SO many things recently, and I just can't have it all. So for this week's Weekend Favourites, I sat down and asked myself which of the things I really need in my life. I say need, but what I really mean is, which of the products, items of clothing and accessories could I really just not stop thinking about. I often have moments of being desperate to purchase something the instant I see it online (although I generally refrain from doing so), but if I'm really honest with myself, I've usually forgotten all about them a few days later. But some things really aren't just passing fancies, and I still find myself longing for them weeks later.

So, without further ado, here are the goodies that made it onto that list.

I need them in my life!

1. Studded Collar Shirt, Zara

I keep seeing this and so I can't forget it! Originally, I tried to put it to the back of my mind, because the price is not something I'm particularly willing to pay. But it keeps popping back into my mind! I'm a little bit obsessed with anything studded at the moment, so I think I'm going to have a little look on Ebay and see what I can dig up!

2. Benefit Hervana Blush

G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S.

That's all I have to say about that.

3. Stila 'In The Light' Eyeshadow Palette

I really love the look of this, and I'm really excited to hear that it contains four matte shades as well as the shimmer shades, unlike the Urban Decay Naked palettes. I do love those, but I missed having matte shades for a lower-key day time look.

For those of you who don't know, this is a neutrals palette (as are the Urban Decay Naked palettes) with lots of gorgeous, wearable every-day shades. They're super pigmented too, which is always a major bonus. The Stila set comes with a Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in shade Damsel, which is a matte chocolate brown, and I have heard amazing things about these, too.

4. Studded Cropped Tee, Red Rock

This is my favourite of everything on this list. I have only recently discovered Red Rock and I am absolutely loving their vintage and handmade clothing and accessories, which are all created in the UK.

This top is a pretty pastel pink, toughened up with gold studs and is perfect for wearing with high-waisted shorts, a staple in my wardrobe. I seriously do have to have this one.

5. Bleached Crochet Shorts, Topshop

Bleached denim. Crochet. What's not to love? These are really relaxed and summery, and will go with everything. All that's needed now is some sun!

6. Studded Collar, Topshop

As I mentioned before, I am a little bit in love with studs, and the same also goes for pointy collars. The fact that this is made from leather too seals the deal. Plus it's black, so it'll go with everything.

7. Mac Lipstick in Hue

There are lots more exciting shades than this one, and I am always drawn to bright shades. But I have been meaning to pick up Hue for a while now, as it's one of those nudey-pink shades that suits absolutely everyone, and is needed by absolutely everyone. I have somewhat neglected my collection of nudes, and now I'm finding myself drawn to them on those days where I just want a relaxed, natural look.

8. Caudalie Organic Grape Water

This stuff sounds amazing! I've been hearing so much about Caudalie on the blogging circuit of late, but I came across this delicious-sounding spray on their website and am now eager to give it a try.

Here's what Caudalie says about it: 

100% organic Grape Water: extracted straight from the grapes during the grape harvest, this mist refreshes, tones and moisturizes the skin at any time of the day. For all skin types, even the most sensitive, Organic Grape Water refreshes whenever you need it.

                                                 Doesn't that just sound amazing?

9. Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

Again, something I've been hearing loads about of late, mainly from other bloggers. There seems to be something of a craze surrounding it, and given that it's a low-budget high street/drugstore brand like Rimmel, I'm intrigued. I have been using higher-end brands such as Clinique and Mac for foundation for years, as I generally find them to be, out of all cosmetics, the one product that it's really worth spending that bit more on. You usually do get what you pay for, and after dabbling in brands like Rimmel Maybelline and Bourjois in the past, I was even more convinced of this (although for the record, I do really enjoy other products from such brands).

However, recently, such brands really seem to have upped their game, and there are now a selection of high street foundations I am interested in giving a go after hearing rave reviews on them. Rimmel Wake Me Up definitely tops this list, as I always wake up looking really tired, and could do with all the extra help I can get in that department! It's also really affordable, so I'm planning on picking it up asap.

I'll leave it there, and give you a little update on my week in a separate post. Hope you enjoyed reading about my current lust-haves!

What's on your wishlist this week?

xx