Sleek Makeup Palette Giveaway - Oh So Special

The Sleek Makeup Oh So Special palette really is stunning, and started off as a Sephora only limited edition.


Well one lucky I Heart Cosmetics reader will soon be the lucky owner of this as I am giving it away to you.


TO ENTER

• Post a comment with the answer to the question what is your special makeup item? (or your favourite).

• Open to all, of any age, location, gender, shoe size etc. etc.

• Please note that after so many winners not contacting me, if after 1 week the prize is not claimed by the winner I will re draw the names using random.org.
• Winner will be picked at random, 1 entry and 1 comment per person
• Followers only
• Open now, ends midnight on 15th July UK time.

If you would be so kind as to mention the giveaway on your facebook, blog or twitter then it would be much appreciated.


Sarah x

Nail Trends - So Hot Right Now

Shatter polish was the big thing last season, bring on the yellow shimmers, nail art with Minx, artistic colour gloss neons, magnetic polishes and rockstar toes.

Magnetic nail varnish - say what?!?! 

LCN has  brought out a new type of polish which has metal particles mixed in with the polish so that they will react if a magnet is placed near the polish whilst it is drying on the nail to create unique and fun designs. You apply the polish to the nail then straight away hold an LCN magnet over the nail for 10-15 seconds and the polish will move into the shape of the magnet leaving behind the metallic pattern on the nail.   There are different magnets for different designs.  Lancome did something similar a few years ago but I missed the boat on that one, so as soon as I find out where on earth you can purchase these I will see if I can get one.

Neons are going to be massive all through the rest of the year and Artistic Colour Gloss have brought out some gorgeous neon blues, greens, yellows and a pink and orange that aren't shown above plus lots of lovely so that you can have your favourite neon nails or toes but in a long lasting gel polish format. You can contact https://www.louellabelle.co.uk/ for your nearest provider of gel polish nails using Artistic.

Just like last Summer Minx toes are really hot for this Summer too, why stop a trend when it's so good?  Minx are nail designs which are heated with an infra red lamp to activate the adhesive backing then applied to the nail, smoothed, filed and trimmed and stay looking gorgeous for around a month.  The cool thing about Minx is you can pick such designs as the hippy chick flowers above that would be either impossible or very difficult to create just with polish on tiny toenails and it's a great way to bring colour to your look if you don't like wearing bright clothes.

Rockstar toes are also really big this year, for the above pedicure I used the amazing Holly's tutorial which I will post below and the glitter I used was Glitz Glitter to create some fabulously sparkly blinging rockstar glitter nails that will last for weeks and weeks and remain chip free due to the gel. Stunning!

Sophy Robson hosted her Nailporn bash last week to celebrate the launch of her salon in Chelsea and if you love her or just nail art in general (or want to see a random pic of Henry Holland getting a vaj/pejazzle...?) then you can take a look here http://www.sophyrobson.com/2011/06/nailporn-salon-launch-party-at-tuatara/

What nail trends are you loving right now?

Feeling hot hot HOT! (finally)

I am so so so pleased that it is finally warm and hot and sunny in the UK! How long has it taken? I cannot believe that Summer has taken until nearly the end of June to put in an appearance. And by Summer I mean 1 day that has been hot and full of sunshine, if we get another day of sun in a row well, I might die of shock!

This means I can finally crack out all of my lovely Korres sun care products as seen above that I have been wanting to use since I got them, my favourites are the hair sun protection that smells like Malibu, I think I might have to be careful not to keep it in the garden if I am actually drinking Malibu so I don't get confused and the SPF30 lotion in the tube for your face, i will just use this instead of moisturiser in the mornings if I am going to be out in the sun.


Matt has already been testing out the two after sun products and we have come to the conclusion that the preferred one of the two is the aloe vera based one in the aqua tube.  This is because it's more which is needed as he has a tendency to peel, hardly surprising since he refuses to use SPF unless I pin him down and spray him against his will.


I will be using these lovelies all the time now the sun has come so I will review them more thoroughly as I use them.

I have been loving wearing brighter colours in the sun (sorry for the crap pics) I really like this coral linen dress from just a local shop called honeybee in Bexleyheath, it's not a glam shop by any means but the clothes are really inexpensive so I always manage to find something, even if it's just a wash and wear a few times before you throw away type of dress, it's always good value stuff.

It was my beautiful mum's 60th Birthday last Tuesday, doesn't she look so cute?!

I have been really loving the Chanel Pro Lumiere makeup but I am going to see how it gets on now the weather is warmer as I am wondering whether I will end up looking mega shiny.  I will review after another week or so.  I still haven't got round to using Mimosa nail varnish, I ended up doing my toes with artistic colour gloss gel polish in a pinky purple shade with purple glitter star shapes on the big toe, not quite as classy as chanel but I like it haha!

What have you been up to in this heat? My cat is being very grumpy because he is too hot!

Today's post...cracked me up!

http://www.makeuptomakeout.co.uk/?p=986

So true, men are so strange!

Planning a relaxing spa day and Wireless Festival

I have been thinking about having a lovely relaxing spa day for a while now.  I have always wanted to go to The Sanctuary in Covent Garden for some treatments but haven't really had the time. But I was given a spa finder voucher which I can use there and I think I might bump up the money so I can have a really lovely treat. I think i'm worth it lol! I spend so long pampering everyone else these days I am starting to look a bit like i'm falling apart!

Have you been to The Sanctuary before? If so which treatments did you have, I am looking for recommendations.  I am not sure whether to go for a facial and pedicure, or a pedicure and some sort of body scrub and floatation treatment? It all sounds so amazing!  


Please do share if you have been what it's like. I am so excited!  


In other news I am going to wireless festival next Friday, have you been to that before or are you going? What should I wear?

Handbags and Gladrags by Maggie Alderson

Whilst looking for the remote control this evening I found behind the sofa a book I thought I had lost! Ah this book is fab I have read it so many times, although it does look a little bit rough, as I dropped it in the bath years ago when I was able to have them and had to dry it on the radiator.

The book focusses on Emily who is a married fashion journalist on a womens glossy magazine who embarks on an affair based around the fashion season with an Australian photographer called Miles. I love the descriptions of all of the clothes and the trips to London, Paris and Milan from Prada to Gucci.  Obviously Emily is playing a dangerous game juggling her work and her affair with her husband but you slowly see that her husband isn't the angel he makes himself out to be.  

Definitely worth a read if that sounds like your sound of thing and remember, don't drop it in the bath! 

Hed Kandi Ibiza App for iPhone

A lot of friends and clients I know are going/are already in Ibiza for the summer and I thought this app info might be helpful, I am the sort of person that has an iPhone app for every eventuality! I've got iTorch, maps, tube map, train info, even a singing hamster app (love it)!

The Hed Kandi app gives you all the information on Ibiza you need for your holiday from info on clubs to restaurants and you can use it to make your own mix of songs. There are other benefits such as being able to purchase your club night tickets directly so you don't need to buy a paper ticket which, to be fair, you might just lose if you are enjoying a few drinks!  It is available to download free so seems pretty good at no cost?
I wonder if they have one for Tenerife? Cos my holiday is soon woop woop!

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure

Sally Hansen complete salon manicure is new to the UK but has been around in the USA for a while.  They claim that "Complete Salon Manicure™ All 5 Steps of a Manicure in 1 Bottle -Sally knows you’re busy. So skip the salon, but get the results. With patented Vita-Care Technology for advanced wear, more shine, and nourishing care. Dare to compare to your favorite salon brand"


It advises that the 5 steps you are skipping to 1 are Base, strengthener, growth treatment, colour and topcoat. Now I am not sure I even bothered doing base and topcoat half the time when I used to paint my nails anyway so I am not sure what a revelation this 5 in 1 product is but it is certainly a lovely product, with a great consistency and a very shiny finish without topcoat.

The brush is as wide as my pinky nail and flat so it covers the maximum amount of nail with the minimum amount of product, leaving  a smooth thin coat behind.  This definitely is a handy brush unless you have absolutely tiny nails.

This is the colour on the nail directly, it's a dusky rose teracotta and is called mudslide.  Cost is £6.99 from Boots.

Things that make me smile

On a horribly grey Monday morning off to work (boo) there are only a few things that make me smile and the main one is Neom's travel candle in sumptuous.  It was quite expensive at £13 for a travel candle but the scent of rose and neroli really make me feel more relaxed.  I just wish I could take it to work with me, as that's where I really need it!

If you've got any tips to make Monday seem less hellish then please do share them!

I finally got to shop!

I haven't had any time to go shopping for over a month and yesterday I finally got time to go to the shops and pick up some things that I had been wanting.


I needed a new toner as my Elemis one had run out and I saw the Dr Organics one in Holland and Barrett while I was getting a drink so I grabbed that as it smells gorgeous.

I have wanted a Chanel foundation for ages after hearing so many people rave about them but I didn't know what the best one would be for me due to my dry skin.  The counter staff recommended Pro Lumiere which I purchased along with the new yellow Mimosa nail varnish as I want to do my pedicure with this as it looks gorgeous with a tan.

I needed a dry body brush with a loop for my hand as my old one broke. I use this before the shower on thighs and the back of my arms in the war against cellulite.  

I also got one of Sally Hansen's polishes in mudslide as they seemed to have the whole range in Boots. This is definitely my nail pick for this Summer, terracotta nails look lovely with a tan. The brush is flat and easy to use, much better than most cheap brands.

I needed to get a couple of new bikinis before my holiday, it isn't until September but as I rarely get to go shopping I didn't want them all to sell out in the shops before I go.  I find it difficult to buy as I am a bigger bra size than bottom size and often you can't buy separates and if you can, such as Accessorize, they always sell out in the big size tops as anyone with bigger boobs has to get a 16 just to cover them!


I found this crazy neon bikini in La Senza, it is far brighter than anything I would have worn before but recently I have been thinking I need to have more fun with clothes.

Apart from that I just enjoyed a few hours to myself doing what I want to do, it was nice to relax.  I didn't wear anything fancy and don't have a fancy tripod to take any pictures for OOTD but this is the best I could do

I wore my Je T'aime tshirt from Zara with black jeggings from H and M and a black jersey blazer from Zara

I hope you all had a lovely weekend xx

Two free Nails Inc polishes in Fabulous Magazine

If you want to bag the above nail varnishes for free, Created especially for Fabulous, the shades – called Atomic and OMP! (that’s Oh My Pink!) – are sure to be this season’s hottest shades!

To bag the two free nail varnishes, you need to cut out and collect three of the tokens printed over the next four weeks in Fabulous, starting this tomorrow (19^th June). Then take these to participating Tesco stores from 3^rd July to redeem.  Plus, you can treat yourself to a half-price manicure for £14 (usually £28) at any participating Nails Inc salon.

If you would like to win Atomic (orange) then please post a comment below (followers only) and I will pick someone at random.  Ends Monday 20th June midday UK time. 

LAUREN'S WAY FAKE TAN MOUSSE REVIEW

For those of you that have watched The Only Way is Essex you will now Lauren Goodger and no doubt know that she has her own range of fake tan mousse, lotion and spray tan solution for sale. I am not sure if I mentioned before but despite being a rather embarrassing admission,  I am obsessed with TOWIE! Love it, love it, love it.

For those of you that are wondering what on earth I am talking about you can check out clips from the only way is essex on youtube or view Lauren's website here www.laurengoodgerofficial.co.uk

I am a big fan of fake tan as you have probably gathered from the amount of fake tan reviews on this site. I am also qualified in spray tanning so know a bit about the idea behind fake tans.

How exactly does fake tan work?
Fake tan is based either on DHA (dihydroxyacetone) or a combination of DHA and erythrulose (such as fake bake).  Both chemicals react with the amino acids in your skin to create a reaction which causes your skin to turn brown.  Most of the time the tan will have a colour guide or bronzing make-up mixed with it, this is so that when you apply the fake tan you can see where it is going and make sure that you don't miss anywhere.  Fake Bake's claims that it can last longer than other tans are because it contains the erythrulose which has been claimed to lengthen the time it takes for the tan to fade. This tan does not contain erythrulose.

The general theory is that the higher the % of DHA, the darker the tan will be - however using a very dark % DHA on a very pale person will not result in a dark tan, it is what gives the tango orange look.  So just because you read that I, your best mate or your favourite celebrity loves a certain tan, it still could turn you orange if the DHA is too dark for your particular skintone.

The shade of Lauren's way tan is called 'Beach Bronze Dark'  however it only contains 8% DHA.  I think this was very sensible on their part as a mousse fake tan usually means you slap on more than with a spray tan so anything darker than an 8% could be likely to turn orange on a lot of people. I did find this tan quite dark and was asked repeatedly where I had been on holiday (despite the giant streak on my arm due to user error (hey I am out of practice, I normally spray tan)!

Is it easy to use? 
I do like the product and it's ease of use. I used it with a mitt and applied in long sweeping strokes to cover the area such as arms and legs, and then used circular motions to buff it in to prevent any steaks (bar the one on my arm, the other arm is fine though).  As long as you moisturise your hands and feet beforehand this has quite a foolproof application, I say to moisturise your whole hands and feet as this particular tan does have a tendency to grab at those areas more than others I have tried.

What are the ingredients? Does it smell funky? 
I also like that the product is alcohol and paraben free, only has a very light fake tan smell in the morning when you wake up, it is definitely not a really pongy fake tan, and it contains no artificial preservatives.

Does it take forever to dry? Do you have to stand around like a sticky orange? 
As with most mousse tans this dries almost instantly and I just waited a few minutes before putting on my nightie before bed, there was no colour rub off on the sheets and it didn't make my skin feel gunky like there was lots of thick tan on it, it is quite light.


So is it pricey then?
I thought it was quite reasonable at £17.95 for the mousse.



Any other thoughts? 
The information on the website suggests that you could put this on in the morning and then go out.  I am not too sure I agree with that, the colour guide is pretty dark and looked a bit odd on my face, maybe if you apply it very sparingly it would be ok.  They also say you can use this every day to get your desired colour. Aye carumba! If I used this more than once a week I would look like I had been bathing in ronseal!

Overall I give Lauren's Way tan a 9/10.  I was pleasantly surprised with the colour and lack of smell.  The closest comparison to this tan I think is the Fake Bake original version. Another WIN for TOWIE!



PR Sample

FOCUS ON - SARAH BACCHUS

I wanted to start a monthly feature, interviewing successful women in the fashion or beauty arena, women who own their own businesses and/or are an inspiration to other women.  The first person that came to mind to interview was my amazing friend Sarah.

Sarah is a very busy woman, managing to juggle family life with being the South's Artistic nail design Educator and still managing an extremely successful business in Winchester called SLB Style.  I have no idea how she manages to fit it all in!

To bring you up to speed Sarah is a Master nail technician and has worked for Fashion Week with Team Creative from CND, worked with Sophy Robson, been a Master Educator for Nail Harmony, worked with many celebrities on shoots from Danni Minogue to Eva Longorio and most recently worked on the shoot for Royal Ascot.  She's even worked with the legendary model and complete loopy lou Janice Dickinson for Elle magazine.

Sarah's business SLB Style is  a total beauty service in Winchester which gives a combination of spa beauty treatments, Sarah's amazing nail services which range from Minx to sculpted gel and acrylic, fibreglass and a massive array of nail art choices to a makeup and personal styling service to make her clients feel beautiful from top to toe.

One of the things Sarah is well known for is her sculpted nails:

www.slbstyle.com showcases all of the services that Sarah and her highly trained team provide and you can also take a look at some of the pictures from the session work she has done.

After working in the nail industry for years I wanted to ask Sarah about her recommended products to look after your own nails at home and what it's like to be the boss. 

What product would you recommend that IHeartCosmetics use at home for perfect nails?
Base and topcoat are very important to prevent staining and prolong your manicure, Essie's 3 way glaze is a two-in-one base and topcoat which leaves nails with a high gloss finish and means that you don't have to buy lots of different products.

What are the best and worst parts of running your own business?

The best thing is being able to judge treatment times and not having to stick to a time slot as you would in a salon.  You can give a bit longer for those who need it and not charge if you know the person is really in need of a bit of pampering and TLC.

The worst is not having enough time to have my own treatments for me!! 

If you have someone that you would love for me to interview or any suggestions then please comment below xx

To find out more about Sarah  or book training or an appointment visit www.slbstyle.com  Facebook - SLB Style or on twitter @sarahbacchus

Kim Kardashian Perfume Review

I am never that struck with celebrity perfumes, although for some unknown reason I quite like most of Britney's offerings. Kim Kardashian is a person I think is very beautiful and I love the Kardashian's tv shows but I have always though she seemed a little bit of a diva, and to be honest I don't think I would have bought this myself (it was sent to me) and I was invited to the perfume launch and didn't make the effort to go (and I work a short tube ride away). You can see I didn't have high hopes.




Kim's perfume launched on Sephora.com and is a top seller, presumably due to her popularity and trendsetting because DAMN this is one pongy perfume!

My favourite scents are Chanel, Agent Provocateur, Viktor and Rolf and Jo Malone so I do have a diverse range of scents that I like and this is definitely not one of them. Kardashian said she wanted something "sexy, but still youthful" this is the statement that really gets to me, as this pefume really has the aroma of old ladies and brings to mind images of doilies, flowery sofas and scented toilet rolls.

This is incredibly heavy on the tuberose and gardenia and when I sprayed it in the office everyone was gagging. Once it has dried down it is far less offensive and quite sweet but still had me reaching for a wet wipe to try and get some of it off.

Overall for the price this is a bit of a thumbs down. Good luck to the girl, she is beautiful and very fashionable, but I think a collaboration with Mac Cosmetics would have gone down much better (to my nose at least) than this.

£22.95 for 30ml EDP



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

STILA IS BACK IN THE UK FROM JULY

I love nice makeup, I do use lower end brands but I don't really feel excited about it! One of my favourite snob friendly brands pre blogging and pre 2006 was Stila.

I collected all of the Holiday goodies, all of the trios with the cardboard packaging, I even managed to blag myself a paint can although I was too scared to use it much! If you don't know Stila from back in the day then check out these awesome pictures of old products http://www.makeupmuseum.org/home/stila/ In fact here is a rather old review I did on Makeupalley back in 2003 when I was ooh 18/19? Hence why I was moaning about the price as I earned a pittance when I was that age, yet still scraped together my pennies for makeup ;P


Enough of the ramble and step back in time, what this is all leading up to is the fact that OMG STILA IS BACK back in the UK which it hasn't been since 2006 which makes me very very excited.

I went to the event (eeee) haven't been to an event in ages because of working but I rearranged stuff as I had to go I just had to I was so excited beforehand, during and especially after I ate that massive blue cake (ahem and perhaps another one or two) the sugar high made me even more excited.  I have to admit I was a little nervous as the Stila pro artist Dom Briguglio looked very Jersey Shore meets LA cool whereas I looked more like 'stumbled over after work' uncool. But he was soo lovely and I got a minute to chat to him after the presentation of products about brushes and I felt a bit star struck ah I do love Stila.  He recommended me a brush book so you can keep your brushes in a drawer, it sounded fabulous but old sieve brain managed to forget the name in the excitement...d'oh!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE CONVERTIBLE COLOURS 

Want some Stila?  Then from July you can get it from BOOTS  www.boots.com    www.asos.com  

Could I be more excited? Unless someone wants to give me a free pair of Louboutins then no, I don't think I could!

iPulse PLUS THREE WEEK UPDATE

I posted about the new iPulse plus at the beginning of may here http://www.iheartcosmetics.co.uk/2011/05/new-boots-smooth-skin-plus.html and have been using it ever since. I had planned to use it on one armpit but to be honest that seemed a bit of a stupid idea because what was I going to do with the other one...just let it grow? Eww. Rethink needed!

How have I been getting on? Well I certainly find the design and longer cord mean using this is MUCH easier.  It is also quicker due to the time between flashes and easier to hold on the skin due to the shape of the handle.


It does still take longer than shaving, which does essentially make it a bit of a pain, as you can just shave in the shower but then you only need to do this once a week so swings and roundabouts really.


After three weeks I am finding the hair growing back slightly slower and I took a picture after a weeks growth...please don't vomit I really didn't want to post a pic of my pit here but I felt I had to show something!


So stay tuned to see my lovely armpits updated! Buy Boots Smooth Skin PLUS from Boots.com iPulse website: www.ipulse.co.uk


Mine was sent for review.  

BOURJOIS SO LAQUE ULTRA SHINE NEONS

Click to enlarge

Violet couture: a gourmet, chic and joyful shade

Orange création: a 100% juicy, punchy and hyper-saturated shade

Magenta show: deep, pure and intense pink

Lime catwalk: energetic and spontaneous lime green

Bleu model: very summery turquoise

Rouge fashionista: bright, saturated red

Jaune trendy: sunny, bold but easy to wear yellow

The pigmentation is amazing and the brush is perfectly shaped to make it really easy to paint your own nails.  I think they are great value for money and at the moment there is a 3 for 2 in Superdrug on all Bourjois products. My faves are orange creation and lime catwalk they are amazing! The Tiffany box blue is also bound to be a winner

The nail polishes will be available today onwards in Superdrug and will retail for £5.99/ €7.99  For more info check www.bourjois.co.uk