Beauty Empties | February 2013: Haircare Special

This February empties post is ridiculously late, but I'm sure you'll forgive me as it's a haircare special! My March review will be up very soon also.  As a point of reference, my hair is pretty normal; greasy roots, dry ends (from the constant washing to get rid of oily roots) and easily tamable.

Liz Earle Botanical Shine Shampoo & Conditioner* - no repurchase

For a shampoo that doesn't contain Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulphate we actually got on pretty well. While it didn't give my hair the cleanse of the century, it's good for everyday washes where I don't need a very strong detergent. It contains shea butter, apple and orange extracts, making it both nourishing and shine-enhancing.  It's £8.75 and although it claims a little goes a long way, I didn't find this the case and probably won't repurchase.  I definitely wouldn't repurchase the conditioner either because it wasn't very...erm...conditioning! (despite it being aimed at dry/damaged hair).  However, it is apparently colour-safe, not a concern for me as I don't colour mine anymore.  I'd rather invest in a tub of the legendary Kerastase Masquintense (review).

Kerastase Nectar Thermique* - definite repurchase 

This stuff is amazing.  A slightly more high brow version of L'Oreal Elvive Renutrition serum which is divine but doesn't have the heat protection properties of Nectar Thermique.  This stuff smells amazing, you only need a small blob and it is ideal for fine hair which can flag under heavy hair oils. When I had this, it was my one stop shop for hair styling, I didn't need anything else. It's around £15, but well worth it as it lasts a couple of months (I wash my hair practically every day).

Elvive Nourish & Shimmer Highlights Serum - no repurchase

This is a bog standard serum with that lovely smell of the Elvive Renutrition range. I can't tell you how long it took me to get through the bottle, but no doubt it's been through a repackaging.  I found it a little too heavy for daytime use so ended up smoothing it through my ends before bed and using it as an overnight leave-in treatment before washing out in the morning.  

L'Oreal Professionnel Mythic Oil* - maybe repurchase

This was the first hair oil I tried and it's a pretty decent offering.  Moroccan Oil is far too heavy for my hair but Mythic Oil is just the right consistency when used on wet hair.  The only thing off-putting is the scent: it's just not feminine enough for me.  L'Oreal have since brought out a cheaper Elvive version and there's no discernible difference in performance.  You can pick up Mythic Oil for around £16.

John Frieda Blonder - no repurchase

This shampoo does lighten your hair over time, and it was fine while I had highlights, but they've pretty much grown out now.  If you're looking to lighten your hair, leave it to the professionals because this shampoo lightens indiscriminately and leaves hair looking brassy.  Worst of all, I found it a little corrosive.  I wouldn't recommend using it in the shower as it will really dry out your skin.  Definitely give this one a miss. If you're blonde you're better off trying the purple tone correcting range.

Aveda Dry Remedy Shampoo* - no repurchase

This is possibly the worst shampoo I've ever used.  It feels like a body cream and fails at shifting grease at the roots (nice!).  I can only see this working for someone with haystack hair who suffers from chronically dry tresses.  At around £20 for 200mls, this is a definite non repurchase.

What's your top haircare discovery of late? Let me know in the comments!

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August Loves

Bit of a mix for you this month - not all beauty and make up items - and I haven't done a favourites post in a long while, but this is what I've adored during August!

RayBans...resisted them for a long time...decided I had to have a pair... conceded that I look ridiculous in the original Wayfarer style...especially the black...so I plumped for the New Wayfarers in brown tortoiseshell.  Love them.  They make me want to smoke and wear red lipstick.

Longchamp Tree of Life - in typical fashion, I only decided I needed this limited edition bag started selling out...cue mad dash and phone round the whole of Greater London...but I got my spoils so it's all good!

ZARA Dress - My work buddies got me the best set of birthday presents which included this dress I have lived in for most of August.  Nights out, lazy Saturdays, work, blogger events, you name it, I've worn this dress to it!

ZARA Trench Coat - I bought at least 12 trench coats during August in the quest to find the ultimate one.  I've done a lot of returning and ended up with this Zara trench which is just the right length.  It's a bit tight on my boobs, but I'm hoping they'll go down when I get back into my gym routine.  I have to say, I think the coat looks better on me than on the boyish model - curves really set it off ya'know?

FitFlops - yes, I know they're not pretty at all on your feet, but when you're walking around European cities for 10 days, your feet will thank you.  And anyway, have you SEEN what other tourists are wearing?! I KNOW!

Here's where I cheat and recycle some photos which appeared on my blog over July and August, but it's dark now so I can't retake them and I want to get this post up!

Batiste XXL Volume - I cannot spread the good word about this new version of the dry shampoo fast enough.  Hand on heart, it's made the biggest difference to my hair of any hair product I ever used in my life. EVER.  

Au Naturel i Divine - have reached for this every day since I got it two weeks ago.  See that champagne in the top right hand corner.  It's beautiful.  That with a bit of the brownish red shadow on the bottom left and I'm good to go.

MAC Barcelona Red - favourite new red lippy.  See more about it HERE!

TopShop Head Over Heels - I haven't left this blush alone for even one day.  Get it now! Need to see more? Check it out HERE.

NARS Summer 2011 Limited Edition Blush Bronzer Trio - run people! Run to your nearest NARS stockist for this limited edition palette featuring NARS' holy trinity: Laguna bronzer, Orgasm blush and Albatross highlighter.  Beauty in a box.  See more of it my post HERE.

One Day - why have I only just finished this book now?! It's been maybe a year since I enjoyed a book so much.  I was determined to read it before seeing the film as I am in no way a Hathaway fan.  It made me laugh, cry, be sentimental and nostalgic and everything else in between.  I'll be thinking about this book for a long time.

What did you love most in August?

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April Favourites

How can it be May already?!  April whizzed by in a fun flash of days off lounging in the sun in London parks or moseying around markets.  Yesterday I went to Elephant & Castle and had my first taste of Ecuadorian food which was fabulous and I got to try lots of specialties which are normally only available in Ecuador.  I'm a bit sad to be going in to May already as it means I'm going back to the grindstone, but on a happier note, this here blawg turns 1 on 14th May and that means giveaway time!

I have a neat little batch of products I enjoyed throughout April and a few of them are rediscoveries from my stash.  First up though, April was the month I really fell in love with Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish, late to the party as always! I have a full review of it coming up tomorrow so check back for that.  

Being out and about in the sunshine is lovely but sometimes you just feel a need to freshen up, so I've been loving my Victoria's Secret Sexy Little Things Noir Body Mist.  I have the EDP of it and frankly the body mist lasts just as long on me.  It's the most divine scent - further described here - and one I won't ever grow tired of.  I got this little bottle in the US for about $10, which is pricey for a body spray, but I know that the VS concessions at Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick airports definitely stock some of the Sexy Little Things Noir range.

Blogland has been buzzing about this Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer for the past month.  While it's definitely a favourite - even a holy grail of mine, I'm a bit disappointed that Superdrug have put it up from £1.99 last year to £4.19!  Still an extreme bargain, but talk about a price hike!  I wear the lightest shade, 1 Fair and it is utterly perfect for my skintone.  The coverage is phenomenal and the best thing about this concealer is that it is very creamy and moisturising for the under eye area so it doesn't settle into fine lines.  It's supposed to last 16 hours, which is a bit of a stretch, but it certainly lasts during a working day or a night out.  It's also very easy to top up as you can swipe a bit over an earlier application and it won't look cakey.  I'll be doing a fuller review of this beauty soon complete with before and after pics!

I'm pretty sure this Prestige Skin Loving Minerals in Pure Shimmer highlighter has featured in previous monthly favourites, but with the recent good weather I've really wanted a fresh, glowy look and this is the best high street powder highlighter out there.  I know there's a lot of hype about the Sleek one which comes with the contour kit, but I don't rate that one next to my Pure Shimmer.  I'd say this is a good dupe for Soft & Gentle MAC MSF, if ever so slightly paler.  You can find Prestige in most large Boots so it's definitely worth a look. I've had this product for over a year and it's still going strong.  It's best applied with a MAC 109 brush which is nice and dense and ensures precise application along the cheekbones.  I tend to bring it up to my browbone too.

Good high street matte bronzers are hard to come by, and even rarer are pale ones, but Rimmel Sun Shimmer Bronzing Powder Compact in Light Matte has been my saviour this last month.  It's the best bronzer for pale skin I've tried - you can keep your Benefit Hoola's - I'm done!  I contour my cheekbones with this and dust some along my jawline and *cough* double chin with my trusty MAC 168 brush.  I definitely recommend this bronzer to you fellow Cullens out there!

This TopShop cream blush in Flush will probably feature in my monthly favourites until the end of time! I have used this blush Every Single Day in April and I've barely made a dent in it.  It's divine and lasts all day.  For swatches and a fuller review of it click here.  At only £6 I urge you to get this!

Another TopShop beauty is the Kohl pencil in Dragonfly which is a very dark bottle green with a slight shimmer.  I've been using it on my waterline as it's not as harsh as black and the green really brings out my blue eyes and the green flecks in them - I've had lots of compliments on my eyes since I started using this.  It's only £4 and is beautifully soft - no need to drag the delicate skin around your eyes.

Last but not least is Urban Decay's First Book of Shadows.  I got my mitts on this exactly two years ago and practically had to get on a plane to Florence for it! (long story).  It's a great all round palette with lots of neutral and bright colours, but they're all pretty shimmery.  One drawback to Urban Decay shadows is that I've recently noticed that my eyes water when I wear them on a sunny day.  I'm terrified that I might be allergic to them but persevering all the same.  They're not tested on animals - which was a huge plus for me - but sadly this may also be the reason why I sometimes have a bad reaction to them.

But this is meant to be a favourites post right? This month my eyes have mostly been sporting Gridlock all over the lid with Roach in the crease and Perversion in the outer corner.  Today I swiped a bit of Mayhem over Gridlock and it had a fabulous effect and brought out the green tones in my eyes - sorry I didn't take a pic!  Shakedown is another fave from this palette - it's a very pale silvery green which is extremely wearable.

What products have you been loving in April? If you've done a favourites post link it below so I can have a nose!

Happy Sunday! X

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March Favourites

I haven't done very well in the mornings over the past month so I don't have too many new make up favourites, but I've been enjoying lots of other products...

I'm really into looking after the skin around my eyes, so I've been using Organic Surge eye gel in the mornings which helps wake me up with a cooling effect and in the nights I use Clinique's all about eyes - it's a tiny pot I got as a Glamour freebie, but I have had a full size pot in the past and will definitely be repurchasing when my stash of minis run out.

Hair-wise Aussie Miracle Moist is the best high street shampoo I've ever found.  I used this for ages last year, and am rediscovering how fab it is all over again.  In the meantime I've been using a Frederic Fekkai eye-wateringly expensive shampoo and can honestly say my hair feels just the same if not better after a dose of Miracle Moist.  It's moisturising but cleans my hair properly without leaving a residue.  The Joico K-Pak conditioner was given to me at the National Beauty Blogging event.  I leave it on about 3 minutes in the shower, but want to see what it can do for me if I leave it in for half an hour.  I haven't had a trim in months, maybe even a year, so it's really helping keep my dry ends at bay.

With my sleep patterns being up the spout, I've been relying on Benefit Erase Paste in shade 1 to cover my dark blue under eye circles.  This stuff is pricey (about £20) but well worth it.  I bought this pot at least over 18 months ago, and although I did take a break from it for a while, it's still going strong.  You only need a little bit and it gives heavy coverage.  In the last week I've started buffing it in with a MAC 224 which gives a very natural finish and helps to stop it settling in the fine lines around my eyes.

I picked up my second bottle of Guerlain's My Insolence in the January sales and I'll never stop loving this sweet and sexy perfume.  While it's lighter and less cloying than the original big sister - Insolence - it's still a 'night time' scent, but I like to wear it at all times.  It reacts very well with my skin and is delicious from first spritz through the dry down.  It's fairly long lasting, especially if you spray it on your hair or clothing.  The bottle is also a stunning addition to my vanity.

This RMK Lip Crayon in 01 Pink was another goodie I received at the NBBE and in the tube it looks pretty scary, but on my lips is the most gorgeous pink which brings my whole complexion alive.  I'll do a FOTD with it soon so you can see how lovely it is.  It's very moisturising for a 'crayon' and could actually be a little more pigmented than it is.  I love the precise tip which makes it easy to apply on the go.

This Firstlight Cosmetics face brush was sent to me many moons ago and I've used it consistently since then to apply my finishing powders and blend out when I get too contour/blush happy - so I don't know why I've never featured it in my monthly favourites before!  I don't feel any need to get the MAC paddle brush (can't remember the #) which almost looks a bit too big.  This brush has been through many washes and come out the other end with minimal shedding and it's still very soft.  I'll do a full review on this and their mineral foundation in the next couple of weeks.

Superdrug's £1 MUA eyeshadow in shade 2 - Pearl is my go-to brow and inner corner highlight and I love it all over my lid to make my eyes seem more awake in the mornings.  I've also used it as a cheekbone highlighter in a pinch too.  You need to check it out!

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February Favourites

I haven't posted a set of monthly favourites since November as nothing had really inspired me so December and January would likely have been a rehash of the same old stuff.  Okay Bourjois Healthy Mix is still in there, but I don't think I'll ever stop loving this foundation!

Last month I was loving:

Bourjous Healthy Mix Foundation - Vanille 51 - I've almost finished this and have the back up ready and waiting!

MAC Wonder Woman Lipstick in Marquise D' - see a more detailed post on it here

No7 High Lights Illuminating Powder in Dandy Pink - I've really got into using this as a finishing powder like I do with Benefit Dandelion, but sadly it's been discontinued so I must start saving it!

e.l.f Blush in Gotta Glow - definitely NOT a blush, but a fabulous pale golden highlight powder akin to NARS Albratross at a fraction of the cost.

MaxFactor Miracle Touch Liquid Illusion Foundation in Creamy Ivory 40 - have had this for ages but only unleashed it's full potential with my GOSH foundation brush.  It's like a different product! Full review coming soon.

Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Dolly Pink - I can't get enough of cream blushes at the moment, and while this is my favourite for the time being, the search continues as I'm not completely enamored with the small glitter particles in the formulation.  Click here for swatches.

EOS lipbalm in Lemon Drop - I use this every morning to soften my lips while I do my make up and they're in perfect condition by the time I apply my lippy.  The taste is really growing on me too.

Benefit Eye Bright - I already loved this pale pink pencil for my browbone and nose-to-mouth lines, but now I use it to line my lower waterline and it's so much more natural than white.  Love it.

Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in Birthday Suit - I love all my pots of this but this colour is beautifully neutral and looks great on it's own with some mascara and eyeliner or used as a eyelid primer. Click here for swatches of all my CCSs.

Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap has been topping my iTunes Most Played list for the past month.  This song give me tingles.  I couldn't embed the video in this post but you can check it out here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxKjOOR9sPU

My Favourite Rose Gold Blushes

Is there anything prettier than a rose gold blush?

Getting MAC's Dainty with a holiday set last Christmas kick-started my passion and my little collection has grown a bit.

One thing I've found is that price doesn't really matter when it comes to colour or quality, from the cheapest - Sleek's £3.99 - to the dearest - NARS' £20.50 there are beautiful rosey gold blushes out there to suit every budget.

And so, below you see:

Top row: Milanli Luminous, MAC Dainty, Bourjois Rose D'Or
Bottom row: NARS Orgasm, Make Up Store Lust, Sleek MakeUP Rose Gold

And swatched, in the same order as above:




At the moment I'm going through a NARS Orgasm phase as I only got it a couple of months ago, but I do find it could be more pigmented.  

From the swatches you can see Sleek's the the most pigmented, and also, I find, the creamiest to blend, but you can overdo it sometimes!

Bourjois' Rose D'Or is actually more of a fuchsia pink under flash, but very flattering on my pale skin.

I've loved Dainty for a long time now, but swatched alongside all the others it looks too orange for my liking, and the same could be said to a lesser extent, for Make Up Store's Lust.

This week I'm planning on getting better acquainted with Milani Luminous.  It's mainly available in the US but you can get it online too for around $5.99.

                                                                                                                                                               
The newest addition to the collection is Rose D'Or from Bourjois. For years I was addicted to Lune D'Or. This one is very shimmery, but more pigmented than I remember Lune being. Unlike most I actually like the little brush which comes with it as its stiffness helps to scoop up a good amount of powder, I then blend it out with a fluffier brush, like the MAC 168.

One blush I forgot to take a snap of before starting this post is e.l.f's Studio blush in Candid Coral. It's very similar to NARS Deep Throat, and also resembles Orgasm. If you're looking for a great budget blush that's flattering on a wide range of skin shades, then I suggest you check it out!

Are there any other rose gold blushes I MUST have in my collection?!

November Favourites

Better late than never eh?!

November was a whirlwind of activity, particularly at work, and while I wore lots of slap and used a billion beauty products in Miami, this past week I've let my skin breathe and went bare-faced.  This month my best friend has been Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream.

MAC Naked Honey Skin Salve: this is a like a watered-down nicer smelling 8 hour cream.  It's a massive tin so I still have loads of it left as it's a bit large to lug around in my bag.  I use it on my lips only.  It was a limited edition product so you can't buy it anymore :(

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream: why it's called a cream I'll never know...it's more of a gel consistency, is a nasty golden colour and smells medicated, but if you have really chapped lips or dry patches on your elbows etc., it does the job.  I slather it on my lips before bed and carry this tube around with me at all times during the winter.

Benefit Georgia: this is an extremely sheer peach face powder.  Some people use it as a blush but it's not pigmented enough really.  I sweep it all over my face on top of liquid foundation as it doesn't make me look cakey but gives a lovely glow.  I've had this box two years now and it's still going strong!  The little brush that comes with it is rubbish so I just use a fluffly powder brush.

Benefit Dallas: they call it a 'dusty sunset plum' powder.  It's extremely pigmented and too dark to use as a blush with mu skintone, but the pink undertone makes it a great contour powder for me used lightly...it skims a few pounds off my cheeks.  Excellent.  Click here for a dupe I found of it.

EOS lipbalm: another lip product for you...I picked this up in Urban Outfitters half a year ago and I just get to like it more and more! Click here for my full post about it.

No7 Quick Thinking 4 in 1 wipes: an absolute travel necessity.  Best cleansing wipes I've found.  Click here for my full review.

MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack: I love this gel eye liner.  I neglected it for such a long time in favour of pen and pencil eye liners.  How wrong I was.  With the right brush (MAC 210), retro cat's eyes are a doddle.
MAC Viva Glam Cyndi lipstick: my heart sunk when it was confirmed that this will be discontinued in Feb. 2011.  This is my Holy Grail red lippy and firm monthly favourites staple, so I picked up a back up when I was in Miami.  However, I think I've found a pretty good dupe from E.L.F...so stay tuned!

For about a year and a half now my favourite nail varnish combination has been GOSH's Metallic Purple underneath Frou Frou.  Below is Metallic Purple, and Frou Frou just makes it the prettiest shiniest light purple.  I love the quality of GOSH polishes, however this combo does chip quickly, but it's easy to touch up, and now I've discovered the wonders of Seche Vite, it will last much longer.  It looks great with a tan.

Moving away from beauty items, I have been OBSESSED with Mad Men this month.  I got the season 1-3 box set from Amazon and watched it all in under one week.  I love EVERYTHING about it.  The storyline, fashions, where it's set, the era, and I'm developing a ripe old crush on Don Draper, even if he is a bit of a slut.  It's selling for less than £27 now but I paid about £35 for it :( Harrumph!

And meet my Dominic the Donkey gloves...Himself bought them as a joke for me from Tezenis last winter but I never take them off! They look goofy but are unbelievably warm as they're fleece-lined and always come in handy to amuse children on the bus...

Ching-a-dee-ching it's Dominic the Donkey!

Click here to enter my Urban Decay Book of Shadows III Giveaway!

My Favourite Autumn/Winter Perfumes

My perfume obsession always goes into overdrive in the colder weather as I love to wear musky, oriental, sweet, heavy scents which seem out of place during the summer.   I'm not much good at describing fragrance notes, so I've included their 'official' descriptions from their websites.  Most of these scents are vaguely similar and definitely from the same family of notes.  If a perfume doesn't feature Vanilla I ain't interested!

Dior Hypnotic Poison EDT

If I could only wear one perfume for the rest of my life, this would be it.  I loved it for ten years now when I'm normally very fickle and get fed up with perfumes before I'm even 15mls into a bottle.  However I will always have a bottle of HP on the go.  It's very strong, heavy and sweet and to me smells like wearable Amaretto! It wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, but for me it's sex and femininity in a bottle and there's nothing else like it!

Here's what Dior says:
The mystery of Dior’s legendary forbidden fruit lives on in a magical, modern philter that blends femininity with boldness. Four contrasting facets – intoxicating bitter almond and carvi, opulent Sambac jasmine, mysterious Jacarandra and sensuous vanilla and musk– make for a compelling, bewitching fragrance fusion. Intoxicating and extravagant.

Click HERE for more.  For a great review on it, and a host of other fabulous perfume descriptions check out Katie Puckrick on YouTube.

Dior Addict EDP

I started wearing this Dior Addict about five years ago before I discovered Hypnotic Poison and they are from the same family of scents.  It's very strong and actually gives me a stomach ache if I spritz it on first thing in the morning on an empty tum.  I don't like any of the children that it's spawned as they're just pale imitations.  I have 'teflon' skin to which scent slips off within an hour, but Dior Addict does cling for a good few hours, and if sprayed on clothing lasts for days.  When I've used up a lot of the perfumes I have sitting around I'll be repurchasing Dior Addict.

Again, I'll let Dior do the description honours:

A sophisticated oriental fragrance with a floral heart, for the passionate, intuitive woman who ignores dictates and follows her own rules. The Dior Addict attitude is best incarnated by its compelling heart note of the Jamaican " Queen of the Night " a rare and elusive flower that blooms only for a few hours and is considered the soul of enchantment. Intensely seductive.


Click HERE for more.

Gucci Rush

To me, Gucci Rush is very similar to Dior Addict and in the same family as Hypnotic Poison.  It brings me back to the A/W of 2002 when I started uni (for the first time) and it is Christmas in a bottle.  It is an spicy oriental vanilla and features top notes of bergamot, peony and freesia, middle notes of violet, jasmine and carnation and the base of the fragrance is orris, sandalwood and vetiver.

The only thing I don't like about it is the hideous, incongruous, un-sexy packaging.

Dolce & Gabanna The One EDP

The One is much lighter than the previous three fragrances and doesn't smell out of place in the summer months, but there is something comforting about it when worn on a cold morning.  It contains notes of mandarin, peach, jasmine and my old favourites make up the base of vanilla, amber and musk.

Ted Baker's Divine range at Boots is a pretty good dupe for the scent.  Click here for my comparison with The One.

Victoria's Secret Sexy Little Things Noir EDP

This has to be one of the best perfume bottle of all time, I'm a sucker for an atomiser.

Victoria's Secret describe it as:
At once elegant and playfully provocative, it's an enchanting blend of sparkling nectarine, sultry amber and exotic cattelaya orchid.

Top notes: nectarine, juicy apple, sparkling citrus, pineapple, guanabana, mouthwatering pear, red fruit, bergamot
Middle notes: cattelaya orchid, muget, cyclamen, jasmine petals, plum, vanilla, dewberry, cassis
Low notes: golden amber, velvet musk, sultry woods, tonka bean

They also describe it as a fruity floral but it's actually so much more than this, a really complex scent with a delicious vanilla, powdery dry down.

The only drawback is you can only pick it up in the UK at airports with a Victoria's Secret concession, and on me, the scent lasts literally minutes before disappearing into the ether :(

Hugo Deep Red EDP

I don't actually own Deep Red but it's been on my radar for years and I've been making do with a dupe of it from Next called Ruby, sadly discontinued now.  It's something along the lines of a calmer Gucci Rush and it always seems to be on offer in Boots so if you're looking for a strong, sexy winter fragrance definitely give this one a sniff.


Top notes: Clementine, Blood Orange, Blackcurrant
Middle notes: Freesia, Pittosporum, Ginger Flower
Base notes: Sandalwood, Cederwood, Vanilla

What's your favourite Autumn/Winter perfume?

October Favourites/Rediscoveries

October seemed about a week long, and my 5-5-5 Challenge cut into a week of it, but I still have a decent haul of beauty products I've been loving this month.
MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack: Only last week I rediscovered my love of gel eye liner.  I normally use a liquid pen or pot but recently they've frustrated me as my eye lids aren't as taut as they were and the liner tends to feather.  But with gel/cake eye liner like Fluidline and a very thin brush, I get a much for smooth, precise line and my cat's eye flick is a breeze to achieve!  The brush I used is actually a paintbrush which I snapped the long handle off so it sits at a good height in my brush holder.  I picked it up from the art shop near Notting Hill Gate tube (forget the name!)


The best new product I discovered this month is Rimmel's Eyebrow Pencil in Hazel.  Robyn recommended it to me when I admired her eyebrows.  Now I forked out for MAC's Strut which is supposed to be a good colour for red heads, but it's very unnatural, and treble with price of this Rimmel one.

MAC Venomous Villains Collection Nail Lacquer in Bad Fairy: this is my nail polish of A/W 2010.  You can see what it looks like on by clicking HERE.  I doubt it'll ever run out as I've never actually used up a nail polish, but when it goes sticky, I will replace it with the Accessorize dupe! 
Dior Hypnotic Poison EDP: is my holy grail perfume, but I love it especially on cold wintry days and long, dark nights as it just smells so comforting and warm.  The main notes are vanilla and amber. It's a 'night' scent really, but I wear it at all times!

Batiste Dry Shampoo - Fresh: for a long time I was a huge fan of the Brunette version, and while I do still love it, the scent became a bit cloying, as did the Blush version, so this Fresh Batiste makes a nice break.  I actually feel that the white powder absorbs oil better than the coloured version.

Sleek MakeUP Shimmer Blush in Rose Gold: I got my sticky little hands on this soon after it was released and am so glad to have it, it's the only blush I've reached for since I got it.  Check out it's total gorgeousness HERE.

MUFE Aqua Smoky Lash: this is my holy grail mascara.  I picked it up in Sephora in Florence over a year ago and it's still going strong (gross and unhygienic I know, but it broke the bank at the time!).  I only use it on special occasions.  One coat is all that's needed and two coats gives a false eye lash effect.  The only drawback is that being waterproof, it's a nightmare to remove, but on the upside, holds the curl better.

MAC Viva Glam Lipstick in Cyndi: this featured in last month's favourites and I think it will every month until I finish it.  It's my holy grail red lipstick (lots of HG's this month!) and I'm planning to pick up a few back ups before it's discontinued.

MAC Lipstick in Delish (Frost): I've had this lipstick for a while but picked it up again this month and am loving it.  For me it's the perfect nude with a hint of gold.  It's a Frost finish which isn't my favourite, but I still love it!

Organic Surge Eye Gel: I got this free with a voucher in Grazia magazine a couple of months ago and when I first used it my under eye skin stung quite badly, but this month I gave it another go making sure not to use it with any other products, and it's been great in the mornings for making my eye bags feel cool and awake.
Don't forget to enter my makeup giveaway! (Closes 27th November)