Thursday 31 January 2013

Look Makeup 'Haul'

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look_powders

look_swatches

Make Me Blush Blusher in Rosy £8.00
Make Me Blush Blusher in Flush £8.00
Holiday Glow Bronzer in Hollywood £8.00
Cream Blusher in Melon £5.00
Look at Superdrug

On a recent perusal of the Superdrug website I noticed that the majority of the Look make up collection was reduced by up to 50%, seeing that I love both the products I've already tried I took advantage of the offer and got all of the above, plus a mascara and nail polish for a bargain
The offer's still on but I don't think it's 50% any more, still a good discount to be had though
I'm tempted to pick up a few other bits now paydays here!
I like the simple packaging of the larger products but not so much the big text on the front, I like things clean looking and simple
The cream blusher is in quite a cheap plasticy housing but I do like the fact you can see the colour inside
All of the bronzers and blushers in the Look range are in the same packaging so it's hard to tell what your picking up without opening it.
As you can see from the swatches they are all really well pigmented and lovely colours too
Rosy is a subtle pink, something I don't actually have in my collection as it's not coral! 
It's a really pretty colour and is perfect for an everyday, rosy cheeked look
Flush is, surprise surprise, a coral..it's similar to the Nars Orgasm in colour but doesn't have the chunky glitter in it which I think is a bonus
Hollywood is a really nice warm bronzer, I prefer warm colours on my skin tone
This requires quite a light hand to avoid looking like mud but I think it would make a stunning eyeshadow colour
I'm really enjoying cream blushers at the moment and Melon is a gorgeous colour, similar to Topshop flush but different enough to not be a dupe
It's a lovely pink colour, again nice and warm and looks great lightly buffed into the cheeks

Very impressed with my little Look haul and I'm now off to eye up some more purchases!
Love
Belle
xoxo

Sunday 27 January 2013

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Stereo Rose

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Mineralize Skin Finish
Stereo Rose
£21.50 
MAC

I remember when I first started reading beauty blogs a few years ago Stereo Rose popped up numerous times and I loved the look of it
Aesthetically it was gorgeous, the gold veining in the actual powder was gorgeous but it also swatched stunningly 
I tried searching for it online via ebay and all sorts but it was either fake or ridiculously over priced, I resigned myself to never owning the little pretty
And then I heard that MAC were re-releasing it, I knew I wasn't going to miss out again and ordered straight away
I haven't found myself drawn to MAC's collections in a long time, not since Wonderwoman I think, but this purchase has definitely reignited my love for MAC and I have a wish list as long as my arm once again
I'm saving the money though for when in the states and it's a little cheaper!
As you can see from the swatch it's a gorgeous, warm, coral colour and a shade that would be universally flattering
Quite possibly why it is so hyped in the beauty world
The shimmer in it does make it a great highlighter too
I know some people would be turned off by the shimmer but I love the glowy look it gives my cheeks
As Stereo Rose is so covetable there are numerous dupes about but I'm over the moon to finally have this in my collection and have been wearing it everyday since I got it 

The other Limited Edition MAC product I've been wanting for years, I think it stemmed from the same blog post as my lust for Stereo Rose, is the duo blusher Ripe Peach
I wonder if that's due a re-release

Love
Belle
xoxo

Friday 25 January 2013

Stila Convertible Colour in 'Gladiola'

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stilablusher

stilaswatch

Convertible Colour
Lip and Cheek Colour
Gladiola 
£16.00
Stila

When I ordered this from Boots I meant to get the Gerbera shade but somehow got confused and purchased Gladiola quite a different colour
Once I received it I have to be honest I was pretty gutted
It's pretty much a bright orange
Something I never thought I'd try really
But for £16.00 I figured I'd give it a go
The idea of the convertible colour product is that it's a cream based formula which can be used to add colour to both the cheeks and the lips
Whilst it looks scary in the pan it's translucently sheer in texture so it's not too easy to go heavy with the colour
This you can see in my swatch
It has a glossy finish which settles into the skin really nicely
I've been applying this with my Real Techniques Stippling brush (perfect for cream blushers) and have been liking the warm glow it gives me
Very natural on the skin and definitely fast becoming one of my favourite cheek products
I love it so much I'm now eying up multiple other shades...someone needs to take my debit cards away!

Have you tried any of the Stila Convertible Colours?

Love 
Belle
xoxo

Wednesday 23 January 2013

Diego Dalla Palma 'Snow White' Palette

snowwhite

Diego Dalla Palma
Snow White & The Huntsman Eyeshadow Palette
£9.99
Fragrance Direct

I LOVE anything to do with fairytales, it's always been an interest of mine and I even based my university final project around them
Al though I do draw the line with wearing princess themed clothes, I'm 22 a little old for that now lol! However I do like disney couture jewellery 
When I saw this gracing many beauty blogs a long time I go I was drawn in by the fact it was based around the new Snow White film (which was awesome) but not that it was £25 for a palette only housing 6 eyeshadows, I thought it was a bit much for what it was.
But on a recent browse over on Fragrance Direct I noticed that it was reduced to only £10, I couldn't resist!
As the palette comes under the Urban Decay heading on the website I'm guessing Diego Dalla Palma might be a sister company to UD? Maybe anyway... 
But that would explain the quality of the shadows, their smooth and extremely pigmented with little fallout.
There are three matte shades and three shimmer shades
And for a change I quite like the matte shades!
Probably because they're neutrals... 

snowwhiteswatch

As you can see from the above swatches all the colours are decently pigmented but as usual with eyeshadows the shimmers are the most pigmented and striking
Even the matte shades are pretty decent, I really like the brown Battleground
I love the way the shades are all named after something to do with the film
In the palette there is also a red lipstick and black eyeliner so you can achieve the perfect look 
I'm quite tempted to depot these shadows though as the packaging is so bulky and I'm trying to minimise my makeup as much as possible. 
I can't quite bring myself to rip apart my UD Alice in Wonderland palette though..

Love
Belle
xoxo

Monday 21 January 2013

No7 Eyeshadow Palette

no7palette

no7colours

no7swatches

No7 Eyeshadow palette
Boots

I received this for Christmas from my fiance's parents and was pleasantly surprised
I'm quite difficult to buy make up for, I either have my wish list which my family stick to or I buy it myself
This wasn't on any of my wish lists but I really like it
I can't find it on the website anymore but I'd reckon it was around the £15/£18 mark
The eyeshadows are housed in a super cute patent black quilted clutch style housing
If I could find a clutch bag like this I'd be one happy bunny!
So chic and simple..I seem to be really liking simple, investment pieces at the moment
Annoyingly the eyeshadows have no names
I hate it when companies don't name their products (MUA I'm looking at you!) 
I like it when brands layout their palettes in this way
With the colours which go well together lined up together
Makes it easy to put together a nice look without too much effort in the mornings, or should I say too much thinking!
The first three in the swatches are quite subtle and pale, perfect for an everyday neutral but glowing look. I can see these looking great with a tan in the summer, dreaming of the sun already
Out of the middle three swatches the second shade in is quite possibly my favourite
I love brown eyeshadows, they complement my blue eyes, and this one has a hint of sparkle...I like sparkles I do. I think I'll name this one chocolate glimmer (!) Think I'll stick to the day job.
The final three shades are the perfect smokey eye look
The next time I have a night out I'll be trying these out properly
With a decent primer these have a good wear time and don't crease which is good considering they were only around £3 for each shadow
I quite like the No7 range, I know it's aimed at the slightly older woman it has some gems in the collection.

Are there any No7 products you really like?

Love
Belle
xoxo

Sunday 20 January 2013

Newest Addition Rose Tattoo

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My newest tattoo
A red rose in memory of my Grandparents on top of my foot
Out of all my tattoos (I've only got four but in various places) I would definitely say this hurt the most
2 and a bit hours spent in pain was completely worth it
I love the detail and the depth of colour
I'm over the moon with it

If your local to the Surrey area and looking for a decent Tattoo I whole heartedly recommend Seven Sins in Horley
I will only go here and all of my family with tattoos use this shop as does my fiance and all my tattooed friends
Definitely the best around locally 

Love
Belle
xoxo

Too Faced 'Shadow Bon Bons' Eyeshadow Palette

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toofacedswatches

Too Faced 'Shadow Bon Bons' Eyeshadow Palette
£33.00
Boots

Once again I've been suckered into purchasing another eyeshadow palette
They should have addict groups for makeup obsessives!
But this little pretty was too gorgeous to resist.
It's my first time trying out Too Faced Eyeshadows, I've heard such great things about them I wanted to see for myself
I found this little beauty in my local Boots just before Christmas and knew I had to have it
To be honest £33 for 12 Eyeshadows, Eye Primer and a Mascara is pretty good value in my books
My Mum must have got the hint from my incessant twittering about it and it was waiting under the Christmas tree for me
The eyeshadows are lovely and soft, not quite as smooth as the Urban Decay shadows but they're lovely to work with and have minimal fall out.
The way the palette is laid out is meant to indicate what four colours work well together 
I've been wearing the neutral colours for work but dabbling in the purples for a bit of fun
I'm determined to be more adventurous in my makeup this year
I love the name of all the colours too, very romantic and reminded me of weddings
One thing I don't particularly like is the packaging
It's a pale lilac, velvet box which will attract so much dirt but I'm keeping it in a drawer away from too much crap.. 
Only time will tell if the velvet starts to fall off and the packaging looks tatty, if it does then I'll de-pot and have a streamlined palette

Love
Belle
xoxo

Friday 18 January 2013

Too Faced Complexion Perfection Kit

leopardlove

leopeardoclours

leopardswatches

Too Faced Leopard Love
Complexion Perfection Kit
£12.50
Boots

I remember seeing this around before but never purchased as I don't really like buying make up online without having a play to see the quality of the brand
Too Faced has only just come into my local Boots, al though I think it was only for Christmas, and I got to have a closer look at their products and the quality of them
I saw this on the Boots website in the online offers section and it was only £12.50 (I think, it's not on there anymore) and I had to snap it up!
That only works our to around £4 for each product, pretty good for Too Faced really.
I love anything cute, pretty and girly and the packaging of this is just that.
All pastel colours and girly touches 
I was also drawn in by the fact that each product was a mixture of a few colours in a leopard print pattern
In the kit you get a bronzer, blusher and a highlight, so everything you need for a glowing look in one place
Perfect for travelling with
The swatches show that the colours are gorgeous
The bronzer is the only product not to have a huge amount of shimmer running through it which is ideal as you don't want to be spreading glitter all round your face...not a good look
I have to say though I'd say to use the bronzer with a light hand as it's easy to over do and look a bit on the orange side.
The blusher is a lovely, subtle pink colour which isn't too frosty and baby pink but is different from my usual coral colour 
I like how the highlighter isn't your usual icy champagne kind of colour
It's more warm and could even be used as a shimmery bronzer if you so desire, I think it would make a lovely eyeshadow colour
I'd definitely recommend picking this up if you can find it at half price

Love
Belle
xoxo

Wednesday 16 January 2013

Korres Pomegranate Lip Balm

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Pomegranate Lip Butter
Korres

After purchasing the Jasmine shade in the Korres Lip Butter a little while ago I caved and bought the coral coloured Pomegranate version. I love the fact that this shade has a little bit more colour impact than the Jasmine one which was very nude. 
The two lip butters I've tried have been moisturising and long lasting whilst also smelling fantastic. 
The antioxidants found in pomegranate makes it good at combating signs of ageing.
Something I've not really thought about before but now that I'm the grand old age of 22 it's something I may start exploring a bit more. And where best a place to start than my daily lip balm. 

Are there any Korres products you would recommend I try?

Love
Belle
xoxo

Tuesday 15 January 2013

Sleek i-Divine Palette in 'Sparkle 2'

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i-divine Eyeshadow Palette
Sparkle 2
£7.99
Sleek

Sleek are always bringing out new eyeshadow palettes with gorgeous colours in
The formulation is spot on and the colours on trend
The price is pretty good too considering you get twelve eyeshadows 
Al though they used to be a little cheaper, it nearly feels like each new release is marked up a little higher
I doubt I'd pay over a tenner only as I remember when the palettes only cost £6

This newest addition has an array of sparkly, shimmery shadows
I picked it up just before Christmas so it was the perfect festive offering when a glitter overdose is encouraged
Being that all the shadows are glitter and shimmers there is a definite lack of matte shades but for me that's absolutely fine as I don't really use matte eyeshadows much
The glitter is quite prominent in the pan but once blended slightly into the lid it's much more subtle and wearable
Of course if you pack it on the glitter packs a punch

sparkle row 1

I like the fact that there are still some neutral colours included (being favourites)
But they have a lovely shimmer, almost duo chrome effect in some cases, and are great everyday shades.
Chocolate Penny is a lovely warm gold and looks lovely paired with Truffle
I've also been loving Illusion and Mulled Wine as something a bit different to my normal look and have been incorporating them into my work eye look

sparkle row 2

The shadows in the bottom row are a bit cooler in tone 
Especially Tinsel being a cold silver, this looks great as a liner
Starry Night is great for a smokey eye with a hint of glitter
A matte black is included in every Sleek palette and this one with a hint of sparkle gorgeous
As with all Sleek palettes the shadows are all pigmented well and are super smooth
For some reason I like that the eyeshadows don't have the usual criss cross imprint on them, I like the way they're smooth.

Would you wear a glittery eye for everyday?

Love
Belle
xoxo




Monday 14 January 2013

Jo Malone Gift Set

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About a year ago my Mum received this gift set from a friend
She recently gave it to me as she's still not used it and knows how much I drool over the Jo Malone website with all of it's beautiful fragrances.
I of course willingly took it off her hands.

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Orange Blossom Cologne
Grapefruit Shower Gel
Pomegranate Noir Cologne
Lime, Basil and Mandarin Body Lotion
French Lime Blossom Body Creme
Blue Agava and Cacao Bath Oil

Everything smells divine! 
I am most definitely splurging on a full size Lime, Basil and Mandarin Perfume
The smell is gorgeous, completely different to anything I already own.

Have any of your tried any Jo Malone products?

Love
Belle
xoxo

Thursday 10 January 2013

Real Techniques Brushes

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Real Techniques Blusher Brush
£9.99 Boots

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Real Techniques Powder Brush
£12.99 Boots


Since purchasing the Core Collection kit I have been eager to get my hands on some more of their brushes
I love how soft they are and how flawless my makeup look when I use them
I may even go as far as to say I think their better than MAC brushes (blasphemy I know..)
Whilst Boots have their three for two offer on I took advantage and purchased both of the above brushes
For powder I've been using a relatively old Cosmopolitan brush which now feels so scratchy after using such a brush
Real Techniques brushes feel like little fluffy clouds tickling over my cheeks
Weird description I know

Have you tried the eye brushes they do?
Any others you'd recommend?

Love
Belle
xoxo



Sunday 6 January 2013

Ted Baker 'The Name on Everyones Lips'

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Ted Baker 'The Name on Everyones Lips'
Lip Crayon Set
£15.00
Boots
As these were a Christmas Gift Set they are now in the sale so if you can get your hands on them go for it as they're great value for money 
Even full price they work out at only £3.75 each which is pretty good considering the price of similar products by Clinique and Revlon.
They come packaged in a lovely purple tin with a cute little ribbon round it
They come in the same packaging as the Revlon Lip Balm Stains with the twist up mechanism so you don't need to worry about sharpening
To be honest I wasn't expecting miracles from these as they didn't come from an actual make up brand but Ted Baker have got it so right

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They are glossy, pigmented, and moisturising
I was expecting the crayons to be of a waxy consistency more like a crayola crayon than a lip product but I was pleasantly surprised (which is good considering I received two of these as gifts!)
The four colours included are gorgeous and all wearable
Unfortunately they don't have names, I love it when a product has cute names but it doesn't really matter
The first colour in the swatches above is a gorgeous bright coral and is a stunning shade for summer, I can't wait for the summer months to whip this out in all it's glory
The second on is a more subtle pinky mauve which is the perfect everyday my lips but better shade for myself
The third is a little darker and has been lovely to wear in this post Christmas slump time, being back at work and general blehness
And the last colour looks to be quite a subtle red, good as I find a red lip intimidating!

Did you get any unexpectedly good make up goodies for Christmas?

Love 
Belle
xoxo

Saturday 5 January 2013

Benefit Away We Glow Holiday Set

awayweglow

Away We Glow Set
Benefit (Exclusive to Boots)
£29.50, but now in the sale if you can track one down

I think I'm a bit late in posting this as it went into the Christmas sales and is pretty much sold out everywhere but if you can still find it in your local boots or on ebay I definitely recommend picking it up
Especially if it's at the cheaper sale price!
As you can see from my blog I have a bit of a thing for Benefit make up
It was the first premium make up brand I dabbled in for my leavers ball at school and I still stay quite loyal to using their products
Of course I dabble else where too!
My Mum bought me this for Christmas, I think in the hope I only take this with me when we go on holiday rather than a huge make up bag as usual...that won't happen.

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Surprisingly the packaging isn't too bulky for what it has in it
Normally for sets like this the packaging is really too much for the products it holds and it seems such a waste
So if I did take it on holiday with me I wouldn't feel I had to de-box it to save space in my suitcase
And the packaging is too cute as always

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The eyeshadows are perfect for the normal everyday eye look
The best mix of neutrals for fresh make up
Their more warm toned than other neutrals in my collection 
Considering I seem to buy a lot of neutral eyeshadows its quite refreshing not having something similar in my collection 
I think I prefer these to my Naked Palettes as the colours are much more wearable for me
Al though I don't think there is anything really to create an evening look only day time looks

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As with most of the Benefit kits Coralista is the blusher included
It's one of their best selling items and I can see why
Having already got it in full size and nearly hit pan on it you can tell I quite like it
It's a stunning coral colour with a slight hint of shimmer 
I also got another Benefit kit for Christmas with Coralista in it 
The lipgloss in the set has been likened to Nars Turkish Delight gloss and I love the colour
Quite a pale, girly pink but very wearable and perfect for daytime
The best thing about these little kits is being able to try out the mini versions of more expensive products, like the Sunbeam and Highbeam, these are around £22ish in full size so it's good to be able to try them before splashing out
The mini size is a generous trial product, which you'd expect when paying for it in a kit rather than as a freebie from a magazine.

Overall I love this kit and definitely think it's worth picking up if you see it

Love
Belle
xoxo

Wednesday 2 January 2013

Jemma Kidd Eye Wardrobe Quartet in Metallica


jemmakidd

Jemma Kidd Eye Wardrobe Quartet
Metallica
£2.99
Fragrance Direct

As your probably aware Jemma Kidd's make up empire has recently gone into administration, in my eyes it's a huge shame as her make up line has some gems to be found.
But it does mean that discount beauty websites such as Fragrance Direct or Cheap Smells are selling her line for extremely low prices.
This Eyeshadow Palette was originally £24.00 and I snapped it up for only £2.99!
On the Fragrance Direct site there are still plenty of bargains going for this range .

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The packaging is basic but chic. 
Black and matte is always good in my book.
The compact is also very sturdy so won't just open on it's own in your make up bag.
In all honesty when I ordered this off the website I thought the shades were powder based and when I received it I was a little disappointed at the cream formula but I needn't have been.
They apply smoothly and are well pigmented. 
With a good primer they last well too, I'm not sure about on oily lids though as being a cream based product they may slip a bit.
I also love the name of the palette...may make me slightly biased but who can resist a bit of old school rock

jemmakidswatch

In the palette you get a complete look with a highlight, lid and crease shade
All in one place...perfect
The colours are perfect for an everyday look
The above swatches are just one swipe over the shadows and you can see how pigmented they are.
Overall I am very impressed and would definitely recommend picking this up whilst you can and maybe try a few other bits from the Jemma Kidd line too.

Happy New Year everyone!
Hope you all had a great one

Love
Belle
xoxo