Lipstick I Love: MAC Viva Glam V

I visited Harvey Nichols today with my mum for the first time in a very long time and accidentally ended up in a chair being colour matched for a Studio Sculpt foundation at MAC. Turns out I'm NW20, but more on that another day...

The purpose of this post is not to wax lyrical about foundation dear readers, but to introduce you to a new found love. We're an unlikely pair, me and this lipstick but from the moment the make up artist swatched this lippy on his wrist, I knew it was much more than a crush.

I wanted to jump on the Viva Glam wagon (you know, do my bit for charity and all), but Viva Glam Nicki was nowhere to be seen and Viva Glam VI was a bit too 'plummy' for my tastes.

Viva Glam V was launched in 2004, so it's been on MAC counters for a while, but I'm a bit of a MAC novice to be honest, so today was the first time I'd really looked at this in all it's shiny glory.


This lipstick is a neutral pink (which is weird for me because I love a loud lip), with flecks of lustrous shimmer (once again, unusual for me - I favour matte formulas).

without flash

with flash

 It's creamy and comfortable to wear and feels exceptionally hydrating on the lips - the polar opposite of the moisture-sappingly gorgeous Ruby Woo.

So what's a loud and proud lipstick loving girl like me doing with an inoffensive nude?

The answer is simple: Sometimes, I feel like being quiet :)

P.S. if you're looking for a nude everyday colour you can apply on a crowded train without a mirror, I couldn't recommend this one enough.

*I just want to mention, although this is a pricey lipstick, the entire £13.50 from the sale is donated directly to http://www.macaidsfund.org/

Clinique Pore Refining Solutions Instant Perfector

To be honest, I don't pay too much attention to my pores. This might be down to the fact that I don't own one of those magnifying mirrors and that I haven't been for a facial in a good few years.

The reason I was drawn to this product is actually because of Benefit. I was captured by a Benefit girl at Debenhams a few weeks ago and she showed me their cult primer The Porefessional. I was all ready to let her convince me I needed it in my life, until she mentioned the fact that it's £23.50...

I've read pretty good things about it and I'm sure it's a great product, but I think that price is a tad ridiculous.

Anyway, ranting aside, the concept of The Porefessional had got me interested in minimizing my face craters, so when I came across the Instant Perfector by Clinique I kind of had to have it (even though, at £18, it's not that much cheaper than The Porefessional :/)

   All in all, I'm pretty happy with this product. It's subtely tinted, comfortable to wear and has a really soft, almost powdery finish. I applied it this morning and still have it on now and it hasn't left my face shiny but hasn't sapped the moisture from it either.

I don't have the SLR at the moment, so wasn't able to get a decent photo but I'm sure it gave my complexion a noticeably smoother, more even finish. I guess you'll just have to take my word for it :)

Clinique Pore Refining Solutions Instant Perfector is available in 2 skin tone shades - Invisible Light (that's the one I have) and Invisible Dark or Invisible Bright for skin that's a bit on the dull side.

Have you tried the Instant Perfector?


Thanks for reading :*

OOTD : Beetlejuice Chic?...

Hello!

So I've been obsessing over the exceedingly cool Jordan Jeans by Motel Rocks for some time...

...but unfortunately they retail for £48 and I simply can't dish out this much coin for a pair of trousers.

So, I improvised and found these leggings at River Island for £16.
Similar look for less than half the price? Yes please, I'll take two.

I actually only took one, and this is what they look like:

I like these because they're a tad quirky, slightly offensive and make me feel a bit like a sexy zebra.
 If that isn't a result, I don't know what is.

What do you think? Do you like this look or does it just remind you of this guy?

Thanks for reading as always :) x

Diorshow New Look Mascara + Light Painting at Selfridges

The Beauty Hall at Selfridges is undoubtedly one of my favourites to play in and it's events like this one that cement my passion for the place.

On Thursday, I met my parents on Oxford Street for lunch and afterwards I went with mum to the Selfridges Beauty Hall while dad escaped down to the electrical department before I could start cooing at the lipsticks.
We saw that there was some commotion at the Dior counter, so made a beeline over there to have a sneaky peek at what all the fuss was about.

The cause of the excitement was down to a brand new mascara - Diorshow New Look to be exact- and mum and I were given eye makeovers by one of Dior's fantastic makeup artists using the new mascara and Dior's Five Couleurs Eyeshadow palettes.

 

My beautiful mum!

Me!

Diorshow New Look is one of those 'little brush' mascaras, featuring 2 different types of bristles that promise to capture, volumise and lengthen every lash. I was really quite impressed with the mascara and I'm hoping I'll be able to get my hands on it one day :)  



The highlight of the Diorshow New Look promo was the 'Light Painting' photo booth. Mum and I were the first civilians (non-models :o) to be photgraphed in it - a privilege indeed!

The Light Painting works like this:

You get in, have your photo taken, then 'paint' the air with little light pens that look exactly like a Diorshow mascara tube. This is how our photo turned out:

....Not the best photo, but you get the idea :)

Interested in trying out Diorshow New Look and throwing a pose in the Light Painting booth? Head on down to Selfridges London before the 31st of March and try it for yourself :D

P.S. Dior have just released a heated eyelash curler, exclusive to Selfridges! It's battery powered, very portable and rather chic indeed!

Find out more about the Dior event here!

Thanks for reading :* 



Tag! You're it :o

Hello!
I hope you are well on this fine Tuesday evening :0

For a little bit of light entertainment tonight, I thought I'd answer some questions I was tagged in by the very cute sugastrawberries.

I quite like reading Tag Posts to be honest, but if you don't I suggest you LOOK AWAY NOW :)


Ok, here it is people:


1. What is your favourite fashion accessory?
Does jewellery count? Let's say it does. I'm rather fond of my Vivienne Westwood ring. I bought it from her Mayfair store when I was in London on holiday  in 2008 (I still lived in Australia then). My boyfriend at the time had given me a ring for christmas before I left, then broken up with me via text while I was in London - on christmas day I might add! So I threw his ring in the Thames and went and got myself a Westwood one. Too much information? :)

2. What makeup item could you not live without?

Mascara. I feel weird being in public without it.

3. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?

On a work day I get dressed & made up in about 15 minutes :o

4. Do you have a nickname?

Han Han.

5. What is your favourite nail varnish brand?

I find the 17 polishes never miss the mark, plus they're super cheap!

6. Which do you wear more, heels or flats?

I used to wear heels almost every day when I worked for a magazine back in Australia, but since I've been in London it's flat boots and Converse all the way.

7. What is your biggest pet hate?

Rudeness...

8. Which do you prefer, summer or winter?

I love snow (still a bit of a novelty) so definitely winter.

9. What is your most loved item of clothing?

I couldn't be without my ultra comfy t shirts from Uniqlo. I have a couple of these but this one is my favourite.

I'm also rather fond of my Marc Jacobs coat that my brother's girlfriend gave me.

10. How many countries have you visited?

I've been to Australia (obviously), England, Ireland, Scotland, France and Belgium. I guess that makes it six.

11. What foundation do you use?
I alternate between applying Clinique Even Better with a stipple brush or buffing on some bareMinerals :)

First FOTD

Hello! I'm posting on my iPhone again because the dongle I got just isn't coming through with the goods :(

Anyway, to the point: For my first (and possibly last!) ever FOTD post, I thought I'd just show you the makeup look I wear most days.
It's all about flicked black eyeliner and bold red lipstick. Pretty simple really and oh-so-easy to achieve.

This morning, I almost went without the token red lip in favour of a neutral pout...

But I ended up reaching for the Ruby Woo :)

So a run down of the products used:

Base:
bareMinerals Prime Time Primer
bareMinerals Foundation in Fairly Light
Bourjois Blush in 34 Rose D'Or

Eyes:
L'Oreal Super Liner Carbon Gloss in Carbon Black
Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer in Noir
Rimmel Eyebrow Definer in Black Brown

Lips:
Lucas Pawpaw Ointment
MAC Ruby Woo


So there you have it, hope you like it :)

Can't wait to be back online properly again :0
X

Lipstick I Love: Barry M Lip Paint *Shocking Pink*

I know I'm a bit late in jumping on the Barry M bandwagon, but after trying out this aptly named 'Lip Paint' I'm fairly sure I'm the newest member of Barry's sprawling fanclub.

Those who know me are well aware of my fondness for red lipstick (especially good old Ruby Woo which I'm totally about to write a post on). For me, a vibrant true red is my fail safe option, the little black dress of my lips, if you will.
A good red makes me feel instantly more perky and strangely more confident (does anyone know what I mean by this?), but perhaps it's time to expand my lipstick horizons a little and experiment with some colours that are a little out of my comfort zone...like bright PINK :o

I'd heard many good things about the Barry M Lip Paints, so I figured I'd gve the brand a whirl for my debut into the world of matte pink pouts. My colour of choice? Shocking Pink (shade 52). I figure if you're going to do something, you may as well really do it. Here are the results:

This picture doesn't really do the colour justice - in reality it is a bit brighter, and kind of makes me feel like I should have a long suffering boyfriend by the name of Ken whom I live with in our dream home. In other words, a bit like Barbie.

Barry M Lip Paint is £4.49 at Boots & Superdrug

I think I'll get a lot of wear out of this in the coming months as the weather warms up a bit and I start tanning a bit. It's a really fun, vibrant shade that is matte yet moisturing - the perfect pink!

Thanks for reading! Thoughts?

xx

Let's All Have A Laugh....

...At my very first Outfit Of The Day.

Ok, so I generally really like reading other blogger's OOTD posts, so I thought it could be fun to do one myself :0

My beautiful friend (and new housemate!) India said she liked what I was wearing today and suggested I do a little post about it. She even volunteered to take a couple of snaps of me striking a pose (looking uncomfortable).
Midriff is back in a big way and I seem to have acquired a few different interpretations of the trend already, including this top from Topshop.

Top: Topshop £29

Super Skinny Jeans: Primark £9

Converse: JD Sports £45

Awkward Pose: Models Own

To be honest, I used to turn my nose up a bit at Primark when it comes to clothing, but I have to say that I find their jeans utterly fanastic in terms of value. They've brought out loads of coloured jeans that are unbelievably affordable, so if you haven't checked them out yet, you really should!

So....does anyone have any posing tips for me? ANYONE? :)

Thanks for reading!

:*

DIY Dip Dye

Hello! So I've already started suffering lack-of-internet induced psychosis and simply couldn't exercise the patience to wait for it to be connected, so I bought an extortianately priced dongle to tide me over :o.
Hooray for painfully slow internet!

Anyway, to the point of this post:

You may have glimpsed that terrible picture of my recently dip-dyed hair in my previous post. For your viewing pleasure, here is a slightly more clear one:

And another...

So how did I do it? Pretty simply really.

I went to Superdrug and picked up a pack of this:

I chose the highlight kit after reading about Zoella's experience with using it to ombre her hair, though I was slightly scared about what shade it would go on my black locks :\

So how did I do it?

Firstly, I fashioned myself a beautiful cape from a rather large garbage sack, then mixed the colour according to the instructions, sectioned my hair into two low pigtails, applied the mixture messily to the tips of my hair, wrapped the two sections in tinfoil, ate dinner, had a cup of tea, watched an episode of Sons Of Anarchy, rinsed the bleach out in the bathroom sink, conditioned the ends, rinsed, allowed to dry naturally, smiled at how easy it was.

I left the bleach to work its magic for about an hour, resulting in a coppery-reddy colour that I rather like!
I thought my hair would feel a bit nasty afterwards, but I'm pleased to report that it does not, though I do work a fair dollop of  Alberto Balsam Intensive Treatment into the ends when I wash my hair.

What do you think? Do you dare to Dip-Dye? (sorry)

xx

DIY dip dye preview

Hello!
I've literally just moved house today, so I don't have Internet access on my computer, but I was itching to do a quick post tonight so I'm doing it on my iPhone ;o

I 'dip dyed' my hair a few nights ago and thought I'd show y'all a sneaky peek at how it looks in the form of a fairly dodgy instagram pic.

When I get back online (and my new camera arrives) I'm hoping to do a proper write up on how I did it, as well as take some decent photos!

Thanks for reading this very short post!

:*

Cheap Thrills: alberto balsam intensive conditioning treatment

So my hair has been looking a bit frizzy lately, especially at the front where I had it bleached within an inch of its life after Christmas. Observe:

I got over the blonde bits pretty quickly, so figured I'd just whack some BLACK DYE over the bleach, and everything would return to normal, right? Wrong!

Firstly, the dye simply won't stick to the bleached bits and 'permanent' colours rinse out to a light/ medium brown colour after a couple of washes, so I now have black hair with brown bits at the front :/

Secondly, the parts at the front are a bit fried and frizzy and the strands literally break in my hands when I'm washing it. :0

What to do? I needed an intensive conditioner, and I needed it fast.

I would love to have waltzed into a salon and indulged in a half hour treatment while munching on complimentary biscuits and flicking through Elle, but my budget simply won't allow such privileges, so I told myself that I will have to find the solution at Boots, using only the points on my Boots Card.

Problem? I had only £2.23 on my rewards card.

Solution? Alberto Balsam intensive conditioning treatment for £1.07.

I have been known to be a bit of a hair care snob, and usually make a bee line for the pricey (but travel sized) salon brands, so I haven't used anything by Alberto Balsam for a while, but I really couldn't be happier with this product.

Containing extracts of almond & honey, this treatment is rich, thick and nourishing and claims to repair damage (which is what I need), smooth the hair cuticle and restore softness, manageability and shine.

It's super easy to use - just squeeze out a generous helping, and put it on your hair, concentrating on the nasty bits. Leave for a few minutes, then rinse.

The consistency is thick and luxurious

I used this last night, and I can honestly report that my hair feels considerably softer and silkier, though I think my bleached parts are beyond help and I'm going to have to wait that one out!

All in all, this treatment is lovely and an absolute bargain. The best aspect of it, in my humble opinion is the scent - it smells just like honey and almonds (funny that).

I would definitely buy this again.

Have you tried this treatment, or something similar?


Thank you for reading :)


Hannah Rose xxx

Coming Clean: bareMinerals cleanser

Hello!

Since I visited bareMinerals at Debenhams to collect my foundation sample last week, I've been much more interested in the brand and was pleasantly surprised by the fact that bareMinerals isn't just about makeup, but skincare too.

Because Spring has *allegedly* sprung, I thought it could be time to put away the cleansing oil that kept my winter skin in check and make room in the shower for something a little more 'clean' feeling.

So, after a consultation at bareMinerals, I was steered towards their Deep Cleansing Foam.

The key ingredients in this cleanser are Grapeseed Oil, Avocado Oil and Starfruit, but the hero component is the bareMinerals ' rareMinerals ActiveSoil Complex'.

What on Earth is ActiveSoil you ask? 

The ActiveSoil Complex is essentially a concentrate made from organic, mineral rich soil! 

And here I was thinking that the point of cleansers was to remove dirt from ones face :0

The complex is supposed to tighten pores and encourage cell turnover, water absorption and general luminosity therefore promoting a softer, smoother skin texture.

To use, you only need a tiny pearl sized amount which you lather up on to your damp face. A word of warning: make sure you don't get this stuff in your eyes. Believe me, it stings.

I'm quite a fan of that 'soap and water' clean feeling some cleansers provide (like the Foaming Cleanser by Clarins I used in Australia) because I like my face to feel squeaky clean in warmer weather, and this cleanser fits the bill. It leaves my face feeling very clean, but not dry and and tight and has a nice herbal scent too!

Have you tried anything from the bareMinerals skincare range?? ?

There is such a thing as a good stain

We've all gone a bit bonkers for lip stains lately, and it's not without good reason. They're feather light, quick and easy to use and claim to stay put throughout eating, drinking, snogging and just 'being' in general.

But, as any cosmetics enthusiast (you) would know, a lot of products are all talk, and don't always deliver on their promises! So, with this in mind, I've always hesitated to purchase a lip stain because they always seemed too good to be true - rich pigmentation, long wearing and comfortable? How is that even possible??

Here's where Smashbox Limitless Lip Stain & Colour Seal Balm comes in...

Smashbox Limitless Lip Stain & Colour Seal Balm
£21.50 at Debenhams

I visited the Smashbox counter at Debenhams on Oxford Street on Thursday night to get prettied up before going to see my friend's band and had a good gander at all the lovely products.

I'm not very familiar with Smashbox, so it was fun learning about cool cult products like O-Glow and their best selling primer, but one product that really aroused my curiosity was the lip stain.

Initially, I wanted to try it because one shade in particular caught my eye - a dark blood red called Sangria - but after the make up artist put it on my lips, I felt that it was maybe a little similar to a few reds I already own, so she suggested I try the stain in Guava.

Then I fell in love.

These lipstains were created to mimic the effect of 'photo gels' on shoots, which I'm assuming is due to the vivid pigmentation it leaves on the lips.
The colour pay off of this stain is incredible for a product that's water based and it actually does what it says on the tin - it stays put for a long time (though not for the 8 hours it claims), doesn't feather and is virtually weightless.

Guava is a beautiful, vibrant orange-red. Perfect for spring really :)

Using the stain basically feels like colouring in your lips with a felt tip, though it's not unpleasant, and you just give the pen a little shake to encourage more colour to reach the tip.
The tinted emollient balm on the other end is hydrating and comfortable, and adds a nice sheen to the lips.

So far, I'm really impressed with  Limitless Lip Stain & Colour Seal Balm by Smashbox and if you're near a Smashbox counter I recommend you give it a try for yourself!

To show you how it looks on me, here are some creepy instagram photos of my lips. Enjoy.

Thanks for reading :)


Hannah Rose xxx