Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushers

Over the past year I have been lucky enough to try a fair amount of Tarte products. From the amazonian clay lipsticks and bronzers, to the liquid eyeshadows and illuminating serums. But theres one item that stands out amongst the plethora of pigmented, long lasting and beautifully packaged goodies. A product that causes many a beauty obsessive to get a little hot under the collar (and with good reason). Que the Amazonian Clay blushers. With Tarte finally launching in the UK (well QVC.uk) and the US Sephora now shipping around the world (the makeup gods have finally listened) I thought it was about time I gave my two cents on the highly sought after blushers.
Described as a long wearing, supremely soft blush, infused with amazonian clay, harvested from the banks of the amazonian river and naturally basked by the sun, its fair to say that these blushers are really quite special. Seriously pigmented, yet still buildable enough to create both a subtle and shocking finish. Long lasting, cruelty free, encased within shade appropriate packaging embossed with the amazonian river and available in a range of shades and finishes suitable for every skin tone, whats not to love?! 
I currently have four shades, although there's always room for more right? 1 full size in Tipsy, a beautiful matte coral and three miniatures from the Tarte Fantastic Foursome Holiday set (my friend has the fourth) in Fantastic, a soft Fuchsia. Magic, a pink coral and Stellar, a shimmering nude that also doubles as a bronzer. Although a different range of finishes, all four are seriously pigmented and very smooth, making them seriously worth the £20+ price tag.  What are your thoughts on the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushers? 

Bath and Body Works Haul

Hi, my names Sophie and I have a seriously unhealthy addiction to Bath & Body Works Pocketbac. Wherever I may be, I can guarantee that at least one of these sweet scented hand sanitisers will be in arms reach, whether it be in my bag, on my dressing table, or the bathroom sink. Heck I even have a stash in work. I know, I know, I have issues. Sadly, as a long haul flight across the atlantic stands between myself and the nearest B&BW, I have to rely upon eBay, The Bath & Body Shop (both usually overpriced) and blog swaps to get my Pocketbac fix. So when I caught wind that Bath & Body Works had opened a store in Muskat City Centre (my Dad works in Oman), I couldn't resist waving my Mum off at the terminals during her recent jolly, suitcase in one hand and a ridiculously long list in the other. As expected she came up trumps and upon her return I was greeted with a rather large bag of Bath & Body Works goodies. 

So lets get down to the nitty gritty. I received 5 Pocketbac Hand Sanitisers in Pink Chiffon (not pictured above) a floral scent of of pink petals and vanilla chiffon icing. Warm Vanilla Sugar, a sweet mix of vanilla, sheer florals and sandalwood. Island Margarita, a fresh blend of mandarin, lime and sweet nectarine. Paris Amour, a fresh, floral scent of french tulips with a pop of pink champagne, and Fresh Sparkling Snow, a light fruity scent.

Also within the bag was a Wallflower in Mahogany Teakwood, which suspiciously smells like an Abercrombie & Fitch store. A Room Spray in Twilight Woods. a fresh Deep Cleansing Hand Soap in Lemon Chiffon Tart and last but not least a Pocketbac Holder. 

So there we have it, my Bath & Body Works goodies all the way from Oman. With the likes of Sephora now shipping to the UK, I cant help but hope that Bath & Body Works will finally follow suit. 

Spring Staples

So spring has officially sprung. The nights are at last lighter, the days a little brighter and all the flowers are in full bloom. With warmer weather on the horizon (heres hoping), the time has finally arrived to give my makeup a well overdue Spring shakeup, as I bid farewell to high coverage foundations and deep berry tones and welcome in its place, a lighter base paired with a Spring appropriate pop of colour. 

For base, I have been reaching for the Dior Diorskin Nude BB Creme. A light coverage, fuss free beauty balm that creates a beautiful flawless finish, whist still looking natural. Lately I have been pairing this with the ultimate complexion perfection ingredient, Chanel Les Beiges. A lightweight, velvety soft powder that has become a firm staple in my makeup bag thanks to its wonderful ability to prevent me from becoming an oily mess. Add to the already perfect mix, a few sweeps of serious radiance, aka Guerlian Meteorite Pearls and your good to go. 

Recently my beloved Tarte Park Avenue Princess has been pushed aside in favour of a more season appropriate splash of colour. Enter Tarte Tipsy, a super pigmented, long lasting, easy to work with blush and the ultimate companion to Tanya Burr's Picnic In The Park. A subtle, pinky coral gloss perfectly suited for Spring. 

Finally for eyes, I have been keeping things simple with this effortless shimmery pink nude from The Body Shop Chocolate Box Shimmer Cube Palette, along with some serious lashings of Benefit's They're Real Mascara.

What are your go to Spring Staples? 

thisworks for Radisson Blu | In Transit Amenity Collection

As an avid beauty and skincare fanatic, the one aspect I enjoy more than star-fishing the bed in a rather un ladylike manner, or raiding the drawers for that all important hair dryer, when I first check into a hotel room, is peeking into the uber sleek bathrooms to see what well packaged products are on offer. Sadly aside from looking picture perfect, the amenities in question very rarely make the grade. Im taking shampoo's that fail to lather, basic body washes and moisturisers that could easily substitute water on a slip n slide. Yet somehow I almost always find myself ramming these less than special products into my bag come checkout, only to find them months later gathering dust at the back of the bathroom cabinet. Please tell me im not alone?
However things were a little different during my recent stay at the Radisson Blu. Sat pride of place, within the marbled ensuite, was a well placed, blog worthy tray (yes I did just type that), brimming with thisworks goodies. To add a little luxury to their customers stay, Radisson Blu have collaborated with the natural beauty brand, to offer guests worldwide an exclusive amenities collection. A collection that gets a major thumbs up from me. Aptly named 'in transit', the travel friendly range includes, a sweet scented Reviving Shampoo and accompanying Balancing Conditioner, both infused with essential oils. A refreshing Reviving Shower Gel infused with a natural blend of energising essential oils, and a fast absorbing, naturally scented Balancing Body Lotion. On top of this we also received two envelopes. The first contained some often forgotten essentials, such as a nail file, cotton pads and que tips, whereas the second included a customary shower cap, along with a small bar of soap. 
Although simple, the little extras certainly provided a mini 'spa like' experience to the stay, and helped make my morning pamper all the more enjoyable. For once I checked out with a bag full of goodies that wont last long enough to see the back corner of my cabinet. What are the best bathroom amenities you have come across? 

MUA LUXE velvet lip lacquers

So way back in October MUA finally released their eagerly awaited collection of Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquers. Hailed as a purse friendly dupe for the sought after Lime Crime Velvetine Liquid Lipsticks, the velvety matte lacquers flew off shelves almost instantly. After months of searching but to little avail, I finally managed to get my mitts on two out of the five shades, Criminal, a fun, almost neon pink, and Funk, a more wearable yet bright pink. 
So were the lacquers worth the wait? Seriously pigmented, long lasting and well packaged, its hard to believe that the Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquers cost £3. Always a sucker for the little touches, I was pleased to see the lacquers housed within sleek, yet sturdy frosted packaging, finished off with a simple black lid and stylish gold lettering. Within the lid is a doe foot applicator, which I will admit makes precise application a little tricky. Its definitely not a one swipe product to use on the go. That being said the end result is worth spending an extra few minutes infront of the mirror for.
At first the lacquers feel a little wet and glossy, however once dried you are left with a beautiful velvet, matte finish. In terms of longevity I was left seriously impressed, aside from some slight fading around the centre of the lips, the Luxe Velvet Lacquers seriously do not budge, so much so that removal is a bit of a pain (not even my trusty Bioderma does the trick). 
So overall, the MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquers, are seriously pigmented, and long lasting. Application is a little tricky, but the result is totally worth it. In terms of price, for a mere £3 you really are getting your moneys worth and then some. 
The MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquers can be purchased from Superdrug (in store & online)  aswell as the MUA website.  Have you tried the MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquers?

GlamGlow Super Mud Treatment Mask

If I were to look in the mirror and tell my 17 year old self, that In 6 years time I would spend £40 on a face mask, I can guarantee that my younger reflection would look back in disgust, whilst muttering how a new outfit could be purchased with that kinda money. Yet here I am at 22, sat proud as punch with the latest addition to my skincare regime. I hate to say it, but I really had no qualm parting pennies (meh who am I kidding) for what I can only describe as a miracle in a pot. Yep you read that right, I have finally found that holy grail product, a skincare hero that will banish all complexion woes and tackle those pesky spots once and for all (Batman who?) So ladies and gents let me introduce you to the Bruce Wayne of face masks, also know as the GlamGlow Super Mud Clearing Treatment mask. 

The GlamGlow Super Mud Clearing Treatment makes one seriously impressive statement, firstly it claims to brighten and even out the complexion whilst de clogging and minimising pores, aswell as reducing blemishes, pimples and spots without causing further breakouts.What appealed to me most about the mask was the 'see all' concept. Remember those Biore Strips back in the day, the ones that once removed revealed a multitude of sins? Well this baby kinda does the same thing. The clearing treatment is a darkish grey/black once applied, and dries to a light grey, excluding the congested areas. Thanks to the formula this miracle worker draws out oils and imperfections (yes im looking at you pesky black heads) from the skin, leaving spots visibly clearer without causing further breakouts, along with smoother and brighter looking skin. The aftermath before removal may be truly disgusting, but its somewhat satisfying at the same time.

I have been using the Super Mud Clearing Treatment Mask twice a week, for well over a month now, and I have to admit that I have seen a dramatic improvement in my skin (also taking into consideration my revamped skincare routine). Unlike before I find that my foundation applies like a dream, and pesky spots are few and far between. GlamGlow claim that this 34g pot provides 17 full face applications, or 1,000 spot treatments. However if used sparingly I believe that the pot will last much longer. In a month I have made a slight dent in the product.

The Super Mud Clearing Treatment can be purchased from the likes of GlamGlow & Feel Unique for £44.99