Illamasqua Cameo Nail Polish

I have a weakness for blue nail polish, particularly blues of the cornflower/periwinkle variety and Illamasqua's Cameo is my newest addition.

The pictures really don't do this colour justice, its much brighter in real life with a slight purple tone that doesn't show up on camera. It reminds me of a brighter Barry M Blueberry, if Blueberry got hardcore!

As with all Illamasqua nail polishes the formula is amazing, opaque in 2 coats and very long lasting

 I believe this is an online exclusive, or so the very nice lady at Illamasqua told me. I ordered mine direct from Illamasqua for £14.50

May Favourites

I didn't do a monthly favourites for April, I just didn't feel like there were any products I was really loving but there were a few little gems in May that I thought I would share.

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer - Radiance: I bought this primer a while back and hadn't really shown it much love. Now we are in the Summer months I have been using it every day in conjunction with my Urban Decay De Slick Makeup Setting Spray, which is another favourite! I find these 2 products combined make my make up last a whole working day, which is exactly what I need! I have this primer in the 'travel size'. If you wanted to try it, I really would recommend getting the travel size. You will save yourself quite a bit of money and there's 30ml of product in this little guy which is the same amount as a foundation, so will still last you ages. The travel size costs £18.50 for 30ml compared to £28.00 for 50ml.

MAC Bite Of An Apple Blush: Ahh the Venomous Villains collection was by far my favourite ever MAC collection. I remember the excitement and the anticipation as if it were yesterday. MAC please do another Disney collection! Bite of an Apple was another product I had left neglected but it really is a beautiful blush. I think the colour looks like a very natural red toned flush on my cheeks which I love and as its slightly more coral toned, its great for Summer. If this gets re-released in another collection I would really recommend picking it up, or if you have if in your collection I encourage you to dig it out!

Benefit They're Real Mascara: This was a brand new product to me which I fell unexpectedly in love with. When this mascara first came out I had zero interest in trying it but now I wonder what took me so long. This lengthens my lashes and makes them very defined, I wouldn't say it was particularly volumising but I love the effect it gives. Only thing I would say is that you need to spend a bit of time with it, do one coat, then back with another, but slowly! You cant rush these things ;)

MAC Cream Colour Base in Hush: I love MAC's Cream Colour Bases for highlight, without a doubt my favourite cream highlight. I have already gone through 2 pots of the stuff but in different shades, Shell and Pearl. When I used up Pearl I decided to try a different shade and went for Hush. Hush is peachy toned, whereas Peal is much more white and opalescent. I think I prefer Hush as its slightly more natural looking on my skin tone. Hush and Impropper Copper when you have a tan look amazing and they don't get talked about enough compared to Pearl!

Givenchy Hydra Sparkling Magic Lip and Cheek Balm: Without a doubt, my favourite ever lip balm. I mentioned it in my essentials post and it was also featured in my top 12 of 2012. I cannot be seen without some form of colour on my lips, which is why I love tinted lip balms. I particularly love these as they feel really moisturising and the colour is beautiful, plus I love the stain it leaves on my lips.

Rimmel 60 Seconds Nail Polish in Rose Libertine: I have loved this colour this month. My friend originally bought this and send me a picture saying it was really good, then I saw it on her in person and it was a done deal. A couple of days later I saw the lovely Essie Button mention it, which I thought was a kind of cool coincidence. This is probably the most feminine colour you will see me wearing. Its really flattering and lasted almost a week on me with no chips. Brilliant!























Urban Decay De Slick Makeup Setting Spray: I really do love this setting spray, it really works. Spray it before and after your make up and you are good to go!

Clarins Gentle Exfoliator: I have been really enjoying reading Caroline Hiron's skin care blog lately and wanted to pick up a few of her highly recommended products. I have to say everything I got, I love including this toner. This is similar to Alpha H Liquid Gold but much more gentle and I have been using it every day. I really noticed a difference in my skin, it does seem brighter and clearer but I'm having to try and ration it as I seem to be getting through it ridiculously quick!

Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel: This is my second tube of this stuff and its by far my favourite discovery in a long time. I use this at night, all over my face to remove my makeup and rinse with a muslin cloth. This feels so nice on my skin, I much, much prefer it to the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm and I find its far better at removing mascara than the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. I hope I'm not developing a Clarins addiction!

Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Eye Gel: If you read my blog you will know I am a huge fan of the Yes To range, I love that their products are all natural. This eye cream is friggin amazing. First of all its a gel, which I love. I much prefer eye gels to creams as they feel so much more refreshing. This instantly feels cooling when I put it on my eyes, I keep thinking I should try putting it in the fridge for an extra cooling effect. I also love the packaging, its really convenient, you can see exactly how much you have left and there wont be any waste. I haven't tried anything in the Yes To range that I've been disappointed with yet.

Hydraluron: This was my other Caroline Hiron's influenced purchase. I'll leave it to her to explain it properly, but basically you put this on your face underneath your moisturiser and its designed to help your skin absorb more moisture. Since using this and the Clarins toner I honestly have noticed a difference with my skin. It feels softer and almost looks plumper, but in a healthy way! Again I am getting a bit concerned at how quickly I'm using this up though! I need a lesson on rationing!

I love reading and watching monthly favourites posts, so leave me a link to yours!

A little trip to Selfridges

I got some exciting new beauty bits last month and with my Internet back in action I can finally share them with you.

I headed off to Selfridges with a plan. I had used up my bottle of Maison Martin Margiela's Funfair Evening and wanted to try another scent from his Replica range, which is exclusive to Selfridges. Hence the trip! I picked up Beach Walk and just in case you missed it, I did a post about it yesterday

I finally managed to find the beauty emporium in Selfridges and couldn't resist making a few extra purchases! I have really been enjoying my Stila Convertible Colour's lately and there was one more on my wish list, Fuschia. This is a lovely pink colour, its not as bright as I expected but it really brightens up my face when I wear it, a very pretty, feminine colour.

Another brand exclusive to Selfridges is Kure Bazaar. Kure Bazaar's nail polishes are made from 85% natural ingredients and I was immediately drawn to this colour, Or Rose. I love this rose gold colour, for comparison its a little lighter than Orly's Rage.

 Bumble and Bumble's Surf Spray is a cult beauty item which I have wanted to try for years. In fact I don't know why its taken me this long to try it! I didn't want to splash out on the big bottle, so when I saw this mini bottle in Boots for £10 I snapped it up! Sadly I have been left unimpressed by Surf Spray.  The concept is simple, a sea salt spray to give your hair a natural beachy, textured wave. I find Surf Spray doesn't give my hair much wave at all. It leaves my hair feeling weighed down and is horrible to touch. Now I could deal with that, if it gave me Jennifer Aniston hair, but it doesn't...it just makes my hair look like it needs a wash :( Glad I only picked up the mini bottle!

From one disappointing item to another surprisingly good item. Last months Elle magazine came with a free mini tube of Benefit's They're Real Mascara. Now I don't normally jump on the magazine freebie band wagon but this seemed like a pretty good deal and I was intrigued to try the mascara. Plus Miley Cyrus was on the cover of Elle and I have already confessed my love for Miley here
Anyway, I used up every drop of that mini tube and fell in love with this mascara. It gives me defined, long lashes and I love the torture ball end for winging out my outer corner lashes. Also I usually always have to buy waterproof mascara's but They're Real doesn't budge on me, so an extra thumbs up for that!

My weak moment, Urban Decay's Naked Basics Palette. I really didn't need this, yet I bought it! I felt the need to complete my Naked palette collection and convinced myself I needed this! Now if you aren't a beauty hoarder like myself this would be a great item to own but I am a make up hoarder and need another eyeshadow palette like I need a hole in the end! These eyeshadows are all buttery soft and of really good quality, I just wish the colours were a little warmer. I do love a warm brown ;) I'm hoping to play around with this a bit more and Ill make sure I do a face of the day with it soon.

Annnnd finally my eBay Nail polish obsession has died down but every now and then I do get sucked back in and I really do love blue nail polish! Welcome OPI's Suzi Says Feng Shui.

Maison Martin Margiela Beach Walk Replica Fragrance

I have blogged about my love for Maison Martin Margiela's Replica fragrances before

After finally using up my bottle of Funfair Evening I was bereft and headed to Selfridges the following weekend to try another scent from the Replica range.

Each fragrance is meant to replicate a familiar scent or moment from a particular time. Beach Walk represents Calvi in 1972 and is described as sun kissed salty skin. I really could not think of a better description than that!

 To me this fragrance instantly evokes memories of holidays and the beach, it is the perfect summer scent.

If you are a fan of Bobbi Brown's Beach or Estee Lauder's Bronze Goddess then you definitely should give this a sniff.

Maison Martin Margiela's Replica fragrances are exclusive to Selfridges and priced at £65 each.

The Essentials

Although I am the first to admit I am an absolute beauty whore there are some products and beauty tools that I am extremely loyal to. These are things I use on a daily basis without even thinking about it. These items are so ingrained in my beauty routine that I never even think to blog about them, but I think its finally time I gave these little beauties the attention they deserve!

First up, the tools of the trade!

Tangle Teezer - I know how much I love my Tangle Teezer when I cant find it and the thought of using a normal hair brush fills me with dread. The first place I look is my little brothers room! Yes he is also a big fan and the fact that he has 2 of his own still doesn't stop him taking mine! So now I have 2 Tangle Teezers just in case, actually I have 3 but one is a travel one so surely that doesn't count?! If you have long hair I cannot recommend this enough, brushes through tangles so easily and painlessly. Would also be great if you have children who hate having their hair brushed. Definitely not a gimmick.

Bobbi Brown Bronzer Brush - Since I got this for my Birthday last October I have not used any other brushes for my bronzer. As well as feeling so soft, the wide brush head applies just the right amount of bronzer and blends beautifully. I have had no shedding with this brush and although its pricey I definitely see it as an investment. I really should check out more of Bobbi Browns brushes.

Real Techniques Stippling Brush - I tend to favour cream blushes over powder and the Real Techniques Stippling Brush is the best brush to apply them with. As they are synthetic they are easy to clean and dry easily. Also at £10.99 this brush is an absolute bargain and nothing comes close to it in terms of quality.

Tweezerman Tweezers - Simply put the best tweezers ever! I'm sure we have all been there, trying to unsuccessfully pluck that one eyebrow hair with a crappy pair of tweezers out a cracker. Don't let that be you, get some Tweezerman tweezers you will not regret it. Plus I absolutely adore the New York design on mine.

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers - Like Tweezerman's these are a cult beauty tool for a reason and I think I can safely say the best eyelash curlers. I have had my silver pair for at least 8 years and I just bought the gold pair. This was a completely unnecessary purchase, but what can I say I was gutted when I missed out on the gold version the first time around!

Fluffy Eyeshadow Blending Brushes - Where was I before I discovered these! When I was studying makeup at college the eyeshadow blending brushes we had were so scratchy, verging on painful. When I discovered these, I would call it life changing! I have a few favourites, the Sigma E25, MAC 217, MAC 224. Pick up anyone of these and it will completely change the way you apply eyeshadow.

 Now onto the products!

Urban Decay De-Slick Make up Setting Spray - I spray this all over my face before I apply my makeup and again when I have finished my makeup. Before I discovered this, I would look in the mirror at lunchtime and my makeup would have completely disappeared from the middle of my face! Not really the look anyone wants! Since discovering this my makeup lasts all day until I remove it at night. Its love and I'm now on my third bottle!

Moroccanoil - When it comes to haircare I like to keep things simple, really simple! Its very rare for me to even dry my hair and this is the only product I use in my hair. This has completely changed the texture of my hair, I no longer have frizzy dry ends. I use this every single time I wash my hair, just one pump rubbed through the ends.

Laura Mercier Mineral Loose Powder - This is one product that I have raved about a lot on my blog already so I will simply say its my favourite powder.

Seche Vite Top Coat - How did I get by before I discovered Seche Vite, that's what I want to know! I refuse to use any other top coat now. My nails are dry within 15 minutes and I mean dry enough to actually do things with your hands! Plus its so shiny, I often get questions if my nails are gel! I will never, ever be without this! If they stopped making it I really don't know what I would do!

CND Solar Oil - This is a nail and cuticle conditioner which I swipe on my cuticles after Ive painted my nails. This stops my cuticles getting too dry and I also think it helps extend the wear time of my polish. I use this every time I paint my nails and I'm almost at the end of my bottle. I also love the packaging of this, its really convenient and non messy.

 MAC Lingering Eyebrow Pencil - Like my Laura Mercier powder, I rave on and on about my love affair with Lingering but I just cant help it! This fills my brows in but leaves them looking natural which is exactly what I want. The nib is so tiny that you can draw in actual brow hairs and it wont look like you coloured your eyebrows in with a marker pen! I constantly have a back up of this because if it runs out I panic!

Givenchy Hydra Sparking Magic Lip and Cheek Balm - These little pots are my babies! Without a doubt my favourite lip balms, they are so moisturising and the colour is gorgeous. I have these in my handbag at all times. The orange shade was a limited edition but the pink shade is available all year round. I wish they would make a red one of these, I have already planned that if they do I will buy at least 10! I hope someone from Givenchy is reading this!

I would love to hear some of your beauty essentials :)

Real Techniques Limited Edition Duo Fiber Collection

Ever since I heard Real Techniques were releasing a new collection of brushes I have been refreshing the Boots website like a woman possessed! Finally on Friday night I found them in stock and didn't hesitate to add them to my basket!

 The duo fiber collection consists of three brushes, duo fiber face brush, duo fiber contour brush and duo fiber eye brush. The collection is limited edition and in stock on the Boots website now. They should be available instore from the end of May, although my local Boots did not have them when I checked on Saturday.

Duo fiber brushes are great for a lighter application, if you are prone to getting a bit heavy handed or love very pigmented blushes you will really see the benefit of using a duo fiber brush. I also find they blend your make up beautifully leaving no harsh lines, or the dreaded tide mark!

 Duo fiber face brush: "For lightweight application and blending of face powder and pigments"

I love a glowy finish so I'm not a powder lover, but if I don't powder my skin it ends up looking shiner then Britney's red catsuit. This brush is great for people like me as it will deposit less product for a more natural finish.

Duo fiber contour brush: "For controlled contouring and sculpting"

There is one product I cant wait to try this brush with, the infamous Chanel Soleil de Tan.  A beautiful cream bronzer but prone to leaving orange streaks if not blended well. I think this brush will work wonders! Would also be great for applying highlight.

Duo fiber eye brush: "Add finishing touches to the eyes"

I know, I know you should apply your make up in natural light but I cant be the only one who only opens half a curtain in the morning! This brush will be a life saver for me on the days where Ive gone a bit heavy handed with my eyeshadow!

All the hairs on these brushes are synthetic, taklon bristles and are surprisingly soft. I was worried they might be a little bit scratchy but I couldn't be more wrong. All of the Real Technique brushes I own have really impressed me due to the fact they don't seem to shed....at all! The quality is amazing.

 If you have got your eyes on these I would act fast as I don't reckon they will be around for long. Available from Boots for £23.99

Face Of The Day With Diorskin Nude BB Creme

First of all can I just say, screw you super fast BT broadband! Its been a long month but I'm back to blogging and I have missed it :) To make up for my internet woes I'm going to try and post everyday for the next month, so lets see how that goes!

I thought I would ease myself in gently with a face of the day and these are actually my favourite posts to do.

I started off spraying Urban Decay's De-Slick makeup setting spray all over my face, this has been a life saviour this month as the weather gets warmer and my skin shinier!

I wanted a lighter coverage so I used the Diorskin Nude BB Creme all over, blended in with my fingers. Like everyone else I saw Lisa Eldridge recommend this and unashamedly plonked my chubby flat arse right on that band wagon. I haven't used it enough to give a full review yet.......

Powder wise I went with my ye old faithful Laura Mercier Loose Mineral Powder in Real Sand, no surprises there!

To try and brighten my ever darkening under eye circles I used the MAC Prep and Prime Highlighter in Light Boost. This is a very yellow toned concealer which I like as it helps cancel out redness. Also this concealer does not crease on me at all, so happy days!

For bronzer I used the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil. I'm starting to think this bronzer is never ending! I have been using it non stop but it just wont go!

My blush is another favourite, NYX's Red. I love this blush and would really recommend checking out NYX blushes if you haven't already. Amazingly pigmented, long lasting and an absolute bargain!

Now its a bit sunnier I have started reaching for my cream highlighters again, MAC's Cream Colour Base in Hush is a lovely warm colour which looks more natural on my skin then Pearl.

I then spray my face again with the Urban Decay De Slick, double lockdown!

Eyebrow wise I used my staples, MAC's Lingering and Illamasqua's Brow and Lash Gel. Its hard for me not to talk about these two in every post, but honestly they are amazing and every time I use them I just love them! If you want to thicken your brows but keep them looking natural, stop what you are doing and go and try these!

NARS Pro Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow base is another must have. This makes my eyeshadow last all day and I like that once its blended in it just disappears. Its easy to blend eyeshadow over it and it doesn't change the colour of the eyeshadow you are putting on top.

For eyes I used Benefit's Creaseless Cream Shadow in "My 2 Cents" this is my favourite shade of colour, a coppery brown. I always reach for these shades as they bring out my eyes....if I do say so myself! On top I used the lighter golden colour from the NARS Isolde duo, another one of my favourites!

I cant believe Ive used 2 Benefit products in one post and I really like them both! I am not drawn to Benefit as a brand, I find their products to be quite gimmicky and overpriced but I have to hand it to them, this mascara is really good. Now ignore the picture on the packet it wont make your lashes look anything like that, but it will define every single on of your lashes, therefore making your lashes look fuller. The torture ball end is also great for getting the outer corner lashes. This is a mini tube which was free with this months Elle magazine and I have loved it so much Ive already gone out and purchased the full size tube.

After using that expensive mascara I thought I would keep things cheap and simple with my lips and went with Miners Tin O Tint in Cherry. I love this little pot of tinted lip balm.

For a change I thought I would include my nail polish as well. I'm wearing Rimmel's Rose Libertine which is probably the prettiest, girliest nail polish you will find me wearing! This is another beauty bargain and Ive worn this all week with no chips, brilliant!