Don't you just love that feeling when you've just bought new make up and you can't wait to go home to play with it?!

I'll show you a few, well, maybe not quite that few things I've accumulated over the past couple of months. I definitely did not go out and bought all of this in one go lol!

Anyway, I will most likely review Chanel Perfection Lumiere in a separate post a bit later but will include a mini review for now. Enjoy! :)

Here's three things I'm absolutely obsessed with right now:

♥ Chanel Perfection Lumiere   ♥ Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel highliter    ♥ YSL Golden Gloss, all shades but especially this one in No3 Golden Pink

Hey everyone!

I'm going to do a quick OOTD post with my new favourite pair of shoes :)

I don't really have a lot of cream or beige pieces in my wardrobe so decided to experiment a little with these LK Bennett Shilo in taupe. I only got them yesterday after wanting them for ages so as you can imagine I couldn't wait to slip them on this morning :D

I also have the Maddox in black and LK Bennett quality never disappoints. Despite these being a heel and not a wedge they're just as comfortable and fit like a glove. I kind of hate high heels, especially super high ones, but I feel like I can run a marathon in these lol :)

I'm usually a UK size 7 but apparently these run a size smaller. They've recently released the same model in a more rosy nude kind of colour but I went for these in the end as they would be easier to pair with other things I own colour wise. I think these are the perfect pair of shoes for spring/summer!

Hey everyone!

This post comes ridiculously late but I've just been so busy lately that I haven't had any time (or energy) to sit down, take pictures and write reviews for posts but better late than never!

Had an amazing weekend last week complete with a meal at my favourite place ever, Rice in Meadowhall (Sheffield). I love going to modern and edgier places and trying new food. The thing about Rice is that their food is also quite healthy and that's always a plus in my book ;)

I had a salmon nicoise salad and cucumber water which turned to be, well, cucumber slices in water lol but I was surprised at how refreshing it was, definitely something to try at home!

And how adorable are these valentine cakes :D

A few weeks ago I finally placed an order for a Tiffany bracelet I've wanted since literally the whole of last year but always kept putting it off. I don't know what it is about Tiffany but every time I get something from there I'm more excited than a kid in a sweet shop lol!

My other little treat this month was a pair of Folli Follie earrings which, again, have been on my lust list since last year. Let me tell you a bit more about them because they do deserve a good introduction:

To be honest, the thing that put me off initially was the fact that they don't mention any sizes on their site and I was actually expecting something bigger but at the same time I was extremely impressed with the quality of the earrings (can be found here) and will definitely be ordering again from them in the future. I love how their pieces look much more expensive than they really are which is what we all want right ;)

Hey everyone!

I feel like I haven't done a fashion haul in ages, literally since last year! The weather's been crazy cold recently so I haven't been buying that many new clothes but will show you a few things I got over the past month or two :)

I'm becoming more and more of a River Island addict, always browsing their site to check for new stuff.

Was looking for a good pair of blue skinny jeans that I could possibly pair with nude shoes (haven't gotten those yet though lol) and these are perfect! Not too casual or too dressy :)

The white shirt is from Mango and came across it completely by accident. It's very sheer and perfect for layering although I'm sure I'll wear it by itself too in the spring.

Another piece from River Island I'm loving at the moment is this cream cowl neck top that I paired with a skinny black belt to give it a bit more shape.

I wanted to invest in a good coat this winter and fell in love with this Karen Millen one. It was sold out in my size online but luckily I managed to snap up one of the last ones left at Selfridges in Birmingham :)

It's my every day coat now and I have a feeling I'm going to wear it to death :D

I know it's not summer yet, or even spring, but last month decided to treat myself to a pair of brand new sunnies. I've been lusting over the Dior Cocotte for agessss and since it's an older (in fact nearly discontinued) model I had to order online and wait for 3 weeks for them to be made. The advantage to all that is that they came with a quite decent discount. I'll have to wait a while to wear them but I just love them to death!

Hope you enjoyed this quick post!

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Hey everyone!

I don't usually do favourites type of posts because I don't really buy that many different products every month that would deserve a whole separate post, however, this month a few did stand out.

Spring make up collections are already out yet it's still chilly and wintery outside so you might as well treat yourself to something new when the winter blues kick in ;)

Since I was looking for a good candy pink blush recently I had a look at Dior's new Rosy Glow in Petal and it's honestly the prettiest pink I've ever seen! Reminds me a lot of translucent powder only in blush form, completely matte, zero shimmer,very lightweight and glowy. I really like the packaging as well and the quality of the brush which always comes in handy when you're on the go.

It's one of those colours that are universally flattering. It might look a bit bright and crazy in the pan but turns into a very wearable and delicate pink once applied. Oh, and smells absolutely gorgeous too!

Heavy swatch:

And blended in:

Next, two new skincare items that I would repurchase over and over again.

I've never tried anything by Caudalie before and accidentally stumbled across a review of their Beauty Elixir spray which was in Harper Bazaar's top beauty products of the year. 

They say it's  "inspired by the "elixir of youth" used by Queen Isabelle of Hungary, this treatment smooths features, tightens pores, and gives the complexion a burst of radiance"

and contains no parabens, mineral oils or other nasties. 
Sound interesting?

It's basically a natural toner in spray form, has a rather strong herbal smell (something to be aware of) and because it contains peppermint leaves a slight stinging sensation. It does contain alcohol which is 100% natural. 

I like how it wakes up the skin (I alternate it with my Avene thermal spring water) and you need to spray very little before massaging it all over.

I got the 30ml bottle which is indeed small but it's nice if you want to give it a try before committing to full size.

I randomly picked up this Nivea Daily Essentials cleanser in Boots (I use the make up removing wipes every day) and turns out it's quite decent :P 

It's a cream cleanser formulated for dry and sensitive skin and the interesting thing is that it doesn't foam up yet does the job brilliantly. And guess what, it's pink! ;)

Can't believe January is almost over!!

Hope you enjoyed reading, have a great week!

Ttyl,

Hey again everyone!

Today I'm going to review a new concealer I recently tried, namely the one by Cle de Peau. I guess a lot of people have already heard of this particular brand, as it's owned by Shiseido but is apparently slightly more high end.

And indeed, when I say more "high end" I literally mean probably the most I've ever spent on a make up item, let alone a concealer. So is it worth it?

Basically... yes. I've always had pretty good skin, I don't really suffer from any breakouts or acne (never have) but if there is anything that I wish I could improve it's the shadows under my eyes, especially first thing in the morning as I never seem to get enough sleep these days. I've tried so many different concealers and correctors in the past and some were more useful than others but to be honest, when it comes to under eye products (especially eye creams) I've rarely come across something that really does what it promises.

I ordered this concealer online from StrawberryNET.com since I don't have a counter anywhere near me (not sure if they even have one in the UK?). I had to pay tax on it which was very quickly refunded so will most likely purchase from them again in the future. After watching a ton of video reviews and reading blog posts with swatches I went for the shade Ocher and was a bit nervous it wouldn't match me perfectly. Thankfully, it did.

It's a stick concealer but what is different about it is that it's extremely opaque and covers virtually anything that crosses its path (which is precisely what I needed really).  It's a truly full coverage concealer which might not be everyone unless you have those specific needs. 

Some people put it on the tips of their fingers first and then press it onto the skin. I personally prefer to draw a few swipes under my eyes (over my Armani Master colour corrector reviewed here) and then blend with a slightly fluffy concealer brush. You do have to blend it in well otherwise it might slightly crease but is fine once blended carefully in. It's not drying nor overly creamy and if you build it up a little it's almost like photoshopping your under eye area haha! It works like magic when paired with the colour corrector and by itself as well. I don't normally need a lot of coverage on my face so I invest that time into applying concealer instead :P

As you can see, the veins on my wrist are nearly invisible (one swipe). Looks darker here but matches perfectly when blended in.

Would I repurchase? Probably yes. I see this one lasting me for quite a while and I could also look into cheaper options (a few people have suggested the Boots No7 and Hourglass ones) but honestly, I think that a nice concealer can do a lot to improving your overall look and this one is a pretty good investment!

Hope you found this review helpful! Thanks for reading and have a great rest of the week :)

XOXO

Hey everyone! 

First of all, happy new year!! Looking back, 2011 was quite a good year but there is always room for improvement so fingers crossed 2012 turns out to be even better!

Here's a few bits and bobs I was obsessed with around the holidays (and still am). Some of them are presents from others and some I picked up myself.

I lusted over this Dolce&Gabbana nail polish for god knows how long but the price tag always put me off slightly. I was eyeing a very similar one by Dior initially called Czarina Gold but unofrtunately it was a limited edition and no longer available apart from on sites for double or triple the price. So I looked around for dupes and this one came up. I've never tried anything by D&G cosmetics before so was very curious to see if their make up would be as good as their fashion range.

It's very important to mention that this is a very unique colour: black with fine gold glitter. It may sound a bit scary as a description but it really is a gorgeous combination and you know I'm a sucker for gold lol This nailpolish reminds me so much of Sam Sparro's Black and Gold too, one of my favourite songs ever!

I ordered it online from the Harrods website and it arrived in this huge box which I thought was a bit OTT lol

Anyway, onto my impressions so far. 

First of all, as much as the packaging is very sleek and stylish, I was disappointed with the brush! It's the old school style super thin brush and you have to be very careful when you're applying the product (requires a good amount of precision). One coat is fine but if you want more intensity you can go for a second one. It took a little longer to dry than other polishes I own (Dior, Rimmel, L'oreal) and as you can probably notice in the picture below I smudged it a bit even though I waited patiently for it to dry (hate it when that happens). You can definitely feel the glitter on your nails once it's dried but the bits are fine enough.

To be honest, if the Dior one was still around I'd definitely pick it over this one considering their bigger brushes and much creamier consistency of their polishes. 

It's a beautiful colour but D&G didn't get it quite right with this one.

Picked this YSL lippie on the ferry from France, supposedly duty free, even though it didn't really work out that much cheaper than normal.

If I had to pick only one brand for lip products it would be YSL, they have some of the best glosses!

This Rouge Pure Shine reminds me a lot of a tinted lip balm, extremely moisturising and comfotable to wear, very creamy, almost like butter, however, the downside to this is that you have to reapply often (staying power is rather disappointing).

Pink Diamond is a gorgeous frosty pale baby pink that you can wear either on its own or layered with something else. I've been wearing it nearly every day since I got it and it's been disappearing fast so I thought I'd show it to you before it's completely gone lol Is it me or YSL products in general just vanish quick?!

The holiday skin fix: Sanctuary Brightening Facial In A Box

The cold winter weather has been making my skin feel really dry and tight lately and as I am a big fan of the Sanctuary face masks (the ones you pick up in separate sachets) thought I'd pamper myself with this box full of travel sized goodies.

In the box you get trial sizes of the polishing hot cloth cleanser, radiance exfoliator, moisture boosting mask, illuminating moisture lotion and eye gel which you have to put in the fridge before you start the facial. There's also a muslin cloth to use after each step.

It takes about half an hour to do properly and while you wait for the mask to do its job (10 mins) you can do like me and have some chocolate!! :D Isn't that the best way to relax after all :)

I did this facial late and night and the next morning my skin did look much more radiant and healthy. If you also apply the Sanctuary therapist's oil instead of the lotion in the box after you've done, you're going to wake up with the best skin you've ever had!

One word: it does smell, well, beautiful :P It's the first perfume that I actually like to put on even when I'm not going anywhere. It's very delicate and not overpowering at all.

A few pics of the christmas tree (which is already taken down boo) and my (very quickly put together) outfit:

Stumbled across this sequined top at the Karen Millen online sale (can be found here), reduced to nearly half price and it arrived just in time for new year. I'm not usually into sequins but do like this one a lot.

Hope you enjoyed, have a great rest of the week!