Liberty Christmas | 2012 Press Day

Liberty is one of my favourite department stores, it has this certain feel about it that no other department stores offer. It seems to have so much history behind it. It also holds so many amazing brands, especially in the beauty hall. I always love to have a little walk through whenever I'm in London! I was very excited and grateful that I got to attend their christmas press day so I can share it all with you.

They do christmas so well, the decorations look beautiful!

Diptyque christmas candles.

Some lovely Liberty makeup bags on the right!

 

 

Those slippers are adorable! I always get a new pair at christmas, it's become a bit of a tradition. The bootie ones are my favourite. Oh and those bags? They have new years written all over them!

Cath Kidston christmas bits, so adorable!!

Who else is a fan of Liberty?

Favourite Lip Products for Summer

The past week in England the weather has changed drastically and we are finally having our summer! With regards to this I have been reaching for some different daily lip products. During the summer time its nice to wear a little less makeup and wear products that are more natural looking, I know I'd rather be enjoying the sunshine without worrying about my makeup. Thats where these two come in place, both easy to wear, lighter and more natural looking.

Starting of with the Giorgio Armani lasting satin lipstick, this is shade 107. Its ultra sheer and gives you the lightest wash of nude pink with a nice satin finish. It's extremely easy to wear and long lasting. What I love about this is that I don't need to worry about it smudging and I can apply it on the go with no mirror, meaning its very low maintenance. The packaging is beautiful, very sleek with a magnetic top bringing a touch of luxury. I bought this a while back in the sales in Selfridges, not too sure if its still available because it was a part of a collection. 

The Revlon lip butters at first were not something that appealed to me, but of course I caved and picked this shade, Creme Brulee. People, I am in love! This is more pigmented then the Giorgio Armani lipstick and is a beige pink. What I love about this is its very hydrating on the lips, with this I don't need to worry about it fading weirdly, it doesn't cling to any dry patches and lasts a good amount of time. Once again its very low maintenance, easy to wear and to apply. This is my most reached for out of the two, not over keen on the packaging but I can look past it because its a great product! It makes your lips look very plump and just lovely. It hits the spot being a mixture of a lip-balm and a sheer lipstick. I would have loved it to include an spf, but hey! Can't have everything.

What are your favourite lip products for summer?

Beauty Seen PR Christmas|12 Press Day

Beauty Seen PR look after some of my favourite beauty brands, and after attending their press day it has got me just a little bit excited! I adore shopping for christmas and browsing through all the gift sets so it was great to have a sneak peek of whats to come.

Cowshed gift sets, available in selected department stores and Boots. Not a brand I have tried before but I would really like too, they look very appealing. The candles smelt lovely! Very warm and cosy.

I absolutely adore Rituals! Those eyeshadows were beautiful, they are baked and were so smooth and pigmented. I've never tried their makeup before, would love to explore with it. The lipsticks were also lovely, I have my beady eye on the coral!

The Steamcream christmas tins look adorable - great as stocking fillers? I know these are available to buy in Topshop and some department stores. I've wanted to try one for ages and I got one in the goodie bag, I will be sure to let you know how I get on with it!

At home UV gel nail kit, this is the travel size. This one cost around £50.00 from what I can remember. Such a great idea, amazing value for money seeing as you pay around £25.00 per gel manicure.

You know that I adore Topshop make-up, especially their polishes. How lovely do they look? I can't wait to be able to get hold of these! The gold looks beautiful, oh and those lipsticks!

At the back is a nail art set which is such a cute idea! The little tins are lip balms, which you will be able to buy in sets as well as separately. I don't know why but products in tins just seem so much more appealing? The lip glosses you can see there are new and in tubes. The coral was beautiful, I'm a sucker for the peachy shades.

How cute are the synthetic ombre inspired brushes? The pots are loose pigments, which by the way looked beautiful. They just screamed new years!

Anything catch your eye? Not going to lie, kind of has got me in the mood for christmas shopping. Sigh!

TOWIE Fragrance Launch 2012

Yesterday I headed down to the Soho hotel with some of my favourite blogging babes to attend the launch of two new The Only Way is Essex fragrances. I myself am a huge fan of the show so I was very excited to see what they had in store for us.

Cheeky chappy Arg and the beautiful Sam, with the most amazing looking tan. Well jel ;)

This is perfume is called Love Addict "It has a woody oriental accord opening with notes of lemon anise, raisin on a floral heart to keep the passion alive". It's quite sweet but not too overpowering, it's definitely unique. The packaging has followed through from their fragrance last year, just changing the colour. It sums it up perfectly.

This is the fragrance that was launched last year called Dazzle. This is more of a citrus smell, with notes of jasmine, violet, and vanilla.

They have extended their beauty range so now there is everything you could imagine from bronzers to false eye lashes! 

The beauty products will be available to buy now in Argos, Boots, Superdrug, Primark, JD Williams and B&M. The fragrances are available to buy now in The Fragrance Shop, Boots and selected fragrance retailers.

What do you think of TOWIE, are you a fan?!

Topshop Nail Polish in Parma Violet

 Topshop Polish - Parma Violet

Oh yes I am blogging about another Topshop polish, I just can't get enough! There is a little story behind this one... If you follow me on twitter you would have seen me tweet about whether it's weird to ask a girl what polish she is wearing on her toes whilst on a train, I asked her in the end and made a mental note. However this morning I was going through my stash deciding what colour to wear for the week and it turns out I owned it! As you can imagine I was extremely happy. 

This has taken over my love for Utopia by Models Own, its the most stunning milky lilac. Its called Parma Violet and I am in love with it. It's the perfect everyday summer colour. Extremely easy to wear, It's clean, fresh and feminine. It's quite sheer so it took me 3 light coats to get this opaque colour. I haven't seen a lilac polish like this before, it really stands out and just looks beautiful. The picture really doesn't do it justice. 

A little Topshop and Ren haul

This was meant to go up yesterday and I totally forgot! I hate it when my blog posts go out of routine, I get a little OCD when it comes to it as I like to post every other day. Anyway, here is a small haul for you all to enjoy. Apologise for the quality, I plan on getting a new camera very soon. If you have't subscribed to my YouTube channel yet, please do! :) 

REN Tonic Moisture Mist

This is a recent purchase of mine, you probably would have seen it in my latest haul if you keep up to date with my YouTube videos. I was looking for a new toner, Boots Tonic Spritz just wasn't doing it for me and the Caudalie Beauty Elixir didn't cut it in terms of effect, especially as it has alcohol in it - with my dry prone skin, this wasn't the best option. I decided to try this one from REN, it contains no nasties including alcohol and is packed with lots of hydrating ingredients such as Lactic Acid (sounds scary, but it's not!) It's actually very gentle and has other benefits such as improving skins texture, boosting collagen and reducing pigmentation. 

I purchased this directly from the REN website, they are having this fantastic offer at the moment that is available until the 1st August 2012. When you order with this code from WIMH you get their "Six of the Best" kit for free which is worth £20.00 on its own. You also get 10% off your first order and can pick some samples to try. I shouldn't really be buying anything but with this offer I could not resist!

Going onto the product itself. It has no scent and the spray isn't as fine of a mist as I would like it to be, but it feels very cooling, refreshing and my skin is really liking it. It feels lovely and soft after using. I like that its a 50ml bottle which makes it perfect for travelling around if you fancy a boost on the go. Obviously I've only had this a couple of days so I will be sure to update you.

Achieving Brighter Skin with Dermalogica

Dermalogica Skin Renewal Booster & Daily Microfoliant

These two have been stand out products for me the past month. My skin is noticeably brighter and clearer and I have never felt so confident in my own skin. Dermalogica is a brand that I absolutely adore, I'm so passionate about them because they are so effective and I always see nothing but great results. Plus, they are cruelty free and don't contain any nasties - perfect for sensitive skin.

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant is a rice based powder which you use daily after cleansing. It contains Papain (breaks down dead skin cells making them easier to remove, used in a lot of acne and blackhead products) and Salicylic Acid (acts as an exfoliant to remove dead skin cells). I use about half a teaspoon   into wet hands, rub my hands together until it turns into a paste. The water is then what activates these ingredients. I then massage it in circular motions for a minute or so, then rinse with warm water. It's so gentle and has barely any grits, relying on the other exfoliating ingredients to do the job making it suitable for sensitive skins. This is one of those products where I notice instant results, not only do I have clearer, brighter skin but I have also noticed that I haven't suffered with any spots since bringing this into my routine. The other great thing about it is that its not drying at all, which I find is often the case with a lot of exfoliating products. On top of that it has lots of calming ingredients to soothe redness.

Now, going onto the booster. If you haven't tried any of Dermalogica's boosters before you have too! Since I'm a huge fan of their hydration booster I was so excited to try the skin renewal booster. Luckily I have quite a few of these so haven't had to purchase the full size yet, as they are quite pricey! The consistency of this booster is pretty much like a white serum, I use it every other night after cleansing and don't follow with a moisturiser, it says you can but I find it hydrating enough and prefer not to overload my skin with layers. The star ingredients in this are the hydroxy acids and fruit acids, which once again exfoliate and remove dead skin cells allowing the regrowth of new skin cells. Taking away that dull look and leaving you with smooth, bright skin. When applying this I massage it into my skin, it tingles a little which I love! Makes me feel like it's actually doing something. The next morning my skin looks great, I have never seen it in such good condition. Its bright, clear and glowing. I literally feel like I have new skin. This works in the same way as the Alpha H Liquid Gold which I'm sure you all have heard about. I would like to try it next so I can compare the two, it's a little cheaper as well. But what I like about this product is that you massage it into the skin, where as with the Liquid Gold you put the product on a cotton pad and wipe it over your skin.

I can't recommend these products and Dermalogica as a brand enough. You can buy Dermalogica from a website called BeautyFlash, Its great because they are a little cheaper and you get to pick samples when ordering! 

p.s I apologise for the poor picture quality, British weather is not my friend right now.

Pool Party

Topshop Pool Party

I am so excited to share this nail varnish with you today, once again from Topshop. I have to say they are officially my favourite, they never seem to disappoint in terms with colour range, price and quality. As soon as I saw this online, I knew I had to have it. It's called "Pool Party" which is such an awesome name, not going to lie it was on one of the things that attracted me to it.

This has quickly become my favourite polish to wear for summer, its a gorgeous bright aqua which just looks stunning not only on my finger nails, but its a great toe nail colour too. It instantly lifts your feet (if that makes any sense). I think feet can look a little dull if you don't have a lovely bright colour. And as you can imagine, looks absolutely amazing with a tan. I also thought this would be a good one to use as a base for a colourful aztec design for those creative people out there that love to play around with nail art.

Who else is a fan of Topshop polish's here?

Topshop Leigh Jeans

I'm pretty fussy when it comes to jeans, they need to tick all the right boxes. They need to be perfect! I usually find with jeans that they are very unflattering on my shape, and extremely uncomfortable. But these baby's have been a firm favourite of mine of  a while now, and they are the Topshop Leigh Jeans. I finally managed to get my hands on another pair as my old ones faded so much, when I compared them together I couldn't believe that I actually went out of the house wearing them. They were also wearing rather thin around the crotch area. Every time I wore them I was kind of just waiting to experience the embarrassing moment of them splitting.

They are super soft, light, flattering, slightly high-waisted and they are actually skinny around the ankles. I'm also the proud owner of a little white kitty who loves cuddles and find that hairs do not cling as much to these as other jeans. Overall making them the perfect everyday jean. Of course there are some negatives... They fade quite quickly and for such a light denim they cost £38.00. I've tried some other jeans that I thought could replace these like the Cheap Monday second skin jeans, but I just could not get on with them! They are ridiculously long (you can get them altered by cheap monday free of charge, but this just seems like hassle, no?), not skinny enough, they carry a hefty price tag and attract hairs like no others! I would actually quite like to try the American Apparel Easy Jean next.

A combination of one of my favourite outfits. Loosely fitted sheer Monki tee and my black authentic vans (sorry they look so grubby).

What are your favourite jeans to wear, any recommendations? 

First Ever Empties!

Yay for my first empties! I really enjoyed this process storing them all in my little tin. It feels good to finish product, especially if you don't plan on re-purchasing. Anyway,  I hope you enjoy this video. I personally love watching them because you get to hear mini reviews of all sorts of products. If you haven't subscribed to my YouTube channel yet, then please do! I know I have some new followers sent over from Essie Button (Thanks Estee!!)

My Experience with Eve Lom

*Eve Lom Hydration Serum, *Eve Lom Cult Cleanser, 

*Eve Lom Eye Cream, *Eve Lom TLC Radiance Cream

Eve Lom is a brand that I have been curious to try for a long time, Its classic white packaging with the delicate gold text is something that is very appealing to me. I'm a bit of a sucker for packaging and anything that looks good on my "dressing table" is a big thumbs up for me, of course the products actually need to work as well! I luckily had the opportunity to try some, so as you can imagine I was very excited to test them out and let you guys know what I think about them.

Starting off with the Hydration Serum, this is one of my favourite products out of the lot. Its very light weight, feels lovely on my skin and of course does a fantastic job at hydrating. It absorbs very quickly not leaving my skin feeling greasy or sticky, which you can sometimes find with serums. At the time I was on a mission to reduce to size of my pores so I stopped using rich creams on my face at night. Instead I turned to this to keep my skin hydrated, it worked perfectly. I'm someone that is prone to dry skin and usually If I don't at least use a night cream I would struggle. Not only that I also noticed other  benefits from this lovely product. The redness on my skin visibly reduced and the texture of my skin noticeably improved over all leaving me with clear, brighter skin. I'm a bit silly and stupidly spilled some of mine so I wasn't able to enjoy it as long as I wanted too, even then it still lasted me a good month and half using it twice a day. I also caught my mum sneakily enjoying it too! This is definitely something that I would re-purchase if I was working and earning money, but just coming out of university and this costing £75.00 I don't think it would be such a good idea. They also do a firming and radiance serum, I would definitely be interested in trying the radiance one next. 

This is their cult cleanser so I was very excited to try it! I love the balm texture and how it dissolves into the skin melting away any makeup left over from my pre-cleanser. It feels extremely thick and luxurious meaning its a pleasure to use, when I use it I feel like I'm pampering myself which I love! It has lots of essential oils so it does a great job at hydrating my skin and making it feel lovely and smooth, using it along with the muslin cloth ensured that I received that extra exfoliation. One thing I must say about this product which confuses me. It does contain mineral oil, which if you are a loyal reader of my blog you will know that I really can't get on with this ingredient. However, even though it contains this ingredient I didn't see any of the affects from it such as clogged pores and leaving a film on my skin. I'm not too sure why? But overall it's a good cleanser. I didn't notice any amazing differences with my skin long term, but at the same time I enjoyed using it and my skin seemed to like it! It's pretty expensive priced from £55.00. I don't think I would re-purchase simply because it contains mineral oil and that does freak me out a little! 

Now with the eye cream, a product that I absolutely love! I'm still using and enjoying it to this day. This eye cream claims to hydrate, diminish dark circles and reduce puffiness. If I'm honest I haven't seen any difference in the dark circles department but then again I do suffer with this quite badly so I wasn't expecting anything to change, maybe someone would notice a difference if they only slightly suffered with this? However what I have noticed is the texture of my skin under my eye has really improved, its a lot smoother and looks firmer. I'm pretty impressed! I have tried many eye creams, ones that cost £100 and this hasn't been the result. As well as that it does a lovely job at hydrating my eye. I would say its medium weight which is perfect for use in the morning, yet rich enough to include into my night routine. I still have plenty left and I have been using it for months, you only need a tiny bit, a lot goes a long way! This product will set you back £48 - but in my opinion it is worth it. I wouldn't re-purchase for now because there are some other brands I would like to explore and once again with my current lifestyle, it wouldn't be such a good idea.

The TLC Radiance Cream is another product that I have really been enjoying. It's a light-weight cream, which I was a bit skeptical about. Like I've said before I'm prone to dry skin so wasn't sure this would do the job. Surprisingly it works extremely well at hydrating my skin, it also creates the perfect base for make-up as well as adding a little radiance. It sinks in very nicely and doesn't feel greasy at all on the skin. My only problem with this product is that It doesn't have spf - so I think from now on I will use it for nights out or if I'm going to an event where I know pictures will be taken. I know that with some foundations you may get the spf coverage you need, but its not so great for makeup free days. This is meant to work especially well with the serum - ingredients in both of the products work well together to activate the vitamin C, which basically means it stops free radicals from destroying your skin all in all helping with anti-ageing. Other great ingredients in this are rosehip seed oil which contains vitamin A, It's a natural way of repairing skin, keeping it hydrated as well as playing a role in the reproducing collagen. This cream costs £45.00 - quite expensive for a day cream, but once again a little does go a long way. I wouldn't personally re-purchase due to their being no spf but all in all, its a great product. 

You can buy Eve Lom from Space NK and by directly going on their website here. 

*PR Sample

Run The World

Sweatshirt: *OASAP

Leggings: American Apparel Disco Pants

Shoes: River Island

Bag: TKMaxx

Glasses: Tortoise Shell Raybans

For this outfit I was going to a job interview so I wanted to be presentable, but not overly smart! I went for my disco pants, they make a plain outfit look a little more interesting. Then on top I decided to wear my American Apparel inspired 3D flower sweatshirt from OASAP. When wearing an all one colour outfit I do think its really important to add in different textures, otherwise I think it can look really flat and boring! I really like how the different fabrics look together, I love the clash between them. For footwear I decided on my flatforms from River Island, I have a whole post dedicated to them here. It was a super hot day and these are the perfect summer sandal, giving me a little height too! Then of course my usual bag, I never change my bag and I am in love with this baby, I also have a full post dedicated to that here.

So what's your opinion on all one colour outfits?

*PR Sample

Hydration Essentials

Carmex cherry, Nuxe reve de miel lip balm, 100% Pure Argan Oil, Dermalogica Smoothing Cream, 

Caudalie SOS Serum, L'Occotaine Shea Butter Hand Cream, Palmers Cocoa Butter.

Keeping my skin hydrated is something that's so important to me. My skin type is pretty normal, it gets a little oily on the t-zone throughout the day, but also gets a bit dry on the sides of my nose. To ensure my skin is hydrated at all times I use the following products. It's amazing the difference between hydrated and dry skin. It seems to look more plump, bright and youthful! Lets start with lips. I use the Nuxe Reve De Miel lip balm morning and night, so this one stays on my dressing table. The reason for this is because it's so thick, super hydrating and extremely long lasting! I have never tried a lip product like this before, the texture is so strange but I love it. It keeps my lips hydrated through the night and preps them for the rest of my day. It also has a gorgeous citrus smell! For during the day when I need a top up I keep Carmex cherry in my handbag. It does a fantastic job at nourishing my lips, its lightweight too which is perfect for on the go touch ups. Its especially convenient for summer because of its spf of 15, I think we often forget about protecting out lips!

When it comes to keeping my face hydrated there are a few products that I turn too. One of them being Argan oil, full review here. Not only do I love this for hydrating my skin it also has lots of other skincare benefits which you can read about in my review. I have recently been swapping this for a night moisturiser on a mission to reduce to the size of my pores, It nourishes my skin like no other. When I wake up my skin is extremely soft and smooth, it's also fantastic to use all over your body. If I have seriously dry skin then I turn to my Dermalogica skin smoothing cream, I probably use this about once a week. This is a medium weight cream which does an amazing job at moisturising and hydrating, overall I find that it really improves the texture of my skin! I could never be without this, it's a skincare staple for sure. A product that I like to use in the morning under my make-up is the Caudalie SOS serum, my skin literally drinks this up and keeps it hydrated throughout the day. Its a must when travelling through london on the regular going into all different climates. I have recently run out of this sample size, its on my "to buy" list, which may I add is endless.

To keep my hands hydrated I use the LO'ccotaine shea butter hand cream. My hands used to get dry all to time and this hand cream does the job perfectly. It's so rich and feels extremely luxurious. You only need a tiny amount! This big tube stays on my dressing table to apply in the morning and at night time before bed, I have a mini one that comes around with me in my handbag. 

Last but not least, my favourite body moisturiser ever, Palmers Cocoa butter. This smells divine, I love the texture, I love how it feels on my skin , I LOVE how it makes my skin feel and look. I prefer to use this at night because it takes a little longer to sink in, however if I have time in the morning I do turn to this. It makes your skin look so smooth, plus one if its main ingredients is vitamin E, meaning its great for evening out your skin. 

What are your hydration essentials?

Meet Me Halfway

Shirt: *OASAP

Jeans: Topshop

Shoes: River Island

Bag: TKMaxx

Glasses: Ray Bans Wayfarer 

I love this white shirt, its the most gorgeous material and looks great on its own or layered under a jumper. I have decided to keep two of the top buttons undone, I was thinking about doing them all up. But I wanted a more relaxed look, which I definitely prefer! For my trousers I'm wearing my Topshop Leigh jeans, they are a bit old and battered now. You can probably see that they have faded to grey, oops! Its on my list of things that I need to buy next .But they are my favourite jeans, very light and slightly high waisted which I find is a flattering fit on me. Then once again my flatforms, I have been wearing these none stop. They are so practical and go with literally everything, they have become a summer staple! I would love to get some in different colours.

*PR Sample