Essie Bright Tights

Nude nail polishes are definitely my favourite (I'm wearing Models Own Nude Beige in these photos) but I also love a really, really, REALLY bright polish too.  I don't think they come much brighter than this offering from Essie in Bright Tights, a truly neon orange.  I have been wearing it one just one nail on each hand at the moments, but as my tan gets deeper, this polish will be coming out regularly.

It practically glows in the dark.  See?

Max Factor Burnt Bark eyeshadow

Max Factor Burnt Bark eyeshadow is another product I was lucky enough to win in Modesty Brown's giveaway, along with this little gem from MUA.  Burnt Bark is the perfect taupe shadow, beautifully smooth, very pigmented and has become an absolute staple in my make-up bag.

Here it is swatched between Mac Patina (L) and Mac Satin Taupe (R).  It's definitely cooler than Satin Taupe, and also has a very slight shimmer to it.  Priced at just £4.99, this is a suits-all shade that would be the perfect addition to any make-up collection.

My Favourite Brushes

As I'm not a make up artist, I don't have an extensive collection of brushes but of the ones I do have, there are a clutch that I use all the time and I could not be without.  Surprisingly, the ones I use and rate the most are the the cheaper ones from my collection.

From top - bottom:

Elf Powder brush: a great flat-topped brush that can cope with any formula you chuck on it.  I have one for my powder blushers and one for applying liquid foundation.  Works like a dream.  The glue is starting to loosen the head from the handle but considering it's only £3.50 and I've had mine for about 18 months, I'm not too disappointed and will happily buy more.
Sigma Round Top F82 Kabuki brush: ridiculously soft and dense, this is lovely to apply blusher or contour powder with.  Feels good quality and doesn't shed when washed.
Ruby & Millie Concealer brush: I wish I'd bought more than one of these as I think it's now discontinued (and Ruby & Millie will soon be disappearing from Boots anyway).  I use this to apply gel or powder eyeliner.  The pointed tip makes it precise but it's also wide enough in the base to help me create a steady line.  Makes application completely foolproof, which God know I need.
Elf Contour brush: this is my most-used of all my brushes, so much so that I have four of them.  It's ideal for a quick and lazy eye as I can use it to apply colour onto the lid and blend in the crease, and even deposit colour under the eye.  I can't think what I did before I had it.
Sigma E30 Pencil brush: a lovely little brush which I use in the crease or for smudging eyeliner.  Again, dense, soft and doesn't shed.
Elf Small Smudge brush: another little wonder from Elf.  I use this after I've (badly) applied eye kohl, to smudge it along the lashline and leave it looking smoky and neat.  Perfect if, like me, you haven't been able to master the art of a neat line.

L-R: Elf Small Smudge brush, Sigma E30 Pencil brush, Elf Contour brush, Ruby & Millie Concealer brush.

What are your favourite make up brushes?

Mac Club dupe

I recently won a brilliant giveaway from Modesty Brown's blog, which is fabulous.  As part of the box of goodies I won, I got this eyeshadow from MUA, a budget line of make up from Superdrug, a UK drugstore.  I had seen the MUA display several times and just bypassed it completely because, fool that I am, assumed nothing good could come of a £1 eyeshadow or lipstick (all products are £1).  But lo.  I have been gifted one of the more interesting eyeshadows I own, and possibly the most pigmented shadow I own, and it just happens to look like it could be a perfect dupe for Mac Club.

This is shade number 12.  The packaging is just a basic plastic casing, but it's pretty sturdy and I wouldn't worry about travelling with this in my make up bag.  To look at in the pan, you'd expect it to be a dark grey/green, and I was fully expecting the texture to be chalky, kick up a lot of mess and transfer quite weakly onto the skin.

It looks pretty, but the full duochrome doesn't come out until you swatch it.

The pigmentation is absolutely amazing - this is one light swipe.  It's also unbelievably smooth and soft, with no product kicked up in the pan.  I couldn't believe it when I tried it.  Such a beautiful colour and blows Mac shadow quality out of the water.  It's so intense, I'd actually describe this as an amplified version of Mac Club (which I don't own but you can see a swatch over at Temptalia)

I just can't get over what great quality this colour is, and for £1!  Next time I'm in Superdrug I'll stop being the fool and check out the rest of the MUA range now I know what I've been missing!

Have you tried anything from MUA?

L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagen mascara

I love a good volumising mascara, and this L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagen mascara is no exception.  I've always rated L'Oreal mascaras as among the best on the high street (along with Max Factor and Miss Sporty) so when I saw this released a few months ago, I snapped it up.

It's got a large brush, and for the first few weeks, the formula is quite wet.  It's easy to apply and the formula allows for maximum coatage befor drying - this we like.  I usually apply three or four coats so I can get my lashes as big as possible, even for daytime.  What can I say?  I like a lorra lorra lashes.

Here it is applied.  I think my eyelashes are falling out a bit, which is sad.  They're less lustrous than they were last year.  I don't know why this is but I have been using the L'Oreal Lash Renewal Serum which certainly isn't doing anything positive, so I wonder if that's it?

This mascara cost me £8.99 from Boots but I can't find it on the website.  I hope it's not discontinued already, because I would definitely buy this again.

What do you think of L'Oreal mascaras?

25 Things I Do When I'm On My Own

I have borrowed this idea from Kelly over at Kelanjo.  Love her blog.  Take a peek if you haven't already.

1. Give myself a thorough pedicure
2. Wear a hair mask all day, possibly with a shower cap over the top
3. Listen to rap music loudly and attempt to rap all the words
4. Have showers that last about half an hour
5. Eat pickled cucumbers and mustard on crackers
6. Sit in the bathroom and look out the window at people walking by
7. Watch E! news and assorted American reality shows
8. Shave my legs
9. Keep a radio or TV on in several rooms as I don't like complete silence when I'm on my own.  Sonos is my dream
10. Take photos for the blog
11. Record and delete videos (potentially for You Tube, not sure yet)
12. Shopping.  Not a fan of shopping with others
13. Read my way through the piles of magazines over the house
14. If I'm out and about on my own, I will always be listening to my iPod.  ALWAYS
15. Try out sample sachets of foundations from magazines.  Invariably, they're the wrong colour so it doesn't matter if nobody sees me
16. Fall asleep with the light on
17. Pluck my eyebrows
18. Continue working my way through my Ally McBeal boxset (GOD she's annoying but I love the show)
19. Look at properties I can't afford online
20. Organise and re-organise my chest of drawers
21. Laundry (challenging myself to get through it all in a day, such is the exciting life I lead)
22. Paint my nails
23. Sort through my make-up and try bits and pieces on, no matter if it goes together
24. Get into bed really early and surround myself with magazines, laptop, snacks and nail polish and just....
25. ...enjoy it

As Kelly said, if you'd like to use this idea on your blog, post the link in her comments so she can see them.  And in mine too!

Regis Hair

I'll preface this by making it perfectly clear that the products and cut & blowdry were provided to me for free by the PR company.  This has in no way influenced the following post and I was not asked to write anything other than an honest review.

So, onto the good stuff!  I'll be honest, I hate having my hair done.  I hate doing it myself, I hate having others do it for me, I hate that I have to do something with it otherwise I end up like Worzel Gummidge, but them's the breaks, right?  Some of you no doubt will love all things hair related but for me, it's just been a constant source of irritation and boredom.  I was looooong overdue a cut when Regis PR got in touch with me and asked me if I'd like to go along to one of their salons and also try a couple of their products.  I said, very gratefully, yes, but truthfully wasn't really looking forward to the experience as I've never really found My Hairdresser.

So it was with trepidation that I turned up at the salon after work one evening.  My stylist, Heather, was lovely, very welcoming and chatty.  We talked about the, frankly shameful, condition of my hair, and she lightly scolded me when I confessed my last appointment had been in September (I know, I know).  Then she took me over to wash and condition my hair.  She washed it and then applied a conditioning treatment which was left on for about 10 minutes.  Thoughtfully, whilst that was on, she went and sorted out my products I was taking home with me so I could leave as soon as possible after my hair was done (my appointment was at 6pm and I told her I would have to be out of there by 7:15 as I had a dinner thing to go to) and I did appreciate that.  Some hairdressers faff around for ages and then try to sell you the products they've just used on you which is a huge turn off for me, so the fact I didn't have to deal with that was a big relief.

The products she gave me were the ones she actually used on my hair, so I'll talk about those first.  She gave me a shampoo, a conditioner and the treatment which are part of the Regis DesignLINE range.

I have the Vivid Satin shampoo and conditoner here.  First of all, they smell divine.  Coconut mixed with a light, clean, floral scent that does linger for a couple of hours after washing, which I personally like.  The shampoo is clear and leaves hair feeling squeaky clean but not stripped.  The conditioner is light but still does a good job of nourishing my hair, although in colder months I'd probably need something richer.

The third product is the Hydrating Balm which I use as a mask, although Heather did say I could use it after every wash if I felt I needed it.  I really like this.  I often use hair masks but find a lot of them to be really heavy and therefore leave my hair coated in product, whereas this does the deep conditioning job I need it to but rinses out like a normal conditioner.  I'll definitely be buying this again.  The only annoying thing about these products is that they can only be bought at Regis salons, although having looked at the salon locator on the website, they do seem to cover most areas quite thoroughly, so you hopefully wouldn't have too much trouble tracking these products down.

On a side note, I do wish more salon lines would have an online ordering facility.  Sometimes it's not always convenient, as with any shop, to get there in person, and I feel we'd all be able to get access to the ranges that are currently harder to get.  Anyway, that's for another time!

After washing and treating my hair, Heather cut it for me.  I'm growing my hair at the moment so asked just to have the many split ends removed and for a little re-shape around the front.  Happily, she listened, and I got exactly what I asked for.  And then.  And then.  She did a FAB-U-LOUS blow dry for me, which I paid close attention to in the hope that I can recreate it at home (having already tried once, it appears I can't but I shall keep persevering).  I got a Charlie's Angel!

Sorry about the photo but it's quite difficult taking a picture of yourself on a busy Tube platform without getting lots of stares.  I loved the finish, and it was different to what hairdressers normally do, which is to dry it straight.  So top marks for the blow dry.

Overall, I had a good experience at Regis, although I did think the salon itself was a bit shabby.  I went to the one on the Brompton Road, near Harrods, so I think I was expecting it to be representative of that area (read: RICH AND SHINY) but it wasn't.  It didn't feel like a very pampering environment, and I think that if I was paying for the cut, I'd want something slightly more luxurious, especially as it's situated in one of the most expensive parts of London. 

To buy, the products would be £8.49 for the shampoo, £8.99 for the conditioner and £11.49 for the treatment, which I think is really reasonable for the quality of them. 

Overall, I would go back to a Regis salon for a functional cut & blowdry (if you go to the Brompton Road salon, get Heather on it!) but if I was looking for more of a special experience, or I was really into haircare and treatments, I don't think this is the place I'd go to first.

Have any of you had experience with Regis salons or their products?  Or have you got any tips on how I can find the whole thing a lot more fun?!

NOTD: OPI Dulce de Leche

As if I needed another nude polish in the collection!  But I've been hankering after OPI Dulce de Leche for a while so I don't feel like this was a naughty impulse purchase.  I am surprised by the colour though; I hope you can see from the picture but rather than be a true nude on me, it's more like a tea rose pink.  Which is fine, because you might remember I wrote this a while ago whilst trying a Rimmel polish.

So I am very happy to finally have Dulce de Leche in my life.  I am planning a comparison post of all my nude polishes very soon; it's interesting to see which ones, although nude in the bottle, actually show up quite different when applied.

Do you have Dulce de Leche?  What great nude polishes should I check out?

FOTN: TOWIE style

Those of you in the UK will no doubt be aware of the television phenomenon that is The Only Way Is Essex, a reality show in the same vein as The Hills set in a town in Essex called Brentwood.  I hail from Brentwood, and last night took a group of friends there for a hen party.  Yes, an Essex hen party.  What can I say?  Anyway, as we were in the hometown of lashes and tan and all things big and brassy, I got suitably dolled up, and thought I'd show you my face of the night.

Face:
Rimmel Stay Matte foundation in 103 True Ivory
Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer in Medium
Rimmel matte bronzer to contour
Mac Blushbaby blusher
Mac brow pencil in Fling

Eyes:
Urban Decay PP in Sin
Mac Patina all over lid and Satin Taupe in the crease
Natural Collection eyeshadow in Walnut to blend at edges
Sleek Ink Pot in Dominatrix to line
L'Oreal Collagen mascara on top lashes
Clinique Bottom Lash mascara on bottom lashes
Elf Natural False Lashes

Lips:
Natural Collection lipstick in Sweet Rose (long discontinued but easily duped)

I felt like I was wearing a lot of make up, but, perhaps unsurprisingly, I was possibly the most natural looking person in the club....

Close up of eyes:

NOTD: OPI Altar Ego

When I was about 12, nail polishes were a new and exciting hobby.  My sister and I used to go to Lakeside shopping centre in the depths of Essex and make a beeline for two shops in particular.  Miss Selfridge, where there used to be big carousel displays of their nail polishes, which came in mini bottles that practically glued shut after about three uses and were £2 each, and a shop called Select, which stocked Spectacular nail polish.

Spectacular nail polishes used to be about £2 each as well I think, and between us we collected a fair few of the garish shades.  My favourite one was an oyster/pearl shade, which in hindsight possibly wasn't that nice, but I loved it.  So imagine my excitement - no really, please imagine it in full - when I went on my OPI and Essie spree recently and discovered this, Altar Ego from OPI.  It's made me feel 12 years old all over again.  And I like it.

It's an incredibly pretty shade, natural with iridescent blue and pink running through it.  Makes nails look very polished and special.

 I love remembering the cosmetics that I loved when I first became aware of what they were.  What were your first beauty loves?

Empties of 2011: Vol 3

I'm really powering through a lot of products that have been sitting around waiting to be used up!  Here's lot number three:

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle deep conditioner - I was actually using this as my daily conditioner for about two weeks, due to a freak fortnight of ridonk-a-donkalously dry and frazzled hair.  It did the trick wonderfully.  Love this stuff.  Will repurchase for sure.

Sure Natural Minerals deodorant - pretty boring, but very much a daily essential.  I get quite sensitive underarms, due to daily/every other day shaving, and this deodorant not only did the job re: the 'ladies' glow' situation, but also stopped any skin irritation.  Thoroughly recommend.  Would buy again.

Miscellaneous perfume - this was a present from my parents from France.  Smelt lovely and floral but towards the end of the bottle, smelled distinctly of alcohol, and not in the good way.  Nice, but couldn't even find the name of the company so couldn't repurchase even if I wanted to :$

Alberto Balsam shampoo - Papaya & Mango I think.  Great basic shampoo for dry hair.  Smelt divine.  Worked wonders in conjunction with the Aussie conditioner.  Love.

Chapstick lipbalm - the Medicated variety, AKA the Mack Daddy of all lipbalms.  Am never without a tube of this.   Literally never.  Apart from now.  Because I've run out.  Oh.

Mac brow pencil - in Fling.  The perfect colour for me.  A recent discovery.  Must blog about this in full.  Soon.

All For Eve lipstick

I never need an excuse to buy a new lipstick, particularly a new red lipstick.  Few things are guaranteed to give me a little boost and make me smile, and whilst lipstick is definitely one of them, helping other people is another.  All For Eve gives me, and you, the opportunity to get both pick-me-ups in one go.  The Eve Appeal is a gynaecological cancer charity set up by two men personally affected by the disease, and as part of their fundraising and awareness, a capsule cosmetics and skincare collection has been created by leading brands and make up artists.

This lipstick was created by the rather brilliant Daniel Sandler.  Man, does he make a good red.

 Nice, sleek packaging that houses a very vibrant red with pink undertones.  It's extremely pigmented and moisturising, and applies beautifully. 

 I would imagine this shade is universally flattering, which makes it even better.  I've swatched it here in the middle of Mac Ramblas Red (top) and Brave Red (bottom).  I think this brings out the pink tones even more.

And here it is on my lips. 

I absolutely love it, and am so glad I bought it.  I'm even happier that in doing so, I've done a little bit to help other women who need help more than I need lipstick. 

Buy it, and other All For Eve products, here.  I guarantee it'll be the best £10.50 you've spent in a long time.

Nars Ondine

A few weeks ago, some of you may know that Groupon ran a great deal whereby you bought a Groupon voucher for £9, which gave you a £20 credit to spend on ASOS.  I snapped it up, and chose to by a Nars eyeshadow with my voucher (and a Barry M shadow too, but that's for another day).  I've never had a Nars shadow before and wasn't particularly familiar with the shades, so almost chose blind.  I selected Ondine, and have been patting myself on the back for my skillz ever since. 

Ondine fits that taupe/mauve bill perfectly, and has the added bonus of a beautiful shimmer (not glitter) running through it.  Here it is in its natural habitat:

And now swatched:

It is very beautiful.  Pigmented, but I have been surprised to see there's quite a bit of kick up when I run the brush across the pan - it's more powdery than I expected it to be.  The colour is a great blend of light brown, taupe and mauve, with a pinky/lilac shimmer running through it.  It's gorgeous and I can't stop wearing it.

Here it is on my eye:

I just wear it on its own all over the lid with the brush excess run along the bottom lash line.  It's the easiest eye look ever.  Here it is on my shut eye:

If you like neutral eyes, I highly recommend Nars Ondine.  It's jumped right into my favourite 5 eyeshadows, which after only a week of use is quite impressive.

Have you got Nars Ondine?  What are you other favourite Nars eyeshadow shades?

A Little Treasure Hunt

Where do you keeps yours?  In a box?  In a basket?  In the fridge?  In your drawers?  Of course I'm talking about nail polish.  Ostensibly, I keep mine in the fridge, but those little colourful bottles of joy have a naughty habit of hopping out of their fridge tray and hiding themselves round the house.  So I went hunting.  And this is what I found...

 I found Barry M's Indigo peering out from behind my Elf Kabuki brush...

 My crucially important bottle of Seche Restore masquerading as a foundation, amongst my bases...

 A very brazen bottle of Gosh Lavender Love monkeying around on the speaker unit....

 This tricky trio of Ciaté treatment, Collection 2000 base coat and Essie Bordeaux hanging out on a little elephant tray...

 And yet another four - Rimmel base coat, OPI A Quarter of a Cent of Cherry, Barry M Coral and the Barry M Limited Edition Lilac - kicking back with some salt & pepper (?) and a guiter.

 So I scooped them all up and plonked them back in the fridge, along with their friends Cheese in Tin Foil and Coffee in packet.  I shall not be defeated!

Or maybe I will, because I then found Illamasqua Bacterium and 17 Forever trying on my jewellery :/

Do you have this problem with your nail polishes?  Where do you stash them?

Sweetie Nails

I went on a little Essie and OPI spree the other evening (thanks to a wholesaler, I got them very cheaply) and was so excited I put them all on at once.  And this is what I came out with.

Little finger: OPI Y'All Come Back Here, Ya Hear? from the recent Texas collection

Ring finger: Essie Geranium

Middle finger: OPI Dulce de Leche

Index finger: Essie Bright Tights

Thumb: OPI Dutch Tulips

And standing to attention:

Essie Bright Tights practically glows, it's so neon.  I love it.

Feeling very summery now.  What are your favourite nail colours for the warmer months?

Lip Stains: A Comparison

I wrote on Twitter the other day that I was so happy the British high street seem to have finally hopped on board the lip stain train, so I snapped up four to compare and show you.  In the last month, Max Factor, Revlon and Gosh (available only in Superdrug) have released these lip stains, which look a bit like felt tips.  I am comparing four, one from Revlon, one from Gosh and two from Max Factor.  I'll be basing my comparison on the following factors:

Colour range
Price
Application
Colour on lips
Feel and longevity (of wear)


First of all, here they all are:

Top to bottom: Gosh Long Lasting Lip Marker in 003 Berry; Max Factor Lipfinity Lasting Lip Tint in 03; Max Factor Lipfinity Lasting Lip Tint in 06; Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain + Balm in Twilight.

Swatches, in the same order from top to bottom:

Colour range:

Gosh: Four shades, which you can see here, all pinks and reds but all bright pinks and reds.

Max Factor: Again, four shades, which you can see here, and again all of which are in the pink/red spectrum but are slightly more muted than the Gosh shade range.

Revlon: The winner, with ten shades to choose from, which you can see here.  Obviously influenced by the recent obsession with Pattinson & Co, all shades (and the product name) give the vampire theme a nod.

Price: 

Gosh: £4.99

Max Factor: £7.99

Revlon: £7.99

Please bear in mind that I bought all of these as soon as they were released so these may be introductory prices.

And here I am modelling them all for you:

First up, Gosh:

This is a lovely fuschia colour.  You can build it up, so if you wanted it less bright, just do one application.  This glides on evenly, and doesn't dry immediately so you can blend it quite easily to get the finish you want.

Second:  Max Factor in 03:

On me, this is really natural with just a hint of colour.  Unfortunately, it's the most difficult one to apply.  I don't know if I just picked up a dud one but it seems quite dry already and I really have to push the pen into my lips (which, frankly, hurts) to get a colour payoff.  But when I do, I really like it.

Third: Max Factor 06:

This one is a bright berry shade, kind of like I've been eating blackberries like a messy child.  Which occasionally does happen.  It applies quite well but does streak and dry quickly so you need to go over it a couple of times to get an even finish.

And finally: Revlon in Twilight:

As befits the name, this is quite a gothic, vampy red.  It is ok to apply, especially if you use the balm on the other end first, but the colour tends to gather towards the middle of my lips, making the centre darker.  Not necessarily a bad thing, but worth noting.  The colour is great - not something I'd often go for but in this finish it's fine.

Longevity:

They are all equally long lasting - they actually stay on until you remove them, but they do fade.  For me, this isn't a problem, especially with the Max Factor in 03 as it looks like my normal lip colour when it fades.  The Gosh one takes the longest to dry and occasionally transfers onto a glass when you drink.  Because of the colour, the Gosh and the Max Factor 06 are the most noticeable when they fade so just keep an eye on them throughout the day/night.  None are overly drying, but I usually apply a small amount of lip balm over the top when I apply just because I'm already prone to very dry lips.

Overall, I think the Revlon is my favourite.  I applies well and I think the colour is sophisticated and nice to wear with minimal eye and face make up.  I also like that for your money, you get a lip balm at the other end.

Have you tried any lip stains yet, and, if so, do you have a favourite?

Nars Jungle Red

Nars Jungle Red is something of a cult classic red lipstick. Matte but not drying, bright but not neon, classic but totally modern, it's a great red for anybody. Here it is modelled by my sister much better than I could do it. Buy it here.

I'd love to know what your favourite red lipstick is - leave me a comment to let me know.