Filed under: Blogging, Eyes, Face, Hair, Lips, Make-up, Nails, Skin care | Tags: beauty, bloggers, eyes, face, hair, lips, make-up
I’ve always loved reading a good glossy mag to find out what’s hot in the big wide beauty world, but everyone knows the quickest route to the crème de la crème of cosmetics is via the blogosphere.
Thanks to you lovely beauty bloggers, I have seen so many amazing products lately for Spring/Summer 2013. So, to acknowledge these great finds (and fab bloggers!), I have dedicated today’s post to the products YOU introduced me to in your blog posts. As this post could potentially go on forever, I have given myself the tremendously tricky task of picking just five must-have beauty essentials. Enjoy!
ONE
What’s the product? Daniel Sandler Dual Action Make-Up Remover
Who featured it? Sheenie Shaikh, Just Nice Things
Picture credit: danielsandler.com
For years, I used face wipes to remove my make-up, but a few months ago I decided that enough was enough – I was spending so much money too often on a product that did nothing spectacular for my skin. So I decided to move on to a thinner liquid make-up remover and buy cotton wool pads to go along with it, and it has been so much better for my skin. That’s why I am excited about this perfect potential purchase – a dual make-up remover from the highly-acclaimed Daniel Sandler. What’s not to love?
The 120ml bottle costs £15.
Read Sheenie’s full product review here.
TWO
What’s the product? Bumble and Bumble Deep Conditioner
Who featured it? Adrienne, The Sunday Girl
Picture credit: bumbleandbumble.com
I’m always sceptical when it comes to deep conditioners – in the past I have been a sucker for marketing hype and haven’t seen a return on the majority of my hair care investments. However, because Adrienne has thick hair like me, I really trust that this product could be one to beat.
Plus, I have heard amazing things about Bumble and Bumble, but am ashamed to admit I have never tried anything! So I think you’ll find that’s at least two good reasons why I need this product in my life.
The full-size bottle (150ml) costs £21.50, but there’s a smaller version (50ml) for £9.50.
Read The Sunday Girl’s full review here.
THREE
What’s the product? KIKO Glamorous Eye Pencil
Who featured it? Grace, All that Slap
Picture credit: kikocosmetics.com
Not only do I love a high-quality, pigmented eye pencil, but also I adore midnight blue. That’s why I completely fell in love with Kiko Cosmetics’ Glamorous Eye Pencils when I saw them on Grace’s blog last week. Retailing at only £4.90 each, these pencils are a really beautiful bargain.
Read Grace’s full review here.
FOUR
What’s the product? Maybelline Baby Lips
Who featured it? Jane, British Beauty Blogger
Picture credit: walmart.com
Jane is always at the top of her game when it comes to what’s new and worth buying. One of the most exciting products I have seen on her blog lately is Maybelline Baby Lips. Originally from the US, Baby Lips is now going to be launched in the UK (much to many beauty bloggers’ delight). It’s available in several shades, has a sun protection factor of 20, and is said to provide 8 hours of moisture and rejuvenation.
See where I discovered this range here on Jane’s blog.
FIVE
What’s the product? Bobbi Brown Brightening Finishing Powder
Who featured it? Amelia Liana, Liana Beauty
Picture credit: bobbibrown.co.uk
If I had to pick one product that screams Spring/Summer, it would be this uber pretty Bobbi Brown brightening powder. Formulated with mulberry, grape and brightening plant extracts, the powder illuminates the skin while also maintaining a natural effect.
At £40, it is quite expensive, but the fact that it’s so special kind of justifies the cost.
You can check out Amelia’s full post here.
Do you have any of these products already? What do you think of them? xxx
Filed under: Bath and body, Eyes, Face, Hair, Lips, Make-up, Nails, Skin care | Tags: bath and body, beauty, eyes, face, make-up, nails, pancake day
You’ve been to the shop, you’ve got your list of ingredients and you’re ready to go, but wouldn’t be it be so much more fun if you had beauty products to go along with your pancake day experience?
I decided to set myself the strange but wonderful task of finding beauty equivalents to the basic ingredients and toppings we use every year to make delicious pancakes. Plus, I thought we could all do with a smile considering how wet and cold it is out there! Let me know what you think and if you have any alternatives.
Ingredient: Salt
Beauty equivalent: Aveda Stress-Fix Soaking Salts
Lavender and clary sage infuse these salts with a relaxing aroma
Ingredient: Flour
Beauty equivalent: Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Shake this white powder onto your hands, mix with water and you have an exfoliating paste
Ingredient: Eggs
Beauty equivalent: Illamasqua Limited Edition I’mperfection Nail Polish in Speckle
Pretty and purple like a trendy speckled hen
Ingredient: Milk
Beauty equivalent: L’Occitane Shea Butter Milk Shower Cream
Ultra rich shower gel and shampoo
Ingredient: Water
Beauty equivalent: La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water
Soothing toner alternative
Ingredient: Butter
Beauty equivalent: Korres Jasmine Lip Butter
Shea butter and rice wax hydrate and soften the lips
Ingredient: Sugar
Beauty equivalent: Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub
It tastes as good as it looks – lick it off your lips after use to see!
Ingredient: Lemon
Beauty equivalent: Dr Hauschka Lemon Lemongrass Body Moisturiser
Revitalising lemon and lemongrass body moisturiser
Ingredient: Strawberries
Beauty equivalent: Body Shop Strawberry Beautifying Oil
Instant hydration for body, face and hair
Ingredient: Chocolate Syrup
Beauty equivalent: Illamasqua Neutral Palette
Mix and match this gorgeous essential neutral palette
Will you be buying any of these pancake day beauty essentials? xxx
Filed under: Accessories, Bath and body, Face, Lips, Make-up, Nails, Perfume, Skin care | Tags: accessories, beauty, face, hands, lips, make-up, nails, skin care
It’s about time I had a look at the new offerings from some of my favourite department stores for beauty – Selfridges, John Lewis and House of Fraser. As usual, I wasn’t disappointed with what I found, especially when I realised Selfridges has some new exclusive additions to offer!
The most interesting exclusive was Rodial’s Bee Venom Moisturiser (£150 for 50ml). The first thing that came to mind was the price, as it is certainly way over what I would usually pay for a moisturiser, but I think this is more of a high-end anti-ageing skin care product, and so the cost could be justified in that respect. I love the bright yellow packaging and that the cream is infused with hyaluronic acid. Having said that, there are probably better products on the market for less, so it would be interesting to see how this one compares with the industry’s current ones to beat.
The only thing related to bees that I would come close to!
Next on the list at Selfridges are the bold and beautiful new nail polishes from Bobbi Brown in Valentine Red and Valentine Pink. Both cost £11 and are completely gorgeous. Bobbi Brown has managed to get just the right tone of each colour for these beauties.
Valentine’s day date no.1
Valentine’s day date no.2
The final must-have product from Selfridges is the Dior Vernis nail polish in Tutu (£18 for 10ml). This shade is so cute and would be perfect in Spring. What I love about this shade is that it could be worn day and night and still look amazing with different outfits. A chic twist on the nude trend.
SO god damn cute
At John Lewis, there is a new Philosophy Lip Shine in Cinammon Buns (£10 for 15ml). Anyone who loves cinammon swirls will be on this straight away, sticky fingers and all! I just love the smell and taste of cinammon and would love to try this. Plus the shade is great for a barely-there shimmer in the daytime. I love it.
I’m licking my lips already!
How cute is this Catseye (£12.50, small; £17.50, larger size) make-up bag? It’s girly, I’ll give you that, but I think it’s adorable. Perfect for day-to-day storage and a weekend away.
One for the girly girls
Finally, at House of Fraser, I will start with this SUPER cute new facial cleansing oil from Shu Uemera (£56.50 for 450ml). It looks divine and I love the colours this brand uses on all its products. This one is a limited edition product and was designed by the company’s artists. A little pricey, but I’m not put off at all by that, as you get a lot of product for your money.
Round trip to Japan, anyone?
Second on my wish list from House of Fraser is Molton Brown’s Rok Mint Antibacterial Handwash (£16), which sounds tres tres fresh. Infused with basil, blackcurrant and mint, this one looks to be a real treat.
Blackcurrant, basil and mint make this handwash amazingly fresh and revitalising
Finally from House of Fraser is this Givenchy Vernis Please! Nail Polish in Private Grey (£13). I surprised myself with this one big time, as I would usually go for bright and bold colours, but this one was so smooth and sophisticated. Mocha to go, anyone?
Mocha latte miracle
Have you bought anything lately from these stores? Let me know below!
Filed under: Accessories, Bath and body, Eyes, Face, Hair, Lips, Make-up, Nails, Skin care | Tags: body scrub, brushes, etsy, eyes, hair, lips, make-up, nails
I’ve always admired Etsy for its quirky jewellery ranges and gifts, but I have never taken the time to look at its beauty offerings – until now. As soon as I browsed the beauty section, the inevitable happened; I clicked favourite on almost everything I saw, including products that I would never usually consider (like blue and green lipsticks?!).
Quite frankly, the things I found were just too amazing to keep to myself, and so I couldn’t wait to do my next blog post and share them with you. So here’s my top 10 favourite products so far. Let me know if you make any impromptu purchases – I probably will (on pay day of course!).
1/Rose Wood Make-Up Brushes, £19.44, MICUSTOMCRAFTS
Little, large and lovely
I love a good make-up brush, so I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this gorgeous honduran rose wood pairing. They are a little pricy, but any good make-up brush will always be a bit more expensive than you would expect, and these two just ooze high quality and class.
Buy them here (includes shipping).
2/True Green Eyeshadow Natural Mineral Make-Up, £3.24, Lovemyskincosmetics
Beautiful jade green mineral eyeshadow
Hazel eyes love green eyeshadows, especially those that are jade in tone, so I know this colour would be great for me. I already have a MAC pencil eyeliner in this foresty shade, but it would be good to alternate with the eyeshadow and possibly add a thin line of black liquid eyeliner to make my lashes pop. Great price for a natural product.
3/Hair Chalk (Temporary Colour Pastels), £2.59, Sharee Boutique
Great for a temporary style switch up!
I just love the rainbow tips hair trend that is around at the moment. Although I have brown hair, i think it makes blonde hair look fab and love the look, so I had to share it with you! If anyone know how these colours can look good on dark hair, I am all for a learning curve! Good price for a multi-use product and easy to wash out for those looking for a quick style fix! Buy it here.
4/Medusa Opaque Matte Lipstick, £4.53, Impulse Cosmetics
Temptress, here I come
The first thing that struck me with this product is the finish of the colour and how good the matte effect was. I also loved that it was called Medusa as I thought it could bring out the siren in everyone. Very good price and the shop owner claims it is creamy and moisturising, which it would definitely need to be to maintain a matte effect. I reckon it’s worth a try, or two! Buy it here.
5/Indigo Blue Liquid Eyeliner, £5.51, MilkFancy
WOW.
I’ve never tried a gel eyeliner before but I love the idea of choosing different colours to suit my mood and having the freedom to be a bit more creative. Having dark hair and hazel eyes, I can get away with using strong colours on my eyes and lips (not at the same time though, obv), and so this shade of blue is totally perfect. Buy it here.
6/Make-Up Bag in Ecru and Black Natural Coloured Weave, £16, Olganna
Neutral and practical make-up bag
It took me a while to find this make-up bag as I had to skip through all the floral, black and bright-coloured ones, but then I came across this beautiful and practical everyday nude bag and I really love it. There are plenty of pockets for brushes and products and the price indicates it is made with quality fabrics. I definitely want this. Buy it here
7/Cinnamon Bun Sugar Scrub, £6.80, SunKidGifts
yum yum yum
Don’t worry, you did read that right – CINNAMON BUN BODY SCRUB. I can smell and taste it already. Looks like brown sugar – I want it bad! Buy it here
8/Mini Dragonfly Glitter Nail Polish, £1.90, HitPolish
Under the sea…
Completely love the mermaid look that is trending at the moment and using this nail polish is a quick way to join the party. Either lay a coat on top of a block colour or layer it for the ultimate deep blue sea experience. Fab price and worth a try. Buy it here
9/Coconut Cabana Whipped Sugar Scrub, £6.48, BungalowBathBody
I’m taking mine to the beach, pronto!
This is summer all over and would be perfect to take away on holiday. It looks like pina colada ice cream and I bet it smells fantastic. I love a good sugar scrub. Buy it here
10/Moroccan Red Clay Facial Beauty Mask, £11.66, The Soap Opera Soaps
Pure and simple spa-like goodness
There’s something about clay that will always woo beauty lovers. This product would be perfect for a home spa day and it packs an extra punch with the argan oil included. I’m really intrigued by this one – try it! Buy it here
Filed under: Bath and body, Eyes, Hair, Lips, Nails, Perfume, Skin care | Tags: beauty, hands, nails, new in
Apparently it’s ‘Blue Monday’ today, but I reckon it’s ‘Beauty Monday’ (as if every day isn’t a beauty day!), so have searched the web for the best new buys to hit the shelves.
Top of my list from ASOS this week is the Limited Edition L’Occitane Happy Hands Trio Collection (£20 for 3x30ml), Cowshed Perfume Oil Roll-On in Wild Cow (£18 for 10ml) and the Lord & Berry ASOS Exclusive Lipcrayon & Gloss (£15). I’ve heard many beauty lovers rave about L’Occitane’s Shea Butter Hand Cream, so I was excited to see three fresh, limited edition offerings. Mango Flower instantly caught my eye. On to the Cowshed roll-on, I love this brand; I think the fragrances are so unique and really do awaken the senses. I also love the smell of the hand washes and lotions, so it’s great to have the option to wear the different ‘cows’ as signature scents. On first inspection, I have to say that £18 is a little pricey for 10ml, but as oils are much stronger than your average perfume, it may just offer enough to justify its cost. Then, finally, the Lord & Berry ASOS exclusive in fire looks rather tempting – I like the colour and the gloss + crayon combo – it definitely intrigues me enough to make me want to try it.
Feel Unique also has some great new additions to offer beauty addicts. My favourite products are Rebel Nails’ Nail Wraps in French Floral White Tips (£7.99 for 16 wraps) and Guerlain Rouge G De Guerlain L’Extrait in Paresse or Luxure (£29.50 for 6ml). I instantly felt excited for spring when I saw these nail wraps – imagine them with a cute pastel dress and summery wedges – just the image I need to remind me of sunnier times to come! The new lip product from Guerlain is so rich in its tone and effect. I just don’t know what colour to try first!
Debenhams really does have some amazing products on its new arrivals section at the moment. Just look at Lancôme’s Baume in Love Lip Balm in Sugar Rose and A la Folie Cherry (£20) and also its Ombre In Love Eyeshadow in Violette Candy. These products ooze pastel power and will set all beauty bloggers up nicely for S/S 2013.
What’s on your list? Leave me a comment and make this ‘Beauty Monday’ one to remember!
Filed under: Accessories, Bath and body, Eyes, Hair, Lips, Nails, Skin care | Tags: bath, beauty, body, hair, lips, make-up, nails, sale
The first month of the year means one thing – killer beauty sales. As its 2013, I thought I would do a bit of digging online and source 13 of the best products currently on sale from a range of beauty stores. All links included.
I would love to know what you’ve found in the sales this year – why not leave me a comment below or tweet me at @shotofbeauty?
1/Guerlain Eye and Lip Calligraphie Palette, £27, Selfridges
Siren lips and shimmery eyes make this combo a definite steal
2/Illamasqua ASOS Exclusive Nail Duo, £15, Asos
Candy nails here I come!
3/Baylis and Harding Mixed Fragrance 6 Piece Set, £3, Debenhams
Six bottles of bath and body heaven
4/Cath Kidston Buckingham Palace Mirror, £1.75, John Lewis
Cute, scenic mirror from CK
5/Raspberry Body Butter, £6.50, The Body Shop
In my dreams, this would taste as good as it smells
6/Uplifting Grumpy Cow Duo Gift Set, £9.60, Cowshed
The ultimate uplifting duo
7/Babyliss Pro Nano Green Hair Dryer, £7.50, House of Fraser
Just admit it, you love the colour so much you don’t care if it works!
8/Cheek Duo in Up in Up In The Air by Louise Gray, £3, Topshop
Candy pink or peachy and dreamy – the choice is yours
9/Velvet Eyeshadow in Like What You Sea, £6.75, Benefit
Purchase today, be a mermaid tomorrow
10/Ted Baker Leather Quilted Bow Cosmetic Bag, £36.50, Asos
Plenty of room for all my matching lipsticks
11/HydraQuench Cooling Cream-Gel, £23.45, Clarins
Give dry skin a coat of hydration to protect against extreme weather
12/Sparkling Lemon Medium Jar Candle, £10.19, Yankee Candle
Lemony fresh morning scent
13/Geranium & Orange Body Scrub, £17.50, Neal’s Yard
Dry, dull skin has met its match
Filed under: Accessories, Bath and body, Eyes, Hair, Lips, Nails, Skin care | Tags: beauty
All this talk of Dry January is reminding me of my rather empty Fiorelli purse. Although this month is meant to be about new year, new me, it looks like I won’t be trying any new looks until Fab February, which is now in the not too distant future. Luckily, I can lean on my tenner-and-under beauty essentials until then. Here’s my top 10 lifesavers, in no chronological order. As always, I would love to know your favourite beauty essentials, so why not post a comment below and inspire me?
1/Garnier Simply Essentials 2-in-1 Make-up Remover
Removes all my make-up in a few sweeps. Trust me, I wear a lot of make up!
As most of my morning time is dedicated to making my face look shiny and new, I need to invest in a good face and eye make-up remover. This simple 2-in-1 formula, which doesn’t cause skin stripping, is great for removing bits of make-up from unwanted places in the morning, like my lips, the corners of my ears and my eyebrows. It is a dream to use in the evening; all I need is a 2 or 3 thick cotton pads and 5 minutes to shake and sweep the remover over my face. It takes off waterproof mascara pretty easily, but I have to say it does leave a bit of shine on my cheeks after, so I go over my whole face with a dry cotton pad to soak up some of the product left on my skin. As most of the make up removers I could find were advertised just for eye make-up removal, this simple product packs a punch by covering both bases for under £5. Result. Continue reading
Shot of Beauty 