Halloween NOTD - Jem by Zoya

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I received this in the October Boudoir Prive box and thought today was a perfect day to wear it as is quite Halloween-ish but also perfect for the upcoming colder weather as it's a lovely autumnal/winter berry shade. 

Jem is one of the nail polishes from the Zoya Smoke and Mirrors Fall 2011 collection which is made up of twelve new shades - six creme shades (smoke) and six shimmery shades (mirrors). But I really would say that Jem is the prettiest shade out of the collection and one that I would of picked for myself!

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This is only a mini bottle at 7.5ml which for me is more than enough with all the other polishes I have but I did take a look on eBay and found that you can pick it up for £8.79 including free p&p for the full sized 15ml bottle - here. Which I don't think is too bad for such a lovely polish like this and it one of those lovely formulas that glides onto the nails and is totally opaque in two coats. 

As for the shade itself it's a deep purple based polish with a lovely duo chrome base going on, so in different light it looks slightly pink and then gold. So, so lovely and most importantly it's got a smooth finish to it, which is what you want with duo chrome nail polishes as when they have that gritty finish it's just not as good! 

Rambling over with - What do you think? Is it worth just under £9? Do you know a dupe for it! 

Fee x 


PS. Happy Halloween!!


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Christmas Gift Guide - Top 10 High-End Gifts for Under £10!

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For my first Christmas Guide I decided to set myself a bit of a savvy challenge to find relatively high end branded gifts for under £10... which is slightly crazy seeing as high street priced gifts in Boots seem to be around that price this Christmas! 

But the reason for this is I know a lot of people don't want another Dove gift set or some other genetic gift but something a bit different and it's also nice if it's from a well known/high end brand. So here are my top 10 gifts that would be ideal for family members, friends or even co-workers...

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Benefit Tan About Town (Asos
I know most women love a bit of Benefit but don't love the price so this is just perrrfect. You still get the cute packaging and all the branding and also three nice mini products for only £9. This for a friend with some chocolates - perfect! 
Benefit Skincare Set (Asos)
 This is another set that is just so affordable and what is perfect is that it's mini products of the whole new Benefit skincare range, so the receiver of this gift can try out all the products and then maybe purchase their favourite! 

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Miller Harris Candle (Feel Unique)
Now this is only a mini 35g candle but Miller Harris is one luxury brand so this would make a great gift for someone that like luxurious things. Or if you are wanting to spend more on someone you could purchase three different mini candles (even tie a red ribbon around them) which would total £30 to create a beautiful try-me set, instead of just purchasing one large Miller Harris candle for £35! Or just one candle alone and some lovely truffles would make a thoughtful and different present for a friend. Four different scents - here.

OPI Touring America Mini set (Amazon)
I really wanted to include an OPI mini set as I have received quite a few in the past for Christmas and have loved them. This isn't Christmassy however there is just something about receiving a set of four mini nail polishes to try out at Christmas that is lovely. I did pick this as it was the only set I could find for under £10. However ASOS and Feel Unique are great for them and retail for around £13. 

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Aromatherapy Associates Little Star (HQ Hair)
This is another small-ish gift but perfectly formed and again quite unique. This is a great little present to give to someone that you know enjoys soaking in the bath or that likes to be indulgent with their toiletries. I would personally again give this along side a small box of beautifully wrapped chocolates.

First Aid Beauty Fab Essentials Set (Bath & Unwind)
This isn't my favourite set but again another nice intro to a pretty new skincare line. This actually is quite good value for money as all four products add up to 170g of products, with a nice selection of body and face products. Also this is perfect for anyone with sensitive skin or is quite ingredient conscious.
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Bliss Santa's Little Helpers 
Bliss Winter Wonder-hands (HQ Hair)
Last year I gave two Bliss gift sets as presents and I think they were gratefully received and I can also add that they both did smell amazing. But these two sets are ideal for if you are on a budget. I think I would personally opt for the Santa's Little Helpers set as who really needs two hand creams (says the girl with twelve), so I think the hand cream and the lip balm is a nicer set. Also really like the packaging with these
 

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John Masters Organics Set (Feel Unique)
John Masters is quite a high end brand from what I have seen, with a lot of the haircare/ body products priced around £25-30. What I really like about this is again the mix of products with two being for the hair - a handy detangler and shampoo and the other two for the body - a gorgeous Blood Orange & Vanilla body wash and a body milk. Quite an interesting little set that has substance to it!

Compagnie De Provence Travel Set - Wild Rose (Look Fantastic)
Now this is a set I definitely wouldn't mind receiving this year as I love anything that smells of rose and I have seen Compagnie De Provence so many times in department stores but never bought anything as it always seems a touch to expensive. But this is ideal to try all the hero products of the brand and it also includes a lovely Wild Rose hand cream. Really nice.
 
What I love about all these products are that they just aren't your typical Boots or Superdrug giftsets - so it will make your £10 gift stand out from the crowd and will hopefully be enjoyed by the receiver of the gift. 

I have lots more gift guides coming up with a few product reviews thrown in for good measure. So I really hope you enjoyed this one! 


Fee xo.

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A None Make Up Post...

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 Yesterday I read this post on Karen's blog (Makeup and Beauty Blog) and really enjoyed her answers so I thought I'd answer her questions but here on my blog. As even though I have been blogging for quite some time now I don't really talk about life outside of makeup, so hopefully this will be something a bit different...
 
1. Mood: Indifferent/stressed/tired... but trying to look to the positives

2. If you could dine (for free) anywhere in the world tonight, where would it be? Oh this is a tough question as I'm not one of those people that have all different types of places they like to eat at. But right now I think I would pick up some food from an Italian place called Parmesan & Pepper - probably Penne Alla Panna (think cream,ham, cayenne and parmesan) and a garlic & cheese pizza bread and I'd sit and eat it with my throw around me watching something girly but funny like The Proposal or The Holiday.

3. Do you have any siblings? I do. One older sister who is 28 and I also have two younger step brothers who are 10 and 18. 

4. If your pets could talk, what would they say about you? Now this would be interesting! Ruby my dog would probably moan about how I don't take her on enough walks and how I talk to her way too much even when she's trying to sleep! But I'd also hope that she would say how much she loves me haha

5. Which one do you follow most often, your heart or your head? My head as my heart is easily led. I've learnt from past experience that my head is definitely more wise than my heart and if I followed my heart I would just always be doing things for others and forgetting about myself.

6. What are three songs on your road trip playlist? Gold Digger by Kanye West (here), as me and my boyfriend always sing this together in the car for some reason. The Cave by Mumford & Sons (here) as I just love it and hmmm Patrick Park Something Pretty (here).

7. Would you consider yourself renowned or famous for anything in particular? Curry - I make a really healthy but lovely curry and everyone seems to really like it and asks for it. But other than that no! 

8. Your favorite place for dessert? I'm going to be sad again and say at home! I don't have it very often as it's about 1500 calories! But I love Tesco Finest Melt in the Middle Chocolate Puddings with Vanilla Carte D'or ice-cream.

9. Scariest movie you’ve ever seen? Funny Games (2007 version) I wouldn't even suggest this to someone I didn't like... it literally left me cold. Totally sick film that only gets sicker as it goes along. I was actually still thinking about it 4 days later! 

10. Weekly goals: Oh I have a lot... my main one is to go to bed at a normal time (I normally go to bed at 3-4am) also exercise more and call family & friends more instead of expecting them to phone me... oh, and to also drink less Pepsi Max (so addicted to it)!

1. Mood:
2. If you could dine (for free) anywhere in the world tonight, where would it be?
3. Do you have any siblings?
4. If your pets could talk, what would they say about you?
5. Which one do you follow most often, your heart or your head?
6. What are three songs on your road trip playlist?
7. Would you consider yourself renowned or famous for anything in particular?
8. Your favorite place for dessert?
9. Scariest movie you’ve ever seen?
10. Weekly goals: 
 
If you want to answer the questions you can copy them above and write a post on your own blog or if you don't have a blog you could answer them in the comments as I'd really love to know more about everyone! 


Fee xo.

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Tesco's Brand New Beauty Hall!

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As a beauty blogger I get excited over a lot of things, but I have literally been dying to write this post as at the start of the week I had the most amazing time visiting one of the brand new Tesco Beauty Halls. I didn't get an special privileges, I just turned up, took some pics and spent over an hour looking/drooling at all the amazing new products.

So far Tesco have opened 3 in-store beauty halls in Dudley, Horwich (Bolton) and Newport. The one I went to was the Horwich store which lucky for me is only 20 minutes away! Each beauty hall apparently stocks 24 higher end brands (all with their own concessions/stands) and many of them are hard to get hold of or will only be stocked in Tesco.

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Here are the brands I remember spotting - Natio, St Tropiz, Olivella, Rose & Co, The Vintage Cosmetics Company, Jason, Evolve, Steam Cream, All for Eve, Mor, Diego Dalla Palma, Klorane, Le Couvent Des Minimes, Tommy Guns, Tisserand, Crabtree & Evelyn and Fake Bake. 
Lower end brands - Barbara Daly, Olay, Max Factor, Barry M, Vivo, Rimmel, Une, F&F Make up (new) and Maybelline. 

Make Up Consultants
Much like a department store the brands are either in concessions or stands, I think there were around 6 or 7 large concessions which are staffed by consultants. Now I'm in two minds about this idea because it does seem a bit daunting. I mean when you are shopping in the supermarket you definitely don't want to be sold anything or pounced upon and I sadly was - 5 times. Now this could just be because it's brand new this week or it could be to do with their training, but I must say they were all friendly enough. But it just something I didn't expect to see in Tesco.

I got quite a few 'can I help you there?' and 'if you need any help I'm just over here' from the staff but then one member of staff approached me whilst I was looking at the Vivo stand and her opening question was 'so have you heard of Vivo before?' which did seem a little sales person-ish. I of course said that I had already tried a few of their products and then she seems a bit stuck for what else to say, so left me to it.

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 ...I then got nabbed by the Olay woman as I was walking past the counter and she asked me if I wanted to try out the new cream... so I yes, had quite a nice chat to her and she actually gave me two samples, which is definitely how I feel the staff should be - i.e 'I going to try and sell you something, but be friendly about it and also I will give you a few samples'.

New Layout
As for the whole layout - I totally loved it. The floor space, if you can imagine, is over 3 aisles with two lengths of shelving on each side and then all the concessions and stands are down the center (I feel like I need to draw you a little floor plan - but I won't!). One thing I was very happy to see was lots of mirrors at each stand with jazzy lighting around them. Though the only let down was the lack of tissues... but it was all very clean and even the testers of products looked like they were being kept clean. So a definite thumbs up!

Other new things! 
One thing I spotted that made me go 'oooo' but also made me forget to take a picture in my excitement was the table/area for OPI manicures. I don't know why, but this seems such an American/Walmart thing... getting your nails 'did' whilst grocery shopping - crazy! But sadly there wasn't a woman at the table to talk to and no prices! But I did just stand and salivate over all the lined up OPI polishes.  

Another totally new thing was the Beauty Salon at the back of the store (just off the beauty hall) but I must admit it did remind me of the see through dog grooming room at Pet World, as it's totally glass so you can watch people have their hair done.. which people were stood doing. I'm not sure if I would like that to be honest. However it was only £10 for a shampoo, cut and finish which is cheap! 

Concessions & Beauty stands 

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Mor 
This was something else I ooo'd at when I spotted it as it's just such a luxury brand and also one that I had only ever seen online. So it was great to see it in the flesh and I'm sure this will be liked by many this Christmas!

Diego Dalla Palma
I was so excited to see this brand come to the UK at my lovely Italian friend sent me some of their products last year and I loved them. The counter looks really high end and everything I swatched was perfect. Though this is definitely high end with nothing lower than £13 really. But really great if you do like high end/high quality cosmetics but don't have the time to shop in places like Debenhams and Selfridges. 

Barry M
I was so pleased to see this stand! I know it is already in Boots & Superdrug but I do more food shopping than beauty shopping (hmmm, okay maybe not) so this will be really handy for me. 

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Rose & Co 
 Out of all the stands this was my favourite, as again I have only seen this brand online and everything is just so pretty and lovely smelling! I picked up the Sugared Violet Hand Cream (£5 online - here) because I have been wanting it for awhile and after smelling it I just HAD to buy it. I also picked up an interesting sachet called Milk Bath (£3) which is for either the bath or for in a foot bath, but it actually does more than one bath so I thought it was definitely worth it. I also sniffed the Sweet Vanilla Lip Salve and nearly died from the amazing smell. I didn't get it... but I'm now planning another trip to Tesco to buy it!

Steam Cream
This was another lovely stand to see as I have never actually seen a Steam Cream tin before and all the designs are so interesting. Plus they had a tester in a nice sealed, squirty bottle so no having to dip your fingers into a nasty tester - good thinking Tesco!

F&F Made Up
(I think this is what it was called as this is what the signs said)
This is a totally new range for Tesco, which is a spin off from their F&F clothing line. I did have a quick look but I wasn't all that taken with it. The products are pretty averagely priced (think £5 for lip glosses etc) and the packaging is fairly simple and black. Personally I feel the Barbara Daly line is Tesco's makeup range and so they didn't really need another at such a similar price range.


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The Vintage Cosmetics Company 
Now I couldn't decide if this was a new brand or one I had just never heard of before. Has anyone seen this range before? My first impressions of the stand were really good. I love the whole vintage vibe and how each style of false lashes is called a vintage-esqe name, such as - Kitty, Gracie or Connie! All the lashes cost £6 each and the eyelash curlers £7. Another product that I can see flying off the shelves at Christmas!

Natio 
This is a range I have seen before in Debenhams so I wasn't too excited about it. However I did spot some rather lovely travel kits which came in a huge cosmetics bag for £18 I think. Now I normally hate the makeup bags that come with products but this was waterproof and had stamps and pretty things all over it. I should of taken a picture really to show you the prettiness, but oh well! I think I may have to show this to the husband- to be near to Christmas.

Vivo 
 I have a Vivo stand in my local Tesco but this was a super duper one, and so I did picked up two lipsticks and a few other things for an upcoming giveaway. Really impressed with this range so far - especially the £1.99 lipsticks, £3.00 lashes and the £1.50 eyeshadows! 

Hopefully I haven't left you all feeling glum that you don't have a Tesco Beauty Hall near you! But if I have... then you will be pleased to know that Tesco are actually going to have a dedicated website for makeup that is launching the end of this month... in just a few days time! 

I'm really hoping there will be a wide selection of brands and fingers crossed there will be a collect free from store option!

Fee xo.


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Win NYC Chroma Face Glow in Moonstone & Sunstone! Closed.

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So today I thought I would bring you what I think is a really nice giveaway, as I love this product and it's quite rare as it's been annoyingly discontinued! 

As you can see I have two sets to giveaway to two winners - one in the UK and one International so it's fair! 

Here is my own NYC Chroma Glow in Moonstone so you can have a closer look at just how pretty it is... 

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Apparently Moonstone is a dupe for MAC's MSF in Petticoat and Sunstone is a dupe for MAC MSF So Ceylon! I can say if they are but from looking at swatches on the internet they both do seem quite similar. Eiter way these are really pretty and just nice to have! 

The rules & other info!
  • To enter you do not need to be a subscriber via Google friends connect, though all subscribers that have followed before 26th October qualify for 2 entries (so all existing followers just let me know by which name you follow me with and I will include an extra entry). 
  • If you are new to my blog then feel free to follow if you like what you see but it won't gain you an extra entry (though it will in the next giveaway I hold!) - just the one if you leave a comment below.
  • This is open to everyone - but PLEASE state where you are in the world by either putting 'UK' or 'International'
  •   To enter please leave your first name with either your Twitter i.d, blog link or e-mail address (but please do this in the guest sign-in so that your e-mail address won't be displayed publicly. IMPORTANT - If you make a mistake please delete your comment and re-write it. Please do not leave two comments.
  • The giveaway will close next Wednesday - 11pm 2nd November
  • The two winners will be announced and contacted -Thursday 3rd November 

Good luck everyone! 

Fee xo.
 
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Holidays Are Coming!

China_Glaze_Holiday_2011_set

Okay... maybe they aren't just yet! But all this week I have been in quite a Christmassy mood, ever since these babies arrived! 

Each year out of all the nail polish sets, from Orly to OPI, I go for a China Glaze Holiday set as I love the shades and of course their cute festive names. But this year I decided to get a mini set as they are cheaper and I know I won't use all of the shades after Christmas... which is why I sold the set I got last year as the full sized bottles never got used! 

I don't actually know where the China Glaze sets can be bought from in the UK, so I always buy them from eBay - This set can be found here for £14.50 inc p&p and is a UK seller so no waiting ages.

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The Santa's Little Helpers set contains 4 x 9.6ml polishes in...
Tinsel Town, Icicle, Ring in the Red and Velvet Bow. 

My absolute favourite out of the 4 polishes is Tinsel Town, which I know I will wear a lot and not just in December... it is so sparkly but in such a wonderful gunmetal shade - this alone was worth buying the set for! My next equal favourites are Ring in the Red for being so red and glittery and Icicle because it reminds me of silver wrapping paper..... oh it's making me wish it was December already. 

Did I tell you I'm a massive lover of Christmas?!

But sadly it isn't the holiday season just yet, but I'm still wanting to wear some of the polishes. So this was what I was wearing on my nails before I had my little fingers caught in the drawer accident!

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Ring in the Red is quite an opaque glitter polish so I decided to just paint one thin coat over Zoya Jem and I kind of think it looks a bit Halloween meets Christmas! It's a bit two tone and slightly dark but with that little glimpse that Christmas will soon be upon us!

I really can't wait to show you what Tinsel Town looks like on the nails as it's just so pretty and oh so sparkly! 

So pleased that I got this set. 

Fee xo.

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New Products from Rimmel!

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So today I thought I'd talk about the Kate Moss Collection for Rimmel and a few of Rimmel's newer products. 

The Lipstick Collection by Kate

Firstly I want to talk about the lipstick collection (£5.49) as I did previously mention that I thought it was a bit of a shame that Kate Moss didn't name them and I still stand by that. However I decided to go and swatch all the shades and give my proper opinion on them. I firstly wanted to see if they varied from Rimmel's other lipsticks and I'm quite pleased to say I feel they do. Firstly I liked all the shades especially shades 2,3,4 and 8 and they do actually have a Kate Moss vibe to them - they really do seems shades she would wear.

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But here is the shade I ended up getting after many attractive lipstick swatch up my arm...

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New shades in the I Love Lasting Finish Nail Polish range
 
I also managed to look at the new shades in the I Love Lasting nail polish collection (£2.99) - which are Hot & Spicy, Misty Jade, Purple Pulse and the amazing Disco Ball. Now I shouldn't of really gone for Disco Ball as I already have something very similar, but I really couldn't resist it. I will have to show you it on the nails at a later date though as I'm currently nursing some bashed up fingers from trapping them in the kitchen drawer at the weekend - nice! 

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So pretty isn't it though... I'm imagining this over either a nude polish or something equally as glittery for a disco ball explosion, especially for Christmas!

Glam' Eyes HD Union Jack Eyeshadows

I was also tempted by the Glam' Eyes HD eyeshadows (£6.99) while I was there, which consist of 6 palettes that all have a union jack design on them that divides the 4 shades in each palette... if that makes any sense! My definite favourites have to be either 'Green Park' which contains four different shades of green or 'English Oak' which contains three browns with also a light dusky shade in their as well. I'm also thinking these would make really nice stocking fillers... though I do only have my boyfriends stocking to buy for and I don't think he would appreciate these!

Also here is the new Kate Moss advert! What do you think? I'm guessing she is wearing Shade 1 which looks lovely on her but I really don't think I could pull it off!



On a side note I took a visit to one of Tesco's brand new beauty halls yesterday to see the wonderful Diego Dalla Palma stand... but more on that another day!

Fee xo.

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Boots 17 Femme Noir Free Gift with Purchase

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Today I thought it was about time I talked about the free gift you currently receive if you purchase two products from 17 at Boots, as the offer ends November 1st and it's also a pretty good deal! 

Firstly I have to admit I always take up the free gift offers from 17 as I have no trouble at all choosing what to buy as there is always a new and interesting product out or I need to re-purchase something. So on a recent visit to Boots I picked up a brand spanking new 17 Wild Metallic Cream Eyeshadow in Wild Nude for £3.99 (here) and Blush & Glow in Strawberry Swirl, which was also £3.99 (here).

Which meant I qualified for the free 17 Femme Noir set...

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As you can see you receive three full sized products which is really great if you consider that an average 17 product retails for about £3-4. Also the set is definitely perfect for Halloween... or even the festive season! 

The free gift contains... 
17 Ultimate Volume Lip Gloss in Very Berry 8ml, 17 Glitter Eyeshadow in Night Sky and 17 Liquid Liner in Black 8ml.

You also receive a voucher for X amount of points when purchase another 17 product... but this has vanished from my purse so I don't know the exact details. Plus if you spend over £5.00 on the two 17 products you receive a £5 No7 voucher. So it's offers galore at the moment at Boots! 

Mini reviews & swatches...

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17 Liquid Liner
I really do like this product! It's quite black and it has a good brush, which are two important things in my book. I wouldn't say it is as smudge-proof as it claims to be, but never the less this does stay on and stays fairly opaque throughout the day... I know this because I'm currently wearing it and have been all day. I'm also thinking this could be used as a nail art pen for leopard print nails and the like, with a top coat over it of course... but don't quote me on that, as I haven't tried it out! 

17 Glitter in Night Sky
This has to be my least favourite product out of the set, but then again I do plan on using it for Halloween - so I'm glad it was included! Personally I don't use black eyeshadow, but that aside it is one of those eyeshadows that contain glitter, but annnoyingly glitter that seems to work it's way outside of the eyeshadow instead of being evenly placed. 

17 Lip Gloss in Very Berry
Now I don't love how this looks in the swatches above however I do really like it - perfect for Autumn and Winter on it's own on over a darker lipstick, just an all round nice shade that will suit most people. This definitely feels like a product I would buy at full price. 


So all in all a really nice free gift from 17 that needs to be snapped up by November 1st!


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Chocolate Giveaway Winner & Upcoming Giveaway!

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Another week and another winner! I'm actually really enjoying doing lots of little giveaways at the moment - I feel it's nice to give something back! 

The winner of the amazing smelling bath creme and some lovely chocolates is...

Joanna (comment 14)

As for this week's giveaway there will actually be TWO winners and this time it will be international as well! 
 
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Can you guess what the giveaway will be?

Make sure to check back on Wednesday to find out what the giveaway is and all that jazz! 

Fee xo.

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Dermablend Deserve an Award for this!

DermaBlend_Zombio_Boy_Rick

After seeing the new Maybelline ad with their foundation covering a golf ball.... yes, a golf ball, I was feeling totally sick of beauty ads. I mean really what do they pay these advertising agencies/creative directors for!

But that was until I watched the amazing new advert from DermaBlend to promote their pro line...



Amazing, right? 

I love how they chose Rick Genest aka Zombie Boy to be in the advert, as for one he is definitely not the type of person who would want to ever hide his tattoos but he is a perfect canvas to show the full potential of the product.

I'm really hoping this advert will get seen by a lot of people to prove that this kind of makeup can conceal pretty much anything and really improve confidence, whether that's to hide a tattoo on a wedding day or to conceal scares or skin conditions etc. 


On a more superficial level - Which version of Zombie Boy do you prefer ladies and men of course!

I'm personally going to have to go for the before Zombie Boy... more exciting... oh yes?!


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NOTD - Star Gazer 502

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I thought it was time for a NOTD... though I did only wear this for half the day until my beautiful new festive China Glaze nail polishes turned up that I bought on eBay last week! 

I actually painted my nails this shade because @LittleMissMaxi asked me which baby pink nail polish I would recommend and the only ones I could think of was this one and Barry M's Baby Pink. However once I painted my nails I quickly realized it's not very baby pink at all, is it? So a bit of a fail, but oh well! 

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It also kind of fails on the opaque front as it did take 3 coats and still it is a little sheer, so I decided to re-do my ring fingernail with a white base coat and then two coats of Star Gazer 502 - however it makes the light pink shade too white, though I'm sure it would work much better with a nude base coat. 

Slight negatives aside this is a really pretty shade if you want neat manicured looking nails. Also it applies really nicely for a pale shade... unlike the Barry M one which is streak-o-rama.

The only place I could find this was on the Star Gazer website for £3.00 - here.

So definitely not the best baby pink shade but all in all still a really nice shade. 

On other news my poor nails aren't loving this colder weather and keep chipping, hence the shorter nails! 

Fee xo.

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I Gotta Lotta Favourite Eyeshadows!

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I thought it was about time I showed more of my make up stash than just a few eye shadows here and there. 

However this is around half of my 'collection' which is always out on my dressing table and so they all get used. I may at another point show you the eye shadows in my 'beauty sin bin' as I like to call it. Which is basically my junk drawer that houses all the products I don't use that often. But it does contain more brighter shades!

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1. Rimmel Colour Mousse 8hr -006 Get Fresh 2. 005 Glitz 3. 008 Sassy 4. 007 Breezy 5. No7 Stay Perfect Eye Mousse - Vanilla 6. Fudge 7. the Balm Batter Up Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow - Home Plate Kate 8. Triple Play Mae 9. No7 Stay Perfect Eyeshadow - 65 Truffle 10. Bourjois Shimmering Shine - 32 Brun Magnetique 11. Essence eyeshadow - 03 All Time Favourite 12. Marks & Spencer eyeshadow - Soft Khaki 13. 17 Eyes - Statuesque 14. Mardi Gras 15. Bourjois eyeshadow - 72 Violet Absolu 16. 54 Marron Glace 17. 17 eyeshadow - Metallic Toffee 18. Madina Milano - Sea Bright eyeshadow 19. MUA Pearl Eyshadow - Shade 11.

Hmmm, they are all neutrals aren't they?! Not very adventurous at all... but at least all are very pretty. 

My favourite favourites...

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These are all the ones I absolutely adore and use the most.. none are that dark but I don't think dark eyeshadows suit me. I much prefer lining my eyes with something darker to give definition that way. 

Rimmel Colour Mousse 8hr eyeshadow in Get Fresh
I love, love, love the whole Rimmel Colour Mousse range and would actually say they are my favourite eyeshadows - consistency wise. But 'Get Fresh' is my favourite shade as it's just the right shade to be worn on it's own when having a lazy make up day or just on the lids with a darker e/s in the socket for when I'm not as lazy! This applies beautifully, looks lovely and lasts really well. The only down side I would say is that it can look a bit crepey on wrinkly eyes, but then again all shimmery eyeshadows can do that!
  
Bourjois Shimmering Shine in Brun Magnetique
Another total beauty! This was such a lucky find as the Shimmering Shine range has been long since discontinued (I haven't a clue why!) but I stumbled across the shade I wanted on eBay, though there are a choice of two shades on Fragrance Direct (here) for only £2.49 each. This for me is the most perfect liquid eyeshadow - it can be worn quite sheer or opaque, it feels quite light on the lids because it contains water and also looks quite glossy. Just a really lovely eyeshadow that I couldn't be without. 

Madina Milano in Eye Bright
This definitely feels like a special eyeshadow to me as you can't get this in the UK but I also love the packaging and the shape of the eyeshadow itself. This is just so soft and makes a perfect base after primer. I just can't explain it... it looks nothing special but it's far from it!
 
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No7 Stay Perfect eyeshadow in Truffle
This is only a sample size that came free with a gift with purchase but oh, how I love this shade. I think it suits my green eyes quite well and is just such a pretty shimmery brown. I'm sure this will last me forever and a day but once I hit pan I will be straight to a No7 counter to buy the full-sized version as this is my favourite shade No7 do.


Essense eyeshadow in All Time Favourite
With this duo I'm definitely just in love with the top shade as it's my favourite type of brown/mushroom/murky shade to wear. It doesn't look that pretty but on the lids it just has this glow about it that makes it look so beautiful! 
 
No7 Stay Perfect Eye Mousse in Fudge
 The whole No7 range of these are just such hidden gems, especially if you like mousse eyeshadows. This metallic brown shade is definitely my most used one out of the four different shades I own and I normally use this on it's own as it's such a perfect shade. This is also perfect for lazy days as it just glides on and blends out within seconds. They are quite pricey at £9 but you need the smallest of amounts and because it's in a tube it doesn't dry up or even separate!

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Sleek i Divine Au Natural palette - 1. Cappuccino 2. Moss 3. Bark. Urban Decay Naked palette - 4. Buck 5. Half Baked 6. Smog. Sleek i Divine Storm palette - 7. Bronze/brown shimmer 8. Pale golden shimmer 9. Matte light brown 10. Rusty red/bronze shimmer.

I also really love these three palettes out of the umm 10 + I own. Of course the Urban Decay Naked palette being my favourite, then the Sleek i Divine Storm and then Sleek's Au Natural palette for all the lovely matte shades. 

Urban Decay Naked Palette 
I do mainly use the 3 middle shades (and Virgin & Sin) however all the shades are really lovely - though Sidecar is a bit too glittery for my liking. This is 100% my favourite palette - ever!

Sleek i Divine Storm Palette 
This was my first palette by Sleek and it won me over instantly. All the eyeshadows are so pigmented and just beautiful. There is fall-out with the eyeshadows but that is nothing when you look at the intensity of them all.

Sleek Au Natural Palette 
I am so glad this palette is mainly made up of matte shades as this makes it stand out from all the rest and also makes it a very usable palette for every day use. Again really lovely!

As you can see this post is totally swatch free but I plan to take quite a few images of all my favourites when I wear them (eyeshadow swatches need to be shown on the eye don't they really) and post them up linking to this post!

Now tell me, how many favourite eyeshadows do you have? 


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Top 3 - High Street Gel Eyeliners

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For years and years I was a pencil eyeliner girl - no messing about just a quick sweep/drag to line the top lash line and then I would smudge it out - done. But then I discovered gel eyeliners and I really haven't looked back. They last longer on the eyes, they can give a really clean line or a really smoked out line and they never need sharpening! Woo. 

So here are my top three that I really love and have never let me down...

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What I look for in a Gel Eyeliner...
 The main thing for me is how it glides along the lash line as I can't be doing with one that drags - I would rather one that wasn't as pigmented as long as it doesn't pull on the eyelid resulting in a rough/uneven line. Which means I always look for soft liners that cover the brush well (I always wipe off the excess on the side of the pot). I also like ones that dries well so no wearing off or fading through-out the day.

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Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner in Black - Boots here

I was about to start this with 'this is my favourite go-to eyeliner' however even though I love everything about this I really do rotate all three eye liners. But this one is my favourite all rounder I guess. What I love most about this is the overall quality of it. For just under £8.00 you get a product that comes in a glass jar and with a very good brush that has lasted me really very well and I still do in fact use it with this liner and other liners and even cake/powder lines. Also the liner itself cannot be faulted. Really pigmented, smooth and so far it is exactly the same consistency as when I first bought it at least 6 months ago with no drying out at all. 

This is perfect if you want a nice thin winged out line for the day or a thicker more dramatic line at night. Either way this will stay put and look great!

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ELF Studio Cream Liner in Coffee - ELF here

This has to win the Makeup Savvy award for the widest low-cost range! I purchased Coffee because I couldn't find a brown gel eyeliner on the high street (by high street I mean shops like Boots & Superdrug) as sometimes black is just too harsh for the days you want to wear less makeup. However there are 7 more shades in this range - even a white gel liner and ones with shimmer in them! 
The consistency of this is slightly too soft but that does make for an easy application as this glides on perfectly, but it isn't opaque in one, so you do have to go over it again, but that isn't a big deal really. 
The swatch does show it as slightly lighter than it is in real life as it is more of a medium soft brown. The packaging is cheaper than the other products in this post but that isn't an issue becausei it does have a good enough lid and doesn't look too cheap. 

Overall if you want something different than just black then this is the range I would suggest. Will be definitely getting more than just the Coffee and Olive shades that I already have in the near future. 
 
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Barbara Daly Eye Liner Polish - In-store

I've found there are quite a few hidden gems in the Barbara Daly range at Tesco and this is definitely one of them! This is unlike the rest of my gel eyeliner collection as it has a polish finish to it - hence the name. It's not super glossy but it's not matte either, it just has a nice sheen to it... which is well, ummm nice and different! 
 This also comes with a brush, which isn't amazing however it's better than nothing if you are new to gel eyeliner and don't want to be forking out for a brush as well. Again the consistency of this is smooth and just glides on nicely.

As this is exactly the same price as the Maybelline liner I would actually say this one is better for anyone new to gel liners as it isn't a pigmented and gives a nicer finish. But if you do love your gel liners already then the Maybelline is a great opaque liner that can give dramatic results.

 Next up I think I may do my Top 3 Brow Kits or maybe Mascaras. 

If you also love Gel liner let me know your absolute all-time favourite!

Fee xo. 
 

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Chocolate Beauty Products for Chocolate Week + A Giveaway! CLOSED

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Who knew it was National Chocolate Week? Well not me, until yesterday... so in aid of it and all things chocolatey I thought I would write a post on some wonderful products that smell and look like chocolate.
I also advise that whilst read this you eat chocolate to get the full benefits of the post! 

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No7 Stay Perfect Eye Mousse in Fudge (£9.00 - Boots here)
This is such a lovely, lovely product that I really do treasure in my collection. It's my favourite shade out of the whole range as it is such a warm shade that has that glow when it hits the light. Really perfect for the day time worn on it's own or with a dark matte brown in the socket for night.
Also this will last you for years (I've had my tube for at least 1 1/2 years) - but OF COURSE common sense is also needed, if the formula of anything changes in anyway then the bin is probably the best place for it! 
 
Jelly Belly Chocolate Pudding Body Cream (£6.99 part of set - here)
I don't love this but the whole set of products by Jelly Belly are nice, especially their candle range! This reminds me of Palmer Cocoa butter... but just not as nice, sadly. Totally unrelated but this Jelly Belly Toasted Mashmallow candle from Tesco is my current lust! Trust me, this smells AMAZING!

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Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker XLExtreme Plump Lip Gloss (£10.00 - Boots here)
Another product that smells of chocolate! This is great if you want to really plump up your lips on a night out - however be warned this does have quite a strong tingling effect! But it is the best high street lip plumper so if you don't mind the mad tingling then this is the one to go for!
 
Maybelline Forever Strong Pro in Rosy Sand (£4.09 - Boots here)
This has a slightly hint of dusky mauve in it but on the nails it just reminds me of chocolate milkshake. It's not too light or too dark - just perfect and it's such a nice formula for a nail polish. One of my favourite high street ones actually. Lovely and yummy!
 
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Bourjois Delice de Pourdre Bronzing Powder 51 (£6.99 from Boots here)
This is my favourite bronzer without a doubt! I just love everything about this - the smell of cocoa in the bronzer, the shade, the packaging, how it's looks like chocolate and also how long this lasts for and also how I use the bronzer everyday and I still have a lot left! Also I kind of appreciate how it does look like chocolate but it doesn't look gimmicky or cheap - something I don't think a lot of brands could do! If you STILL haven't tried this and do like using bronzer, then treat yourself to it or even put it on your Christmas list!
 
Bourjois Delice de Pourdre Highlighting Powder (£6.99 free p&p from Amazon here)
When I first purchased this I did have high hopes and did feel disappointed when I tried it out. However I soon realized that it was unfair to compare it to the bronzing powder as of course it's not going to give as visible results because it's a highlighter and not a bronzer! So after that I did start enjoying it as intended as a highlighter. It is quite a subtle product as it does just give subtle highlight to the high points of the face but this is why I like it. It's not powdery or harsh... just a realistic highlighter! Really nice. 
 
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What's up for grabs? 

One large 500ml Anatomicals Dairy Milk Bliss LE Chocolate Truffle Bath Creme (which smells AMAZING!). I does look a little bit empty at the top but this is due to it leaking during delivery!
AND... some mystery chocolates. I will ask the winner which chocolates they prefer - white, milk, dark, diabetic etc etc. 

The rules & other info!
  • To enter you do not need to be a subscriber via Google friends connect, though all subscribers that have followed before 17th October qualify for 2 entries (so all existing followers just let me know by which name you follow me with and I will include an extra entry). 
  • If you are new to my blog then feel free to follow if you like what you see but it won't gain you an extra entry (though it will in the next giveaway I hold!) - just the one if you leave a comment below.
  • This is open to UK readers only, sorry.
  •   To enter please leave your first name with either your Twitter i.d, blog link or e-mail address (but please do this in the guest sign-in so that your e-mail address won't be displayed publicly. IMPORTANT - If you make a mistake please delete your comment and re-write it. Please do not leave two comments.
  • The giveaway will close next Sunday - 11pm Sunday 23rd October 
  • The winner will be announced and contacted - Monday 24th October

Good luck and make sure you eat some chocolate this week!! 


Fee xx

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