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! :)

The Future of Lazy Moisturising

I was shopping in Boots the other day for my birthday giveaway (which I'll be posting about this week, check back soon!) when I spotted a new little gem! Vaseline's Spray & Go body moisturiser. 

This is a brand new product from Vaseline, and I had to try it. The theory is its a quick answer to body moisturising, and oh my gosh, it really is. I have so many moisturisers that I really enjoy using, but sometimes i just haven't got the time to properly moisturise, make sure it's all rubbed in and wait until your dry enough to get dressed etc etc. 

If you occasionally feel the same as me, you're gonna love this product! It literally does what it says on the tin. A quick spray over the necessary bits, a quick rub in and it soothes in to the skin really easily and super quick.

This isn't just a shoddy stand in measure either, the product really left my skin feeling moisturised and most of all, smelling great! I picked up the cocoa butter version. It comes in three great versions, Cocoa Radiant, Essential Moisture and Aloe Fresh.

I picked mine up for £4.99 from Boots, which I think is a great price and definitely worth the money. This product is so perfect if your permanently on the go, or at the gym, or anywhere when you might need a quick moisture boost. 

I definitely recommend this product. Anyone else tried these?

Maybelline Baby Lips finally in the UK!

I received the best email today, Maybelline Baby Lips are now available to buy online and instore at Boots. This is such exciting news!

I absolutely LOVE this product and on my recent trip to America I picked up five of these bad boys. I could never understand why Maybelline hadn't released such a popular product in the UK. Well our prayers have finally been answered and here they are. 

I carry a Baby Lips with me all the time, I have one at work, in the the car, in my handbag and the list goes on. This is because they are such a great lip balm and perfect for just throwing on daily without the need for a mirror. These are a few of the Baby Lips that I have.

L-R - Pink Punch, Pink Wink (not available in the UK), Coral Crush (not available in the UK) and Peach Kiss.

Maybelline have initially released six in the UK, at the price of £2.99. I picked mine up in Target and CVS in the states for around $3, which works out at about £2. So in usual UK style, they are a little more expensive over here, but still a great price!

L-R - Pink Punch, Pink Wink (not available in the UK), Coral Crush (not available in the UK) and Peach Kiss.

The formula is amazing, they really hydrate and condition the lips and seem to last a long time for a balm. Some have a slight tint to them if you want to add a bit of colour. My favourite part is the smell. Oh my gosh, they smell absolutely amazing, a true fruit sensation. 

L-R - Pink Punch, Pink Wink (not available in the UK), Coral Crush (not available in the UK) and Peach Kiss.

I'm exciting to try the six released in the UK, I already have Pink Punch and Peach Kiss, but will definitely be picking up the others. I'm hoping they release all the Baby Lips range here soon. 

Anyone else tried these, are you as obsessed as me?

New Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayons

My new lip obsession this week lies with Bourjois's latest release, the Colour Boost Lip Crayons.

Top-Bottom - Peach on the Beach, Fuchsia Libre and Red Sunrise

Since the release of the Clinique Chubby Sticks, the beauty world has gone mad for this style of lip product. Following Clinique, we had the drugstore releases from the likes of Revlon, MUA, Soap & Glory and 17 to mention just a few. I absolutely love Revlon's version of these, and you can read my review on them here.

So I guess it's no surprise that Bourjois have jumped on the bandwagon and released their very own version.

Top-Bottom - Peach on the Beach, Fuchsia Libre and Red Sunrise

Bourjois have only released four colours at the moment, but I love the colours they've chosen, they are such pretty shades for the summer. I picked up three of the four shades on offer, and they were, Red Sunrise, Peach on the Beach (love that name) and Fuchsia Libre. They are available for £7.99 each at Boots, and are currently on a 3 for 2 offer. They are also available at Superdrug.

L-R - Peach on the Beach, Fuchsia Libre and Red Sunrise

The formula is really moisturising and quite creamy. Bourjois promises 10 hour moisturisation and hydration along with waterproof colour. Unfortunately, i think that's a little over ambitious, as these don't seem to last anywhere near that long on me. Although for some strange reason, I actually enjoy to reapply my lip products throughout the day, so it's OK by me. 

The pigmentation is great for all the colours and a great addition to this product is the SPF that Bourjois have added to the formula. With the current weather these are the perfect choice for a pop of colour teamed with an SPF 15 protection. :)

Overall another great product from this brand and a perfect lip choice for the summer. 

Anyone else tried these yet? What's your thoughts?

Recent Haul

My bank balance does not like me this month as I’ve not been able to resist the shops. I’ve seen so many beauty bloggers putting themselves on spending bans recently, and I think I may be next! Anyway, I thought I’d share with you some of the products I picked up on my recent shopping spree.

My first stop was at the MAC counter in Selfridges. I literally cannot come away from Mac without purchasing anything. I picked up a new Natural Skinfinish as the shade I have is too light now, an eye pencil in Coffee, a Lipstick in Coral Bliss and two eyeshadows for my palette, Mystery and Black Tied. I love all these products so far and been using them pretty much daily. I was disappointed with the lipstick though, as it broke the first day I used it. Unusual for Mac products. :(

Next stop was Boots. I think we’ve all had moments where we’ve popped in Boots to pick up some lunch and come out having spent a small fortune! I’m guilty of this most days. In this particular visit I picked up an Essie nail polish from the new range in Naughty Nautical, a Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Kiss Me Coral, a Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in Bashful and a Maybelline Color Tattoo cream eyeshadow in Taupe.

I also popped by Tophop to pick up one of their cream blushers. I rarely wear cream blusher, but I absolutely love these from Topshops range. They are so pigmented but blend really well. I got another colour to add to my collection in the shade Afternoon Tea.

The last few products I picked up online from Illamasqua. They had kindly emailed me a 20% discount code, and it would have been rude for me to waste such a discount (or that’s what I tell myself). I decided to try the Hydra Veil after hearing so many positive reviews on this product, so far so good. It definitely withstood the heat test last weekend with the gorgeous weather we’ve been having. I also picked up an eye palette called Complement. It features four eyeshadows, three powder shadows in the shades, Slink, Forgiveness and Queen of the Night, and then a liquid metal shadow in the shade Focus. I wanted to try the Skin Base Foundation, so thought no time better to give it a go. :) I used Illamasquas handy colour chart to see which shade to buy. I managed to match myself nicely using my Mac and NARS shades.

So lots of new products for me to try and test over the next few weeks. I’ll be reviewing any favourites I find out of these, I’m sure they’ll be a few. Has anybody tried any of these? Let me know your thoughts! :)

On a last note, it’s my blogs first birthday next week. I’ll be doing a BIG giveaway in celebration containing some of my all time favourite products. So make sure you keep posted for that!

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. :)

July Glossybox

I am in love with this month’s Glossybox. Firstly the packaging this month is amazing! It’s based around a sea/beach theme and I’m a bit of a sucker for anything beach themed, so love this.

The products inside follow the same theme, and considering the gorgeous weather we’ve been having in England recently, this is the perfect box for this month.

Ciate London - Paint Pot

I’ve wanted one of these nail polishes for ages now, so was so happy to see this in the box. Over anything else the packaging is just so pretty, and looks lovely sat on your dressing table. I got the shade ‘Pocket Money’ which is a gorgeous nude/dusty pink colour. Can’t wait to try this.

Anatomicals - Spray misty for me facial spritz

I love using facial mists and carry one all the time in the summer months (when the weathers behaving itself anyway). It smells really lovely, like lavender with a minty fresh edge. A lovely spritz of this midday certainly left my skin feeling refreshed in the warm weather.

Coola Organic Suncare Collection – Mineral Face SPF 20

Another thing I always carry in the summer is an SPF. Especially protection for your face, I always try and use foundations or BB creams that contain SPF in the summer months. By using this particular face protection you will also benefit from its anti-ageing properties while it smooths and tones your skin. It also promises to reduce your pores and inflammation along the way. This little tube is perfect for popping in your handbag, and will be staying in mine while this weather sticks around. Big hopes for this.

Alterna Haircare – Bamboo Style Boho Waves Tousled Texture Mist

I love using these sprays on my hair in the summer, especially when I’m on holiday. I’ve tried both the Redken and Lush sprays which are great. I find salt sprays so easy to work with and really create those ‘beachy waves’ with minimal effort. I’m so excited to try this product and it’s definitely coming on my next holiday with me.

Pukka Ayurveda – Radiance Serum

Anything that promises to boost your skin and add radiance is worth trying in my opinion. Ive used similar products in the past and not been overly impressed with the results. I’ll definitely be giving this a go, and fingers crossed for a brighter looking complexion.

So that’s it for this months box, and I love all the products I received. I think this may be one of my favourite boxes I’ve ever received, big words, I know! 

What did you all get? I can’t wait to see what products were in the other boxes!

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! :)

Colourful Summer Nails

As you may have noticed by my recent tweets and blogs, I've become obsessed with nail varnishes recently. I can't seem to stop myself from buying them! 

I saw a deal on Wowcher a while back for five Essie nail varnishes for £15. Bargain I here you say? Essie polishes are normally £7.99 each!

Top to Bottom - Cascade Cool, Fear & Desire, Bikini So Teeny, Mojito Madness and Off the Shoulder. 

The website that was offering this great deal was Cosmetics By Candy. They were really quick to arrive and featured mostly colours from last season, but still perfect for this summer. I tried so hard to get my hands on Bikini So Teeny last year but it was sold out everywhere. 

L - R - Cascade Cool, Fear & Desire, Bikini So Teeny, Mojito Madness and Off the Shoulder. 

The colours that arrived were gorgeous and exactly what I'd buy in the shop. I couldn't wait to try them out. The above nails were painted with 2 coats. The colour is really opaque and gives great shine even without a top coat. 
I'm totally obsessed with Essie polishes, and on this website, even without the deal I got, they sell some for £2.99.  Really amazing value.

Who else is an Essie fan? Favourite colours?