Maybelline New York Nail-Art Master Class

I'm not a nails person, it's the chink in my beauty blogging armor.

Maybelline caught wind of this shameful state of affairs and frog-marched me along to a nail art master class with nail maestro Michelle Humprey. You know what? I'm pretty proud of my ham-fisted attempts, particularly my Cath Kidston inspired floral thumb!

My childhood friend Abigail, who is a nail art nut, joined me.  Go check out her brand new blog here: http://modestglamamor.blogspot.co.uk

If you want to recreate these nail looks at home, take a look at these handy how-to videos:

The flowers (Cath Kidston - did anyone say 'copyright?!'): 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q_olLpz5kM 

For a step-by-step demo on the Kiss look watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5004eN94VBk

I don't have a link for the crazy ombre leopard print nails, but they're much easier than you'd think.  Top tip is to cover over with a coat or two of mildly glittery polish.  It hides a multitude of sins.

I must say a final word about these new Maybelline Colour Show Polka Dots polishes.  The speckled effect is very cool, but a little more work safe than a really wacky holographic glitter.  Pretty with a punch. 

They will be available from June for an unbelievably affordable £2.99 a pop.  There will be four colours in total to choose from - the blue and pink you see below, plus a black/white and teal/emerald.

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Beauty Empties | April 2013

There are a few gems in this month's round-up so it's looking like I will have to bend the rules somehow of my spending ban as I really don't want to be without some of these!

Bioderma Crealine H2O - definitely repurchase 

This watery make up cleanser lives up to the hype.  Unfortunately you can't pick it up on the high street, but I believe it's stocked in Harvey Nicks, or you can get some good deals online especially if you buy in bulk.  This make up artist favourite is an all rounder that even removes stubborn eye make up.  The best thing is it leaves skin feeling clean, without the icky residue some heavier cleansers leave behind.  

Batiste Dry Shampoo (Cherry)* - no repurchase 

It is what it is, and I know loads of people loath Batiste for its residue.  I can't stand the Blush scent, but Cherry is pretty nice.  However I'd recommend the 'Fresh' one in the blue bottle instead.  Batiste works best if you spray it on before going to bed as this allows it to work its magic overnight and with a quick brush through in the morning you have clean(ish), voluminous hair.

Clean & Clear Exfoliating Daily Wash - definitely repurchase 

This is easily my tenth go-around with this face wash.  No matter what else I try, I always come back to it.  It's pretty harsh so I wouldn't recommend using it more than once a day, but it's got the finest grain to it which really exfoliates, it's great first thing in the shower.  Inexpensive and miles better than more expensive cleansers.  Recently other brands have released similar exfoliating cleansers with gorgeous fruity scents which I'm trying and will let you know if they knock this one off top spot.

i.d. bare Minerals in Fairly Light - maybe repurchase 

This was my first mineral foundation and it lasted for an age.  While it's still a favourite, I find this type of foundation emphasises the appearance of pores.  You definitely need a 'Poly-fila' type primer like Benefit Porefessional or Garnier Perfect Blur underneath for a truly flawless look.  Recently I've discovered Laura Mercier's Mineral Powder (I use Tender Rose) which is just phenomenal.  Flawless skin with the swirl of a brush.

Maybelline ColorSensational in 112 Ambre Rose - couldn't repurchase even if I wanted to!

Of course the minute I fall in love with a cosmetic, it gets discontinued! However, looking on the US website, it looks very similar to 120 Pink Satin.  Alas, I shall miss this gorgeous bright pink with gold flecks.

Aromatherapy Associates Renew Rose Hydrating Body Gel* - no repurchase 

I reviewed this gel here so won't go into too much detail now.  While it's a nice product to keep in the fridge to use on very hot days, I can live without it.

L'Oreal Elvive Renutrition Nourishing Milk - definitely repurchase 

I can't say enough about this Nourishing Milk which is really more of a creamy serum.  It's the perfect consistency for my hair, adding just enough moisture to wet hair to help the drying process.  If yours is too fine for hair oils I urge to to try this, even for the scent alone.

Kiehl's Creme de Corps - no repurchase 

This product is so hyped and I'm not sure why really.  I find it very greasy and the scent is nothing to write home about.  If you have dry, problem skin you're better off with a body oil like Garnier Body Ultimate Beauty Oil or if you prefer a cream the Garner 7 Day Moisture range is gorgeous.  This isn't an advert for Garnier, they just have some seriously good body products!

Have you tried any of these products? Do you agree with my takes on them? 

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Review | Maybelline Rocket Volum' Express Mascara

Don't you love it when you find a new mascara to love?

Maybelline's new Rocket Volum' Express Mascara* thickened, lengthened, fanned and held the curl in my lashes impressively well - I expect the Waterproof formula would do the latter even better.

Very few plastic wands appeal to me, but the bristles (that would be the jet glide brush!) are so fine and pliable that coupled with the incredibly smooth formula, clumping is kept at bay.  My lashes are happily quite plentiful so I experience a measure of clumping with all mascara, but on someone with denser, finer lashes, Rocket Volum' would work even better.

It's currently on offer at Boots, so you can take your lashes into space for a mere £5.99. 

What's your favourite Maybelline mascara? Let me know in the comments.

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Maybelline Dream Touch Blush in...Berry?

I'm a sucker for cream products at the moment, particularly blushers so I picked this new Maybelline offering up a couple of weeks ago.

I've previously complained about the big chunks of glitter in their Dream Mousse formula, even though Dolly Pink is a gorgeous bubblegum pink.  Dream Touch is a much nicer consistency - more pigmented and sheeny but not glittery, and a dream to blend.

For some reason the name of the shade I picked up isn't printed on the jar, so I can only guess that it is Berry.  The other colours in this new range are Plum, Apricot and Peach.  I think I'll give the Peach a whirl next as unfortunately, Berry makes me look a little ruddy.

Boots is calling them Dream Soft blushes for some reason (it's Touch!) but currently has them on offer for £4.49 (normally £6.49).  A mighty bargain methinks.

Have you tried any of these new Maybelline Dream Touch Blushers?

***Enter my Calvin Klein & Stila eyeshadow palettes giveaway HERE***

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Maybelline Mousse Blush in Dolly Pink

I am a blush obsessive and thought it was high time I added a cream version to my collection. I've heard lots of good things about these Maybelline Mousses and since there isn't a huge selection of drugstore cream blushes out there I picked it up.  The only other cream blushes I came across in search of Boots and Superdrug were MaxFactor and there were only about 3 shades to choose from.  Topshop also do a few so I want to check them out and I'd really like to get my hands on MAC Ladyblush at some stage.

The container is tiny - you get 7 mls, but a little does go a long way.  I adore the Dolly Pink colour but could do without the hefty chunks of glitter.

It is an extremely pale pink which barely shows up on my skin, so if you have medium/olive toned skin you might do better with a more vibrant colour, it comes in about 4-5 shades.

It doesn't show up great on camera, but I can assure you I did have pink cheeks!

Have you got any must-try cream blush recommendations?

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5-5-5 Make-Up Challenge Round Up!

I did my challenge a couple of weeks ago but forgot to let you know how I got on!  The idea behind was to streamline my morning make up routine, tease out what really are my essential make up items (I'd now be happy to travel with just 5 items!) and to use up some products which seem to be lasting forever! (I'm looking at you, Collection 2000 Lasting Finish foundation! ¬_¬)

To recap, the challenge consisted of the following:

Choose 5 products - I've picked a mix of budget and MAC, but to make it even more recession friendly you can make all 5 budget, or if you think you'd really struggle 5 high-end may work better as they tend to be the best for 'multi-tasking' - like the NARS Multiple in Orgasm.

• It should only take 5 minutes to apply everything - I'm timing myself for the first time tomorrow morning so I'll let you know how I get on!
• Repeat for 5 days - Monday to Friday; my working week. 
• Use of beauty tools, like brushes and eyelash curlers is not restricted.

And this was my kit:

I was on 'earlies' at work that week so it was a blessing to know exactly what I was using and to try and keep it down to five minutes. I succeeded in sticking to 5 products only for 5 days, but I'd forgotten how long it takes to blend in the Collection 2000 foundation - this along took almost 5 minutes! So in reality the whole routine took about 8-10 minutes, which isn't too bad considering I did look like I was 'made up'. If I were to use a lighter foundation like Bourjois Healthy Mix or Bare Minerals I reckon I could get it down to 5 minutes.

As it was a challenge I did go back to my regular kit afterwards, but in future, if I know I have a particularly stressful work week ahead with early starts I'll pick out a few bits on a Sunday night, set them aside and stick with them for the week.

I took photos on a few of the mornings, and here they are for your viewing pleasure! On the final morning I was trying out some mineral foundation from Firstlight Cosmetics, so I look a bit paler, but I substituted it for the liquid foundation, thereby sticking to the 5 product rule!

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Overall, it was a fun challenge, but I did miss my blusher! It was very hard to resist using my new Sleek Rose Gold!