1000 follower international giveaway - L'Oréal Glam Shine Balmy Gloss

I can barely believe it, but a couple of days ago I reached a massive milestone for me - 1000 followers on Bloglovin'! When I started the blog 6 months ago I never in a million years thought I would be where I am today, and none of this could have happened without your incredible support. I'm always amazed at the encouragement and lovely comments that you take the time to leave, and I  really do mean it when I say that reading them puts a smile on my face every day and I'm so grateful for every single one. To celebrate this milestone I'm holding an international giveaway, where you can win five of the shades of one of L'Oréal's most recently released lip products - the Glam Shine Balmy Gloss.

L'Oréal has joined the glossy crayon stick party with their Glam Shine Balmy Gloss, which has that wonderful formula that combines moisturise for soft lips with great pigmentation for a sleek shiny finish. Included in the giveaway are the following five shades (from left to right): 

Sin for Peach - a muted, gorgeous peachy pink

Fall for Watermelon - a warm sunny glossy warm pink 

Bite the Maracuja - a juicy, zesty orange

Mad for Pomegranate - a vibrant stylish classic crimson red

Dare the Dragonfruit - a plummy berry red burgundy

The giveaway is open for international entries as and it will be open until January 24, with the winner being announced on the 25th.

I can't tell you enough how much your support means to me and and the two small words Thank You don't seem enough, so I can only repeat them again - THANK YOU SO SO MUCH, and best of luck to everyone who enters the giveaway!

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Manic.Monday: I wore red velvet...

I've said it before and I'll say it again - for me Ciaté is the most ground breaking nail brand when it comes to giving us original and extravagant statement looks and effects. After all, Ciaté is the brand that's given us the caviar mani (thank you SO SO much), the feather mani, the flower manicure for this summer and today's special, the velvet mani. These might not all be to everyone's taste, but there's no denying that they are unique and eye catching. Just in time for Christmas Ciaté released a new limited edition, the Ciaté Red Velvet Manicure Set (£7 - currently on sale in John Lewis), which I'm showing you today.

With each velvet kit you get a base shade (in this case the beautiful vibrant red Boudoir), a vial with crushed velvet and a little brush. Before you start applying the crushed velvet, which is essentially a very fine powder, I would recommend that you put the plastic tray from the kit or some tin foil on the table, because this can get quite messy and that way you also collect the excess and can put it back into the plastic vial. Apply a coat of the base shade on all nails to start with, let it dry and then finish one nail at a time when you move on the the second coat and the crushed velvet. I would recommend that you make the second coat of the base shade a little thicker than normal, and then tap the powder straight from the vial over the wet coat, making sure that you get a generous amount - almost a little heap of powder on the nail, and use the brush to remove the excess without messing up the finish.
Needless to say perhaps, but you wouldn't use a top coat over the velvet crush, since it would completely ruin the effect. It's very easy to create the look, although it does take about 10 mins to do for each hand, making sure you've got a nice thick coverage etc, and after that you probably shouldn't put your hands into water the first thing you do...

Immediately after application

72 hrs after application

Out of all the different effect manis available to us, I have to say that the velvet mani unfortunately is the most impractical. While the matte, textured finish looks lovely when you've just applied it and you can't stop touching it, because the velvet is such a surreal feeling, it doesn't stay pristine for very long. As you go through your daily chores - washing up, showering, cooking etc, the finish will gradually change for the worse, as you can see in the photos however this can hardly be a surprise to anyone. So all in all, I'm not disappointed at all in how it looks after 72 hrs considering what I've  exposed the delicate crushed velvet finish to in that time, and while the velvet has gone grey and tired at least the base shade still hasn't budged. If you don't mind the effect looking a bit worse for wear, then it actually stays on without any chipping for about 5-6 days. Personally I reach for the nail polish remover after about 3 days when the velvet look is too murky and fuzzy for my liking, and then it's surprisingly easy to remove although you do need to put some effort into it.

The velvet look may not be the most practical one during the week, unless you have a butler or a very understanding family who will do absolutely everything for you so you don't have to mess up your gorgeous fingertips, but as an accessory to a party look or a special occasion, the velvet manicure definitely adds something decadent and lavish. 

The Winter Style Challenge with Debenhams

For me one of the best ways to get style inspiration is to look at mood boards but I'd never thought about doing one myself, until I saw this exciting competition with Debenhams. You're asked to put together two different winter outfits using items from the Debenhams clothes range - one for a warm and cosy day time look, and one for the ultimate party look. There will be one very lucky person who will win a £500 Debenham voucher and in the pot is also £50 vouchers for two runners up. Each of the outfits have to be within a budget of £250 each, so armed with this fantasy amount I went shopping to create two different looks.

Look 1 - Winter Warmer

Warm and wrapped up but stylish for a nice and relaxing stroll in the park, followed by a decadent hot chocolate

Mantaray Mittens £12.60 // Quiz Fleece Lined Leggings £9.99 // Quiz Faux Fur Coat £49.99 // Red Herring Studded Beanie £4.80 // Red Herring Bouclé Scarf £7.50 // Dune Brogues £24 // Darling Jumper £29

Look 2 - Party Look

A nod to Old Hollywood glamour in an Audrey Hepburn inspired black lace dress and obligatory sunglasses to hide from any pesky paparazzi.

Mood Chunky Chain Bracelet £3.20 // Yumi Circle Lace Dress £30 // Infinite Watch £20 // Red Herring Sunglasses £7 // Faith Bowler Bag £31.20 // Dune Dita Ankle Strap Court Shoe £79

I had so much fun putting together the different outfits, and if you're tempted to join in, hurry up since the competition closes tomorrow, January 13. I'm definitely ready to go for some real shopping now but if you like this type of post and want to see more of them, please let me know in the comments. I'm really excited to hear what you think about the two outfits and also if you prefer one over the other - have a wonderful Sunday everyone! Xx

Enough is never enough

What is it about nail polish that makes you just want more and more of them? Have they put something in the formula, so that when you lovingly do your mani on a pampering Tuesday night in your PJs over a nice hot chocolate it goes straight to your head with the message - buy more of me? Whatever it is, it's got its hooks into millions of us, and I for one willingly oblige!

You could argue that after 24 days of a new mini polish every day - YES, I'm talking about the Ciaté advent calendar - I should have had my need for nail polish met, and in theory at least I should also have had enough of Ciaté. BUT.... when Ciaté has a sale on and you can get the most incredible shades starting at £4 - you start to think about what's missing from the polished polish collection. I realised that I didn't have a very particular shade of glimmer, and that gap would be filled perfectly by the stunning Ciaté shade The Hamptons (£4) which is a sparkly turquoise blue green exactly like the color of the sea in the Caribbean. I was also missing a lovely creamy and dreamy pastel lilac, but with Spinning Teacup (£4) I'm all set.

As you know I'm all about experimenting with different nail effects and for me Ciaté is market leading, in terms of coming up with innovative new concepts. Admittedly the sets can be a bit expensive, so even better reason to pick up a bargain in the sales. A modern classic by now is the velvet look and I bagged myself the Velvet Manicure in Blue Suede (£5), and it's also the shade that started the very eye catching and original trend. Another little set that I picked up is the Caviar Manicure in Cotton Candy (£5) which is a lovely sherbet colored bead mix of pink, orange, baby blue and silver beads - perfect for the pastel Spring & Summer trend.

China Glaze isn't a brand that you see mentioned very often in the UK, which is a bit strange because it really has a great formula and a wonderful range of shades. After my first nice and wide brush with it (see what I did there...) in the shade With Love, reviewed in my Red Edition, I was very impressed by China Glaze and decided that I would get some more shades in the BeautyBay.com New Year Sales. There were several offers on with up to an amazing 75% off but I stuck to my list and quota, and got exactly what I had planned. yeay - go me! After a lot of browsing of all the colors, one more beautiful than the other I bought two timeless and sophisticated shades; Queen B (£6.26), a creamy muted deep dusky purple blue and Mahogany Magic (£6.26) which is a lovely genuine golden chocolate brown. I also wanted to get some colors that will go well with all the beautiful Spring & Summer make up collections that will be released very soon, so I also decided on the fresh and fruity light coral shade Peachy Keen (£6.26) and Keep Calm, Paint On (£6.26), a lovely cool, blue pastel green Honeydew with a subtle shimmer.

As it is the beginning of the year, there have been a lot of posts about Top 3 or 5 or 10 products in 2013, and some have also covered nail polishes. I've really enjoyed reading those posts, but every time I've thought to myself that I could probably never decide on top 10, or have mercy - top 3?! I would get stuck on even trying to decide on which my top 3 blue or purple polishes are. I hate to state the obvious, but in my case when it comes to nail polish: enough is never enough.

Jo Malone's Rose Water & Vanilla Cologne Intense

If you've read my blog before, you'll know that in a manner of speaking I have a long standing relationship with Jo Malone. Ever since I got my first cologne (Nectarine Blossom & Honey, reviewed here) many years ago I've literally bathed, slathered and dowsed myself in several of the scents from the amazing catalogue of fragrances. In fact I am a frequent visitor to Jo Malone and never pass up an opportunity to visit for a wonderful luxurious treatment, either because a new product is launched or just because... it's a day of the week that ends with -day. Fact of the matter is that you don't really need an excuse to visit Jo Malone, the fragrances themselves are enough and I can easily lose an hour or two experimenting with layering scents. This is one of the main concepts of Jo Malone and by combining one, two or as many scents as you wish either just in colognes or on top of bath/shower products and then body lotions, you tailor a scent specifically for yourself and create your signature scent.

During one of our most recent pamper sessions in Jo Malone, Him Indoors must have paid particular attention to what I experimented with because at Christmas he surprised me with a gorgeous combination of scents and products, and the absolute jewel among these was the precious, unique fragrance that is Jo Malone Rose Water & Vanilla Cologne (£100).

This is one of the seven different scents that are part of the Cologne Intense range, which uses well known, exclusive and treasured ingredients like saffron, ginger lily and amber. The Rose Water & Vanilla Cologne is a wonderful tempting and tasty blend; when you spray it you'll notice at first the light, fresh, delicate rose water, and then it develops into a more mature, velvety creamy bouquet with the smooth and rich vanilla in the base. It's captured the essence of luxurious, decadent confections like Turkish Delight and fudge but without the sickly sweetness and it's a sophisticated well rounded cologne that lasts for hrs, and towards the end of the day still gives off an air of individuality and rarity.

I'm completely fascinated by this cologne and can't stop sniffing myself when I wear it (there's a weird image for you) but I think it's simply stunning. The are are several Jo Malone scents that would work well to layer with it depending on if you want to make it more fruity, or even more spicy perhaps and I would definitely recommend that you book yourself in for a testing session. You might wonder which products I got together with this fabulous cologne for layering, but I'm jealously going to keep them a secret for now - after all this is now MY Signature scent.   

Shopping? What shopping?!

If you had asked me if I bought anything in the sales, my proud answer would have been: "No!" and I genuinely thought that was the honest answer. I must have been struck by shopping amnesia or something (it could also be denial...) because as evidenced in the photos below I clearly have done a fair amount of shopping and I don't really know how it happened... If you walk this through with me, perhaps I can recall these lost shopping memories, after all shopping is an enjoyable experience that should be remembered in all its glory.

I'm quite sure that the first purchase wasn't even my fault... it was actually Him Indoors who wanted to stop by Jaeger. As a dutiful wife I waited patiently while he was trying on LOTS of things, giving it thumbs up or down, and it was sheer torture since I had promised myself I wouldn't buy anything. Then I got a bit bored and started to wander around the shop when it happened - a little blouse just threw itself at me, demanding that I buy it. It's a long sleeved coral top in a straight up and down style, with a round neck and a dainty pattern of what looks like small cotton flowers in white and salmon pink. It's a demure style and not something I would usually go for, but I think it'll look fab with a leather pencil skirt and some high heels, after all the top was very persistent that I should get it so I'll just have to make the best of an awkward situation.

Then we had to exchange a Christmas present and that triggers a faint memory that I got a gianormous box from ASOS delivered. I like deliveries.... but I'm straying from the subject, anyway that gianormous box had Christmas presents in it, although I had to pick up a few other things as well to get free next day delivery. I had no choice, I needed to make sure that the Christmas presents for my family got there well in time before Christmas eve. I'm sure I had every intention of just trying these things on and then return them, but I don't think I ever did that - return them I mean. Among these necessities, there was a cute knitted and fitted powder pink River Island jumper that has a detachable embellishment at the front that looks like a necklace with lots of gorgeous sparkly crystals and a bright yellow accent. It's a very playful top and I think it'll work great as a Spring pastel.

There was also a rather cute bowling bag from New Look in a gorgeous deep burgundy color with gold toned fittings, and a detachable shoulder strap in just the right size for a casual stroll on the town, and a chunky gold toned chain style bracelet from River Island with little swarowski style gems.

 

Ok, so now I remember the goodies that I got from ASOS, let's see - what's left... Aaah yes, when I was in town getting all the beauty products I showed you in Tuesday's post, a watch managed to sneak its way into the shopping basket when I was in Debenhams and I was so carried away with the Lancome eye shadows I'd chosen I must have forgotten to put it back. It's a stainless steel look with little sparkles (of course... doh...) on the face and the bracelet is cut like little studs that create a shimmering effect. Accidental purchase or not - I know I'll get a lot of wear out of it.

When I was doing my bit as the supportive wife for the shopping-crazed Him Indoors, I altruistically suggested that we went to Ralph Lauren to pick up some shirts. We both walked out with a shopping bag, which wasn't at all part of the plan - I just wanted to be nice and suggest a good shop. What a great shop it is though, I could easily have bought one of each item in there! I ended up with another knitted and fitted jumper, this one in a lovely creamy off white color with a with shawl collar and a little equestrian inspired gold and leather clasp, which I'll think will be perfect for casual days with some boot cut dark blue jeans. I also got a sleeve less silk top with a v-neck, and sheer waterfall draping at the front in autumn jewel colors in a whimsical pattern. I think it would look fresh and stylish with some skinny trousers and a biker jacket.

Last stop of this shopping bonanza was everyone's favorite budget palace - Primark, and my memory must be coming back now since I clearly remember getting a Fair Isle jumper that I'd had my eye on before Christmas. I didn't get one then because I have more than enough of them, but I really liked the shades and think they're a bit different from what you'd usually see; cream, cerise, aubergine, dusky light purple and lots of other ones. It's such a cheerful top and since I already have worn it I can tell you that it's very snuggly and comfy. The very last item is a jacquard patterned scarf in a swirly pattern with slight shimmer to it in lovely neutral shades, glittering gold and warm pink.

Well there you have it - it's all come back to me now and thank you so much for helping me remember all the great things I ended up with, and I must say that our little spree was fun, not just because I ended up with some shopping bags for myself but also since we found some really great things for Him Indoors.

Please note that this is all written with a lot of humour and self deprecation, I don't actually have a problem with my memory, but if I did - I probably wouldn't remember that either...!

Winter skincare

As much as I like to experiment and try new products, by now I think I have figured out what my skin needs and when it needs it, so I have a fairly clear view of what types of products I need to have in my skin care kit even though I might change brands. Except for the occasional hormonal break out, I have normal to combination skin and my biggest challenge all year around is battling dehydration. As if it's not enough with the horrible weather we've had lately; storms, rain and the cold, I sit in front of a computer all day long, enjoying the benefits of central heating which sounds cushy and cosy, but it all takes a toll on the skin. So in the winter time this means I have to bring out the big skin care guns and use products that are gentle on the skin and that cleanse and exfoliate without stripping it back, but that also give deep hydration and nourishment to keep my skin supple and smooth. This winter these are the hero products that have helped to maintain my skin.

Like most of us I don't have much time to get ready in the morning, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I prioritise a couple of minutes of more sleep over a time consuming morning routine, so using a micellar water works perfectly for me. The Gatineau Gentle Cleansing Micellar Water (£19) is a very gentle solution that cleanses, moisturises and soothes at the same time. It's suitable even for very sensitive skin, so I know that it won't cause any irritation or make my skin feel tight. Just like Bioderma this product makes your skin feel as clean as if you had done a proper deep cleanse, and all that after a quick sweep with a cotton pad - perfect!

This micellar water also works to remove eye- and face makeup (including waterproof) so I've been using it in the evenings as to take off my eye makeup before using my Caudalie Instant Foaming Cleanser (£15). Micellar waters are great when you need a quick fix but for me there's no replacing a great cleansing product in the evenings to make sure the skin is nice and clean before applying all the night products. You may remember that I've mentioned this cleanser before - it has the most wonderful light and fluffy, cloud like consistency and it kind of "pops" on your skin. It contains grape extracts, sage and camomile that soothes and purifies the skin, and it's so gentle that you can definitely use it twice a day if you so choose, and the refreshing cucumber scent is a lovely pick me up after a long day.

Call me old school, but I like to use a toner after I've used a cleanser to make sure that there's no product at all left on my skin and Clarins Toning Lotion with Camomile (£18) works beautifully together with the Caudalie cleanser, and it helps to rebalance and stimulate the skin's moisture level. It's has a zesty sligthly peppery invigorating scent and a little tip if you don't want to buy an expensive facial spray is to pour some of this in a spray bottle and you can use this throughout the day instead and you'll get almost the same effect.

As you can tell, all these products are about gentle every day cleansing, but at the same time it's essential to get rid of dead skin cells to make room for new ones to push up from underneath, so a few times a week I exfoliate using Origins Modern Friction (£33) - "Natures Gentle Dermabrasion" (in the photo I show a limited edition packaging but it's the same formula as the original). What I like the most about this is the consistency, which is very fine and granular since it uses rice starch as the exfoliating ingredient and although it's gentle, you can feel that it definitely gets the job done. I prefer to use this on damp skin to get a lovely creamy foaming consistency but you can use it on dry skin as well. I find that it gives amazing radiance without any redness or irritation, and since it also has a great aromatic spa scent, this ticks all the boxes for me.

The perfect partner to Modern Friction is the well known, super hyped Origins Drink Up Intensive (£22) Overnight Mask. It contains seaweed that helps not only to repair the skin but also to retain moisture. Is it worth the hype? Absolutely 100% yes. For me this is THE Holy Grail product, that makes your skin look plump, supple, nourished and hydrated. I'll use this at least 3-4 times a week either after my exfoliator, or as a double intense night cream - applying one coat immediately after I've removed my makeup for the evening, and then another coat a few hrs later just before I go to bed, and I have even used this as a pre-moisturising treatment. It is FANTASTIC and the beautiful creamy orange peel candy scent just makes it even more lovely to use and the price for 100ml is more than reasonable. If you haven't tried Drink Up Intensive yet, it should definitely go on your list of products to try this year - you won't regret it!

 

I like to use serums and oils as part of my skin routine and during the winter there's nothing like Clarins Santal Face Treatment Oil (£30) for a mega boost of moisture. It's a fairly heavy oil, intended for dry or extra dry skin based on 100% pure plant extracts that soothe, tone, hydrate and decongest the skin. You only need a tiny drop to massage all over your skin or just a specific area that needs some TLC before applying moisturiser, and fortunately it comes with a pipette so it's easy to get exactly the right amount. It is a rich oil, but as long as you only use a tiny amount there's no need to worry about shininess during the day, and it immediately makes the skin look smooth, plump and it feels soft as velvet. Last but not least I have to mention the scent because I absolutely adore it. It's a warm, aromatic and slightly sweet cardamom scent, almost like something from a bakery it's so comforting and relaxing - and if this was a perfume I'd wear it every single day.

For the delicate eye area I've used Kiehl's Avocado Eye Treatment (£33) which is rich in ingredients to protect and nourish the skin and that builds up moisture. If feels heavy on the skin when you first apply it but it absorbs very quickly, almost turning liquidy and it doesn't leave any shininess at all. The eye area feels protected, bright and soft and you can also use this as a masque both around the eye area and the lip contour,applying a thicker layer and then just letting it absorb naturally for 15-20 mins.

After the eye cream I apply the Gatineau Melatogenine Aox Probiotic Advanced Rejuvenating Cream (£76.25) - now that's a mouthful... It's a very luxurious, rich anti-ageing cream which is more for mature skin, and although I fortunately don't have any real issues with that yet, there's nothing wrong with starting well in advance to try and prevent wrinkles and sagging, or at least delay the inevitable as long as possible. It adds an intense boost of moisture and in the evening when I remove the day's makeup my skin still feels hydrated and nourished which is exactly what I want from a moisturiser. Another reason why I love this cream so much is because of the instant radiance that it gives, and my slightly blue tinted skin tone in winter all of a sudden looks glowy, rested and fresh without having to use any fake tan.

For night time I've turned to an old friend, the Decléor Aromessence Iris Night Balm (£34.50) which I've used during the last few winters and it's amazing for restoring skin that has been battered by the cold and wind. In the jar the balm has a very firm texture but as soon as you rub it between your fingertips, the essential oils heat up and as soon you apply, it just melts into the skin, making it feel very nourished and protected. The skins does feel a little bit sticky from the oils, although that is gradually absorbed into the skin and when you wake up in the morning the skin looks stimulated, rested and refreshed - a great intensive treatment.

The last two products I've used regularly, at least a few times a day starting with the wonderful Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment (£20) which a great moisturiser and softener for both hands and nails and it's almost like it forms a protective soft glove over your hands and it definitely helps to nourish and maintain the cuticles too. The finishing touch of my skin routine, morning and evening as always has been the Caudalie Beauty Elixir (£9.20 - currently on amazing sale from Escentual). This is the limited edition design by L'Wren Scott, but it's exactly the same formula and scent as the original Caudalie. I love this facial mist and find that not only does it help to boost moisture levels and add radiance but the lovely aromatic scent is so energising and perfect to carry with you in your hand bag for a little spritz every now and then to freshen up your skin and makeup.

My skin has actually been behaving quite well this winter (touch wood) and I'm convinced it's not just because the products are suitable for my skin type, but I think it's also down to finding a regular routine and then sticking with for a reasonable amount of time to give the products an actual chance to do their magic. What products have you used this winter and is there something you recommend that I try?

A cheeky little beauty haul

The after Christmas sale is dangerous ground for someone like me, and I'm like a kid in a candy store looking at all the wonderful offers and discounts, trying my hardest not to get too carried away. Despite all the dangers lurking, I did tempt fate and braved the sales early one morning to beat the worst thing about sales - the crowds, and I ended up getting one or two things, well ok... maybe a few more than that...

After years of having played around with makeup but never really thinking about the tools that I was using, I fell in love with Real Techniques brushes last year, and I'm guessing I'm probably not the first one this has happened to. Previously I use to be content with using whatever little hard sponge applicator that came with the product, but having tried the amazingly fluffy, soft and pliable Real Techniques brushes, there's just no going back to anything less than this. Since I still can't quite get used to working with brushes to apply foundation. I decided that it would be better for me to invest in some more brushes for eye makeup and I ended up getting two of the Real Technique Shading Brushes (£7.99). I'm so looking forward to using these brushes with some new eye shadows that I got recently and I'm still completely enamored with Real Techniques brushes. and I have a feeling this new relationship will last for quite a long time to come.

One thing that I will do better this year is to take better care of my growing collection of quality brushes, so I definitely needed to pick up a brush cleanser, and I ended up getting the No 7 Makeup Brush Cleanser (£8). The cleanser is more of a quick fix between uses and it comes with a pump dispenser, so you can spray it onto some tissue paper and then wipe off the brushes. Sounds good to me and although I know I should cleanse the brushes properly at least once a month, this is a great stop gap for me and definitely a step in the right direction when it comes to brush cleansing - all I need to do now is to actually use it...

After these little essentials I passed the stand for Seventeen products and the range of mascaras caught my eye. I don't mind paying a bit more for a super quality mascara, however since I go through them at rocket pace I am always open to a bargain. When I saw what these picks from Seventeen promise to do for my lashes, for a fraction of the cost of what I would normally spend on a mascara, I just had to try them. I crave long, volumized, curled and preferably flared lashes. That's a tall order and that's what the Seventeen Falsifeye Mascara (£4) claims it can do - well I have actually started to use it and I'll do a review of it very soon, and we'll see how it did. The second mascara - the Seventeen Dolld Up Mascara (£4) also promises beautifully curved, volumised lashes for a wide eyed look that lasts 24 hrs and of course I just had to get that as well. I have never managed to get hold of a great mascara for less than approx. £8, but I'm keeping an open mind and let's see if any of them can give my beloved YSLs Baby Doll Mascara a run for its money.

The last product to hit my shopping basket in Boots was a cheeky little lipstick that I have been hunting high and low for, Estée Lauder's Pure Colour Vivid Shine Lipstick (£20) in the gorgeous shade Hot Lava. I love Estée Lauder lipsticks - they are beautifully moisturising, the shine is incredible and they have super wear throughout the day. Hot Lava is a creamy, glamorous, and timeless deep red wine shade that is simply stunning and despite the richness it's not too dark for Spring.

As you know for me no shopping trip is complete unless I get something new for my nails, and this time around I ended up with products that all speak to the OTT side of me (and believe me, there's absolutely no point in trying to quiet that side down). When I quickly browsed through Primark I accidentally spotted some very interesting caviar mixes and the price (£2) each was so low it would have been plain rude not to buy them. Both sets come with a base shade and a caviar mix and although I may not get much use out of the base shades or have very high hopes on the formula, at least I have two very interesting mixes to play with. The first one is a gorgeous and balanced mix of black, silver and gold and I just can't wait to try some different looks with this, and the second one is a lovely mix of different blues; navy, cobolt, deep sky blue, turquoise and silver. I imagine it would look amazing with a tan in the summer.

After that accidental purchase I wandered on to Superdrug where I found a great deal on Models Own products - 2 for £8, which was just too good an offer to refuse, and I ended up getting something I hadn't tried before - the Models Own Artistix Duo (£6) in Terra Crystal and Ember Red. It's the same principle as with Revlon's Moon Candy products, so it's basically 2 products in 1 with a plain base shade at one end and then a different effect top coat at the other. In the first one, Terra Crystal, the base shade is a muted bark brown and the effect is a glitter polish with pink and black particles in different sizes and together they create a very gritty but sparkly look. The base shade in the second one, Ember Red is a deep maroon and the top coat a shimmer mix of lustrous  bright red, orange and gold - I'm so looking forward to experimenting with both of these.

My last stop of this little treasure hunt was Debenhams, where a big sales sign at the Lancome section made me go a little overboard and I ended up getting a few Lancome Ombre In Love Eyeshadows (limited edition - £9.50). The shades are all beautiful shimmering pastels in pink and green with tempting names like Romance Tagada, Pistachio Cream and Cosmopolitan Mint and they looked soooo pretty. The eyeshadows had been taken out of the packaging so what I didn't realise was that they come in a slightly flimsy paper packaging. I really don't like it and it's not at all what I would have expected from Lancome, but I'll just take that in my happy blogger stride hoping that the formula won't disappoint.

I haven't tried any eye makeup from Lancome in a very long time so I kind of look at this as research for the blog, which we all know has to be done - hrmm... and as you may have seen from the Spring & Summer collections 2014, these shade will be VERY useful and I've been very good to plan ahead. Despite my disappointment in the Lancome packaging, I'm still quite happy about what I got overall and I look forward to start testing everything out and I'm planning on publishing the first review in a week or so.

Manic.Monday: Red caviar

Yep, it's here... the first work Monday after the Christmas holidays and the first one of the new year... I'm not going to lie, it was pretty tough getting out of bed and getting ready for work this morning - bright eyed and bushy tailed I'm NOT. To make this Monday a little bit more cheery and since I'm not quite ready yet to let go of that fluffy, warm and cosy Christmas mood I'm sporting a festive inspired mani today, and since I am partial to some red caviar I've added some matching beads as an accent nail using products from Rimmel and MUA.

As a base I've used a Rimmel London Lycra Pro Nail Polish (£3.29) in the shade Jungle Princess. I must confess that I'm not actually sure if this particular formula is still available on the High Street, but I do know that you can get it from Amazon or eBay. I haven't seen it in Boots or Superdrug which is a real shame because this is a brilliant nail polish. First of all it comes with a very wide and flat brush which is lovely to work with since it makes it easy to apply the polish with high precision and it gives a streak free finish because you only need a maximum of 2 strokes per nail - which I think is amazing. Secondly, the formula has just the right creaminess without being gloopy and it attaches well to the brush without any dripping. You can wear just one coat of this polish to get a more sheer shade, however since the formula dries very quickly it's ideal to use if you want to keep on building the color and you'll get about 4 days wear from this wonderful formula.

The shade Jungle Princess is a nice dark rusty cinnamon red with a slight blue shimmer to it, which really stands out if you only wear one coat. In the photos however I have two coats on, and as you can see the shade deepens to a more opaque and almost mahogany red nuance and personally I think it's quite stylish and has a bit more character than your classic dark red.

The caviar mix is MUA's Fashionista Diamond Rocks (£1) in Red Diamond, which is a bead mix dominated by a rusty, slightly orange red color and then there's also some black and silver beads. As with most nail effects the result is best if you work on one nail at a time, finishing that one before you move on to the next. In this case I added a second coat of Jungle princess to all the nails except the accent nail and let that dry for a few seconds while I got the caviar beads ready. Then I added a second coat of Rimmel to the accent nail as well, and I made it a lot thicker than I normally would so that the beads attach better. I prefer to pour the beads straight from the bottle over the nail since you then get a very dense coverage of the beads on the nail - and if you do it over a bowl or something, you can then easily pour them back into the bottle when you've finished, to minimise any waste. When you've covered the nail, gently tap or press down the pearls into the polish and add some more if need be to get a nice, thick and even caviar coverage.

I wouldn't recommend using a top coat over a caviar look since I think it takes away from the effect and it makes the beads look as if they've been glued in, but you can take a tiny bit of top coat and run along the very edge of the nail to seal them in and this also helps to make the tip a bit more resistant to daily wear. This look will last about 3 days of normal daily wear and tear, and if you have a steady hand you can use a cut off q-tip or something to add a tiny drop of the the base shade to the nail and then add more beads to repair the look if it gets a bit thin.

A caviar mani isn't to everyone's liking and Jungle Princess is a lovely and versatile shade that you can easily wear just as it is, but for me the beads add an element of fun, playfulness and dimension. So I've got the red caviar, all I need is some blinis and bubbly, and I'm all set to do New Year's Eve all over again - who's with me?!

Thankful for Blogger friends TAG

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the New Year celebrations and since this is the first post in 2014 - the start of a new year in so many ways, it felt as if it's just the perfect time to do the Thankful for Blogger friends TAG that I was nominated for. The first part of it tells you a little bit about my approach to blogging and some thoughts about blogging in general, and the second part gives you a few more facts about myself and I hope you enjoy it!

 Blogging and I:

1. How long have you been blogging? Almost 6 months, my first post went up in July 2013 - it's been an absolutely amazing time and I've got to know some wonderful positive and encouraging people along the way.

2. Are there any bloggers who helped you out/encouraged you when you first started your blog? Well, it depends on what you mean. I have a very positive experience of the blogger community, I've always received a lot of support and encouraging feedback from others and I try to do the same for others, but I also do believe that progress is in proportion to the effort you invest in your blog.

3. What Social Media has given you the most traffic to your blog? Is there a platform that you don’t use? Since not all social media give you a statistical overview of traffic, it's really difficult to say which platform is the most efficient one, but at the moment I promote my blog on Google+, Facebook and Twitter. I'm not currently on Instagram since it's not compatible with my Blackberry, but I'm very excited to be upgrading my phone in April and to start using Instagram, which I think will be great fun, especially since my friends call me the Happy Snapper - so after April you can expect to see a lot more from me.

  4. How often do you post? Do you have a regular schedule? I post every day, unless I'm away on holiday or doing something that forces me to do it less frequently for a short while.

5. Where do you blog? From my home office.

6. What camera do you use? What photo editing software do you use? I have a Panasonic Lumix FZ 28 that comes with me everywhere I go, but I don't use any photo editing software and it's definitely an area that I'd like to explore a bit more to create interesting effects with photos.

7. How did you come up with your blog name? As soon as I decided that I was going to try blogging I actually came up with the name more or less right away. I knew I wanted to use something with candle in the title since I love my candles, and after trying on a couple of names for size I settled very quickly on Makeup by Candlelight. 

8. Do you do any regular “series” posts on your blog? Yes, I have some posts that I do regularly throughout the month, and this year I'll also be introducing some new concepts which I'm very excited about.

 9. What draws you to a blog? For me it's very important that a blog expresses a well formed, balanced and genuine personal point of view, e.g. I don't mind reading a negative review of a product as long as it's clear why the product disappointed. I also really appreciate blogs where you feel that a lot of thought has gone into it and which uses quality photos taken by the blogger.

10. What turns you off of a blog? We all have different styles, which is also all part of the charms with blogs and I while I really do appreciate and know that blogging takes a lot of time, the only thing I don't like is when there's a lack of content, or the post is just one or two sentences - there are other social media that you can use for that. For me it doesn't matter how often there are new posts on a blog, as long as they have content that actually says something. I guess it's all about the quality, not the quantity.

11. How many blogs do you subscribe to? Are they all beauty related? I read several different kinds of blogs (food, lifestyle, fashion, beauty, travel), because it's like having the world at your fingertips and you can experience things through others almost as if you were there too - well, almost... But I also think it's important as a blogger to keep your finger on the pulse of what goes on in Blogiverse in general and I want to continue to learn as much as I can from the amazingly talented bloggers out there so I can keep developing my own style.

 12. When do you generally read blogs? In the morning before work, and also in the evening after work to catch up with the blogging day

 13. What is your favorite/least favourite type of post, and why? I don't really have a favourite or least favourite type of post and I'm curious to read about anything from mascaras, to recipes a book review or pets. For me it's again all about the content and that there's a clear point of view behind it.

Some facts about me:

1. Where do you live? Tell us a bit about your city! I'm based in Winchester in the south of England about 1 hr from London. It's a beautiful quaint university city that has a gorgeous cathedral and lots of interesting historical things to see - Winchester was even the capital of old Saxon England in the 7th century. 

2. What about your home? I'm the first to admit that my personal style can be a bit OTT, but our home is completely the opposite - it's minimalist and very inspired by my Scandinavian roots so it has big windows to let in lots of light, white walls, wooden floors and is very paired down. 

3. Single or taken? Very happily married and celebrating 5 years anniversary in August.

4. Do you have children? No, just my fluffy 4 legged feline baby

5. Do you have pets? Well, we have a temperamental and proud tortoise shell cat, but the way she sees it - SHE has us, not the other way around... after all, Him Indoors and I are just ground staff...

6. Do you have a “day job”? Yes, very much so.

7. How tall are you? I'm an Amazonian 5.4 (a bit over 160 cms)

8. Do you have siblings? Unfortunately not, although I have always wanted an older brother - perhaps I can find one on eBay...

9. 3 words to describe yourself. Organised, Inquisitive, Animal lover

10. Who is your style icon, and why? This probably sounds really boring but I don't actually have a style icon and I take my inspiration from lots of different and unexpected places and people, but there are certain fashion houses and designers that I naturally gravitate towards and find very inspirational e.g. Gucci or Dolce & Gabbana - and from that you can probably tell that I'm not afraid of standing out when it comes to clothes!

11. 3 favorite bands or musicians. Adele, Emily Sande, Mindy Gledhill

12. 3 favorite movies. I love to watch films and have many favourites that I'll watch over and over again so this is a very difficult question for me, and also since I have a serious as well as a childish side I have to list 3 films for each I think; Shawshank Redemption, The Usual Suspects and Edward Scissorhands (who doesn't like a bit of Tim Burton's slightly skewed view of reality). And then we have the childish, bouncy side of me that loves films like How to Train Your Dragon (Toothless reminds me of my cat!), Ice Age and Madagascar and when we go to the cinema I seem to always laugh even louder than the kids.... hrmm... 

 

 13. 3 favorite books. The Pickwick Papers, 1984 and The Brothers Karamazov

14. 3 random/weird facts about you.

- I have named every car I have ever owned and so far I've been the proud owner of Frog, Sheep, Fox, Shark and Squirrel... I'm sure it's not just me doing this...
- I'm a complete addict to news and absolutely have to have SKY or another news channel on in the background all through the day so that I'm in touch with what goes on in the world. I think it's a side effect of working from home full time.

- I don't eat any type of meat or poultry - if you insist on putting a label on my way of eating it would be pescetarian, and no I didn't just make that word up...

It was really fun to do this TAG since it made me really think about what I appreciate and want from a blog. As usual, anyone is welcome to join in, but I also TAG the following:

Zara from Bows and Pearls

Ruby from Total Modisch

Rochelle & Natasha from Next Route Style

Christie from It's Christie Friday

Bess from bess // fashion, beauty, lifestyle

I'm back as usual again already tomorrow with a new post and I hope we all have a great 2014! Xx