Ciate Mini Mani Month returns for 2013

September 5, 2013September 6, 2013Leave a comment

If you followed my blog last year you’ll know I had a blast with the 2012 Ciate Mini Mani Month – an advent calender with a new Ciate shade every day! Not only is it great fun to try out new colours, but it’s also a great no-calorie alternative to choccies.

Ciate have relaunched the calendar for 2013, and it is available for £42 (plus p&p) from Selfridges here.

From the looks of their sneaky preview that was uploaded to Facebook today, we’ll see the return of the micro-pearls (it looks like there are at least a couple!), and the glitter/confetti topping (perhaps the fourth bottle from the left on the front row…) plus some shimmers, metallics and some lovely pastels, as well as more neutral and classic shades. Is that a full size bottle I see on the far left at the back? Maybe for Christmas day? Last year there were some exclusive glitter formulas for the calendar, so hopefully we’ll get the same this year! Ciate have confirmed that the line-up this year will be brand new with no repeats, so I’ll definitely be loading this into my virtual shopping basket come tomorrow…

GlossyBox UK February 2013: Round-up

February 10, 20133 Comments

I was surprised again this month by how quickly I got my GlossyBox – I wasn’t expecting it until next week! This month’s theme is Valentine’s Day, and so the box was an explosion of pink and red.

Even the outside of the box had a special makeover for today!

An amazing range of products for me this month – and I couldn’t be happier with my selection. The full sizes were a lip balm, lipstick, body cream, and highlighter, and the only sample size was the eye shadow – which is still a fairly decent size.

First of all, the very important matter of the most exciting item in the box: the bonus lollipop!

I don’t very often purchase lollipops as part of my beauty routine, but this was packaged nicely with the GlossyBox logo on one side, and a handy clear window on the other side so you could see the item inside. The lollipop was shaped like a heart, which is a nice touch. Upon opening, it had a subtle scent of strawberries, which was very pleasant. I found this to be very tasty – sweet, crunchy, and mouth watering. After eating it, though, I couldn’t tell the immediate benefits to my complexion. I definitely think I’d need to try more of these in order to test them properly, but the only type I can purchase near me is Chupa Chups, which I don’t think will have the same effect.

Here are the details about the rest of the box:

Micabella Cosmetics: Mineral Eye Shadow in Deep Secrets. Full size is £14.95 for 2.5g. Included here is 1g.

A very pretty bronze colour – and I really like mineral powder. I can imagine this being hard to apply as the powder is very fine, but there’s a tip here to dampen your brush before applying so I’ll try that! You can see the other products in the range at http://www.micabella.co.uk.

Balance Me: Rose Otto Body Cream. Full size is £6 for 30ml, and £18 for 200ml. Included here is 30ml.

The rose scent is very strong and the cream feels pretty rich on application – it contains aloe vera, rosehip and camellia oils, along with the fragrance of rose otto oil. There’s not much you can really say about a skin cream, but this is actually really nice and feels very silky. Perfect for Valentine’s Day! You can find out more http://www.balanceme.co.uk.

Figs and Rouge: Rambling Rose Lip Balm. £3.49 for 8ml, which is included in the box.

I absolutely love the packaging of this product! It’s adorable! In fact, the whole range from Figs and Rouge is exquisitely designed, and I’ll definitely be purchasing more in the future. The lip balm itself is decent, although seems to sit on the surface of the skin for a while before absorbing properly. The rose scent is very strong on this too – you can almost taste it when you put it on! It’s not my favourite scent, but I will definitely pick up some others from this brand, if just for how gorgeous they look! Check them out at http://www.figsandrouge.com.

Miners Cosmetics: Lip Colour in Seduction. £3.99 for 4g, which is included in this box.

Seduction is a rich and bold colour with a smooth application – although I found that it fades to a strong pink colour, which means it needs to be topped up. Certainly not bad for £3.99! I love this dramatic, deep red – it’s very Valentine’s Day friendly! Visit the site at http://www.minerscosmetics.co.uk.

MEMEME Cosmetics: Beat the Blues in Oyster Gold. £5.50 for 12ml, which is included in this box.

As a fan of Benefit’s High Beam, I was interested to get this in my box, which looks a bit like a more shimmery version of their Sun Beam formula. Being very pale, I don’t usually go in for bronzers or gold-tinted highlighters, so I’ll be testing this out to see if I should be changing all that! It would have been ace to have had this for the Christmas season, as I love a bit of gold and sparkle during the winter months – but I guess it can just as easily translate into a sun-kissed summer look too! Find more at http://www.mememecosmetics.co.uk.

So, that’s the Valentine’s Day GlossyBox for me – I couldn’t have asked for more, really. Great range of products, all things that I use already but in either much loved shades or ones I’m interested to try out. And I guess you could even pull the three cosmetics items together to make a Valentine’s Day look if you wanted! I’m definitely pleased to have a more make up centric box this month.

Visit http://www.glossybox.co.uk to subscribe for your monthly beauty box!

Nailed it! Dotty manicure with Nails Inc Porchester Square and Ciate Minis

February 8, 2013January 30, 2013Leave a comment

When I saw this pin on Pinterest a while ago, I knew I had to make my own version! Creating using dotting tools, this simple manicure doesn’t take too much skill to create, but it certainly makes an impact. So, I ordered some tools from eBay, and got to work…

Thanks to Ciate’s Mini Mani Month, I had plenty of colours to choose from, so I decided to layer my Porchester Square mini from Nails Inc (which I got in my first GlossyBox back in November) with dots from Dangerous Affair, Power Dressing and Cookies and Cream.

First of all, I painted my nails with Porchester Square (really good formula, only needed one coat!) and then, when it dried, I dipped the largest dotting tool into my first colour, and just blobbed circles of varnish on the nail. A tip for this is to not use too much, as you end up with a raised bump of paint which takes forever to dry, and looks a bit weird. Dab on one colour, then allow to dry before placing the second – the paints will mix otherwise. And, it looks really cool if you can overlap some too!

Here’s the finished product! I thought this was fun – and the colours really worked well together too, but of course, you can use any scheme you like for a special event. I’ll definitely be doing this again.

Anyone else tried the dotty manicure?

Launch of The Powderpuff Girls On Tour

January 31, 2013January 31, 20131 Comment

You probably know I’m a massive fan of The Powderpuff Girls – I’ve hair my hair done by them on many occasions in the past, whether it was at the salon on Columbia Road, or at a pop-up shop during an event!

Well, whilst The Powder Room on Columbia Road has closed its doors, The Powderpuff Girls will be bringing the beauty on tour to a venue near you. The pop-ups will be packed full of exciting new packages for all your girly celebrations, plus all your old favourites too! The Powder Room will also be making appearances at Paper Dress every Saturday – and The Powderpuff Girls were kind enough to invite me to their launch on 26 January for a complimentary pamper. How could I say no?!

Paper Dress is an amazing vintage clothes and accessories shop that also has a bar to serve cocktails, cakes and coffee (the ultimate three Cs), so this is an amazing venue to visit, even if you’re not getting your hair or make-up done!

The Powderpuff Girls have a pretty little section at the back of the shop, stocked with all the goodies you’ll ever need for your transformation into a retro beauty queen.

Flicking through their gorgeous look book for Speedy Hair, I plumped for victory rolls (again!) but this time decided to go for a rolled fringe!

Even though it’s my own hair, I have to admit, it looks amazing – and I can say that with complete modesty, as I had nothing to do with it other than to grow it out of my head! One day I’ll be able to style my hair like this, but until then I’ll leave it in the hands of the professionals…

Speedy Hair costs £25, In A Jiffy Make-up costs £20, and you can get a package deal for both for £40 (very reasonable – and they do such an amazing job; I’ve had them do my hair and make-up for my hen party and a very important work event too). The fact that the back of my head is shaped like a heart leads me nicely on to mentioning that appointments are available for pampering sessions for a weekend Valentine’s date on Saturday 16th February. You can also celebrate London Fashion Week with The Powderpuff Girls at The Hoxton, too!

After getting my hair done, I popped on over to see the new painting of Kate Middleton at The National Portrait Gallery (my opinion: I’m obviously not an art connoisseur), which gave me the perfect chance to take some snaps of my hair in Trafalgar Square!

(In case you didn’t see my post earlier in the week, I’m wearing the Gretel Coat from Collectif. Sunglasses from eBay, and my earrings are from my nan!)

When I got home, I realised that my hairstyle was actually pretty similar to Rachael’s from Blade Runner, so I decided to break out the navy jacket and shoulder pads and do my best ‘I’ve just discovered I’m a replicant’ expression (sorry, spoiler!).

It’s actually really hard to have an existential crisis in front of the camera and not look like a bit of an emo, so I decided to bring out my cat, Saffy, to lighten the mood. A juxtapositioning of the sadness of a robotic lifeform yearning after the simple pleasure that an animal enjoys merely by being alive? Or just a self-portrait of woman and cat?

Or is she a… (wait for it…) REPLICAT?

Badum tssssh.

Visit The Powderpuff Girls online at www.thepowderpuffgirls.com. You can call them to book on 0844 879 4928, or email shop@thepowderpuffgirls.com!

GlossyBox: Roger & Gallet Flash Box UK

January 28, 2013January 28, 2013Leave a comment

I’ve only been a subscriber to GlossyBox for a few months, so I’m still really excited about the concept – meaning I jumped on the chance to order the limited edition Roger & Gallet flash box when I got the email this month!

Inside the box was a range of goodies, including a bottle of fragrance, dry oil, shower gel, body lotion, and soap.

Even though I have no problem with sachets, it was actually nice to get a box through that just contained proper, bottled products.

Since receiving the box, I’ve tried everything except the soap and the oil, and I love the heady fragrance and quality of these products so much that I’m sure I’ll be purchasing full-sized products at some point, particularly as they’re so easy to source (see below).

The shower gel is very thick, clear and colourless, but creates beautifully dense foam, with a sunny, heady scent that lasts all day. This is the kind of shower gel that works really well no matter what the season – the floral fragrance lifts you in the winter months, but still contains enough of summer to mean you can use it even on bright, sunny days, too, without feeling like the scent is too stuffy or cloying.

The same scent features in the body lotion, which is a great thickness in my opinion – slightly runny, and easily absorbed into the skin.

And you can further layer it with the eau fraiche, as all of these products are from the Fleur D’Osmanthus range. This really is one of the nicest fragrances I’ve had in a GlossyBox since I started, so I was thrilled to be able to layer it with all these samples!

Then there’s the Bois d’Orange huile sublime dry oil – I’ve not tried this yet, as my skin and hair are quite oily to start with, and adding oil on top seems like a recipe for disaster to me! I will give it a go when I feel brave enough, though – you’re supposed to apply to dry hair and skin.

Finally, the citron scented soap – not much to say about this one yet, except I love the embossing on the top! Okay, that’ll disappear after the first few uses, but it’d be lovely to break out a full-sized bar of this for the bathroom when you have visitors around!

View the Roger & Gallet flash box Flickr set here. You can buy Roger & Gallet products from Marks and Spencer here (make sure you check out the fragrance, which is reduced in the sale!). Finally, visit GlossyBox online to subscribe or purchase the flash box here!

(Psst, don’t forget, UK readers can enter my competition to win 12 share bags of Popchips here!)

GlossyBox UK January 2013: Round-up (foodfashfit.com)
Rose Creams : Roger & Gallet and Crabtree & Evelyn (boisdejasmin.typepad.com)
French 1900s, Gallet Perfume Bottle (willows95988.typepad.com)

GlossyBox UK January 2013: Round-up

January 15, 20132 Comments

It’s that time again, time for another GlossyBox review! The boxes were dispatched yesterday, so I was really surprised to get mine through already – I usually end up getting mine last!

Not surprisingly, the theme for this month is ‘Detox’, and my box contains some great products to help me do just that!

There are two face masks, a 3-in-1 cleanser which you can also use as an exfoliant and mask, a lip balm, face tonic, and a neat little eye mask too!

Click on the pic above to be taken to Flickr, where you can view this image in a larger size if you want to read the text!

So, here are the details about what was included:

Premae Skincare: Balance Rescue Face Tonique. Full size is 50ml (£27.50). The size included here was 30ml. This is for mattifying and rejuvenating congested skin, so a perfect match for me. The antiseptic lemongrass and sandalwood oil is supposed to close pores without leaching natural oils. www.premaeskincare.com

Monu: Renu Flash Relax Mask. 100ml (£32). The size here is 30ml. This is a ‘detox’ mask with Ginseng, magnesium, and vitamins C and B5, to reduce fine lines and promote natural radiance. It’s paraben free, too. www.monushop.co.uk.

Jason: Lips Bee Healthier. 4.6g is £1.99 – included in the pack. A therapeutic blend of beeswax, vitamin E, green tea extract, organic aloe vera gel, shea butter and almond oil to moisturise and condition lips in the harsh winter months. This is actually a lovely product that I’ve tested already – you can never have too many lip balms, in my opinion! www.jasonnaturalcare.co.uk.

Vichy: Normaderm 3in1 cleanser. 125ml is £11. The size here was 50ml. This multi-purpose product contains glycolic and salicylic acids and 25% clay in order to cleanse problem skin – another one that seems to be custom added for me! You can either use this as a cleanser like normal, or you can leave on your size for 5 minutes before washing off. www.boots.co.uk/vichy

Sanctuary Spa: Active Reverse Thermal Transformation Mask. Full size is £27.50 for 50ml of ‘step 1’ and 75ml of ‘step 2’. The product included here is a sample sachet size for one application. Firstly, you smooth the peptide transformation serum over your cleansed face and neck. Then, you add the thermal rose clay mask layer, allow to heat up, then leave to cool naturally for around 15 minutes before removing with warm water. I remember using heated clay masks before as a kid, so I wonder whether this will be any different! www.sanctuary.com.

Head on over to www.glossybox.co.uk to find out more about these products, and the monthly samples box scheme!

Bustin’ out the secret Santa gift: Skyfall and The Man With The Golden Gun

December 31, 2012December 31, 20121 Comment

Being an enthusiastic fan of OPI’s Bond collection, I had naturally been hankering after the amazing Man With The Golden Gun topcoat; a clear base with real 18k gold flecks. At £24.99 it was beyond my price range for a single bottle of nail varnish, so I was over the moon when I got it for my secret Santa gift this Christmas – thank you, Omar! *

Having seen some amazing combos for Skyfall and The Man With The Golden Gun, I decided to break it out yesterday for a trip to the Balmer Lawn hotel for a carvery lunch with my husband! We had our wedding reception here so it’s nice to come back – and I wore my new Amelia Check Doll Dress from Collectif too – you can see the gorgeous fabric in these photos:

I love this top coat! It’s so opulent and beautiful – although I do feel a bit rotten when I have to take it off… It’s like throwing money away!

(Delicious post-carvery Christmas pudding…)

I also had a trial run with my ’20s outfit for New Year – we’re doing a murder mystery and I’m going to be an AMERICAN FLAPPER. Very imaginative, I know… I’m wearing a navy Principles beaded dress with purple and gold Streamlined shoes from Miss L Fire (Christmas pressie from my hubbie), and I shall be wrapped in a dishevelled stole as per my character instructions. Here’s a bit of a preview:

What are you guys doing to celebrate tonight? Let me know what you’re planning to wear – and have a Happy New Year!

* Yep, we always have a post-present reveal to work out who gave who what!

OPI Top Coat – The Man With The Golden Gun (leecastillio.wordpress.com)

24 Dec: Ciate Mini Mani Month – Enchanted Rose

December 24, 2012December 24, 2012Leave a comment

Behind today’s final calendar door is this very festive shade of glittery red, Enchanted Rose, the final exclusive shade.

Perfect for Christmas Eve! This shade is lovely, it reminds me of the ruby slippers from Wizard of Oz.

What a great shade to finish on! Merry Christmas everyone!

23 Dec: Ciate Mini Mani Month – Mojito

December 23, 2012Leave a comment

Today is Mojito, a creamy acid green! Not very festive, but very distinctive!

Ciate’s site says: “A true apple green. Show off your personality with this bright shade. Only for the extremely fashionable and outrageously bold.”

I’d definitely agree with that! The photos came out really well, but in real life, this definitely doesn’t fit in with anything in my wardrobe… It does have a beautiful, glossy finish though, and looks amazing next to those other bold colours. This is a brilliant summer shade, I reckon.

22 Dec: Ciate Mini Mani Month – Sundance

December 22, 2012Leave a comment

Today’s shade was another lovely pot of caviar pearls! This time, the blend was called Sundance, and contained teal and yellow baubles, along with some discs of gold.