Beauty Freebie Alert - InStyle and Marie Claire

Firstly, apologies for the crappy pic taken with my iPhone at my desk this morning, but I couldn't wait! to get into them!

This month (November 2010) InStyle comes with a free 30ml L'Occitane hand cream worth £7. With 3 flavours (as such) to choose from you'll be spoiled for choice.  I went with Shea Butter as that is my favourite.  They also had Cherry Blossom and Fleur Cherie, which I believe is a new scent based on Orange Blossom.  I adore L'Occitane hand cream and religiously use it every day and before bed. It's one of my beauty staples.

I also picked up Marie Claire (November 2010) and they were offering a free Ciate nail polish worth £9.  There were 2 colours to choose from, a bright red which is always on trend especially with Christmas round the corner and the dark vampy colour I went for.  It's one of those moody shades that I love and will go with pretty much anything.  It is a deepened wine colour, which reminds me of Nails Inc Victoria.  I've never tried Ciate before, so I am excited to give them a whirl.

Happy Shopping!

Musings on MUA at Superdrug

Perhaps I'm a little late to the party on this one, but I saw these MUA eye shadows in Superdrug about 3 weeks ago.  I'd heard quite a few bloggers talking about their products so I thought I would give them a moment of my time.  As it turns out, the MUA display at Superdrug was totalled! A big old mess with make up everywhere.  This is usually the point where I about turn and stroll off into the sunset, when something caught my eye.  The imaginatively named Shade 12, winked its duochromed eye at me and I had to go back.  And while I was there,  pondering over the quality of a make up item that cost a quid, I managed to throw 3 others into the basket. The packaging is a bit utilitarian, but hey, what do you want for a pound!?! 

So here are the colours I picked, that cost me the non too purse busting price of £4!!  From the bottom of the  picture upwards there is Shade 12 (pearl), Shade 13 (pearl), Shade 14 (pearl) and Shade 19 (matte)

Shade 12 is a total dupe for MAC Club eye shadow, which is a shade that I have been debating on purchasing for aeon's!  The MAC website describes Club as "Muted redish brown duochrome with green opalescent shimmer". It is meant to give the effect of wearing 2 or more eye shadows as the colour changes when blended out.  Also, the duochrome finish of the shadow emphasises different shades in different light.

 After seeing so many beautiful looks using Club, I often stop at MAC to admire it.  But then the SA tells me "not everyone can wear Club.  It looks fantastic on some and looks dreadful on others".  And this is not just from one SA.  I've heard this on a number of occasion's from different people. 

 I suppose I'm just not prepared to spend the money on something I may never use.  Ok, so I know that we all do that.  Buy things, hate them and never use them again.  But we at least purchase the product thinking (if not hoping) that it will work out for us.  I guess that I already have it it my head that it wont work for me, so I've always put it back on the shelf.  

Anyway, Shade 12 was worth a punt.  For a quid, I could afford to hate it! So here is is. From my initial swatch it seems quite pigmented and certainly does have the "look" of Club, so we shall see.  I haven't used it yet. Then again, I haven't been anywhere, except to work!  I think I will give this a spin the next time I go out. Who knows when that will be!! 

Shade 13 is a dark aubergine shade, shot through with a purple shimmer.  Yet again, it has a substantial amount of colour pay-off when swatched.  Looking forward to creating a purple smoky eye with this shade.

Shade 14 looks totally boring and disappointing in this picture. I can assure you, its better in real life.  Its a blackened green that looks amazing on skin.  It reminds me a little of spilled petrol or oil.  Now I know that is not the most glamorous of comparisons, but like Shade 12, there is a slight duochrome to this colour.   Another perfect shade for a sexy evening smoky eye.

Shade 19 was by far the biggest disappointment to me. I mean, how interesting can a matte brown be?  However, this was a "pre-Naked palette" purchase and I really didn't have any matte brown shades in my collection.  I didn't swatch this one in store, I just went on faith and the fact that I had been so impressed with the other shades.  When I swatched this colour at home, it was really difficult to get any decent colour pay-off.  I seems to coat my finger really well.  Fooling me into thinking it was creamy and densely pigmented, but that just did not transfer to skin at all.  I cant imagine that it will be very easy to get a decent amount of colour onto the eye lid.  I think I'll stick to the pearl formulations next time and Shade 19 will probably head straight for the bin!

Now, for a word of warning.  This is not a horrendous bruise on my arm.  This is a photo of the mess created trying to remove the MUA shades with a face wipe.  I didn't have them on my arm for very long but it took quite a while and a lot of scrubbing to finally get it all off.  This is my one concern with using these MUA shadows and as I mentioned before I haven't really used them yet, apart from swatching.  I really hope using a decent cleanser will make it a little easier to part company with the day/evenings eye shades, but I will have to let you know once I have actually tried it.

Have you tried any MUA products? What do you think of them?

NOTD: Ski Teal We Drop (OPI Swiss Collection)

I never do these posts, but I have to for this one. Because I just love this colour!! Creamy and opaque, OPI Ski Teal We Drop, applied like a dream and I'm sure would have looked at lot neater if I hadn't applied it in a rush before work! Doh!

It is right up there with Russian Navy which is my absolute favourite nail lacquer by OPI.  I used the flash to take this pic, but to be honest, it translates to quite a dark and murky shade in natural light. There is a depth to the colour to this shade and I certainly think this would look great on all skin tones.  It is a dark lacquer, so if you don't like the harshness of plain black this would be a good colour to go for.

I'm ready for winter Bring it on! So on that note, I'm off to find an appropriately Autumnal scented Yankee Candles from my stash. Get myself all cosy and snug, burn my candle and maybe watch a film with The Boy. If I can get him off the PC that is!

Happy Saturday
x

I'm Done with: CK Euphoria shower creme, TBS Coconut Shower cream & EL Time Zone moisturiser.

Calvin Klein Euphoria Sensual bath and shower creme - I never, ever use the scented products that come with perfume. Is that wrong? Am I weird?  But somehow I have managed to used this.  It's smells just like the fragrance (Doh! Review coming up soon) and it leaves my skin feeling comfortable, with a mere hint of fragrance.  Sometimes, over scented products can make your skin feel really dry and irritated. Not this one.  I wouldn't specifically buy this shower creme again, I didn't intentionally purchase it in the first place. However I would certainly use it again. It's a good freebie.

The Body Shop Coconut shower cream - I've used this product on a number of different occasions. This particular one came from a small gift set, so it is not the usual size.  The smell of coconuts reminds me of sun lotion and happy holidays, so for that reason its an instant pick-me-up scent.  Creamy, comforting and moisturising. What more could you ask for? Love this and will certainly re-purchase when I need new bath/shower products...which is looking to be about 2020!!! 

Estee Lauder Time Zone moisturiser - the blurb on the Estee Lauder website promises "a dramatic reduction in the appearance of lines and wrinkes" - did that happen? Well no, but it was a really small sample size and perhaps I'm a little, dare I say it, young for their target market? I am only just 30!  I liked the creams texture and I do think that my skin felt very soft and supple after use, but I certainly didn't notice anything major and earth shattering  in the wrinkle reduction department.  I probably wouldn't buy this again.  This was another freebie that came with a few other EL purchases.  There are other moisturisers that I like, that are at a more budget friendly price point, that I prefer. So I would probably go with one of those.

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think?

I'm such a (OPI) Swiss Miss

I was buying some gorge OPI colours for my very good friend Amy's birthday and I caught sight of these beauties.  The OPI Swiss Collection has some of the most lovely, wearable shades for Autumn/Winter and they just fell into my basket....honestly guv!

I picked out the Irre-Swiss-Ables mini collection that includes mini's of Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous (pewter), Yodel Me on My Cell (metallic tealy blue/green), Color So Hot It Berns (classic red) and a mini RapiDry topcoat. I just love these colours for winter time. And whilst I was the most excited for Yodel me on my Cell, I've fallen in love with Lucerne-tainly look marvelous as it looks so amazing in the flesh.. After watching the OPI show on QVC the other day, they said that you get 15 full manicures (x2 coats) from each mini bottle. That's a lot of lacquer for your lolly! 

William Tell Me about OPI is one of those fab, classy colours that you can wear with any outfit.  Kind of reminds me of Nails Inc Victoria or OPI Give Me Moor. Its a very deep plummy brown and in some lights it looks really dark. Such an elegant shade.  I used the flash so you can get a better idea of the colour. Can't wait to wear this one.

Cuckoo For this Colour is another belter. In some lights its teal and in others it has more of a emerald cast. Whatever colour it is, it's gorgeous.  I wear a lot of black, so this will work out just fine for me, although I can appreciate that it wouldn't be to everyone's taste.

Ok, so this is THE ONE that I have been lusting after since Hannah (aka Snowdrop85) added it to her collection. It's called Ski Teal We Drop and I just think this colour is divine.  Its such an usual shade of teal, which is bang on trend and I don't own a colour like it.  Its a cream finish and I simply cannot wait to get this on my nails. Its taking all my resolve not to take off Leighton Denny Viva La Diva (bright red) to take this for a spin.  I guess I'll wait until the weekend.


So what do you think of the OPI Swiss collection? Is there anything that has caught your eye, or anything from another brand that you want to recommend to me? 

The Scent of a Woman: Dior Addict EDP and Addict Shine EDT

.

Yet another sultry, sexy fragrance from my collection.  I really like Dior Addict EDP (Dark blue bottle).  I find this is another fragrance has such an amazing longevity on my skin. I'm not sure if that would last like that on everyone's skin, but it certainly does for me.  Most people would keep this for evenings only - not me though. I wear this all day, all year round and in fact, its been hauled out of the drawer as the weather has got a little more chilly. I am loving it all over again.  It reminds me of Christmas and I'm really not sure why. Yes, I'm weird. I know this.

Anywhoo, the Dior website says: 

A sophisticated oriental fragrance with a floral heart, for the passionate, intuitive woman who ignores dictates and follows her own rules. The Dior Addict attitude is best incarnated by its compelling heart note of the Jamaican " Queen of the Night " a rare and elusive flower that blooms only for a few hours and is considered the soul of enchantment. Intensely seductive.

And the he Boots website says:

TOP NOTE: All Mediterranean countries grow mandarin trees, but the best mandarins are produced in Sicily. The different colors of mandarin, yellow, green and red, correspond to the different stages of ripeness. Essence of mandarin is a citrus note, offering fragrances a fresh and fruity accent. Mandarin is the exotic top note of Dior Addict Eau de Parfum.

HEART NOTE: The "Queen of the Night" flowers of the Selenicereus cactus open only at night. These large flowers with long, thin outer petals generally bloom in the summer. The flower only opens once, from night-time to dawn, giving off a powerful fragrance. The exact origin of the Selenicereus is unknown but probably comes from Mexico, Brazil or the Greater Antilles.

BASE NOTE: The white vanilla flowers produce a fruit that ripens in 8 to 9 months. Vanilla beans are harvested just before they are ripe and undergo a ripening process for 34 months. Their fragrance develops and vanilla crystals form to unfold vanilla's sweet and spicy accords. This serene, sensual scent is featured as a base note in Dior Addict Eau de Parfum.

Dior Addict Shine (large pink bottle) EDT was a duty-free present from the Parental Units quite a few years ago.  To be honest, I don't like this one quite as much at the original Addict, its a bit floral for my liking and doesn't meet the criteria of my fragrance analysis . That's not to say that I hate it, I certainly don't. But there are other fragrances that I will reach for before Addict Shine, such as its big sexy sister Addict (ooooh that sounds just like me! LOL!) . Needless to say, I never look a gift horse in the mouth!! Thank you Parentals, but if you are buying me perfume on a whim, I've got a list as long as my arm for you to choose from... ;o)

The Boots website says:

Inspired by the Dior Girly collection, this tangy fruity-floral incarnates a bubble of optimism and mischievous femininity for the innocently sexy girl. High-energy yet soft and playfully seductive, this fragrance sparkles with notes of citrus followed by a heart of delicate freesia and grenadine and a subtle white musk drydown.

Grown in southern Italy, the essence of bergamot is obtained by cold expression of peel. It brings a distinct, sweet freshness to fragrances and adds a special radiance to citrus notes.

Freesia is a delicate plant with a radiant floral fragrance of jasmine and orange blossom. Its delicateness and freshness feature as the heart note of Tendre Poison and Dior Addict 2

Have you tried either of these Dior Darling's?  What do you think?


Coming next: Benefit So Hooked on Carmella

I'm finally gonna get NAKED with Urban Decay

I know you will have seen millions of blog post's about the Urban Decay Naked Palette. But I have mine now and I am so in love with it, that I'm going to have to share it with you. Sorry, if you're bored with this palette and everyone raving about it.  But I think its great!

Firstly, I have to say a massive thank you to The Boy, who treated me to this for no other reason than he loves me. Thank you! x.  And to my MIL who brought it round last Saturday, as it was delivered to their house. Thank you too!

So, time to get Naked. I don't own many neutral colours. Besides my Urban Decay BoS sets which are a mixture of brightly coloured shades, I mainly own dark eye colours. Black, blues, purples. Statement colours for a smoky eye. Nothing reserved here!  The one colour that I was wearing to work everyday was Sin. And I rapidly hit pan.and ran out. Tragedy! So this seemed like the perfect solution to my neutral nightmare.  God, I was so right.

I have used this palette every day since I got it. No exaggeration.  I'm in the midst of an incredibly busy week at work, when I need something quick, easy, looks good and is going to last - this is what I am reaching for every day.  For example, I did a 14 hour day yesterday (don't ask!) and my eye make-up still looked fairly flawless when I got home at 10pm.  And I can assure you it had been a horrendous, hot and busy day.   I had used the Naked palette in conjunction with a touch of Primer Potion (UDPP) in the morning. I swept Virgin all over the lid and defined the crease and lash line with Smog. Fab-ul-ous! Sorry, just getting into the Strictly vibe....

Virgin (very light shimmer) 

Sin (shimmer) 

Naked (matte) 

Sidecar (shimmer and GLITTER! I think its this palettes equivalent to Midnight Cowboy Rides Again.  Wondered why they hadn't include it in this palette for a change....)

Buck (matte)
Half Baked (shimmer)
Smog (shimmer)
Darkhorse (shimmer)

Toasted (shimmer)

Hustle (light shimmer)

Creep (shimmer)

Gunmetal (shimmer)

1. Virgin
2. Sin
3. Naked
4. Sidecar
5. Buck
6. Half Baked
7. Smog
8. Darkhorse
9. Toasted
10. Hustle
11. Creep 
12. Gunmetal

Also included in the kit is a small size of the legendary UDPP and a double ended liner in Zero(black) and Whiskey(brown).

I really, really, really love this palette (thanks again to The Boy!x) For me, it takes all the effort out of deciding what to wear for work. The shades in this collection will work with any outfit, for any occasion, at any time of day.  You can create the most beautiful clean, naturally defined eye for day and also the most fantastic sexy smoky eye for evening (or for daytime if you are a rebel like me!).  I can totally recommend two tutorials for  you which will perfectly illustrate my point.  The lovely Oxford Jasmine created a barely there look with her Naked palette and you can view the video here, whilst Marlena at MakeupGeekTV uses her Naked palette to create a Kim Kardashian smoky eye here.

Do you have the Naked palette? What do you think?

Lust List

There are actually only a few things I want at the moment, usually the list is endless, here are a few.

OPI Diva of Geneva (image nicked from Lipglossiping) I just adore this colour, and a few others from the Swiss Collection but I can confine my lusts to just this one!

Avene Anti-Redness Rich Moisturising Cream. I've been using the Avene Ultra Rich Cold Cream Cleansing Gel which is so lovely and gentle I now want to give this a try, I am so prone to blushing and can get quite red if I get warm so I hope this will help.

CHANEL...anything! I've never owned a Chanel cosmetic which is just ridiculous really, shocking even! I'd like to give a foundation a try.

I'd really like the MAC 138 brush for contouring.



Ok and the MAC 219 Pencil Brush.



Eric Northman.



Whoops! HOW did he get in there? (any excuse!)

What are you lusting after, what else should I be lusting after??

I can't stop thinking about you...

My life just isn't the same without L'Occitaine Almond Shower Oil.

It made my skin super soft, I could use it to shave my legs with no irritation or rashes but the best and most surprising thing was that it dramatically improved the condition of my skin and evened out my skintone. It completely banished any delightfully named 'Corned beef skin' (that would be red blotchy skin not a highstreet version of Lady GaGa's 'Meat Dress')I was so, so impressed by it. My skin looked amazing, that has NEVER happened before with a shower product or even a body lotion.

I cannot wait to get my hands on some more but I have a stupid ammount of shower gels that I need to use up first before I can justify buying anymore :( until then I'll just have to remember those happy times...*sniff*

Perfume Lust List - Givenchy Play (for her) Eau De Parfum Intense

Picked this fragrance sample up on my travels of Givenchy Play (for her) EDP Intense. I thought it was going to be one of those little bits of cotton mesh that you can rub on your wrist.  So I tore the little packet open.  No cotton mesh! So shook it (upside down natch) and ended up pouring most of the contents into my (VERY) ample bosom!  I've never seen The Boy move so quick!  I was offered the compliment of "cor, you smell gorgeous" in a slightly letchy tone, not dissimilar to Steptoe.  Good job I know he was only joking, with the lechy tone of course. The Boy is very complementary, even if I haven't quite worked out how to graciously accept a compliment... but that's another story altogether!

Naturally, The Boy was right.  I did smell gorgeous. A quick Google resulted in this info on my new lust:

Givenchy has created Play for Her for women who are seductive, energetic with a carefree attitude. A warm Floral Woody Amber fragrance, Play for Her Eau de Parfum Intense exudes a dark sensuality. (Boots)

Captures the senses through irresistible enchantment. The fragrance opens on a fresh caress imagined around orange blossom, and Pink pepper. The enriched persona of the fragrance is enhanced by the warmth of Sandalwood, Tonka bean, Patchouli and Benzoin. (The Perfume Shop)

Needless to say, I have added this one to the Perfume Lust List.  I'll hopefully add this one to my collection in the post Christmas (Boots) voucher frenzy.  I know, its a little early to start thinking about Christmas, but I saw a tweet from Santa Claus on Twitter that said it was 101 nights until Christmas Eve, and that mean's it's actually  only 3 pay-days away. That's if, like me you don't get paid until the end of the month - even at Christmas...grrrrrrrrrrrr!

I'm done with: Original Source Shea Butter and Honey Shower Cream

I've just had a soak in the bath and had an idea.... Dangerous I know!!

Nic and I usually email back and forth with products we have tried and give our opinions on them.  I guess we  like to recommend things to each other, or maybe help the other to avoid a bad purchase.  Its the kind of thing you do with your girlfriends after you have been shopping.  You'll probably ask, what did you think of that lipstick/shower gel/perfume/dress/handbag? And so our opinions are shared with our nearest and dearest

We email because we don't live in the same town any more (booo for being adults!). Nic has her 3 gorgeous girls to take care of (hence her summer holiday absence on here) and I work, so we don't get to spend nearly as much time together as we'd like. But hey, that's life.

 Nic and I don't go shopping or "hauling" every day.  We buy things as we need (or sometimes want!) to, or are bought items as gifts and our blog is a little happy place for us to share our thoughts on those products, be it good or bad.  That's the main reason why Nic and I started to blog at all and we are constantly AMAZED that any of you lovely people are remotely interested anything that we post on here. So thank you!

Without further ado, I am dragging our on-line discussion onto our blog.  Our email thread is called "I'm done with..." and I thought it might also be useful to the people who read these random ramblings on Obsessive Cosmetics Disorder .  These are generally going to be run of the mill products.  Shower gel, shampoo/conditioners, cleansers and make-up.  All the standard things that we buy use all the time. No hauls required for these posts.  I can honestly say that I really shouldn't need to purchase bath/shower gel before Christmas, I  have that much waiting to be called up for use.  That's not to say I wont buy anything new...I cant promise that! But given that I will be curbing spending on myself to focus on Christmas pressies for others, this might be a good idea.

 Feel free to do this on your own blog, as I'd love to hear what other people like/dislike. We usually mention the name of the product, cost, if we liked/disliked it, the reasons for our opinion and then if we would buy it again. All pretty mundane stuff, but I know I've found it useful!

So here we go, rambling over.  During my soak in the bath I have just finished using the Original Source Shea Butter and Honey Shower Cream. I really like the Original Source range in general and I'm quite besotted with this one.  Its a foodie kind of scent and really does smell like natural runny honey.  It reminds me of Honey I washed the kids soap from Lush.  The inclusion of Shea Butter makes the cream very moisturising and it produces lots of creamy little bubbles that float over the skin.  The scent lingers on the skin (in a nice way - I just sniffed my shoulder to check this statement!) and my skin feels very comfortable.  Sometimes, I get itchy after using certain shower and bathing products. But I don't with this. I'd certainly buy this again and its a bargain for less than £2. 

What are you done with?

The Scent of a Woman: Givenchy Ange Ou Demon

I think I first tried this perfume as a Boots January sale purchase (Thank you Family for giving me Boots vouchers for Christmas!!) and its now become another favourite, hence the 2 bottles in stock at the moment.  I think its quite a popular scent as Givenchy have released various "spin off" fragrances such as Ange ou Demon Eau de Toilette Tendre and Ange ou Démon Le Secret, neither of which I have tried.


 I usually don't go for "lighter" versions of perfume I already like and wear, as I don't find they have the intensity that I like.  I guess that's the whole point in releasing them though, for people who generally like the original scent, but feel that that would prefer a slightly softer, lighter version.


This particular perfume seems to last for ages on my skin. I generally wear Eau de Parfum's for this reason. I prefer my scent to go the distance and almost never take perfume out with me, be it work, shopping or out for the evening.  This goes back to a particularly horrendous occasion many years ago, where I lost a full bottle of Ghost (which I'll blog about later) after it falling out of my gym bag and smashing on the floor.  My own fault really, going to the gym! Tut, tut.


Anyway, Givenchy says (oooh that rhymed!):


Givenchy introduces Ange ou Demon perfume, an Oriental Floral perfume centered around the noble lily and magnified by the elegance of palissander and oak woods.


 A sensual and elegant fragrance with a high level of natural ingredients. Ange ou Demon perfume is packaged in a precious bottle that symbolizes luxury and femininity: a unique crystal droplet representing light and shadow.


 TOP NOTES - Crystalline Femininity: white thyme essence, mandarin from Calabria and saffron essence. 


HEART NOTES - Radiant Nobleness: noble lily, ylang-ylang, orchid maxillaria.


BASE NOTES - Mysterious Addiction: tonka bean, vanilla, palissander wood and oak wood essence


Have you smelt this perfume before? What do you think?


Coming next: Dior Addict and Addict Shine

QVC Beauty Day - 19th September

Having a mooch through the QVC website and I noticed this preview of Beauty Day from Alison Young.  I love it when they do specialised days and got very excited when I saw that everything that goes to air will be on

4 Easy-Pay's!!!!!

The main ethos of the day is "beauty made simple" and will feature shows from Decleor, Bobbi Brown, OPI, L'O'ccitane and more!  The TSV will be from SBC. So if you are interested,  check it out!!

September/October Beauty TSV's

Saturday 11th September - In the Salon with Gatineau

Sunday 19th September (BEAUTY DAY) - In the Salon with SBC

Saturday 2nd October - Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare

Wednesday 6th October - Hair by Philip Kingsley

Sunday 10th October - Prai Beauty

Are you excited to see any of these beauty TSV's?

Happy Shopping!

Impromptu Boots Haul

So here is what I got from Boots. I had quite a lot of vouchers left from my birthday, so I popped in after work to pick up a few things...

Sorry about the crappy picture of this one! This is Benefit So Hooked on Carmella fragrance. I know, like I need any more perfume!! But I wanted to use the voucher that my In-Laws had given me as part of my birthday present and so 2 months later, here is my purchase.  Ummmed and Ahhhhhhed about this one for ages. In the end I decided I really liked it and now its mine.  Thank you MIL, FIL and UIL.  I think I'll review this in depth in my fragrance series. Keep a look-out!

I had a £5 No7 voucher and I planned to use it on the eye shadow brush, as I have heard some good reviews.  Then I saw that the new No7 mascara came with a limited edition eye palette.  I'm about ready for a new mascara and was debating if I would give this a try. And the GWP sealed the deal. When I was at the till, the SA mentioned it was 3 for 2 on No7 products and did I want to go and choose another product? Who was she kidding?! I bolted back and picked up the berry lipstick from the AW10 collection. Can't wait to try these out. 3 for 2, fiver off and a free gift...result!

The new Sanctuary facial range had some really good bargains too. I decided to have a change and move away from my beloved No7 Microdermabrasion scrub and try The Sanctuary Warming Microbrasion Polish instead.  I imagine its much the same thing, except its self heating!  I thought that the Pore Refining Toner  might be a good idea given the way my skin is playing up at the moment.  I like the fact that its in a spray bottle for fuss free application,  I'm not usually one for toner (please don't strike me down!) so I will see how I get on with it.  The last little bottle is a sample size of the Illuminating Moisture Lotion SPF15.  I think that these tester/travel sizes are great to give you a taster of the product.

Last, but not least was an ecoTools Concealer Brush. Again I've heard a lot of good things about this brand and wanted to give them a try.  Belated Happy Birthday to me!! hehe

Anyway that's all from me. What have you spent your No7 voucher on?

I'm no longer looking on the "Bright Side"

Sadly the recent Laura Geller TSV has had to be returned. I know this sounds weird, but even though I'd selected the fair option, the regular Balance N Brighten seemed to be a better colour match.  And to be honest, even the regular is not wearable for me all year round. I can really only get away with it in the summer when I have a little more colour.


As with similar products in this vein, such as MAC MSF's, the pan contains a mixture of colour correcting liquids that are baked into one compact.  It may have just been the one I received, but it seemed to go a bit orange on me and was really nothing like the "fair" shade I'd expected.  Still, with QVC's fantastic 30 day money back guarantee, I was able to see if it worked out and if not, return it for a full refund.  God bless QVC!

So its winging its way back to them as I type. It's a shame really as I quite liked the Sateen blush and Eye shadow/Eye Rimz.  But not enough to make me keep hold of the kit.

Have you bought anything recently that you wish you could return?

Skin on Trial - update

Help me!! I'm loosing resolve with my skincare test at the moment.  I'm roughly 2 weeks into using  the No7. Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser and I'm not sure that I like it.  Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike it but I don't love it ether.  But then again, isn't that why I'm doing this in the first place?


 Problem is that I'm having a small breakout issue at the moment.  The question is do I persevere with the cleanser and put it down to being the time of the month, or do I rapidly retreat and use something else instead? I don't know what to do for the best!


Answers on a comment please....

The Scent of a Woman: Contradiction by Calvin Klein

Hmmmm, can you tell how much I love this perfume?  I literally cannot be without Contradiction by Calvin Klein.  The 3 unopened 100ml bottles of the Eau du Parfum (EDP) were gifts, whilst both 100ml EDP bottles on top of the display are now getting near the end and actually, they were probably gifts too.  I have absolutely no idea why I have 2 bottles on the go at once, I just have!  On the run up to Christmas, The Perfume Shop usually  has 100ml bottles of various Calvin Klein fragrance's on offer for between £20 - £25 a pop, which is a total bargain.  So I think this is where most of these bottles originated from. 

 I just really love this perfume. I think I began wearing this in the late nineties and there was just something so grown up and elegant about the scent. Even the packaging is classy.  Considering how much I wear this perfume, the scent of Contradiction is woven into so many happy memories and it's real emotional bond that links me to a feeling of total happiness and contentment.  For me, its the perfume equivalent of a comfort blanket.

One friend of mine will give you the name of this perfume if asked "what scent do you associate with Leanne?"  It really does just about sum me up - a total contradiction! I wore this on my first date and probably most others that followed, with The Boy. I'm pretty sure he really likes it too. 

However, I'm slightly concerned now as I've just been looking at the Calvin Klein website and they don't mention the Contradiction line at all.  Please do not tell me that you are discontinuing my signature scent Mr Kline, or I shall be most upset! *cue stockpiling* 

The product description from Amazon reads as follows:

Calvin Klein Contradiction Eau de Parfum Spray.

Contradiction is a complex blend of ingredients chosen for their individual clarity and ability to harmonize. We refer to this signature fragrance as a joyful oriental.

The exhilarating freshness gives way to vibrant textural florals wrapped in a sheer blanket of soft warmth and femininity.

She's strong, yet feminine.

She's smart and sexy all at the same time.

In many ways, she's a woman of contradiction. - Calvin Klein

Top Notes: floral notes of rose, peony, jasmine andlily-of-the-valley.

Heart Notes: eucaliptus and classic floral buquet, pearblossom, orchid and syringa.

Base Notes: Oriental, Sandal and Tonka bean.

Coming next: Givenchy Ange Ou Demon