Ebay Wishlist #1

1. W7 Black Glitter Nail Polish
2. Rose Gold Plated Ring
3. Spiked Peplum Top
4. Tan Satchel Bag
5. EcoTools Eye Brush Set




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The book shelf #1

Other than being interested in beauty and fashion etc, I really love to read so I thought I would share some of my favourite books that I've read recently.

I've read quite a few Nicholas Sparks novels. Although they are a bit cheesy in places, his books are an enjoyable read.
Safe haven isn't really a weepy like some of his others but I couldn't put it down. Without giving too much away, the story is based around a young woman Katie who moves to a small town in North Carolina. She meets and fall in love with a widower named Alex but struggles with secrets that continue to haunt her.
There is a film version coming out with Josh Duhamel and Julianne Hough next year.

I bought Delirium by Lauren Oliver after reading her novel Before I Fall (total weepy sob sob)
Delirium is set in a world where love is seen as a disease. Once a person turns eighteen they are given a cure which stops them from loving another. The book is set around the character of Lena, who cant wait to be cured until she meets a boy named Alex.
This book is amazing, I read it in a few hours as I just couldn't put it down. When I read the synopsis, it sounded a bit far fetched but Lauren Oliver is a really clever writer in creating a world that is believable and allowing the reader to sympathise with the main characters.
Pandemonium is the second book in the trilogy. There is more action than in delirium but its just as good. The book ends on a cliffhanger which will lead into the third book nicely. I seriously cannot wait for the next book Requiem to be released.
I think the trilogy will appeal to anyone who enjoys dystopian books such as the hunger games.

Divergent by veronica roth is my next read.




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MAC Glamour Daze Collection

Lipsticks:
Beauty - pale cool pink (G)
Innocence - soft coral (F)
Glamourdaze - midtone creamy plum (CS)
Outrageously Fun - midtone magenta violet (CS)
Dramatic Encounter - deep purple (A)

Lipglass:
Impossibly Sweet - sheer soft pink with multi-dimensional pearl
Deliciously Demure - soft cool brown with pearl
Talk Softly To Me - light creamy coral pink
Pink Fade - light creamy pink
Flight of Fancy - rich purple

Extra Dimension Skinfinish:
Whisper of Gilt
Superb

Extra Dimension Eyeshadow:
A Natural Flirt - soft peachy nude
Divine Blue - midtone aqua
Ready to Party - pale lilac
Stylish Merry - midtone dusty violet
Tall Dark and Handsome - black with pearl
Evening Grey - steel silver
Round Midnight - dark burgundy
Stolen Moment - dark taupe

Fluidlines:
Catch My Eye - cool taupe grey with dazzle pearl
Little Black Bow - charcoal with dazzle pearl
Feminine Edge - pink mauve with dazzle pearl

Kohl Power Eye Pencil:
Raven - intense black with red pearl
Orpheus - intense black with gold pearl
Mystery - intense black with green pearl
Feline - intense black with black pearl

Powder Blush:
I'm the One - midtone blue pink
Easy Manner - light dirty peach
Small Vanity - dusty rose tan

Nail Lacquer:
Endless Night
Girl Trouble
In the Limelight
Everything that Glitters


I've been a bit disappointed with several MAC collections this year but I have really high hopes for this one. I'm so happy the extra dimension shadows and highlighters are back. I bought Superb earlier this year and its amazing.
There are also several gift sets included as part of this collection so I think it will sell pretty well.
Glamour Daze is released in the US on October 25th so I'm gonna guess that that it will be out in the UK the first week of November.




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Latest in Beauty Editors Box//September 2012



Its been ages since I did a post on a beauty box. I don't subscribe to any at the moment which is exactly why I like latest in beauty. Unlike other boxes, latest in beauty is a none subscription box, released every so often and you get to view the contents before you buy.

The latest editors box cost £9.95 with free delivery which I thought was pretty darn good for the contents included.

Included this month were three full sized products

*Nelsons pure & clear daily face wash - This is why I really wanted the box as I've been eyeing this up for a while and cant wait to try it.

*Vintage cosmetics tweezers - these have a floral design and are so pretty

Balmi lip balm blackcurrent - I've heard many good things about balmi and I like that you can attach the balm to a keyring but this flavour is awful. Its strong and synthetic and left a really bad taste in my mouth. Really disappointing.

Other contents included

*Good things miracle mattifier - I have really oily skin so looking forward to trying this

*Weleda firming night cream - another one I'm excited to try as I've never used weleda before.

*Mineresse secret weapon mascara - my mum has already claimed this so I'll see what she thinks

*Beauty fixation by japonesque tinted lip conditioner, makeup remover and nail Polish touch up - these are such a clever idea and perfect for travel. The makeup remover looks perfect for using to touch up any eye makeup mistakes.

*Chia bia omega 3 sachet - I think this is a nice addition to the box as omega 3 is meant to be great for health and skin. You can get these from holland and barrett so if it doesn't taste bad I will stock up.

*bath salts - I prefer showers to baths so I will let my mum use these but again I think a nice addition to the box.

Overall, I'm really impressed with this box. The value of the of the face wash alone is around £7 and balmi lip balms are £4.99 so that more than covers the price of the box.

There is also a good variation of products and brands.

This box has sold out but sometimes they do release a few more. You can also check their page here for info on other boxes.

p.s Im now on instagram. my username is zoelouxx

If you're a user let me know your username in the comments below and I will follow you xx

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Battle of the eye primers

Since discovering eye primers a few years ago, they have become a staple in my makeup bag. I have really oily eyelids, so I need to use a base that will keep my shadow from fading and slipping.

The three I currently have are Urban Decay Primer Potion, Too Faced Shadow Insurance and E.L.F Mineral Primer (in blush)

I've found that all these primers perform differently so here's a rundown on each and swatches.

UDPP
The Urban Decay Primer potion (original) is a nude primer with a light mousse like feel to it. Its dryer than the other two primers and dries fairly quickly.
When I use this my shadow stays put from day to night without creasing or fading and it keeps my eye makeup looking fresh.
The packaging is a squeezy tube allowing every last drop to be used.
£14.50 for 11ml

Too Faced
The Too Faced Shadow Insurance (original) is a light beige/ivory primer that is much lighter and wetter in texture than the udpp. It almost feels like a hydrating concealer and takes ages to dry, if at all. On my lids, this just doesn't work very well at all. Although it creates a smooth base for shadow, I usually get around 2-3 hours wear before my shadow starts to fade. The packaging is a plastic tube that is easy to dispense the product
£16.50 for 10ml

E.L.F
The e.l.f mineral primer in blush is one I purchased via ebay US. In the UK its only available in the shade sheer (nude), which I have used in the past and the textures are pretty similar. The primer is the lightest of the three, it doesn't feel too wet and dries fairly quickly. The packaging is similar to a lipgloss - the only problem is that its difficult to remove the primer from the tube when your coming to the end of it. Wear time is pretty average - around 6-8 hours depending on the shadow texture (i.e. cream/pressed). For some reason, the original sheer one works much better on my lids than the blush coloured version. Its drys quicker and wear time is better.
UK price £3.00 for 4.5g

My overall winner: UDPP

Obviously these are just my views, I seen a lot of good reviews on the too faced primer but its just doesn't cut the mustard for me. I'm fairly sure it would perform much better on drier skin types, whereas the urban decay is best for oilier skin with the e.l.f being a great budget buy for both types!



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Clarins Ombre Minerale Eyeshadows

white sparkle dry & wet// silver green dry & wet

I recently purchased two eyeshadows from the new clarins ombre minerale range in white sparkle and silver green.

I've never used clarins cosmetics before so I was a bit unsure what to expect. The packaging is lightweight and looks quite luxurious. They do come with applicators but I threw those away as I never use them.

The shadows are described are delivering smooth long lasting colour and can be used wet or dry. Although smooth to touch, the pigmentation wasn't overally impressive on these. White sparkle was better than silver green, which I found to be quite dry. The pigmentation is slightly better when applied wet (swatched on the right)

They are however fairly long wearing (though I always use with a primer). The shades themselves are both really nice but at £16 each they are fairly disappointing - not bad but not great either - there are much better shadows on the market, such as Inglot that are much cheaper.

Have you tried clarins cosmetics or been disappointed with certain purchases? 

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What I Bought: French Skincare

I mentioned a few french skincare items I've used in this post but there were still a few things I really wanted to purchase. Que the Escentual website which are currently offering certain french brands at 1/3 off and presenting the perfect opportunity (in my head) for me to stock up on a few items I've been lusting after.

The first thing I bought was the Nuxe Reve De Miel Honey Lip Balm - I've seen this raved about on so many blogs. I'm not usually a fan of balms in pots as I find them quite unhygienic but this one smells good enough to eat!
Its a really thick balm that leaves lip super moisturised and soft. Its a little on the pricier side but it works really well so a good investment.

Every time I go in Boots I look at the Avene range but I never end up buying anything. I picked up the purifying and mattifying cleanance toner as my skin is really oily and I get blemishes now and again. I am slightly on the fence with this one as although its paraben free and removes excess oil, it leaves a slight sticky feeling on the skin.

My favourite of the three is the Vichy Essentielles Body Milk. I love this rose scented cream as its really hydrating and leaves my skin feeling so soft. I will definitely be repurchasing as its possibly the best body lotion I've ever used!

Have you tried any french skincare brands?



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Benefit Maybe Baby EDT

Benefit Maybe Baby is one of my favourite fragrances and one I've repurchased several times. It seems to be a fragrance that flies under the radar, I guess because Benefit are more known for their cosmetics.
Maybe Baby is a fresh, floral fragrance (although officially its a fruity floral) with notes of peach, white musk, bergamot and apricot.
Its a very soft and feminine scent that reminds me of a 1950's boudoir.
I think its only available as a 50ml bottle for £19.50 which is a great price for a scent that is really long lasting.

Some may find this a little overwhelming but if you're a fan of feminine and girly scents then it is definitely one to try.




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TheBalm Nude Tude Palette

After umming and ahhing for a while over this palette, I finally bought it after spying it on sale at feel unique for £19.50
The nude tude palette contains 12 eyeshadows and a shadow/liner brush. The palette itself is pretty sturdy, I accidentally dropped it twice and both times everything stayed intact.

The eyeshadows themselves are very soft and pigmented, though some shades perform better than others. Sophisticated, sexy and serious were slightly less pigmented but I find they work really well applied damp as a liner.
The palette contains a good mix of neutral shades and finishes that are long wearing and don't crease.

There is both a naughty and nice version of this palette - The naughty version features undressed ladies (ohh lala) with the eye shadows covering their modesty whilst they are dressed in the nice version. Although I've only seen the naughty version on sale in the UK, the shadows are exactly the same in both versions of the palette.

I'm really pleased I finally purchased it as I love my neutrals and I've been reaching for this regularly!

xoxo




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Pixi Lip Blush, Bunny Prints and Cutey Bracelets

Having never really used a lip stain before, I went and purchased the pixi lip blush in 'love'. They are currently on offer at ASOS for £4

This is the first Pixi product I've tried and I'm really impressed. 'Love' is a hollywood red. The packaging reminds me of a felt tip pen but its really easy to apply. The lip blush is really pigmented, long wearing and lasted several hours, even with the hot coffee text, there was only minimal fading. I'm wearing it in the picture below.

This cute bunny cardigan is from H & M. It was on its own hiding behind a rail of other tops. As soon as I saw it, i did a little sqee. Animal prints are so adorable. Luckily the cardi was in my size and my lovely mum offered to buy it for me so it really was fate.

I was also lucky enough to receive these gorgeous shamballa bracelets* from the lovely people at cutey.

The bracelets are adjustable and come in a range of colours with free UK delivery. You can find them here.

*I'm also guest posting my autumn wishlist over at dainty desires today. Its one of my favourite blogs so do pop over and have a peek at sia's blog if you can. I also forgot to mention that I did a guest post on Becky's blog last week. You can check out her lovely blog here!

xoxo





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Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow

After lusting after Burberry cosmetics for several months, I finally caved in and purchased the sheer eyeshadow in Pale Barley #22.

The product is everything I could have hoped for and more. Yes its pricey and the shade isn't exactly unique, although wearable. However the formulation is incredible. Buttery soft, pigmented, long wearing, no creasing or fading.

Even though its classed as a sheer shadow, there's actually nothing sheer about it.

The packaging is also stunning. The compact is presented in a velvet pouch (not sure why this excites me,but it does) and has the usual mirror, applicator (I never bother with these) and magnetic closing. The case does attract the odd fingerprint but it can be wiped clean easily enough.

Priced £23 (gulp) they are definitely worth a splurge as you are paying for quality and I think they would make a nice gift xmas or birthday gift for any beauty lover!

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ASOS Oversized Parka Coat

I wish my outfit posts were in a slightly more glamourous location but sadly my lounge will have to do for now.

I love autumn/winter for clothes shopping - chunky knits and coats. I bought this ASOS parka coat a few weeks ago as it was in the sale for £35 which I think is a pretty good price for a coat. Its now back up to £70 here so my timing was quite good!

I think khaki is a nice change from black. Although it does look nicer in real life than in pictures. Its dipped at the back and the hood is detachable (although I like the eskimo look)
As its not padded, its perfect for autumn weather but for the bitterly cold weather I will probably need something warmer - perfect excuse for another coat purchase eh?

xoxo




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MAC Office Hours Collection



source

Pro Longwear Eyeshadow

Ever Ivory  - Pale ivory 

Bloom On -  Light burnt rose
Always Sunny -  Light yellow brown 

Uninterrupted -  Dark caramel
Endless Passion -  Mid-tone rose 

Mauveless -  Dark mid-tone mauve
More Amour -  Mid-tone red
Fashion Fix  - Dark cool slate grey 

Linger Softly Light grey blue

Pro Longwear Blush

Stay By Me -  Light peach coral

Baby Don’t Go -  Light cool beige
Rosy Outlook -  Light yellow pink

Stay Pretty -  Light bright blue pink
Blush All Day -  Light dirty rose beige

Whole Lotta -  Love Light blue pink
Eternal Sun - Warm brown

Stubborn -  Mid-tone rose plum

Pro Longwear Lipgloss

Everlasting Nude -  Mid-tone warm nude (cream)

Patience Please -  Light pink-blue (cream)
Long Love Love -  Light cool pink (cream)

Next Fad -  Mid-tone cool pink (frost)
Persistent Peach -  Light warm peach (cream)

Boundlessly Beige -  Light warm beige with pearl (frost)
Driven By Love -  Red-blue with slight pearl (cream)

Forever Rose -  Mid-tone neutral rose (cream)

How cute are these images. I want a pink office!

I'm looking forward to seeing swatches of these especially the blushes.

The office hours collection is released in the US on September 13th so I'm guessing we'll get them in the UK around October/November. ooh just in time for my birthday!!

Do you like the look of this collection or will you be skipping?

Dealing with blemishes

Although I don't consider myself to have bad skin, I tend to get blemishes every now and again and need products that help to keep my skin as clear as possible.

 I've tried a few brands over the years (clearasil, clean and clear, freederm etc) and found they tend to make spots worse as they're quite harsh (I'm sure they work for some people but I haven't found them effective). Whilst I don't think any product is a miracle worker, I have found the above products really have helped.

The Simple spotless skin triple action face wash has quickly become my favourite cleanser for helping to keep my skin clear. I have repurchased it more than once as I really feel it reduces redness and clears spots up quickly. It leaves my skin feeling clean and refreshed and its also really affordable too!

I also use the Murad time release acne cleanser too which is an anti-ageing blemish face wash which helps with both keeping skin smooth and soft and reduces blemishes.

The main moisturiser I use when dealing with spots is Garnier Pure Anti-blemish moisturiser which is a gel moisturiser that also helps to control oil. Its leaves my skin looking healthy and smooth and its smells lovely and fresh. Its currently on offer at superdrug for £3.45 which is bargain!

The Witch skin clearing primer is the only primer I've ever used and probably will continue to do so as not only does it help to keep skin clear but it helps my foundation to stay put longer and gives it a smoother finish. I also love the Witch Powder as its helps keep my skin shine free for several hours and looks natural.

When it comes to concealing blemishes, my all time favourite concealer is the lily lolo mineral cover up (I use barely beige). I ve used it for several years and its my HG concealer. It covers every blemish, redness and any other imperfection. Looks natural and blends well and can be used over mineral,liquid, powder foundation or on bare skin. A little also goes a long way. A pot tends to last me several months. Its £7.29 for a 4g pot which I think is seriously amazing!

I'm also currently using Boots No7 concealer. To be honest I only bought it as it was half price (usually £7). It blends and conceals well but the shade I bought (extra fair) is too orange for my skin tone. Worth buying with a voucher though if you can find your match.


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