Tuesday 28 May 2013

Sleek Lipstick Palettes - Ballet, Showgirl and Tease.

Having spotted the newly released Sleek Lipstick Palettes on popular beauty blogs, I knew I had to pick a few up and see for myself whether they would become a staple handbag product or just an idea that seems good in theory, but fails when it comes to practicality.
On the Sleek website there are six palettes, all varying in themes and colours but my local Superdrug only had four available. I decided upon 'Ballet' - a sensual nude palette, 'Showgirl' - a vibrant selection of pinks and 'Tease' with seductive reds.
These lipstick quads consist of four shades, obviously, with three finishes - matte, gloss and satin. Each palette contains a well sized mirror and a minature lip brush so, in theory, ideal for application when you're out and about. The packaging is as you'd imagine, compact, sleek and sturdy - there would be nothing worse than these coming open in your bag. Each palette has colour co-ordinated shades to go with the theme of the palette, which also reflects in the outer packaging.
 I do plan on swatching all three palettes in a future blog post, with the shade name alongside (printed on the back of each palette) - if you're desperate for swatches there's a few photos floating around on other blogs, just have a little search on google images. 
Although I've not given these a full trial, my initital thoughts are of disappointment. The glossy shades in each palette are very soft and slip around on the lips and the palette itself ends up a mess after a few applications especially if you don't wash the lip brush provided before using another colour. The brush works averagely, but application is slightly awkward and you'd be better off using your finger or investing in a quality lip brush. I found the matte shades more difficult to pick up product from, although all four colours are well pigmented. I like the idea and I'll no doubt find use for these when travelling, or for day to night transformations perhaps but I wouldn't rush out to re-purchase.
 
The Sleek Lipstick Palettes are available on the Sleek website or in Superdrug, priced at £8.99.

 

Wednesday 22 May 2013

Treatment Wishlist

I'm pretty sure the majority of women have things about their body they'd like to change.
If not to improve their improve, then to speed up their daily routine, or improve their confidence.
Now, I'm not talking Plastic Surgery - that's a topic for another day. I mean Salons, Dentists or Skin Clinic treatments you can book and have done that don't involve any major pain or lengthy recoveries. So what would I have done if I could?

Laser Hair Removal - When I was younger and started shaving I didn't quite understand the full maintanence that this would entail for years to come. Obviously the frequency depends on how quickly your hairs grow back and for me that seems to be 2 days after shaving. I'm sure some women like the au natural, low maintenance look but for me, hair free is the only way. I dread to think of the amount of time I spend shaving my legs, armpits and 'delicate area' in a year so I'm definitely considering Laser Hair Removal. Smooth, hair free skin? Yes please! Sk:n Clinics offer safe laser hair removal treatments, prices depend on the area you want treatment but they have 30% off through May.

Thread Vein Removal - As unglamorous as this is to admit, I have a fair amount of thread veins on my legs which have appeared more so since starting my full time job two years ago. I'm on my feet constantly which I don't think helps, but I've had them since I was a teenager! They're mainly around my ankles and on my thighs and although most are unnoticable, they irritate me and if I can have a little injection or laser treatment to get rid, I will at some point! I also found this treatment on the Sk:n Clinics website.

 Teeth Whitening - I've had my teeth whitened before but just in a local Salon so the difference afterwards wasn't as dramatic as it could of been. I always notice and admire people with brighter teeth and they look clean and expensive, making your teeth instantly nicer! Local dentists nowadays offer teeth whitening, although it's normally a few hundred pounds, if you have cash to spare - why not?!

Invisalign - Although I did have braces in school, I feel like my dentist at the time didn't really care about the outcome of my teeth and I was left with an overbite, clicking jaw and as soon as my braces were removed my lower teeth went back to their original state. Invisible braces seem ideal as they're not as noticable and I'm definitely not ready to go back to a full metal set. The treatment is a gradual process but can be costly.

HydraFacial - These facials claim to remove dead skin cells and impurities, as well as deeply hydrate the skin to plump out any fine lines. That sounds good to me! Anything that claims to improve the skins appearance and gives you a chance to relax I'd be happy to try. I've only ever had 1 facial - which is madness, I need to let myself be pampered more often.

So here's my Treatment Wishlist, minor improvements that would ultimately improve my confidence!
What's on yours? Have you ever tried any of the companies or treatments mentioned?

*Sponsored Post

Saturday 11 May 2013

Topshop Haul

Are you getting sick of hauls yet?
 
This time I've been to Topshop and picked up a few products I'd been eyeing up for a while now. I never expected Topshops cosmetic line to be such good quality but I've yet to be diasappointed and they're just as good as high end brands at a lower price. The packaging is on point, the range is big enough to offer variety and some unique colour options yet not vast enough to be overwhelmed by. Prices start at £4 and go up to £18.
 If you pass through a store, it's definitely worth spending a few minutes having a quick swatch.

So what did I get?
 
 I picked up their Eye Palette in 'Game On', a metallic, cream shadow quad.
'Cresent Moon' highlighter, a champagne, shimmery powder highlight.
Lip Crayon in 'Arcade', a deep, maroon shade.
Magic Liner in 'Engraved', a basic, deep black with a thin felt tip applicator.
Lipsticks in 'Faint', a pale pink and 'Inhibition' a dark, purple shade similar to the lip crayon.
Cream Highlighter in 'Polish', a champagne, pearlescent cream highlight with slight shimmer.
Lip Pencil in 'Deception', a classic, deep red.
 Peel Off Nail Varnish in 'On The Blink' a bright blue.
 
The only questionable product is the peel off nail varnish. Beautiful colour, bad, bad idea.

Wednesday 8 May 2013

Beautiful Goodies From Estee Lauder & Benefit

As promised, here's another show and tell of my recent pay day shopping spree.
Initially I only went in to town to pick up one product.
How does walking in to Debenhams for a re-purchase of Estee Lauder Double Wear result in multiple product purchases you may ask? The products are too beautiful and hard to resist once you start swatching. So what did I get?
 As mentioned, I re-purchased the Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in the shade 'Tawny', this is my third bottle and I absolutely love this stuff. Not only does this foundation offer amazing, buildable coverage, it lasts all day, offers a great colour selection, has luxurious packaging and works well with my oily skin. Sure it has no pump, but who cares when a foundation is this good? I don't!
I also picked up the Double Wear Powder in the shade 'Sand', I was previously using the Maybelline Dream Matte powder which was brilliant until they discontinued it so now I'm on the hunt for a replacement! So far, the Double Wear and Mac Studio Fix Powder are strong contenders for the top spot.
Then whilst mid swatch-fest I happened to glance over at the lipsticks and began testing them on my hand, big mistake, not only due to the mess I made but also because I couldn't resist buying two. I decided on 'Vanilla Truffle' a pretty, pink toned nude and 'Pink Sand' a pale pink which reminded me of Mac's 'Hue'.
This is undoubtably where my spree should of ended but at the last minute I couldn't help but pick up a Pure Colour Stay On Shadow Paint in the shade 'Halo' a neutral beige with slight shimmer. And if that wasn't bad enough, at the last minute I ran over to the Benefit counter and requested a Fake Up concealer in the shade 'Medium' before finally realising the majority of my money had vanished and I needed to make a swift exit.

Help, I have a problem.

Saturday 4 May 2013

Pay Day Treats

I have no self restraint.

As soon as pay day came around I was straight on the Debenhams website placing an order, I'm unable to control my shopping urges - obviously. I've brought a lot of new products recently, so I'll spread the hauls out across a few blog posts and here's the first installment - hello Mac.
The first product I popped in my basket was the new Mac Mineralize Moisture Foundation because of all the hype surrounded by it. Wayne Goss, YouTube extraordinaire raved about this recently so therefore I had to get it. I got this and all other face products in NC25, in case you were wondering and this is the ideal shade for when I've applied fake tan.
Another product I'd wanted to try was the Mac Studio Tech foundation which I've been eyeing up for a while now. This offers full coverage and leaves an airbrushed finish, for some it would definitely be too heavy but I love it so far! I've also been lusting after the Full Coverage foundation but as far as I'm aware you need a Mac Pro card to be able to get your hands on that?
I also got the Mac Studio Fix Plus Powder which I've seen mentioned on multiple beauty blogs recently, it adds a little extra coverage and has a beautiful satin finish - definitely one of the best powders I've used in a while.
And finally, the last few products I decided to get were the Philosophy BB cream which has rave reviews on the Boots website, a clear Mac Brow Set and two of the Mineralize lipsticks in 'Everyday Diva' and 'Natural Luxe'.
So far I'm not massively excited by the Philosophy BB Cream, or the Mac Mineralize Moisture Foundation as they've both not lived up to the hype but I adore everything else. Full reviews to come!

Anyway, I hope you all have a lovely Bank Holiday Weekend, I'll be stuck at work but I'm sure when I look on Twitter or Instagram at what others are up to I'll be able to live vicariously through them, haha!