New Radical Skincare Instant Revitalizing Mask!

Suitable for all skin types. 

Exclusive to Harrods, 30ml, £40

I've been really enjoying this facial, it's fantastic for brightening and rejuvenating skin with immediate result. Radical Skincare Instant Revitalizing Mask has only been launched in March, so it's pretty new! It's a gel-like texture that once is thinly applied onto the skin starts to grow into this sort of foam, which then starts to bursts bit by bit after 3-5 minutes. When the foam particles burst they almost tickle with a light tingling effect, this stimulates micro-circulation and boosts collagen production. Having an oily/combo skin type which is prone to acne I find my skin reacts very well to the Instant Revitalizing Mask, it does not break me out and makes my skin look radiant straight away.

This facial can be used once or twice a week, but I find for me once every couple of weeks is more than enough as it has fantastic active ingredients. I try to use it sparingly and for special occasions when I need an extra boost, as the results are so instant I like using it before an event. Apart from pumping your skin with oxygen to hydrate, detoxify, and protect from the damaging effect of free radicals this mask is also helping the skin to repair while nourishing with Vitamin A, C, and E and beta-carotine. It's a facial skincare bomb, amazing how far the skincare technology has gone!

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Oliver Bonas Jewellery New Summer Picks!

Oliver Bonas Pink Darina leather studded bracelet £18.00

Oliver Bonas Green wrap around studded bracelet £19.50

Oliver Bonas Neon Pink earrings £9.00

Available at www.oliverbonas.com!

Hey Beauties! Here are some fantastic new summer jewellery picks from Oliver Bonas I wanted to share with you. These wrist wrap bracelets are a-mazing, I'm obsessed with them. The pink one has a cool clasp buckle and is a double wrap bracelet, I love the hot pink, it will look awesome with a bit of a tan as it is so bright it's almost glowing. I also really like the green wrist wrap which is thinner and longer, my wrists are super slim so I get it five times around, but for most people it would be four. They also come in other colours, but these are pretty on trend right now! I love the gold detailing on both bracelets! They look great stacked together, or paired up with a chunky watch for a great armswag! And also the cute neon pink earrings are super fan to wear with a bun with a nice summer dress. So this summer you will probably see me wear these lots! Thanks Carly at Oliver Bonas! xox

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Caudalie Premier Cru The Eye Cream!

I have been looking for a great eye cream for a while and this is it! It's one of those luxurious feeling serious skincare products that are pricey but worth it. This Caudalie Premier Cru The Eye Cream is great for all skin types. It's anti-aging and helps to combat even deep wrinkles, puffiness, and dark circles over time by brightening the eye area and making it look more youthful again. I really like the texture of it, although it has a rich almost whipped cream like texture it is fast absorbent and doesn't leave any of that greasy residue that rich eye creams tend to do. 

Having an oily skin type it's really important for me that the cream gets absorbed immediately as otherwise it would make my under eye concealer crease, which this does not.

As I am approaching my 30s I noticed a couple of eye wrinkles that have deepened in the past year, ageing is a natural process however it's up to you to take great care of your skin and keep looking youthful for longer. I find that this cream is pumping those small wrinkles and making them less visible by hydrating and firming the gentle skin in the eye area. This eye cream can be used morning and evening and it's also great for lip contour area. 

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Summer Reds Beauty Trend with Cosmetics A La Carte!

 Nails: Estee Lauder mini from the Travel Exclusive Collection in the shade 09 Tempting Melon

Dior Rosy Glow Healthy Glow Awakening Blush in 001 Petal

Estee Lauder mini in 09 Tempting Melon from the Travel Exclusive Collection

Cosmetics a la Carte Outliner, Eyeliner & Shadow in Blazon

Cosmetics a la Carte Matte Velvet Lipstick in Tomato

Hey Beauties! As promised here is the Summer Reds look I have created with the beautiful Cosmetics a la Carte Matte Velvet Lipstick in Tomato and Outliner Eyeliner & Shadow in Blazon! I like this tone on tone look set off by the fresh pink flush on the cheeks. I'm a big fan of Cosmetics a la Carte lipsticks, the shade range is absolutely fantastic, I took a shot from the 2012-2013 catalogue of the shade range in my previous blog post so do have a look. The lipstick comes in four textures, Moisture Plus, Lustre, Matte Velvet, and Sheer Balm. The Matte Velvet wears really comfortably, without drying the lips and it lasts well! 

The Outliner, which can be used as an eyeliner and eyeshadow has a very creamy texture. When I swatched it first time I instantly knew it would be perfect for a lived in smudgy look. It does crease pretty quickly, and gives you that modern edge to the look. An eyeshadow that has a super creamy texture gives you that almost glossy/wet eyeshadow look which I think looks pretty sexy during the summer. I do love the shade Blazon, I haven't come across that many red eyeshadow shades. Blazon is a warm, sultry red with a bit of shimmer giving it a satin finish, it's a really wearable and beautiful shade. 

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Summer Colour Burst Trend with Cosmetics a la Carte!

Hey beauties, I will be posting a look with these awesome creamy eyeshadows soon. But for now I just want to quickly share a few of the Cosmetics a la Carte beauty products I have found that are fantastic for this summer trend: the colour pop! Cosmetics a la Carte has an array of popping, bright colours for eyes, lips and cheeks! These four particularly stood out to me. The Outliner, Eyeliner & Shadow in Blazon [a shimmery warm red] and Dragonfly [very much on trend shimmery emerald green]. The texture of them is very creamy, so they do move and they are perfect for that lived in grungy/smudgy look. 

And for lips I really like the Matte Velvet Lipstick in Tomato [a true tomato red], I'm not sure why but I love the name! I'm a huge fan of Cosmetics a la Carte lipsticks, they are beautifully pigmented, last well and don't feel dry on the lips. The Neon Lip Lacquer in Bubblegum is a very sheer pink with light shimmer, I actually thought it would be pigmented and quite bright, but it's not literally a neon although it does look pretty pink in the tube. But if you are scared of brights and like a touch of sheer colour than you'll like these, the Neon comes in three other shades. These lip-glosses also come in Shimmer and Cream, which are more pigmentation.

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Laura Mercier Creme Brulee Souffle Body Creme!

Omg, this must be the most delicious smelling body cream ever! I tried it last night for the first time after a relaxing bath and it made my skin super smooth. I love the texture, it's quite thick but doesn't feel heavy or greasy on the skin. The Souffle Body Creme is super moisturising and incredibly luscious. It's not cheap, but personally I wouldn't use it daily simply because it feels quite special and luxurious, so I definitely will be dipping into it on special occasion, that way it will last forever! And I love the packaging, a chic heavy glass jar looks great as part of bathroom décor. Laura Mercier's Souffle Body Creme is famous for the amazing scent, it's super addictive and also comes in Vanilla, Coconut, Pistachio, and Fig scent!

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Bumble and Bumble Sunday Shampoo Review!

This is another hair product which is talked about so much by beauty bloggers and I decided to also give it a go. The whole point of this shampoo is that you use it once a week to really give your hair a deep cleanse. Especially if you like dry shampoos or generally use lots of hair products between hair washes quite often you can get a build up and regular shampoos don't always remove all that heavy build up. I found that this Bumble and Bumble Sunday Shampoo really cleansed my hair thoroughly leaving the scalp feeling super fresh, especially after I had a ton of the Bumble and Bumble Hair Powder, I used the White one on one day and next lots of the Blondish. If you haven't read that review yet click here!

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Soap&Glory The Fab Pore 2-in-1 Facial Pore Purifying Mask & Peel!

I am so glad I got to try this facial! Last night I was itching with curiosity and decided to give it a go while having a nice relaxing end of week bath. This mask is formulated especially for those with oily/combo skin-type that is also pore-clogging prone, which is what I am always looking for in skincare. Nonetheless all skin types could contribute from this minty green goodness. This facial can be left on for as short as 5 minutes for a quick cleanse or for 15 for a deep exfoliation. And it can be used 1-3 times a week. 

The mask had a tingling effect on my skin, must have been the salicylic and lactic acids working its way through. Apart from exfoliating this mask also tightens the pores, reduces inflammation and excess sebum production, while the Superfruit Yuzu helps to energise, tone and brighten the freshly de-clogged skin. I also like the texture of the Rice Microbeads, which are fine scrubbing spheres to help gently lift the exfoliated impurities, it left my skin feeling really smooth and polished! And it has a really pleasant mild fresh scent, a mixture of cucumber and mint.

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Soap&Glory SkinGenius Skincare Event!

This is the range for oily/combo skin-type and it consists of six products:

Face, Soap and Clarity, 3-in-1 Daily-Detox Vitamin C Facial Wash

The Fab Pore, 2-in-1 Facial Pore Purifying Mask & Peel

The Fab Pore, Daily Micro Smoothing Moisture Lotion

No Clogs Allowed, Super Self-Heating Deep Pore Detox Mask

Scrub Your Nose In It, Special Pore Refining Formula AHA Facial Scrub

DR Spot, Super Strength Breakout Clearing Gel

That Peaches And Clean Cleanser smelled soooo good!

Hey beauties! Yesterday I went to the Soap&Glory event and got introduced to their skincare. It was great to talk to Victoria the global brand representative, who was super lovely and told me so much about the reformulated products and the ingredients that go into Soap&Glory skincare. Although I'm a huge fan of Soap&Glory shower gels, the eyeliners and the newly discovered Archery Brow Tint & Precision Shaping Pencil, I haven't however tried that many of their skincare products. Getting introduced to some of their pretty great products was really enlightening!

Firstly, I wasn't even aware of their line specifically developed for oily/combo skin-type and clog-prone complexion. Three products really stood out to me:

The Fab Pore, 2-in-1 Facial Pore Purifying Mask & Peel - It's new Swiss formula 15 minutes facial with Superfruit Yuzu and Poreshrink-R Complex that decloggs the pores and balances the oiliness.  No Clogs Allowed, Super Self-Heating Deep Pore Detox Mask - A clay based mask that changes colour from yellowish to blue as it heats up while you massage it into the skin. It's meant to be great even for combating blackheads. The Fab Pore, Daily Micro Smoothing Moisture Lotion - A moisturiser that helps to mattify oily skin while shrinking large pores. It has salicylic acid, which is fantastic for brightening complexion.

A lot of girls at the event seemed to like the Glow Job, Sunkissed Tinted Morning Moisture Flash. It's meant to give you a temporary self-tanning and glow-enchancing effect, as you apply it the Micro Bronzeburst Beads burst and give you a super glowy and bronzed complexion. Not sure it would be suitable for oily skin. I haven't tried it, but apparently it's their best-seller. Also the Puffy Eye Attack, Turbo-Boost Hydragel is meant to be great for dark circles and puffy eyes as it firms, tones, rehydrates, and boosts collagen production. I also want to try this one and will do a separate review. 

And finally the other product that caught my attention is Beauty Sleep Accelerator, Night & Flight Moisture Miracle. It's formulated for all skin types, and it's meant to be a powerful rejuvenating booster, working it's magic while you sleep. It helps to lock in the moisture and prevent TWL, which is Transepidermal Water Lost that often happens when you are on a flight. So many of us travel, especially during summer, so it would be a fantastic moisturiser to use while on the flight to avoid dehydrated skin.

At the Soap&Glory dispensary we got to choose two product to try, I went for The Fab Pore 2-in-1 Pore Purifying Mask & Peel and the Beauty Sleep Accelerator. I will try them out and report back! This event actually made me curious in trying more of Soap&Glory skincare products as they do seem to be pretty great! Most of the products are made in Switzerland, which for me is a massive plus point!

 

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Vogue UK JUN13 Kate Moss Beauty Look!

Hey beauties! As I was returning from the Soap&Glory SkinGenius event today I was driving through Hampstead High Street and there she was, Kate Mass walking with her cute daughter down the street. I realised today is day I should share the Kate Moss look I created last week! In last month's Vogue UK Kate finally was on the cover again. I loved the super summery issue, great images, fabulous fashion, and beautiful make-up. In some pictures she was wearing a more natural smokey eye look, but I particularly liked the glammed up version with the silver eyeshadow.

Silver eyeshadows can be very challenging to pull off. When I think of silver eyeshadow I instantly get reminded of that woman at my aunt's bday dinner, she was almost sitting across me, and I couldn't stop wondering what possessed that woman to paint her eyelids in silver... So yeh silver eyeshadows can look pretty dated... I like the Chanel runway platinum eye make-up look, but in real life it wouldn't work, it's definitely an editorial look. So when I saw this look on Kate I was really excited to recreate it, it's super beautiful and wearable! And I must say I absolutely love it, a great example of how a silvery eyeshadow can look chic! 

The key elements of this look are: 1. silver eyeshadow as an accent rather than statement, 2. making sure the edge of that silver eyeshadow is blended with a warm brown shade, 3. a lot of black kohl eyeliner smoked out, except for chocolate brown on the waterline! So here is how I did it - Face: there is strong sculpting and bronzing going on so I used Aerin Illuminating Powder in Pretty Bronze just in the hollows of my cheeks and a touch over the bridge of the nose, top of the cheeks and also over the temples, this warms up your complexion making you look sun-kissed! On the apples of the cheeks I applied Giorgio Armani Sheer Blush in 4.

Eyes: MAC Paint Pot in Groundwork as a base. The silver shade from the Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trio palette in OR 302 applied just over the lid looking straight ahead taking the silver slightly higher up in the middle so that you can just about see it. Definitely avoid putting it into the socket! Then blending the edges of the silver eyeshadow with MAC Eyeshadow in Texture. Winging out the eyeliner in a straight line for a sultry look, blending it with a pencil brush. For this type of look the kohl eyeliner should be really creamy, I find Soap&Glory Kohl in Black perfect for that. On the waterline Kate seems to be wearing a dark warm brown shade, it's definitely not black, but still quite dark, I used Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen in No.4 BlackCocoa. 

Lips: Kate is wearing a toffee-like lipstick shade, although quite natural it still has more colour than just a nude. I chose Topshop Lipstick in Rumour Has It. I have to say this looks is beautiful to wear for a special occasion. I never thought I'd be able to pull off a silver eyeshadow, and I'm so glad Kate wore this look. The silver shade from that Shiseido palette is stunning, it almost has a pearlescence to it, looks gorgeous on. I love this palette, fantastic for summer! I have also created a fiery copper and black smokey eye look with the other two shades from this palette, if you want to see it click here!

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Bumble and Bumble Hair Powder!

I have seen quite a few bloggers rave about this Bumble and bumble Hair Powder and have finally tried it myself! It's a dry shampoo in White and Blondish, there is also one for brown hair and one for black hair. The White Hair Powder is the classic, and I love the texture it gives you in-between hair washes. The other day my hair for some reason looked very flat and roots were getting greasy so I sprayed the Hair Powder and next day my hair looked literally lifted up with dry and clean feeling roots! From all the dry shampoos I have tried I must say this one seems to work best. As far as scent goes, it reminds me of a full-on hairspray, I wish it had a nicer scent, apart from that it's a fab dry shampoo! Also because I have highlights I decided to try the Blondish Hair Powder as well, if you have grown out roots this actually comes in handy as it has a darkish blond natural looking tint to it. If you are into dry shampoos I'd really recommend you try this one.

UPDATE: The Blondish Hair Powder does stain the pillow cases, but washes out fine. Also it gets a little messy when washing the hair, so I would recommend using it only if you want to lighten up the roots and want some extra bit of blonde tint.

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My Fragrance Collection and Favourites!

As some of you wanted to see my fragrance collection I decided to do a blogpost and share some of my beloved perfumes. I love perfumes, and personally I think life would be dull and inexpressive without them. This collection took me years to put together. My oldest fragrance is the Chanel No5, it's probably about seven or eight years old. I use it really sparingly, it's a timeless and classic scent, which I probably wear only a few times a year, predominantly during winter. Generally I love sensual and strong fragrance, full of character and flirtation, with Jasmine and Patchouli notes. When I smell a fragrance I want to be picked up by a tantalising and decadent sensation. Sometimes I don't wear a fragrance for months and then suddenly I start craving it. If I had to pick top five fragrances that I love wearing most they would be:

Chanel Coco - I have almost finished this one, but I only wear it during winter!

Tom Ford Noir de Noir - the sexiest and also the most expensive in my collection.

Tom Ford Grey Vetiver - if a fragrance would be a man, this would be the love of my life. Click here for a full review!

Elie Saab Le Parfum - this is probably the most feminine and pretty smelling fragrance. Click here for a full review!

Reem Acra Reem Acra - Reem Acra is a designer of beautiful wedding dresses and this is her first fragrance, with a middle eastern accent to reflect her roots. Click here for a full review!

There is something about all of them that makes me feel very happy when I smell them on my skin, some sort of chemical reaction that gives me an endorphins rush... They all are Eau de Parfum, the only Eau de Toilette fragrance I own is the YSL Cinema [for a full review click here!], which I almost emptied within a month because Eau de Toilette doesn't last on me. It is a gorgeous and glamorous Hollywood inspired scent. It's a perfect summer scent, I actually purchased it last summer!

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