Tuesday 21 June 2011

Whats In my makeup bag?...







Today I thought I would do the the 'Whats in my makeup bag?' post and share what I`m currently using makeup wise on a day to day basis.Up until recently I stored all of my makeup in acrylic draws (clear cube rip off!) and a metal cabinet from Ikea however I have since decided to store my most used products of the moment in a makeup bag to save me time when getting ready.I will switch up these products regularly but for now here is what I`m using on a day to day basis.Obviously I don`t use ALL of these products at the same time-I like to have a couple of lip/cheek options to hand.

Makeup bag-Sephora
Makeup forever HD foundation
Clarins everlasting foundation
Mac select sheer pressed powder
Mac eye pencil in teddy
Estee Lauder double wear pencil in black
Estee Lauder sumptuous mascara in black
Mac peaches blush
Nars Orgasm blush
Dior matte bronzer
Clinique airbrush concealer
YSL rouge volupte in no 1
Nars chelsea girls lip laquer
Mac rubenesque paint pot
Urban decay primer potion in eden
Rimmel brow pencil in dark brown
Clarins instant light natural lip perfector in 02
Mac viva glam Gaga 2
Dior Addict lipgloss in 556

My Mac studio finish concealer would also be in here normally but I left it in my handbag and forgot to photograph it!

Wednesday 15 June 2011

FOTN:New products from Clarins

Hey everyone,

Last week I made my first ever purchases from Clarins,including thier instant light lip perfector,LE mosaique bronzer and their everlasting liquid foundation.As I was going out on Saturday evening I decided I would try them out and take a few photo's for my blog.
Face

Mac studio finish concealer nw25

Clarins everlasting foundation 112

Clinique loose powder in translucent

Clarins mosaique bronzer

Mac melba blush

Mac by candle light msf


Eyes

UDPP in eden

UD toasted

UD smog

Mac brule

Benefit bad gal liner

Rimmel brow pencil in dark brown

Lancome hypnose mascara

Eyelure lashes (unsure of the style as I got rid of the box)


Lips

Mac playing koi lipstick

Clarins instant light lip perfector in 02








Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Review...Less than impressed!



Hey everyone,


Today I decided I would post my thoughts on one of Smashbox's most well known products,their Photo Finish Primer.I believe that Smashbox also do a similar oil free version of this primer which had I known about prior to picking up the regular version I would have chosen to purchase instead as I have normal-oily skin which is prone to break outs and blocked pores.



Whilst browsing Sephora on holiday in Vegas I decided I would give this primer a go,I have only ever tried out 3 primers in the past and had heard that Kim Kardashian swears by PF so from that alone I was basically sold!I decided to purchased the 'to go' version of the primer which contains 0.5 oz and sells for around $16 as the full sized version was pretty expensive and I wanted it to be something I knew I loved before shelling out any more cash.



For those of you that don`t know PF is a clear,gel formula which Smashbox claim will provide a perfect matte canvas for foundation.According to the Sephora website the formula contains vitamins and antioxidants and even promises to prevent the destruction or collagen and fill in fine lines.Sounds amazing right?



Wrong!Well for me at least anyway.



I began using PF regularly around 3 weeks ago but decided to wait until I had chance to try it under a range of foundations,with moisturiser and without and also in different temperatures.



Full of hope and promises of a shine free,flawless face I whipped out my PF for the first time and applied it over my moisturiser which I had let settle into my sin for at least 15 minutes.I then applied Chanel Mat Lumiere and powdered with Mac blot powder,I applied the rest of my makeup as usual and off to work I went.Immediately after application I did not notice any dramatic difference in how my foundation looked and I was little disappointed,I was expecting at least something,a smoother finish,hidden pores,maybe I was expecting too much?



Around an hour into my work shift I noticed I was looking oilier than usual,I found this strange as I don`t usually get oily so quickly and I had to go blot my face-something I hardly ever do.As the day went on my foundation became gradually worse and by the end of my working day (6 hours later) my face was a total mess.My nose had virtually no foundation left on it and my forehead was a patchy oil slick,not good.


The next day I decided to test out PF with my trusty Studio fix fluid,Mat lumiere doesn`t hold up as well on me as some of my other foundations so I pretty much blamed it for the previous disaster.Once again I headed to work feeling sure that I would remain oil free all day as I always do when I wear sff however the same thing happened again.After a few hours the make up on my nose was gone and I was an oil slick everywhere else,I was amazed and horrified.Normally I can wear sff when set with either sf powder or blot powder and remain shine free for hours on end but not only was I shiny my foundation had literally melted off my face.


Not being one to give up I decided that I would persevere with my PF and decided that maybe it was just the increase in temperature or some sort of random hormonal imbalance that was the cause of my makeup disasters over the past couple of days.Over the next fortnight I tried various ways of wearing PF,with and without my moisturiser,under a variety of foundations and powders all to end up with the same disastrous outcome.Even more disastrous was that I began to break out after a couple of days of using PF but had been trying out a new cleanser at the same time and had not realised that PF was the cause until I had stopped using my new cleanser after blaming that for the outbreak of acne.


3 weeks on and I have finally given up on PF and will be giving it away to whoever I can palm it off on!I have read so many mixed reviews on this product since buying it so obviously it works for some,unfortunately just not me.In the mean time I have been left with a face full of acne and blocked pores to tackle.I hate to give a product a totally negative review but I honestly have nothing good to say about PF,its expensive,it made me break out,it increased oil production and made my makeup melt of 10x quicker than usual.If your thinking of purchasing then I definitely recommend trying out the smaller,travel sized version first-I`m glad I did!

Sunday 5 June 2011

Clothing,accessories and shoe haul...

As I mentioned in a previous post I have been planning on doing my first 'proper' fashion haul.Recently I have been trying to add to my spring/summer wardrobe and have been focusing on fashion more than makeup.As a result I have a 'few' new pieces to share with you.Everything is from Topshop unless stated otherwise.


First up is knitware,on the left is a bat wing cardigan that I thought would be very versatile and great for days when you need to cover up but don't want something too heavy.The colour of this cardigan sold me really,its not showing true to life in the photograph but its actually a lovely dark raspberry colour,I plan on wearing this with jeans,shorts,pretty much everything!On the right is a cream,slouchy knit jumper which once again I think will prove to be very versatile,I`ve already worn it with jeans but it looks equally as good with denim shorts,it cost £26 which I don`t think is too bad for Topshop! I originally saw this t-shirt online and immediately loved it so the next time I visited my local Topshop I was thrilled to see they had it in stock.I absolutely adore the cut out shoulders,you can`t really tell from my photograph but basically its a regular t-shirt shape with the shoulders cut away and sleeves still attached.Its a really cool concept and I love the cross design.I think this top will be fab tucked into high waisted shorts,skirts or even just paired with jeans.On the right is a peach collared button down shirt which I also think will be look good paired with anything high waisted. The following items I definitely won`t be wearing together I just found it easier to photograph them this way.I love these rose denim shorts,there so pretty I was also tempted to buy the jeans in the same colour.I`m not sure where I`m going to wear these yet but hopefully we will have a really hot day and I can team them with a simple white top and my military boots.The jacket was a bit of a random purchase,I wasn`t planning on a jacket but I`m sure I will get plenty of wear out of it as the weather is still rather dull where I live.I adore the three quarter length sleeve and the grey is a lot softer in person.This photo does not do is justice so I`m hoping to include it in an OOTD post soon.

I have always been more of a bag girl but lately I have become seriously addicted to buying shoes.I love these nude peep toe platforms from Topshop,they will go with literally everything and are surprisingly comfortable considering they have such a high heel.I think everyone needs a good pair of nude platforms in their wardrobe,or at least that's my justification!



A couple of hair accessories I have picked up recently,I love this sweet bow hair tie from Topshop and got a few compliments when I wore it to work last week.I have to have my hair up at work so its nice to have an interesting hair accessory.I bought this a couple of weeks ago but noticed they also have a bright pink version in now also.The lace hair band is from Accessorize and I am yet to wear it,I do love it but I'm just not sure how to wear it.



On to another pair of shoes, I have nothing but good things to say about these wedges from Office,I already own the black version of these and after wearing them none stop on holiday and realising how comfy they are I decided to purchase them in coral.I could literally walk for miles in these shoes and they go with pretty much anything,the coral colour are especially great for the summer.




Below are a few summer inspired purchases,first of the white/cream denim waistcoat which I thought would be fab to throw over maxi dresses and team with floral skirts.I really wanted a denim waistcoat last year but never got around to buying one so I was glad to get my hands on this.I bought the skirt to wear casual with a plain white vest tucked in and sandals and finally the stripped collared shirt is the same style as the peach one pictured previously but I loved the striped version also and again this will be great with high waisted denim shorts




Some Topshop fans may have seen a similar version of this play suit which has been around for a while now in stores and on the topshop website.The original version has a camel coloured top and black shorts but I much prefer this camel and white version-its much fresher!I also can`t get enough of peter pan collars.On the right is a dress which is part of the Topshop 'dress up' range which features a range of 'going out' dresses,I love the colour of this particular dress (I`m a sucker for anything nudey/pink) and I also love the detailing on the straps.I just need somewhere to wear it now!


Finally are another pair of Office shoes,I have been after these suede wedges for absolutely ages but couldn't`t get my hands on them in my size anywhere!Pixie Lott was recently pictured wearing the blue version so maybe that had something do with them being sold out absolutely everywhere!Anyway I finally managed to track them down last week and I love them,I can`t wait to wear them out,I think they will be especially nice with play suits.


So that's pretty much all of the clothing I`ve purchased over the past 3-4 weeks or so,I`m going to be posting my first outfit of the day posts this week so watch out for those if your interested.I think I`m going through a bit of a clothing phase at the moment as opposed to makeup,it seems I often do this,am I the only one?I`m also really loving fashion based blogs and watching clothing hauls on youtube,if anyone has any recommendations for great blogs or channels then do let me know.I hope you all enjoyed this post and let me know if you would like to see more clothing hauls in the future.


Thanks for reading!


































































Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque Review

Hi again,I'm back with the first of a few product reviews I have planned,coming up soon I will be giving my thoughts on







  • James Brown Photo fabulous intensive treatment




  • Chanel Mat lumiere




  • Make up Forever-Smokey lash mascara,Hd foundation and concealer palette


But for now I`m kicking things off with my review of the popular Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque.Now I`ve never personally seen this available in any UK stores although I am aware it is much more easy to find in the US and I have also heard it can be found in Sally's.I purhcased my tube from Ebay just by typing the name into the search box and buying from the cheapest and most reliable seller.I think I paid about £7-8 including postage although from what I have read on other reviews it is much cheaper to buy in the US costing about $5-or so I have read.So far I have used this product 5 times which I think is a decent amount of time to wait before voicing my opinion however I will of course update if my views change.



The mask claims to 'dry up acne pimples,rinse away black heads and shrink enlarged pores'



Pro's:







  • Cheap-ish,I paid more than the average person but even so the price was very reasonable




  • Left skin feeling smoother and softer immediately after use




  • Noticeable shrinkage of pores




  • Improved skin tone




  • Easy to apply




  • None offensive smell


Con's:







  • Had to be purchased online




  • Made my face feel tight,moisturising afterwards is deffinetly required and may not be suitable for dry skin




  • Seemed to bring under the skin spots to the surface


I start with a clean,dry face and apply a thin layer of the mask all over my face and neck,the mask is very thick so little product is needed for a full coverage.At first I can feel a tingling sensation especially in the areas where my pores are largest for example my cheeks.After a few minutes the tingling stops and the mask begins to dry,I usually leave it on about ten minutes as I`m very impatient.I find the mask easy to remove and after a few rinses all of the product is gone.Straight away I can feel my face is much smoother and softer,I then tend to look in the mirror and notice my skin looks more matte and my pores appear tighter.I like to apply moisturiser straight after removing the mask as in the past I have noticed after an hour or so my skin feels slightly tight and uncomfortable,ensuring I apply moisturiser means this is never a problem however I`m not sure how well very dry skin types would get along with this drying effect.I would say this product is more suited to those with normal,combination skin and those will oily skin will love it for its drying properties and the decrease in pore visibility.



One minor problem I have with this mask is that each time I use it a spot seems to surface over night.It seems as if this mask is pushing all of the rubbish from under my skin to the surface so I`m not complaining as my skin will probably benefit in the long run although I would rather it stopped spots forming althogether rather than bringing them to the surface.



Overall I would highly reccomend this mask to those with combination/oily skin and those with enlarged pores as this is fabulous at drying up oil and tightening pores.Its also great for those who want to even out there skin tone.If you are hoping for an acne cure however then I wouldn't expect any miracles when it comes to getting rid of spots and those with dry skin may find this makes the condition worse. Personally I will continue using the mask and see how my skin reacts further as the pore minimsing effect is just to good to pass up and the mattifying effect provides a great base for makeup.Based on my use of the product so far I would give it a very healthy 3/5








Saturday 4 June 2011

In and Out...

In...
Lady Gaga-Born This Way
Unless you live under a rock I`m sure you have all heard about/already own Lady Gaga's new album Born This Way which was released about a fortnight ago.Needless to say I had mine delievered first thing on the day of release and have been listening to it none stop ever since,I absolutely love it and it has certainly lived up to my expectations.Naturally I love them all but my favourite tracks are Marry the night,Bad kids,Fashion of his love,The edge of glory and Born this way.

Del Monte Smoothie Ice Lollies
Seriously!These lollies are A-mazing,if you haven`t tried them you must.They're fat free and under 100 calories,definetly the nicest ice lollies around and perfect for the hot weather we have been having this week.

Fake tan ban!
Yes,I have given up on the brown stuff and gone au natural-well,not quite!After being a fully fledged fake tan addict for many years I`ve decided enough is enough of the continous fake tanning cycle.I worked out I was spending £50 plus on fake tan per month and even worse I was rarely 100% satisfied with the results out and when I was it was time to scrub it off and start again after about 5 days.Instead I have decided to use a gradual self tanner every other day and the occasional sunbed (bad I know!)I scrubbed off the last of my tan last night and its so refreshing,my skin looks more luminous and of course I`m paler but I actually look healthier.

James Brown hair care
For the past 2 months or so I have been using several products from the James Brown hair care line and on the whole I am seriously impressed,especially with the moisturising hair mask which is hands down the best hair mask I have ever used!I may do a full review shortly as it deserves some recognition in my book.

Out
Boys holidays!
On Friday my boyfriend jetted off to Ibiza for a week with his friends so until Friday I am on my lonesome!lol.On one hand I will have more time to catch up on blogging but on the other I`m a very lonely girl!I`m hoping the time flys.

Britains Got Talent
I`ve just finished watching the final of Britains got talent and I have to say I was shocked!I was expecting Ronan to have it in the bag (diddn`t everyone?) but congratulations to Jai,he was a worthy winner even if he wasn`t my favourite.I also thought it was a great shame that Paul Gebegbaje (pianist) diddn`t finish somewhere in the top 5,he was a great talent and I feel that sometimes the British Public over look acts like his.

Having to work in the heat!
As your probably aware I live in the UK,specifically the north of England where sunshine is a true rarity.However the past few days have been positivitly hot and there is nothing worse than being stuck indoors when everyone else is enjoingy bbq's and sunbathing.Hopefully the warm weather will stick around a little longer so that we can all have a chance to enjoy it!

I hope everyone is having a great weekend,I might start doing these posts more often as I enjoy reading other peoples.If you've done an In and Out post recently be sure to leave me a link so I can check it out :)

Holiday/birthday haul continued...

I`m back with part 2 of my holiday/birthday haul,following on from cosmetics I thought I would include my birthday present from my boyfriend which was a Michael Kors watch which was purchased for me in the Michael Kors shop at Ceasers Palace.The shop assistants in there were seriously the most helpful and nice girls ever and after much deliberation helped me pick this style over several others I tried on.I already own the smaller rose gold version but this larger yellow gold style was just too pretty to resist and its not been off my wrist since.So purchasing Uggs in the middle of Spring probably seems a little strange but I couldn`t pass up on the $140 price tag compared to what I have paid for Uggs at home.In the UK we pay £165 for the same style so I grabbed a pair in chestnut and am going to put them away until the Autumn.I know Uggs are a bit of a love/hate thing with most people but personally I think there great for Autumn/Winter and ideal for when you want to be comfy and casual.A bit of a random purchase but I couldn't resist this cute teddy from The Belagio gift shop,he will remind me of my trip and is very sweet.Also pictured is my new iphone cover,its Juicy Couture and I really like it,its the first iphone cover I`ve purchased and will probably using it for a while.


Phew...I think thats about it for my holiday purchases!All in all I think I diddn`t do to badly but I`m going to really try and cut down on my makeup shopping for a while.I`m hoping to fit in more reviews and face of the days as I don`t want my blog to be filled with haul after haul.That being said I do have a fashion haul planned but as I haven`t done many fashion related posts before I thought it would be a welcome change.


Thanks for reading!

Las Vegas Haul...

Hi everyone,as promised in my previous post I am back with a Vegas haul.As I did quite a bit of shopping while I was out there and as it was also my birthday I have aquired quite a bit including both makeup and fashion/accesories so I have decided to split my haul in two.







I was so excited to get my hands on some Make up forever goodies while I was in the US as my British readers will know the difficulty it is to access the brand in the UK.There are virtually no online stockists and as far as I am aware there is only one shop in the entire country that stocks MUF and its in London which is about a 6 hours + journey for me.After much browsing I ended up buying one of their concealer palettes,the HD foundation and also there smokey lash mascara which I forgot to photograph but will be included in a monthly favourites post as I love it so much.I`m planning to do a full review on my 3 Make up forever products so I`m not going to talk about them any further for now.
Also pictured is the Clinique pore minimiser which is basically a primer that claims to shrink pores,I have quite oily skin and large pores so I was hoping this would do a good job of shrinking them as the name would suggest however I`m not overly impressed so far.I haven`t seen any difference so far and it diddn`t make my make up last any longer or my skin less oily,that being said I`ve only used it once so I`m deffinetly going to give it a longer test run before I give my final verdict.


Recently I heard that Urban Decay had repackaged there primer potion which is great news as anyone who has ever used UDPP will know how tricky it is to get the remaining product from the old tube version once you have used a certain amount.I picked up the 'Eden' version whilst in Sephora however I`m not entirely sure how its different from the original as it seems the same colour to me and does exactly the job.The new packaging is 10x better however so I`m not complaining.


In duty free I was browsing the Chanel counter and after debating over weather to purchase or not I picked up there Mat Lumiere foundation.As I said previously my skin is quite oily,especially in the summer and I also like a good medium-full coverage so Mat Lumiere seemed the obvious choice as opposed to the other foundations Chanel has to offer.I have been using this foundation alot and I have to say I`m pretty impressed,it doesn`t keep me as oil free as my Estee Lauder Double Wear or Studio Fix Fluid but it is less cakey and I love the application when applied with my beauty blender.





Whilst browsing Walgreens,(ok you have no idea how excited I was to visit Walgreens,it was actually rather sad lol!)I came across this Wet and Wild palette,Its called 'Comfort Zone' and is from there color icon collection. I was mega excited to get my hands on this as I have heard several beauty youtubers/bloggers talking about how great it is and I totally agree,the pigmentation and general quality of these shadows is amazing,the colours are beautiful and best of all it was $4 something.Thats about £2.50 for 8 gorgeous eyeshadows,you can`t go wrong really!



I have been using this palette literally every other day since I bought it,more so the left hand side but I have recently discovered that the shadow on the bottom right hand side is pretty much an exact dupe for Mac's club.I decided to swatch the two and as you can see they are not 100% identical but they are pretty similiar.The wet and wild shadow is on the right and has a slightly more reddish tone in this particular photograph where as club on the left looks more brown.However if you own club you will know how different it can appear depending on how its applied and the lighting so to be honest if I swatched these two again they could appear even more similar.If you are able to get your hands on this palette I highly reccomend you do,I still can`t believe the amazing value and quality for money.
Also in Walgreens I finally got my hands on another cult beauty blogger/youtuber favourite which is currently unavailable in the UK.It is of course the famous Revlon soft nude and I can confirm its just as amazing as everyone says.Its literally the perfect nude for medium skin tones and is so easy to wear as it can be worn with any look,day or night.As you can see I have been wearing it quite alot,its one of those throw in your bag and reapply all day lipsticks.My only regret is that I diddn`t buy two! On another trip to Sephora I decicided to buy the Natural eye kit from Too Faced.I don`t own many Too Faced products but this palette is just gorgeous,the colours are really wearable and very versatile and although I already own the Naked palette from Urban Decay I think owning both is totally jusifiable.The only bad thing I have to say about this is the size of the shadows on the right seems a little stingey to me,they could have made them a little larger imo.






The only Mac purchases of the trip were these two lipsticks from the sheen supreme collection,they are from left to right,Gotta Dash and Supremely Confident.I have to amdit these were purchased on a total whim but I have absolutely fallen in love with them and they were not off my lips they entire holiday,particualrly Gotta Dash which isn`t showing up true to life in the photograph.In real life it is much bright and is a real peachy/orange shade-perfect for spring summer.If your not used to wearing brights like myself but want to gradually edge out of your comfort zone then deffinetly get your hands on Gotta Dash,its the stand out lip product of the year so far for me and I urge you all to see it in real life as my picture doesn`t do it justice at all.Surpemely Confident is also beautiful (although not as unique as Gotta Dash),I reccomend it to all nude lovers particularly ladies with a fair-medium skin tone.


For my birthday I was lucky enough to receive the Juicy Couture original perfume which is one of my all time faves and also The Michael Kors Very Hollywood fragrance which is a new scent to me.I have want Very Hollywood for ages,its such a light,fresh,fragrance and I`m going to leave it at that as I`m rubbish at describing scents but deffinetly check it out.Even the bottle is gorgeous!I decided to pick up these two blushes from Nars whilst on my trip,I previously only owned one Nars blush so this was very exciting.The one on the left is Penny Lane which is a cream blush formula,I only own one other cream blush which is by Mac so I thought I`d give Nars a whirl.I`ve only used this once but to be honest I wasn`t that impressed,the colour diddn`t show up on my skin very well however I won`t be giving up just yet,maybe I just need to try applying it with a different brush.Orgasm (on the left) however,is amazing!I was torn between this and deep throat and looking back I wish I`d bought both instead of Penny Lane but oh well,Orgasm is lovely.It reminds me a little of Corlista from Benefit which I also love but I think I like Orgasm more.Its a perfect every day blush that looks very natural when used with a light hand or can be built up for a night time look.

Haul part 2 coming soon!

Wednesday 18 May 2011

I`m back..

Well actually I`ve been back quite a while but as I`m sure my fellow bloggers are aware sometimes life just takes over and blogging gets pushed to the sidelines.However I am back,I have been on holiday and I have turned 21-yay!



Last month I went to Las Vegas for 1 week with my boyfriend and had lots of fun,I am missing it already and contemplating going back next year.If anyone who has never been who may be considering going I would say go for it,you will have an amazing time,your feet however wont as some nights I had done so much walking during the day I couldn`t even get my feet into my shoes they were that swollen!While I was there I got to see Janet Jackson in concert at Ceaser's Palace which was amazing,there was a great atmosphere and she was fantastic live.I also got to make several trips to Sephora which I was so excited about,we seriously need them in the UK.Another favourite haunt was The Cheesecake Factory,oh my god the food is to die for and I could not beleive how inexpensive it was compared to what we pay for a meal at home.I also went to the Sugar Factory which was fun although really busy and of course we had a few hours spent in various casino's.My favourite hotel is Definately Ceaser's Palace,although I would love to stay at the Bellagio,the fountain show they have there is pretty impressive and a must see if you have never been to Vegas before.Just writing about it all makes me want to be back!

I do have a haul coming up but as its rather large I am going to seperate it into two parts,cosmetics/beauty produtcs and fashion.I have a bit of hauling build up due to not blogging for some time and doing a little extra shopping than normal due to it being my brithday recently.For now however I just wanted to do a quick update and let anyone who may be interested know no,I have not dissapeared off the planet and I can`t wait to get back into the swing of blogging again.

Sunday 10 April 2011

Icon Series...Lady Gaga

Recently I had a new idea for my blog,basically over the next few weeks,months or however long I end up letting it run I am going to dedicate posts to some of my favourite style icons.It might not necessarily be there makeup I admire it could be their fashion sense or talent for instance.I`m going to kick my little 'series' off with someone who is inspirational to me in many ways.From her unique dress sense to her groundbreaking musical achievements and her honourable charity work,if you have read the title you will already know who I am talking about,it is of course...
Lady Gaga!








I want to start off by saying I am not somebody who has been a fan from the start in fact when Gaga first came on the scene I found her down right annoying,yeah she had 1 or 2 catchy tunes which I 'liked' at the time but I just couldn't`t get past the crazy outfits that screamed little short of attention seeker to me.I think for some time the outrageous outfits and bizarre stories I would hear seemed to outshine her actual talent and I never paid enough attention or took enough time to realise how much of an incredibly talented performer she actually is.


Slowly things began to change,Gaga released more material and performed at prestigious award ceremony's The Brits,The Grammys,The VMA's there was no escaping her and it seemed like everyone loved Gaga but me.This put me off even more,you see when someone becomes very hyped I tend to want to dislike them,I get tired of hearing the same name and in actual fact it puts me off them.The same thing happened with Cheryl Cole.




But this is Lady Gaga we are talking about and where Cheryl Cole lacks musical talent Gaga most definitely does not.As time passed I found myself becoming more and more interested in her as a musician,and as a person.I learned that she had began playing the piano age 4,written her first piano ballad at 14 and at age 17 was writing songs for artists such as The Pussycat dolls,already I was impressed but not as much as I was when I later read about how she literally worked her way from the bottom to the top.Gaga has certainly paid her dues when it comes to the level of fame she has achieved in such a short space of time having worked her way around the New York club circuit she is definitely not one of those picked from a reality TV singing contest,born into a famous family or pulled from a model casting stars.In her own words she 'did it the way you are supposed too'.


Over time I became hooked and although I of course loved her music (Telephone,Monster,Dance in the Dark and Paparazzi being my favourites to date) ,I also began to admire her for the once found 'annoying' outfits she is so well known for.I began to realise that it wasn`t a cry for attention it was a way of expression.I began to admire her for her unique dress sense and learned that she designed and created many of her outfits herself.Of course I would never pull of (or care too) 99% of the outrageous ensembles but that is my point.Lady Gaga does not care about being the prettiest girl in the room and I for one find that not only admirable but refreshing.
On the subject of being 'pretty' I for one think that despite that eccentric outfits,makeup and hair Lady Gaga is truly beautiful with a figure to die for.She may not present herself to be what men find typically attractive but to me that's what makes her just that.

What I have found through supporting and being a fan other celebrities for example Michael Jackson,is that the press are very quick to publish bad press about a star and not so fast to highlight the good.Of course reading about who`s cheating on who and who's taking what in Hollywood may be more exciting but I feel that alot of stars do not get the recognition they deserve for the amazing charity work that they do.Gaga falls into this category (although not so much as the late MJ did,however I`ll save that for another time.)


Gaga partnered with Virgin Mobile on her Monster Ball national tour offering premium VIP tickets to fans who volunteer their time to homeless youth organizations, which in turn more than $80,000 in proceeds to support homeless young people in the US.Gaga also donated 100% of proceeds from her January 24Th 2010 concert in wake of the Haiti earthquake,this included ticket sales and merchandise and came to a total of $500,000.


As makeup fans I am sure you are all well aware of Gaga's Mac Viva Glam Campaign which along side Cyndi Lauper has managed to raise over $160 million in the fight against HIV and Aids as well as bringing awareness of the diseases to millions of women all over the world.As Gaga has teamed up with Mac for a second year running who knows the greatness of awareness and money that can be raised.


Just last month Gaga was honoured for her LGBT work when she received the Randy Shilts Visibility Award by the Service members Legal Defense Network at a special event in Washington DC.Gaga has worked hard to end the 'Don`t ask,don`t tell' policy which prevents openly gay people serving in the US military.Under the policy it is forbidden for anyone who is openly gay to serve and they face expulsion if their sexuality is revealed.This law is something I was previously unaware of so it just goes to show the kind of impact and amount of exposure a star like Lady Gaga can achieve.


In December of last year I got the chance to see Gaga in concert and although I was happened to be really ill (trust me!) It was still one of the best nights of my life.I have never heard anyone sing so well live,I was truly impressed and came away with even more respect for her than I did before.I would and hopefully will see her in concert again however I think I will book a seat this time as I was in whats known as the 'golden circle' at the 02 Arena and let me tell you,I may have been right near the stage but there are some serious hardcore fans in that circle that you do not want to mess with.Thank god I was wearing heels is all I can say!


I hope you will enjoy these 'Icon posts' I know my blog is primarily beauty based but I think its nice to throw a few personal posts into the mix and although I do love Gaga for her musical talent her makeup and fashion sense also inspire me,primarily to have less inhibitions and to be myself!



Benefit Hoola Bronzer Review/Rave/Holy Grailness!


Today I thought I would write about one of my all time favourite makeup products,as you can tell from the title it is the rather popular bronzer Hoola from the brand Benefit.Now holy grail is not a term I just throw around I can actually only think of a handful of beauty products that would come under that category,Hoola however is definetly one of them.

I first purchased this bronzer about 3 years ago and yesterday I repurchased for the 3rd time,I am someone who likes to wear a lot of bronzer almost every day.From Dior to Bourjois,cream to powder Hoola is by far my fave and here`s why



  • Matte-Typically I do not like shimmer on my face,I have combination skin and extra sparkle in the T zone is the last thing I need thank you very much.


  • No orange or red tones-I can not bare bronzers with an orange or red undertone,Hoola has an olive undertone,and looks natural on the skin not obvious like some bronzers.


  • Texture-I find it to have a smooth texture that is easy to blend,as with all products you should apply with a light hand and build up.Some people say this bronzer looks muddy on them,I say maybe they are applying it incorrectly or perhaps it doesn`t work for extremely fair skinned ladies.


  • Perfect for contouring-I find that Hoola is the perfect contouring product due to the fact it is matte and is exactly the right shade for my skintone,I am typically an NC35 although sometimes I can be quite a bit darker and considerably lighter in the Winter time If I not wearing fake tan.I find that altering the application enables me to use Hoola all year round.I simply use a heavier or lighter hand depending on how tanned I am at the time.


  • Value for money-Although it is a pricey product,currently £23.50 (I believe when I first purchased it was around the £22 mark) you get a decent amount of product for your pound,11grams to be exact.Like I said earlier I have repurchased 3 times and each box has given me about 10 months of continual use.If I find a product that works for me then I don`t mind paying for it whatever the cost,what sucks is when you spend a fortune on something and end up hating it.I would suggest applying it at the counter before you buy if you think it might not work for you and reading the reviews at makeupalley as I always find them helpful when I`m reseraching a product thats new to me.

The only negative thing I have to say about Hoola (and to be honest it doesn`t bother me that much) is the packaging.As I use the product alot and it lasts me for some time I find that the cardboard box gets worn quite easily and looks tatty.I also find it quite hard to get my brush into,I use a mac 129?,I think.Anyway its a large fluffy powder brush from Mac and although I love the effect it gives its quite hard/impossible to swirl it around the box.I do however occasionaly use the 109 to contour and that fits in no problem.A plus for packaging would be that I don`t think it is as likely to break if you dropped it compared to a plastic cased product.If you travel alot this might be something you want to bear n mind as although the box does get tatty and the edges a little worn,overall it seems pretty durable.


If you are familiar with Hoola or other Benefit boxed powders you will know that they all come with a little square shaped brush (as pictured)I haven`t used the brushes myself as I prefer a much larger fluffier brush to apply my bronzer.They seem like they would apply the product a little streaky/stripey but I wouldn`t like to comment for definate as I normally just throw them away after a while.They are a nice touch however I would much rather Benefit just stopped including them and put the price down about £2.


For anyone who hasn`t tried Hoola I really do reccomend it, especially if you are interested in a product that can be used for both an all over face bronzer and contour product.I think its excellent value for money and a real staple in my collection,perhaps it will become one in yours too.


FOTD:Simple Sunday look with Mac`s Costa Chic


Hey everyone,

Recently I blogged about my latest Mac lipstick purchase-Costa Chic and today I decided to try it out in a FOTD for you however I`m kind of dissapointed with how it seems to be coming out in pictures.I don`t know if its because I have very pigmented lips or the fact I`m wearing no fake tan or bronnzer but I expected something more coral.Reguardless I quite like it and its a nice change from usual nudey pink lipsticks,I may try layering it over something like Myth next time to get rid of the pigmentation in my lips before applying this.

As its Sunday and I`ve been at home all day I decided to keep my makeup very basic.I`m wearing pro long wear concealer by Mac which I am loving at the moment and Studio Fix Fluid foundation,the only product on my cheeks is the G blush by Guerlain.On my eyes I have a light sweep of Mac's All That Glitters with Estee Lauder Double Wear pencil liner on my water line and for mascara I`m wearing Maxfactor false lash effect fusion.

I hope you are all having a lovely sunny Sunday!

Tuesday 5 April 2011

March favourites...


Hey everyone,I`m back with a monthly favourites post,I can hardley believe we are now 5 days into the month of April.My birthday month hurrah!Anyway onto my favourites from the month of March,no skin care this month other than the Soap and Glory Heel Genious foot softening lotion which I am loving at the minute.I`m not a fan of peppermint smelling foot creams and this one has a light clean,fresh fragrance which doesn`t bother me.It works extremely well when left on over night,I`m really enjoying using it at the moment,especially since Spring/Summer is coming and its almost time for sandal season!

I`ve been loving the Charles Worthington mineral hair mask since I purchased it about a month ago.I have been using it about once a week and can really tell the difference when I do,it gives my hair added moisture and makes the ends look much healthier.I have long,very thick hair-and alot of it!I`m not sure how it would work on fine hair as its a pretty thick formula but If you have hair like mine I highly reccomend.I think it was about £6 something from Boots.


Makeup wise I have absolutely been lovng warm soul blush by Mac and have worn it almost every day,it is my new favourite blush,I`m really loving neutral toned blush at the moment and deffinetley need to add more to my collection-suggestions? When I haven`t been wearing warm soul I have been wearing the Guerlain G blush which I blogged about a while back,for some reason I only like this on me when I`m tanned,its not particularly bright so I`m not sure why.When you swirl all the shades together,which is what I do you get a lovley light peach natural flush of colour which I love.I`m all about less obvious blush at the moment and the bright pinks and even my beloved melba by Mac have been shoved to the back of the drawer.


In other makeup news I have been enjoying a few finds from the 'drugstore' these include the Palmers coco butter lip balm which is now my favourite lipbalm and the Prestige lipgloss in Soft Peach.Its none sticky,cheap,a beautiful light peach pink shade with a hint of shimmer and even looks good worn alone.Whats not to love?Other drugstore finds include the Maxfactor false lash effect fusion mascara and Ardell false eyelashes,both are doing an excellent job of enhancing my pretty pathetic eyelashes and I would repurchase both in the future.


Lipstick wise I have been loving the new Viva Glam Gaga lipstick,its the perfect nude for my skin tone and I love the creamy,moisturising formula.As soon as I applied it the first time I knew it was going to be a hit.I`m going to go as far to say as I will repurchase this while I can.


From Clinique I am loving there All about eyes eye gel,it makes applying under eye concealer a dream and I find that it goes on so much easier,it literally glides on and requires less concealer to be used.I have been using this to prep my eyes for makeup every single day.


I purchased a new foundation brush this month,although I diddn`t get around to blogging about it.Its actually the big,fat,firm foundation brush from Coco Beau.Its so unique,I don`t think I have ever come across such a thick foundation brush,it literally applies your foundation in a few seconds.It is pretty pricey,£30 but I`ve been using it every day when I`ve been in a rush to get ready so I`m deffinetly getting my moneys worth.


I have been trying out alot of new nail polish in March but my favourite has to be Deborah Lippmann's Waking Up In Vegas.I wont talk about it too much as I have already done a post on how much I love and reccomend it but everything I have said previously still stands,I am loving this nail polish.


Finally I have included a product that has become a total holy grail of mine.It is Benefits boxed powder bronzer Hoola.I love this bronzer so much I am now ready to purchase my 3rd box (and these last a really long time!)I love this bronzer for contouring and for use all over the face,I`ve used several other bronzers but nothing compares,I could literally chuck the rest of my bronzers out and use this for the rest of my makeup wearing days.I hate orange bronzers and those with any sign of shimmer,Hoola however has neither.Its perfectly matt and has 0 the chance of looking orange.I`m not sure how it would look on very pale skin although I`m sure with a light hand you could make it work,on my skin however I never find it to appear muddy which is another thing I can not stand with bronzer.The only downsides to this product is A,the packaging and B,the price which both I`m not too fussed about to be honest.If something is that good I can usually cope with the packaging and although its expensive-about £23?You do get alot of product and mine lasts me for about 7months of continous use.



So thats my favourites for the month of March,hope you enjoyed!

Saturday 2 April 2011

Mac Quite Cute haul and more...





Earlier in the week I noticed the new mac collection was available online,'Quite Cute' is the latest offering from mac and I was vaugely interested in the selection of new products.After looking at swatches online I decided to purhcase just two items,Little girl type nail polish and Playing Koi lipstick.Most of the lipsticks offered are either brights or pastels,I can not stand lilac or pastel pinks,St Germain is disgusting on me.However Playing Koi caught my eye,it is a pale,peachy shade,with a hint of pink but is most deffinately one of those nude lipsticks you have to make work for you.I haven`t had chance to try it properly but it doesn`t appear to be one of those 'throw it on and go' shades.It kind of reminds me of myth but pinker,I love a nude lip especially for a night out and as I have very red pigmented lips shades like this accompanied by a pink gloss usually work well to tone them down .Little girl type is a lovely liliac shade that is quite unique to me,its a very pale liliac and I own nothing else like it.Like I said I haven`t had time to try these out yet but I shall do a NOTD using this very soon,I`m so excited to try it.

Other products purchased included were two backups,sff in NC35 and All that glitters eyshadow.I have been without All that Gitters in my collection for about 2 months now,its the only eyeshadow I have ever used up completely and I highly reccomend.I love how it can be applied alone with a hint of eyeliner for a super quick ,no fuss day time look but also works well teamed with something darker in the crease for at night.It is SO versatile.I also ordered an empty quad for when I go on holiday as I don`t want to travel with my big palette.I thought it was about time I add some Mac eye brushes to my collection as currently I`m using benefit ones I`ve had since I was about 17.I have several mac face brushes which I use regularly so I was excited to add the 217 and 219 to my collection.

The final two products were Mac face and body foundation which I ordered in C4,I was very excited to get my hands on this as I`ve been wanting to have a lighter coverage foundation in my collecton for periods when my skin is doing ok (which is not at the moment may I add!).I was torn between C3 and C4 but decided to go with 4 after reading some reviews on makeup alley.I ordered Mac`s latest concealer offering which is of course their pro longwear concealer.I tried this out under my eyes today and I love it,its not as thick as I imagined it may be yet it did a great job of covering up my shocking under eye circles.I don`t want to speak to soon but so far so good.

Updates on these products will be coming up shortly once I`ve had chance to use them properly and come up with fair opinion on everything.Is there anything on your Quite Cute wishlist?

Wednesday 30 March 2011

Nail Polish collection-collective review...






Today I thought I would post a collective review on my nail polish collection.I don`t know how my collection compares to other people but I think I own a decent amount,probably too much but I have to admit nail polish is a bit of a weakness of mine.From left to right starting on the top row we have some Mac in blissed out and baby goth girl,YSL in pink gold,various OPI,Essie,a ton of Barry M,some Models Own,Boots no7,a few Rimmel and Boots 17,several china glaze,Nails Inc,Revlon and then finally a few randoms from brands such as Ciate and Colour Club.







My favourite brand is probably OPI,I think overall they average out as having the best colours and application.I really love the colours by Essie but their formula takes alot more work.My favourites by OPI are Mod about you,My private Jet and Done out in deco.My favourite from Essie is Van d'go which is perfect on both hands and toes-its rare when I like a nail polish on both my hands and feet.I only own 2 at the moment but I absolutely love Deborah Lippmann nail poishes,I would go as far as to say If I owned more they would take over from OPI as my favoruite brand.The application is AMAZING and the colour range is beautiful.I only wish they were cheaper,I will however be picking up more when I can.As you can see I also own a YSL nail polish,now this was actually bought due to the beauty youtuber/guru/blogger Lorraine or TheCurrentCustom,she mentioned how this polish was the exact same colour as the Michael Kors rose gold watch which I happen to own and love.I went to check this out for myself and they are a pretty good match and really compliment each other.The application of this is a little tricky and it can easily look streaky as it is a metalic finish but its such a pretty and unique colour its worth the extra hassle.

When it comes to Mac even though I only own 2 polishes I am a big fan,I`ve heard some people say negative things about mac nail polish but I personally find the application to be fine,The brush is a little thin but its no big deal to me,my favourite is Blissed out,its from the warm and cozy collection and is the perfect nude for my skin tone.If you ever see it at a CCO or blog sale I highly reccomend you try it.

A brand I am very familiar with is Barry M,I own alot of nail paints,I actually have more but my mam has them in her room somewhere at the moment.I think for the cheap price,easy availability,unique colours and decent forumla you can`t go wrong.My particular favourite is Pink Flamingo,I also like Mushroom and Raspberry.

Another favourite of mine is China Glaze,I am not keen on their brush as it doesn`t hold as much polish as the OPI brush and therefore isn`t as easily to apply but the finish is great and they have so many colours you can`t not try at least one.If you like OPI`s Mod about you I suggest you check out Something Sweet by China Glaze,its not a total dupe,Mod about you is still nicer and more unique but its a gorgeous colour in itself and pretty similar.Mod about you is a little more in your face.

I own 4 polishes from the brand Models Own,in particular I like Purple Mystique,its one of the few colours I like for both hands and feet,I particularly like it on the toes.Models Own have a brilliant formula and a brilliant range of colours.I think they are about £5 which isn`t bad at all.I always find there are too many colours that stand out to me when I look at their stand in Boots which can`t be a bad thing!


Some other drugstore brands I have experience with are Revlon,Collection 200,Rimmel and two Boots brands,17 and no7.Revlon are the best of the bunch although I don`t find them amazing.I don`t tend to buy them often as the colours don`t scream wow to me and I find them over priced,I can get Essie or OPI at the same price if I buy on Ebay so I don`t like spending too much on a drugstore nail polish.The aplication is ok,and the colours are ok but thats it.I think I have tried two colours from the Collection 2000 range (I only have one pictured as I gave the other one away),I really hate these nail polishes!They are actually probably the worst fomula I ahve ever come across,yes there cheap but really whats the point paying anything for something so rubbish?I`d say pay another 50p or so and buy a Barry M nail paint.Revlon is another brand I`m not overy impressed with,I only own 2 nail polishes and one applies better than the other but once again unless you see a colour you really love,go with a Barry M nail paint if you want an affordable nail polish.From Boots I own some of their no 7 and 17 polishes,I don`t have a great deal to say about these other than 17 applies streaky but has some lovely shades available and no7 is a tad better in application but I find there colour range so boring.

If you have any questions about any of the nail polishes feel free to ask away,I would love to know what everyones favourite polish is as I`m always on the look out for new ones.Also I am desperate for new storage for my collection,I`m thinking or purchasing an acrylic rack from ebay-how do you store your collection?

Sunday 27 March 2011

My favourite nail polish ever...


Mod about you by OPI!


As I had applied this colour to my nails on Friday night I thought why not share with my readers my absolute all time favourite nail polish ever.It is of course OPI's Mod about you,its a bright version of a baby pink,very creamy with a slight lilac undertone.It looks great with a tan and is fab on both hands and toes.This is the only nail polish I have ever repurchased which in my opinion speaks for its self.I purchase all of my OPI either from work or from ebay as it works out a little cheaper and this is actually my third bottle.I`ve heard that some people find this shade hard to work with but I don`t think its too hard at all,it deffinetly needs to coats but after that its perfectly opaque,I find that it does tend to chip quite easily-even with a good top coat but I don`t mind so much as the colour is so worth it.This is hands down my favourite shade ever and I always get questions or compliments from people when I wear it.If you are a fan of pastel nail polish,like the 60`s look or are a pink nail polish fan then you must try it for yourself!