Five products I will forever repurchase

I believe that I have written about/reviewed each of these products individually in the past, in fact I know that Nars Sheer Glow and 'Alien' have been mentioned approx 657 times each! But as I was sorting through my Make-up drawers fishing out the empties (All of the above have bitten the dust fyi) I decided that I would pop up a very quick post on these in particular and let you know why I will definitely be replacing them! 

*Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua 

Can you see the scuff on the left of the bottle? Yeah, that was where I attacked it with scissors to try and get the very last bit out, didn't work out too well as Chanel evidently do some tough ass packaging but it proves how much I really love it! (or how desperate I was not to have to fork out over thirty quid for a new bottle!)

I love it because it's light but not overly dewy, can be built to a good medium coverage and leaves a velvet finish. I do tend to favour the lightweight formula foundations in Summer and because this has good staying power (even without powder) while still being natural looking it remains a firm favourite.

*Benefit Hello Flawless oxygen WOW

A few years back I had a minor obsession with a foundation called 'light as air' by Jemma Kidd, unfortunately the range was discontinued and this is the closest that I've come to a dupe for it! 

I love this for the reasons that I love the Vitalumiere aqua, it gives the same amount of coverage but it is slightly lighter in consistency (it sits in the middle of mac face and body and VA), and it leaves a more dewy finish on the skin, so although they are similar I do need both!

*NARS Sheer Glow

It needs no introduction really, this has cult status for a reason...I've written, reviewed, and raved about it sooo many times so I'll leave links to those posts below. In a nutshell it is a medium coverage foundation with a satin finish that leaves skin looking flawless! For me it was where the search for the foundation holy grail ended.

read a full review here and some very old posts here and here

*Bourjois Bronzing primer

Supposedly a dupe for the famous Soleil tan de Chanel which I've never tried so can't give an opinion  on that but it's definitely believable what with Bourjois owning Chanel. A whipped mousse style formula that although at first glance looks pretty scary in colour it blends like a dream leaving you with subtly noticeable bronzed skin and a great base for foundation! Another thing to mention is the scent of this is sooo delicious it just smells like a holiday in a pot!!

*Thierry Mugler Alien EDP

It was just in my last post that I mentioned how I wear this perfume 90 percent of the time day and night, it's been out for ages now so I'm sure most of you know what it smells like. It is slightly heavy and more night time appropriate but not so much that it is overbearing to wear during the day although it might be for some. As with the NARS foundation this has been one of my favourites for many years now and I have mentioned it numerous times so I'll link those posts up in case you would like to know more read here and here.

Which products do you always repurchase?
xxx

My top 3 Bourjois products

 

When it comes to drugstore Make-up I love me some Bourjois, I find as a general rule when drugstore cosmetic shopping , if in doubt go the Bourjois route (if you're American you will get alot more out of that sentence than the Brits, or not ahem!) because they rarely put out a disappointing product, I actually can't think of one off the top of my head although if my arm was twisted I'd have to say I'm not a huge fan of the classic 'chocolate bronzer.'

Above are my all time favourites, the one's that shall be forever repurchased.

1.Healthy mix radiance reveal foundation 

I actually love this foundation so much that I often pick it over my higher end ones. For me this is a perfect all seasons base, it blends so easily (I like to apply this with my fingers), gives light/medium coverage which can be built into a decent medium with a satin finish, the bottle claims it lasts up to16hrs which is just silly but it does stick around well I get around 5-6 hours without powder before my beautiful nose redness starts peeking through.

2.Volume one second mascara

A mascara with balls! :o Seriously though I had high hopes when I picked this up and I wasn't disappointed.The rubber brush/tiny ball combo works wonders on the awkwardness that are my mid length crossed over lashes, it gives separation, length and volume that lasts the day without smudging/flaking (I have the non waterproof version)  and although it goes without saying that the 1 second claim is just daft it does the job quickly with minimal wand wiggle-age needed.

3.Bronzing primer

I honestly thought this had a better name until just now so I shall use the French...The Bourjois base lissante soleil (better) is currently my obsession, supposedly a dupe for the much hyped Soleil tan de Chanel or whatever it's called nowadays, I never gave into that hype because I didn't think I was missing out on a mousse formula bronzing primer, how wrong was I? Although the colour and consistency are quite scary at first glance, the BLS ;) blends into the skin like a dream leaving a smooth matte base for foundation which it then lends a hand to giving a suprisingly subtle bronzed healthy finish.So far I have only used this as a primer but apparently it works well as a contour so I'm going to have to give that a go!

NB: I'll be damned if there is a base product on this planet that smells this delicious!!

NB2: I over scooped in the above swatch picture...a little goes a long way with this.

What are your favourite's from Bourjois?

October 2011 Favourites

Hey chicks,

OK so my laptop appears to have miraculously cured itself and 24 hours has gone by without it overheating once so I am feeling confident enough now to sit and write up my October favourites without flapping that it's going to blow up in my face.Yay! Anyway enough of the "woe is me, my laptop broke" snoozefest, I promise there will be no more! It's all make-up and beauty from here on in girls and boys...Good times :) 

On to the good stuff... 

Make-up

Vivo cosmetics lipstick shade 8 'barely there'

This has been my go to nude lipstick throughout October. It reminds me of one of my favourite ever nudes which is Hue from MAC but at £1.99 is a lot more purse friendly.It has a gorgeous creamy finish with a slight glossy sheen, feels really moisturising on the lips, and the smell! Oh my Gawwd! If you love creamy  vanilla/coconut smells then you need this lipstick in your life.

17 Supreme shine lipstick in Pink Posey

I picked this lipstick up before a shoot that I did last week (I know I'm cheating the favourites system here ;)), the photographer wanted natural make-up with a bright lip and none of the lipsticks I owned were what I had in mind for the look. I wanted a dramatic bright purple but this was the closest thing I could get from my local (miniature) Boots...Anyhoo...I wasn't expecting too much from pink posy in the way of lasting power as 'supreme shine' to me suggests that it  would be one of those lipsticks that slides off the lips within 20 minutes but no, I was proved wrong when it stayed put throughout the shoot and beyond, which all in all was about 2 and a half hours, so even though it is technically a November fave I really wanted to share it as I'm so impressed and I'm loving the colour for Autumn/Winter.

NARS Sheer glow foundation

I have had my fickle pants on this month when it comes to foundations but for the last couple of weeks I have been religiously using an old (once hailed Holy Grail) favourite.NARS Sheer glow. The shade that I have is Deauville which is my perfect match when I have absolutely no colour/fake tan which at the moment I don't (think Morticia Addams or Fester :o) I have been applying this with a damp beauty blender sponge and loving the beautiful airbrushed looking finish that this gives so much more than when I apply with my MAC 190 foundation brush.

Laura Mercier universal invisible loose setting powder

I love this powder!

 I'm not really a powder girl, as my skin leans to the dry side it's a step that I often forget in my make-up routine.This month though I have used this powder to set my foundation most days.I love how it just does what it say's on the tin, it set's the foundation, and is invisible, simple :)  

Collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer

I have been loving using this concealer in two shades this month firstly I like to used medium 3 (which is a peachy tone) underneath my eyes to correct any dark shadows and light 2 to brighten the area and give me a much needed hand to look more awake and alert.

Collection 2000 intense colour supersoft kohl pencil

I picked up this eye kohl when there was a 3 for 2 on Collection 2000 eye products in Boots about a week or so ago, along with one of the above mentioned concealers and the new Pump up the volume mascara . I didn't really expect to love it as much as I do but I have been seriously impressed! It is a really soft well pigmented kohl which stays put in the waterline all day long, even on my eyes which have a tendency to run like a tap, especially at this time of the year.Big thumbs up to Collection 2000 this month!!

Hair Products

L-R- Head and shoulders citrus fresh shampoo
John Frieda Frizz ease 3 days straight
VO5 Gloss me smoothly conditioner

Front- Amargan hair therapy oil

This month I have been making a much bigger effort than I normally do to get my hair in good condition. I have a lot of fine hair with a natural wave to it and find that within about half an hour of being out of the house,  it feels tangly and develops annoying kinks.All I want is for it to look sleek, shiny and bouncy, and to be able to run my fingers through it without giving myself whiplash.

So this month I took a little inspiration from the beautiful Anna and Barbara's haircare video's and picked up the Head and shoulders citrus fresh shampoo and the V05 Gloss me smoothly conditioner (for frizzy hair) and I have really noticed the difference in my hair since I have been using them, the Head and shoulders really makes my hair feel ultra clean and my hair feels really silky soft as soon as I rinse the V05 conditioner out in the shower.My hair has definitely been alot sleeker and shinier thanks to these products.

The other hair products that I have been loving are the Amargan hair therapy oil which I picked up at a beauty supplies store. It is some sort of Argan oil (?) You just apply a small amount through damp hair and it cuts the hair drying process by up to 50% I was massively sceptical about this at first but it really works. Without this my hair takes around 15 minutes to blow dry but with it, it literally takes 5 minutes, I do love a time saving product! 

And lastly in my quest for super sleek hair I have been using the John Frieda frizz ease 3 days straight. I originally bought this to use in place of my GHD's which broke a little while ago...but I didn't read the instructions which clearly state that this is a product that is supposed to work along side hair straighteners DUH! Anyway it has helped my hair's kinky tendancies and does keep it straight for around 24hours which is fair enough. I'm sure it would work really well when used correctly ;) 

Book of the month

The secret by Rhonda Byrne

I always love when other bloggers include their favourite books in monthly favourites posts so I thought I would include mine as its a real cracker! It's kind of tricky to describe and I don't want to ruin it with some ditzy explanation, but if you enjoy philosophy books and you haven't read the secret I totally recommend checking it out as it is such a fascinating read and one that always makes me feel super positive and motivated.

Phew Im sure that has been my longest list of favourites to date! If you got to the end congrats! 

Lately it seems that at the beginning of every month I get something new, love it, then have to wait a whole month to add it into my favourites. It is now November the 7th and I already have things that are potentially faves for the end of the month (Origins Vitazing moisturiser, Oh M Gee I got it two days ago and it's already <3 )

October Favourites video

I hope everyone is having a lovely night, Im off too put the heating on because my toes feel like icicles right now brrrrr! :)

xxx

September favourites video

Hey girls!
Hope you are all well (well as well as you can be on a Monday morning!) How many times can you say 'well' in a sentence Natalie?, sheesh :P

Love this so I stole it from weheartit.

It's that time again, can you believe it's October?? I can't wrap my head around how quick this year has gone, and I really can't wrap my head around the fact that it is my little baby boy's TENTH birthday in 2 weeks!! Wow life actually goes way too quick for my liking, and to be honest with Xmas decorations making an appearance in certain shops in August, Easter eggs popping up on supermarket shelves on boxing day and things like that, there really is no wonder time seems to pass us by so quickly, the world needs to chill!


Anyhoooooo here are my September faves, in video form, I do like a good chat ;)  I hope you like it lovelies.xxx.

August favourites

I know it's an overused intro to monthly favourite post's but it has to be said...Where the beejesus did August go?, in fact where has 2011 gone? oh M G, it really will be Christmas in the blink of an eye. I am actually really chuffed that it's nearly Autumn, I love it, no more faffing around trying to decide what to wear in the morning because of the unpredictability of British weather.Oh no.Getting dressed in Autumn over here is simple Jumpers,thick tights,coats,boots.Done.excited!
Anyway Im not here to bore you to death waffling on about the weather and wooly jumpers.If you are still reading thank you for your patience ;) Now on to the good stuff..August's favourites.

Loreal super liner carbon gloss

I picked this up a few weeks ago after hearing so many good things about it around the blog/you tube beauty community.To be honest liquid liner isn't something that I often wear, I usually use gel liners or eyeshadow for liner, however I have found myself reaching for this alot since I got it.It is the easiest liquid liner to apply,goes on opaque and stays put for the day.If you are a liquid liner kinda girl and you haven't tried this yet, I definitely recommend giving it a go it is more than worthy of the hype!

MAC eye shadow 'Bronze'

Nothing overly exciting really but bronze is a colour that I have always seemed to overlook.Bronze is a beautiful creamy metallic e/s.It is so versatile, I've been wearing it either for adding definition to the crease in the daytime or as a base for black to get a gorgeous bronzed smoky eye. 

Benefit Hoola bronzer

This is a bit of a cheat, as I only got it 4 days ago but I love it so much that I couldn't help myself.Hoola is massively pigmented and blends super easily, with zero shimmer and no orange/red undertones it is perfect for contouring or as an all over bronzer. It really is the most perfect natural looking matte bronzer I have ever owned and I could kick myself for resisting it for so long.

OPI Nail polish 'Skull and glossbones'

I had to sneak this in for the 2nd month in a row, Im still in love with it! It's still my favourite nail polish of all time ever, and I still think that everyone and their nan should own it.That is all. :)

Not too many this month, I have been such a slacker on the shopping front.

What have your favourites been this month? link me to your posts or videos below.

xxx

July Favourites

Oooh its been a long time since I clicked on that "new post" button!! Without putting you all to sleep I will explain why, I have been without a laptop charger since my last post (over a month ago) which at first wasn't too much of an issue and I kind of enjoyed being free from my computer screen and living a kind of caveman-esque lifestyle but this past week I have missed my little blog so much that I forked out a friggin ridiculous amount on a new charger this afternoon so that I could be reunited with it *hugs blog*
Well as it's the end of July a favourites post seemed fitting to get me back into the swing of things so here we go.

MAC Mineralize skinfinish natural-Medium plus

I am generally not a powder girl, as my skin type is normal/dry I really love my face to have a dewy finish.When the sunshine graces the UK with its presence however I do feel the need to add powder on top of my foundation to keep it in place that bit longer. I love this powder as it manges to set foundation into place without over mattifying and keeps my skin looking really natural.

Chanel Vitalumiere aqua
I am trying to wean myself off Chanel Pro lumiere in case the rumours are true and it is going to be discontinued later on this year *sobs* So a few weeks ago I popped to the Chanel counter and got samples of all of the foundations to see which one could replace my beloved.Luckily I have fallen for this foundation completely! It is gorgeously light-weight but gives alot more coverage than I expected and a gorgeous flawless finish.Expect a full review soon.

Lee Stafford Sea salt spray

I seriously cant tell you how much I love this spray!!! I've used it so much just lately to create the beachy style hair that I can usually only get from being at an actual beach! There are 2 ways that you can use this, either spray on towel dried hair and then blow dry which I have found makes my hair feel sticky and gross afterwards for some reason, or spraying on towel dried hair and leaving to dry naturally which really works it leaves my hair soft and with the most perfect beachy waves which stay put all day! The smell is also uh-ma-zing its love!

VO5 miracle concentrate elixir with argan oil

I have wanted to jump on the argan oil bandwagon for a while now but have been too much of a cheapskate to part with the cash and pay for a higher end brand. So when I spotted this in superdrug reduced to £2.99 (I think the rrp is £4.99) I chucked it in my basket and hoped for the best. Turns out this is actually bloody amazing stuff! I thought that this would make my hair feel greasy and weighed down but it really doesn't even when I go a bit crazy with application! It's fantastic to use on wet hair as a leave in treatment or as a serum which is how I use it after I use the sea salt spray to get the ends of my hair (which actually need chopping off!) looking nice and smooth.

Urban Decay Naked palette 

 I don't think I need to explain why this became a favourite from the second I opened the lid and set eyes on those beautiful colours!! I picked this up about 6 weeks ago and have used it every day since as the combinations are endless.Definitely worth the £30 splurge! My favourite colours are Sin, Naked, Half baked, Toasted and Hustle.

OPI nail lacquer- Skull and glossbones

This is one of the 4 colours from the Pirates of the carribean miniature set which I bought a couple of weeks ago. I really only picked it up because the packaging was so cute (sucker!!) and tbh wasn't expecting much from this colour, however it is now my new favourite polish, it's a lovely pale creamy grey which in certain lights leans towards an eggshell blue shade. I am definitely going to try and get my hands on the full size bottle as I can see me running out of this one fast.

MAC lipstick-Hue

I lost this lipstick a while ago and my boyfriend found it under my car seat, I think he thought I was a little bit mental when I grabbed it off him shouting "Yay, you found Hue" he thought I had named it Hugh haha! Anyway Just lately my daily make-up has mostly been bronzed skin and a smoky gold eye so I love to wear a simple nude lip. This is definitely my favourite nude in my collection as it is so easy to wear, I love the glaze formula for being the happy medium between a lipstick and a gloss which leaves my lips feeling moisturised and non sticky.

So those are the products I've loved over the past month

Is anyone loving any of the same products? let me know my lovely's :)

April Favourites x

I thought April had 31 days...is the song not 30 days have September, August, June and November?? Obviously not! hmmpfff!
Anyway enough of my terrible knowledge of the days of the month and on to the good stuff, the products that have made me feel good in April!

Eyeshadows

The 4 E/S that I have used the most throughout April have all been by MAC, they are...Naked lunch, Woodwinked, Shale and Painterly (paint pot) as a base. Woodwinked is a staple favourite, I have loved wearing it over painterly for a summery bronzed look. I have also worn Naked lunch alot, either on its own with a couple of coats of mascara when I don't have much time, with a flick of black liner or as a base with Shale as a simple daytime smokey.

TOP-Painterly PP
L-R Naked lunch, Shale, Woodwinked

L-R Painterly PP, Woodwinked, Shale, Naked lunch

Lipstick
Im surprised to say that out of the new lipsticks I purchased earlier in the month, the one I have reached for the most is Angel from MAC,I have used it almost daily. The reason Im surprised is that it is a frost finish (probably one of my least favourite lipstick finishes) but it doesn't seem to have that finish on me, it's actually a lovely creamy pink that really suits my skintone.

Nail polish

This is another one that surprised me, I don't know why as it is loved by so many, I suppose i've never really been a pink nail girl! It's Barry M Pink flamingo..Its such a bright (neon in certain lights) Pink which I cant stop looking at when I have it on! I even re-did my nails with it when it began showing tip wear, and ended up wearing it for 10 days straight which is something I don't normally do as I get bored quickly.

Blush
Without a doubt April's most used blush has been NARS Deep throat, I haven't even looked at another blush all month, see why here.

Hair 
I gave up the straighteners a few months ago, favouring either a tonged curl or a loose messy wave, but for the past few weeks I have really been enjoying straightening my hair again with GHD's. I have been finding that I love the sleek look and the fact that my hair doesn't tangle as easy as when it's curled. My Boyfriend really loves the messy look, but its not him that has to drag a brush through a mass of bushy knots at the end of the day is it?

And the prize for owning the oldest,most knackered pair of GHD's in history goes to........

Boring Bits and Bobs 
Imperial leather foamburst shower and shave is a godsend, Im surprised that there don't seem to be very many products on the market that do the same multitasking job that this does.
Now that summer is approaching and the weather is warm enough to wear open toed shoes, pretty feet are a must, so I have spent alot of time on mine and used my Ped-egg to get rid of any unsightly rough skin.

I hope you enjoyed my favourites, What have you been loving in April?

Much Loved in March

So as the end of March is already upon us (seriously,it'll be christmas soon!!!) I thought Id post a round up of the items that I have been reaching for the most this month...

Eye shadow

The ones I have been wearing mostly this month are 'woodwinked' and 'sumptuous olive' by MAC.Both effortlessly wearable,they also look great when applied together or with 'sumptuous olive' as a contour colour.

Highlighter

I have been using MAC 'Vellum' eyeshadow as a cheek highlighter.I also apply lightly over my cupid's bow to add definition to my lips.

Lipstick

This month I have worn MAC 'chatterbox' lipstick more than any other shade,an amplified creme finish, it's non drying,long lasting and I love the instant bright look of it when applied full on,straight from the tube.

Lip Gloss

I haven't actually been wearing as much Lip gloss as I normally wear this month,as mainly I have been pairing a more subtle eye with bright lips and cheeks.If I have picked out a gloss it's been the Barry M bubblegum pink shade.Why does Barry insist on not naming his Glosses? Come on Bazza!!

Blusher

Check out the rim of the Pan to see how much I have been wearing this!!
(I've only had it about a month!)

Without question my most recent favourite is Sleek blush in 'pixie pink' I'm kind of ashamed to admit that I did originally pick it because of the name! But now I can hand on heart say that it is my new number 1 blush!

Mascara

Still loving the 'One by One' Mascara by Maybelline review here.

Eye liner

RMK gel eyeliner 'Deep Blue'. I love the colour of this liner as from a distance it looks black but is actually a deep royal blue which looks great against brown eyes without being too 'in your face' for daytime wear.

Tan

Garnier summer body gradual tanning lotion.
I love everything about this tan,from the bright yellow sunshine-y packaging to its fresh summery scent! It gives me a light,even tan in one application,but I do like a bit more colour (basically I wanna look like J-lo!) and usually apply it 2-3 days consecutively for my personal tastes.The colour is my idea of tan perfection and never leaves my skin feel grubby as I find it does with some self tanners! Does anyone else feel like that or is it just me?


Perfume

At the moment,I only have one bottle :'( which is Angel by Thierry Mugler. I do usually have more but for some reason I just haven't been willing to stump up the cash.I did pop into Boots last week with the intention of buying Vivienne Westwood's 'Naughty Alice' but it was way too sweet for me,It smelled almost exactly like Kenzo and very similar to guerlain 'insolence'.
 I think my next purchase will be Armani code or Lancome 'Poeme' which I haven't had for years, but spritzed myself with it on the above mentioned trip to Boots,and the scent lasted all day,which is something I don't find happening too often!


Nail Varnish

If you read my last post,you will be aware that I purchased Chanel 'Black pearl' Polish yesterday, so this is now my Ultimate favourite ! But other than that I have mainly been wearing Barry M 'Dusky Mauve' which is an absolute awesome dupe for Chanel 'Paradoxal' I would definitely recommend saving yourself £15 and picking up the Barry M over Chanel.I'm also loving Barry M Pastel and coral shades on my toes now that the British weather has got it's act together!

Phew rather a long post there!! 

What has been much loved by you this month?