Topshop Makeup

Topshop is my mecca. I know it isn't everyones favourite but I honestly struggle to find something in there that I don't want to take home. (Clothes people. Clothes!) It is a one stop shop: shoes, dresses, tops, trousers, work wear, beach wear, pyjama wear, hats, socks, sweets, cats, dogs. Basically they sell a lot of stuff! And now they are launching a make up range which releases this month...

I really can't wait to try it and read peoples opinions; that will no doubt be infiltrating the blogosphere. I have found most things from Topshop to be good quality and quite fashion forward. They really pay a lot of attention to detail and design which is something I love in high street clothing brands. Somehow though, I'm not expecting too much from this range. I don't think it will be able to compete with all the other accessible brands which main focus and interests lie in the beauty industry. From the look of product images from press releases to date, it looks fun and interesting but nothing too outrageous or innovative and if anything the packaging looks a little cheap. Obviously I can't see it in person and hopefully they prove me wrong but I'm not expecting Topshop to really integrate into this area of industry. I think its just a case of something else to put on the list of things they sell; Covering all bases.

I still want to try it though - possibly that red lipstick!

What do you think?

The highlight of my life!

Benefit: High Beam

O.K. so this isn't the highlight of my life; I would be a little dull if it was, but it is currently the chosen highlight of my makeup collection. It is a gorgeous pink pearlescent (Is that a word? I won't tell if you don't)  highlight which I am really enjoying using at the moment. I tap it around what cheekbones I have :-( and around my brow bone, after foundation has been applied. It isn't overly noticeable, and doesn't emphasise my pores; just gives a nice shimmery highlight when my skin catches the light. 

Here it is applied thickly on my hand, so you can appreciate the pretty!

And spread out.... They also do a more peachy, gold version I think; called Moon Beam. 


Another nice shimmery pink product I am enjoying is by NO:7, and it is their cream eye shadow. 

Stay Perfect Eye Mouse. This is another great highlighter for the brow bone and is also nice for an all over lid colour or base. Boots often give out £5 off vouchers for Ruby&Millie or NO:7 products so this might be a good one to grab if you have one of those hanging around in your purse and don't know what to buy. 


While we are on the subject of pretty pinks let me give a shout out to GOSH: Darling...


A beautiful nude which is very reasonably priced. Superdrug and Boots?  I heart you!

OPI: You Don't Know Jaques!

Well OPI, you may not know Jaques but you know nail polish.

I have only had this on one day and it is creeping into the top of my favourites list! I'm sure everyone has already heard about it, and seen it a thousand times. But what's one more?

                                                                                 xx

Pretty Headbands!

That is a rather boring blog post title; it is also a rather accurate blog post title. I bought some headbands a while ago from Rockstar Diaries blogger Naomi's shop. She sells beautiful headbands and as soon as I saw them I was smitten. So smitten I purchased 4 of them:

See? I told you they were pretty. They're perfect for when I don't want to make an effort - these add just an extra touch to a really simple outfit. I love!

Two Maybes and a Yeah Baby!

I have recently been trying out some products; all from the Clinique range. Both my Mother and Sister have always loved Clinque and so I decided, with their esteemed recommendations, to try a few things out.

So first let us talk about Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion. This moisturiser is one that both my Mother and Sister adore. Their Holy grail of Clinique products, so I figured this was an easy first venture. It retails at around £27 for 125ml; by my standards that isn't cheap, but 125ml is a fair amount and you really only need a small pump of this for the whole face. I have been using it for nearly a month now and although I like it, I'm not about to elope to Vegas and marry it, you know? I don't love it! 

It is definitely moisturising; It contains mineral oil, which for some is a huge no no altogether, but for me I don't really mind. That being said, I am concerned that this product is making me break out. Basically my skin has been playing up intermittently for a while now, and so I'm not sure whether it's down to a change in some of the products I'm using, or just hormonal. It did seem to get worse whilst I was using this but I did not use this consistently; I used it now and again along with some other lotions and I have been changing up my cleanser, foundation and powders, also. What makes me think it could be this is because it is very 'moisturising' as I said, and although I don't have really oily skin it's more on the oily side then dry - and this is more a lotion for dry skin I think. (I say 'I Think', this is actually aimed at 'Dry to very dry skin' - says so on the bottle; sometimes my name rhymes with idiot!) So my plan is to stop using this completely for a while, then introduce it again as my main moisturiser once my skin has stabilised, and see what happens. If my skin starts to get spotty then I'll know this is contributing to that fact and either pass it on to my Mothership, or maybe try it again in the winter for when my skin gets more on the dry side and needs a little boost now and again.  


So that was maybe number one. Maybe number two is the Sparkle Skin Body Exfoliator. 

This costs £16 for 200ml and is billed by Clinique as: A cool, refreshing body exfoliator that polishes the skin, giving it a healthy glow. Provides a refreshing and invigorating experience. Gel-like formula contains botanical ingredients to invigorate.' 
I've been using this to exfoliate, particularly my legs, over the past few weeks and so far, I am liking it. It isn't too abrasive but is still grainy enough to really feel like your skin is renewed. It leaves my skin soft and radiant and it has a refreshing menthol smell. 

I am not sure whether I would repurchase this though. I may in the future, but definitely not straight away. I like looking for new products and experimenting, so I have to really fall in love with something to keep it in my collection for good. It has to be a product which really makes a difference to my skin, and so therefore becomes a product I always reach for and rely on. This just isn't that product. I think that there are other exfoliators - in a lower price range too - which could do a similar job. To summarise: This definitely wasn't a wasted purchase; I have really enjoyed using it and may come back to it in the future but I am massive flirt when it comes to consumerism, so on to the next.


Lastly we have my Yeah Baby!

As you can see from the picture on the right, this is becoming a favourite. 
'Clinique Moisture Surge - extended thirst relief' £30 for 50ml. Yes, It is pricey! However, a little goes a long way. This is a water based formula for all skin types, and is a fragrance free, gel substance.  It really does leave my skin feeling hydrated and fresh with absolutely no grease left on the skin at all. It dries off the skin in a matter of minutes leaving it feeling supple and soft; which is great for me at the moment when I don't want to add any more oil to my skin, but still want to moisturise. It also feels perfect for summer! Clinique say that this also can be used as a deep mask when your skin really needs it, but I would avoid that. You don't need a great amount of this for it to make a difference and using more doesn't really give any extra boost in my opinion. Maybe if it was a cheaper and you got more product but I can't afford to just slather my face in this constantly, as much as i would like to! I love it and definitely will repurchase again. I won't use it all the time but It's definitely something I'll want to have to hand to use when necessary. I also just love the packaging of this. It is a little glass/plastic (?) jar with a silver lid and looks dainty and sophisticated. I am a sucker for Packaging! I like Clinique as a brand for this in general; they're products are instantly recognisable and don't feel or look cheap, which is important when your paying a price tag more towards the higher end of the scale. 

So that is my review of some recent products. Any Clinique recommendations from others? Or skin care products in general that you love? Feel free to leave a comment :-)
Here are some I'm hoping to try in the near future: Anti Blemish 3 step system, Turnaround concentrate visible skin renewer, and Super Defence SPF25 Age Defence Moisturiser. 

Love at first sight... and second, third, fourth and fifth...

There are two items which currently are top of my wish list.  I will add that my wish list is long! Like, really long! We're talking longer than Santa's naughty and nice lists put together! But these two are currently floating around the top echelons of this list - I'm fickle so they may not stay there but right now they are there all the same. (O.K I think you get it!)


Balenciaga City Bag:

Ah Balenciaga. How you have my heart! How you toy with my emotions and leave me feeling like a deserted vagabond without you!

Proenza Schouler PS1 Bag:

Oh and PS1, you too are guilty of such crimes. 

But enough of the hyperbole, I love these bags and have coveted them for some time. I am hopeless at saving money, but I am aiming to own one of these sometime in the near future. This could be a dangerous path to stray down: the path of handbags with exorbitant price tags! I mean, a thousand pounds for a bag?! That is ridiculous. Crazy, ridiculous. Mentally unstable, ridiculous! Well people, I think it's time to call the psych ward, lock me up in crazy handbag lady asylum, and throw away the gold plated, engraved, key! 

I'm aiming for the Balenciaga, since it's is the cheaper of the two, so we'll see how that goes. The PS1 will have to stay lounging about in the realms of desire for a little while longer.

One day PS1, one day! 

New Arrivals

As I mentioned in my first post, I have been browsing the blogging world for a while now and a favourite of mine is Youtuber Lollipop26. Laura always gives great advice and honest opinions and it is through this lovely lady that I learnt of an Ebay shop known as Enchanted Beauty. This is now my go to place for cheaper nail polishes: including the likes of OPI, Essie and China Glaze. 
I purchased some polishes a while ago and have been eagerly waiting for them to arrive ever since and finally, today they came! (Note: I think that usually shipping is very fast, considering these little bottles of joy are sent from LA;however, some stupid Icelandic volcano decided to erupt right after these babies had been shipped which delayed things slightly. 
Here they are in all their glory:

Gah! I don't know what it is about owning little bottles of beautiful colour but it finds a place in my shallow soul and fills it with joy. Say I'm not alone?
From left we have: OPI; Coney Island Cotton Candy, Essie; Canteloupe, Innocent, ST Lucia Lilac, Island Hopping, OPI; You Don't Know Jaques, Over The Taupe, Essie; Chinchilly, Mint Candy Apple; Bemuda Shorts.


I love all of them and can't wait to try them all out over the next few weeks; the pastels of the bunch are really appealing to me since Spring had arrived. Bemuda Shorts is a matte, which I didn't realising when purchasing, but it is lovely and bright so with a shiny topcoat I think it could be love!
I got a little over excited when making my first order from the shop - hence the ten bottles you see above. Luckily this time I escaped any added customs charges; something that totally slipped my mind when ordering.  Now as much I like to live life on the edge, in future I will keep purchases down to a maximum of 3 or 4 bottles to avoid Royal Mail getting their mitts on my mullah :-) 


After ripping the package apart with my bare teeth* I decided to sport Essie's Innocent on my nails today. This is my first try of Essie varnishes and it applied quite easily with an even coating. The brushes  are a little thinner then I'm used to and it definitely needs at least two coats for colour payoff but they seem good quality. I love the design of the bottles; they just look so sweet to me with the engraved logo, shape, and white lid. Going by the first application of this shade I would definitely repurchase.

So we have 'Innocent'...

And with Flash...


A lovely muted peachy pink which isn't overly girlie. I like it!






*Disclaimer: No nail polishes were harmed during the opening of the package! 

Pay Day Purchases

I have been reading beauty and fashion blogs for a while now; coveting all the delicious items displayed in posts which now deluge my bookmark bar.  So today, with it being the first day of the month and all, I've decided to take the plunge. Let's see how this floats. 

Some nice fickle fancies to ease me in I think:

Yesterday, whilst roaming the streets on my lunch hour, I somehow (?) ended up in Boots on double points day. I know; Madness!

So I opt for  : a YSL Rouge Volupte in 30, YSL Touche Eclat, and Chloe eau de parfum. 

Don't ask me how this happened because I have no clue. I just know that in between me entering a shop to "have a quick look" and then leaving, some voodoo happens. Before I know it I'm at the till purchasing far more than i ever intended because:

A) Hello? Didn't you hear what I said? It was double points day! 

B) "Did you know that if you buy the Touch Eclat along with the Rouge Volupte you'll get another £7.50 back on your boots card?" "What, Really? So if I spend another £25 I'll get less than a third of that back to feed into your store on yet even more items I don't really need? ... I'm in!" 

 ... and

 C) I really, reaaaaally liked them!

Damn you voodoo shop assistants! But hey, I'm all 'rouge volupte in peach Fauberg' smiles with this sumptuously encased, super pigmented, and creamy little beauty. 

As for the much hyped Touch Eclat, You were a little pricey but I plan to use you sparingly so I think we are going to get along rather well. 

Chloe, what can I say? You smelt good. Welcome to your new abode!