Sleek Pout Paints out 3rd August!

It's not often I get excited about a new range of products from any brand. But this it IS different, as this literally has been what I have been waiting for, for a long time. Something that can be mixed, that isn't sticky or drying and that will last hours... and of course something that is available on the high street. 

No big ask, then! 

So as four of the new Sleek Pout Paints (and the answer to my prays) dropped though my letterbox a few days ago I thought I would give you a sneak peek of four combinations I mixed up with the main pigment being Mauve Over. But make sure to check back on Wednesday for a full post showing the Pout Paints in more detail and lots of pretty swatches. 

There will be 11 lip pigments in the range all priced at £4.99/8ml with one white (Cloud 9) to lightening/cool pigments and a cobalt blue (Peek-a-Bloo) for darkening/warming pigments. 

These of course will be compared to the OCC Lip Tars which I really think they match up to in quality and amazing pigmentation.

Totally impressed by these and really look forward to showing you more when they come out later this week!

PS. I'm thinking I need to start doing actual swatches like the ones above than on the back of my hand! Yes? No?

 

Spotting the Fakes! - I NEED Your Help MAC, Nars & Benefit Lovers!

For the past 5 or 6 months I have been planning on writing an E-book (a free one of course) on How-to spot fake makeup products!

This is something that I feel really passionate about as I hate, hate, hate seeing people online getting ripped off and even put in danger by purchasing untested fake beauty products. 

The E-book of course will be well researched and show a lot of visual comparisons, which is where you come in! Even though I do own my fair share of products by Mac, Nars, Bobbie Brown, Benefit etc I haven't got every product which of course means I can't photograph everything I need for the E-book. 

So I would LOVE if you want to take some images or have some already to share them with me via e-mail and if they go into the E-book I will make sure to link back to your blog in the book. 

What I'm looking for

Basically as many images of as many products as possible... so any genuine Mac MSFs, e/s, Lipsticks, Nars Duos, Benefit sets, Bobbi Brown products etc (really any product is great).

However even though a full image of a product would be great I am also looking for close ups of the backs/bottoms of products - so the part with all the info on and of course there is no need to re-size them as the bigger the image the better! Also close detail of the packaging would be great - labels and shade name stickers etc. So would really love if they are quite high quality (with macro for close ups)

There is no deadline as such just e-mail me any pics you have to - makeupsavvy@live.co.uk 

If I use your images I will let you know and of course include your blog link in the E-book.

I really hope some of you can help me out with this as I am so so sick of all the counterfeit products that are around and that is not just on eBay! 


If you have any questions please just leave them below and I will reply back to you, thanks! 


Fee x

NOTD - Gosh Neon Baby & "Touch Up" Concealer!

There is nothing more annoying for me than painting my nails and loving the shade so much that I instantly grab my camera and then when I do the shade looks different through the lens! 

I have a feeling it happens when polishes have a blue undertone (not entirely sure though) but at least this pink isn't too dissimilar from the actually shade of it in real life. I once tried to photograph a lovely purple from M&S and it looked cobalt blue! 

Anyway, so just bear in mind the shade isn't exact... it's actually more of a hot pink/fuchsia shade.

I purchased this last week in Superdrug for only £2.50 (R.R.P £5.00) as Neon Baby and three other shades are Limited Edition for summer and we are sadly nearly coming to the end of summer (seriously the UK is turning into Narnia).

To be honest Neon Baby didn't stand out to me at all as I do have quite a lot of pinks already however on the nails this looks hot... and I don't normally think this! Now my skin is pretty pale (more warm pale than ghost pale if that makes sense) but this polish actually makes my skin looked tanned! It is slightly crazy but I'd thinking it's because it's more of a warm neon shade that is really vibrant but not cool looking against the skin... am I making any sense? 

Anyway I really love it! Plus the application is pretty flawless - the above images are with two coats however I could of gotten away with just a single coat which is great when you are in a rush. It also has more of a gel look to it  (similar to 17 polishes) which looks and feels great on the nails and so far it has last 3 days without chipping.

I also picked up the Gosh Touch Up Concealer in shade 1 (4ml/£5.00) as I've heard only good things about it...

...And if I am honest it is rivaling the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer (£4.19 here) for under the eye as it is slightly more creamy and opaque! However Lasting Perfection is better on blemishes. 

 But it definitely is a high quality liquid concealer for the high street this is for sure!

I am finding I love Gosh more and more, especially in the last two years. It just seems like they have upped their game and really have some great products now - my next buy with be their waterproof eyeshadow sticks I think! 

Would love recommendations though if you have any!

Latest In Beauty CEW UK Beauty Insiders Choice Winners Box

Just thought I'd quickly tell you about an upcoming special Latest in Beauty box to celebrating a few of the winners from this years CEW UK awards! 

The box will be available to buy from August 8th and will be priced at £4.95 (fingers crossed it will be free p&p) and will contain 6 winning products! 

Not too sure of the size of all of the products but here is what the box will contain to my knowledge - 

Clarins Multi-Active Day Early Wrinkle Correction Cream - 15ml (100% sure of this)

Batiste Dry Shampoo Diva - 50ml 

Balance Me Rose Otto Body Wash 

Dr Organic’s Organic Rose Otto Facial Serum

Lanolips 101 Ointment 

Nivea for Men Q10 Revitalising Gel

                                              

So quite a nice little box for under £5.00 really! 

You can't sign up for the box but I would visit Latestinbeauty.com and maybe sign up for the newletter if you do want to get the box!

Or you could just check the site when it is launched. 

Philips Satinelle Soft Sensitive Total Body Epilator Review

Last month I decided I'd had it with depilation! I've been shaving my legs and other areas for the past 10 years and even though it is pain free I seem to always have stubble even though I always seem to be shaving - well every other day. 

So my very kind and considerate boyfriend surprised me with this - the Philips HP6509 Satinelle Soft Sensitive Total Body Epilator with Shaving Attachment £27.99 (what a mouth full) as he had seen me eyeing up the Epilators whilst food shopping.  

Now firstly I have to say he picked very well indeed as this does quite a lot for only being priced at £27.99 with free delivery down from £56.17 (here) which is definitely at the lower end of the price scale when it comes to epilators. It does however have two draw backs due to the low price 1. You can't use it in the shower 2. It is mains operated. But then again it has the bonus of having a shaving attachment... but I'll get to that later.

Before reading on I think it is worth noting with my review that like waxing, epilating can range from feeling like a slight pull on the skin to extreme pain for some - everyone has a different pain threshold and even though I think this isn't even that painful (more of an odd pins and needles sensation) I'm sure some people could find it on the painful side. However out of 106 customer reviews on the Amazon website only 17 rated it between one to three stars, which speaks volumes I'd say. So it is worth reading over all the reviews here.

What you get 

Philips Satinella Soft unit, shaving head attachment with plastic protection cover, epilator head attachment, additional comb for shaving, additional lift and massage attachment for epilating, cleaning brush, mains plug with long lead, waterproof drawstring pouch.

The features 

As mentioned above the unit comes with two different heads and also two different plastic attachments that fit over the heads, which I was instantly wary of. As I know from past experience of using different electrical products - changing parts can be a total faff. But actually changing the epilator into a shaver couldn't be easier, you just have to push the head left and it comes alway from the unit and to place the attachment back on you just place it on and push it right. As for the plastic attachments they just clip over. The device comes with two speed settings the 'normal (1)' speed is for fleshy areas such as around the knee and also for getting stubborn hairs so it is less painful (but not that I find using the epilator painful). The 'quick (2) speed is for larger areas like the rest of the legs and it basically picks up faster which is the speed I prefer to use as on a pain level it makes little differance.

Using the Epilator attachment 

As I'd never used an epilator before I really didn't know what to expect, though I have to say the noise mixed with the rotation speed is pretty damn daunting to say the least (see video below for evidence!). But nor the noise or the speed reflect how it is going to feel to be honest! My initial thoughts on the pain front were that is wasn't too bad... think similar to plucking your eyebrows but the longer I did it for the more I got use to it. Definitely nothing like the pain I had conjured up in my head when I switched it on for the first time. I now, dare I say it, slightly enjoy the sensation! Yes... I know that is quite odd but it is quite satisfying and like a pins and needles feeling on the skin. However if pain is an issue using a hot flannel to open hair follicles or having a bath or shower prior to using the epilator will make a difference seeing that it is a dry epilator.

As for how it performs it definitely isn't a quick fix unlike shaving, taking around 5-10 minutes per leg. Mainly because you do have to re-go over areas to get most of the hairs though the more hairs that are removed the less sensation there is.  

For me personally the only down side to the epilator is that is doesn't have a light on the front (which I guess would make it more pricey if it did have one) as I have blonde leg hair which are near to invisible if I'm not sat in direct sunlight. But anyone with darker hair will be more than fine. I also don't love that it can't be used in the bathroom as the hairs do need to go somewhere!

I have also only used this once of my armpits but I actually think the hairs could of been too long (I'm talking 6mm at most.. no gorilla lady here) as it hurt quite a bit and until further reading of the instructions I realized you can use the shaving attachment to shorten the hair to the correct length for epilation.  So I will have to give it another try.

Pros - Not that painful, easy to hold, lightweight and east to clip of different heads.

Cons - Need to go over some hair a few times to remove them, doesn't remove all hairs, legs never feel perfectly smooth and no light.

Using the Shaving attachment 

This is such a great additional extra for the price! This can either be used on the legs if the leg hair is too long prior epilation, to remove any extra hair that you missed when epilating, to trim the bikini area and shave armpits. I really cannot fault this as it does the job and even my boyfriend has used it to sneakily shave his face and even commented on how it is better than his own shaver. I've mainly used this to shave my armpits instead of using a razor in the shower which I've finding quicker to do and I've also been using it on my bikini area with the added attachment.

Pros - Easy to clean head, foil and razor edge, quite gentle on the skin, effective.

Cons - Hairs do fall on the floor while shaving as it is mains operated. Whilst removing hair with the foil part (so using it in more circular motions) the head has come off once or twice.

Regrowth and problems 

So far I have only had to epilate twice as the hairs on my legs took around 3 weeks to re-grow to being around 4mm and I definitely didn't notice any hair growth in the first 10 days. But as the epilator doesn't remove all hair (as I think a few hair are either too short or snap off) you don't get the smooth feeling like you do with a wet shaving. The only problem I have encountered though is ingrowing hairs which I've never really had before. 

 I only noticed this when I went to epilate again and it only seems to be on one leg and on the soft part of my calf and I developed around 5 of them. But unlike full on ingrown hairs the hair instead of growing downwards they seem to have all grown sideways under the skin (as I can see the full hair under the skin) so I used a pair of tweezers to slightly break the skin and then the hair pops up and can be removed with the epilator or plucked out. So not so much of a big deal as it didn't create huge spots but it is something that I really didn't think about. But again ingrown hairs really depend on your hair type and body so this is just my own personal experience. I am hoping after a few months of use I will have less ingrown hairs... well fingers crossed!

 

Lift and massage attachment (above left)

This attachment is designed to make epilation less painful or for first time users... which I of course didn't read in the leaflet when I got it and went right a head and used it on the fastest setting minus this attachment! But when I did use the epilator with the lift and massage attachment I couldn't really notice a difference. The lift side does nothing as the comb isn't fine enough at all to touch the hairs and the massage turny twirl thing really isn't all that noticeable as it's so gentle, though it does guide the epilator better so it does pick up more hairs if you are unsure which angle to hold it at. All in all a pretty pointless attachment if I'm honest.

Shaver comb attachment (above right)

Now this makes total sense for the bikini area, especially if you don't want to take everything off if you know what I mean! This guides the hair nicely and gives an even shave. Without this you definitely wouldn't be able to trim the hair at a longer leanth as the shave head is too small really. So glad I have this!

Calypso Aloe Vera Gel  £2.89/250ml (here)

  After epilating you do get red lumps that die down by the next day. To ease the skin and to put some moisture back into it though I have started using the after sun gel by Calypso which can also be found offline in bodycare/pound stretcher for a similar price as above. It also has a very cooling effect which is nice after plucking all them hair out! 

This isn't needed but I really do prefer it to a moisturizer which is more likely to sit on the skin or be a bit sticky but the aloe vera gel just sinks in within seconds leaving the skin feeling fresh. 

Overall 

All in all I am really pleased with the epilator as other than there being no light and it not being cordless it really is everything I wanted. The regrowth period is better than I expected and the additional shaver if such a bonus for the price which I am also getting a lot of use out of.

If you are considering trying out this type of hair removal but are nervous or unsure of the pain involved then I would highly recommend this one as it isn't too pricey and as the sticker states on the box "Love it or your money back" you can try it out and return it if it really doesn't suit you. Which is such a good thing!

Gee-zoo that was one long review!

But I really hope I have covered everything as I know I had quite a lot of my own quandaries when looking for one. 

Feel free to ask me anything about the product or epilating in general of course!

Lisa Eldridge Interview for Red Magazine

Now I have a feeling this is a bit naughty (scanning an article from a magazine) but I know that so many people would love to read this interview but can't due to living outside of the UK, so I thought it was worth doing! Plus it is such a lovely read if you are a Lisa Eldridge fan! 

The full interview is below - I did try to retain the quality so that it is readable however you will need to right click 'View Image' and then enlarge it to be read it fully.

Enjoy! x 

Taken from Red August 2011 - Words Niki Browes Photographs Claire Richardson

What's In My Beach Bag!

Last weekend me and Tim (the fiance) took a trip to Formby beach which is in between Liverpool and Southport on the west coast.

It was a lovely, warm, enjoyable day and so I thought I'd do a Bubblegarm-esqe type of post and show you what I took with me!

I love going to seaside - Southport and anywhere in Cornwall  being my most favourite destinations in the UK. But as Cornwall is hundreds of miles away we decided to take a trip to Southport and did a bit of shopping and then went to see Horrible Bosses (very funny film if you have a slightly sick sense of humour!). Then as planned and as it still so warm we went to Formby beach, which is 5 minutes down the coastal road and is so much nicer than Southport beach as the sea is really close and the sand is drier. Really lovely.  

So instead of taking my normal quite heavy bag I grabbed a nice red polka-dot beach bag that came free in a past issue of Red Magazine last year that I didn't mind getting sand all in. 

 Here are my beach essentials! 

Calypso Deep Bronzing Oil SPF 30 £4.99/250ml (here)

Sunscreen is a huge deal to me as in the future I fully plan to look as good at Lisa Eldridge and also I do worry about the risk of skin cancer. However I cannot stand sticky white sun creams which is why I'm a big fan of using Calypso Dry Oil in SPF 30 as it is literally invisible and soak in within seconds! But I also recently discovered Calypso Deep Tan Bronzing Oil (which I bought from Bodycare) which is exactly the same as the dry oil but a tiny bit more moisturizing and also has a brown tint to it. There really is nothing 'deep tan' about it if I'm honest as I have applied it over tanned and pale skin and it doesn't add any more than a hint of colour really - so no streak marks or orange palms which is very glad of. Just a really fab product that is worth every penny and will last me 12 months due to it being an oil.

Avene Eau Thermal Water Spray £6.50/150ml (here) 

 I'm tempted to say this isn't such a needed product especially with the size of it. The smaller handbag size would of made more sense but I sadly don't have one. But this is so good for a number of things while out all day or at the beach. Firstly it is great for cooling down if it's really warm (which I know is a rare thing in the UK this year). It is also great to use on the hands before eating, as sand and food really don't mix! Ever had a crunchy SANDwich? It's like getting a bit of shell in an egg, nasty nasty! So the spray for that reason alone is great. Also just in case you do get sun burnt this will really help take the heat out.

I also take with me a zip pouch, the one below is by OPI to put smaller products in that I don't want to get sand all over.

Firstly I guess I should explain the KFC wet wipes haha! As I'm sure you have spotted them. Yes, I'm one of those sad people that collection little sachets of salt and pepper and also wipes whilst in KFC! But in my defense they are really handy for using to get all the sand off your feet before putting your shoes back on or getting in the car. I mean how compact are a few KFC wipes compared to a pack of face wipes!

Les Tai Tai Beau Bow Model Mirror £19.00 (here) 

My model mirror is still going strong and is actually as good as new, though I did ditch the white drawstring pouch that it came with as it got far too grubby too quickly. This surprisingly fits nice and snug in the OPI pouch and is really great for quick touch-ups on the beach. I swear the wind from the sea removes makeup as after a day at the beach my eye concealer seems to have disappeared and my mascara always smudges a bit.

Carmex Cherry Lip Balm SPF 15 £2.69 (here)

I've never really thought about getting my lips sun burnt before, that was until I started using the Cherry flavoured Carmex that contains SPF and now after being out in the sun all day my lips are never as dry or peely as they have been! Which makes me wonder if my extra dry lips on sunny days was actually sun burn. I can't say I love the flavour compared to the original Carmex pot but it really does the job and lasts quite a while on the lips.

 

Calvin Klein Eternity 5ml (part of mini set)

Ahhh I love this little perfume! Tiny in size but Eau de Parfum in strength so you only need a small amount. Buying miniature perfume for keeping in your bag or for the beach is such a great thing - Superdrug/Bodycare and of course eBay are my favourite places to find new ones.

I feel like I am rambling on now but I also have in there my trusty YSL Touche Eclat which is light enough to put over fading concealer as it is pretty light and doesn't look cakey. Though for the price and volume I have to admit I'm sure I could find something similar on the high street if I looked hard enough.

 

Aside from beauty products I need to entertain myself at the beach with at least a good book, a magazine and music. Just started Eat Pray Love and quite liking it so far. On a side note does anyone else hate when books have the movie image on the front? I mean the book came before the film and was so popular that it was made into a film... anyways! 

I also make sure to carry my glasses in my Missoni hard case as 1. Glasses and sand don't mix 2. Contact lenses and sand 100% don't mix. Plus a pair of cheap sunglasses again actually a magazine freebie from last year that I don't mind getting a bit scratched in the bottom of my bag. 

So that it is... nothing too heavy or bulky but everything that I need!  

PS. Whilst at the beach Tim showed me a 'Mermaid's Purse' which I'd never even heard of! Here is an image of one... it is basically a case for dog fish eggs (or even sharks!) which looks like a scary shaped purse! 

You learn something new everyday, hey!

July/August Magazine Freebies

Ahhh, more magazine free gifts to report this month with swatches!

This month I have spotted two beauty freebies - in my option both pretty great for being free and definitely worth the purchase for the price of a magazine.

 

First up a choice of two products from The Body shop with this months Instyle magazine (£3.70) - either the above Super Volume Mascara (worth £10) or two eyeliners in black and navy (worth £16). The Super Volume mascara was actually sold in The Body Shop however from checking this week it is no longer being sold... I'm guessing as other new mascaras have been brought out.

However if you are needing a new mascara (or just like buying mascara!) then this is definitely worth it as it is a pretty good mascara. Not too wet and no clumps but just nice and volumizing for everyday wear. Also really like the size and style of brush with this!

Next up, a choice of two Ciate Lip glosses in this months Marie Claire magazine (£3.60 the normally magazine or £2.50 on special offer for the min size this month). At first I thought with the packaging stating 'Ciate for Marie Claire' the shades had been specially created for being a Marie Claire freebie... which I don't tend to love as they seem to be slightly lower in quality when magazines and brands do this. However after of looking the two shades St.Barts (above) and Ibiza (hot pink shade) are in fact part of the Ciate's current line and worth £9.00 each! 

On the whole this is a good quality lip gloss but on reflection I should of been a bit bolder and picked Ibiza as it would of been perfect to wear then the sun is shining! But the nude still is rather lovely and gives the lips a nice pouty look. This months Maria Claire is also a good read with a section on three bloggers and how much money they make from it! Quite interesting indeed...

Also in next months Marie Claire magazine there will be a choice of two full sized Ciate Nail Polishes - both very pretty shades I should add!

Last but not least from my favourite magazine - Red will be offering a choice of two Balance Me Body Washes which are really great as they are 99% natural and lovely smelling! Which will be one sale August 3rd. 

So lots of nice free gifts this month and to come in August.

Such a great way to try a few different products without spending too much and of course you also get to read a nice magazine! 

Wants or Needs?

This post was entirely inspired my the lovely Emily of Bellishment (one of my favourite blogs) who wrote a post of how on occasion our wants and needs can intersect and I couldn't agree more as I always seem to have a list of want/needs that merge! So here are my own wants and needs right now...

Clarins Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balm WANT £14.85 (here) 
I'm tempted to say I don't know why I've been lusting after all three lip balms in the LE collection for the past 4 months as they are after all only lip balms and also quite pricey... but sadly I do know. I've fallen hook, line and sinker for the transparent formula... I just love it! They actually look good enough to eat and are so summery and perfect, it is as simple as that. Love, love, love!

La Roche-Posay Skincare Sample Set from Escentual WANT £10.00 (here) 
I was tempted to class this as a want/need as this is my definition of a savvy product and I will be buying it! I love Escentuals 'Try B4 you buy' section and actually purchased the Cartier perfume sample set a few months back and loved it. The idea with the La Roche-Posey sample set it that you receive 38 various samples ranging from sunscreen to shampoo and cleanser for £10... however you also get sent a £10 off voucher via email to spend on any La Roche-Posay product. Which is absolutely great, if like me you are already planning on purchasing a full sized product (mine being Anthelios XL SPF50+ Fluid Extreme Face for combi/oily skin - £16.50). So a total win-win purchase as I get to purchase the sunscreen for only £6.50 and also try out lots of other La Roche products for virtually free!

 

A new perfume NEED max spend £25  
Now I do have quite a wide range of perfumes already but nothing has been grabbing me for quite some time now. I still have a full 50ml bottle of my beloved Space NK Tuberoli (now discontinued) which I think I've actually used too often, so I'm getting slightly bored of it. I've also got half a huge 100ml bottle left of Juicy Couture from last Christmas which is okay but I've never been in love with it. I've also got a bottle of Issey Miyake A Scent which is nice when the top notes disappear but on the whole is too sharp for my liking and I've also got a million and one miniature scents from Cartier, CK, Paul Smith, SJP. But I need something that is summery and that I can fall in love with! I am tempted to purchase an old favourite - Tommy Hilfiger's True Star but it is around  £20 for 50ml as it's not really in production any more.. but I do see it as a cheap fragrance so it seems a bit too much to pay. So I'm thinking either Clarins Eau des Jardine 100ml - (£25.65 here), Tommy Hilfiger True Star Gold 75ml - (£14.95 here) or Escada Taj Sunset 50ml - (£26.40 here). 

Would love to know if any of you have tried the any of the fragrances above or can recommend anything that is really fruity/summery!

Selfridges (Lancome) Christmas Advent Calendar WANT/NEED £70 
I sadly missed the boat for last years first ever beauty advent calender as they all sold out (the image above it the one from last year btw) but I saw a sneak preview of the one for this year (on BritishBeautyBlogger here) and even though I don't need it... oh, how it will put a smile on my face for the first 25 days of December! It does seem a little early to be thinking about Christmas (though I could talk about it any time of the year) but it is a good thing I have already spotted it as I will need to start saving now for such a ridiculous spend near to Christmas really. I of course will also have to get the boyfriend to buy me a Lindt chocolate advent as well though! The most perfect combination I am thinking come cold christmassy (yes, that is a word) winter mornings - a piece of chocolate and a mini luxury beauty product! Perfect.

New shoes for Wedding guest outfit NEED 

I like shoes... but this is a bit of a boring one for me as whenever I attend a wedding I seem to spend so much just for one day and so this is just another cost really! So the Asos sale it is - I'm thinking something nude and under £20 hopefully!

When God Was A Rabbit by Sarah Winman WANT £3.99 (here) 

Last but not least I need to get my hands on a new book and I think this is the one. I read the first chapter in Tesco last week and quite liked it so I'm thinking this is the book to get me back into reading I think. Sometimes there really isn't enough hours in a day when you want to watch an episode of Pretty Little Liars at night, catch up on blogs, write your own blog, watch a few YT videos and then you finally get into bed too late and haven't the time or enthusiasm to read! Which seems to have been happening to me every night for the last 3 months now... so I need to break the circle!

Would love to hear of your current wants/needs and also any summer fragrance reccomendations if you have any!

New Dress = Weekend Nails!

Just a quick weekend post to show you my weekend nails that were inspired by the dress above which I purchased in the H&M sale... but do not fear I won't be wearing the dress with the nails*! 

*I felt I needed to point that out in case anyone has horrible visions (or nightmares) of me wearing the dress above with the same print also on my nails! Maybe an odd trend of the future... but right now I draw the line at anything past matching finger nails and toes.

I do occasionally like to browse the likes of Wah nails and nail art blogs for inspiration but I'm normally more inspired by prints on clothing and upholstery and they tend to be pretty easy to re-create! Which is exactly what I thought when I finally received this pink spotted dress (I swear the H&M online delivery service is the worst I've experienced - taking 4 weeks!) as I knew the two overlaid dots would be so easy to re-create with a dotting tool. 

I should mention that the dress is really lovely and it's currently on sale for only £12.50 (from £25.00) online here, though like I say delivery is more than a little slow! I have the dress in both shades - in the pink (above) and the navy and the quality is really great and also very comfortable to wear. 

Anyway, back to the nails!...

As you can see it is definitely not rocket science and I don't even feel like I need to explain how I achieved the dots but just in case you are a little unsure here is how! 

1) First I painted my nails with Revlon Scented Peach Smoothie (£4.49 here). Which to be honest isn't the best polish to use as it took three coats to become opaque.

2) Next using Barry M Mushroom (£2.99 here) I poured a small amount of the polish onto the back of a magazine and used the end of a nail art brush (you could use anything with a rounded pointy end... hair pin, end of pen etc). I then dipped the end into the polish and onto each nail randomly. 

3) Whilst letting the dots fully dry I removed any nail polish from the end of the brush with remover and poured some Barry M Pink Flamingo (£2.99) onto the back of the magazine. 

4) Using the end of the brush again I dipped it into the nail polish and then over each brown dot but only half way and at different sides of each dot. 

5) Last but not least I finished with my favourite top coat from 17 (£2.99 here) as it seems to soften the lines of nail art (if that makes ANY sense!). 

I know I still need to create a nail tutorial for my summery nails (here) that I posted about two weeks ago now, but I've sadly been waiting for a few of my nails to grow back after breaking them in the kitchen drawer! But will make sure to get on with it this week.

Hope you are all having a nice weekend! 

Fee x.

June Favourites 2011

I thought I'd best hurry up with my June favourites as it is soon going to be August! Really can someone tell me how/why this year is going so fast?! I'm already thinking about Christmas!

I was actually tempted to skip over my favourites this month as even though I've had definite favourites nothing seemed that interesting to mention! Plus for the past week I've been thinking the macro setting on my camera was broke... when in fact I have the zoom on, which disables the macro!

 

Sleek Oh So Special palette - £6.49

Sleek seem to be producing their wonderful palettes thick and fast at the moment and I'm definitely not complaining! Some of course are too bold for liking but this is spot on. My favourite eye shadows from the top swatch are - Gateau, The Mail, Boxed, Bow, Organza, Gift Basket and Glitz. I like the mix of shades and finishes which strongly remind me of a few of their older palettes from the i-divine collection. Plus as it is so versatile I can see myself easily using this during the winter months as well. If you are tempted by this I would seriously just buy it now while it is in stock as it has already been going for over £10 on eBay! You won't be disappointed!

MAC Impassioned Lipstick - £13.50

This is such a perfect summer lipstick even when the sun isn't shining! Neither the swatch below or the image above do the shade any justice as it's such a juicy pink/red shade that looks perfect on tanned or pale skin with brown hair. It's also a pretty versatile shade that can be dabbed on and blotted as a pink stain, applied with a lip brush for quite a bold lip or worn under a nude shade for daytime, so 100% worth the slight splurge.

Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Honeysuckle - £5.99

Ahhh, finally a natural tinted lip balm! This is just perfect for me and my dry lips. With one swipe the balm is hardly noticeable on the lips but evens them out nicely. With a few more coats it becomes more of a subtle warm nude shade that is nicely moisturizing. Such a perfect lip balm to keep in the handbag for when you can't be bothered with lipstick!

Natural Collection Lip Gloss in
Fondant - £1.99

For £2 this is such a great lip gloss. The scent is great - a lovely sugary toffee flavour. The shade is great - a light nude and the formula even though slightly grainy is not sticky, which is something not to be under estimated! I really wouldn't be without this. 

Benefit Bella Bamba 3D Brightening blusher - £23.50
Before trying this I was a little pessimistic... I mean really, a 3D blush? I just wasn't buying into it. I'm still a little unsure of the mention of it being 3D but do understand why Benefit would say that, as it is such a multi-dimensional blush that seems to bring the cheek out in a way not a lot of blushers do! There is a swatch at the bottom of the post but if I'm honest it is on the feeble side, so I would do a quick Google search to see a true swatch and hopefully you will see what I mean. It highlights, it adds a glow, it brings out the warms of the skin and it makes the cheeks look perfectly flushed! My only criticisms about the product would be you do get less product than a normal boxed blush and the price is still the same. I still also don't love the cardboard packing... the design/aesthetics of the box are great but the second this is put with other makeup or in your bag it's start to show signs of wear around the sides... because it's cardboard! But to end on a more positive note it smells so good!

Homemade Makeup Remover 
Okay, this is looking a bit grubby now, the toner I mixed with the olive oil and water has merged some what which is why it looks cloudy! However it's just as effective so I don't care too much. This is the only product I've been using to remover eye makeup for the last month and it's just so much better that any product I've tried and it costs virtually nothing. I've also being using this on 'lazy days' to remove all my makeup and this also works really well! It doesn't break me out, it only have three ingredients (two if you just want to make it with water and olive oil) and it lasts ages. No need to buy eye makeup remover again!

DHC Velvet Skin Coat -£14.50

I've been using the DHC silicone based primer for quite awhile now and really love it. So I had to take some before and after images of what it does to the skin and hopefully you can see the difference in the two images above (the left image being bare skin and the right with primer on). It is most noticeable when the light hits the skin really and you can actually see how it does create an invisible coat over the skin making it look a lot smoother. It also diffuses fine lines, blemishes and blackheads though I have found the skin has be free from dry patches or the primer with cling to them areas and make foundation look cakey.

Another product I can see myself using for years and year! 

Max Factor Smooth Effect Foundation - £7.99
Max Factor foundations are on a par with Bourjois foundations for me and I seem to love every foundation both brands come out with as they are always so natural and apply a dream. I was a bit of a cheap skate with this and purchased shade 50 - Natural as it was only £2.99 in Tesco... such a bargain for any high street foundation. But being a cheap skate paid off and the shade matches my skin tone quite well! This definitely do have a smoothing effect and glides over the skin in a way that it is similar to a BB cream (good coverage so hides blemishes and has similar effects to a primer). So all in all a pretty nice foundation... though my favourite foundation of all is Max Factor Second Skin.

Swatches from left to right - Max Factor Smooth Effect foundation #50, Natural Collection lip gloss fondant, Benefit Bella Bamba 3D Pink blush, Mac Impassioned amplified lipstick, Burt's Bees Honeysuckle lip balm.

So that is it! 

Nothing amazing but all the products mentioned stood out to me this month.

My silly blogger reading list isn't showing up at the moment so feel free to link me to your own favourites this month as I do love to read every ones!

Feeling Deflated.

 This is going to be a bit of a odd post as it doesn't really have a point. But I felt I needed to get it out to feel a bit better and to actually respond to various comments as a whole. 

Makeup Savvy is my baby and for that reason I try to think of interesting content, take clear pictures and hopefully make it an enjoyable read. But of course like everything in life it isn't perfect - far from it. My main hurdle is writing posts as I was never very good at English (I actually gave up on the subject and only received a B for English Lit and a C for English Lang at GCSE level) however as beauty is something I'm very passionate about the words seem to flow whenever I write a new post. So for that reason I've stopped being so hung up about spelling and grammar as I figured some time ago I really cannot change my level of intelligence at this point! 

Though over the past few months I've gone back to being quite self conscious about my grammar in posts because of negative comments via e-mails or comments left here on my blog. I've always had the odd few more helpful comments/emails that have pointed out errors in my post, which I've actually got use to and understand that bad grammar is a pet peeve for a lot of people! So I am quite glad that if they do have to say something it's in a polite manner and so I take it on board and 9 times out of 10 I will actually go back to the specific post and correct the grammatical error even though it stuffs up the HTML of the whole post. 

However even though my lack of grammar hasn't gotten any worse in the past few months I have received more negative comments and emails about it. Now I would be lying to say these weren't received with mixed feelings as I don't now how to feel about them really. I must admit they all do piss me off without a doubt as they are normal quite self righteous or aiming to insult and I just don't get that type of person. But then I do also try to take on board their comment... however hard it may be sometimes. But then I just end up thinking what is the point. I mean without sounding full off myself (which I'm really not) I do class myself as a nice person that always tries to be kind and genuine so even if my grammar/spell is atrocious then so what! It's no biggie. But at the moment it is slightly getting me down in the world of blogging and it does seem like a biggie!

Though I have been noticing a patten in these types of comments (which are from various readers/bloggers) in which they more often than not mention about being unprofessional or that is doesn't come across as professional. 

For example here is a snippet of a comment I received yesterday -

"Makeup Savvy, I love you, but you keep refusing to grammar check your posts (the Bourjois section got really hammered this time around), thus making me feel like you really don't care and aren't particularly professional."

Now maybe it's the overall appearance of my blog... I actually don't know. But for some reason these type of people expect me to have some level of professionalism. However my blog is a blog... it's not a website and my main aim is to talk about the things I love, it's really as simple as that. Whether my blog had 100 readers or 100,000 readers I would still write in the same way as it's easy to read and it's honest.

So what I'm trying to say I guess is if you like my blog read it and enjoy it. But if you start to feel like my errors are annoying you just simply click the 'X' and read someone else's blog as there isn't a point annoying yourself and me when your annoyance gets so much that you feel the urge to leave me a comment on the matter. 

However I would like to thank all of you that read and don't expect anything more than what I give and of course I value all the comments, so thank you!

A Week of Pretty - The Detail of Shelving

In the past week I've started a few new interior design projects in my home - mainly some floating shelves in my bedroom alcoves (above) which I bought from Ikea for only £3.99 each in the sale! So now they are up I'm able to un-box all my extra ornaments that I've been storing in the loft for the last year. 

But it really isn't as simple as plonking them down and it looking good... which is why I've been looking for inspiration on all different interior design sites (especially Lonny and Made By Girl).

After painting the alcoves and finding some miniature designer chairs, my next project is to create a monster sized upholstered headboard!

Fee x

1. Rue (here) 2. Lonny (here) 3. Rue (here) 4. Unknown 5. Flickr (here) Forget the colour styling, looking at that cute pug! 6. Desire to inspire (here)

I Love You, but...

This is a post dedicated to all the products that I use and love, a lot... but I sadly sigh and think 'I love you, but' when using them. Some products are more flawed then others, granted, but all could do with changing a little! 

YSL mascara I love you, you give me long volumized lashes that almost look false. But within 3 months you end up looking like this. A clumpy, gloppy mess. Which means I have to throw you in the bin.

Naked Palette you know I will always love you! I use you daily and couldn't be without you now... but really, why did you have to include Sidecar? Sidecar starts off looking as lovely as the rest on the lids but by the end of the day there is glitter under my eyes and in my eyebrows!

I love you nameless concealer... you hid the blue veins under my eyes a gem and stay put all day. Oh, actually I think I know your name... Collection 2000 Lasting Concealer is it? I remember all your writing rubbing off within a week of getting you... onto my hands and other makeup. So even though you are amazing you may as well be a nameless, unbranded makeup product.



Oh Bourjois, I love you so. You always lure me in with your lovely packaging. But why are you do expensive. I've sure you where more affordable a few years ago but really £6.00 an eyeshadow and £8.00 for a lipstick is on the pricey side. You are high street after all! 
Though I do love your foundations (again, slightly too pricey) and your wonderful bronzing powder that seems to last forever. 



Benetint, Benetint I do actually love you. You stain like no other tint I know which is a good thing! But you are so, so runny. I did try to take some photographic evidence but you ran off my hand before I could take the picture. A little thicker like Posietint and you really would be perfect.

Red I love you like no other magazine... I've actually kept every Christmas issue for the last 3 years now and have even been know to look through them on miserable 'summer' days. But your beauty section is going smaller and smaller which does make me sad. You do it so well a few more pages would make a world of difference to my beauty obsessed self.

Would love to here of any 'I love you, but' beauty products you own but wouldn't stop using for the world!