Sally Hansen - Pacific Blue

My hunt is over.  

For ages I had been looking for that 'perfect' blue.  Not too baby blue but not too dark.  That kind of creamy blue ... very Nails Inc Baker Street like.  Just not as expensive if you catch my drift.

In Ulta I picked up Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Colour in the shade Pacific Blue (gosh what a mouthful).  It was exactly what I had in my mind, there is nothing I do not like about this.  The coverage is great, it is very opaque... you get a good look with just one coat however two coats is best.  

I only had this on my nails for one day and I'd had two compliments from people so it must look good.  I am very tempted to had back to Ulta to see the other shades from the line.

Do you have any recommendations?

Ax

Vichy - Dermablend Fluid Foundation

For quite a few weeks now I have been consistently been wearing Vichy's Dermablend Fluid Corrective Foundation.  Before wanting to report back to you guys I wanted to use and abuse it, so I could give you my full and honest opinion.

So a little about the Vichy Dermablend line.  Dermablend was mainly created to help with problematic skin.  Acne scaring, rosacea, burns, vitiligo, birth marks, tattoos, uneven skin tones, hyper pigmentation.  There are lots of different products from the line which can be used.  Click the link here to find what will suit you.

This Corrective Foundation is mainly aimed at people with light to medium skin issues like redness, acne scaring and uneven skin tones.  I am fortunate to have never suffered from acne - however I do have redness, dark cirlces and a few broken capillaries which need covering.

My one piece of advice before applying this is to get the base ...i.e. your skin exfoliated and moisturised with a good moisturiser.  This product and dry skin do not go together well.  It will grab hold of any dry and flakey patches of skin.  Our foundation should be flawless, not drawing attention to it with a big neon sign. 

So once the base is prepped lets talk about how to apply to the skin.

You know the motto 'less is more'....remember this.  If you apply too much it will look cakey and it will also settle into any fine lines.  I discovered this when I slapped too much on and just looked a little gross.  The best way I have learnt is to layer it.  Thin layers, building up where you need more coverage.

Lets see the before and after shots.

Here is me ... bare faced with only a moisturiser on as a base (I used the Avene Rich Hydrating Cream for reference).  Take note of the dark circles, the light pigmentation on my nose and cheeks and the redness around my nose.

When I apply this I much perfer to use my fingers or a Beauty Blender sponge.  Dabbing layers on is far better than brushing I have found.  The brushing motion can move the product before it has had a chance to set, plus it can leave streaks.

The liquid is not too thick and glides on.  It is very blendable and the coverage is medium to high... it all depends on how much you layer on.

Now the after shot...

OK... Yes you can slightly still see my dark circles, but if you compare the pictures there is a dramatic difference.  I have not concealled, I have only used the foundation.  I am more than happy with the look.  My second piece of advice is to use a powder to set everything.  Vichy do sell a loose setting powder which works perfectly with this.

So is the Dermablend worth it??? 100% yes!  If you need to cover skin problems then give this a go.  As long as you moisturise and use a setting powder you will have a long lasting coverage.  Well the tube does say it lasts up to 16hours.  Also for reference i used shade Opal 15.

Any bad stuff to report??? As long as you layer it and don't slap it on, you will be fine.  I did feel I did need to blot my face and reapply powder ... but I get a oily t-zone so it is not very surprising to me.

Do you suffer from skin complaints?  Would you give this a go?  I'd certainly recommend it and to be honest dermatologists recommend it also.  You can purchase from Escentual and Boots (in store and online at Boots).

Ax

Flowers Make Me Happy

Sometimes life can be very rush rush and we don't have time to sit back and enjoy things.  Half the time I personally feel like I'm out of the house either travelling to and from work, working or at the gym.  I am tempted to retire at the age of thirty, so I can actually enjoy life a little more.

The one thing that instantly makes me feel happy when I am at home are fresh flowers.  I think they bring such a happy energy in to the home.  Do I sound crazy...?

I know for some people having fresh flowers is seen as extravagant.  Flowers can be quite expensive depending on what you buy and where you buy them.  I usually buy my purchases at the supermarket or even markets...If you're buying from Selfridges or Harrods you could probably understand the expensive.

I have even bought roses from Aldi... a small bunch for £3 and they lasted over a week.  Not bad really when you think about it.  You just have to shop in the right places.

I do not buy flowers all the time, I usually start to buy them in the spring time when the Daffodils start arriving - they are one of my favourites.

Peonies are also a favourite buy unfortunately for me they never last that long.  So love them as long as you can.  Plus there are roses too which are just beautiful.

I love this idea of just one flower head in a vase or bottle...if you are lucky enough to have a garden you could pick one flower and make an instance change to your home.

Are you a flower lover?  What are you favourites??

Ax

MAC - Lovelorn Lipstick

I had six empty MAC products, so you know what that means right?

BACK TO MAC TIME!

I knew the lip look I wanted, a flush of pink... quite natural... not too OTT.  I was with my hubby when I picked this up...I said to him 'pick something' and he spotted Lovelorn in the Lustre line up.  Gold star for the hubby for seeing this.

Lustre finish lipsticks are my personal favourite.  I like the fact they can be quite sheer and you can also build them up for a more intense look but they still look natural.  They also have a nice sheen... not too glossy and wet looking... just a sexy sensuous pout.  Oh la la.

So what do you think of Lovelorn???  Have I tempted you to a naughty MAC purchase??

Oh also side note. If you are not sure what the Back to MAC scheme is, it is where you buy six products from MAC... use them up then return the empty containers in exchange for a lipstick of your choice.  Not a bad recycling scheme huh???

Ax

Lace, Curls & Sparkle

There is nothing quite like a fresh hair cut is there?  My hair was needing some TLC badly.  In my attempt to grow it out to get it longer, I'd let the ends become a bushy messy.  Not a sexy look!

Cue a visit to my faithful hair dresser Vanessa.  It is strange that she just seems to know what to do with my hair.  I tell her what I want and she makes it happen just like magic.  It just so happens that the magic happen on the afternoon before date night.

Let the new hair pictures commence....

I had my usual trim, layering my hair at the bottoms due to the thickness of my barnet.  Without layering my hair would be so thick and just one big bush!

How the curls were created was by blow drying straight with a large round bristle brush.  Then using a slim line straighteners, she pulled the straightener through the hair and started to turn it it towards the ends of the hair.  Once each curl was born it then got a spray of hairspray to hold the curl in place.

Once all the curls were created, a texturising balm was roughly run through my hair to make it look more natural.

Let's just say I love it and wish my hair looked this good on a daily basis.  Sighhhh!

As it was date night, I also treated myself to a new top and a bit of bling.  Nothing too expensive or fancy... it all came to under £20!  I like looking good without having to spend a whole months wage. 

The necklace is not something I'd usually wear, however it just caught my eye with it's faux diamonds and minty colour.  It's unlike anything I own and I thought it would be great for laying over a simple top.  Plus it will look great this summer with tanned skin.

The top is a light baby pink shade t-shirt with lace detailing on the shoulders and chest area.  I love simple clothing but the added lace really makes it a little bit more girly... especially as it is date night.

Top | H&M - £7.99 ... link here

Necklace | Forever 21 - £10.65 ... link here

Jeggings (not pictured) | Dorthy Perkins - £20.00 ... link here

I hope this post might inspires you for your date night, whether it be with the boy or with your girlfriends :-)

Ax