Bourjois Paris Flowers - Summer Trend look+

Back in June Bourjois launched their 2012 summer collection inspired by the beauty of tropical flowers from Latin America with a palette of bright blue teamed with spicy orange.

They created the above look using the following new products from the collection:

Bourjois round pot eyeshadow in no.16, a spicy orange

Bourjois round pot eyeshadow in no.02, a vivid blue (blue canard)

Bourjois 3D effet lipgloss in no.53 Corail artistic (one of my favourite glosses this summer!)

Bourjos Volume Glamour Max Waterproof mascara

I liked this colourful summery look, so I decided to recreate it myself :)

I applied the burned orange eyeshadow (16) all over the lid and into the socket line. Then I dampened the eyeshadow applicator and applied the bright blue shade (02) close to the top lash line for that fun splash of colour!

Other products used in his FOTD:

Clinique stay matte foundation in #9

Vichy dermablend ultra-corrective stick (review here)

UNE BB cream bronzer (review here)

NARS blush in the shade Orgasm

 

What do you think about Bourjois new summer collection? Is this look something you'd ever wear?

 

The full Bourjois Paris Flowers collection is available now at Boots & Superdrug stores nationwide and online.

Chanel Les 4 Ombes in Mystic Eyes

Last year for my birthday two of my lovely friends got me some Chanel makeup as a present (see my birthday presents post here). All my friends know me well enough to know that with a gift like beautiful makeup they pretty much can't go wrong ;)

The Chanel eye palette they got me was the Les 4 Ombres Palette in Mystic Eyes and it's been one of my favourite quads ever since! I never got round to reviewing it on the blog so only about a year late (woops) here is a recent face of the day using this versatile and gorgeous eyeshadow palette!

Now let's look at the palette a little more up close shall we?

As to be expected from the luxury brand Chanel; the packaging is gorgeous, compact and easy to use.

The palette comes with four eyeshadow shades in a smudge-proof formula, that can be applied dry for subtle shading, or dampened for more intense colour. 

Colours clockwise from L-R:

♥ Neutral deep chocolate brown with tiny gold flecks

♥ Light shimmery vanilla pink 

♥ Silvery shimmery grey taupe

♥ Warm shimmery light gold brown 

The pink and silver shades are a bit more sheer but the light brown and dark brown shades are both very pigmented. The whole quad is quite shimmery with the pink and silver being the most shimmery of the bunch. And as with all Chanel eyeshadows (I also have their Les Ombes Enigma Quad) the staying power is superb, and the colour payoff is excellent.

I love how you can play with these seemingly neutral colours to create a natural or dramatic smokey look. The shimmer in this quad just seems to make my eyes sparkle that little bit more! Here a slightly closer look at my neutral 'Mystic eyes' face of the day:

Products used:

Bourjois 123 Perfect Foundation (review here)

Stilla brighten and correct concealer (link)

Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder (review here)

Estee Lauder Goddess Sea Star Bronzing Blush (as seen here)

Chanel 14 Mystic Eyes - Silver shade applied to tearduct and inner 1/3 of eyelid

Chanel 14 Mystic Eyes - Light brown shade applied to outer 2/3 of lid and in the crease

Chanel 14 Mystic Eyes - Pink shade applied to the brow bone as a highlight

Chanel 14 Mystic Eyes - Dark brown applied along lower lashline

Blink + Go Mascara (as seen here)

On my lips I am wearing the other Chanel present the girls got me last year...

Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in Imaginaire (56) 

Imaginaire is a semi-sheer, milky medium pink colour with a hint of coral and some tiny tiny gold sparkles. This is one of my favourite lip glosses. The colour pay off is very pigmented and rich on my lips whilst still showing a hint of my natural lip tone. And the formula is smooth and glossy, without being tacky or sticky - just how I like it! When I wear this gloss I always feel girly and sophisticated :)

I absolutely love both these Chanel items so am very grateful to my friends for buying these for me! What do you think of the Mystic Eyes palette or the Imaginaire lip gloss? xoxo

Invisible Fluid 'See No, Feel No' Makeup

A few weeks ago I was invited to the Estée Lauder HQ's for the exclusive world-wide launch of their latest foundation, Invisible Fluid Makeup.

Actually they are not marketing this new product as a foundation but as 'fluid makeup' and calling it the future of makeup with the slogan 'See no make up, feel no make up'.

See no makeup?
The liquid makeup has been advanced with their new exclusive IntuiTone™ technology. This exclusive pigment technology gives the formula the power to conceal while embracing natural undertones to influence the shade for an ideal match. So all you see is natural, radiant, perfected skin in every light. 

Feel no makeup?

Invisible liquid makeup is ultra-light and ultra-breathable. The formula actually contains air as part of its emulsion. For best results you need to shake the bottle before application to blend the ultra-thin formula with the entrapped micronized air particles thereby creating the lightweight, ultra-natural appearance from an airbrush application and achieving the ultimate portrayal of fresh, natural and flawless looking skin.

In addition to these unique technology benefits, long-wearing Invisible Fluid Makeup is oil-free, alcohol-free, fragrance-free and infused with skin-loving minerals. 

Invisible fluid makeup is available in 16 shades and at the event they colour matched me to find the perfect shade for my complexion. My shade is 2WN2.

As soon as they applied this onto my skin I just loved the feeling. They were right, it doesn't feel like your average foundation. It's so light, radiant and natural looking whilst still providing me with enough coverage. I have been using this foundation now for the last few weeks and am definitely a fan!

Because it is a lighter foundation it lets your natural skin come through providing a perfect colour match and basically giving me that 'my skin, only better' look! It also lasts all day and doesn't clog any pores. 

 Apply on clean skin, over your daily moisturiser. Use your finger tips, stippling brush or the Estée Lauder Foundation Brush to blend the foundation, working from the centre of the face outwards. This foundation is build-able to get your desired coverage level without it looking cakey or chalky.

Makeup wise I am wearing....

♥ Face:

No7 Airbrush Away Primer (my current fave primer!)

MAC concealer studio finish concealer in NC20
Estée Lauder Invisible Fluid Makeup in 2WN2
Sleek Makeup Face Contour Kit (dark shade to contour under cheekbones)
Benefit Posietint cheek/lips stain applied on my cheeks as a blush.

♥ Eyes:

Urban Decay Primer Potion

MAC Club eyeshadow

Estée Lauder Pure Black eyeliner (waterline and toplashline)

2True IncrediLash MascaraIn my books MAC Club is definitely my all-time-favourite eyeshadow!! It just has the most gorgeous duo chrome finish and effortlessly creates a two-toned smokey look!! You can view a video tutorial that I did using MAC Club eyeshadow here (link)

So what do you think of the new Estée Lauder Invisible Fluid Makeup...is this something you have read about and curious to try the 'see no makeup, feel no makeup' revolution for yourself? 

Invisible Fluid Makeup is available in 16 shades, 30ml for £27 at your local Estée Lauder counter or online at www.esteelauder.co.uk (where btw they currently have a offer to receive a free sample of their concealer & lipgloss duo with any foundation purchase!)

Estee Lauder - Pure Color Cyber Eyes

Estée Lauder kicked off 2012 with the launch of a new collection called 'Pure Color Cyber Eyes'.
The collection introduces a new dynamic trend in colour make-up that boldly paints the eyes in graphic pigments. The powerfully modern collection, by Tom Percheaux, features six hyper-metallic finish gelée eyeshadows, four vibrant mascaras and six chic kohl eye pencils.

Let's have a look at some of the products shall we...

I love the packaging of Estée Lauder products, don't these eyeshadows look super pretty?

The, limited edition, Pure Color Gelée Powder EyeShadows include a first-to-market, “tribrid” system that changes the way makeup can be worn, wet or dry. The “tribrid” formula is an all-in-one liquid, powder and gel that creates a texture that is futuristically bouncy and ensures the eyeshadow applies smoothly and providing an extreme sheen. 

The collection includes six vibrantly decadent shades: 

Cyber Copper, Cyber Pink, Cyber Lilac, Cyber Silver, Cyber Green and Cyber Teal.

These are the three lovely Cyber Eyes Shades I have been playing with....

Clockwise: Cyber Green, Cyber Silver, Cyber Lilac

The exclusive formula can be worn in two finish options: apply wet for a hyper-metallic charged flash of colour or dry for a subtle shine finish.  But no matter how you apply it the shadows will be long-lasting, non-flaking and non-creasing. What's not to love?!

Cyber green (L) Cyber Silver (M) and Cyber Lilac (R) swatched dry on the left and wet on the right.

I personally prefer applying them with a wet brush. They go on so smoothly and give your lids a layer of gorgeous colour and shine! I love the silver shade and only was a bit surprised that the cyber green comes out more black/green rather jade/green. 

Next are the smoldering new Pure Color Intense Kajal Eyeliners. Inspired by the kajal used in India these liners are perfect to create a daring smokey look. The liners comes in six new shades; Blackened Black, Blackened Cocoa, Blackened Plum, Blackened Sapphire, Blackened Olive and Electric Teal. 

From left to right; Blackened Cocoa, Blackened Black and Blackened Plum

These liners are really creamy that provide rich pigmented colour. Apply on the inner rim of the yes for a smouldering effect or use as liner along lashline and softly smudge over lids to intensify your smoky look! I am loving the Blackened Cocoa at the moment because I usually wear black liner and think the brown is a softer look and a nice change.

Here is a recent simple look I created with some products of the new Pure Color Cyber Eyes collection.

Estée Lauder Cyber Silver applied all over the lid.

Estée Lauder Blackened Plum Eyeliner on my waterline and smudged along the top lash line.

L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic mascara (review to follow!)

Pure Color Gelée Powder EyeShadow RRP £19.00

Pure Color Intense Kajal EyeLiner RRP £16.00

What do you think of this collection, does anything tickle your fancy? The Pure Color Cyber Eyes Collection is available now at Estée Lauder counters worldwide or online at www.esteelauder.co.uk.

How to wear red jeans this fall..

One of the hottest trends this fall seems to be coloured jeans. I was immediately hooked on the look but couldn't decide what colour would suit me & my style the best. I was debating between cobalt blue and red but in the end red won because I felt it was more striking and suitable for fall and winter. 

I ended up finding a great pair at ZARA and have been loving them ever since :)
Here is a recent outfit of the day:

♥ Red skinny Jeans by ZARA (cropped with gold zips)

♥ White ruffled sleeve t-shirt by ZARA

♥ Leather high boots by Country Road

♥ Fake Fur Scarf by Primark

♥ Leather biker jacket by River Island

Red jeans could seem intimidating to pull off, but they can really be as versatile as your trusted indigo favourites. The best advice I can give is probably just to wear them like you would your regular jeans! But if you're still a little shy about sporting the red jeans trend, here are some quick tips: 

♥ Don't pair red with red. Instead wear with black, white, gray, navy or beige/nude.

♥ Team the red jeans with a pattern! This could be polka dot, animal print or nautical-inspired stripes. The busy print is a nice balance to the solid red.

♥ Even bolder (but still right on trend) is to team your red jeans with equally bold colours.  For example a bright orange top, blue blazer or even a yellow belt!

♥ Red jeans look fabulous with neutral-coloured or black heels, flats and boots.

♥ Avoid carrying a red handbag when you're wearing red jeans. It will just be way too much. Instead stick with a tan, white or black bag. Or as per the above point try colour blocking by adding a bold green or blue bag!

Here some more red jeans inspiration:

The other night I teamed my favourite new jeans with a French Connection black silk vest for a fun and easy evening ensemble just like Stacey in the first pic!

I'm loving all these looks and definitely think I made the right choice going red! 

Will you be bold and getting yourself a pair of red jeans this fall? xoxo

The Glossy Box Experience

You've probably read so much about the Glossy Box concept already because it's been all over the blogs here in the UK but for you that haven't really heard about it yet, here are my two cents on it all.
What is it? GlossyBox is a monthly subscribtion where you receive a box filled with a surprise mix of five high-end miniature beauty samples. It costs £12.95 per month and will provide you each month with a selection of what's hot in hair, beauty, scent and body care. I was very lucky to receive their September Glossy Box to expience it all for myself.

This what it looks like; I've got to say I was impressed with the girly and luxurious packaging.

The main benefit of the Glossy Box experience is that is you can easily (and from the comfort of your sofa) discover new types of products that you wouldn’t normally pick up and try or hear about.
So let's check out the products I got in the September Box:

♥ Dead Sea Spa Magik (Salt Brushing) Exfoliator
♥ Móa (The Green Balm)
♥ Plum (Eau de Parfum) by Mary Greenwell
♥ Neal and Wolf (GLOW Super Shine Spray)
♥ HD Brows (Eye&Brow Palette)

The main product that caught my eye was the HD brows kit because this has mentioned a lot in the press recently plus I am still on the look out for my holy grail brow shaping/filling set. 

So when I saw the HD brows palette in the box I got super excited. My excitment however subdued quite quickly once I saw that the palette I got was in the colour 'Vamp' which is meant for people with dark hair :( I suppose this is one of the downsizes of Glossy Box, you don't necessarily get products that are right for your colouring/skin type/hair type. On their website they do say that when you subscribe you complete a beauty profile to allow them to match the products as best as possible to your personal beauty and styling requirements, but I have heard some grummblings on the internet that this matching isn't always so accurate..

The palette is created by eyebrow experts HD Brows and contains four matte eyebrow colours, which can also double up as an eye shadow and eyeliner.

Top row: Nude & Carbon
Bottom row: Dark brown & Rich brown

You can apply this to brows, sweep across the lid, or precision apply along the lash line to give a soft but defined eyeliner look. The nude shadow is a great finishing touch for highlighting under brows and enhancing the brow bone.  The only shade that really works for shaping my brows is the dark brown (and this is only when I am aiming for a quite strong/dark and defined brow look) but I have to say I love the texture of these shades. Matte, highly pigmented and extremely long lasting. This palette usually features for £19.95 retail which I think is quite pricey and as much as I am enjoying using this palette I think there are probably cheaper alternatives out there that provide a similiar result, especially because in the end you don't really need 4x shades for your brows right? All you need is that one perfect shade to shape & set your brows, so my search for this holy grail product continues - please tell me what brow shaping product do you use and love??

Overall I think the montly Glossy Box concept is a great idea. I really liked the balm and hair shine spray (even though it's a little too fragranced for my liking) but the perfume and exfoliating salt weren't really up my alley. So would I sign up for this service? Probably not. Just because I have a huge collection of beauty products already and I think I prefer to have some sort of power over what I buy instead of paying a monthly fixed fee for a variety of sample products with the risk I might not like any of them. However I think if you are someone that doesn't own a lot of products and you are keen to experience and try a few new products and brands then this would be a great way to do so. Another bonus is that if you do love one of the products that came in your monthly box, the Glossy Box team provide you with offer codes for each product should you decide to purchase the full size version of it. Have you heard of Glossy Box before - what has been your experience?

For more information on Glossy Box, or to sign up, click here.

Bourjois, little round pots now more intense!

Did you know that Bourjois eyeshadows have been around since 1863, when the first unique baked little round pots were developed? That's almost 150 years! Over the years there have been several changes to the formula used for the little round pots and at a recent Bourjois event I got introduced to a brand new range of pots they have released this summer called Bourjois Intense Extrait!

 

Made from 87% mineral pigments, precisely measured and selected, the Intense little round pots are highly concentrated for 2x more coverage than a classic eyeshadow in one single application and is said to last up to 16 hours! The range (almost identical looking to the regular versions; just a little slimmer in size) comes in 10 gorgeous new shades.

I picked up the following little round pots from the Bourjois Intense Collection to have a play with:

From L-R: Shades 10. Charcoal Black, 07. Light Brown and 01. Golden Beige

I love the look of these eyeshadows which really do offer a really intense finish, and can also be used wet as an eyeshadow or eyeliner.

Swatched on hand. Even though they call 07 a light brown, I personally think it's more a muddy grey/brown/taupe colour. Whatever it is....I like it :)

I recently created the following smokey look with these three new shades:

I applied the gold shimmery colour all over the lid and blended the brown/taupe shade from the middle of the lid into the crease and along the lower lash line. I used a tiny bit of the black in the outer corner of the eye to darken it and used the black to line my lash lines (top and bottom)

Here is the full face of that day:

What do you think? I really like combination of these shades together. The eye shadows definitely have great pigmentation and are long lasting. Some people swear by Bourjois Little Round Pots and others have complained about poor-pay off, so for those people I think definitely give these Intense ones a swipe - I think you'll be impressed.

Check out the full range of colours from the Bourjois Intense eyeshadow range online.
The pots are available now and retails at £6.99/ €10.49 each. Think you will give them a go?

Estee Lauder - Double Wear ShadowCremes

As you all know I am quite a fan of MAC Paint Pots because not only do they work great as bases, they are also perfect for an easy swipe of long lasting colour to the lid. So I when I read about Estee Lauder's new Double Wear 'Stay-in-Place’ Shadow Cremes I was interested to try them out!

Estee Lauder promises that the creme eyeshadows deliver an 'intense colour that lasts up to 15 hours and goes on fast!' There are nine new summery shades in these little pots of cream shadows, which can be applied with your finger or brush. The pots are priced at £15.50 each and come in the following shades:

♥ Golden Sands

♥ Pink Pearl

♥ Gold Dust

♥ Butter Cream

♥ Café Au Lait

♥ Smokey Twilight

♥ Smokey Plum

♥ Midnight Kohl

♥ Mochachino

From L-R: Golden Sands, Butter Cream and Café Au Lait

I have to say I have am loving these little pots! They have an exceptionally silky formula that blends easily. Great pigmentation and coverage which doesn’t crease or fade; even in the heat it doesn't budge which you might expect a creamy based product to do! (This making them perfect for summer!) It glides on smoothly and 'dries' in about 30 seconds to a lovely powdery finish. You can wear it alone or layer it under powder eye shadow (just like MAC Paint Pots). Estee Lauder promises 15 hour wear, and even though I never timed it, I can confirm they are definitely long lasting. After long (warm) days and even after evening gym sessions the eyeshadow hardly faded or creased, so well impressed with its longevity! The colours are vibrant and build-able (in about two swipes the colour shows up as vibrant on my lid as they are in the pot) and they look like that all day long :) See swatches below: 

Top Natural Light, Bottom with Flash

From L-R: Golden Sands, Butter Cream and Café Au Lait

Can't think of any downfalls to this product really beside maybe that they are a little pricey. But then again you do get a lot of product for your money so they last you a long time, plus it's versatile because you can use the shadowcreme's as a base, shadow and liner! Here is me with a simple FOTD:

For this look I applied Café Au Lait all over the lid (and along lower lashline) with my fingers. I then applied some Golden Sands to the inner tear duct to brighten up the eye and blended the shadow cremes up to the crease with a clean blending brush. I finished off with some simple black liner along the upper lash line and a few coats of mascara. Simple but so pretty. Buttercream is probably my favourite out of the three, such a pretty beige coral shade!

If you'd like to try Estee Lauder's Double Wear ShadowCremes, you'll find them at your local Estee Lauder Counter or online. Have you ever tried any of the Estee Lauder ShadowCremes? xoxo

Estee Lauder - Island Oasis Eye Shadow Palette

Remember my initial love shout out for the the Island Oasis palette when I attended the launch of the Bronze Goddess Soleil Summer 2011 Collection? You can read about it all here! Well, I ended up getting this amazing palette and wanted to share a quick review including swatches.

Estee Lauder describes the palette as ‘Shades of paradise. Highlight, define and dramatize your eyes with the shimmering metallics and sunlit satin shadows of summer.’ The luxurious compact contains six complementary shades to wear alone or together – the possibilities are endless!

The shades in the palette are unnamed but I’d describe them from left to right as:
♥ a very dusty dark cypress green with gray undertones
♥ a, sheer to light coverage, warm yellow gold. A knock out on girls with blue or green eyes!
♥ a mediterranean aqua shade. More blue than green, therefore a cooler colour, applies light to medium.
Looks amazing applied as a pop of colour along the lower lash line, like I did in this tutorial for example :)
♥ a rose gold (light copper) shade. My absolute favourite of this palette!
It looks amazing on it’s own or blended with gold and bronzed brown shades.
♥ a deep copper colour, very warm and lovely in the crease with the gold or rose gold shades on the lid.
♥ a cool silvery/white. The most shimmery colour in the palette. Great as a highlighter or applied in the tearduct.

See swatches below  (top with flash, bottom in natural light)

The shadows are all shimmering metallics that will sparkle in the sun but not too glittery! The shades are all very pigmented even without a base. The colours in the Island Oasis palette are as summery as they get. They sing of the Caribbean’s, Greek Islands or Hawaii so it’s perfect for creating those Bronze Goddess looks this summer! I’m definitely loving this palette and every time the sun is out in London, I find myself grabbing it - now I just need to book myself some exotic holidays too ;)

Estee Lauder; Island Oasis palette. Available online at Estee Lauder - £31

NARS Makeup Your Mind: Express Yourself Kits!

In conjunction with the launch of the Makeup Your Mind: Express Yourself Book in the UK, NARS has teamed up with Harvey Nichols to offer three limited edition beauty kits that will help you attain the glamorous looks highlighted in the book. Instead of confirming to a specific look, each of the three kits focuses on a facial feature; Cheeks, Eyes & Lips!

The 'Cheeks' set is priced at £55.00 (and has a value of £82.00 so great bargain) and comes with the following:

- Orgasm/Angelika Blush Duo

- Copacobana Multiple

- Laguna Bronzing Powder

This is the pretty blush duo.  Orgasm is one of my Holy Grail blushes! Angelika is a bright pink blush which gives you a lovely flush to the cheeks. Watch out though, because Angelika is very pigmented so you want to apply it lightly, if not, you may end up looking a bit like a clown.... ;)

The 'Eyes' set is priced at £65.00 and comes with the following:

- Limited Edition Eyeshadow Palette with 6 NARS eyeshadows (love, love love it!)

- Medium Sized Smudge-Proof Eyeshadow Base

- Medium Sized Eye Makeup Remover
- Larger Than Life Volumizing Mascara

Am loving this gorgeous limited edition eye palette! Eyeshadows in the palette:
Top Row: Abyssinia, Silk Road*, Strada & Bottom Row: Galapagos, Fuji and Brumes*
(The * indicate the shades are from duos) I can't wait to mix Brumes and Strada for an amazing smokey eye.
Let me tell you; the dark grey mixed with the amethyst (infused with gold) look stunning together!!

The 'Lips' set is priced at £47.00 (has a value of £71.00 so another major bargain) and comes with the following:

- 'Roman Holiday' Lipstick- 'Bangkok' Pure Matte Lipstick
- 'Dolce Vita' Velvet Matte Lip Pencil
- 'Orgasm' Lip Gloss

I think these kits are an ideal pick for people who have never tried NARS before because you are getting a great selection of their well known products at a reduced cost! Are you loving any of these? xoxo