Festive Polish!

I love love love this nail polish from Deborah Lippmann! Its in the colour Razzle Dazzle and arrived in my Glossybox the day of my works christmas party.....perfect! I love the glitter detail and the colour is amazing, I had loads of compliments! I've practically got all my collegues subscribing to Glossybox these days that unfortunately I was not the only one wearing this colour! Although was funny to see the Glossyboxers stand out by our nails! Its by far my favourite nail varnish to date! However I've never tried any of Deborah Lippmann's nail varnish's before and did find this one to be a bit of a one night wonder! The next day my nails were chipped and a large amount had peeled off. I put two layers of varnish on and Sally Hansen diamond shine as a top coat so not sure if i'm doing something wrong, or if that it's such an eye catching colour that the chips stand out like a sore thumb! But anyway the colour makes up for it, I can deal with it lasting one day to have these eye catching nails!

Hope all you readers had a fabulous Christmas and I hope 2012 is all you hope it to be!

                                              MissFemmeFatale x  

Jumbo Jet lashes anyone?

Daniel Sandler - Jumbo Jet

My face is not this orange/yellow colour in real life! As much as I would love to be a Simpson - Im not!

                                             

So I have been completely won over by this mascara! I recieved it in a glossy box a few months ago (at the convenient time that my other mascara had almost ran out/dried up). It adds amazing volume and length to my lashes instantly! It is a must on nights out and I have even gone out without my lash extentions, which is a rarity for me. In the picture I haven't used eyelash curlers either just the mascara. It adds the dramatic effect to your eyes and makes them stand out amazingly! This is why I love glossy box as I probably wouldn't of bought this product before. It retails for £14.95 which i think is a reasonable price and is available to buy online. There is also a baby jet mascara available for the little lashes at the inner and outter corners. The only downside to this product is that if your a lazy eyemake up remover this mascara will give you serious panda eyes (maybe panda face) if you do not remove it properly! It is a little stubborn and will take a lot more than a facial cleanser to remove. I haven't tried any Daniel Sandler products before but this mascara has made me a little eager to try some other products. If anyone has tried this product or can recommend any other products from the brand I would be grateful!

Christmas Wishlist!

Holidays are coming....! I thought I would share some of the things I have my eye on for Christmas, either for myself or family/friends! May give some of those struggling for ideas some inspiration...!

1) Kindle
I have wanted one of these for a while now, however I have always weighed up how often I would actually use it. Ive heard good reviews from friends about the Kindle such as good battery life, easy to use and easy to carry around with you! Although would I actually miss the turning of the pages and I do like knowing how far I am from the end of the book. I think its fantastic for holidays as you don't have to take a load of books in your suitcase. So I may have just sold it to myself and will put this to the top of my Christmas list. Plus I love the cute and quirky covers you can get to jazz them up. To have a look at the Kindle in more detail click amazon link.

2) Elemis Fresh Skin
I have only used the peachy perfect gentle face wash from this collection, which I am in love with. So I am eager to try the rest of the collection! This starter kit is a perfect gift idea. This will allow you to try the majority of the collection for £19.90 from Feel Unique and it is free delivery! Also at the moment if you spend £25 from the collection you get the face wipes for free. So you could even buy family or friends the kit and keep the wipes as a treat to yourself! The fresh skin collection is for teens to early 20's which I think is great, because it is the age where you are in limbo and are not quite ready for all the anti-aging products!

3) This is a bit of a lavish gift and I probably am unlikely to recieve it from santa....but a girl can wish! I love the watch from Links of London but not so much the price of £350. I love the rose gold that is on trend at the moment. I have the sweetie bracelet in rose gold and I just love wearing it and get lots of compliments. Beautiful!

4) Wildfox Couture Sweater
This is another lust Christmas gift as i'm getting a bit carried away. Firstly it is priced at £179 and secondly they are always sold out in my size. But I must say I am rather fond. I love Wildfox! So I may have another browse and choose a more realistically priced t-shirt or sweater! They are fantastic quality, and check their facebook page out for discount offers! I recently had 20% off!

5) Victor & Rolf Flower bomb EDT
If you are looking for a gorgeous perfume to buy as a gift this is perfect. I am yet to meet someone that doesn't love this perfume. It seems to suit so many people! You can get it in Eau de toillete or Eau de parfum and the prices vary. Its a little more expensive than average but worth every penny. There is also a limited edition one new out which I may get for my mum as she loves most Victor & Rolf products. Check them out on the Boots website where you can get double boots points for a limited time.

6) Lion King Disney DVD
Aww every year for Christmas I get a Disney DVD and this year Lion King has been re-released. So I feel this will be Santa's chosen one for me. I love the Disney films, I think you cannot beat them. I want the entire collection so my children one day can watch them all! My favourite is Little Mermaid! It wouldn't be Christmas in my house without copius amounts of Disney films with mulled wine!

  7) Babyliss Waving Wand
I love wavy hair and I've seen loads of good reviews on this! This looks simple to use and creates a great look! Priced at £17.40 on Amazon which I think is a great price. May get one for a friend!

8) Mac Snowglobe Eyeshadows - Warm
These eyeshadow sets are lovely from Mac. They are available in cool, warm and sultry, Warm is my favourite. These are priced at £31 available here. I love the colours as I don't have anything similar in my collection. I like the packaging and if you look at the website you will see the lid has a glitter snowball effect, its cool and different!

To ombre or not to ombre?

I have been wanting to Ombre my hair for ages! I finally plucked up the courage but my hairdresser was very reluctant to do it! She then said it was just having the underneath highlighted which I couldn't see it was! After a few comments I kind of got the impression she did not want to do it and I wasn't quite sure she even knew how! So the result was an all over brown! However I still really really want it done! I went to another hairdressers who were also reluctant and suggested just getting blonde extensions for underneath! Can anyone reflect on how this is done, may even look at the DIY ombre videos on Youtube! Watch this space........

One of my all time favourite products!

Hi guys, I thought it was about time I started mentioning a few of my favourite products! I love reading these on blogs as you know they have been well tested. So my most reached for product has to be Elizabeth Arden's 8 hour cream. I love this and think it is, what I would call an all rounder! I bought it to use as I had sun burn and my skin became so dry and red, it was amazing! I have since used it for so much more. It is great for my lips and keeps them from getting dry and chapped and in great condition. I use it like a gloss over lipstick to add some extra shine. I use it for the ends of my hair like a serum product, and it helps to de-frizz my mane! Love it for dry areas, especially on my hands. I think its great as the cream lasts ages, ive had mine for about 9 months and havent even used a quarter.  It comes in a handy pot that I find so easy to chuck in a weekend bag and know with just that pot I have a few essentials! The pot you see in the picture was a limited edition version and it usually comes in a white tube. It is available in most department stores at around £25, but it really is worth every penny! For more information or to purchase the product click here.

Must. Show. Off

I have to blog about these boots.....It would be rude not to. I love love love these boots. I got them on a shopping trip to London a few weeks ago and literally haven't taken them off my feet since. They are from Aldo and cost £90 (£81 with NUS discount). I love the colour as I am a tan fanatic! However the best thing about them is the comfort, I could wear these forever! They are so comfortable and easy to walk in, I love high shoes but I struggle to find pairs comfortable enough for every day life. If you like them but are doubting there comfort you have to try them on! They are available in black also (which I know are reduced on the asos site). I have had so many compliments when out wearing them. I feel they will be the preferred choice of shoes for autumn, although you do need to spray them to protect them as they will easily mark! You can pine over them on the aldo website. Christmas present maybe? Must. Resist. Buying. Black. Pair. Too!

Pretty Polish!

I have been so busy the last few weeks my blog has taken a back seat! I have been taking lots of pictures and have lots of ideas and products i want to blog about, but i just haven't got chance! So i'm sure a mass load will follow shortly! So the beginning of October when we had that incredible heat wave, me being me and clinging to any sign of summer is still here, I had to squeeze a last Coral blast to the nails! This is Rimmels 60 second 430 Coralicious. As you can see it's a gorgeous coral colour. I must say i looove the brush that comes with this polish/varnish it is advertised as an Xpress brush that takes 1 second to apply to the nail! I have to say it took me a little longer than 1 second....not just because I have fat nails, but I'm not the best at applying varnish so I need to take my time, but i do find this brush a lot easier! As for the drying time I did find this to be quicker than average but I can't say I sat with a stopwatch and timed 60 seconds! I am though usually very impatient with drying time and end up with smudges but i did manage to be smudge free with this brand! So this was my last summer blast.....now to check out the autumnal colours!

Sample Delight....

Ok so I am completely in love with this product that arrived in my July Glossybox. The Weleda regenerating pomegranate body oil has become an essential in my summer wash bag. Firstly it smells incredible, and the smell lingers for hours. Secondly, for an oil it absorbs into my skin quickly leaving it with an amazing glow. Weleda products are also made with all natural substances and this product is suitable for vegans. This particular oil claims to firm and renew skin by 50% in 2 weeks. I can't really comment on the firming as I have hit the gym pre-holiday so I do feel a lot firmer but I couldn't honestly say how much impact the oil had. But, my skin feels so much softer and considering I've been in the sun for a few weeks, my skin is in good condition!

The much added bonus to this is that it usually retails at £19.95, however mine came with the Glossybox which i pay £10 for and this was one of five products! For more information or to buy this product click here.

Jergens Naturals - Aloe soothing!

I have heard a lot of good things about the Jergens Natural moisturisers. So recently when I went on holiday I noticed they did an aloe vera soothing moisturiser and thought I would replace my aftersun with this product. The  product is actually made with 94% natural products and this particular moisturiser claims to cool, sooth and calm skin. So what I like about this product is that it is the perfect consistency and when applied after my shower in the evening would keep my skin feeling moisturised until the morning, but not too greasy! It does have a cooling effect but not as much as normal aftersun products. So I wouldn't recommend replacing your aftersun with this product, especially if you have a tendency to burn. Although what I will say is that on occasions, post holiday i can have a tendency to peel and with this product the peeling was very minimal, although I was very good at applying my sun cream regularly this year! But I do agree its a great moisturiser and there are six in the range so definitely one to suit your needs. I bought mine from boots at around £2.25 which was half price at the time. For more information about Jergens naturals products and ingredients click here.

The pleated skirt!

Pleated skirts are a must this season and are apparently going to be an even bigger must next season! Ive selected a few available from Missguided and Asos, although they are available everywhere! I am looking for a cream midi pleated skirt that is sold out from Boohoo, so would much appreciate if anyone has spotted one to let me know! I think they are very versatile you can team with a gorgeous cami and accessories or pull them up into a dress, with your favourite belt! Multi-purpose clothes are worth splashing out for....well that's what i tell myself anyway!

Sneaky bag purchase....

I popped into Tkmaxx the other day looking for......well nothing in particular, just a browse. This gorgeous bag caught my eye, I loved the weave effect of the bag and knew it would go perfect with some Miss KG sandals I have. It is designed by Nica which i'm sure most people have seen around and retails at £29. However in Tkmaxx I paid £16.99. This is available in the sale at House of Fraser at the moment.The bag has gorgeous detail and is lined beautifully inside. It also is deceiving as for a small-ish bag holds a lot!  I have seen this pattern in different designs in store aswell! I have far too many satchel smallish bags now and therefore am on the lookout for some big statement bags........Any recommendations?

Pretty Polish - Essie - Chips no potatoes

Ok so I'm a little disappointed with this Essie colour! In the bottle it appears very beige golden almost champagne like! However when applied to my nail it is so sheer. In the pic I've applied 3 coats plus Sally Hansen megashine. I used this a few weeks ago and hated it. However now I'm tanned the colour is growing on me. It's not a statement colour, more of a pretty subtle colour. However for those who prefer subtle colours or for people who work in areas that bright pink nail varnish is not appropriate, then this would be one for you. It does catch the light and the gold reflexes in the polish look gorgeous. I think I might apply it over another nail polish in the future for that little added extra.

Topshop Lipstick - on the town

My first successful purchase from my July lust list, and my first Topshop lipstick to my collection.......is On the town. It is a gorgeous lilac pink colour, that is like no other in my collection. The Topshop packaging is lovely, yet not the best at staying clean when thrown in your makeup bag. Its a lovely creamy formula that applied very nicely to my lips. I love the colour and texture of the lipstick but i did find it needed to be reapplied frequently. But then i seem to have those lips that always need lipstick/gloss reapllied often (im not sure what i do with my lips) but i do notice my friends lipstick stay on a lot longer than mine! It's priced at £8 which I thought was a reasonable price but I also got student discount making it £7.20.

Victoria Secret Beauty Crush Lipgloss

So my best friend recently went to Orlando on her summer holiday and to my delight bought be back two gorgeous lip glosses from Victoria secret. One in a cute pink colour called tropical and one in an orangey-red called red delicious. Both contain a slight gold shimmer and were $7 each. Well the first thing I will say, unsure whether positive or negative is that these lipglosses taste A-mazing! Very sherbet like. Positive because when applied to your lips you don't get a plastic taste, but negative because I want to lick it all off straight away because of the sweet taste!

These come in handy packaging perfect for your handbag to add instant colour to your lips for summertime. I took them on holiday with me and found them a godsend! They also contain and SPF 15. Perrrfect! They are great when applied on top of lipstick or alone for gorgeous glossy lips! They can be applied as thickly or thinly as desired!

                                                  Top - Red delicious
                                                  Bottom - Tropical

I have found this website that you can get these from the UK. I haven't used this website before, so cannot comment on how reliable it is, so you may need to do your research. But they are available for £4.99. Check Amazon as i'm sure you will find them there aswell.

Pretty bargain polish!

Well I bought this item about an hour ago and I feel it was such a good bargain I had to blog about it. I have been looking for a matt pastel lilac nail varnish for a while now. When grabbing my last few bits in Asda this evening I had a quick look at the nail varnishes and then this little beauty caught my eye. It's by George which is Asda's own brand. The official name is 34 Be mine. I'm not a snob by any means but this item was £1. So straight away I thought shame, the colour is amazing but the nail polish will be rubbish. So I walked off thinking I would have a look in the airport. By the time i got to the till I couldn't stop thinking how great the colour was so I convinced myself for £1 what did I have to lose. Well it was so easy to apply and is just as gorgeous of a colour on my nails! I've applied two coats with Sally Hansens megashine as my topcoat! I'm not saying I'm going to convert from my Essie and OPI but it's nice to have a cheap alternative even if it only lasts a few days, what more can you ask for for £1. I'm waiting for there to be a catch and it to be all chipped off in the morning but we will have to just wait and see.......update coming soon!

July lust list.....

So here goes my list of fabulous items that I cannot wait to get my hands on this month! Some I may succeed and purchase, others may continue on to next month!

Bobbi brown gel eyeliner (midnight black) - so currently I use liquid eyeliner as gel eyeliners have always scared me a little as to whether I could get the technique right. However, after watching numerous YouTube videos of people applying the gel and prefering the gel 'look' I've decided to take the plunge! Also I've heard good things about the Bobbi Brown gel eyeliners.

Lush Rehab shampoo - So this shampoo is designed for hair that has been 'abused' and needs extra TLC. Well my hair definitely fits into that catogorie as I colour my hair and straigten/curl lots! With a holiday approaching with lots of sun and chlorine, I definitely need to provide my hair with extra TLC. A friend of mine recommended this shampoo. I am desperate to find an amazing shampoo!

Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser - with summer actually starting to feel warm and festivals and holidays aproaching I feel it's time to purchase a decent tinted moisturiser that will be perfect for these times. I have done my research and this one has fabulous reviews.

Chanel hydramax + active gel cream - see my whole blogpost below regarding this item......need I say anymore.

Topshop lipstick (On the town) - this is a gorgeous Lilac/pink colour like no other in my collection. Ive been thinking about purchasing this for a while. I like the creamy texture and packaging of the Topshop lipsticks.

Liz Earle cleanse and polish - so I've been using Elemis peachy perfect face cleanser for a while now ( I will do a full review soon). I've loved using peachy perfect but with so many beauty gurus and friends raving about cleanse and polish, I feel I'm missing out on something!

Essie nail polish - I can't choose an exact colour I'm lusting over! I like so many.... But i am hoping to expand my Essie nail varnish collection, as I find they are just an all round good product. Easy to apply, good staying power and an amazing collection of colours.

If anyone has any of these products id love to know how your finding them! Also any other items I should be lusting after, I'm always keen to try new products!

Chanel hydramax + active gel cream

Recently when at the Chanel counter I was lucky enough to receive a sample of this hydramax active + gel cream. I have combination skin I would say and do suffer with the occasional break out. On first inspection of this cream, I felt the texture was too balm like and that it would either be too greasy for my skin and make me look oily or clog my pores and make me breakout. Chanel claim it to "absolutely quench your skins thirst, making your skin softer and smoother" so I had my reservations of it being like Vaseline. So recently I went away for the weekend and completely forgot my usual moisteriser, however I did have this sample floating around in my make up bag so decided to give it a go. Well....I must say it is gorgeous. Firstly it smells subtly lovely, no overpowering scent. The texture does feel balmy when applied to your skin but does instantly absorb without leaving my skin with an oily residue. It does leave your skin feeling velvety and soft instantly. It's a great base for your foundation and I have not needed to use a primer, I've noticed a huge difference! Not only has it not made me breakout its improved my skin greatly. Chanel claim this cream strengthens the skins natural barrier. There are a variety of creams in this line which vary in texture so if you prefer more of a serum or lotion, that is also available. It is pricey at around £42 but my 5ml sample lasted me ages! So if your looking to splurge on a moisturiser that will instantly revive your skin, I would definitely give this cream a go! Even if next time you buy your Chanel products you can squeeze a free sample! I have also seen sample sizes on eBay if you would prefer a trial before making the big splurge! Or you can buy direct http://www.chanel.com/en_GB/fragrance-beauty/Skincare-Hydration-HYDRAMAX-+-ACTIVE-96223 (sorry had a problem creating a link).

Pretty polish!

So I've become a little obsessed with nail polish! Here is Status symbol by Essie. It is a gorgeous girl pink and I think it is now one of my favourite pinks! It's lovely to apply, however you do need a few coats to try to get a full coverage of your own nail (if that makes sense). I wonder if anyone could let me know if there is a trick? Some people wear light colour nail polish and can cover the white tips of own nail completely? I've applied Sally Hansen megashine as my topcoat! I will update this post with the staying power as I've only applied today!

Pretty polish!

So I thought I'd share a sneaky picture of my pretty polish! The nail polish/varnish I'm wearing is War Paint by Topshop! It's a gorgeous deep pink coral red colour that is perfect for summer. It's the first Topshop nail varnish I've tried and I must say I was impressed. It's very nice to apply, cute packaging and fairly priced at £5. However don't expect a weeks manicure, couple of days at most! Although I am trying a few brands to find the ultimate nail polish so watch this space! I've applied two coats here (could maybe have done with another) and Sally Hanson's megashine (which is a hidden treasure)......

My shoe crush!

So I have been wanting these Vivienne Westwood Melissa cameo flat shoes in what seems like forever! But with summer being full of holidays and festivals I just cannot afford them. They are from the AW11 collection and are utterly gorgeous. They are described as vanilla but appear more of a nude in the picture. I've never seen these in "real life" so I cannot comment! They feature the iconic Vivienne Westwood orb at the front of these ballerina style pumps. A lot of the time these are sold out so you are one lucky lady if you've got your hands on them! They are the typical Vivienne Westwood shoes which are "jelly shoe material" which is actually PVC. They actually come in a few colours but these are my favourites with the smokey colour a very close second! To view these close up or purchase these click here.

Is this really Proactiv against acne?

So recently I went on a trip to Las Vegas (amazing place btw)! And if you've ever been to America you will know how huge proactiv advertising is. They have adverts everywhere with celebrities such as Katy Perry and Avril Lavigne promoting the product. So I don't have perfect skin and do get breakouts, the results on the advert were amazing so I must say I was well & truly sucked in. I couldn't wait to get the counter in the local mall. The woman at the counter was very little help and I felt she wasn't really clued up on the product at all. But seeing how amazing the results were on the advert I decided to buy anyway. So all together I got the set which included face cleanser, toner and moisturiser with a free refining face mask included for $30. This was a three piece set to last 30 days, however they recommend using For 3-6 months before you notice a complete difference.

So firstly the face cleanser. I found this definitely made my face feel cleansed, it contains small granules that gently exfoliate the skin. It smells quite medicated so you don't get that luxurious feeling. It does feel quite drying on the skin but I assume this is to prevent acne developing.

Next the toner, I struggle to have an opinion on this product. It was quite standard, nothing really positive or negative to say. I didn't notice any improvement in my skin but it didn't cause any problems either.

Now the moisturiser, this was my favourite product of the set. This contains benzyl peroxide which is an ingredient used to treat acne. It feels nice on my skin when applied and when I use the moisturiser without the other two products I still noticed a difference.

When reading reviews about proactiv, I discovered endless comments saying how drying the products are to the skin. As my skin is usually normal to dry I was constantly looking out for this whilst using these products. Well.........bizarrely I had the complete opposite effect! My skin became so oily. I continually had an oily appearance to my face and personally I think I looked sweaty all the time (not a good look). Also My make up appeared to slide off my face within minutes of being put on. I didn't notice any difference (bearing in mind I only used proactiv for just over month) So unless I wanted to completely change my make up and other skin products to cater for my new oily skin I decided to stop using proactiv! I must say if I do get a breakout I will use the moisturiser and I find this is very good at helping to clear up my skin, and doesn't cause my skin to become oily at all. Everyone really does have different skin.

I'd love to know of anyone who has used proactiv and have positive results, as those adverts really had amazing results. The slogan on the website states '15 million people can't be wrong' so I would love to hear from one of you. Also please leave a comment if it hasn't worked for you and let me know whether you felt you had just finished a shift in a greasy chip shop!

Exciting arrival of GlossyBox!

So the UK finally has the much anticipated GlossyBox! I have been hoping for a very long time this idea would be revolutionised in the UK. The Americans have had the Birchbox for a while now and I have always been a tad jealous, but that is no longer! Firstly the packaging is amazing! Very girlie, deluxe and appears a bit special. So the idea is you pay a monthly subscription of £10 per month and in return you receive one of the above boxes each month with 5 deluxe samples included. The products range from make up products to skin care, facial care, perfume and hair products. The idea is that you get to try a variety of different samples before you buy. They are larger than your average sample size so ideal to use as travel products etc. On occasions full size products are included such as lipsticks etc. In my opinion it is well worth £10!

However if you do find you subscribe and are not happy with the products it is simple to cancel, none of this 3 years notice....! You simply go online and cancel (definitely one of the areas I look into before signing up for anything). So when you sign up you are offered to complete a survey informing GlossyBox of your particular interests, skin type and product preferences, to enable them to slightly tailor make your box! For me I feel i get to try new, deluxe, high end products without spending a lot of money and realising they are not that great. Also I get to try products Ive not discovered yet! The downside is at present if you sign up for GlossyBox now you will not receive your box until mid July due to them selling out (not sure GlossyBox knew how popular they would be). Your money shouldn't be taken from your account until your box is dispatched! Definitely worth waiting for in my opinion! Get your GlossyBox! Please leave a comment if you have received your GlossyBox and your opinions! 

Pre summer = time to start tanning!

So this is officially my first blog...... Exciting! What better way to start than on a fake tanning product! I've been hearing a lot of good things about St Moriz instant self tanning mouse, and at a bargain of £2.99 for 200mls what did I have to lose (other than looking like an oompa loompa). It is stocked in local Home bargains and Savers. You can also buy online here.

So firstly the closest product I can compare to is St Tropez tanning mouse. They both go on as a brown mouse so you can see exactly where you are putting the tan. I would say that the St Moriz smells a bit better than the St Tropez.

So I chose the normal tan colour, the product also comes in dark. I would usually choose the darker colour but as I wasn't sure about the product I thought I would choose the safe option. I can always choose to apply more regularly to achieve a darker deeper colour. So let's get to the nitty gritty I think St Moritz is a fantastic product. It is marketed as a professional flawless tan, easy, no mess application which is exactly what it is. I apply the tan with a mit, it goes on brown so you almost get an immediate bronze colour and then the tan continues to develop over 4-6hours. The tan develops into a gorgeous golden colour (no orange in sight), i've not experienced any streaks either. Obviously this is just for the standard colour, will try the dark colour next and add to this post.

What I will say is don't expect to put one application on and expect to look like you've just come back from a week in the sun. The normal colour is ideal for paler skin types who want to build a nice natural golden tan, so if you have a darker skin type then the darker shade would better suit you. I would suggest applying at least twice a week to keep your tan from fading. For only £2.99 it is worth giving a go, you never know you may just fall in love and save some pennies by not buying endless tanning products that cost a fortune, smell vile and leave you with streaks!