NARS Mekong

NARS - Mekong  - £17.00 (space NK)

I was after a NARS eyeshadow to wear to my christmas party and I really wanted a deep, shimmery brown that I could layer on top of a dark smokey eye to add extra depth. I actually only paid £2 for this eyeshadow (MASSIVE WIN) because I had £15 of NDuldge points on my card to spend!

Its a deep, shimmery brown with gold bits and it is so nice on! I tried to do some swatches but they didn't justfiy the colour so have a little look on google image search to find some nice ones!

I'm slowly adding to my NARS eyeshadow collection, and they do not disappoint!

My only grumble with NARS is the packaging, my laguna bronzer looks filthy after a few months in my make up bag! I think my next purchases will be Night Clubbing  and Galapagos! 

(For all you fact geeks, apparently "Mekong" is a river in South East Asia!)

FOTW #2 - Skin Care

 Origins Super Spot Remover,  Lancome Galatéis Douceur, Clarisonic Gel, Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm, Origins VitaZing, Clarisonic Mia 2, Origins GinZing, Hydraluron, Eve Lom Cleanser, Origins Drink Up Intensive Mask

This week I've been trying to focus a lot more on skincare, as my skin is so dull at the moment, which I hate! I've been trying lots of new products, and I've disappointed by so many which just again makes me realise that just because the whole bloody blogosphere is raving about it does NOT mean that I will like it! Serves me right for being a sheep!

Super spot remover I've reviewed in a previous post, but I do think I was too harsh about it, and it is better than I think. 

Lancome Galateis Douceur I LOVE LOVE LOVE and it is such a nice cleanser and I love using it, so would 100% recommend!

Clarisonic Gel Not a fan of this, its too foamy and again I'm not keen on the smell, and I don't think it does anything.

Emma Hardie cleansing balm STINKS and I'm not sure how I feel about it yet, but a review will follow in due course.

Origins VitaZing I really like, and I'm sure I'll be purchasing the full size when this sample size runs out.

Clarisonic Mia 2 - I've only been using this for 2 weeks so far so can't give a full insight into what I think yet, but again I will do an update in a couple of months! But so far, the dreaded "purging" phase hasn't been as bad as expected, I've had a few spots in places I would never get them, such as my cheeks, but nothing too horrible thank god!

Origins GinZing I've also reviewed previously, but it is nice but I will look for a more cooling one next time.

Hydraluron is an interesting one. Considering it is supposed to increase the moisturizing properties of your face and make your skin much more moisturised, I've found that it has had the opposite effect on my skin. I've noticed that my dry patches have actually got worse, and I can't use this straight after using my Clarisonic as I find it really painful on my skin! I also didn't like wearing it before foundation, and I've been using it at night time instead. 

Eve Lom Cleanser I had a free sample of this from Space NK when I bought my clarisonic, and I was really intrigued to see what it would be like, as its one of those "cult" products. OH. MY. GOD. I just could not get past the smell, it was so strong and I actually had to breathe through my mouth when using it so I didn't have to inhale the fumes anymore! Very dramatic I know, but I also hated the texture which felt like rubbing sandpaper against my skin! I've tried to show what the texture is like in these photos below, but it was just awful and I would never use it again!

Origins Drink Up Intensive Mask I had a sample size of this, and I really love it. I can see what the fuss is about with this product, as it really does make a different to my skin and I usually use it overnight and I can really see a difference in the morning! I love the smell of this too. Will definitely buy full size when I run out.

Origins Super Spot Remover

Super Spot Remover - £12 

I was really excited to receive this, as I'd read great reviews and I've had some awful breakouts lately which are just disgusting. I know its because of a lack of fruit & veg in my diet but I love to eat junk, so its entirely my fault, but some spots were sticking around and so I decided they needed the extra kick to get rid of.

I had high hopes, but I think they were too high and I was expecting a miracle product. Nothing is going to make my spots magically disappear, but I thought this would do a little more than it did. It is a tiny TINY bottle but a little goes a long way and I can see it lasting me a while.

My spots definitely go down after using this, but only in a small way. I sometimes apply this three times a day if I'm by myself at home (desperate times, desperate measures) and I am slightly disappointed with it. After the rave reviews, I did expect more, but its just average. It helps, but only moderately, probably in the same way that toothpaste does? I'm not sure if I'd repurchase, but I think its worth trying out as its obviously worked wonders for some people.

Laura Mercier Radiance Primer

 On the hand;

 Rubbed in;

 Laura Mercier Radiance Primer - £28

I am constantly searching for the "luminous" look at the moment, so when I saw this on the SpaceNK website, I thought I would give it a go as I love a primer, so a highlighter and primer in one seems like a win!

I really liked the colour when I first put it onto my hand, and although I'd read some reviews that called it pinky toned, I would call it more peach, as you can (sort-of) see from the photo above. I used it like I would use any other primer, after my serum and moisturizer, yet before my foundation. I think you could also use this product on the cheekbone area and the cupid's bow, as it is similar to Benefit's High Beam, but in a thicker consistency. After applying it to my face, I loved the way it looked. My skin was instantly brighter and looked glowing, but in a nice way. It made a small difference underneath my foundation, but I wouldn't say that it was a major change. It definitely made me feel better about my skin after use, and gave me a little boost for that day.

In terms of its highlighting properties, I'd give it a massive thumbs up. But in terms of being a primer and improving the longevity of my make-up, I'm really not impressed at all. I LOVE the smashbox primer, and the MAC one, and this really did not make any different to the wear and tear of my make up. In comparison to my normal primers, in short, it is terrible. Benefit's the Porefessional is a lot better. It highlighted, yes, and made me look more glowy, but seeing as it was designed as a primer, I am disappointed. You get a massive tube, 50ml, and I know it will last me quite a long time, as again you only need a pea sized amount, but in terms of being a good primer, it was, to quote my teenager brother; "a massive fail". Its basically a highlighter, and I think I will try it over my normal primer next time, as a highlighting step.

I actually only own two LM products at the moment, and if I'm honest, I've been disappointed by both! I've heard really good things about the secret camouflage concealer, so I'm hoping to try that after Christmas and hoping that it changes my opinion of the brand, as I feel so let down!

Sorry for the two consectutive negative reviews, but I hate it when people lie about products and I'd rather read an honest review personally! I would probably purchase this again as a highlighter, but as a primer, in short, its pants.

xoxo

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation - £33 

I live nowhere near anywhere that does Laura Mercier so I had to rely on the make-up alley reviews and make up swatches on google to determine my shade, by Medium Ivory is a good match for my NC25 skin.

I really wanted to love this foundation after reading so many rave reviews about it, and to some extent, I agree with what is said. It is definitely highly pigmented, and a little does go a long way.

For me however, using a pea-sized amount just didn't feel right and I used to whack more on, but this was a massive mistake! If I used more than that, it really sunk into the lines around my mouth, and as a 23-year old I don't exactly have noticeable lines! This actually really put me off the foundation, as I noticed that during the day it was settling in to the lines on my face, either underneath my eyes or around the sides of my mouth, and all day long I was constantly rubbing it in.

I wasn't too keen of the finish on my skin; immediately after application it looked lovely, but then 6-7 hours later it just aged my skin and made me look so much older! It really clung to the dry patches on my face (I have combination skin), and I'd never noticed they were there until I started using this foundation. After using it for two weeks, I was concerned. I really wanted to love it and I just wasn't sure.

It didn't seem to work well with my MAC 187 brush either, but I bought the Real Techniques core collection the other day, and it was much better with the buffing brush.

Despite this, I have had loads of compliments on my skin since I've started to use it, so I will use it until it runs out, but I doubt I will repurchase. Wearing the LM Radiance Primer underneath definitely made a difference to the dry patches on my face, they were not as noticeable, but I just wasn't keen on the finish it left on my face.  I would definitely avoid this if you have dry skin, and I realised that after reading a lot of reviews, the people that love it are on the oilier side.

Thumbs down from me!

Origins GinZing Eye Cream

Origins GinZing Eye Cream - £21

I suffer from really sensitive eyes and if I rub them at all I wake up the next day with puffy eyes with loads of gunk in (sick, I know, sorry!). I bought this cream due to the fact that I'd never tried an eye cream before and I was intrigued by its claims of  being a "refreshing eye cream to brighten and depuff", which were basically what I was looking for.

I do like this cream, and I do think it does help on those days where I wake up and my eyes are red and sore. I don't think it is particularly brightening, but I do have unusually dark circles so maybe I'm not the best person to judge.

I find it soothing, refreshing and nice to use, but I think I would go for a more cooling cream next time, as I need something a bit stronger to help my eyes calm down. Its a smaller pot than I was imagining, but you only need a small amount and a little goes a long way. However, this is the first eye cream I've used and I don't have anything to compare it to. I would recommend it if you're new to eye creams like me, and just want a basic one to start. It does help, and does sooth them a small amount, but I'm not blown away by this.

ESSIE ESSIE ESSIE ESSIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAH (to the tune of Kaiser Chief's Ruby, yes I have a lot of time on my hands tonight, don't judge).

I was an Essie virgin until about a month ago. And I know I keep banging on about this but I really do live in rural west Wales so there's not exactly a beauty mart or well-stocked Selfridges here for me to nip in to, my nearest Essie stand is 40 minutes away!

After seeing Essie mentioned almost religiously on my favourite beauty blogs such as Kate, Anna & Sarah, I knew it wouldn't be long before I bit the Essie bullet. I was visiting my boyfriend in Oxfordshire a few weekends ago and I saw an Essie stand in the Banbury boots, and before I knew it, there were 3 Essie polishes in my basket. They were on 3 for 2, so it would have been rude not to!

I suffer from the dreaded chipped nails, and I always struggle to find a polish brand that lasts well on my nails as a result of this. Nails Inc is basically shite on me, I don't even bother with brands like 17 & Natural Collection, and Barry M is a joke. I'd heard good things about Essie so I was eager to try. The first shades I picked up were Too Too Hot, Lovie Dovie & Jamaica Me Crazy.

It escalated from a small purchase of this;

to a purchase of this;

and now I've added these;

so the final collection is this;

(sorry for the poor picture quality, they are iPhone pictures with a bit of terrible instagramming!)

Its a love affair that I don't think will stop, and I can see myself adding shades everytime the opportunity arises! This product is also worth a mention as its really increased the wear-time on my nails and I've noticed that its helped my nails too, and its the Essie Nail Polish Base Coat - All In One Base which is £8.99.

I think I've rambled enough about essie now, and if you've been a user for years I'm sure this really was a dull post, so my apologies!

xoxo

FOTW #1

Firstly sorry for the awful iPhone picture, I've lost the cable for my DSLR and I've just ordered another one!

MAC F&B, Chanel Perfection Lumiere, Dior Amber Diamond, Estee Lauder DW concealer (sample), NARS the Multiple in Orgasm, Collection waterproof liquid eyeliner, Revlon eyelash glue, Dior Eye Show in 002 White Light Disco for the inner corners of my eyes, Tweezerman tweezers, Rimmel Volume Flash Mascara in extreme black, Benefit Posie Tint for my lips.

This week has been one of those annoying week's where you have run out of your go-to foundations and you have to use the products you have left in your "stash". I had loads of MAC F&B foundation left, which I hate to wear on its own, and some Chanel Perfection Lumiere which I just wasn't impressed with by itself. It is NOT long-lasting at all on my face, which is one of its key selling points so I was really disappointed. I've been mixing them together (beauty no-no apparently??) and surprisingly they seem to work well together and give a nice finish and better longevity. Bronzer wise I've been switching between my NARS Laguna (which is almost empty sob sob) and MAC MSFN in Give Me Sun, which is basically the "essex" shade according to the MUA in the store, and I LOVE it. Highlighter has been the standard Dior Amber Diamond which I've been using for a year now and still is going strong! I've been whacking on some Sarah & Nadine GA eyelashes on top as I always do (and yes two pairs, Sarah's for volume, Nadine for length). Espresso for my brows (although I find it is a bit too red-toned).

Next post will hopefully include new skincare bits and newer make up!

xoxo

UTan - Ibiza Extreme Dark Lotion

I have tried many, many fake tans. I loved St Tropez Dark Lotion but then I tried this.... just to be cliche its definitely my HG fake tan!
Lasts well, is a gorgeous colour and applies much better than the others! I bought mine from Debenhams and there are always so many in store, I don't know if my town just hasn't cottoned on to how good it is but I am not complaining! More for me!
It is a very dark colour when applied, and I had to exchange my first bottle because the squirty bit (technical term there) that pumps the product out was faulty, but after that my second bottle was brilliant!
100% recommend, such a lovely colour, brilliant longevity, and fades really well!

UTan comes in different colours and formulations, from lotions to mousses, from gradual tans to full-on dark tans (my choice!). It is currently on offer on the Debenhams website for just £21.37, down from the usual price of £28.50 so I'd get in there if you're interested whilst its cheap! Link!

xoxo

Neglected blog!!

I have definitely neglected this blog for too long, but I have been so busy recently, constantly working or travelling so I haven't had any time at all, but I've got more time now and I've got two weeks off for Christmas so I will definitely have more time now! 

I've had a bit of a spree this month (does anyone else have massive sprees before Christmas?? What is wrong with me!) so I actually have loads of products that I will be reviewing on here in the coming weeks! I have actually spent an excessive amount but I did need most of it as I was running out!

Clothes wise, recent purchases include;

• this Zara bag (I was in love the minute I saw it),

• this Topshop duffel coat, (which is a lot nicer on and is so cosy!)

• this Joules wax jacket,

• this topshop jumper (jumper and necklace in one, WIN)

• this River Island tweedy-type pink peplum top which I think will be perfect for my work christmas party which is coming up in two weeks! I'm so over dresses as I hate my legs at the moment so will feel much better squeezing them into jeans! ha! 

Cosmetics wise I've just been ridiculous and I've bought a Clarisonic Mia 2, Laura Mercier Silk Creme foundation, Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm, Hydraluron, Laura Mercier Radiance Primer and literally about 15 Essie polishes, no joke!

Now its actually 4 weeks to go I've cut the spending and surprisingly enough I've almost finished my christmas shopping! Just waiting for my annoying younger brother to decide what he wants! This is unheard of for me but I had a few sick days off work so I managed to get loads done then!

Anyway I just wanted to check in as I haven't completely forgotten, and I will be back posting frequently soon! 

xoxo

Recommendations...

I thought I would do a little post about the blogs I am currently loving, it's always nice to discover blogs and these are definitely some of my favourites!

One is a fashion-music blog, and it's by my good friend Robyn. (She's a babe).  She's one of those girls who is totally into music that I'd never EVER want to show her my spotify playlists (spice girls and taylor swift are recent listens!), she's actually a music journalist and she's basically super cool, and SO nice too! I met her through twitter and blogging and we actually met up in June and she was so nice (and FIT).

Robyn's blog is; http://therobyndiaries.blogspot.co.uk/

The other is one I discovered fairly recently, and its called "Product Doctor" by the lovely Nisha. She's so lovely, I've tweeted her a few times and she always replies which is so nice! She has a lovely mixture of make-up and fashion posts, and its such a good read I'm always surprised she doesn't have more followers!

 Nisha's is http://productdoctor.blogspot.co.uk/

Nisha showed us her make-up collect in one of her recent posts and I was drooling THE WHOLE TIME. Massive make-up envy, and I need those muji drawers in my life!!

The last one is City Girl Fashion Box, by the lovely Sarah!

http://citygirlsfashionbox.blogspot.co.uk/

Sarah is bloody hilarious and her tweets make me laugh so much! I love her blog because she blogs about topshop make up in an equally casual manner to her mulberry handbags and Marc Jabobs bits! A really good read, seriously witty but also serious knowledge, such as when the Topshop sale is about to start, which is obviously a serious topic!!!

(image credits go to Robyn, Sarah & Nisha respectively, I hope they don't mind me borrowing them!)

All highly recommended, give them a read! In other news, I am currently obsessed with this awful Korean rapper called "Psy" that one of my friends posted on my facebook timeline the other day, the song is an accquired taste I think its safe to say but the video is hilarious, check it out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0

YSL La Teint Touche Eclat Foundation

I had high hopes for this foundation after all the hype. YSL describe the foundation as; "The light of Touche Éclat foundation targets shadowy areas and highlights the contours of the face. With no opaque powders, its perfecting texture evens the complexion and helps conceal your imperfections, while enhancing your skin’s natural beauty."


The packaging was luxe, and as a fan of "dewy/highlighting" foundations I was really eager to see what this had to offer. I was matched at the YSL counter in John Lewis in Milton Keynes by a really nice guy, he was really eager to give me a sample which I always appreciate after the snotty too-much-make-up ladies of Debenhams and Boots!

[photo from YSL beauty website]

I was matched to the shade BD50, which was a good match for my (fake) tanned skin. I applied it firstly with my MAC 187 following moisturiser (no serum, I'm running out and can't afford a new one until payday!). I immediately LOVED the finish, my skin looked radiant, without meaning to brag! I was so pleased, and I was so impressed that I literally almost ordered it straight away from Feel Unique as I saw it was on sale.

However, I am so glad that I didn't. I got home after 8 hours at work and my face looked awful! It was so patchy, half of it had come off and it just looked terrible! I asked my sister what she thought (she sees all the different ones I try out, so she's a good person to judge!), and she gave a very negative verdict! I tried it again the next day with serum and primer this time, hoping for a good result, but it was just as bad! I reckon I got around 4-5 hours of it maximum with it looking decent, and after this it just started to slide off my face! Bearing in mind that this is Britain and it is now around 17 degrees, this was not ideal at all!

I was gutted, as I really wanted to love this foundation, but unfortunately after 7 days of trying with various methods, I'm still not a fan at all! A big thumbs down from me, sorry YSL!

(for reference, I have combination skin and I'm around a NC30 in MAC).

Autumn Wishlist

These are the things that I have wanted for a while, but as autumn is my favourite season (yep, take that bikini lovers) they have a distinctly autumnal-feel. 

1. Hunter Wellies - A traditional staple, I've been eyeing them up since I was about 16! I reckon that if I bought these I would actually bother to make the half-hour walk to work instead of the 5 minute drive, and I would actually walk my dog in the local museum / park... I'd HAVE to show them off, obviously! Currently torn between the matte or gloss versions, thoughts?

  

2. Clarisonic MIA - I'm a blogging sheep, which is already demonstrated by my MK 5055 watch and Topshop Allegras and Ambush boots. (Speaking of Ambush boots, anyone else annoyed that they've been re-released for this season and are £30 cheaper than last year!?) I've actually wanted to try the Clarisonic for over a year now and I'm totally smacking myself that I didn't buy it when I was in the US in April (stupid girl)

3. Louis Vuitton Speedy 35 - Its a classic, its an investment, 'nuff said. Some serious saving required for this one!

4. Giorgio Armani Maestro Foundation - Seen this pop up on a few blogs and instagram feeds, and I cannot wait to try it, I'm still torn on what I think about Luminous Silk, but more on that on a later date.

5.  Basically anything Demi Lovato is wearing at the moment, I've got a massive girl crush. Her album is currently on repeat on my laptop (don't judge, its good alright?), and I'm totally obsessed. I definitely check her Coolspotters page at least twice a week. (loser alert). Also, she wears loads of Topshop, so attainable and stylish - win! A personal favourite is the blazer and shorts combo below that is from Topshop, but obviously its sold out now (twats).

6. Millicent Back Studded Boots - Topshop, £40. I love them, but no idea what I'd pair them with as I wear mostly black jeans / leggings and apparently you aren't supposed to wear black with navy, but I never follow that rule, soz fashion police.

Again I think that's enough rambling here from me, I was totally lying when I said they had an autumn-feel, my bad! In other news I've got a second, part-time job for the evenings at the moment to fund my clothes habit, and as one-half of a long-distance relationship with all my friends scattered all over the country its nice to have something to do on those free weekends when I'm not seeing my boyfriend! God what I loser I look, pass the kleenex and get the violins out!

xoxo

Recent Purchases - September

I haven't posted in so long, I've just been super busy with my boyfriend finishing at Sandhurst (miltary academy) and having loads of events (non-blogger related, i wish!) to go to, and these two months have basically flown by! I've been trying to be to really good and not spend much (there were days when my paycheque flew out of my account in the first week!), but I have a serious problem with spending. This month I actually have been very restrained, but saying that its only 10 days in so maybe not. #awkward

This is a mixture of clothes and beauty, although I have managed to sneak two samples from John Lewis which I will be reviewing in separate posts. (Cheers to the guy at the NARS counter at John Lewis in Cardiff who didn't write the shade on the bottle and gave me a patchy face).

Please excuse the image above, I have no idea how everyone does their super-cool posts where they bash everything together.... I think its photoshop, which I don't have and have no clue how to use! Still learning and actually remembering to blog!

1. Zara Office City bag £49.99
2. Estee Lauder Take it away make up remover £21
3. Topshop Ponte Blazer £40
4. Zara Parka £89.99
5. Matalan loafers £14
6. Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation £34

I paid £40 in total for the foundation and delivery (vomit), I hate living so far away from everything! I felt a bit sick paying £90 for the Parka but after seeing my favourite bloggers ever Nikki and Marianna wear theirs I justified it, and it will last, right?? Then, on my first outing wearing it, my boyfriend piped up with "its a bit chavvy isn't it?!". Always helpful and constructive!

Anyway I think that's enough rambling for now but I just wanted to get back into it, sorry for such a ramble-y post!I hope everyone is having a good week so far, I can't believe its only Monday, the weekend flew by!

Estée Lauder Invisible Fluid Make up

Apologies for the scratched-off writing on the bottle, I put it in my make-up bag once and it came off straight away! Not very nice in photos I know, sorry once again!

I bought this foundation because, again, I wanted one without SPF, and one for when I am St-Tropez-Dark-Lotion'ed up to the max! I actually went to the EL counter and got matched for this one, I wanted one that was a shade darker than the foundation I had on at the time. I got home, however, poured a bit onto my hand, and was like OH BALLS THAT IS DARK! Everything always seems lighter in that harsh department store lighting! After my initial shock, I've found that if I mix it with my Illasmasqua Skin Base, as mentioned in my previous post, it actually makes a really nice colour! Not too dark, not too light, just right! And SPF free too so no ghost face! Love the colour in photos!

I tried this once on my face on its own, I'd just bought it and had a super early (3.30am) Megabus to London one morning so I put it on at 3am, so in my defence there was no daylight! I looked at it on the bus and it looked alright, but as soon as I got to London my friend was like "WHAT THE ****"!!!!! Looked at it in her house, and balls, it was FAR too dark! On the plus side, one of her guy friends thought I was turkish, which I enjoyed, but it literally makes me change race, so can't wear it on its own!

I would definitely recommend this to be mixed with Illasmasqua Skin Base, it has a lovely finish. It's not matte or dewy, but in the middle which I really like! I will buy this again to mix, and I also might try this in a shade lighter next time to wear alone, as I feel like I can't give it a fair test in the shade that I have!

Do you have any non-SPF foundation recommendations for me to try please?

XOXO

Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation

I couldn't wait to try this foundation after reading about it on Laura and Lily's blogs. I had high hopes, especially after reading about its "full coverage".

First reaction - I was disappointed! Nowhere near as thick or covering as I'd expected, and actually I find it works best if I mix it with my Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid Make-Up. I bought the shade "10" from the Debenhams website after comparing to my usual NC30 on Temptalia, but in hindsight, I think this would be a good colour if I wanted a foundation for my non-tanned skin, but for (normal) tanned days, it is far too light.

I was really surprsied at the size of the bottle when it arrived, I expected it to be a lot bigger, even though it is the standard 30ml size. One of my issues with this product is that I find it an absolute nightmare to squeeze out of the bottle. I haven't read this issue on any other reviews though, so I think this may just be me being weird!

It is a good foundation, but personally I find I only like it if I mix it. The fact that it is SPF free was one of the aspects that attracted me to it initially as I am sick of "ghost face" in photos. My problem is that there is only one illasmasqua counter in the whole of Wales, and it is an hour and a half from me which is a bit of a pain. I think I will be repurchasing this foundation when it runs out, as I really enjoy the coverage and finish I get from it when mixed. I think I will also buy a different, darker shade for every day and see if that sways me at all or makes a difference, as I really want to love this foundation!

St Tropez Dark Lotion

EDIT; I had originally slated this, but now, after applying two coats, I eat my words!!!! Despite my previous hatred of the product, I applied a second coat and love the colour, its a much deeper brown.  I still maintain that its a nightmare to work in though which is a pain! But, it wore off really well, much better than Xen Tan, and I found that it lasted a lot longer! I think this may be my new favourite!

I loved the normal version of St Tropez, but I found that even after 2 coats it just wasn't dark enough for me! So I discovered Xen Tan dark lotion, fell in love, and moved on. But a tanning emergency prompted me to leg it to Boots Friday lunchtime to purchase, and I was ASTOUNDED by the price. It cost me £33!!!!!! £33, for a fake tan. In hindsight though, it lasts me 3 coats ish, so actually 3 coats of this is much cheaper than 3 spray tans! (hope you like my justification...!).

 I actually wanted to buy a smaller size, maybe the usual 120ml, because I was only testing it out, but this is actually the only size available.I do like the packaging, I find the black really sleek, although not a fan of the blue lid, but obviously being a moaner I had to find something I wasn't happy with!

So application... when I first put this onto my mitt it was DARK - I mean almost black! But as soon as I rubbed it into my skin it turned an awful green colour which actually worried me a bit! To quote my mum; "it looks like slurry!" (farming reference there as we live in wales!). Basically it is a really greeny / brown colour, sorry to gross you out but a bit like diarrhoea?! But I understand this is a guide colour to help! I found this lotion surprisingly hard to get into the skin, and really difficult to work with. It settles really quickly, so you have to work it in so fast! I really struggled even though I had exfoliated etc the night before.

So, the final result?

Despite being the colour of slurry when I went to bed, I woke up a lovely golden brown. Brilliant I thought, exactly the colour I want. Went into the shower, and guess what... The ENTIRE lot went down the drain! I had the water lukewarm too as I read somewhere that hot water breaks down the tan. I couldn't believe it!
I was left with a tiny bit on my skin, but no where near the colour I was expecting, I was so disappointed! I was basically my usual shade of natural pale, not the lovely brown colour I was expecting!

BUT, after two coats I was a lovely colour... actually the same colour as my friend from work who had just returned from a week in Greece! WIN!  So, in a nutshell, this gets a massive thumbs up from me! 100% recommend.

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm

Again, I only purchased this after I was recommended it by The Saturdays' MUA on twitter. Guilty! But in my defence, I did try 2 sample-sized tubes before I shelled out and bought full size! I just tried to link the twitter conversation but I can't find it now as it was a while ago, annoying!). ANYWAY.

It is a massive tube, its 50ml, so think almost double a standard MAC foundation. Onto the product.
I LOVE the new packaging, I believe it used to be in a thin longer tube, but I much prefer it shorter and bigger, it makes me feel like I've got so much more product, stupid I know but it does! I think this was part of my problem with MAC Studio Sculpt... even though it was 30ml as usual it was long and thin which I just was NAT happy with.

I tend to keep this for when I'm having a particularly tired day, or to be honest, when I look "well rough". Everytime I've worn this I've had compliments on how my skin looks, and I just feel better knowing that I have it on (placebo effect?!). I can really see the difference when I wear it, and if I've had a really knackering week I will use it as a facemask for 15 minutes, which is an alternative use.

The label says to put this on IMMEDIATELY before applying make up... pretty specific as I'm bad and put my lashes on first, before I do foundation, because otherwise I have finger marks on my face where I've put my lashes on and leant on my cheeks! I know people say to use tweezers (bore off luv) but I prefer using my fingers!

In short, would I recommend this product? 100%! My make up looks more luminous and almost glowy, and I just feel better knowing that I don't look as rough as I did when I woke up! Honestly, my morning face is actually dog rough, sometimes I can't even look at myself!

This product retails at £28, and I can honestly say that I will definitely repurchase when I run out! I paid around £23 as I bought it on the plane home from NY, but for £5 difference I don't mind!

In other news, I am loving ASOIAF (sheep, I know)... I'm currently on book 3 and I am devouring it! Book 2 was doing my nut in, I'm a pretty fast reader but 900 pages was wearing me down, seeing the percentage hardly moving on my kindle was boring!!!
Hope you're all having a good week, its friday, THANK GOD, I'm off to Sandhurst to see the boyfriend (he's in his final stages of training to become an officer in the army) for the first time in 3 weeks, joys of a long distance relationship! Have a great weekend everyone!

Alice XOXO

MAC Face & Body Foundation

This is a foundation that I've been meaning to try for probably around a year. It kept cropping up... on TV (The Saturdays documentary last year was my initial sighting, and they are FIT so I was keen to try), various blogs and then the direct tweet I received from The Saturdays (again, sorry!) MUA Celena well and truly cemented it! I tried to buy it at an airport, good move, not, as obviously its over 100ml so they didn't sell it. Traipsed all the way to MAC in Oxford, they didn't sell it either for a reason I still don't understand, so finally I ordered it online! I really wanted to swatch it before I bought it, as its such a large amount of product (120ml!) that I didn't want to be left with a ridiculous colour that I wouldn't use. After much research, and aided with Temptalia foundation matrix, I settled on the shade C3. (I'm normally NC30).

Ridiculously enough, when I'm at my palest (casper!), C3 is actually a tad too dark, yet when I've used my beloved fake tan (xen-tan!), it is too light! So what I tend to do is just wear it for work and make sure my hair is particularly large that day so that no-one can see my tide marks! Beauty sin I know, but my face isn't this bad, its just a tiny bit too dark so I figured I could get away with it!

I have found this so difficult to get to grips with! I've tried so many techniques... I've tried the MAC 187, which is my usual brush of choice, and the Real Techniques stippling brush which actually, I was really disappointed in. I might do a review of that at some point actually, as I struggle to get on with it at all!

The best way that I've found to use it is; put loads onto my 187, brush that all over my face to get a good layer on, then stipple it in properly in circular motions with the RT Stippling brush. Sometimes I have to do this with 2 layers as I find that it just doesn't sit right on my skin otherwise!

What I love about this foundation is that it makes my skin look so dewy and luminous for around 2/3 hours afterwards.. but after this it goes SO patchy and feels like its melting off my face, even with a serum and moisturiser underneath! What I find odd with this foundation is that some days, I love it and I can totally see why its Mollie King's foundation of choice. Other days, I HATE it, like today, when my ever-honest friend agreed that it looked really dodgy after a day's wear during the heat of today and a long day at the offce!

So just to be annoying, I'm on the face with this one! If I'm literally popping to town for a few hours, or just hitting the cinema or something or on a short outing, this is the foundation of choice. But for a full day in the office / in the heat, I wouldn't use it at all. I got home this evening and honestly, you know when your make up looks so bad you are HORRIFIED, well I had that, it was patchy, awful and I reckon I had like 10% left on my face!

It retails for £25.50, which I think is actually a really good price as you do get basically 4 times the amount you would for a normal £20 30ml MAC foundation. But saying that, I do use a lot more of this than I would of SFF! I don't think I will be repurchasing though.

I have yet to try it on my body / legs as I know others have, it's not dark enough for me to use instead of fake tan in this particular shade for me personally!

Any other questions / comments please leave below as normal!

Alice XOXO