First #OOTD - Night at the opera

Last weekend I went to the Gilbert and Sullivan festival in Buxton to watch The Pirates of Penzance. This was a bit of a blast from the past as I used to watch these operas every year with my family, but we haven't been for a long time. Buxton is a truly lovely place, and I always feel so at home there. 

Although we didn't have much time to get ready in the end, and rushed our make up and outfits, I thought I would attempt my first outfit of the day and show you all what I wore to the opera.

Dress - New Look - £19.99

Shoes - Dorothy Perkins - £12.99

Belt - New Look - £6.99

Bag - Michael Kors - £225

Watch - Michael Kors - $274 (bought in America)

We had a fantastic time over the weekend, and will definitely be going to the opera more often from now on. 

Just a quick post today, lots more coming up this week! :)

FABB Bloggers Event

I attended the FABB bloggers event in Manchester a couple of weeks ago and had a fantastic day. Being my first blogging event I didn't really know what to expect, especially as the events are kept quite under wraps for added excitement. When I arrived at 2022NQ, which was a great little venue, I was met by the lovely Tor and Ray who welcomed me in.

First stop was the bar for a refreshing Koppaberg, it was such a warm day I think everyone was thankful for an icy cold drink. After meeting the lovely Steph and having a chat with her, we decided to hit the brands. 

There was a nice mix of brands there from swimwear and clothing to skincare and tanning. I picked up so many great new products to try which were kindly offered out by the brands. 

There were some great prizes to be won, and I was lucky enough to win a bottle of Balance Me's Rose Otto Body Cream. The gift bags put together by Tor and Ray were fantastic and had so many different products to try out. I'm so excited to properly dig in and use some of these things. 

The photobooth was not to be missed, with many bloggers getting creative with the range of props on offer and posing for pictures. 

All in all it was a brilliant day and it was great to meet and chat to so many girls who share the same interests and passions as me. And again, a big thanks to Tor and Ray for putting this amazing day together, I know you worked really hard and it definitely paid off. I can't wait till the next one!

For now, i'll leave you with some pictures from the great day! Some of the pictures used in this post were from the fantastic photographers on the day, check them out here and here. :)

Marc Jacobs Beauty Line

I have always been a fan of Marc Jacobs as a designer, so when I found out he was releasing a make up line I was very excited to see what it would include. 

Unfortunately for us UK girls, the brand is only going to be released in Sephora. It'll be available in US stores and online from August 9th, then rolled out around Europe throughout 2014.

The packaging of the products themselves look amazing, Marc's done well to keep within the style of his brand. They look classy and sleek with that designer edge, a great edition to anyones makeup kit.

Now for the part that we all grit our teeth about... The price! And I'm actually happy to tell you that the prices seem really reasonable for a premium product. The prices range from between $24 for a lip balm, and $59 for an eye shadow palette containing 7 colours. Not too bad at all I think, quite in line with Mac prices. 

I am really hoping these products eventually become available in the UK. I can't wait to get my hands on them. Although I think like most, the ultimate dream is for Sephora to reopen their UK store. Come on Sephora, come back to us! :)

But for now we'll have to swoon over the pictures and if there's any American beauty bloggers out there who want to do a US/UK Product swap, get in touch, haha. :)

Let me know if you plan to test and review any of these products, I'd love to hear your opinions! :)

Limited Edition Real Techniques Brushes

I simply love all of the brushes that Real Techniques make up guru Samantha Chapman has released, they are such great brushes for such cheap prices!

I hadn’t heard about anymore being released until I saw this set in Boots. I was incredibly excited as I love duo fibre brushes and again, here were 3 for the incredibly cheap price of £23.99!

For base face make up I use nothing else than the buffing, expert face, stippling and powder brushes by Real Techniques. I use them every single day, and have no reason to replace them. I do have other brushes that I use on occasion, but I favour these over most.

This limited edition set includes an all over face brush, a contour brush and an eye shader brush. I love the new sleek, white design of the brushes and my experience using them so far has been positive.

These brushes work perfectly with cream, powder or liquid products, and really do give a gorgeous airbrushed finish which you come to expect from duo fibre brushes.

You don't see many high street duo fibre brushes around, they tend to be from the premium brands, so it's great that these are affordable, work great, 100% cruelty free and are a perfect addition to any brush collection.

Well done Real Techniques, you've got it just right again!

Anyone else tried these brushes? What's your opinion?

Versatile Blogger Award

I've been lucky enough to be nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award, and want to say a BIG thank you to Michelle for that nomination. Her blog is great, and you should definitely check it out. Luxe Life Aspirations Blog by Michelle

 I'm quite new to blogging, and think these awards are a great way to connect with other bloggers and discover new reading material!

So basically, once you get nominated, these are the next steps:

- Thank the person who nominated you and include a link to their blog.

- Select new bloggers you follow and enjoy reading. 

- Nominate these bloggers for a Versatile Blogger Award, leave a link to their page and comment on their latest post to let them know they have been nominated. 

- Tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself. 

And here's my 7 things (which were majorly awkward to think of):

1. I write for my day job, but not about beauty (I wish it was!)

2. I'm sarcastic about 80% of the time.

3. I have a phobia of peas and sellotape. 

4. I can't resist Dominos 'Two for Tuesday' deal. 

5. I love watching TV and have a very strict schedule to stick to :)

6. I can't walk in to a shop without buying something, It's an illness, honestly!

7.  I love cats, all kinds of cats, and especially my two cats. I basically love cats! :)

And here are the lovely bloggers I would like to nominate for this award. Check them out and follow! :)

Jess - Beauty, Bits and Bobs By JessB

Charissa - Charissa Rae

Gillian - Purple Gillian

Hannah - Hannah Marie Beauty

Angelica - One Little Vice

Hannah - Away With the Fairies

Rachael - Beauty Thoughts

Seraphina - Little Miss Lifestyle

Ellie - Misseblog

Lizzie - Lux Rose

Allie - Tie-Dye-Eyes

Elizabeth - Beauty Supergirl

A big thanks once again to Michelle, and I hope you enjoy reading hers, mine and these other ladies blogs :)

Chanel's Christmas Collection

I'm back!!! I haven't blogged for a couple of months now due to various reasons. I went on holiday and things were just crazy busy! But I'm back, and have plenty to blog about coming in to the Christmas season!

So every Christmas we all like to shop a bit more than usual, whether it be treating yourself or your loved ones. One thing I look forward to is seeing all the new collections come out for winter.

This year I am loving Chanel's winter collection, it's full of really deep vibrant colours. I'm a big fan of Chanel make up anyway, their products are always really well packaged and last really well on my skin.

There are a few items I would like to try out of this range. I did have a sneak peek when I was in Selfridges last week with a friend, but resisted the temptation to buy anything just yet.

I think these two items might be my favourite from the collection. Rouge Allure Velvet Lipstick in the shade 307 L'impatiente, and the Le Vernis Nail Polish in the shade 637 Malice. I love the deep shade of the nail polish, it's the perfect colour for winter. And the lip colour is normally a bit too dark for me, I don't tend to suit really dark plum colours, but a quick swatch showed me that this lip colour is very wearable.

My other two favoured items are the Regard Signe de Chanel eyeshadow quad in Harmonie Dusoir, and the Joues Contrast Blush in shade 73 Star Dust. The eye shadows are all really wearable and such gorgeous colours. They have a slight shimmer to them making it the perfect quad for the party season. I really like the packaging as it comes with a little mirror and two applicators. The blush is a lovely light pinky/peach shade, which looks lovely on winter skin when we're all slightly less tanned. Again, the packaging is really nice and comes complete with a little blush brush.

So these are just four items from the winter collection which are my personal favourites. As we all know, Chanel isn't cheap, so I'm trying to decide which one to treat myself to. After all, it is Christmas! :) Which Christmas collection is your favourite this year?

Elf Cosmetics Review

I'd heard a lot about Elf products, mostly from our friends overseas in America. I believe in the US most Elf products are $1, which is just amazing value. In the UK our equivalent is MUA, which I'm also a big fan of. 

When Elf launched a UK website I was really excited to try the elusive products and recently have placed a couple of orders with them.

The first thing to say is that the delivery is EXCEPTIONAL! I placed my first order at 9.30pm, the next morning I had an email to say it's been dispatched and my order was with me by 9am the next day! What a fantastic service. I always thought MAC were quick, but Elf are quicker! 

So I ordered a range of products, lip glosses, brushes, concealers, lip liners, eye liners etc. I have to say overall I'm impressed. 

  

I bought a range of Elf brushes. The basic brushes are £1.50. I purchased the Blending Eye Brush, the Eye Crease Brush and the Lip Defining Brush. I was bit disappointed that upon arrival the head had come off the Lip Defining Brush, but then again, for that price, you can't complain! I also bought the Eyeshadow "C" Brush from Elf's Studio collection. This brush was £3.75 (still amazing) and much better quality than the others. I have been using this brush as my main eyeshadow brush for a while now to test it out and I really like it. It picks up any eyeshadow so easily and you can really build up the colour with this brush. The blending and crease brushes are also good, but I don't think I'll ever been converted from my Mac 217 blending brush. :)

On my first order with Elf I ordered the Plumping Lip Glaze in Fuchsia Fanatic, I liked this product so much that on my second order I bought two more! One side is a very sheer white colour which when applied feels really tingly and minty on your lips, then you apply the colour which is super glossy. After application I really felt like the product does what it says on the tin; 'plumps' my lips! They looked fuller and these glosses come in really lovely colours! All in all, for £1.50, these lip glazes are great products!

Top to Bottom: Fire Coral, Wink Pink and Fuchsia Fanatic

I also ordered 3 of the Shimmer Eye Pencils, these were also £1.50 each. I am so surprised how soft and pigmented these pencils are. They glide on gorgeously! I've only swatched these so far, but the colours are lovely and I'm sure they're going to look great when creating a bright eye look. I seriously cannot wait to try these out.

Top to Bottom: Plum Passion, Twinkle Teal and Blissful Blush

R - L: Plum Passion, Twinkle Teal and Blissful Blush

I also thought I'd try Elf's Complete Coverage Concealer palette which was £3.75. I got the Medium coloured palette which contains four colours ranging from medium tones to darker tones. When i first opened it, I was worried that the two darker tones may be a little too dark even for me, but when applied then do actually look lighter and they'll be perfect for holidays when I have a tan.

I also bought a couple of misc items to try. One of the Soothing Lip Balms in Blackcurrant (smells amazing and glides and moisturises like a dream), a double pencil sharpener, and a lip liner in Natural Blush. 

I can honestly say, for a low budget cosmetic brand, Elf are top dog! I love the products I have from them so far, but they have so many products to choose from I cannot wait to try more! So check out Elf's Website for some great products, with low prices and quick shipping! 

Have you tried Elf, and are you a massive fan like me?

August Glossybox

Yay.... Glossybox time! I absolutely love Glossybox day, it's so exciting to see whats in the box and if there's any gems you discover and want to use permanently! Last couple of boxes haven't disappointed. I must admit, I was slightly half and half on this box! Here's what was in it...

Alessandro Pro White Nail Varnish

I haven't actually tried this product yet, as I'm still wearing a nail colour but am excited to try it. I love wearing nail varnish and often find my nails 'off colour' when I come to remove it. This nail varnish promises to brighten and whiten tired nails when used regularly. I'm definitely hoping it works well! 

Lipcote Lipstick Sealer

I actually really like this product, and used to own it years and years ago. It's basically a sealant to apply after your lipstick to ensure it lasts. Now, these days i haven't felt as much of a need considering so many of my favourite lipsticks or lip stains actually stay for a long time anyway, but certainly looking forward to using this product again. 

Glossybox Lipstick

I must admit, after the Glossybox brush we received a couple of boxes ago (I had brush hairs all over my face with first use), I was sceptical! Yet I actually really love this lipstick. The colour is called Glossy Pink, and that is a spot on name. It's a lovely colour, feels really moisturising and the packaging looks really nice. Will definitely be using this soon. 

Vera Valenti - L'ombre a Paupiere Magarita

This particular item is what was really disappointing for me. As soon as I saw this product, it reminded me of something I used to buy from the market when I was 11. It looks really cheap and although the eyeshadow colours are OK, they aren't very pigmented making them incredibly hard to apply. Not a fan if I'm honest, bit disappointing. 

All for Eve for the Eve Appeal Balm

I think this product is actually quite nice, it is quite compact with a little mirror and is really moisturising and easy to apply. The thing I'm not sure about; the smell! It's hit or miss, a lot of people may love it while to me it smells a bit 'off'.  Saying that, I think it's great that they raise funds and awareness for gynaecological cancer. Any products that are supporting charities are great products in my opinion. This has been in my handbag since Glossy day! :)

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil

This is definitely the winning product for me, hands down! I've never been a fan of oil based cleansers, always preferring cream based, but this truly has me hooked. Just one application removed all my make up (including all mascara traces) leaving me feeling really refreshed! Love it! And this size is perfect for travelling. I'm going away for work next week and this will be perfect! No more carrying make up removers, cleansers etc etc. Just this, then a good toner and moisturiser! Perfect! Definitely my fave item!

So all in all, a mostly positive box for me this month. What did you get in yours? I'm disappointed i didn't get the imPress nails though like some did. Did you get the same items as me?

Illamasqua Sale

I'm a BIIIG fan of Illamasqua, so was very excited when I got an email to say there was a sale on with up to 60% off products! Wow! There were products starting from just £5, then ranging upwards. After a looong time browsing all the make up, then adding, removing, then re-adding several items from my basket, I finally made my purchase. 

I bought 2 sheer lipglosses, a lipstick and a pencil. Illamasqua also sent me a sample of their perfume 'Freak' which I thought was a nice touch as you don't often get that with an order. I have to also give some praise; I had to get in touch with Illamasqua customer service before my delivery arrived and they were amazing, incredibly helpful. Just what you want from a beauty brand. I was also lucky enough to be given a £5 voucher off Illamasqua for entering a Glossybox competition, so all in all, very impressed with the website service. I normally purchase Illamasqua products from department stores. 

Left to Right, Sheer Lipgloss in Rouse and Electrify, Lipstick in Wanton and Fat Pencil in Perverse

 As you can probably see, I'm a fan of my 'pinky' colours and that's the theme I went with for this particular order. The lipglosses are incredibly sheer but do give a lovely tint of colour, perfect for day wear, over a lipstick or just when you want that very natural glossy look. I wore the lipstick while wearing MAC's Star Violet eyeshadow as the main colour on my eyes and got a lot of people saying they really complimented each other. I bought the pencil mainly to use on the eye, even though Illamasqua do say you can use it as a highlighter as well, I'm yet to try this product but I LOVE the colour. 

Left to Right, Sheer Lipgloss in Rouse and Electrify, Lipstick in Wanton

So all in all, very happy with my mini Illamasqua sale purchase. As I say, I don't normally purchase a lot of make up online as the colours never look the same, but I love the colours I bought. Are you a fan of Illamasqua? Let me know your favourite products! :)

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

Phew... a mouthful of a name right? But I had to write about these little beauties as I'm just in love with them at the moment! Following so soon after the Revlon lip butters (which i also looove), these lip products are another great release. They are very similar to the Clinique Chubby Sticks, apart from a whole lot more affordable. Try £7.99 versus £16! I have 3 colours in these balm stains, Lovesick, Darling and Cherish.



Top to Bottom, Lovesick, Darling and Cherish.



I'm not a big fan of other lip stains that are more like felt tip pens, which is why I love these so much. They are so creamy when you apply them, and actually really moisturising. I have quite dry lips but found these to be a dream. The balm lasts for a couple of hours but the colour lasts all night. I always reapply just to get that balmy texture, but you really don't need to. The darker colour Lovesick would actually only come off after a LOT of scrubbing!



Left to Right, Lovesick, Darling and Cherish.

I purchased mine from Boots where they currently have them on offer for £5.99! Bargain! Although they are currently out of stock on the website at the moment so you may be best visiting your local store.

Left to Right, Lovesick, Darling and Cherish.

They come in 12 different shades and you do get plenty of product for your cash. These are a big recommendation from me, I can't stop using them! Anybody else tried these and have a thought or two on them?

Newbie Beauty Blogger

Hellooo...

Is anyone out there? Probably not considering this is my first blog post and I have no followers as yet!!

Just a bit of background on me! I currently work for an electronics company dealing with their technical documentation. However, make up and beauty products are my real passion, and possibly what I spend a huge majority of my wage on! :/

I have decided to start this blog after being asked a lot of beauty questions by various friends. I also read a lot of blogs and find they are an essential part in choosing which products to buy and try.

So bare with me, I have lots to blog about, and hopefully some may find it helpful!

Bye for now!