March Favourites 2013

Tuesday pick me up: Kate Spade ' Things We Love'

What things make you happy? personally for me I cant help but smile when I see a quirky quote, a pair of shoes adorning a cute bow, and anything related to the Big Apple (or the States in general). Faced with these things I cant help but wear a grin resembling that of a cheshire cat. Kate Spades latest coffee table read 'Things We Love' includes a few of my favourite feel good things, whilst having enough glitz to stand out in the bright lights of broadway, and make the greyest of days just that little brighter. 

From the moment I lunged at the courier and grabbed the great big box housing my latest read, I have been unable to put the beautiful book down. Unwrapping the plain brown paper, I acted like a child on Christmas morning when I was greeted with (in contrast to the boring paper) a vibrant hardback, with beautiful gold edges. 

Brimming with fabulous bold prints, photographs, and hilarious quotes, each page manages to incorporate a hint of that whimsical Kate Spade charm (Beware once you pick up this page turner, its a little hard to put it back down). Each of the 20 chapters include some of their favourite things, from the fabulous city of new york where the brand began 20 years ago. The love of bows, something which is heavily present with most of Kate's beautiful designs. Oh and what girl doesn't love a bit of sparkle (there is even a chapter on that). 

longing for summer, and in need of a little pick me up during this cold, dull weather? then this book is for you. things we love deserves a place on every girls coffee table, bedside table, or book shelf!! 

Now does anyone fancy taking me to London, to indulge in the treasure trove also known as Kate Spade New York? 

'Things We Love' can be purchased from Amazon for about £20

YSL 'shocking' mascara

If you've read my posts for some time, then you'll know that I am a sucker for mascara (whilst also a little unfaithful to one in particular). Throw some fancy packaging into the mix, and im all over it like a rash. 

How I came to purchase the YSL shocking mascara, can be told via that oh so familiar story, (il set the scene) its payday, which means a walk into town and a visit to the house of fraser beauty hall and like a magpie gravitate towards the shiny gold packaging of the YSL stand. In all honesty I meant business, with my well earned wages burning a hole in my trusty black Mulberry purse, and after hearing rave reviews about the 'shocking' mascara, I needed little encouragement/persuasion from the mua to make my purchase. 

First things first lets just take a minute to admire the luxurious packaging, embossed with the YSL logo (ooooo how fancy). Now lets get down to the nitty gritty, with various sized plastic bristles, the wand makes applying the product a doddle, catching all of the lashes, resulting in a 'shocking' fluttery effect. Creating seriously long lashes, this mascara packs a punch and stays put all day. 

The downsides? initially when I purchased the YSL shocking mascara, the product was a little 'wet' which left black marks on my brow bone and left me slightly disappointed, however after the first application I haven't had the problem since (phew). 

The only over downfall is the £23 price tag, but for how good this mascara is, and the added bonus of the flashy packaging that any girl would happily have adorn their makeup bag, we can look past this little downfall right?? 

Are you a sucker for fancy packaging?? 

March Birchbox 2013

Is it seriously Birchbox time again?? It only feels like yesterday that I was excitedly awaiting my February box like a crazed lady. Based around Mothers day and our beauty role models (would have to be my nana, she's the reason for my lipstick and nail polish obsession!!), this months box features products from brands "with inspiring stories and results you'll want to pass on".

In all honesty the products I received were a little hit and miss this month, with the arrival of the dreaded perfume sample, and one too many lotions for my liking. That being said there are some hidden gems aswell. Want to know what I got? then read on.

Laura Geller | Inkwell Waterproof Gel Liner (Black) 

what they say: "this smooth long-wearing gel eyeliner comes with a handy brush that makes it super-easy to apply. Jojoba Oil and Vitamin E are among the skin-loving ingredients" 

My thoughts: From first impressions, this eyeliner looks rather promising!! Although not the most pigmented I have tried, it glides onto the skin like a dream, and stays put, which means no fear of panda eyes (waheeey). Im also loving the packaging with the brush hidden within the lid, its a great product for touch ups on the go. 

Molton Brown | Valbonne Fragrance 

What they say: "known for their gorgeous lotion and shower gel scents, Molton Brown's fine fragrance collection is predictably heavenly. Valbonne combines notes of bergamot  dewy orange flower, rose, vetiver and leather for a sophisticated scent that will take you from day to night"

My thoughts: I wont deny that this fragrance smells divine, however im not a fan of perfume samples in beauty boxes, it maybe a sweet little extra but its something easily picked up for free in a department store. 

RMK | Cleansing Balm 

What they say:  "this rose-scented balm echoes your mum or grandmother's cold cream as it melts into skin and becomes a silky liquid that removes even stubborn make- up with ease". 

My thoughts: After lusting after Emma Hardie's cleansing balm for quite some time, I am really looking forward to trying this out. Im not usually keen on rose scents, but this smells super fresh. 

La Sultane De Saba | Body lotion with Argan Oil 

What they say: inspired by the ancient beauty rituals of the the Orient and Asia, La Sultane de Saba's body lotion with rich Argan Oil sinks into skin with ease, leaving a delicate scent". 

My thoughts: if you've read my posts for a while then you may be aware of my slight obsession with scents. Although this lotion leaves the skin feeling super soft, I cannot bare the talcum powder like smell, so I shall be passing this on to my mum. 

Yu-be | Moisturising skin cream  

What they say: "Don't let the primrose colour fool you - this multi-purpose medicated moisturiser is made of tough stuff. A bestseller in Japan since 1957, the comforting camphor scent magically disappears about a minute after application, but leaves you with super-soft skin". 

My thoughts: carrying on with the scent theme (i have issues I know) this moisturising skin cream from yu-be smells amazing (even if it does smell a little like vic haha). After hearing rave reviews about this Japanese product, I cannot wait to put it to the test. 

Beauty Extra

Sanctuary | 30 Day Thermal Transformation Mask 

What they say: "this two-step process includes a peptide transformation serum and a thermal rose clay mask - follow the simple steps to reveal glowing, more youthful skin"

My thoughts: clay masks tend to be a winner with me, so im looking forward to giving this a try. 

Lifestyle extra 

Lindt | LINDOR heart tin filled with chocolate truffles

My thoughts: aside from my passion for beauty and fashion, I may or may not have a massive sweet tooth, so its hardly surprising that these lasted all of two minutes (note to Birchbox, if you fancy adding a tin of these each month, please feel free) 

So there we have it, thats the contents of this months Birchbox. Certainly not my favourite month, down to the perfume sample and one to many body lotions, however all is forgiven with the addition of the RMK Cleansing Balm and the chocolate truffles (have I already mentioned how yummy they were? ha). 

What did you make of this months Birchbox?? 

Balmi Lip Balm- New and Improved

Hello lovelies!! So you may remember that a while back I did a review on the comparisons between the overly hyped about Eos lip balms and what could only be described as the uk equivalent in the form of Balmi (post here). 

Whilst perusing the makeup displays in Tesco, I spotted a Balmi lip balm from the corner of my eye with...well square packaging. After previously falling in love with its former sphere shaped sister I added it to my basket and briskly made my way to the till, before I did anymore damage. Being the dutiful Instagram fanatic that I am, I shared my lovely new purchase, and thought nothing more about the new square shaped Balmi. However, a fabulous source *ahem* my former uni housemate (hey Nev) informed me that the reason for the repackaging was down to another company patenting the design (que gasps). Shocked, I turned to the web, and found the following on the Balmi web page "in 2010 we created our first Balmi invention, a super cool spherical lip balm to take on the world, then, boom, some other smart Alec had already patented the blinking thing, so our nutty creative mastermind went back to the drawing board to redesign, reformulate and reinvent a range of new products specifically designed for individuals who live and love to be unique". 

So let me introduce you to the newly packaged Balmi lip balm, new fabulous formula (with perhaps a little less product than before), just as easy to apply, and still with that slightly annoying removable bottom situation!! As for the original balmi, to quote the lovely Nev "I may keep it, it'll be an antique collectible", (the minds of a fellow makeup addict hey haha).  

What do you think about the new Balmi packaging? 

*Disclaimer- I am in no way affiliated with Balmi, and have not been asked to write this post. Im just sharing some rather exciting news with my fellow makeup junkies!!

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation & Powder

In all honesty when it comes to foundation, I will put my hands up and admit that I am a high end snob. After spending most of my teenage years, with either an orange or white face, after failing to ever find the perfect drugstore shade (the palest of pale was always to dark), I took to the likes of MAC and Chanel to fulfil my foundation needs. 

Since the day i purchased my first ever tube of MACs studio Sculpt foundation, I have not touched a drugstore foundation (excluding BB creams). Of course being the beauty obsessive that I am, I see various hypes on the likes of Rimmel and Bourjouis on a daily basis, yet none of the rave reviews  tempted me enough to check them out. However this viewpoint changed when I heard about the release  of Revlons latest offerings in the form of the Nearly Naked Foundation and Powder. 

Shockingly I hot footed it down to my local Boots to see what all the fuss was about, and I am happy to say that I think I may (just may) have found a drugstore foundation, I actually really like. 

In terms of colour, I opted for the lightest shade available 130 Shell. A near perfect shade I feared I would have flashbacks of my teenage years, once the foundation oxidised, however I was wrong. The foundation itself has light to medium build able coverage, and apart from a dry patch on my nose the foundation sat well and left a natural looking finish which lasted most of the day (a full day of serious shopping I may add ha) with a little help from the nearly naked powder which left a lovely finish to the skin without looking cakey.

My only gripe? the packaging. Yes the white packaging is aesthetically pleasing, but when a brimming makeup bag/ drawer and foundation covered mitts are added to the equation, its inevitably going to become a little grubby looking over time. The second gripe I have with the packaging is the lack of pump/nozzle, so que the guessing game, and the fear of wasted product.
Packaging aside, Revlon's Nearly Naked Foundation is a lovely, buildable  yet still natural looking, long lasting foundation, and a great budget alternative (this is coming from a foundation snob ha). Paired alongside the Nearly Naked Pressed Powder, its a match made in makeup heaven.

Both the foundation ( £8.99 ) and Pressed Powder ( £7.99 ) can be picked up online & in most drugstores. 

What do you think of Revlon's latest offering?

Etude House Sweet Recipe Ice Cream nails

With an array of fabulous products in whimsical packaging that wouldn't go amiss on a little girls dressing table, its hardly surprising that I (along with many others I may add) am completely smitten with the beautiful collections Etude House have to offer.

With the prospect of spring just within reach, I have found myself longing for the days I can throw on my favourite summer dress, dust off my flip flops and head to the beach. So you can imagine the excitement when I laid eyes on these polishes from the Korean Company's latest collection. lets face it if you could put beautiful summer days in a teeny bottle and add an ice cream cone lid for effect, this would be the result. With its cutesy name and packaging (sweet recipe), its hard to believe that the collection is in fact based around The Brothers Grimm tale of Hansel and Gretel. However like the plot of the fairytale, im sure the packaging alone would be enough temptation to lure in any beauty addict young or old.

I was rather restrained with my purchase and opted for two of the four polishes within the collection. My picks were sparkling Strawberry Sherbet and Sweet and Sour Apricot Candy. When these arrived on the doorstep, my inner child may have just had a little dance at the sight of these beautiful pastel shades infused with plenty of glitter (just looking at them makes me go a little giddy).
The formula for both polishes are a little sheer, however after two to three coats your left with a beautiful opaque finish. Above you can see the results of strawberry sherbet after one coat and apricot candy after three. My only niggle would be that the glitter is somewhat sparse with strawberry sherbet and a little more effective with the other.
In terms of the packaging I think the photos do the talking, ridiculously quirky yet still practical whats not to love. However if your not one for gimmicks then you may not be a fan of the Ice cream based bottles.

I purchased the Etude House Sweet Recipe Ice cream nails from eBay

What do you think of the Sweet Recipe polishes?

February Favourites 2013