Rimmel's latest mascara offering: 3 looks in 1...

Rimmel's latest mascara offering is the 3 looks mascara. My initial thoughts were ones of confusion, 3 looks in 1? How can that be? Even when I got the mascara home and examined it I was still a bit perplexed. It finally occured to me that when you twist the dial, the pressure at the top of the tube increases or decreases, thus allowing more or less mascara on to the wand, depending on your desired look. You probably are a bit smarter, and worked that out quicker than me. The pictures on the advert are so exaggerated it's not even funny, so I decided to conduct my own little test to show you what the different looks you can really create are. Turning the dial to number 1 is supposed to create 3 times more volume; number 2, 5 times more volume and number 3, 10 times more volume than your ordinary lashes. Ok... so below is a picture of the wand to give you an idea of the amount of mascara released on the wand on each dial, top left is number 1, and going clockwise, 2 and 3. Sorry they are not the same size exactly, but hopefully you can see the difference in the wand each time.And below are pictures of the mascara when applied with just one coat. When twisted to number 1, lashes are really separated well with just enough volume to enhance your lashes without it being glaringly obvious you're wearing mascara, a nice natural day time look.Number 2 for me is probably the best way to wear the mascara. More volume yet still enough separation so you don't get that nasty spider looking lash situation. The only problem with this was I felt like I couldn't achieve the right length with my lashes. They seem a little stumpier in this picture. I guess I could fix this with a dash of another mascara on the tips, something specifically for lengthening.Number 3 is below, different lighting in the shot, but you get the idea. My lashes were pretty lengthy after application but I'm not too keen on the volume side of things. You can see from the top picture of the mascara wand that when the dial is on number 3, there is a LOT of mascara on the wand, and that's the problem, the bristles on the wand can't really do their job because the wand is overloaded. So instead of separating it just kind of puts a huge chunk of mascara on your lashes which you're left to try and sort out. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who doesn't use mascara a lot. I wear it everyday almost without fail, so I feel I'm a pro at applying it on myself by now! I could see myself getting in a mess with this if I wasn't so familiar with the whole process though. Looking at the picture I think it resembles the spider lashes I was talking about. My lashes are volumised but it's like I can count how many lashes I have which just isn't quite right.

My overall conclusion of the mascara: I like the idea of it more than the actual mascara. 3 looks in 1 seems too good to be true, and sadly yes it is. If you want to create 3 different looks you probably need 3 different mascaras. Personally I think it's better to have a mascara that is buildable. Examples of these are L'oreal Lash Architect, and Rimmel's Glam Eye Mascara. They really separate your lashes so you an build up the volume by applying a greater number of coats. I sort of think this mascara is trying to do too much. It works well on number 2 though, and that can be built up but then it renders the other dial numbers useless. So honestly, this is a bit of a gimmick which I clearly got suckered in to. Like I say, nice in theory, but it doesn't represent what Rimmel is about. I really rate Rimmel mascaras on the whole, I have quite a few reviews on here, but this just isn't one of their best. It's probably better for someone looking for a daytime mascara, using it on dials 1 and 2 depending on how dramatic you want your lashes, but I'd steer clear of number 3, it just doesn't deliver what it's meant to and their are plenty of better max volume mascaras out there.

Anyone tried this and had more success?

Make-up Product of the Month: May - Barry M Nail Paint Mushroom

I don't have to explain what's good about Barry M, I'm sure you already know. Great quality nail varnish, it's long lasting and good value for money. Alongside that, there is a vast array of colours to choose from, and now added to that collection there is a (much needed) choice of pastel colours. The most popular are probably the pastel pink and purple shades, they are gorgeous in person. But I was drawn to this dirty shade of griege! I don't know what it is about these shades, but I seriously love them! This one is called Mushroom, which I don't think is a particularly accurate description, the colour is more of a greyish, slightly taupe shade. The other pastel colours are named after ice cream, this would probably fit in as the chocolate ice cream of the bunch (at least in the bottle...).It really doesn't come out the same as the colour in the bottle which is more brown toned. That's ok though, I'm happy with the result, I don't own any shades in this family so this is a good start. I love the finish of this nail varnish. It's super shiny and glossy and a good formulation because I applied two coats of this yesterday and no sign of chipping yet. Another winner from Barry M.

Elephant Parade and Lush Designs

Obviously make up and beauty related topics are what I normally blog about, but my interests are varied and hopefully if you are a follower of this blog, you won't mind me venturing out to other topics. Being interested in all things pretty also transcends to home decor, and I am always looking for ways to beautify my home. I went to Greenwich market yesterday, a favourite place of mine where you can find some unique and beautiful items. I noticed a shop there before that I hadn't seen before called Elephant Parade. If you live in or have visited London recently you will probably have noticed these giant elephant statues dotted all over. The idea behind Elephant Parade is to raise money for, and ultimately save endangered elephants. I absolutely love elephants, I think they are beautiful, powerful yet gentle creatures and one of my favourite animals, I couldn't imagine a world without them. My Mum is also a big lover of elephants, which is probably where I get it from so when I saw the Elephant Parade shop I had to have a browse. The shop was full of statues of elephants, in various sizes, each one a unique piece of art. Elephant Parade started in 2007 in Rotterdam and has come to London for 2010. There are about 250 different painted elephants and you can buy statues of each of the larger, original ones. The larger ones will be up for auction in July, and the smaller ones available in the shops are limited edition, the number available depending on how many the artist made. I bought myself one, and one for my Mum for her birthday. They are both from the 2009 Elephant Parade held in Amsterdam. I kind of wanted London ones, and thought that's what I was buying, but I didn't realise until I got home that the parade has been held in various locations before. I think they are both gorgeous anyway, and it was so hard to choose. If you want to have a look at the elephants, you can buy them from the website here and here. Next door to the Elephant Parade shop is a shop called Lush Designs. I have been lusting after a light shade from there for about a year (!) so after moving rooms I thought it was as good a time as any to finally buy one. Lush Designs is a small independent shop that sell interior textile items such as light shades, cushions, as well as clocks and bags with quirky prints on them. I really wanted a large light shade, and managed to find myself one in the sale part of the shop marked at £20, down from £38, I'm such a bargain hunter! It was a little damaged, but it's only a crease mark, it's not ripped and you can't tell once the shade is hanging up. I love the monkey design on this one. Check out Lush Designs here.
I love that my room is finally starting to take shape. I will have to post a picture of the whole room so you can get a real feel. Enjoy the rest of your weekend ladies. xXx

Leeds Castle and Recent Buys (pic heavy)

It's June, which means officially now, we can say it's summer! My absolute favourite time of year, I love going on day trips and being outside so this past bank holiday Monday was a great day for me to get some fresh Kent air when me and some friends took a trip to Leeds Castle. It was a great day, turned in to evening round our flat and just the perfect start to Summer. I didn't know what to expect from Leeds castle, I've never been before, all I knew was it wasn't in Leeds! I'm sure a lot of people expect beauty bloggers to not have a lot of substance to them, but I know I'm not alone in enjoying soaking up a bit of culture every now and then and that's why I like to post on a different topic every now and then.

So the first thing we were met with inside the castle grounds were peacocks, lots of them! They're so beautiful and impressive, and not a little bit scared of humans, this one came so close to me.

What a showoff!

An albino peacock!

The castle itself was really impressive. It's gone through a lot in it's history and belonged to a lot of different families so there is no real theme. Every room is completely different which made it quite interesting. I loved this bathroom.Loving the Japanese themed ornaments in this room.

Today was another stunning day. I've been ill most of this week with what I believe might be laryngitis, although I never see a doctor or pay that much attention to my symptoms so it could be a number of things! Anyway I don't like to stay inside and waste my holiday time off from work so I ventured over to West London today, I went to Kensington, primarily to visit the Saatchi gallery. If you're not familiar with the place, it's a gallery that has contemporary art from around the world. I went about a month ago and it was contemporary Indian and other Asian art. It's recently changed to British artists now. It is interesting, it's the kind of art where if you're not clued up on art history you find yourself questioning whether a lot of it is really art. I know I did myself. But there's no questioning some of the art in there, it's extremely talented, I definitely think there's something for everyone in there. The first couple of rooms are always really out there, and a lot of people give up and don't carry on to the top, but both times I've gone, it's got better as I've got towards the top. Saatchi gallery is on King's Road, admission is free and they regularly change the exhibition, so it might be worth a look if you're visiting the area.

I couldn't be on King's Road without popping into MAC, I just don't think it's possible. I bought a 4 pan palette and two eyeshadows, Jest and Retrospeck. They are both gorgeous neutral colours which I really thought my palette was missing. I intended my 15 palette to be a neutrals one. Since MAC eyeshadows are expensive, I wanted ones I would reach for everyday, but then that branched out to colours that were unique and I didn't own anything like them. The idea was I had some everyday colours, and some shadows to create a pink eye, and a green eye when I wanted some colour, since they are the two colours I always go for. I found that even though I had gorgeous colours in there like Tempting and Woodwinked, I wasn't reaching for them, but always went for the same suspects; All That Glitters, Patina, and Satin Taupe for a smokey, seductive eye. So now I have some more neutrals. I always seem to find a way to justify my addiction anyway! I figured also, now I have a palette for if I go away overnight, and only want to take enough eyeshadow to create one look. Now of course I need to buy two more to fill it! I think I'll be swapping them around quite a bit, but that's the great thing about the pans, they're designed exactly for that.

I think it was Liparazzi who drew my attention to these two colours. They are often overlooked, or maybe it's because everyone owns them so doesn't mention them either way I'm glad I have them now, I can see me reaching for these a lot. In the picture below Jest is on top, Retrospeck underneath. Jest gives your eyelids like a glow. I find it hard to describe the colour as it's not anything specific, it's not really golden, or pearl, but somewhere between the two. It's very pretty, and really makes your eyes look healthy and alive!Retrospeck is similar to All That Glitters, but slightly more golden and with more chunks of glitter in. It's not fall out city though, so don't panic. Below, I have put Jest next to Hush for comparison. When I bought Hush I made the mistake of not looking at the colour in natural daylight, but only what I saw in the MAC store. Under the shop lights, I saw a neutral colour that I could wear on my lid. Reality, Hush is very much on the light pink side, it doesn't look all that pink, but when swatched it has a real pink tone to it. It's pretty, and works great as a highlight for a pink eyeshadow look, but it's just not what I intended to buy. What I did want was what I found with Jest, it looks kind of pink in the pan, but it's really not an over the top pink, it's almost colourless, I guess peachy is a better word. Not too light, just the perfect tone for a wash over the lid. Here they are swatched, Hush is above and jest is below, as you can see, quite different. I also went in to Accessorize today, I bought a couple of flower hair clips. I think they're nice and summery, and look pretty and girly with a summer dress. I have an obsession with Japanese culture, so couldn't resist this cute necklace with a Japanese doll. It hangs quite high on the neck so will look good with other chains of different lengths.

An essential I had to buy! Summertime means getting the feet out. I'll be the first person to put my flip flops on at even a hint of sunshine in Spring, I'm a wishful thinker! But of course I want nice feet so pumice is an essential part of that. I love the fact it's shaped like a foot too, a slight novelty factor.Not related to this shopping trip, but thought I'd throw this in anyway, I bought these a couple of weeks ago with a half price sunglasses voucher from Boots. They're by French Connection and were originally £52, which I was prepared to pay before I got the voucher. I was toying with the idea of getting these, or a pair of Chanel ones. I'm glad I was so indecisive because then I got the voucher, and the decision was made for me! Chanel can wait til I earn a better wage!

They are ridiculously too large for me, and I look like a kid wearing my Mum's sunglasses, but hell I like them.

I also filmed a Youtube video to accompany this but I'm too tired to edit right now, hopefully that will be up tomorrow. I'm such an amateur. xXx

Make-up Product of the Month: April - NARS Sheer Matte Foundation

I wanted to review this product for a while, i.e. the day I got it, as when I really love a product I want to share with you straight away. However, I don't think I should review a foundation without giving it a few weeks to see how my skin reacts to it and how the overall condition of my skin improves (or gets worse) over time first.
Most of you are familiar with this foundation in the Sheer Glow formulation. This is essentially the same foundation but called Sheer Matte, with a slightly different formulation suitable for oily and combination skin. I can't compare the two because I've only tried the Sheer Matte but I don't think there's a huge amount of difference between the two. The idea is that Sheer Matte still gives you that same "glow" even if you have an oily complexion. I would say I'm more on the combination side that oily, it's my T-Zone that suffers, and I was recommended in the store that I could use the Sheer Glow if I wanted as it would be suitable but I feel like I know my skin best and could imagine as the day wore on I would have more of a shine than a glow. Not a good look.

There is a great selection of shades available, I'm sure there's something for everyone there. I was matched with Fiji which is a light-medium shade for yellow undertones. It's perfect for my skin tone as I tend to go a golden yellow sort of tan.

I apply the foundation with my fingertips rather than a brush. I prefer the control I have over the coverage by using my fingertips, it's easier to apply it lightly. I shake the bottle upside down well before using, then apply a pea sized amount to the back of my hand and dip my fingertip in a few times until I've used all the foundation to cover my face. It's a lot more labourious without the pump I've grown used to with MAC foundations!

Not only does this foundation have excellent coverage, but it lasts ages! After a day at work I'm still shine free, the only area that might need touching up being the bridge of my nose. The real test was when I wore this at the weekend. The hottest weekend the UK has seen so far this year, and I expected my face to be a big shiny disco ball when I looked in the mirror, but I was pleasantly surprised, it really wasn't that bad.

What's particularly great about the formulation is that it doesn't leave you feeling cakey-faced. You put it on, it does it's magic and you forget about it. I also don't worry about what this might be doing for the health of my skin. My skin isn't shiny after a few hours' wear but that doesn't mean my skin can't breathe. I think the same rules still apply with this foundation in terms of it's still important to thoroughly cleanse at the end of the day and make sure you wipe it all away, but I know my skin isn't getting clogged up by using this foundation. I've noticed considerably how the condition of my skin has improved lately. I'm not going to attribute that entirely to the foundation, I have changed my skin care, using entirely Purity and Lush products now but I know this is doing my skin some good. The foundation comes with a little booklet so you can find out exactly what's in it, and it's clear there's a lot of healthy things in there, so much so, that I'm using less foundation than I would before, just because it's not needed any more.

As for any downsides, I will have to talk about the price. £29 for 30ml. Yes it's a quality product, and there's something quite satisfying about buying a product like this. Every time you use it, it feels kind of "safe" like you trust the brand because it's got such a good reputation. But £29 for 30ml? I wouldn't spend more than this I'm sure (don't quote me). It's a whole £10 more than MAC SFF and Select foundations, and I can't say that I think it's worth it. I love the skin benefits I've gained from using NARS, but unless you're really struggling with MAC, this won't really be the miraculous product I think a lot of people expect it to be. If your budget stretches this far, I'd recommend trying it, but I think there is possibly a few cheaper alternatives.

MAC To The Beach Collection

I waited for this collection to hit the shops before I purchased anything, purely because I don't trust the website for accuracy of shades or finishes to the products. It turned out the products I wanted from looking at the website were the ones I liked in real-life and ended up buying anyway.

I could have quite happily gone a little crazy with this collection to be honest, a lot of it really appealed. I was subdued though and just got what I went in for, I do find it hard to part with a lot of money in one go which isn't too terrible I suppose. The only part of this collection that I would have avoided is the eyeshadows. The only colours that grabbed my attention were Shimmermoss and Humid, both of which are permanent items, and one I already own. Sweet and Punchy is a limey yellow colour, it's pretty but not something I'd see myself wearing, I own one yellow eyeshadow which rarely sees the light of day, so didn't want another to add to it. Yellow is a very hit or miss colour, I think I only need to ever own one yellow.

Both of the eye kohls were gorgeous colours, but I have dupes of both of them, (check out the GOSH Velvet Touch eyeliners if you're after a dupe) so again not something I needed.

The blushers in this collection are Hipness and Getaway Bronze. Hipness is a repromote from a previous collection and is a vibrant coral pink and Getaway Bronze looked more golden than anything else to me. I think I'd go lightly with either of these blushers.

The bronzers are both available from the permanent line, I'm still using my Refined Golden from the Style Warriors collection! It is beautiful and still a firm favourite of mine. There are also two cream bronzers with this collection, which I didn't expect to like, I've never been a fan of cream blushers, possibly due to the incompatibility with my skin type. But these seemed to be different, the formulation is one where the product goes on creamy but turns to a powder like form once you've applied it. I think this would have great staying power, so if you're actually going "To The Beach" you might like this!

The highlight powder "Marine Life" is possibly the item from this collection on everybodys wish list. It was on mine too. Then I saw it and realised I really am too sad to actually be able to use it, it's too pretty and sparkly. The gold sheen on top is only an overspray and wipes away after the first couple of uses. As much as wanted to buy it, £20 is too much to part with something I know I daren't use. I think this would be more suitable as a blush than a highlight product, the lighter part used on it's own might pass as a highlight, but the darker, coral part is more of a blush I think would look great on the apples of your cheeks.

So that's an overview of the majority of the products, now on to what I actually did purchase. I loved the colour of Beachbound lipstick. I thought it was both unique yet wearable at the same time. It's an orangey golden shade in a glaze finish which means it's not so pigmented. I bought Flurry of Fun to go over the top of it, which you can see from the pictures the outcome. While I like the two together and thought the colours complimented each other, I don't really believe that a glaze lipstick needs a lipgloss on the top and that these products are best worn separately. The other lipsticks were a little too dark for my liking, whilst Lazy Day was just a little underwhelming. I chose Flurry of Fun from the Lip Glasses for being the most interesting to look at and completely different from anything I already own. It's again a tone of orange which might sound scary, but I think Lip Glasses are the best place to experiment with new colours as they're never as intense as a lipstick. It contains glitter particles which are multi-coloured, with mostly a greeney blue glitter. Sounds weird, but it's actually quite a nice effect. It reminds me of the way sand reflects the sun, not sure if that was what MAC were aiming for, but that's what I think of! I think it works well with a neutral eye make-up look as it can look a little busy on your lips, but is a nice playful look if you don't over do it with busy eye make-up.

Hope this helps anyone thinking of buying from this collection.

xXx

Beauty Product of the Month: April - Lush Shower Jellies

I currently have two shower jellies on the go so just wanted to share my love of them with you. I got one as part of a Lush gift set, and the other was given to me for free from a Lush store that was about to be renovated and they needed to clear a lot of stock. Sweetie Pie was from a gift set I was given a while back and is overpowered with the smell of blackcurrant and a hint of bergamot. It also has glittery bits in which are more for an aesthetic purpose and wash off before you notice them on your skin.

The one I was given was called Whoosh which has contains a blend of lemon, lime and grapefuit juices as well as rosemary and geranium making it a very fresh scent, one that I immediately associated with a masculine smell so this is a great one to buy for your man.

When I first used the shower jellies, admittedly I was not impressed. I found them messy, and very difficult to use. On the packet it recommends how to use them, by crumbling, freezing or storing at bathroom temperature. I froze Sweetie Pie, which made a nice treat during the brief hot spell we had a few weeks ago (where has the lovely spring weather gone by the way??), it didn't freeze completely due to how it's made which is from a seaweed derivative, but it hardened and was easier to break a piece off. For the most part though, I store this in the bathroom, and use it with a shower poof. You need to crumble off a generous amount, probably a little bigger than a pea size amount, and bury it in the shower poof, hold it under the shower and then it's ready to use. This technique means it lathers pretty well and you don't end up wasting a load of product. Now I've found a manageable way to use it I can comment more on the product's value for money and am able to say at £2.30 this is actually brilliant value. It's lasted longer than a bottle of shower gel, and like the majority of Lush products, the smell lingers long after you've used the product, not something you find with conventional shower gels, but something I appreciate since I choose my bath and shower products based almost solely on the smell, and would like them to last longer than the duration I'm using them! The carrageen extract which holds them together helps to infuse the ingredients and acts as a natural surfactant which helps the product lather up which is why these have long lasting smelling power!

The only down side I'd bring up about this product is the choice. I've mentioned two of the shower jellies available, and asides from these, there's only The Joy Of Jelly left to try. I know Lush are famed for their bath products, most notably the bath ballistic, but I would like to see a brand that I deem to be one of the most "green" out there, to recognise most people shower, since it's quicker, cheaper and overall better for the environment. So I would like to see a wider range of the shower jellies available, maybe featuring some of Lush's classic, signature scents.

Has anyone tried and liked the shower jellies?