My 5 Minute Face

Hi girlies,

I saw this post on Viviannas blog the other day and whilst i was quickly making my self presentable to go out for lunch with my boyfriend and applying my make up in the quickest possible time, I thought i would show you the products of my 5 minute face!

♥ Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation No 7 ♥
After trying samples of shade 4, 6 and 7 i settled with and purchased a full size bottle of shade No 7. So far i am loving it! If you would like a full review on this product then please let me know.

♥ MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural - Light/Medium / Sigma Powder Brush ♥
The MSF is looking a little worse for wear after it falling out of my clutch bag and all over my driveaway a couple of weeks ago, bad times!

♥ MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NW20 / Sigma Blending Brush ♥

♥ Illamasqua Writhe Bronzer / Illamasqua Large Kaubuki Brush ♥

♥ MAC Painterly Paint Pot ♥

♥ Rimmel Day 2 Night Mascara ♥

♥ Accessorize Blush in Starlet / MAC 116 Blush Brush ♥
♥ MAC Colour Crafted Lipstick ♥

Firstly, I apply my current foundation which is the Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation with my fingers (as we dont have much time to fiddle with brushes!) Next, I use my Sigma E40 Blending Brush to apply concealer to my blemishes, around my nose and under my eyes. Next, I use my Sigma F30 Large Powder Brush to apply a small dusting of MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural all over my face. I then use my huge Illamasqua Kabuki brush to apply the Illamasqua bronzer all over my face, focusing on my cheeks and around my temples.

With my fingers, I take some of the MAC Paint Pot in Painterly and pop it on my eye lid and then apply lashings of the Rimmel Day 2 Night Mascara.

I would then apply the Accessorize Mineralize Blush in Starlet to the apples of my cheeks using a MAC 116 Blush Brush, which gives my cheeks a nice sheen. 
Lastly, I would then add a slick of lipstick to my lips, current go to's include either MAC Creme Cup, Viva Glam Gaga or Colour Crafted (as pictured above) and i am good to go!


So there you have it, my five minutes(ish) face! When i have more time i would usually go all out with eyeshadow, liquid eyeliner and highlighter alongside a whole load of other brushes but when im in a rush, this is enough!


What products make up your 'five minute face'?


xxx

Review: Liz Earle Botanical Aftersun Gel

Morning lovelies!

I have just been sent the Liz Earle Sun Shade Botanical Aftersun Gel from the lovely ladies over at Liz Earle. This is my second tube of this aftersun and my past couple of holidays i have definitely had a chance to test this product properly.

Firstly, the tube is absolutely huge! You get 200ml of product for your money which i think is amazing, definitely enough for a holiday away and a full bottle lasted me more than 2 weeks in total, for me and my partner (with lots left over!) I love the huge, squeezy tube that dispenses just enough product.

It contains naturally active ingredients as with most Liz Earle products and key scents include Aloe Vera, Cucumber, Lavender and Vitamin E, all of which are such soothing products, and perfect for sun burnt skin or skin that has been exposed to the sun.

This smells amazing! It has a lovely aloe vera & lavender smell which i really like. It is a clear, gel like product that instantly feels cool on the skin and immediately cools it down, which is perfect for the warm weather. A tip that i have for this is to store it in the fridge so that it goes cold and it feels so soothing and refreshing on sun burnt skin. I burn easily and found this product a god send to rehydrate my skin and definitely cool it down. It absorbs into the skin extremely quickly, not leaving it sticky like some after sun can do.

The Liz Earle Botanical Aftersun Gel is available online from Liz Earle, Liz Earle stores & at John Lewis and retails for £13.30 for 200ml.

xxx

Dolce & Gabbana: Rules For The Modern Gentleman App

Evening ladies!

Two posts in one day? I am spoiling you! 

The 'Rules for the Modern Gentleman' is a new Iphone App made by Dolce and Gabbana. Compiled by current GQ Editor and international etiquette expert, Dylan Jones, the app provides Rules for the Modern Gentleman. The App is available to download now for free from Itunes (Link here!) The App has different sections bearing reference to aspects of the modern gentleman covering etiquette, style and grooming.

 

I have downloaded the App (Link!) myself on both my Iphone and Ipad and have been exploring it myself with the other half! One of the tips that my partner has tried out is the 'Dab fragrance on your cheeks, you hands and - the ladies' trick - behind your ears and one in particular that i have been getting him to try out on me 'Always hold the door open for others, especially a lady'.

 What inspired the Dolce and Gabbana Rules for the Modern Gentleman App is the Dolce and Gabbana fragrance for men 'The One Gentleman'. The sophisticated new scent from Dolce & Gabbana, the one gentleman, is a bottled homage to the

modern gentleman. It has top notes of pepper and grapefruit, heart notes of lavender with subtle accents of fennel and cardamom and base notes of patchouli and vanilla. 

 Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana remarked, “This fragrance really reflects our gentleman in

many things: he is worldly, successful, impeccable but he also boasts something else such as an innate

elegance that distinguishes him from the rest. Men would love to be him, women to be his...” 

The fragrance can be purchased in the UK from boots.com here and in the US from bloomingdales.com here.

I urge you to try it out with the man in your life so he can pick up some etiquette tips, or see if there are any that he does already, after all it is free! 

Have you tried this App? Or will you be downloading? Please share your Gentlemanly tips below!

xxx

(sponsored post)

Sleek MakeUP Pout Paints

Morning sweethearts!

Yesterday, 4 of the much anticipated Sleek MakeUP Pout Paints dropped through my letterbox which i couldnt wait to share with you all! 

The Pout Paints are Sleek MakeUP's answer to the OCC Lip Tars, they are intensive lip pigments that have amazing staying power and are made to be mixed. The range consists of 11 different shades of long lasting lip pigments. A small drop goes a long way and they give full coverage which dry to a satin finish. 

Cloud 9 the white pout paint and Peek-a-Bloo the blue pout paint are made especially for mixing. Use Cloud 9 to cool down other shades and use Peek-a-Bloo to warm other shades. Unless you are brave enough to wear them on their own?! :)

 As i said, a little goes a long way and these tubes are pretty huge so will last you a while! 

Below i have mixed 'Cloud 9' to cool down 'Pin up' and have made a gorgeous bright fuschia colour. 

Here, I have mixed 'Peachy Keen' with 'Cloud 9' again to cool down the colour slightly and make a lighter, more wearable peachy-nude. 

The Sleek MakeUP Pout Paints launch on the 3rd August 2011 and will retail for £4.99 which i think is a amazing price for these! Get yours from www.sleekmakeup.com or from Superdrug Stores. 

Im looking forward to experimenting with the shades i already have and discovering new colours! 

Will you be purchasing?

xxx 

MUA Pro Heaven & Earth Eyeshadow Palette

Hello cupcakes!

After talking on Twitter the other day about how much i needed to get my hands on this much talked about palette, I was happy to find out the next day that i won it in on giveaway on the lovely Sarah's Blog!

This palette is perfect for a neutral eyeshadow lover like myself, and although i know it wont appeal to everyone but all the eyeshadows are shimmery, which i personally love as i cant seem to work with matte shades!

The eyeshadows are seriously buttery soft and highly pigmented! The best part of all?! The MUA Pro Heaven and Earth palette is available from Superdrug and costs a bargain of £4! I feel like i need to stock up on these bad boys! I can definitely see myself getting a lot of use out of it! A cheaper alternative of teh Urban Decay Naked Palette (Which i also love!) I think so!

♥ Left Hand Side ♥

♥ Right Hand Side ♥

Will you be getting your hands on this palette?

xxx

MAC Colourizations Collection

Hello ladies!

I received a email this afternoon from the PR at MAC about a upcoming collection in August so i thought i would share it with you!

The new collection, due out in August is called 'Colourizations' and includes some permanent products from the MAC range and also some limited edition products. 

Products include:

PRO PALETTE EYE SHADOW X 2 (Pre-filled duos)* 

Double Feature 1: Bright yellow gold (veluxe pearl) Pinked-up chrome purple (frost)

Double Feature 2: Bright lime (veluxe pearl) Frosty deep grey (frost)

Double Feature 3: Mid-tone teal (matte) Deep chocolate (satin)

Double Feature 4: Deep forest green (veluxe pearl) Mid-tone ochre brown (matte)

Double Feature 5: Pale frosty peach (frost) Dark brown with green pearl (frost)

Double Feature 6: Light grey taupe (matte) Mid-tone bronze (veluxe pearl)

Double Feature 7: Bright fuchsia (frost) Cool black (satin)

Double Feature 8: Mid-tone orange (frost) Deep navy (satin)

RRP: £20.00 / EURO 26.00

TECHNAKOHL LINER

Graphblack Rich graphic black

Photogravure Soft black with brown undertone

Purple Dash Intense aubergine

Auto-de-blu Amethyst

Uniform Deep khaki green with gold pearl

Jade Way Pure emerald green with frost

RRP: £13.50 / EURO 18.00

ZOOM LASH

Zoomblack Rich black

RRP: £13.50 / EURO 16.50

BRUSHES

222 Brush Tapered blending brush

RRP: £19.00 / EURO 30.50

275 Brush Medium angled shading brush

RRP: £19.00 / EURO 27.50

All the eyeshadows are Limited Edition and the other products are permanent.

I definitely have my eye on one of the eyeshadow duos, in particular Double Feature 5 with the peach and brown combination. I also think £20 is a good price as they are handy for travel, and cost less than what two eyeshadows would cost if you bought them separately.

Do you have your eye on any products?

xxx

Giveaway: Serenata Hampers

Morning girlies!

Today, I have a hamper giveaway for you from Serenata Hampers (Link!).

Firstly, I think my boyfriend James deserves a Serenata hamper from www.serenataflowers.com as it is his 24th Birthday next week and i think one of these would make a perfect present! I have always loved the idea of hampers as there is always something that would be suited to everyones wants and needs.

The Hampers on the Serenata Flowers website range in prices from £24.99 all the way up to £64.99 for a Luxury Sumptious Sage Hamper. You can select a hamper of your choice and then add on special extras such as balloons and soft teddies for a added cost. My favourite hampers on the website include the Champagne and Truffles Hamper which is on sale and is down to £39.99 and contains exactly what is says, Champagne and Truffles, what more could a girl ask for?! 

Another of my favourites is the Pamper Dream Hamper which is available for £34.99 and contains a shower gel, body lotion, bubble bath, a sponge, potpourris, a wooden nail brush, fizzers, slippers and a massager all housed in a gorgeous wooden bowl. Perfect for a girly pamper session!

Now onto the giveaway!

Serenata Hampers are giving one of my lucky readers a chance to win one of their hampers (Link!) up to the price of £40 + p&p. 

All you have to do is leave a comment below with your email address so i can contact you if you win. 

The giveaway will end on the 8th August so you have 2 weeks to get your entries in!

Im afraid that even though Serenata Flowers can arrange delivery outside the UK, this giveaway is open to UK readers only. 

Good luck ladies!

xxx

(Sponsored post)

Depotting Urban Decay Primer Potion

Hello ladies!

I used to religiously use Urban Decay Primer Potion but after a few used the product seemed to dry up and run out, I dont think the style of packaging really helped, although i do believe that Urban Decay have since changed this! 

Instead of throwing away, I kept my Urban Decay Primer Potion in the back of my drawer as i remember seeing a Youtube video on how to depot the product, although I had kind of got used to using the MAC Paint Pots as my eyeshadow base anyway and seem to remember going off the primer potion!

Anyway, today was the day that i finally cut up my primer potion!

I removed the cap and used a sharp nice to cut through the top and bottom of the tube (Im not sure if it was because of my useless kitchen knives or my weakness but this was a HARD tube to cut through! I managed to cut through finally and could see that there was plenty of product still left in the tube.

The product that was nearest to the top of the tube and right at the bottom seemed to have dried up and went quite hard so i through this away right away. However the rest of the product in the tube was quite creamy and definitely re-useable. 

I got a small plastic pot that i usually use when depotting lipsticks and started removing the product from the tube with the applicator of the Primer Potion. For the last little bits i scraped it out with the top of a pair of tweezers. Im sure i could have got more out if i tried but i was quite happy with what i did manage to scrape out, considering i was going to through it away! 

Even though i didnt get on with it before it 'ran out' I will continue to use this as a eye lid primer to see if my thoughts have changed on the product!

Urban Decay Primer potion is available from Debenhams here for £14.50 (I believe i paid around £11 for this) and as mentioned above they have changed the packaging so it is a squeezy tube, quite like the Too Faced Shadow Insurance.

Are you a fan of the primer potion? Will you be giving this a whirl?

I hope you found this helpful!

xxx

Sure Fragrance Collection & Dove Products

Hello honeys!

I was recently sent a product from the new Sure Fragrance Collection along with a hair mask and body wash from the new Dove range. When i first saw the advert for the Sure Fragrance Collection deodorant and antiperspirants i must admit that i wasnt 100% sold and thought that it wouldnt stop women wearing perfume as well as deodorant, so when i was offered the chance to try i was extremely intrigued!

♥  Dove Go Fresh Nourishing Body Wash - Plum & Sakura ♥

First things first, this smells absolutely amazing! It is lilac in colour and is rich and creamy. It feels really soft and gentle on the skin and lathers up really well. It leaves my skin feeling really moisturised and the smell lingers which i really like. I have been using this every day without fail as a body wash and with exfoliating gloves. I have also used this to wash my make up brushes as it is so soft! Will definitely repurchase this! Thats if i can find it! A quick google search showed that i cant find this particular scent, so im not sure if it is completely new to the UK, I will have a look around and definitely update you all! But if you can get your hands on this i would highly recommend as it smells amazing!

♥ Sure Fragrance Collection - Bright ♥

This is probably my most favourite product out of the three that i was sent. I dont usually use roll on deodorants i am more of a antiperspirant girl myself but i am willing to give anything a whirl! Again, it smells amazing and i can now totally tell why the would add a fragrance to a deodorant, it totally works! The smell lingers and this will definitely be a product that i will repurchase and my go-to deodorant from now on, although i will probably pick up the antiperspirant version! This is available to buy here from Superdrug and prices start from £1.99, bargain!

♥ Dove Intensive Repair Hair Mask ♥

I do love a good hair mask as my hair is quite long, thick and gets into bad condition quickly after a cut (all the brushing, straightening and drying really does take its toll on my poor hair!) I usually use the Aussie 3 minute miracle that really does work wonders on my hair but i like mixing it up every now and again. This smells lovely, is a rich and thick creamy consistency that dispenses through the hair with ease. It is made especially for damaged hair and contains micro moisture serum and fibre actives to keep frizzy hair at bay. For best results i leave on for as long as possible, usually around 5-10 minutes and rinse out. My hair is left feeling shiny, knot free and left smelling amazing. This is available to buy from Tesco here for an amazing price of £2.66 for 200ml. Definitely a fab purse friendly price!

Have you ever tried any of these products or think you will pick them up in the future?

xxx

My Skincare Routine

Hey everyone, 

As you are all probably more than aware, I am such a huge fan of Liz Earle and their skincare products! Whilst my skincare routine will not consist fully of Liz Earle products, It consists of a vast majority (along with a couple of other products!)

♥ Cleanser ♥

I would honestly go as far as saying this is my all time favourite cleanser. It is the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish that i have reviewed here. It smells amazing, is thick and creamy and applies to the skin like a dream. The muslin cloth acts like a exfoliator and removes all make up and leaves skin feeling amazingly smooth and soft.

♥ Toner & Moisturiser ♥

My toner of choice is the Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic. Again, this smells lovely and has quite a herbal scent to it. I dont think that it is overally expensive for a toner and the 200ml bottle lasts quite a long time! I have used countless bottles of this so far and i love it, it feels so gentle on the skin and compliments my routine nicely.

The moisturiser i am currently using is the Liz Earle (Broken record much?) Skin Repair Light Moisturiser for oily to combination skin which fits perfectly with my skin type. This moisturiser is light and creamy in consistency and a little goes a long way. It doesn't feel greasy on my skin at all and soaks in well. I did previously use the normal moisturiser which i found a little heavy for my skin, but this is perfect and comes with a pump which i love. 

♥ Exfoliator ♥

I have two exfoliators on rotation. The Clean & Clear Blackhead Clearing scrub which i have been using for absolutely years, and the Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator. My main one is the Liz Earle one which i use daily (& need to buy a new bottle of as this one has nearly run out!) It is rich and creamy in consistency, quite like the cleanse & polish but with added exfoliants. I do find it quite gentle, thats why once or twice a week i will use a rougher exfoliator such as the Clean and Clear one and this also combats blackheads, win win!

♥ Spot Solution ♥

I blogged about the Liz Earle Spot On here it is a amazing product which works wonderfully for spots, when i have a breakout i know that i can use this and it will start to clear my skin up. I use it pretty much daily and is a firm favourite in my skincare routine. The Lush Grease Lightening is a relatively new product to my skin care routine that i use in conjunction with the Liz Earle spot on. It is a gel consistency which feels cool when applied to the skin and smells of tea tree and aloe vera. 

♥ Swatches ♥

What products are in your skin care routine?

xxx

July GlossyBox: Ready, Steady, Glow!

Hello ladies!

As you may remember back in May, I reviewed the May GlossyBox (Link!), skip forward to July and the lovely ladies wanted to send me this months GlossyBox to give a whirl and share my thoughts with you lovely lot!

It arrived this morning and i went from fast asleep within literally 3 seconds flat so i could rip open my GlossyBox! I didnt even get my camera (which is strange for me!) As i was very intrigued as to what was waiting inside for me! I must admit, I am not disapointed & know i will get a lot of use from the goodies inside!

♥ Ciate Nail Enamel in 'Big Yellow Taxi' ♥

I have used Ciate Nail polishes in the past and have always been impressed with them. This looks super bright in the bottle but i have been lusting after a yellow polish for Summer for a while and definitely think this will cater to my needs. This is a full size bottle that would retail at £7.95. 

♥ Illamasqua Pure Pigment in 'Marvel' ♥

Most of you that read my blog knows that i am a massive lover of Illamasqua and that it is one of my all time favourite Make Up brands, so i was extremely happy to see this in my box! I have never used any of the pure pigments, but have always read rave reviews on them! It is multi purpose so can be used on eyes or cheeks, and is a gorgeous shimmery yellow-gold colour. I will definitely get a lot of use out of this! Again, this is full size and retails for £15.50.

♥ Inlight Organic Daily Face Oil ♥

I have never heard of the brand Inlight but after a quick google search i found out that they are a Organic Skincare company and this particular product was a winner of the 'Best Facial Oil' in the 2009 Natural Health Beauty Awards so i definitely have high hopes for this product! I have been wanting a face oil for a while so i will see how i get on with this! This is a full size, 30ml product and retails on the website for £25. 

♥ Weleda Pomegranate Regenerating Body Oil ♥

Again, another brand that i havent previously heard of. This is the Weleda Pomegranate Regenerating Body Oil, which contains only plant oils, is suitable for vegans and is meant to leave you with hydrated, smooth and supple skin. I have never used a oil on my body to keep it moisturised so i look forward to trying this product out as i absolutely love the smell of pomegranate! This is a 100ml full size bottle and retails for £19.95 on the Weleda Website.

♥ Xen-Tan Deep Bronze Luxe Sample ♥

I have just reviewed the Xen Tan Dark Lotion Absolute Luxe Ultra Dark (Link!) so i was pleasantly surpised when i saw this 30ml travel size in my glossy box! I have never tried this particular product from Xen Tan so again i am looking forward to trying it and i think the 30ml size is perfect for this as a try before you buy. It can be used on both face and body so i think i will keep this as a face tanner as i currently dont have one, to see how i get on with it. The full size (236ml) Xen Tan deep bronze luxe retails for £28.99 here.

Overall, I am extremely happy with this months GlossyBox, as as suggested think it is perfect to give you that Summer Glow!

You can sign up to GlossyBox HERE! However, there is a slight change since last time i reviewed. Firstly, if you sign up now you wont get the box until September, with shipping late September, but fear not that is only 2 months time & you are only missing out on the one box and secondly, come September, GlossyBox are adding £2.95 for shipping. 

I still think it makes this box extremely affordable and going on the contents of this months box, I have received 4 full size products and a luxury sample size that would cost well in excess of the monthly subscription price, and remember you can cancel at any time! 

Another thing to let you know is that another feature of the GlossyBox Website is that they have now put together a online magazine called The GlossyBook (Link!), which contains information and features around the products you will receive in the monthly box, a perfect addition to the site i do believe!

The packaging as always is absolutely outstanding and i use the boxes for storage! 

Have you received this months GlossyBox? What are your thoughts?

xxx