Monday 30 November 2009

REVIEW: Soap and Glory Arch de Triumph Brow Crayon

 

I picked this up as part of my mini Advantage Card points haul last week. As is the custom with Soap and Glory products the packaging is cute and quirky, and this particular product comes complete with 3 eyebrow stencils. I didn’t think a huge amount to these as you had to detach them from the back of the packaging without ripping them (which wasn’t easy) and they were made of fairly flimsy card. In the words of my Nan, they were neither use nor ornament but it was a nice idea.

 

The product itself is a double ended shaping and highlighting crayon. It only comes in one shade which is a mid-brown hue, so it’s probably useless if you’re incredibly fair or dark. In all honesty I thought it was going to be too dark for me, but I was pleasantly surprised. The brow pencil is quite hard, meaning that to get a decent colour payoff you’d probably end up with bruised eyebrows, but as the colour is quite dark, the lack of payoff is no bad thing (for me at least).

 

For me though, the highlighter is where this product scores extra brownie points. Instead of being a shiny and glittery, it’s gorgeous and matte, which is exactly what I love in a highlighter. I’ve also used this on my cheekbones and it gives me a kind of glow, rather than the shimmer I’ve grown to dread.

 

Though this is probably not going to replace the Urban Decay Brow Box as my HG brow product, I’ve fallen in love with the highlighter and it’s pretty handy for chucking in my bag on a night out. Plus, given that it was free (sort of) I can’t really complain too much!

 

xxx

 

Wednesday 25 November 2009

Rating and Slating 25/11/2009

Rating

·         Spending Advantage Card points - Its like getting presents from Boots!

·         Galaxy Cookie Crumble - yummmmmmmmmm

·         Using up the last little bit of foundation/moisturiser/body lotion - So satisfying!

·         New Moon - Round two tomorrow!!

 

Slating

·         Matalan never having the items I want - grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

·         Working Late - I seem to be being really unproductive lately, which means I'm having to stay later. Rubbish.

·         Dodgy Photos being tagged on Facebook - I have become the queen of de-tagging after Saturday's all day session!

 

xxx

 

Bag a Bargain!

As I'm sure you've noticed I'm a sucker for a bargain, and after seeing a 20% off all shoes and bags banner outside my local Matalan on Sunday I had to have a bit of a nosy!

The gorgeous ankle boots I had my eye on were only available in a size 3 so in an effort to appease my inner shopaholic I decided to have a quick look in the bag section to see what was on offer. The first things I spotted were these cute little quilted bags which I couldn't resist. I picked up both the black and the cream versions (at £6 each before discount it would have been rude not to) as I'm a firm believer that a girl can never have too many handbags!

All in all I'm pretty happy with them - they're pretty spacious and perfect for a night out. They're no Chanel 2.55 reissue, but until the day that the Mr feels particularly generous (or I win the lottery), they'll just have to do!

xxx

Tuesday 24 November 2009

Soap and Glory Haul

s&g haulAfter a stupidly busy weekend involving midnight showings of New Moon, 13 hour benders and an Arctic Monkeys gig, I thought I’d treat myself to a few goodies, and I can’t think of a better way to do that but to spend some of my hard earned Advantage Card Points (free is my favourite price after all!).

I’m completely out of perfume at the moment having finished off my beloved Chanel Mademoiselle at the weekend, and as I’m pretty much guaranteed to get some for Christmas I thought I’d give Soap and Glory’s eponymous scent a try. When I got to the Soap and Glory stand in Boots I realised that S & G products were still on 3 for 2 so I thought I may as well go the whole hog and pick up another couple of bits. so into my basket went Clean, Girls body wash and Arch de Triumph brow crayon / highlighter. The whole lot would have cost me £22, which was bargainous enough but because I paid with my points I left Boots feeling incredibly smug!

Stay tuned for reviews of Arch de Triumph and Eau de Soap and Glory!

xxx

Thursday 19 November 2009

To chop or not to chop?

I've finally got an appointment with my hairdresser tomorrow (after 8 whole weeks of waiting) but I'm having a bit of a dilemma. I have a bit of a skewed relationship with my hair in that I cut it short, I want it long, I grow it out and I want it short (repeat to fade). I know this is probably not an uncommon phenomenon for most of femalekind, but I think its time that I broke the cycle.

I'm growing out an inverted bob at the moment, which I absolutely loved (at the time), it took about 5 minutes to dry, was easy to style and saved me an absolute fortune in product. The only issue I had with it was at the gym as it was a bit of a nightmare to tie back, but a few snazzy hairbands soon solved that little problem. I can hardly remember what I looked like with long hair (as I have an aversion to cameras there is very little photographic proof), but here is the only pic I have on this laptop of me with long hair.....



I'm thinking short is still the way to go......thoughts???

xxx

Tonight is the night....



... of the much anticipated midnight showing of New Moon. Eeeeeeeep!!!
xxx

Wednesday 18 November 2009

Giveaway……

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The incredibly generous Shakespeare and Stilettos is having a giveaway here. Not only is she including the lush Sleek Graphite palette, but also Barry M’s much fabled Pink Flamingo nail polish – get it while its hot!!

xxx

I Hit Pan! [TAG]

Hello everyone!

Apologies for the lack of meaningful posts the last week or so, but I thought it would be a good idea to take a couple of long weekends. Turned out I was mistaken as now I’m completely snowed under with work. Oh well.

Anyways, I was tagged by the lovely Toni to do the ‘I hit pan’ tag that’s doing the rounds, so here goes……..

1. List 6 items that you have either 'hit pan' or finished the tub/tube bottle of etc. and have or plan to repurchase for even and ever! This can be makeup, skincare, haircare, bodycare or scent

2. Tag 6 people that you want to know their repurchases

3. Let those 6 people know by leaving a comment on their blog with a link so they know what to do
I’m sure most of you are well aware of my favourites as I tend to bang on about them incessantly, but here goes……

pan
1. MAC Mineralise Skin Finish Natural

This is my daily staple. Even if I’m having a minimal makeup day this is the first item I reach for.

2. MAC Angel Lipstick

My favourite lipstick by MAC, Angel is nigh on perfect!

3. Chanel Coco Mademoiselle
My favourite fragrance ever. Love.

4. Too Faced Shadow Insurance
I tried UDPP, I didn’t get on with it. This on the other hand is fantastic.

5. Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Zero

I’ve currently got about 3 of these in stock. I use this everyday, its my favourite eyeliner ever.

6. No 7 powder blush in Petal

A pretty pink colour which is sheer and buildable. Great to apply in the car, at the office or on the run without worrying about looking like coco the clown..

I tag……..

Anyone who wants to do this, I’ve been so busy that I guess most people have already done the tag!

xxx

Tuesday 17 November 2009

Rating and Slating 17/11/2009

Rating

·         Organisation - All my Christmas shopping is done and its not even the end of November

·         Jeggings - I hate the word but love the idea. One of my pet peeves is the way my skinnies bunch up when I wear my UGGS over them, not a problem with Jeggings

·         Getting my hair done on Friday - Its seven weeks since I last had my hair done, and its in desperate need of bleach!

·         Lypsyl - an oldie but a goodie.

·         New Moon on Thursday night - EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP.

 

Slating

·         Busy-ness - taking a long weekend means that I have a stupid amount of work to do when I get back to the office. More time spent in the office = less time to blog/go to the gym

·         Brittle nails - carrying bags of Christmas shopping has taken its toll on my nails, they're now scraggly stumps

 

xxx

Wednesday 11 November 2009

Favourites (Revisited)

I thought it would be interesting (for me at least) to re-do this post as I first did it back in March when I started blogging. I know that some of my favourites have definitely changed (thanks in part to recommendations from other bloggers), so lets see how many………….

Shampoo: Paul Mitchell Platinum Blonde
Conditioner: Lee Stafford Bleach Blondes conditioner
Styling products: Paul Mitchell Heat Seal and Super Skinny serum
Shower Gel: Radox Shower Smoothies – Soul Soother
Body moisturiser: Nivea Rich Care Body Moisturiser
Deodorant: Sure Biorhythm
Fake Tan: St Moriz / St Tropez everyday
Cleanser: Boots No7 Soft and Soothed Cleanser
Eye makeup remover: Clinique Take The Day Off
Exfoliator: Make Believe Spa & Polish Exfoliator
Primer: Stoppped using it
Foundation: Rimmel Stay Matte Mousse
Foundation brush: MAC 187
Concealer: Benefit Boing
Powder: MAC MSF Natural
Blusher: MAC Tippy
Bronzer: Too Faced Pink Leopard 
Highlighter: Benefit Moon Beam
Eyeshadow base: Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Eyeshadows: Too many to mention!
Eyeliner: Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Zero / Sleek Ink Pot in Dominatrix
Eyelash curler: still the same Ruby and Millie one
Eyelash base: Don’t use
Mascara: Lancome L’Extreme
Lipstick: Currently Natural Collection - Apple Blossom 
Lipgloss: MAC Underage
Nail Colour: Collection 2000 - Wham

xxx

Tuesday 10 November 2009

Rating and Slating 10/11/2009

Rating

 

·         Boots Natural Collection Apple Blossom lipstick - the cheaper, less drying version of GOSH Darling, perfect in almost every way

·         Biffy Clyro at Rock City - Its been 5 years since I last saw Biffy and they didn’t disappoint. Fab band + fab friends + Jack = good times

·         Not working a full week for the rest of November - I'm in desperate need of some time off, I'm running so many files at the moment I feel like I'm running myself into the ground.

 

Slating

·         Our Firm's Christmas party being on the 28 November - Seems a bit early to me!

·         Chipped Nail Polish - Note to self, BUY SOME TOP COAT

 

 

xxx

Sunday 8 November 2009

Today is a sad day....

.... I FINALLY hit pan with my MSF Natural.

On the plus side, MAC here I come!!

xxx

Saturday 7 November 2009

They're back!!!!


Starbucks Gingerbread Lattes - NOM!

xxx

Boots/Superdrug Haul

Haul

Its been a while since I purchased any makeup items from Boots or Superdrug so I thought I’d give any one who’s interested a sneaky peek into what I bought this week.

GOSH is currently on 3 for 2 in Superdrug, so I picked up Black Passion nail polish, and two Velvet Touch eyeliners in Bananas and Metallic Brass. I really like the consistency of these eyeliners and they remind me a lot of Urban Decay’s 24/7 liners which I’m sure by now you all know I adore! I’ve heard a lot of good things about Bananas and I picked up Metallic Brass because its halfway between Stash and Lucky, which are two of the liners I wear quite often during the day.

Next I went to Boots, where I used my £5 No 7 voucher to but Wheatsheaf Stay Perfect Eyeshadow and Natural Collection Apple Blossom lipstick. I was intrigued to try Apple Blossom as I’d read a few posts about it and I’m always up for a bargain!! I picked up Wheatsheaf just because there wasn’t really anything else I fancied and it would have been rude not to use it!

xxx

Wednesday 4 November 2009

NOTD 04/11/2009

GOSH Nail Polish in Black Passion



xxx

Rating and Slating 04/11/2009

Rating



Bonfire Night - I absolutely LOVE bonfire night - Jacket potatoes, cinder toffee, sparklers…….its possibly my favourite night of the year


GOSH Nail Polish in Black Passion - I bought this yesterday in the 3 for 2 GOSH promotion which is currently in Superdrug, its black with tiny flecks of silver - pretty! (Haul post coming later)


Sleek Graphite Palette (still)  - I'm not going to do a review on this as I'm sure lots of other bloggers have done a much better job than I would, but I'm still loving it


Nights on the sofa with the Mr - add Ben and Jerry's and NCIS LA and I'm a very happy bunny



Slating



Ignorance - How can people not appreciate the mid-nineties genius of Hole (and Courtney Love). About 3 people got my Halloween outfit, I was crushed!


Christmas shoppers - Meadowhall has gone from being my venue of choice for a Sunday afternoon mooch to bearing a (more than passing )resemblance to Hades.


Cheryl Cole's X Factor wardrobe - Sack the stylist - PRONTO!!

 

 xxx

Monday 2 November 2009

Lee Stafford Bleach Blondes v Toni & Guy Platinum Blonde

 

IMG00101-20091030-0701

I confess, I’m a shameless hussy when it comes to shampoo. I’ve done the rounds and given most brands a whirl, but for the last year or so I’ve been (relatively) faithful to Paul Mitchell’s Platinum Blonde Shampoo as my ally in the never-ending fight against brassiness. I’ve had a few dalliances with Superdrug Colour Effects which has impressed, but I’ve always gone back to the Paul Mitchell. The big plus of the Paul Mitchell product is that the toner in it isn’t too strong so I can used it on a daily basis, its moisturising and it smells delish!

Anyway, recently I’ve been playing away from home and alternating between Lee Stafford’s Bleach Blondes range and Toni and Guy’s Platinum Blonde range. Now that I’ve had a chance to put them through their paces I thought I’d report back with my findings.

Let’s start with the Toni and Guy products.

Packaging: Pretty much standard Toni and Guy fare right down to the annoying pump dispenser. Now I don’t have particularly long hair but I need a good 8 pumps of product to wash my hair which can get quite annoying – give me an old fashioned squeezy bottle any day.

Product: The products are OK; the toner isn’t very strong so the products can be used on a daily basis. The smell isn’t offensive and both the shampoo and conditioner contain moisturising ingredients which is a winner as my hair does sometimes feel a bit straw-like

Price: £5.49 each. Pretty standard for a mid-range shampoo – get them while they’re on offer.

….and onto the Lee Stafford products.

Packaging: I love the all of the Lee Stafford packaging, and this is no exception - it’s the usual hot pink colour and it’s in a wonderful squeezy bottle.

Product: The toner in the shampoo is quite potent, which I love. I’m a big fan of icy white-blonde hair so I like a stronger toner, but it may not be for everyone.  I wouldn’t recommend using the shampoo everyday unless a blue rinse is the look you’re going for! The conditioner is more of a lilac colour and is absolutely fine to use daily.

Price:  Much of a muchness to be honest, the Lee Stafford products are also £5.49 each – get them while they’re on 3 for 2, or when Boots are doing the £2 off professional hair care vouchers.

And the winner is………………………. (drumroll please…….)

Lee Stafford Bleach Blondes!!!

For me, the Lee Stafford products win hands down, I prefer (almost) everything about these products. The only thing I don’t like is the fact that I have to buy a non-toning shampoo to use on the in-between days, but I can overlook that.

xxx

Sunday 1 November 2009

Face of the Night – 30/10/2009

Friday was the night of the annual Law Society Halloween Party, it was held in a local industrial museum which was different. It worked out really well as the museum itself was quite spooky, probably due in part to the waxworks that were hanging around the place.

As it was a work do, I decided against all-out fancy dress and played it safe, as the ubiquitous witch. (I saved the real dressing up for Halloween itself and my interpretation of Courtney Love).

IMG00107-20091030-1911

IMG00108-20091030-1911

Makeup-wise, I went for:

  • Maybelline Wonderfinish Foundation
  • MAC MSF Natural in Medium
  • Benefit Moon Beam
  • MAC Tippy Blush
  • MAC Blacktrack Fluidline all over the lid
  • Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Zero
  • MAC Carbon e/s
  • MAC Ricepaper e/s
  • Urban Decay Uzi e/s
  • Naturalash lashes
  • Urban Decay Brow Box in Honey Pot
  • Gosh Darling lipstick
  • MAC Underage lip gloss

Hopefully I’ll get some pictures of the Courtney Love dress up posted later in the week.

In other news, the in-laws are buying me a new camera for Christmas, so you won’t have to put up with third-rate pictures for much longer – yippeeee!!!

xxx

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