Blog Sale - Come Take A Look!

I am having a blog sale to free up some space and get rid of products that I just don't reach for.

I will of course sanitise everything used with either alcohol no not vodka haha (lipsticks) or dettol wipes for the outside plastic casing of things. Sanitation is key!

So there is no confusion

1) If you want an item, say so (and what you want) in the comments below along with your Paypal email address. I will then send you an invoice or if you would rather pay me via internet banking then that's great for me as I don't have to pay any crappy fees!

2) Paypal  (or via internet banking for ppl in the UK) are the only methods of payment accepted - it's just easier and more secure;

3) Please ensure you pay for the item some time within 24 hours of receiving the invoice; otherwise the item will not be reserved for you

4) Shipping to Europe and the US is £2.50 and for the UK is £1.50, all items will be sent out the next working day after payment is recieved or on the same day if I am physically able.

6) No returns

Mac Sugarshot Eyeshadow (no longer available in store) - Used Once - £8- PEND

Mac pigment in Mutiny  Swatched once - £13.00 PEND

Inglot Eyeshadow Double Sparkle 463- Used Once - £6.50

Mac Fleshpot Lippie - Used Twice - its the one on the right hand side. £10 PEND

Can you believe that when I went through my stuff I actually had three of these all had been used yet I kept buying the same one, derrr what divvy!

Maybelline Eye Studio in Bronze Drama - Swatched once £3.00

Cargo Plant Love Lipstick in Sarah - Used twice 99% left - £7

Inglot Slim Gel Lipstick in number 50 used twice - £7 PEND

Essie Mink Muffs - used once - £5

Pro Advanced Tripe Strength Nail Moisturiser - Unused - £3

Sugarpill Loose Eyeshadow in Lumi - swatched once - £6 PEND

Maybelline Mousse Shimmer in 01 Porcelain - swatched once - £2.50

Mac Hocus Focus Colourful Face Kit from Holiday 2009  PEND

Each colour used twice each £16

Mac half size lipliner in Dervish swatched once - £4 PEND

St Tropez Body Butter 100ml - £3.50

Loccitane Honey and Lemon Hand Cream £4.00

Both used twice

Unworn Pink bead necklace -£5

Unworn Black long beaded necklace - £5 PEND

Current Skincare Routine

I was asked to try a few of Purity Organic Skincare's cleansers by followers as they wanted to see reviews and had been sent these products to test out so I thought I would also do an updated skincare regime as it has changed slightly now it isn't quite as cold and I don't need a cleansing oil.

You can find more information about all the brands here

Purity Organic Skincare Facebook page

Purity Organic SkincareWebsite

Neals Yard Remedies Website

Korres natural skincare

bNatural Organic Skincare

Currently I am using

Bnatural eye makeup remover and wipes, Purity Organic

Skincare moisturiser, exfoliator and cleanser and Neil's yard toner

Facewash

Purity Organic Skincare Facial Wash (Fragrance free for sensitive skin) £4.99

98% Natural; 70% Organic

This is a thin clear gel that gives a light foam when mixed with water, I can rub this over my eyes in the mornings to remove the last traces of mascara without it stinging, I have very sensitive eyes so for it not to sting me is amazing.  It cleans my face so well. 

Before I was asked to use this I never used face washes as I though they were too drying and stripping but this is most definitely neither.  The packaging is plain and some people may think that the clear gel and the fact that it is unscented make it boring but when you have allergies, eczema, psoriasis or acne it is so important find unscented gentle products.  This is *amazing* and now both Matt and I use it every morning.  (well he nicks it...but I don't mind).

Cleanser

Conditioning Cleansing Lotion (fragrance free for sensitive skin)

150ml, £4.99

98% Natural; 83% Organic

I use this every evening to remove my makeup.  I put a blob on my Soap and Glory face massage mini mitt and then in circular motions buff it all over my face and eyes (yes the mitt and cleaners are both gentle enough), I rinse the mitt and then repeat twice and then tone to remove the last bits.  My face is super clean after this.  Sometimes if I use a lot of eye makeup I use a separate eye makeup remover first but it's fine for my normal everyday mascara.  This is also unscented, with no artifical fragrances and contains lovely skin friendly ingredients like rose flower water, almond oil, avocado oil, coconut oil.

Toner

Neil's Yard Remedies Orange Flower Water

£9.50 for 100ml

Basically it does what it says on the tin!  A gorgeous orange flower water toner, cleans off any last traces of cleanser and eye makeup remover and is perfect for dry or sensitive skin.  It is in no way harsh and doesn't strip the natural oils from the skin.  The smell is amazing and I will definitely repurchase this.

 

Serum

Purity Organic Skincare Anti-Aging Serum and Mask (Fragrance free for sensitive skin)

50ml, £8.99

98% Natural; 95% Organic

I have blogged about this before here my post from October 2009 and I have always had one on the go since then.  I do chop and change especially for review purposes but I always go back to this.

Wipes

These are the only low priced organic wipes that I have found, they are lovely and soft and are brill at getting the slap off when I get to the gym.  I still prefer to cleanse/tone/moisturise rather than use a wipe but this gets the job done when necessary at under a fiver.

bNatural is exlusive to Tesco  and is organic with soil association certification.  You can find out more information on the bnatural website.  bNatural eye makeup remover is £3.79  and is pictured at the top.  I can't really use an oily eye makeup remover now unless I have taken my contacts out and this is just a liquid, it removes my mascara as well as a non-oil one possibly can with no stinging and once again it is organic.

Moisturiser and eye cream

Korres Materia Herba eye cream and anti ageing moisturiser.

I am so seriously obsessed with these there will be a separate review on them as they are hands down the best anti ageing products I have ever tried and I bloody love em!

To cut a long story short I love the scent, consistency and results but I want to use them for a bit longer before I review.

Products by Korres, Purity and bNatural were provided by PR for review, Neils Yard product was purchased by me, all reviews are honest and generally contain a hint of sarcasm :p

What's your current skincare routine like?

China Glaze Up and Away Collection Swatches and Review

These shades are perfect for Spring..you know if it ever gets here!

Up and away/balloons is a bit weird for a collection but...ok! The super creamy pastel colours are amazing and so pigmented, only a few of them even needed 2 coats (!) rare for polishes in my experience.  My absolute fave is Grape Pop, it is so eye catching and gorgeous. The polish dries so quickly and it doesn't take forever to do your manicure which I love.

I didn't get all the colours, just my four faves. 

Bright, Barbie, candy pink. I think this is just about as bright as pink can get

before it looks silly. I love this colour it is beautiful.

Hands down my favourite, a more blue toned purple, or true purple. 

I have nothing like this in my collection and I adore it.  Looove!

This is a very bright coral, its a lot more red than I had thought really but very flattering and pretty

It's sort of blue, but in real life it can also look a bit teal green.

I really like this shade and it will look amazing with a tan, fake or real.

 
Surprisingly I didn't get Peachy Keen, but that's because I already have Models Own fuzzy peach and a Gosh peach so I didn't see the point in three peaches.
 
I think they are amazing for the price although it's a pain they only sell these in a few outlets in the UK or you have to buy online. 
 

What are your thoughts on this collection?

And China Glaze in general?

A Present For Me - Miu Miu Vitello Lux

I won't (can't as the people I would mention could easily read this) go into the reasons why but I have lately been in serious need of cheering up so I was ecstatic to find out we were being paid a bonus at work. I hadn't expected it due to the recession etc. but luck shone down on me for once!
Some people turn to booze and food when they are down, I turn to handbags.

I have been eyeing this bag for over a year but have been reluctant to fork out the £££ for it. But thanks to Holly I got this lovely bag from Flannels for much cheaper than it retails for at the Miu Miu stores in London.

How it arrived, with a lovely note from Katie at Flannels and in a pretty pink linen dustbag.

For everyday I am keen on large bags that I can chuck all my things into and I like ones that are slouchy and have the option to be worn with a strap or with handles.

Miu Miu Vitello Lux handbag in Nero (black)

This ticks all the boxes plus it has gorgeous soft leather and comes in black (a must for those travelling on the filthy tube like poor old commuter me) and is shiny so won't get ruined in the rain. It's not patent but appears to have some sort of coating.

The bag even smells divine! It is so soft and roomy inside and is certainly big enough for my make-up bag, sunglasses case, 2 phones, ipod, large wallet, card wallet, misc vitamins and random tissues and work passes. To help alleviate this guilty pleasure I might try and go through my stash and do another blog sale, if anyone is interested - I feel I should try and justify it a bit!

I love the bows and gold hardware, they make a standard black bag super cute.

I am sure Vanessa Hudgens looks far more glam than me when wearing it but oh well, what can I do lol!

Cargo Texas Lash Mascara Review

Cargo TexasLash Mascara is a recent edition to my mascara collection and  I've been wearing it every day since then to give it a good test.  And despite the rather blah packaging I have to admit, I LOVE this mascara!!!  I am confused, why is there not more fuss being made about this mascara? I had honestly never heard of it before.

I didn't actually realise this was a tubing mascara until I read another review online, although apparently this is what makes the mascara non-smudging so I can't argue with that! That's why you have to remove the mascara by gently pressing your lashes with a wet cotton pad, then the tubes dissolve and slide right off.  At first it's a bit freaky as you think all of your lashes are coming off!

This is what Cargo say "TexasLash™ Mascara is a maximum lash volumizing formula that produces Texas-sized lashes in just one coat! The fat, oversized brush allows for easy application in a single coat. The unique formula creates high volume lashes in an instant. TexasLash™ Mascara doesn't flake, smudge or run!"

This gives me a lot of volume and you don't get that horrible crispy lash you get with a lot of cheaper mascaras.  This only costs $20 so transferred into pounds it's not bad at all or you can get TWO for £25.00 here  Cargo at QVC UK so you can always share and buy with a friend. Ooh I do love QVC my mum has totally converted me now!

This dries pretty quickly which I love, I do not have time in the morning to wait between coats drying and I appreciate a product that doesn't hinder my extreme makeover at warp speed.

I would imagine this would give even bigger results with a lash base/primer but I have currently run out and need a new one (ideas anyone?).

Disclaimer - I was sent this product as a gift for posting on Cargo's facebook page.

I Love Smashbox

Usually I would credit YSL with being my favourite cosmetics brand but it is in serious danger of being taken over by Smashbox as I am loving them at the moment.  Some of their items are so ingenious such as the eyeliner palette above.  It is the size of a credit card and you get all of those different coloured cream liners.  They apply so much better (for me personally) than Mac's fluidline as my eyes are very dry, so the gel just goes clumpy.  These stay on for me all day and are super pigmented, they come in some really cool grey and brown colours too. See it here where it costs £18.50

I have also been loving these four lipglosses from the Smashbox Rapture Lipgloss Set, they come in a set of six but I didn't like the other two so they have been relegated!

I love that they are mini and are perfect for slinging in my handbag for work as they aren't too pigmented and the Illume looks stunning over Mac Myth and Eve Pearl Nude Beach lipsticks.

And the last thing is an eyeshadow trio I have been wearing almost all week for work, the lightest colour is such a gorgeous highlight without being glittery and the darkest colour is gorgeous on the lid and as a liner, i have been using it pressed over the cream liner in the darkest brown colour for a lovely shimmery look.

Apologies for lack of EOTD, I had a contact lens tearing incident so I have a rather red eye at the moment!

All of these items are from Ultimate Beauty Gems and Ria is also doing a special offer at the moment which you might be interested in.  She is selling a lot of brand new boxed Molton Brown makeup for under £10.00 if you want to have a look the link is here Sale items at Ultimate Beauty Gems

I would love it if you told me your Smashbox favourites  - I think I *need* some blushes and lipglosses....need being the operative word ;)

My Dream Handbag

I am contemplating the purchase of this gorgeous handbag and have been told on good authority by Holly at ymbeautyblog that you can purchase it at flannels for a better price so I will be stalking them right now!

The bag in question?

Miu Miu Vitello Lux (or the 'Bow' bag)

Nero

Palissandro

Mughetto

Talco

Miniature bow - how cute!

The bag that sparked my attraction - belonging to Beverly Chua (a blogger)

So girls - what do you think?

New Sleek MakeUp Kajal Eyeliner Review

This is a preview (it was sent to me by Sleek) of a new Sleek MakeUP item which is due to be released on 14th April in the UK. It will be on sale in both Black (Nocturnal) and Metallic Purple (Odyssey).

'Westernised' Kajal eyeliners are formulated with a very soft texture to mimic the effect of the Indian Kajal eye darkener which is also called Kajal (they share the same name but they are different). As far as I am aware they are specifically formulated for lining your waterlines to get a really dark pigmented eastern eye look.

The formulation of this Sleek MakeUp Kajal eyeliner is silky and smooth and it glides on really evenly so it's perfect for lining your waterline or tightlining, and also for lining your lashes before smudging them for a more sultry smoky eye look. This doesn't give a precise or 'perfect' line. . You can even smudge it over your entire lid and then re-line the eyes to create a super quick smoky eye.

A  plus for me is that it's soft and doesn't drag the skin around my eyes.  It delivers a very pigmented black line that lasts quite a long time on my waterline although not all day since I rub my eyes a bit, it would definitely last all night on a night out.   I doubt it would last longer than 6 hours.

I am really impressed by the packaging which looks really cute and authentic and is very similar to the Guerlain Kajal that came out with the 2009 Terracotta collection.

A tip to apply Kajal liner - hold the liner horizontally, just close enough to your eye to touch both of your waterlines, close your eye and then swipe the liner across, that way it doesn't lose the point as you aren't using the tip of the Kajal vertically. So I hope that helps.

Thin line, thick line and smudged line

This is what the Kajal looks like used as a regular kohl eyeliner, I don't usually do a big flick but I was trying to show that it was pigmented

So what do you reckon, will you be purchasing?
I want the purple one as well.