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

Diane and 'Be the woman you want to be'

When an invite arrived a few weeks back to attend the launch of Diane Von Furstenberg's new fragrance in London, I was beyond excitement! Why, because turns out she would actually be there to promote the new scent herself. So last week I headed out to the West End to the DVF Boutique in Bruton Street to meet Diane and I have to admit, I was a little nervous to soon be face-to-face with this amazing fashion icon. 

First off I have to start by saying that as soon as I walked in I fell in love with the DVF store! It is so beautiful, intimate and the clothes, oh don't get me started on the clothes....I wish I could have walked out with every single item in there! 

So colourful, so timesless, so beautiful, so elegant, so powerful.....basically just so 'Diane'! :)

Now onto the amazing lady Diane von Furstenberg herself. I was completely blown away by her personality, charisma, elegance, beauty, style and intelligence. What an inspirational woman!

She spoke so passionately about her life, her career and what inspired her to create this fragrance. 

Apparently, Diane's experience in fashion has helped her observe the power of fragrance and the fact that according to Diane “People forgot about the power of perfume and the magic of perfume. Perfume has been used since antiquity to seduce. It is about emotion; it is memory and addiction."

This is the reason that inspired her to create a new fragrance, a fragrance which will capture the essence of beauty and seductiveness. Diane von Furstenberg told in an interview that: “Everything I saw and everything I do is all about the same thing: Be the woman you want to be. It’s all about empowering women.”

Diane said on the day 'in this bottle I have put all my knowledge, all my seduction tricks and all my power. So this is quite something" OK I am sold, where do I sign up? ;)

So now last but not least onto the fragrance 'Diane'. 
"Created by and for an independent woman, for those who are full of life, power, passion and subtle complexity. Much like the iconic wrap dress 'Diane' envelopes the body to give a woman glamour, shine and confidence." Floral notes of frangipani and violet are “the yin and the yang,” as D.V.F. puts it; flowers that contrast, which is the way she sees women.

The Diane fragrance was created with the help of Chantal Ross and crafted by Aurelien Guichard of Givaudan and the frangipani and violet flowers are fused with base notes of murrh, musk and patchouli which add a touch of warmth and power to the scent.

I have to say, I love this fragrance, it's beautiful! It's a real classic, womanly, sexy and sophisticated scent. If you are a typical young, sweet and fruity kind of fragrance girl this might not be for you. It's more a woody floral fragrance which I believe will be a real classic and hit for woman that are early to mid 20's and upwards. It's powerful and classic yet fun and fresh at the same time! All I can say is, go smell for yourself and be swept away by Diane's new fragrance. 'Be the woman you want to be' 

After Diane's talk to us all about the new fragrance, she circulated the room, sharing the fragrance and tying scented ribbon around her admiring audience's wrists. This is when I got my photo opportunity! OK it's a terrible photo of me but who cares, I am standing next to Diane von Furstenberg. A moment I will remember for a long time....

The fragrance 'Diane' will launch exclusively in Harrods and DVF boutiques from 16th October 2011. It will be available nationwide from early 2012. Prices start at £47 for the Eau de Toilette and £64 for the Eau de Parfum.

Do my lips look fat in this?

Eyeko has just re-launched one of their cult products called 'Fat Balm'. These limited edition balms are infused with light reflection particles, moisturising Jojoba oil and added SPF15 for softer, fun, sexy lips. Add a hint of colour and shine as you protect and hydrate your lips :)

Check out the adorable packaging of these Fat Balms:

The Fat Balms comes in 6 colours: Raspberry, Strawberry, Frosting, Toffee, Cherry and Minty. 
Lucky me, got to try out Frosting and Toffee!

Left: Frosting Fat Balm, Right:Toffee Fat Balm

Frosting Fat Balm coats your lips in a frosted sugar-pink colour with a hit of cup cake fragrance.

Toffee Fat Balm leaves your lips with a creamy caramel, polished nude look and has a yummy toffee scent! 

See swatches below:

Top: Toffee Fat Balm

Bottom: Frosting Fat Balm

I've been wearing Toffee a lot, it's such a nice nude caramelly shade and it's really non drying and the SPF in the balm makes it perfect for hot sunny summer days!

You can acquire these fat balms (£6) and many other pretty purchases from Eyeko.
Use my ambassador code E15072 to receive a free gift with all purchases over £15/€18/$20! xoxo

A day out at the Races - Royal Ascot!

On Saturday the 18th June I went to the famous Royal Ascot Races at Ascot Racecourse.

Royal Ascot is one of Europe's most famous horse race meetings, and dates back to 1711 when it was founded by Queen Anne. Every year Royal Ascot is attended by Queen Elizabeth II and various members of the British Royal Family, arriving each day in a horse-drawn carriage. It is a major event in the British social calendar, and press coverage of the attendees and what they are wearing often exceeds coverage of the actual racing! ‘Tradition, pageantry, fashion and style all meet in a glorious setting at one of the most beautiful racecourses in the country.’

What does this mean??? DRESSING UP TIME! :)

I’d done all my shopping and had found the perfect outfit at Reiss; a stunning green Grecian style dress!
I matched my dress with a colourful fascinator (that I already owned) by Australian Designer Alannah Hill.
MakeUp wise this was my Face of the Day:
♥ Face
MAC Studio Fix concealer in NC20
Estee Lauder Double Wear (Stay in Place Makeup; SPF10) mix of Fresco (N2N) & Desert Beige (2N1)
FYF Cosmetics –Impeccable Mineral Loose Powder in Medium
NARS Laguna Bronzer
MAC Warm Soul Mineral Blush
MAC Charcoal Brown e/s fill in brows
MAC clear brow gel to set brows

♥ Eyes
NARS Dogon eyeshadow Duo (light shade all over lid & dark colour in outer lid, crease & lower lash line)
MAC Fluidline in blacktrack applied with MAC 210 eyeliner brush
MAC Smolder kohl liner in waterline
NARS Larger Than Life Volumizing Mascara

I proclaimed my love for the NARS Dogon eyeshadow Duo back in April at the launch of NARS's Summer 2011 Collection. You can read my original review here. I think this is such a beautiful duo and I have been using it lots! I love wearing the lighter colour all over the lid with the darker shade in the crease (as done in this FOTD) but have also used the two colours on top of each other for a stunning charchaol green smokey eye!

♥ Dogon Duo Eyeshadow (Limited Edition) £23.50 - get it online at Nars Cosmetics

Named for the Mali-based culture, this metallic taupe (with icy green sheen) and charcoal black duo eyeshadow delivers an unexpected twist on an otherwise neutral color combo. Blend the lighter shade from lashes to brow and smudge the darker hue in the crease and along lashes for added impact. When blended together, the shades create an iridescent green cast on the charcoal hue!

NARS Dogon Swatched:

From left to right: light colour, dark colour and both mixed together

Left: No Flash                                                                 Right: With Flash

Here some more pictures of my day at Royal Ascot!

Loved my green dress! Reiss is one of my favourite shops here in London.

Oh and my friend’s blue dress is also from Reiss – it’s the blue version of this one!

I had a lovely day at the races; I got to see the Queen, drink (quite a few) champagnes, placed some bets on the horses (actually WON £20!) and watched a fashion show. Might have to do this again next year :)

Have you ever been to Royal Ascot or a day out at the Races in your country? xoxo