Fancy a free Bourjois Ombre eyeshadow?

Do you want to update your makeup collection?

Bourjois are offering a free Ombre stretch eyeshadow in the colour of your choice. You only have to pay postage and packaging

Perfect for blending, stretching colour thanks to its unique nylon micro-spheres, the eyeshadow is perfect for a subtle or more intense look. 

Have fun experimenting with the code "freeombre" enter it at the checkout at Halfpriceperfumes.

Bling it up in pink with MyFace chrome nail varnish in Raspberry Beret

If you read my previous review on MyFace's chrome nail varnish in Limelight you'll know I was very impressed.

Designed for every pink lover out there, MyFace in Raspberry Beret nail varnish is a gorgeous bright pink colour with a real sheen.

The shade has a real pearsclent tone and almost appears a lighter pink colour when the light reflects off the metallic base.

It was really easy to apply and quick drying but on parts of my nail which were longer then others one coat wasn't enough as I could partly see my nail through the varnish when the light was on it.

This lovely pink shade is delightful and will go with pretty much any outfit (except perhaps green)

I'll give it a 4/5

Advantages

• Gorgeous pearly pink colour
• Quick drying
• Light reflecting
• Great value for money as you don't need to apply too many coats

Disadvantages

• On longer nails you probably need another coat for complete coverage
• Seemed to chip easier then the shade Limelight did 

GET IT HERE

Go green this summer with MyFace Chrome Lil'Bling Limelight nail varnish

MyFace have come up trumps with their latest range of chrome nail varnishes.

Forgot about your preconceptions of green being a dowdy colour, MyFace in Limelight adds a whole new colour sensation.

Even in the bottle there is a certain luminosity to it and once applied it settles as a metallic, light reflecting green shade. My nails look very modern looking and it would go fantastically with the MyFace eyeshadow also in Limelight.

I love how you only need to apply the nail varnish once to get a good colour, especially as waiting ages for one layer to dry whilst you have to apply another can be really time consuming (especially if you're going out!). There is virtually zero drying time which is another amazing factor considering the amount of times I apply nail varnish then smudge it all.

I have to say I love this product, green isn't normally my colour but if they come as shiny as this varnish I'll choose it over a lovely red every time!

I'll give it a 5/5

Advantages

• Gorgeous metallic shade
• Gives a whole new meaning to the colour green
• Light reflecting
• Quick drying which reduces the chance of smudging
• One coat is enough so it's great value for money

Disdavantages

• Sadly green doesn't go with everything so if you're a colour coordinator there may not be many green items of clothing you could wear it with 

GET IT HERE

The Bob cut makes the top hairstyle to wear to a formal event

Bobby Glam recently conducted a survey amongst 100 women to find what the most popular haircut for a formal event was, this included the likes of weddings, interviews and proms. With a recent revival of 50’s culture and retro style being chic it was no surprise that the bob cut was chosen as the most popular style. With 20% of the total vote the bob cut has had a recent revival with the likes of Madonna, Sienna Miller and Rihanna all styling the cut. It’s also worth pointing out that the vast majority that voted for the Bob cut also fell within the 55+ age group, possibly as a result of the cut being first made popular in the swinging 60’s.  

Coming in a close second with 19% was the more glamorous loose curls a style made popular by celebrities like Taylor Swift and Jessica Simpson. This cut was a lot more popular with the younger audience, with a significant 30% of the total vote for loose curls came from age group 18-30. This style again has been made more attainable with the advantage of home hair styling kits and hair tools, meaning this style of cut can be done without having an expensive trip to the hairdresser or stylist. 

In third position was another rejuvenated style from the 50’s that has been given a contemporary lift. The French twist made popular in American sitcom series like Mad Men and Desperate Housewifes has recently seen a revival. This style works very well as a formal hairstyle as it oozes style whilst at the same time giving a sense of sophistication. 

Info-graphic created and supplied by Bobby Glam – Specialists in clip in hair extensions, hair accessories and hair tools. For more information about our products and accessories please visit our site Bobby Glam

Max Factor: Bronze Haze Smokey Eye Effect Eyeshadow

As part of their new eyeshadow collection Max Factor has brought out a double ended cream eyeshadow in Bronze Haze. The product comes in pretty standard packaging with a dark brown shade on one end and a creamy gold on the other.

For step 1 I applied the creamy shade to my eyelid and followed this by applying the dark brown shade to my eyebrow arch. The resulting look can seem quite harsh so its best to make sure you blend as much as possible to remove the obvious line between the two shades.

As it's a cream shadow the final look is very light and is more what you would call a daytime look. Whilst it's perfect for a daily makeup routine, I really don't think its bold enough to stand out for a night time look. The effect is however reasonably natural and doesn't bleed like a lot of cream eyeshadows.

Over a period of a day the eyeshadow faded, to a point that the brown couldn't really be seen in the evening.

At £3.99 from Cosmetics Skin care it's not a bad price but you can probably find better eye shadows out there.

I'll give it a 2/5.

Advantages

• Duo of colours perfecf for a smokey eye
• A step by step formula makes for easy use
• Good for a day time look
• Doesn't crease like a lot of cream eyeshadows

Disadvantages

• The colour was very weak
• The brown faded after a few hours
• Not strong enough for a night time look

Get a free bonus bag with Elf!

With the bank holiday looming E.l.f have a fantastic offer in place. Spend £15 and you can get a whole surprise bag of E.L.F goodies worth £11.

Flat hair no more with this hair tutorial on how to volumise your hair

Does your flat hair get you down? Worry no more as this quick video demonstrates how you can add volume to your hair without the time consuming act of applying product after product.

Jelly Pong Pong Irish Cream Pavlova Lip Frosting

With gorgeous candy inspired packaging the Jelly Pong Pong Irish Cream Pavlova lip frosting looks good enough to eat. With a baking inspired name and pavlova smell you'll think it's summer all year round with this little product. As a dual use product it's perfect for adding a little colour to your lips or a glow from within on your cheeks.

Unlike a normal lipgloss there's no brush so it makes applying the product a little bit tricky. At one point I squeezed too much and I ended up with product overload!

The colour is a very bright pink but when I applied it to my lips there was no real colour change but my lips did look more glossy. The product gave my cheeks a really warm shimmery glow that instantly brightens my complexion.

With its gorgeous packaging and double usage it's perfect for slipping into your bag and using on the move, especially as you don't need a brush. However I think it's probably better as a blusher then a lipgloss.


Advantages

• Gorgeous girly candy stripe packaging
• As a dual product you can apply it on both your lips and cheeks - saving you lots of pennies!
• Gives a lovely rosey glow on the cheeks

Disadvantages

• No brush so when applying it as a lipgloss you might end up with too much excess product 

                                                                                                                

Elizabeth Arden Color Intrigue Gel Eyeliner with pen in Ocean Teal

I love eyeliner as it can really bring out your eyes with a strong colour. So whilst i'm normally a fan of the Khol eyeliners when reviewing Elizabeth Arden's Color Intrigue Gel eyeliner in Ocean Teal I went for a more laid back look.

The eyeliner comes in really pretty summery packaging which is a Elizabeth Arden standard, and contrary to what I was expecting it had what looked like a little eyeshadow pot and a small brush included. As I'm used to applying eyeliner in a pen I wasn't sure if I'd find the brush technique easy or fiddly. I found the process of eyeliner to brush was almost like putting paint on a tiny paintbrush. It wasn't at all difficult to apply and went on really smoothly with a good amount of colour.

The advantage of the brush being so thin is that it's also really easy to apply to your bottom lashes. I've found previously that with thicker brushes the gel or eyeshadow just seems to go everywhere that you don't want it to!

The colour is a really light mint green and once applied it almost looks like little sparkly gems.

I have to say I'm really quite impressed with this product, i'll give it 5/5

Advantages

• The gel pot and brush make it so much easier to apply accurately onto your eye area
• The gel didn't smudge and adhered to my eye area instantly
• Gorgeous mint green colour
• Comes in lovely packaging

 Disadvantages

• None that I can think of! 

This product was kindly donated by Direct Cosmetics

GlossyBox: August 2012: The Final Chapter

Inspired by the Olympics, GlossyBox August edition has gone for a global feel with a sample of beauty offerings from all over the world.

As one of my last boxes after I decided to cancel I was hoping for a award winning finale. Sadly I didn't get much more then a bronze.

I'm bewildered as to how it happens but I received another broken product in a sealed box (well two sealed boxes). After I found a perfume smashed to smithereens I didn't think I'd find a eyeshadow which had turned into dust which in turn had spread all over the box.

Anywho, the rest of the contents included:

• Alessandro Pro White - a tiny sample size offering of a brightening effect nail polish with anti yellowing formula for radiant white and gleaming nails.
• Valentino Eau De Parfum - This little sample packs a punch in this deliciously fragranced scent. As a perfume addict I'm perusaded to buy a full size bottle!
• DHC Deep Cleansing Oil - A water soluble cleanser that's better then any other make up remover you've ever tried. A full size offering is 200ml and you get 30ml to sample
• Vera Valenti - The eyeshadow that I was meant to receive but was broken in tiny little pieces (hence why it's not in the picture.) The eyeshadow however seemed to be inspired by the 80's and didn't really have any modern connotatations.
• Lipcote - A staple product that has been around years so not quite sure why Glossy Box - a leader in providing new and upcoming beauty samples chose to offer this. Lack of offers perhaps? The mind boggles!
• GlossyBox Lipstick in glossy pink - At last we come to my favourite product the GlossyBox branded lipstick. Not sure how this qualifies as a luxury beauty sample when it's GlossyBox's own brand? However it does have a nice colour!

So that ends the GlossyBox chapter, if past reviews go I wasn't the most impressed customer, but to have all those subscribers they must be doing something right!

She Said Beauty Box... August 2012

After having enough of Glossy Box's tiny sample size offerings and broken products I decided to cancel my subscription and go with another company.

I'd been pondering on She Said for ages so I finally decided to take the plunge.

The packaging was a lovely duck egg blue with the products settled on straw and wrapped in pink tissue paper.

Inside I found:

• White Glo Professional choice - One of Australia's No'1 whitening toothpastes with a original formula designed to gently lift stains and discoloration. Full size is around 150g and I got a 24g sample, so I guess it's big enough to give it a proper test!
• Balance Me Rose Otto Intensive Lip Salve- One of the few petroleum free, 100% natural, moisturising lip salve products on the market. The product is perfect for plumping lips, protecting them from harmful weather patterns and reducing dry skin. She said also offer a beauty code offering £5 discount when spending £30 or more. The product which is strongly rose scented comes in a full size 10ml package.
• RedKen Color Extend Radiant -10- This hair spray has the richness of a nourishing lotion but with the lightness of a spray. With each easy application your hair will benefit from 10 essential benefits. The product has a uv filter which is good for intense heat (not that we get a lot of that in this country. However I have natural undyed hair so this product seems pretty irrelevant.Only a 30ml sample in comparison to the 170ml full size product.
• Papier Poudre Rachel Powdered Paper - A very lovely smelling product that could be sensed through the box. If you have particularly greasy skin this product is perfect for its absorbent qualities for cleansing the pores. After use a small amount of powder is left to give a instant matt finish. The product comes with around 20 leaves.
• Absolutely Flawless Nail Foils - Suitable for both toe and finger nails these foils are easy to apply with no drying time or chipping. There are over 130 designs to choose from online. Sadly the design I received wasn't really to my taste so not sure i'll be using it!
• Eau De Cologne - A little 'bonus' a 4711 Eau De Cologne which has been around for more then 200 years. Wasn't quite sure if this was a man or female product myself... 

Overall I have to say I wasn't too impressed. Compared to last months offerings She Said have slumped in quality imo and I hope they raise the standards next month if I'm to continue subscribing.

Don't want them to end up like another Glossy Box!

Find out what they have to offer here

The search for the best concealer is over

Those pesky dark circles are always a pain when you want a blemish free finish.

Till now...

With my recent discovery of Soap and Glory's Kick Ass Concealer. Having read rave reviews I thought I'd give it a go as I've tried almost every conealer under the sun with little success.

The concealer comes with a gorgeous vintage design that instantly catches the eye. The concealer comes in a 3 step pyramid; two shades of concealer and a compact powder. Step one is a peach shade of concealer and step 2 is more of a pastel yellow shade. The contrast of colours are perfect for removing the obvious tinge of blue/purple dark circles. The concealers come in a real wet gel like consistency that settles really well under the eye. Step 3 consists of a compact powder which is very light and almost translucent and can be applied on top of the concealer to set the product. The product also comes with a mirror so its perfect for applying on the move.

After applying the concealer I was actually really surprised by the results. The concealer didn't seem too bright on my skin like some concealers and I couldn't see my dark circles at all. At £10 it's one of the more pricey concealers but I'd say it was worth every penny.

I'd give it a 5/5.

Advantages

• Fantastic design
• The 3 tier design means your dark circles and blemishes will be well and truly hidden
• Comes with a mirror and compact to apply the powder

Disadvantages

• Maybe a little too pricey for some

The search for the best concealer is over

Those pesky dark circles are always a pain when you want a blemish free finish.

Till now...

With my recent discovery of Soap and Glory's Kick Ass Concealer. Having read rave reviews I thought I'd give it a go as I've tried almost every conealer under the sun with little success.

The concealer comes with a gorgeous vintage design that instantly catches the eye. The concealer comes in a 3 step pyramid; two shades of concealer and a compact powder. Step one is a peach shade of concealer and step 2 is more of a pastel yellow shade. The contrast of colours are perfect for removing the obvious tinge of blue/purple dark circles. The concealers come in a real wet gel like consistency that settles really well under the eye. Step 3 consists of a compact powder which is very light and almost translucent and can be applied on top of the concealer to set the product. The product also comes with a mirror so its perfect for applying on the move.

After applying the concealer I was actually really surprised by the results. The concealer didn't seem too bright on my skin like some concealers and I couldn't see my dark circles at all. At £10 it's one of the more pricey concealers but I'd say it was worth every penny.

I'd give it a 5/5.

Advantages

• Fantastic design
• The 3 tier design means your dark circles and blemishes will be well and truly hidden
• Comes with a mirror and compact to apply the powder

Disadvantages

• Maybe a little too pricey for some