DIY Perfume/Jewellery Trays

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I thought I'd share something a bit different today as aside from make-up I love interior design and just making things look pretty! But this also kind of fits in with makeup/perfume as you could place this on your dressing table to display all your perfumes on or even all your favourite lipsticks, lined up.

Plus the whole thing takes 5 minutes at the most to make and can be done on just a few pounds!


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Firstly you need to decide what you want your tray to be for and what size. Then when you have decided, you need to look for an appropriate image - look and size wise. The first tray I did was just to put some jewellery on and other bits and bobs so I tore out an advert in Marie Claire by Ralph Lauren that I really liked. But as a lot of ads do have writing on then it may be better going to B&Q or a DIY shop and getting a few wallpaper samples that have a design on that you like. 

Next you need to buy or find a frame - Size wise I would say nothing below A4 size as it will look like a photo frame. But if you are wanting a tray for your dressing table then a long rectangular aperture frame would look perfect or any thing with a lip/edge.

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Next you need to remove all hooks and arms from the back of the frame if it has any - so that the frame will lie down flat and not rock at all. At this point you can also paint the frame if you don't like the colour of it. During all of this I would suggest you take the glass out of the frame as you don't want to crack it whilst removing the hooks etc.

Once you have your frame all ready, lay the sheet of glass down on the BACK of the image and if it is too big draw around the glass and cut the image to size that way. There really in no point in messing with measuring it. 

 
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Extra Idea 

Want a mirrored perfume tray or just a pretty mirror for your dressing table? 
 I have done this a few times and it so easy and cheap! If instead of an image/pattern you want a mirror,  then take the glass from the frame to a glass merchants or you can ring them for a quote (but make sure to have the measurements to hand) and they will cut you the same size but in mirror glass, which you can take home and put in the frame (minus the original glass of course)!

It really is so simple but as you can see just a paper printed advert looks so different under a sheet of glass! Plus you will always be able to change it for free whenever you get bored of it.

Or if you don't want to use it as a tray anymore you can...

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Just propping it up behind objects can really add a bit of interest and create a nice back drop for ornaments... or of course if you have replaced the glass with mirror glass you can always re-add a hook and hang it, especially if it's a decorative frame! 

So with only a few pounds you can really create something this is versatile and swish looking! 

Fee xo.

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Currently...

Currently

Yesterday I thought of a simple idea of starting 'Currently' posts to do every now and again. Just showing what I'm liking, what I've purchased recently, what I'm reading and so on - just as a bit of a round-up really. As I always seem to have a million products I want to talk about but never enough hours in a day to write all the blog posts I want to write.

Plus it seems a pretty good excuse to take lots of pretty images!

Loving...

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Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick in Mulberry (Boots £7.99)
- After reading Jane's (Modesty Brown) post on the new  Max Factor lipstick range and seeing the lip swatches I decided to go and swatch a few and I came away with quite a daring choice for me - Mulberry. At £7.99 which would normally be steep for me, I'm really impressed. As MF state, the lipsticks  are very moisturizing and feel a lot light on the lips and no having to worry about it clinging all the dry bits. I've also been loving Revlon's Cherries in the Snow with is also another daring choice for me! 


HD Brow Palette in Foxy (couldn't seen to find any stockists online) - This came in the September GlossyBox and so far I have been using it daily without fail. My brows are quite a few shades lighter than my hair so I need something to define and darken them when I forget to get them tinted. This really does create a totally different look than using any eyebrow pencil or even the Elf brow kit I was previously using. I hate companies using the words 'HD' or '3D' but this actually does give a high definition than other products. Really great. 

Impressed by...

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Nice n Easy Perfect 10 Permanent Colour Hair Dyes (here £7.14) - I literally never re-purchase the same hair dye twice, don't ask me why... I just never seem to. So when my hair needed dying I went for these two - the Light Brown to cover my light roots and then the Medium Auburn to make it more autumnal. However I have only used the Light brown dye so far as I'm really happy with the colour. So for once I actually think I will be re-purchasing this hair dye as I've always found even with light brown dyes that they always appear darker than on the box but this was so spot on. Here is a Twitpic of what my hair looks like now and as you can see I have pretty long hair and one box was enough! Also I love, love, love that the developing time is only 10 minutes! 
 
Spending on...

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L'Oreal Studio Secrets Universal Lip Glow (Tesco £8.00) - I finally purchased this last week after only finding tested ones... I actually asked a general assistant if she could look in the drawer for me.. and voila! I'm so glad I bought this as it really is a nice product that feels very fresh to the high-street (though I'm sure we will see many brands doing it before the years out). The lip balm bullet (I really don't like that word for lipsticks) is as you can see - totally transparent with a pink/orange glow to it. The idea is that it is a slightly different colour on everyone, but on me it's just a nice pinky shade that is sheer. Lovely, lovely!

Primark Two-tone Leopard print scarf - extra long (£4.00) - I've been looking for an interesting leopard print scarf for a while now and finally came across an ideal on in Primark. It's super long so it can be worn more like a snood or just wrapped around once to just hang down. Really love the orange with the pink.. just really pretty.

Reading...

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Grazia Magazine (£2.50)
- I don't read Grazia magazine often but when I do I quite enjoy it as it's seems a bit more sophisticated than some of the other celeb/fashion mags. So I picked up this month's as it's their biggest issue ever with a massive 298 pages for only £2.50. It has lots of wearable fashion ideas for Autumn and also quite an interesting interview with Chloe Green who is daughter to Topshop mogul, Philip Green.


Fingersmith by Sarah Waters (Amazon £4.99) - This is one of my most read/favourite books that I've just started re-reading again as the story has different twists and turns that I always seem to forget parts of it. This book is actually nothing like all the other books I tend to go for - I'm very much a chic lit Sophie Kinsella type of reader. But there is something about this book that is really interesting and gripping almost like you are observing the lives of the two girls that feature in this book. An amazing read if you love  period books that really draw you in with the drama that goes on.

Disliking...

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Famous by Sue Moxley Lip Collection in Peachy Pink (Superdrug half price £4.50) - As the only lipstick palette on the high street I was really pleased to get this but I soon realized it was a 'meh' product. Don't get me wrong, the shades are nice but the formulation just isn't there, at all. It pains me to say it but the 2nd baby pink shade is just a joke, it is gritty and very similar to the cheap make-up that you find in them huge sets. The other shades look lovely on the lips but are too oily in texture so last 10 minutes. Great packaging, lovely shades... just a shame they didn't spend their time on getting the right formulations to make this a hit.

E.l.f Mineral Booster in Sheer (Elf £3.50) - I actually had to go back to the Elf website to remind myself what this product was supposed to do before writing this... which kind of shows my problem with it. It just doesn't do anything for me.... it may as well we a transulent powder that doesn't work. It doesn't make my skin look any different, feel any different and it doesn't make my make-up last any longer. Though I do quite like their Mineral Foundation from the same range!

Barbara Daly Tesco Shimmering Highlighter (£2.50) - I definitely go sucked into buying this because of the price and the nice packaging. But in reality this is just a rubbish quality loose powder highlighter that is way to glittery to work. I may use this on holiday on my collar bone but other than that this will sadly reside in my beauty sin bin (i.e my junk drawer)! 

On the nails...

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This the Deborah Lippmann Boom Boom Pow dupe I was talking about last week. Now if I had of used a fine gold glitter polish as well then this would be a really good dupe, but either way I really do love this Saffron Gold Sparkles Nail polish that I bought on eBay for £2! The base coat I used was Ciate My Fair Lady which I got free with Marie Claire in August. 

I just really like the effect of glitter over nude nails! 

Smelling of...

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Guerlain Insolence Eau de Parfum (Debenhams £40.50 for 30ml) - This was lovingly bought for me by my fiance for something that we both do called 'treat week' in which we randomly treat each other when we fancy it! So last week he came home with a beautifully wrapped box containing this as he knew I had run out of the eau de toilette version! He also impressively bought me some make-up and chocolate sea-shells, awww!

So this is what I have been wearing religiously for the past week as it's just so feminine and smells of violets, just lovely. 


Really hope you have enjoyed this post! 

Fee x.


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Thank You Giveaway! CLOSED

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So this was going to be a giveaway for reaching an amazing 1 million page views recently but I actually got there quicker than expected and so now I'm at 1,700,000 page views and I can't really say that is a milestone, though it is an amazing achievement for me personally!


Which led me to create a thank you giveaway instead as without everyone that reads my blog it really would be nothing! You all really do encourage me to write the blog posts I do and it still makes me smile more than ever when I see a comment pop up on a post or I receive an e-mail or tweet for someone about my blog. It really is a lovely feeling! 

So last week I went shopping with the idea of buying some makeup for this giveaway but nothing really grabbed me as I know I will be doing a few make-up giveaway in the run up to Christmas. However I had a little light bulb moment of buying a digital camera just as I was about to stop looking.  


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My main enjoyment of creating blog posts is taking the photos and I just love photography in general. So this camera could be for someone that is thinking of starting blogging, or someone that is only using a really basic camera, or even as a camera just to throw in your bag to take photos while your out and about. But don't worry if you already have a camera or don't have a blog then you could just use this as a fun camera to take on your holidays or to snap makeup stands and products while your out. 

So here are the rules on how to enter the giveaway to win the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W310! 
(to view the specs of the camera you can see it on Amazon or this video I found on YouTube).
  • To enter you do not need to be a subscriber via Google friends connect, though all subscribers that have followed before 27th Sept 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 - 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. 
  • Please do not re-post this giveaway on Money Saving Expert or any other large competition forum. 
  • The giveaway will close - 11pm Friday 14th October 
  • The winner will be announced and contacted - Sun 16th October

Good luck to all that enter!


Fee xo.

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Christmas Come Early - Harajuku Lovers Jingle G!

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I spotted the new Harajuku Lovers perfume on Escentual.com a few days ago and it took me approximately 10 minutes to decide to buy it for myself! 

So after the speedy delivery I thought I would show it you as tomorrow is the last day for free p&p, plus you also get a free gift with your purchase... which is revealed below! 

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Info 
Harajuku Lovers Limited Edition Jingle G - 10ml 
Available from Escentual.com for £13.00 (here)

Talking about Christmas in September does feel a little odd but this was just something I needed to purchase to put away for Christmas and also share with you! Plus the free gift made my mind up that it was a 'need' purchase more than a 'want'!

 So firstly this is a limited edition and so for once there is no range, unlike the Sunshine Cuties and Snow Bunnys range etc, plus I have heard on the Christmas tree (see what I did there? hehe) that this is the last ever Harajuku Lovers fragrance to be released! I'm really hoping it's not true as I really do love seeing which different ones they bring out!

Anyway, so the fragrance itself is a variation of the 'G' scent which is kind of the main fragrance as it's named after and inspired by Gwen Stefani, herself. 'G' is also my favourite scent out of all the ranges that have been brought out so I was really pleased to see the Limited Edition Holiday fragrance was a 'G' scent!

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What does it smell like? 

I am not shocking at describing scents but I don't do the whole top notes thing, so here are what the notes are according to Escentual. Top Notes - White Star Fruit, Gardenia, Tangerine. Heart Notes - Honeysuckle, Orange Blossom, Jasmine. Base Notes -Vanilla, Cedarwood, Laos Benzoin (what even is that?).

Personally the first thing I could smell when I sprayed this was a slight fruity vanilla scent that was quite warm. However after 20 minutes or so I would say it's more of a soft vanilla woody scent, which I'm guessing is the cedarwood in it. Overall this doesn't say Christmas to me but it is a scent I could imagine wearing when wrapped up watching Christmas TV and eating endless amounts of chocolate! It's deep, wintery with a touch of fruitiness which is what all the Harajuku Lovers fragrances are about!


The free Gift...

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Create Your own G!

This is such a cute additional extra that I will definitely be letting my two nieces loose on! I know the oldest who is five will love designing the doll and putting the little stickers on. 

The set comes with the blank doll, 10 mini felt tips, 8 different sets of eyes to stick on, 8 different shades of lips and a little booklet with examples of how you could design your G. I'm not going to lie, it's definitely not for everyone, but if you are buying the fragrance as a gift for someone in there teens maybe (or than loves this range) than this is such a nice extra. Or if you have children then this is fab!

Using Jingle G as a Decoration

I must be pretty sad as I love this idea, especially how you can still be using the little doll for years to come, long after the perfume have been used up! Just a really nice touch and really cute, or kawaii should I say! Thanks to everyone on Twitter who told me what Kawaii meant :)

Overall I'm really impressed with this, as a fragrance, as a gift, as a tree decoration - it just ticks all the boxes. Plus it on the really cheap side were fragrances are concerned... even if 10ml is pretty dinky! 

 P.S. The free 'create a G' is running for as long as stocks last but as mentioned free 1st class delivery at Escentual.com does end 25th September.

P.P.S I promise not to talk about Christmas again till at least November.

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£150 Gift Card Giveaway Winner!!

winner £150 

I am more than excited to announce this as I know the winner will have an great time spending it! 

Also I have another exciting giveaway coming up this week to celebrate ONE MILLION pageviews... however it's more near two now?!

So after lots and lots of counting of all the entries...

The winner is..... 

Mollie! 
 (comment 232)

Mollie if you could leave me a comment here with your e-mail address or you can e-mail me (makeupsavvy@live.co.uk) and I can get the gift card sent off to you recorded delivery! 

Thanks to all that entered and make sure to keep your eyes peeled on Monday for another quite large giveaway! 

Fee x.


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Love At First Sniff

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I thought it was time for another monthly series and what better, than one about perfume seeing as I'm quite obsessed with it at the moment. 

As the title suggests it's all giving a tiny review after the first sniff whether it's from a sample in a magazine or a tester in a shop!  

*All the stars next to the perfumes link to more info and the price*

Estee Lauder - Sensuous Nude*
With this I could instantly smell a slight fruit scent and a deep woody coconut smell (think high-end suncream) that had a soft powdery base. I would describe this as a warm summers evening perfume that just lingers on the skin beautifully. Quite a sensual young perfume.

Balenciaga - L'Essence*
For me this is a fresh masculine scent that seems to have notes of pinewood in it. Also slightly citrus-y with a tiny touch of floral about it. Personally not my cup of tea but does give the sexy idea that you may be wearing your boyfriends cologne!

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Harajuku Lovers - Sunshine Cuties G*
This screams sun, sea and sand to me! This makes me want to be on the beach sunning myself right now. The main note in this is coconut and strangely smells like a hot day. If you want a fun beach holiday fragrance then this is the one for you. Also the 10ml size is perfect for travelling with.

Elie Saab - Le Parfum*
This is definitely one luxurious smelling perfume, no instant smells hit me but it just seems to ooze class and sophistication... a scent I imagine a top female banker would wear! Quite a hard scent to describe but to me it has a deep powdery scent to it that is slightly warm and strong.

Givenchy - Play*
Nothing really grabs me when I first smelt this other than it being quite masculine and strong but after 5 minutes or so a slight floral, woody scent comes through, though it still stays quite masculine but on the fresh side.

Cacharel - Anais Anais*
This instantly says cut flowers to me with a musky scent in the background. I don't love this as it's not my kind of perfume but this is definitely a wearable day time perfume for someone more mature.

This is just a random mix of fragrances but upcoming posts are going to be more focused with a post for celebrity perfumes, high-end perfumes and even winter scents! 

  Fee x


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I Made The List!

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I made the Cosmo Blog Awards 2011 shortlist for the Best New Beauty Blog! 

I am actually really, really surprised as I didn't ask a single person to vote for me, so who ever you lovely people are that voted for Makeup Savvy, thank you soooo much... it really does mean a lot! 

Since starting this blog last February I have had the best time! I have gained so much knowledge, met some wonderful people and gained amazing readers and felt that I was actually good at something - which is a pretty big deal! I can whole heartedly say that starting Makeup Savvy has been the best/most fun thing I have ever done, BUT my blog would be nothing without readers and you are the kindest most sweetest people I have come across and have actually restored my faith in nice people.

Voting is now open so if you enjoy my blog I would love it you could vote for me here (just enter your e-mail address and click on 'New Beauty Blog' to find me) or by clicking the image above!

Whether you chose to vote for me or not - thank you for being here, reading my blog, chatting to me on twitter, likin' me on bloglovin', I could go on but I won't! 

Just thank you :)

Fee xxx

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Magazine Freebies October 2011

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Not many freebies to report for next month, though I haven't looked in all of the magazines so there could well be a gem of a freebie that I don't know about... or just a free umbrella!

So without rambling too much, here are the freebies that are coming up next month...

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So first up quite a generous freebie I would say and lets face it, hand cream is needed with our winters! Instyle are offering a choice of two Cowshed Hand Creams worth £8 each and 50ml in size. The choices are either Cow Slip - a soothing hand cream or Cow Pat - a moisturising hand cream. 

Think I will definitely be picking up Cow Slip to keep in my handbag!

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Another hand cream freebie from Marie Claire next month with a choice of four L'Occitane Hand Creams and owning the L'Occitane Cherry Blossom and Shea Butter hand creams I can say they are really good quality and feel lovely on the hands. 

All four hand creams are worth £7.50 each and are 30ml in size. The option to chose from are - Shea Butter, Hibiscus Flower Limited Edition (orange tube), Cocoa Flower Limited Edition (black tube) and Desert Rose Limited Edition (red tube).

As for this month (September) there really are no freebies that I can see - except for a free book with Red magazine. Which is why I skipped straight to the freebies in the October magazines!

Of course if I spot any more free beauty products I will update this post. 

Fee x

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Pretty New Things

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Ohhh Sparkly, Sparkly! 
This is actually how I have been feeling for the past two days as I'm finally better and feeling so happy that I'm all back to normal! 

So I thought I'd do a nice chilled out, happy post of all the things that are new in the world that it Makeup Savvy, though quite a few things are more fashion oriented.

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Boom Boom Pow, take that Deborah Lippmann!
Now I really don't have anything against Deborah Lippmann per se, but I do have a problem with £14 nail polishes! So I was more than happy to discover a £2 dupe for Boom Boom Pow. Swatches of this lovely £2 nail polish will be up this week I'm sure but here is a swatch of Boom Boom Pow. The only difference that I can see is that DL's version has more micro glitter in it so if both polishes were placed over a black base then they would look different. But other a nude which is how I intend to wear it - these two look near identical. But even if you don't care about dupes... both the silver and the gold glitter are lovely. I purchased both for £2 each via eBay.

The October Issues
The September issues for me were a bit of a let down as I was really craving ideas for what Autumn clothes to buy but they were all sadly full of adverts and high-end trends than my simple mind just cannot translate into normal everyday looking trends.But this month's Red has a few interesting reads and I'm really liking the beauty guide in Marie Claire and the high-street fashion guide in Instyle.

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My First Ever Satchel
I spotted this in the H&M catalogue a few weeks back and my eyes lit up when I saw that it was only £15. So I waited until I actually went shopping to have a look at it in-store to check out the quality and even though it doesn't look expensive (because it's not...) it does look okay for the price I think! Really like the plaited detail to the handle and the buckles and the shade of it the most. Compared to Primark who have upped their prices recently, so their bags cost around about £15 as well, this is much better quality than that. So definitely worth it and they also do it in a chestnut shade if red isn't your colour! 

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Asos Wedges for £15,You Say?
Firstly, how clear is this image? That is 5pm after raining all-day lighting for you! 
Now I am not actually crazy and planning to wear these anytime soon, they are actually for my holidays in December. Oh yes I am jetting off to Lanzarote for a bit of winter sun and I come back a week before Christmas, lovely! Anyways back to the shoes... so there beauties were an amazing £15 in the ASOS Outlet down from £50. Sadly they only have sizes 7 & 8 in the tan left but they have all sizes still available in the grey and I really do recommend these, even for putting away for next summer as the quality of these are great and imagine will look great on everyone and with most outfits. A total bargain! 

ASOS Hetty Wood Wedges in Tan here and in Grey here.

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Off the Fence with GlossyBox
I have been umming and arrring for the past two/three months about these typing of boxes and really was coming to the conclusion that a beauty lucky dip monthly subscription even though new and interesting, just couldn't work. But I opened this months Glossy Box and was pleasantly surprised, as I felt this box had a little bit more thought behind it and wasn't trying as hard to impress with those big names. However even though I'm off the fence, lets just say I have my dress caught up there still! I am going to reserve full judgement for now as I think this is something my thoughts could change on from month to month depending on the contents of the box, until the brand is more established and then I can have an opinion overall and not just based on the contents that month... if that makes sense!

But for this month - I am a happy bunny with HD eyebrows.

H&M

H&M Online have an IQ of 30.
H&M's poor online service strikes again! If you have shopped online at H&M I am 99.9% sure you will already know what I mean. But if you haven't then please, please trust me when I say it's the worst large online retailer. As a brand, in-store it is perfectly fine, with nice staff and pretty good changing rooms (though they could do with losing the bum/back fat angled mirrors). However online is a different story all together. Firstly it seems to close every night (yes, I'm still talking about their website) which I can handle, but it is a bit annoying as it is the Internet and not a shop! Secondly their £3.95 delivery takes... hmm lets see - 4 weeks if you are lucky and 8 weeks if you aren't so lucky! 

But H&M has stooped to new levels... by sending me the lovely pair of shoes I ordered - TWO SIZES too small! Now this clearly isn't a mistake but H&M just being extra rubbish as you order in UK sizes so I ordered a Size 7 and so the order form shoes the UK size. However the shoes size on the actual shoes are EU sizes... which would make a UK size 7 a EU40. The size of these wonderful looking doll shoes.... EU38 (UK 5). One word - Rubbish.

So that is all I have to share! 

But I'm soooo pleased to be back to blogging and tweeting. 


Fee xo.

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La Roche-Posay Sample Set from Escentual.com

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I'm back!
And with a sample set I have been wanting to talk about for a while... and what better time to share it with you than now, as Escentual.com are offering free p&p (normally £1.95) until 25th September!

Now I feel this product and the Escentuals Try B4 You Buy range needs some explaining which is always boring, but needed, so here it is as condensed as it can be -

So Escentual.com the website that sells low to high-end fragrances, makeup and skincare came up with the clever idea of 'Try B4 You Buy' sets at the beginning of 2011 if my mind serves me correct. The idea is that you purchase a sample set normally containing a wide variety of samples of a specific brand and each set comes with an online voucher (the same value of the set) to be spent on any full size product from that brand. For example I purchased the La Roche-Posey set for £10 to try out the range of sun creams and then received a £10 voucher via e-mail which I spent on the Anthelios XL SPF 50+ (£16.50) which made it only £6.50. Or if you are re-purchasing a La Roche product it would make the sample set free in theory!

What you can expect from the £10 La Roche-Posay sample set...

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As you can see the set contains quite a large amount of samples - 32 in fact! However there are 16 individual products in total as you get two of each, which is nice to fully try them out or to use one and then put one away for traveling with. 

Now even though I was really impressed with the amount of samples I have to say it is surprising quite confusing when all the samples get jumbled up, for three reasons. 
1. They are all duplicated so you try one and then you aren't sure which you have used and which you haven't. 2. All the product names are all in french so it is hard to remember which one does what. 3. None of the product contain usage directions, so even though most are self explanatory I found I had to go back onto the Escentuals site to find how to best use some of them.   

Slight negatives aside all the products are really good sizes and 8 of the samples are actually 15ml each which is pretty good! Plus you get a detailed booklet that explains each range and which products will suit you the most.

Samples I have tried so far...

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Lipikar Lait - Lipid Replenishing Body Milk Anti-Dryness
This is for dry, uncomfortable skin so I've been using this after epilating and it's been really nice. It's quite hydrating and soothing but not too thick. Overall  it just feels a more superior moisturizer than a lot I have tried in the past.

Lipikar Baume AP - Lipid Replenishing Body Balm Anti-Irritation Anti-Scratching
I have tried this on myself but actually been forcing my boyfriend to use it on his dry arms as they get quite itchy. This is definitely thicker and more balm like than the above product and a lot more cooling. Could really see this being great for really dry skin or psoriasis.

Anthelios AC 30 SPF Fluide Extreme
Really impressed with this, which is why I purchased the full size product SPF 50 version for my holiday in December and for next summer. I have been looking for a suncream that won't make my face more oily or break me out for a long time now and this is just perfect and also acts as a good base for makeup in fact. Soaks in instantly and can't be felt on the skin at all - amazing!

Effaclar M - Sebo-Regulating Mattifying Moisturiser
I was also tempted to purchase this as well as I liked it so much, but think I will use my samples up first and then look on eBay for it. I have been using this before applying my makeup in the morning and it definitely gives a matte finish to the skin and a good base to apply foundation onto.
 
Toleriane Riche - Soothing Protective Cream
I have been using this on my boyfriends face at night as I keep telling him his crows feet are due to his skin being dehydrated and because he never moisturizers. So even though I haven't personally tried this I can tell it's really great for dry, sensitive skin.

Effaclar Duo - Corrective and Unclogging Anti-Imperfection Care
I'm not too sure about this product as I'm not one for using moisturizer/cream to cure my imperfections. Though I have tried using this as night around my T-zone but haven't seen much in the way of results as I have only used it a few times.

As mentioned I purchased the Anthelios SPF 50+  fluide sunscreen for the face with the £10 voucher which brought it to £6.50.

Overall I'm super impressed with the Try B4 You Buy sets and can't wait to use the suncream on holiday - yes, I get excited over SPF.. and of course holidays!


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Models Own Medley


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Hopefully you won't all be getting bored of the frequent nail posts. But it was either write another nail post (with some pics I had on file) or post nothing at all, as I'm pretty unwell at the moment.

So I went for the 'write another nail post' option as even though my last blog post was only a few days ago I'm already missing blogging... but when I'm also missing getting dressed and wearing makeup and feeling like a human being! But I'm sure by late next week I will be feeling a lot better as I'm not good at being an ill person! 

 After I tried the Models Own Pro Matte Top Coat over the new Revlon Facets of Fuchsia (post - here) and decided I really liked the effect of it, I promptly removed it all and tried it with a few other glitter polishes and this one was my favourite. Now I don't actually love matte nails that much but there is just something about it over glitter, it just seems to make it more wearable and grown-up! It also seems to make the glitter more interesting as it glows instead of sparkles on the nails which is a nice effect.

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So as I was layering a number of polishes I opted for nail polishes that only needed one coat each as I hate having tons of layers on my nails that never fully set underneath and then mush off (yes, this is the correct terminology) when you open a can or do your hair etc! 

The first polish I used for the base was Models Own Concrete Mixer (£5/Boots - here) which is pretty much opaque in one coat. I decided to go for something completely different shade wise from the pink glitter as I do like to have a bit of a contrast and it does just tone down such a bright glitter for the day.

Next I applied one coat of Models Own Magenta Divine (£5/Models Own site - here) which if I'm honest isn't as easy to apply as other glitters, which I'm thinking is because it doesn't contain much clear nail polish so it doesn't glide on as well. But then again that makes it perfect for opaque glitter nails!

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Anyways so as you can see from the very top image the glitter looks nice without the top coat but a bit sharp and kind of like you may have sprinkled glitter onto the nails with a cheap craft set! 
 
The final coat after the glitter of course was the Models Own Pro Matt Top Coat (£8/Boots - here) which again only needed one thin coat.... and then Voila!

I think in Summer I would just opt for a base polish and then the glitter as it is fun looking and also perfect for on the toes. 

But wearing it with a slightly more neutral base polish and making it matte makes it a lot more wearable for Autumn/Winter.


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Give Me Ideas for FREE Beauty Blog Headers!

Free_Beauty_Blog_Headers 

Remember my free beauty blog headers that I posted back in March? Well it's time for some more! But the thing is I want to do lots this time and also a few fashion/style ones as well. 

So who better to ask for ideas than you! Seeing as you will be the ones making use of them... hopefully!



The two above are my favourite from my last lot of free blog headers, so if you want to use one just click to enlarge it and then copy and paste (but I would be grateful if you could mention that I supplied it somewhere on your blog). 

Anyways back to ideas! I have a few ideas already but if you are looking for something then please do tell me and I will see what I can do. I'm thinking more nail polish headers like the one below but in more autumnal shades and maybe some MAC products... for all you MAC lovers out there! 


But even if you want say a picture of a Sleek blusher with the mirror only in focus (like above but without my hand) so you can write you blog name in there, or if you want some spilt red nail polish... literally whatever you think would make a great header, let me know and I will see what I can do. Also I can do similar blank headers like my own blog header with just random swatches than you can get just write your blog title over!  

So if you are thinking or getting a new header or wanting to get a bit of an upgrade then tell me what you would like to see in the next few days.

The more suggestions the better!
 
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Revlon Facets of Fuchsia A/W 2011


Revlon_Facets_of_Fuchsia

Okay, my nail polish obsession is back and in full force... but I'm trying to resist, which is why I only picked up one polish from the new Revlon A/W collection. 
 
Though I have a feeling I'll be picking up another nail polish next week, no doubt. Anyone else do that to remove the guilt of buying everything all in one go?! 

Last week I nipped into Boots to see the new Revlon Polishes and to my surprise they had all the new shades in - Facets of Fuchsia, Gold Coin and Smokey Canvas (£6.29 full price). Now it would of been an excellent time to purchase all three as they had £2 off all Revlon nail polishes. But I'd just been into H&M and bought a lovely red satchel bag and some new loafer style heels that are very easy to walk in for once... I digress. So I was faced with the dilemma of which shade to pick... the woes of being a beauty blogger hey!!

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Awful picture, but it does show how it needs a topcoat or else it can look quite bumpy!
I clearly picked Facets of Fuchsia as you can see it in this post, but I must say I was very tempted by Smokey Canvas as it's right up my street along with all my other 'boring' shades. As for Gold Coin I'm not too sure as I'm always lured in by how they look in the bottle but that light golden shade always looks a bit wishy washy against my pale-ish skin but never the less it is a beautiful polish that would look stunning on others. 

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As for Facets of Fuchsia it definitely lives up to how it looks in the bottle and from comparing a million swatches of Deborah Lippmann's expensive Bad Romance polish I can pretty much say it is a dupe for it, but it you wanted to get really picky I'd say Facets of Fuchsia has slightly pinker glitter in it but the same size glitter and same black gel base.

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From applying the first coat I wasn't impressed formula wise... it was streaky and very sheer as the glitter is held in a black jelly formula and typical of Revlon polishes also quite runny... so make sure to wipe the excess off or you can easily flood the nail bed. Though by the second coat all has been forgotten as it seems to transform from a watery, sheer polish to an opaque dazzling nail polish. So from thinking it was going to be a definite three coater I'd say you only need two and then a top coat to make it look and feel perfect.

For the price this nail polish really does have a luxury feel to it which is something Revlon do well I think and they definitely do glitter polishes well!

All in all an amazing polish that will be very much loved when the weather becomes crappy cold & nasty to cheer me up.

Next one to buy - Smokey Canvas! 


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Current Adverts I Love... and Hate!

Sept Ads

This isn't going to be a regular post but I thought I would be nice to share a few adverts/promo images that have really caught my eye at the moment as we come into Autumn.

Also there has been a few ads that I don't know what to make of so I thought it would be interesting to hear what you think of them as well! 

Campaigns I love...

Becca_Lost_Weekend

Becca Lost Weekend

Promotional images are all about promoting a new range of products and encouraging people to want to try out/purchase the products... and this does exactly that for me! Becca isn't even a brand I've tried before, granted I've read product reviews and seen their products but nothing has ever tickled my fancy (haha love that saying!) until now. This image just says Autumn to me... the lighting create that feeling of cold in the air but the models look warm and glowy which is what Autumn is all about... wrapping up a bit more and enjoying the colder weather. I just love the brows of both models, the glow of their skin and the beautiful deep eye makeup.

Topshop Smoke & mirrors makeup

Topshop Smoke & Mirrors Collection

Now I don't love, love, love these images but they have me excited for the new collection and they are very current which is what Topshop and their makeup line is all about! I'm not really sure on the images as the model on the right does look a bit plastic, especially the finish of the skin and the lips. Though I do love the shades here and from seeing the packaging on the website I'm dying to pop into Topshop and have a bit of a splurge on this collection. 

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Reese Witherspoon for Lindex of Sweden

Now I have never heard of Lindex before and even though I like Reese Witherspoon she isn't what I'd call an idol of mine, but for some really I love these images. They are simple and I love the styling of them... kind of classic Reese Witherspoon style really, so they do suit her really well. But I just like how the clothing is what someone would realistically wear in Autumn/Winter. Also love the poses, the hair, the makeup, yes, basically everything really! 

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M&S Autograph 

All I can say is wow, wow and wow! Marks & Spencer have truly upper their game this season. I was impressed that they had Twiggy modelling for them but both Rosie-Huntington-Whiteley and Ryan Reynolds are huge stars and they just look great together! Very hot and very now and the clothing in the shoot also looks pretty good! This has definitely encouraged me to take a look at the Autograph range.

Also I'm hoping I will be spotting a life-size cutout of Mr. Reynolds when food shopping in M&S next!
 
On the fence...

No7_lashadapt

No7 Lash Adapt Mascara (no photoshop) advert

I should be totally loving this advert as like most makeup lovers I cannot stand all the mascara ads with fake individual eyelashes and 'post production enhancements'. I mean it's just all lies and doesn't show you an example of the mascara at all. But like the MUFE HD no re-touching advert last year I feel this ad had also gone too far the opposite way and by that I mean... the lighting looks realistic but in an exaggerated way, the quality is a bit grainy, nothing is perfect, the concept is too real/boring and as for the images of the actually mascara tube... well I could of taken a better photographs myself and not re-touched it either. My point is it's all too much. Just focusing on that the mascara was without fake eyelashes or Photoshop enhancement would of been great and then it would of still had a chance of it being sleek and creative, but as it stands nothing grabs my attention and it's all a bit too bland. Also it may just be me but I can't actually see the mascara because there isn't a close up image and all three models eyelashes look pretty similar to me.

Having said all that it is good that No7 have taken the jump, marketing ploy or not and I really do hope that all of their adverts from now one stay that way... as what would be the point of making this statement and then taken it back when their next new collection comes out. 

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Crystal Renn for Japanese Vogue

Last week Japanese Vogue released a behind-the-scenes video of Crystal Renn having her eyes taped back with clear tape to seemingly create a more stereotypical Asian eye shape for a Vogue shoot, I say stereotypical as all the articles online I have read seem to think this is the only eye shape Asian people possess, which in itself is rather narrow minded, but hey ho! Now because of this every news site seems to be in uproar about it but from the comments I've read, it seems opinions are split down the middle with some finding it highly offensive, some stating it's merely to create a different look and some saying it's highlighting the beauty of that Asian eye shape - the list goes on. 

But I personally don't know how I feel about it, maybe it's because I don't find it offensive or that big of a deal or maybe I don't know how I feel about it because I don't know the actually reason behind it. Maybe if we heard from the Creative Director of Vogue Japan, Anna Dello Russo on what was the purpose/creative thought behind it, we could have a reason to be offended or not offended! I am tempted to say people are making a bigger deal out of it than it needs to be as I have seen models with taped back eyes before, but the magazine that it is in has to be considered... though I do feel the only people that do have a fair say whether positive or negative is the readers of the magazine in this case.

Not so great... 

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10 year old Thylane Blondeau models for Vogue Paris

A ten year old modelling for a ten year old appropriate line of clothing, totally fine. A ten year old in a adult magazine in a spread playing dress up, again fine. But a ten year old in a adult magazine, dressed in adult clothing and posing in quite a provocative adult way with not an air of innocence is not fine. Really how could it not be seen as inappropriate?

From the shoes that fit, to the position of the girls hand and exposed thigh, it is all wrong and sadly sexualizing the child. Of course we won't be seeing this more and more in magazines as the team behind this was clearly going for a certain look but there are times when fashion magazine/fashion houses cannot rely or hide behind 'it's art'.

This isn't art, it's a photo shot for a magazine that isn't beautiful (well it could of been if the model had been an adult) or aspirational, but just so wrong - from the parents of the child agreeing to the shoot, to the styling and the direction from the photographer.  But of course if you have other opinions on the images I'd be happy to hear them. 


This is all about personal opinion so feel free to tell me which images you like/don't like or even if you disagree! 

PS. Also if you love Grace Kelly, Marleme Dietrich or Marylin Monroe then I highly recommend you watch the new Dior J'Adore commercial here... simply amazing is all I can say. 

Fee x 

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