Thursday, September 22, 2011

Chanel Injection.

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I think it's only right, that in every female's life, there comes a time when we need that tiny little top up of high end nice-ness. Something I like to call a "Chanel Injection". We don't need it daily, or even weekly in order to keep us going...just every now and then, to keep the smiles on our faces & to boost our retail therapy excitedness.

This is what I will continue to tell myself when I start to think "I possibly shouldn't have spent so much at the Chanel counter this month". But fear not, I don't do it often and injections are always beneficial right?

So, My first trip was purely to get a sample of the Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation, of which I ended up walking away with the Soleil De Tan Bronzer and another little sample of some Mascara. The lady was so nice though, and I had wanted it for ages. I'm enjoying using it, although, I do find it leaves me a little patchy at the end of the day as it's not your typical powder bronzer. Does anyone know how I can combat this? The colour is nice also and it looks pretty sat on my dressing table (please remember ladies, this is NOT a reason you should buy any product, but it is slightly more satisfactory than a boring revlon bronzer). I've not yet used the mascara sample, but it is a plastic brush, which aren't my favourite kind. In fact, I normally avoid all plastic applicators as I find bristles give a better effect in general, but this could change my mind.

Onto the foundation, and the reason for my second Chanel purchase. I used the sample (which was quite generous, you could get at least 3 applications from it) and I instantly fell in love with it and ran out and purchased it. I have however, since using it on a number of different occasions, come to the conclusion, that although it's a fantastic foundation and has everything I love about a foundation in it (natural coverage, great colour, sinks in fast, looks flawless yet natural, not too dewy, not too matte), I think it may be a bit on the drying side. At first it didn't seem at all drying, but as the days go on, it seems to cling to any dry patches on my face (just like pro lumiere did), I'm starting to think there is something in Chanel foundations that do this to my face. Is it just me? I find that I need to exfoliate more, and moisturise more, even though at the moment my skin isn't really all that dry. I still really love this foundation, albeit it a bit more on the pricey side, and slightly drying and i'll keep using it. Not too sure i'll repurchase though.

Do you ever have these naughty little splurges? Please reassure me. haha.


Tuesday, September 20, 2011

September GlossyBox

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After attending the GlossyBox Event, I was super excited to receive the September GlossyBox in the post. There is definitely that element of excitement not knowing what you are going to get & everything is presented so beautifully. I understand that the contents of each box may vary slightly but these are the products I received in mine:

♥ L'oreal Professionelle Mythic Hair Oil
♥ HD Brows Eye & Brow Palette
♥ StriVectin SD Eye Concetrate
♥ Mary Greenwell Plum Eau de Parfum Sample
♥ Nuxe HuileProdigieuse (dry oil)

My favourite item is definitely the brow kit. The shadows are so pigmented and easy to blend & I've really enjoyed using it, the colours will also be really good for smokey brown eyes although I have yet to try this out. Besides this palette, I've not really had the chance to try anything else in the box out yet (I'm still trialling the things from the event). I have however given the perfume a little sniff, and that one is not for me at all. It smelt a little like an older lady's choice of perfume in my opinion. Possibly a bit too floral for my liking. Although it could be someone else's cuppa.
I'm still undecided on whether to subscribe to GlossyBox or not. I think the concept is amazing, and a great oppertunity for beauty fanatics to try new, exciting products and I think that it's also a great idea as a gift for someone, I know for a fact my mum would love this sort of thing.

What do you think of GlossyBox? Have you subscribed or are you thinking about it? Let me know your thoughts :)


Saturday, September 10, 2011

GlossyBox Event

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Victoria (VIPXO) & Lily (LLYMLRS)
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Me, Victoria, Louise & Lily (Kindly taken by Lily at Glossybox)
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Last Thursday, after attending the Illamasqua Event with Louise, we made our way over to Mortons in Mayfair for the GlossyBox event. It was extremely swanky round there let me tell you. I felt a little out of place in my chino's & flats.

I had heard a lot about GlossyBox, both good, and bad, but having not looked into it more myself, or subscribed to the box, I went there with a completely open mind and not really knowing an awful lot. I already knew that it was a fabulous idea however, but after speaking with the girls behind the brand it all became very clear how much thought and effort went into these boxes, and it confirmed in my mind that in fact, it's a marvellous and exciting idea and concept. I know that most of you may have already had your fair share of GlossyBox info, or be subscribers to the box, but for those of you who may be reading this wondering what it is, I shall quickly sum it up for you (I will probabaly give it absolutely no justice whatsoever, but I will try) GlossyBox is a monthly subscription, which arrives to your door, in a little box, filled with high end Beauty & Cosmetic samples. The idea is that you pay a smaller amount that you would to buy full sized products and get to sample a variety of different things you may not have thought to try previously. The previous boxes have contained brands such as Nars, Illamasqua, Ciate, Xen Tan...to name a few. There are also lesser known brands, some of which deserve to be shouted about I'm sure. It's a great concept for those of you who may wish to experiment a bit more with different beauty products and spend less doing so.

At the event, we were given an empty box, of which we could fill with 5 products that had been used in GlossyBox's during the previous months. This was seriously fun, we even got the little sticker and ribbon to tie the bow (I don't know how they manage to tie these so neatly, mine was a shambles) It was a lovely evening, and the girls were all so friendly, I didn't get to chat to everyone but I spoke with Sky & Lily who were both gorgeous & lovely. I also finally got to meet Victoria & Lily who's blogs I both adore & overall it was a splendid event. Thanks for having me GlossyBox.

At the event we were given a little voucher for a free GlossyBox, I received mine yesterday, but I am staying tight lipped until the subscribers recieve theirs, so look out for my review on that.


Friday, September 9, 2011

Illamasqua: Theatre of The Nameless Collection & Event

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Last week, I was lucky enough to be invited by Illamasqua to see their new Collection "Theatre of The Nameless". The event itself was held in a swanky bar in central London (Dean Street for those of you who need all the minor detail). In true Illamasqua style, the room was decorated with luxurious fabrics and dark decor to fit their mysterious theme. They definitely know how to fit a scene.
I arrived with Louise (SprinkleofGlitter) after getting lost in China Town and Leciester Square and flagging down a taxi to drive us the whole 2 minutes up the road. You can tell we don't live in London. We were greeted into the event by Hayley at Illamasqua who gave us a run down of the new products. The theme behind the collection is based on 1920's Berlin and the underground subcultures, namely one woman in particular - Anita Berber, a 1920's "lady of the night", actress and dance performer. She, alongside a chap called Sebastian Droste (her lover) performed very shocking, and out of the ordinary shows which bent the rules of Theatre in the 1920's. They were the rebels of their time. The colletion reflects this dark mood, with sultry, smokey reds and dark contours, alongside very striking harsh lines.

One thing I really love about Illamasqua are the stories behind every collection. They really think about the things that inspire them and I can only imagine what their research boards look like. Every product has its purpose, story and theme and that really does make such a difference to the overall collection. You really feel as though you must own everything.
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Top Photo: Me & Louise (SprinkleofGlitter)
Me, Hayley (at Illamasqua) & Zara (MouldyFruit)

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There are a handful of makeup items in this collection which had me drooling, and others that I wouldn't feel overly confident to rock out (like the green lipgloss) but it's things like this that make Illamasqua so unique. There are people out there that crave something different and dramatic, and so these out of the ordinary colours and combinations are perfect. Some of my favourite items were the Loose Pigments & the Cream Pigments. I already own 2 of the loose pigments and they are by far the most intense, compact pigments I own. I highly reccommend them, escpecially with the sealing gel for extra secure eyeshadow or even for an eyeliner. The cream pigments got a lot of attention in the previous collection, and I had been eyeing them up since, so I was so happy to see they had been brought back in this collection. The colour "Androgen" is gorgeous!
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Cocktails and the Live versions of Anita & Sebastian
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On leaving the event, we were given a little bag of goodies to take away & play with. I was exceptionally happy with the 3 items I was given & if asked, I would have totally chosen these myself. They obviously know me too well. ;)
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The first is an intense lipgloss in "Bella Donna". A deep pink with a slight plummy undertone. This lipgloss is gorgeous! It makes your teeth look sparkling white, and is such a flattering colour. I'd wear this on a night out, but since I have been rocking a statement lip more than normal, I'd even wear it during the day. It's not overly sticky or drying and has such a great pigmentation.
Then we have the Cream Pigment in "Androgen". This is my favourite item of the three, and possibly whole collection. It's massively pigmented and makes for the most perfect blush. I love my coral blushers as I feel they really compliment my complexion so this is going to be a new staple to my makeup routine.
Last and by no means least, is the nail polish in "Faux Pas". These nailpolishes were designed to give the nail a waxy, "rubberised" look and texture. Somewhere between shiney and matte. I really love this idea, and actually the finish looks fab. Especially for the Autumn. There's 3 other colours in this range, a stoney brown shade, a deep cerise and a bottle green. I want to get my mitts on the stone brown.
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Overall, I was thouroughly impressed by the collection and the products within it. The lovely people at Illamasqua never fail to make a product launch spectacular. With everything from the inspiration, to the product design to the amazing promo shoots. It's slightly on the higher end of the makeup brand scale, and the prices do reflect this, but with it comes quality. I have plenty of makeup items from Illamasqua that I treasure and use on a regular basis, and i'll continue to buy from them as long as they keep bringing out these amazing products.

To check out Illamasqua and the new product launch, as well as their previous collections and regular makeup stock, check out their website: http://www.illamasqua.com/