12 Makeup favourites of 2012

1. Laura Mercier Mineral Powder - I couldn't pick a foundation for the year, but I knew when it came to powder there would be no contest. I'm on my third pot of this stuff (for reference I usually wear the shade Natural Beige but I am currently trying Real Sand which is a touch lighter). The finish of this powder is beautiful, it leaves my skin glowing. I cannot recommend this enough.

2. Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer (Shade SC-3) - This is the best concealer for blemishes, its industrial strength! It covers everything and the darker shade blends in with my skin tone perfectly. You get two shades of concealer, you can blend the two together to make your perfect shade or use the lighter colour under the eyes and the darker colour for blemishes. This concealer will also last you forever as you need so little. I think I need to try a Laura Mercier foundation next, seeing as both her concealer and powder are in my top 12!

3. Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer - I have used a lot of very expensive under eye concealers, most recently the By Terry Touche Veloutee which costs a wopping £35.00. This Maybelline concealer costs £6.99 and is ten times better! Honestly the best under eye concealer I have used, it has the perfect balance of coverage and highlighting. I wouldn't use anything else now.

4. L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic Waterproof Mascara - I had a bit of a love affair with this mascara this year. It adds both length and volume to your lashes and doesn't smudge on me at all. I honestly believe with mascara that drugstore is way better then high end. This mascara along with the Maybelline concealer have really made me fall back in love with drugstore makeup, there are some real gems out there and this is one of them!

5. MAC Powder Blush The Perfect Cheek (Matte) - This blush came out with MAC's Marilyn Monroe collection and I would have to say it was probably the best thing in that collection. I wore this blush none stop for a good few months. The colour is perfect, natural but still gives you a beautiful flush to the cheeks. Its the perfect blush for when you don't know what to wear or when the rest of your makeup is quite heavy. Such a shame that its not permanent to MAC's range, but this was the second time it had been released so I'm sure they will release it again at some point. On a side note I really hope MAC improve their collections this year, I want to get as excited as I was about Venomous Villains! Imagine if they released a Disney Princess version (SQUEAL!)

6. MAC Prunella Eye Kohl - OK this was a very random I have some euros left and I want to spend them in MAC holiday airport purchase. I never really thought I would love it, but I could remember someone on YouTube mentioning it (it may have been Kandee Johnson but I cant remember) and I just wanted to try it! I don't know what it is about this eyeliner but I will now never be without it! Since Ive got it, this is pretty much the only eyeliner I have worn. Its a dark, slightly metallic plummy colour and all I do is line my upper eye (pretty messily) and smudge it out with my finger and it looks beautiful! I like it because its not as harsh as a black but gives something more then a brown. Honestly I urge you to try this.

7. Chanel Emerveille Illusion D'Ombre - One thing that has changed about my make up this past year is that I want to achieve a more natural look. I want makeup to enhance my features, rather then mask them and with this I have also found I favour products that are quick and easy to use and if I can apply them with my fingers even better! Cream eye shadows are a perfect example of this. I slap this on with my fingers, then apply Prunella, smudge it out, apply mascara and I'm done. I love it and its so much easier then using 2 different eye shadows and 2 different brushes. Emerveille is the perfect colour peachy colour to make you look awake, I wish Chanel had more neutral colours in this range as I would swap all my eye shadows for these!

8. Givenchy Hydra Sparkling Magic Lip and Cheek Balm (Shades Peachy and Rosy Glow) - Without a doubt my favourite lip balm ever. I can't believe these little pots don't get talked about more because they are amazing. I have two shades but I believe the Peachy Glow was a limited release for Spring/Summer but don't panic because the pink colour "Rosy Glow" is actually my favourite and is available all year round. Now I am favouring a more natural look, rosy glow fits in with that perfectly. This is a gorgeous pink colour which adapts with your skins PH, so depending on the person you will get a different shade. Honestly, I am obsessed with these, I really want them to release a red shade that would be amazing!

9. MAC Lingering Eyebrows - I think I have got through at least 6 of these this year, so really there was no way I could not include this in my favourites. Best eyebrow pencil I have used, lasts all day, very creamy, and the colour is so universal. I have got all three of my best friends using this now and that's saying something because they are not YouTube beauty addicts like us! Only downside is how quickly these run out, I have to buy two at a time now just in case!

10. Burberry English Rose Lip Cover - I can't do nude lips, I wish I could. I long to buy Creme de Nude, Myth or Hue but I just cant because they make me look like a corpse! This is my kind of nude, if you are after a Rosie Huntington-Whiteley lip colour then this one is perfect.

11. Clinique Black Honey Almost Lipstick - OK this was a very late contender but I have decided to put it in as I have fallen in love with it. This is a cult beauty item that has been around for years but what made me try it is (now this is very sad I know) Lord of the Rings! I am a huge Liv Tyler fan, even bigger Steve Tyler fan ;) and I was watching it the other day and just became a bit obsessed with her make up. After googling I found that this was the lipstick they used, so of course I had to try it. It looks very scary in the tube but on the lips its very sheer and moisturing almost like a balm, this is something I will always have in my makeup bag now and maybe I'll do a post on my Arwen inspired make up ;)

12. Miners Cherry Tin o' Tint Lip Balm - Again, another late contender but I am so in love with this lip balm at the moment that there was no way I couldn't include it, plus its only £2.99! If you haven't already noticed, I love tinted lip balms and this Miners one is my favourite for the beautiful cherry colour. As I mentioned I am going through my Arwen make up stage and this colour is perfect.

So that was a lot harder then it looks! I would love to hear your favourites and any recommendations.

Birthday Presents from Sephora

The best thing about my birthday this year was that both my sister and best friend were in the USA around the time, so I waved them off with all my love, well wishes and Sephora birthday present hints! ;) I wish Sephora would come back to the UK, or at least ship here. It's honestly my all time favourite shop, I could spend all day in there!

I thought I would share with you some of the goodies I got, a few things I had asked them to look out for but others were complete surprises!

My sister got me two things from the Sephora Cinderella collection, which was the best surprise as I thought everything would have been a pretty instant sell out! 

I got the perfume rollerball which is called 'So this is Love' which is a lovely girly smell and I love rollerball perfumes to keep in your bag. As well as not having Sephora, why do we not have rollerball perfumes either? Penalised for being English!

I also got the Midnight Hour Eyeshadow Palette

This is a beautiful palette, its one of those make up items I would buy for the packaging alone! I don't think I can bear to throw away the boxes and I love the attention to detail. On the mirror it says "It's the exit he'll remember" Oh Disney why have you ruined me with your impossible to obtain fairytale romance!

My favourite colour is the peachy/beige colour, including this kind of shade with the usual smokey grey colours appeals to me as it makes the whole palette so much more versatile.

I love this nail varnish by Illamasqua. The colour is called Charisma and its a gorgeous metallic red, but not the horrible kind where you can see every brush stroke on your nail!

Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in Boost

I love Kat Von D, ever since those early days on Miami Ink, I even own every season of LA Ink. I just adore her style, especially her Gothic interior design!

Kat Von D make up is exclusive to Sephora and in my opinion its the best "Celebrity" make up range. Everything from the packaging, to the product names has Kat's style. I have tried a lot of her products and there really are some gems. So I always ask for something from her range if I know someone heading to America!

Kat Von D True Romance Eyeshadow Palette in Starstuck

Now this was one of the things on my list, I saw this on the Sephora website and I loved the colours. I don't do brightly coloured eyeshadow, but I will wear reds and oranges with neutral colours as they really compliment blue eyes and make them stand out. I also don't have any palettes with colours like these at all.

Everlasting Love Liquid Lipstick in Lolita

Another one on my list, I saw Kat post a picture of this on her instagram and had to have it. I don't know the exact colour she was wearing, but I had a guess and went with Lolita. 

This baby does not budge, in fact this swatch stained my arm for quite a few days! I ate, I drank, it stayed on but one of the downsides of this is how drying it is. This feels very dry on the lips I wont lie, but you can wear a lip balm over the top to help combat the dryness.

And lastly from Kat Von D my friend surprised me with her rollerball which has her two signature perfumes, Saint and Sinner

Next up (we are almost there I promise) was a nail varnish that my sister got me last year and I have almost used it up, so I was really hoping to get a replacement.

Its from Sephora by OPI and it has the best name ever

Be-Claus I Said So = My.favourite.ever.red.glitter

These last two things will probably seem very boring if you live in the US, but again more things that we cant get in the UK!

I love EOS lip balms, because there is nothing more disgusting then sticking your finger in your lip balm and getting it all under your nails *bleurgh*

And Maybelline Baby Lips, I have been wanting to try these for so long but you still cant buy them in the UK! Why don't we get the good products hey :'( 

Maybelline Baby Lips Peach Kiss

Finally, I thought I would include this even though its not from America or Sephora but my mum got this for me for my birthday and I have used it everyday since. Its the much hyped Bobbi Brown Bronzer brush. I love it, its the perfect size, density and softness. At the moment I'm using Nars Casino which is a little dark for me now and with the kabuki I was using I was looking a little bit like I had put my make up on in the dark. But with the Bobbi Brown brush, it blends out so smoothly that I no longer have orange stripes for cheeks! Hooray

Birthdays rule! Oh and I went to the V&A Hollywood Costume Exhibition for my Birthday, which I cannot recommend enough. If you are into films, please go and see it. I also had a lovely dinner in Beach Blanket Babylon in Nottinghill (cant go wrong with the burger!) and saw a showing of The Shining at BFI Southbank (Jack Nicholson crushing)

Hershesons Blow Dry Bar Review

It was my birthday a couple of weeks ago (26 ahh!) and as I have always wanted to go to the Hershesons Blow Dry Bar, I thought it would be the perfect excuse.

Hershesons Blow Dry Bar is in Topshop Oxford Street. You chose the style you want from the pictures on the wall and in 30 minutes they will create it for you.

I was umming and ahhing about what style to go for but ended up opting for Smooth and Wavy. I was torn between that and Carlam which is a gorgeous braided up do, which I think will have to have next time I go!

You can also chose whether to have your hair washed or not. We had already washed our hair prior and I think for some of the styles, particularly the up dos they would work better on second day hair rather then freshly washed hair.

Now I am really annoyed with myself as I didn't get particularly great pictures, I had planned to but it ended up being a major rush to get home from Hershesons, to then have the biggest panic rush getting changed and get to Notting Hill for 7pm. So apologies for that!

My friend Sophie had the Bardot, this looked stunning on her and is something that I would never be able to achieve at home. I don't think I would be able to pull this off but it looked amazing on her.

My turn, see what I mean about bad pictures! As I said before I went for the Smooth and Wavy and I loved it. As I have very straight hair my curls dropped more throughout the night but I actually really liked how it changed and got more messy. This picture really doesn't do it justice, but Joe who did my hair did an amazing job and I would love to be able to do this to my own hair everyday! 

Finally, my friend Chloe also opted for Smooth and Wavy. Chloe's hair holds a curl better then mine and still looked lovely the next day. I really love the smooth and wavy style, I'm definitely doing to have to try and recreate this at home.

For £25 I really don't think you can go wrong, I will definitely be going back!

WAH Halloween Nails

Although I just did a post on Halloween nails for grown ups, I am a child at heart, so when I saw WAH's Halloween nail designs I fell in love.

If you haven't been to WAH Nails before, or have never heard of them I did a previous post on my first visit, which I will link here

I went back to WAH in Oxford Street Topshop. Topshop have a whole beauty area downstairs and I would really recommend taking a look. There's Hersheson's blow dry bar, a bleach bar, tattoos, piercing, waxing, nails, just about everything! I have booked in for a Hersheson's blow dry next Saturday so I will be sure to do a post on that to show you the results!

I went back to WAH with my friend Sophie who also had Halloween mix and match nails, these are hers above. The witch in the moon looks amazing, so intricate and the ghost is so sweet!

Here are my Spooktacular nails, I am just a little bit in love!

I also went for the mix and match, there's too many designs I love at WAH just to pick one! 

I think the vampire teeth have to be my favourite, they look amazing, so detailed, I keep staring at them!

I absolutely love WAH and would highly recommend taking a visit. The girls who work there are all so talented and lovely. Ebony did my nails this time and she did an amazing job.

I booked my appointment in advance, which I would recommend doing as they get filled up fast. To book just call Topshop Beauty on 020 7927 7844.

Sadly I have no Halloween parties to go to, but I did just go and see Paranormal Activity 4. A very average movie, but what can you expect when they are dragging it out for a 4th time! I'll just stick to Halloween nails next year!

Halloween Nails for Grown Ups!

If you want to get into the Halloween spirit but nail art isn't your thing, here are my picks for the perfect Autumn colours from Essie. 

First up, "Bahama Mama"

This is the perfect berry wine colour. It looks much more purple in the bottle then it does on the nails. I love this colour its that kind of Gothic colour I want at this time of year, reminds me of a wax seal!

From Essie's new Autumn 2012 Stylenomics collection I have picked its namesake "Stylenomics"

This and Bahama Mama are my two favourites, this is a very dark green, almost black. The green hasn't picked up as much in the photos as it does in real life but I love this colour. For some reason it reminds me of a pirate!

Next up we have "Wicked"

This is a pretty much dead on dupe for Chanel Rouge Noir, which is one of my favourite polishes of all time. The only different is that Rouge Noir is slightly redder whereas Wicked is slightly more brown in tone. But to your normal person, these two are exactly the same colour! Personally I would say pick Rouge Noir out of the two, its a cult classic and I think everyone should own it!

And finally although I'm almost 26, even I cant say no to a bit of glitter. As an alternative you could try a flake top coat. Various brands make them, but the one I have by Essie is called "Shine of the Times". These give a really cool effect on the nails and depending on the light, shine red/green/orange. The colours make me think of Autumn leaves and unlike glitter this isn't a bitch to remove!

Happy Halloween!

Retail Therapy (I blame Boots 3 for 2)

I blame Boots 3 for 2! Although I also went to John Lewis, but that's beside the point! You know when all your favourite products all run out at once and it always seems to be the expensive ones! My Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish is dangerously low, my Alpha H Liquid Gold is all gone and my favourite Ojon Full Detox Shampoo leaked in my swimming bag. I honestly cried 'No, no, no, NOOOOO" when I realised. So there were a few things I needed to repurchase and then a lot of things I didn't need at all!

So the two things I actually went for....

I'm very lucky to have a brother who works for John Lewis and gets staff discount, so that eases the pain slightly. I picked up another Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. I have been really enjoying using this lately, I had gone off it for ages after discovering Bioderma but now I'm right back on it. I blame laziness, just rub it all over your face and wipe off with a muslin cloth. It makes my face feel really clean, but I will say its not the best at getting waterproof mascara off. I got the large 200ml size which is about £24 (ouch) but lasts ages.

After the swimming bag disaster I knew I couldn't be without my Ojon Full Detox Shampoo. I wont go on about it again, as I just raved about it in my last post (Beauty Graveyard) buts lets just say I'm very happy to be reunited and this little baby will not be going in my swimming bag ever again!

Onto the things I didn't go for!....

REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask - I have been wanting to try this after hearing Fleur de Force rave about it and having picked up Alpha H Liquid Gold on her recommendation I have complete faith. Like Liquid Gold this contains Glycolic Acid so I'm expecting good, noticeable results. I will let you know once I have tried it! This was £30, so if I don't like it, its probably a good thing!

Dior Lip Liner in Natural Beige - I blame LisaLisaD1 on YouTube for this entirely. I love Lisa she is one of my favourite people to watch and some of my favourite products have come from her recommendations. This is my third Dior Lipliner, I have Linen, Candy Rose and now Natural Beige (all because of Lisa may I add!) They are really lovely on the lips, the colour blends but also lasts and I just love the colour range. I highly recommend these.

I have a really bad habit of going into Boots after work. You know when you have a crappy day and you just need that instant fix. Well Boots is my drug! Plus its 3 for 2 on all make up, amazing!

Barry M seem to have released loads of new glitters and they were so sparkly I couldn't resist! I got Rose Quartz Glitter (349) which looks like it could be a dupe for OPI's Teenage Dream from the Katy Perry collection, which I had to throw away because it went all gloopy :'( On a side note, that is one thing that puts me off buying expensive glitter nail polishes. They don't have a long shelf life so I love that Barry M are now extending their range! I also got Amethyst Glitter (354) which reminds me of a tin of Roses, all purple and blue and shiny! Last but not least I got Gold Mine Glitter (355) which is a gold glitter in a black opaque base (good for Halloween!)

I also picked up 2 Essie polishes, Wicked which I have wanted to try for ages. I'm sure its a dead on dupe for Chanel Rouge Noir which I already own but I couldn't find anyone that had compared the 2 online so I will do that for you! I also got Bahama Mama which is that perfect Autumn dark purple kind of a colour.

Make up wise, I didn't actually get that much but I really don't need any more make up! I got the Revlon lip butter in Creme Brule because Anna from The Style Diet on YouTube was raving about it (YouTube is the worst enabler!) I am actually really glad I got this, I was worried it would be too nude for me but it looks lovely over the top of my new Dior lip liner purchase (Natural Beige) or I also really like it over Rimmel Spice lip liner.

I picked up the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush because I have never seen it in stores before and I love my Real Techniques Buffing Brush so much. The Real Techniques face brushes are amazing for applying foundation, I would recommend these over Sigma brushes. I had to throw away my Sigma angled kabuki brush because it had a huge dent in the middle from shedding so much, my large tapered face brush from Sigma looks like its heading the same way too, so I really do not recommend Sigma for their face brushes. Just a little FYI for you there!

And finally because it was 3 for 2 I got another one of my beloved Loreal False Lash Telescopic Mascaras (waterproof black) so we will never be parted!

I promise I will try to be good now!

The Beauty Graveyard

I love using up products which is probably half the reason I love doing my Beauty Graveyard posts so much. If you haven't read one of my Beauty Graveyard posts before, they are basically just mini reviews on all the products I have used up recently. 

As much as I love trying new things I'm pretty loyal with the products I love. Once I find a product that works for me I will stick to it and repurchase it again and again. I have decided to add a little star next to the products that have appeared in previous Beauty Graveyards, that way you can see which products I really rate. 

Organix Brazilian Keratin Therapy Shampoo - The Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo from Organix appeared in my last Beauty Graveyard post and I really didn't rate it very highly but I love the Brazilian Keratin Therapy Shampoo. This leaves my hair so smooth and sleek, I feel like a young Cher! I really recommend both the shampoo and conditioner and I have already repurchased both. I don't think you can go wrong when it only costs £6.99 from Boots.

E45 Moisturising Lotion * - My favourite body moisturiser. E45 moisturises but doesn't leave you sticky, its amazing!

Marc Jacobs Hibiscus EDT - Part of Marc's Tropical Splash range, Hibiscus was my go to summer scent. After sniffing this my mum purchased "Rain" from the collection and that is equally lovely. I would definitely buy another fragrance from the range next Summer.

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic - This is one of Liz Earle's most famous products. It might sound strange but I love the slightly medicinal smell this toner has, it makes me feel like its doing my skin good! I know that's not scientific in the least. This is a very refreshing toner, doesn't make my skin feel tight at all and its great for getting the last bits of your make up off after cleansing. This too has already been repurchased.

MAC Eyebrows "Lingering" * - Best eyebrow pencil ever, the narrow tip makes it so easy to add the tiniest of strokes to your eyebrows and Lingering is very much a universal colour. This pencil is so good that I've got my two best friends on it now. Each of us even has a back up one stashed away because we are so paranoid about it running out!

Ojon Full Detox Shampoo - This is a deep cleansing shampoo by Ojon which I have fallen in love with. Ojon recommend using this once a week to remove impurities and product build up. I would use this every time I wash my hair if I could, so I have settled for every other wash. If you have greasy hair this is a must. Sometimes I can wash my hair and it still doesn't feel completely clean especially if I wash it at night, its almost greasy again the next morning! But when I use this my hair feels so clean, light and fresh but it doesn't feel stripped or dry, it just feels so clean! Honestly if you don't suffer from greasy hair you probably wont know what I'm banging on about, but this is my second bottle I have been through and I would not be without this!

L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic Waterproof Mascara - Simply, THE BEST MASCARA (apologies but capitals are necessary). Please note this is specifically the waterproof version as I haven't tried the regular! This gives me the longest lashes that stay curled all day and this is the first mascara that I have used which doesn't transfer on me (not even on the bottom lashes) I'm on my third tube already!

Bioderma Crealine H20 * - My favourite make up remover, feels like water on the skin. The only thing that annoys me is how quickly I get through it!

L'Oreal Professional Solar Sublime After Sun Nourishing Balm - L'Oreal's Solar Sublime range is amazing, different products to protect and care for your hair following sun exposure. I used the shampoo and conditioner on holiday and my hair didn't dry out, or get knotty or frizzy at all, plus this smells divine! I want to use it all year round!

Elemis Fresh Skin Skin Glow Exfoliating Face Wash - So Elemis now have a range in Superdrug, who knew! I was very excited when I saw this. I'm guessing its a diffusion range similar to what Boots have done with Essie. Sadly though I wasn't that keen on this facial exfoliator. Since discovering Alpha H's Liquid Gold I really haven't cared much for gritty exfoliators and I just don't really feel this did anything to my skin.

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap Mild - This must be donkey's years old and was lying around in my swimming bag. Lets just say I'm glad its gone!

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair - This is just a diddly sample size bottle but it lasted me a good while. I really enjoyed using this and am very tempted to purchase the full size (I just don't want to spend the money!) You put this on cleansed face before bed (I personally don't follow with a moisturiser but you can if you wish). In the morning my skin looks and feels brighter, smoother and plumper. I can see why this is such a cult product.

Avene Eau Thermale Thermale Spring Water - Water in a can? Actually very refreshing, I like the mini size to keep in my bag in the summer to spray on my face after particularly sweaty train journeys on just to have a permanent mist spraying on my face on those really hot days. Not a necessity by any means and not something I would have any use for in the Autumn/Winter months but a nice product none the less.

Moroccanoil * - I solemnly swear that I will never, ever be without this. EVER. Holy grail, without it my hair is quite literally shit!

Body Shop Coconut Shower Cream - I hate bad packaging and this shower cream was too thick to get out of the bottle, causing a lot of faffing about for an average product. Not a fan.

L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil - From one naff shower cream to an amazing one. This feels so luxurious and moisturising on your skin, I am a little bit hooked. The downside is that its £16 but it is a wonderful product.

Yes to Cucumbers Soothing Daily Calming Moisturiser - This is the first thing I have tried from the Yes to range. Yes to really appeal to me as brand with their all natural products, I think they have got their branding spot on. I enjoyed this moisturiser, I will be honest it wasn't amazing and I have tried better but I like the fact its natural ingredients. I have now bought the Yes to Tomatoes moisturiser which I am excited to try!

*'s represent how many times a product has appeared in the Beauty Graveyard post