The Liebster Award

Last week I was nominated by the lovely Tanyia of Tanyia Talks for the Liebster Award. I don't normally do posts like this but I'd seen this tag on a few other blogs and think it's a really nice way of finding out a bit more about the blogger and nominating other blogs which you think are worth a read!

The rules are to post 11 random facts about yourself, answer 11 questions set by the nominator and nominate 11 other bloggers with under 200 followers to complete the tag. 

11 Random Facts About Me
1. I've been Gluten Free for about 18 months and Dairy Free for a year.
2. My favourite colour is blue (as you can probably tell from my blog!) and I can't stand pink anywhere except my face or nails!
3. My favourite flowers are lilies
4. I've got 4 piercings and keep changing my mind about getting a scaffold in my ear
5. I love meat far too much and could never be a vegetarian
6. Even though I know it's actually a bit rubbish I watch Eastenders whenever I can
7. I really cannot stand the smell of cocoa butter! 
8. I've never been a sporty person and if I had to choose a favourite sport it would probably be snooker
9. I'm a big fan of the Booth Museum
10. I'm allergic to shampoo and (even more annoyingly) whitening toothpastes
11. I love nature programmes and David Attenborough. I'd happily watch 'Attenborough Inspects Dung' if they ever put that on Eden!

11 Questions Set By Tanyia
1. What beauty product could you not live without? I think it would have to be foundation or at least BB cream, I do love a bit of mascara as well but if I'm just popping down to the shops I'd shove on a bit of base rather than anything else. 

2. What's your favourite thing about blogging?

My favourite thing would be getting into discussions with other bloggers about products/brands etc, its really nice to hear other people's views and lovely talk to people with the same interests. 

3. Is there anywhere in the world you want to visit?

I would love to visit Cuba, Madagascar, Australia, see the Giant's Causeway in Ireland and watch stags rutting in Scotland (the animals, not rowdy fiancés!). Madagascar might be a difficult one as I'm not so great with humidity but if the opportunity ever came I'd be straight on that plane!

4. How do you come up with your blog post ideas?

They usually come to me while I'm doing my make up or tidying up afterwards, thinking about the products I really like or have bought recently that other people might like to hear about. I don't usually veer too far off the beauty path but have got a few ideas written down for some different kinds of posts soon. 

4. Is there any beauty product you tried and hated?

There are quite a few that were really disappointing or just didn't look very good but I can't think of many I've actually hated. The only one I can think of, just because its the most recent that I threw away, is ELF's Natural Nymph lipstick- the colour was really odd on my skin tone and I found the formula really dry and waxy so it just wasn't for me. 

5. How did you come up with your blog name?

I really can't remember, I think it just popped into my head and I thought it sounded pretty catchy! My sister insists that taupe is pronounced 'torrrp' but I think that's pretty daft. 

6. Which celebrity do you look up to and why?

I had a good think about this and I'm not sure I actually look up to any celebrities, there are some I think are gorgeous like Mollie King, Kimberly Walsh, Kelly Brook, Miranda Kerr etc. I suppose in a way I look up to them all for having husbands/children etc, working hard and doing something they like every day but I'm not sure if I'd really look at any of them as a role model. 

7. What is your favourite type of post to read on other peoples blog?

I like any make up reviews and 'what's in my bag/make up bag' type posts, I think it's half nosiness and half wanting to know what people love so much that they must carry it around with them! 

8. What's your favourite feature about yourself?

I quite like having long eyelashes and I quite like my legs as well (with a bit of fake tan on).

9. Is there any advice you'd give to your younger self?

Don't be scared to talk a bit louder, walk a bit taller and smile a bit wider. Also get to bed on time, and don't start smoking you dafty!! 

10. What make up brand do you use the most?

At the moment it's MUA, Bourjois, and Maybelline for mascara. I've only got into MUA quite recently but I can't stop buying new things from them! 

11. If you were to start blogging again for the first time, is there anything you would do differently? 

I think I would try and get into the community more from the start, when I first started blogging I didn't really understand how twitter worked or really where to find other bloggers. I've come back to blogging after stopping for a bit for illness and I feel much more a part of the community now and I love how supportive everyone is of eachother!

11 Questions for my Nominees:
What would be your one desert island beauty product?

Have you ever had a fashion or beauty disaster?

What would be your dream career?

Underwear- matching or mismatched?

How did you choose your blog name?
Can you describe your personality in three words?

High waisted or low waisted?
What's your favourite highstreet beauty brand?

Do you have any piercings, tattoos or big scars?

What do you like least about blogging?

What's your favourite memory from the last 12 months?

I went by GFC numbers for the amount of followers of the blogs I've nominated, I did take a look to see if you've done a Liebster Award post before, sorry if you have and I've missed it but who doesn't want to be nominated twice hey? 

Blogs I Nominate:

Amy Georgette at A Modern Minute

India at Beauty Calls

Holly at HC Style

Ellie at Digging up the Daisies

Charlotte at Crave Green Velvet

Suzanne Marie at Fashion Journal by Suzanne Marie

Alice at The Fairest of Them All

Hannah at HVA Beauty and Style 

Annie at Annie's Allsorts

Amanda at Beautee Beauty

Megan Elizabeth at GlitterTea

Nail Girls London Polish in Pink #7 Bubblegum Cream

Before the Brighton Blogger Meet last month, Nail Girls had very kindly looked at our blogs and chosen a colour which they thought would suit our tastes. Each was tagged, carefully wrapped in cellophane and bowed, and a little note was written to each of us.

I received Pink #7 Bubblegum Cream, described on the Nail Girls website as 'a vivid bubblegum pink cream nail varnish. This scorching shade looks fabulous on all skin tones and

is perfect for hot sunny days'. 

I'm really pleased with the colour choice; with one coat this polish applies as an almost pastelly candyfloss shade but with two coats to build up the colour its a light but bright bluey bubblegum which is a lovely addition to my almost completely pink collection.

The brush on these polishes is a lot longer than others I've used, meaning it picks up a lot of polish and I can do more than one nail with one dip. Despite being quite an opaque formula it dries quickly which is really good for impatient madams like me!

What has really impressed me about this polish is how well it wears on my thin flaky nails, usually I can barely get one day of wear before literally half of the polish has disappeared from at least two of my nails. With this polish I managed a full 24 hours with perfect colour and another few days with just touch-up-able chips before my nails started their usual silly business.

Nail Girls, apart from offering a range of nail colours and treatments, also have a nail spa based in Islington which boasts a Drying Lounge and Spa Garden. Their polishes are all vegan friendly plus Toluene, Formaldehyde, Phthalate and Camphor free which is a big plus for me as if you read my OPI post from a while ago you'll remember that I'm not too keen on the thought of formaldehyde on my nails. 

Although this polish is a little more pricey than I usually go for, it wears so well on my nails that I'd definitely purchase some more for myself and I have my eye on Pink #12 Electric Cerise Foil and Blue #2 Vivid Mediterranean.

The Nail Girls London polishes are available from their salon and online shop for £10.50.

April Birchbox - In bloom

A tiny bit late with this one as we're now in May but thought I'd do a little review of April's In Bloom Birchbox that I kindly received at the Brighton Blogger Meet recently. I had a little foray (just googled foray and that's not the right word), a little journey into the world of beauty boxes last year with Glossybox and Carmine, but felt that the products weren't really suited well to me. 
Birchbox is the reworked version of Joliebox and each month provides 4-5 medium to high-end beauty samples to your door for £12.95. I was excited to take a look into the Birchbox drawstring bag to see what goodies beauty boxes have to offer twelve months on from when I subscribed, here are my thoughts:

First off, I really like the idea of having a drawstring bag as well as a box, it's really useful and I think a much better way of containing the products than lots of tissue or paper shavings. I will definitely be getting use out of the bag and actual box as its a handy little size.

Paname Paris Mirror £7.50- This mirror has such a cute little design and is the perfect make up bag size, I like that it isn't a compact so you don't have to have a quick fiddle before checking out your face. Not sure that I would pay full price for it but I will definitely be using it nonetheless.

Weleda Skin Food £5.95- Weleda's products are all 100% natural and this is a very emolient balmy type salve that has a sweet orangey rosemary-y smell. Because it's so thick I'm not sure Id use this on my face but it will make a great hand cream and will be perfect for my dried out knees!

Gerda Spillmann Renaissance Age Serum £69- Honestly, this is the kind of product I dread from beauty boxes- its very very expensive so if I do love it I will never own it, and its anti aging which isn't really suited to my 21 year old skin. It contains edelwiess, smells nice and sinks in easily with it's liquid gel texture. I will try it out, but I might end up giving it to my mum.

Natio Gentle Foaming Facial Cleanser £6.80- Now this is more within my price range, my heart did sink a bit when I couldn't find the price on the Birchbox website and I was thinking more £168 or something daft, but £6.80? and available from Tesco? Tell me more! Natio is an Australian brand and this cleanser contains shea butter, sandalwood and rosewood with a neutral ph to avoid upsetting the skin. Tesco brands Natio as being pure and natural but looking at the ingredients, I'm pretty sure Propylene Glycol, Methylparaben and Potassium Hydroxide dont grow on trees so maybe they just meant the fragrant extracts? This product has a herby smell that reminds me a bit of Savlon but that I quite like. I'm looking forward to trying out this pearlescent cream cleanser as my skin has been a bit irritated recently.

La Societe Parisienne de Savons Savon a L'origan £8.50- The smell of this soap was the first thing that hit me when I opened the Birchbox and it has a nice clean scent, more complex than you get from a cheapy hand soap. It's presented in nice retro style packaging with a little blurb about Oregano and it's mythology as Aphrodite's love potion. I usually buy Simple bar soap which is about £2.50 for 4 but gets the job done so it will be interesting to try out a luxurious soap and see whether my hands are anything more than, well.. clean!

Mirenesse Glossy Kiss in Perfect Kiss £17.50- This lip crayon is a medium pinky red shot through with gold glitter and can be built up from sheer to bold. It feels quite balmy on the lips but has the added bonus of also being a cheek product (you know how much I like putting lip products on my cheeks!) and is easy to blend out. The packaging says it has 'self renewing shine' and I'm not quite sure what that means but I've worn it a few times already and it is quite long lasting. This isn't a shade I'd normally go for but I do like the formula so far, so have been coaxed out of my current light pink phase. Be warned though, blended out this is very glittery!

Well, this did make a change to my normal reviews, and with it not being as gushy as usual it might seem like I got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning! I think beauty boxes will always be a bit hit and miss- without being able to pick out your own products there's bound to be things you would never have chosen for yourself. With that said, I will definitely use all of the products from April's Birchbox but whether I'll purchase the full sizes is yet to be seen.

I'm not sure whether this box has convinced me to subscribe to a beauty box again, I'm still undecided, but I do like the look of the products in the May box.... hmm.....!

Blog Sale

Just a quick little post to say I've put my blog sale up (which you can find by clicking above or here), hopefully you'll see something you like the look of! I was waiting for the right time to put a few bits up and I hit 20k pageviews just the other day so I thought now would be perfect.
As well as concealers, eyeshadows, moisturisers and other beauty bits you'll also find for sale a vintage polaroid camera, designer sliding mirror and a few jewellery items!

Happy shopping, lovely readers!

Trevor Sorbie Catwalk to Salon Event

Last week Holly and I headed down to Brighton's Trevor Sorbie Salon for the Catwalk to Salon event. The weather was dreary and wet but inside the bright salon we were greeted with drinks, nibbles and the sunny faces of the Salon team and Brighton Bbloggers.

Two hairstyles from the AW13 catwalk were demonstrated by Anna and Fergal, Trevor Sorbie Stylists who had worked at London and Paris fashion weeks. The first style was from Marc Jacobs and was inspired by the big backcombed hair of the 1970s. The hair was first parted low to the side, then curled with a small wand and each section was pinned to keep the curl in shape. The hair was teased carefully with a Mason Pearson type brush to give huge candy floss style volume and then sprayed with dry shampoo for hold and to make it easier to style into place. Anna left a few inches either side of the parting unteased to avoid the 80s permed look, and used her fingers to position a side fringe before pinning into place.
I really like this look, its quite dramatic for everyday wear but slightly toned down I think it would be a great bouncy almost messy look for a night out, and definitely a head turner! 

The look created by Fergal was a wet look sporty ponytail from the Peter Pilotto London show. Fergal first ran mousse through the model's hair before scraping it back with his fingers into a ponytail square with the eyes. The placement of the hair was key with this look- it need to be high enough to look sporty and it was aimed to be placed as an extension of the jawline to reference the features of a horse's face. The hair was then wound with lengths of black elastic that held it tight in place extended from the head to emanate the way a horse's tail is elevated during dressage. Water and oil were then sprayed across the head and through the lengths to keep the hair looking textured and wet.
I'm not sure I could pull off the wet look aspect of this style but I do like the idea of extending the hair out from the back of the head to make a normal ponytail more interesting and fashionable.

After the main demonstrations we were each treated to a little demo on our own hair of looks we'd seen in magazines and on the catwalks, and I got some great hair tips from Fergal. Fergal showed me how to do a Milkmaid Braid style look with fishtail plaits that Ive been seeing all over the internet recently and I was so pleased with the results! I havent quite perfected my braiding skills yet but am really looking forward to trying this style myself as I often find it hard to think of up-dos for my hair.

It was lovely to meet everyone from the salon, including Kate the salons director and colour specialist, and I had a really lovely evening chatting hair with everyone! As we left we were given a goody bag which so kindly included a complimentary colour and/or cut and a few other goodies that I will be posting about soon! 

The Trevor Sorbie Brighton salon offers cutting, colouring and blowdrying services as well as a nail bar and complimentary fringe trims for all clients, and I will definitely be back soon!

Review: MUA Eyeshadow Palettes in Undress Me & Undress Me Too

I'd been after some affordable neutral palettes after hitting pan on my usual favourites and when I saw swatches of the MUA palettes I knew I had to have one. Well, with me being quite indecisive and a bit of a sucker for shimmery browns I knew I actually had to have two.
On first inspection these were smaller than I thought they'd be but that was my own fault for only looking at online photos, and at 14x7.5cm they're handy to slip in your makeup bag without having to make rushed colour decisions. Each palette closes with a satisfying click and is pretty sturdy although I did have one casualty from the clumsy cat giving Undress Me a kick off the dressing table (jealousy, obv).
If you're looking particularly for matte shades then these won't be the palettes for you as the shimmer features very heavily and the mattes aren't the most pigmented I've ever used, but as a shimmer girl I'm not all that bothered and I don't like anything too strong in my crease. It would've been nice to see a matte black for lining the eyes though as then i'd have been sorted and wouldn't have to take another with me in my makeup bag.
As for the colours, they range from shimmery black and grey up through browns, golds and silvers to a light cream, so I'm always finding shades to wear whether I want to go warm, cool or natural. These last well on my eyes and don't fade much or crease but I do find they have a tendency to imprint above the lid if I don't use a neutral base colour from another brand. I also find there isn't much fallout down the cheeks which I'm really pleased about as with other affordable brands like ELF I've always had to do my eyes first to avoid dark smudges in my foundation.
These are widely reviewed as great dupes for Urban Decay's Naked and Naked 2 as you might be able to tell from the slightly risque names of the palettes. Only having individual UD shades I can't comment, but comparison photos are only a google search away and a lot of the shades do look very very similar! One thing that I like about Undress Me Too over Undress Me is that they've actually named the shades on the back of the packaging, it really gets to me when brands don't bother to do this- 'Corrupt', 'Exposed' and 'Devotion' sound a lot more appealing than 'Shade 12', 'Shade 8' and 'Shade 2' don't they?

Overall I'm much more pleased with these than I have been with an affordable eyeshadow palette for a long time. I think Undress Me Too is my favourite for having slightly lighter shades but Undress Me is great if I'm feeling more dramatic and for evening makeup, also for £4 each it's not a big deal if there are 1 or two shades that don't float my boat.

The Undress Me and Undress Me Too eyeshadow palettes are available from MUA Online or Superdrug for £4.

Spring Lip Balm Picks

After a long winter with chilly winds and dry radiator heat my lips always need a bit of extra care as the sun starts to come out. My lips tend to be a bit dry whatever the weather so these are my picks for lip care this spring:
Vaseline Aloe Vera Lip Therapy is an old favourite and this is the Vaseline variety that works best for me when my lips are particularly dry or sore. Carmex is another well established lip saver brand and this Vanilla Click Stick is a new addition to my collection. It contains vitamin E and has SPF 15 which is perfect for protecting against the sun, has a slightly waxy feel that means it lasts well on the lips, and also makes satisfying little clicks as you twist it up! Another slightly waxier pick is the Blistex Daily Lip Conditioner, I love Blistex products for their menthol tingly feels-like-its-actually-doing-something effect on the lips and this little pot doesn't disappoint. It also contains SPF 15 and added collagen to keep lips soft and smooth from the inside out. My two favourites for an amazing summer scent are the Nivea Lip Butter in Raspberry Rose and The Body Shop Born Lippy in Pink Berry. Honestly I don't really care whats in the Nivea one because I just love smelling it and literally want to eat it but I do know that it feels lovely on the lips (like butter not surprisingly) but without being greasy and very subtly lightens my lip colour. The Born Lippy balm is full of moisturising and nourishing oils and contains Community Fair Trade Beeswax from Cameroon. As this has a balmy texture it lasts a long time on the lips but I've been applying it frequently just so I can have a quick sniff! If you're not into fruity scents then there's the Caramel Cream Lip Butter from Nivea that has a sweet but more subtle fragrance with the same thick but not heavy buttery feel. Both Lip Butters contain Hydra IQ, a hydrating complex that allows water and moisturisers to reach cells in deep layers of the skin through osmosis -the movement of liquids from a higher to lower concentration through a partially permeable membrane (yes I did learn that at school, yes I do still know it off by heart!). If you're not into fancy fragrances but like a glossy moisturised lip then my final pick is perfect- the Simple Intensive Lip Moisturiser is like a thick gloss in a squeezy tube but isn't runny or sticky. It contains Pro Vitamin B5, Vitamin E and Glycerine and I always have one in my bag for its no nonsense does-what-it-says-on-the-tube goodness!

How do you keep your lips smooth and soft in spring?

April Favourites & May Wishlist

Cosmopolitan Blend Perfection Sponge £4.99- This is a product I had on my previous wishlist and was in two minds about. Well I'm glad I tried it thought, as it's replaced all foundation brushes I have. I prefer to use it dry or very slightly damp as when its properly damp it sheers out my foundation so much that I end up using loads. It gives a lovely uniform texture to the skin, smooths out uneven patches and application lines I didn't even realise I had! Also really great for blending out into the hairline and for colour on the cheeks, although it does take quite a bit of cleaning and I've scratched it with my nails already whoops!

Batiste Medium and Brunette* £3.99- If you read my post about Girlz Only Dry Shampoo from a while ago you'll know that I was never Batistes biggest fan as it would always give me the greying roots look, so I was really pleased to see the brown coloured version in my goody bag from the Brighton Blogger Meet. This is a medium brown powder spray that even before working in is so much less noticeable than the usual white sprays. This has a massive thumbs up from me!
MUA Out There Gloss in Candy Pink £2- You can read my full review with swatches of 8 of the shades here but Candy Pink is my definite favourite. Its a lovely light bluey pink and my lips aren't yet immune to the plumping action from these glosses. I also find my lips are a lot smoother and less dry or flaky when using these.

 MUA Lipstick Shade #16 Nectar £1- Another MUA purchase, I'm hooked! I bought three lipstick shades and will do a review post with swatches soon. This is quite a bright orange in the tube but tones down to a more corally colour on the skin. Its much less scary when you get it on your face and actually looks really nice blended out on the cheeks. I'm not a massive blush girl and don't tend to go for powders too much so this is just pigmented enough to make me look alive and awake without being some mental bright pink. Why I didn't actually get a cream blush I don't know, maybe they weren't out there on the stand? But I did half have my cheeks in mind when buying this and who says you cant put lipstick on your cheeks anyway? In the words of Wayne Goss 'Do whatever makes you happy'!

MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighter £3- When I first used this highlighter I was pretty disappointed as it didn't really seem to be doing anything, but as soon as I stepped back from the mirror into the light- wow, I looked glossy! The first thing that drew me to this was the gorgeous embossed pattern (although mine is a bit deformed now) and it has a lovely pinky pearlescence that goes well with my skintone. The only bad thing is that it isn't all that finely milled, so if you go a bit overboard it does tend to accentuate the pores a bit. I've been applying this with the MUA F2 Stippling Brush £3 which is another MUA product that I love as its soft and picks up just the right amount of product.
ILAH Semi Permanent Mineral Brow Travel Kit* £29.99- I was so pleased to see not only ashy browns in this little kit but also a black shade- I've had my eye on a few other kits but they just weren't dark enough, and for those us with very dark eyebrows a brown can look very noticeable and strange. This black isn't too pigmented which is good to avoid going overboard but mixed with the gloss it becomes a little darker and is great for creating defined ends. This really does have staying power as I do occasionally sleep in my makeup (cue gasps and finger wagging!) and happily my eyebrows have stopped wearing off in the night. This is so handy to throw in your makeup bag as its a nice sturdy compact that has a pretty big mirror for it's size.
Autograph Liquid Glow Illuminator £9.50- I'd been umming and ahhing over Mac Strobe Cream for months, swatching it over my hands and up my arms and wondering whether I really needed a lotion when I already had a cream highlighter. My answer came after reading some reviews and swatching the Autograph Liquid Glow Illuminator in the shop as its exactly the same but much cheaper! This is a light iridescent lotion with moisturising ingredients that's hypoallergenic and paraben free. It can be used under foundation, mixed with foundation or over the top for a dewy highlighted look. It also comes in two colours- white or bronze, with bronze being a lot darker than shown on the website but would be gorgeous in summer on tanned skin!
REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask* £30- I had a skincare overhaul last month and REN is featuring pretty highly in my routine at the moment. Usually this would be out of my price league but I had a small sample tube I'd been trying and the full size was kindly bought for me. This has an orange fruity scent and the consistency of jam but as it works so well I don't mind having a sticky face. I avoid active blemishes and it doesn't tingle, burn or dry my face but I instantly notice how much smoother and softer my skin is. Hopefully it will continue to keep my skin smooth and I'll notice more radiance in my dull complexion. A tip for if you're not seeing results- I noticed after the 3rd and 4th time the effects weren't as good as the first, I saw a couple of posts saying that people were getting better results leaving the mask on for 40-60 mins. At the moment I leave it for about 40 mins and am still pleased every time!
Clinique Supermoisture Makeup £21.50- As I said above, I've had a skincare overhaul and my new regime contains quite a bit of Salicylic Acid and Niacinamide that can be drying to the skin until it gets used to them. Unfortunately I've had quite a lot of dryness in problem areas so dug out my Supermoisture Makeup and have fallen back in love! This is a thick and creamy foundation that says it has sheer to moderate coverage but I thinks its definitely more medium as it covers blemishes so well. Even though its moisturising and gives a dewy finish it still dries down (unlike a lot of dewy foundations, especially highstreet ones that stay wet and transfer), but the dewiness comes from quite a bit of shimmer that may or may not be your cup of tea. Despite the shimmer I've been wearing this a lot combined with Stila SPF 30 tinted moisturiser and my acidified skin (lurrvely!) is thanking me for it.

May Wishlist

I did really well with my wishlist last month, most of the items were very affordable so I managed to get a lot of them and wasn't lusting too much over expensive things I couldn't afford! This months wishlist is a little smaller than others but still affordable so am looking forward to getting down the shops!
NYX Cream Blush in Glow- Maybe its time to stop blending lipstick onto my cheeks? I'll only know once I get my hands on a cream blush and this looks so gorgeous on other people I've seen with a similar skin tone.
NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream- Shannon (Shaaanxo on youtube) mentioned these and did some swatches in one of her recent videos, and they come in light colours that I've been loving but finding it hard to get in lipstick form. These are matte but long lasting on the lips so can be worn under gloss.
Wet n Wild Mega Last Lip Colour- I haven't yet tried any lip products from Wet n Wild so will be really interested to see what I think of these. I've been wanting them for the same reasons as the Lip Creme above.
Autograph Instant Radiance Primer- I swatched this when I went to buy the Illuminator and really liked the texture and finish, Its not as siliconey as other primers I've tried and is meant to illuminate the skin under foundation. I might do a primer post soon as they're so hit and miss!
Amie Spring Clean Cooling Clay Mask- I received a sample sachet of this mask and was so impressed even after just one use! I used to love clay masks but haven't tried any out since my favourite was discontinued. This one tingles with Menthol and smells just like lime jelly from the added Lime Butter, my face felt so clean and bright that I cant wait to get my hands on a full size tube.
Sleek Luminous Pressed Powder- I've been swatching this in Superdrug and can't really make my mind up so its going on the wishlist until I do. This is a powder with light reflecting particles that is meant to set foundation but add a healthy glow to avoid the dullness that powder can sometimes give. I used to completely powder and matte down my face which gave my makeup great longevity but now that I prefer a more dewy finish it does sound like the perfect product... I think I'll have another swatch....

What are your favourites from last month and wishlist items? Have you tried any of the products above?

Brighton Blogger Meet Up

On Saturday I headed off to the Globe pub in Brighton for the #BtonBloggerMeetup arranged by the lovely (and very organised!) Laura from Lola and Behold. Id never met any bloggers before but everyone was very friendly and I wasn't nervous for long!

At the Globe there was a demonstration from Lush of their Cosmetic Catastrophe facemask which unfortunately I missed, but after a little chat with the other girls came the distribution of the goodie bags (sneaky peak at the end of this post) and an exciting little raffle in which I won a bottle of Skinetica (review coming soon).

After a speedy M&S lunch on the go we were off to My Salon Looks at the Hove end of Western Road where we were kindly treated to hair demonstrations, a glass of Bucks Fizz and macaron or two.

We were shown the Shu Uemera experience, where lovely thick hair oils were dabbed with a sponge into the hair roots, and then combed through the hair to distribute the oil evenly and give the hair amazing softness and shine. George, the Styling Director, said the Shu Uemera products were the first in his career that he had 100% confidence in and they looked so luxurious, even the bowls and spoons used to hold the products looked chic!

Next we were shown a dyeing technique called Tissue Highlights, where tissue is used while the colour is developing instead of the traditional foil. The hair model was then sat under a very futuristic looking dryer (maybe these are common? I don't go in hairdressers often so I was fascinated!). The hair washing room is called The Oasis and it's an amazing dark and relaxing den with massaging chairs and lovely colour changing lights. After a quick rinse we saw how delicate and blended the tissue had made the highlights instead of the streaky look that a foil technique can occasionally create.

Soon it was time to leave the salon but not before we were very generously and unexpectedly treated to a £15 off voucher for the salon and a choice of a professional pair of straighteners or hairdryer. I chose a hairdryer which is the TI Sensual Salon Professional 3600 and has Argan Oil technology that helps produce smoothing ions as it dries the hair. I've been using mine everyday since I so kindly received it and my hair has never looked so good, it blows like a hurricane but is definitely not as hot as my ear burning previous dryer and my hair is looking silky smooth!

Next we were off to the Body Shop where a lovely representative helped some of the girls with new purchases and I had a good swatch and chat about favourite products with Holly from HC Beauty. Finally we split into little groups and some of us went off to the MAC shop for some more swatching (spreading of Pro Longwear and Strobe Cream up my arm!).
After a very quick stop in the Seven Stars, and too soon, it was time for me to rush off. Lots of the girls stayed in town for dinner together and I was sad to miss out as it would've been great to have more of a chat with everyone!

I was really blown away by the goodie bag as when I first put my name down I didnt even know that there would be goodies! We received an amazing array of samples so definitely keep your eye out for reviews of the products soon. Ive been trying out lots of the products already and so far am particularly impressed with the ILAH Semi Permanent Brow Kit (amazing staying power and great colours for girls with confusing brown hair/black eyebrow combos like me!), Skinetica blemish lotion and Bodhi Neroli face oil. We also received a full size Birchbox, which was a lovely surprise, and a polish from NailGirls that was hand picked based on our blogs- I received Pink 7 which is a lovely bluey bubblegum pink.

I had a really lovely day and it was so nice to chat with other beauty bloggers, I look forward to meeting up again sometime soon!