Costco Bargain - Borghese Professional Select Brush Kit

I had to pop into Costco this morning and look what I found!  This Borghese 10 piece Professional Select brush kit was under £20 (inc VAT).  This kit comprises of brushes made of both natural and synthetic bristles.

So what do you get in the kit?

You get:

• #100 Powder Kabuki Brush (N)
• #101 Angled Contour Brush (N)
• #102 Duo-Fiber Blending Brush (S)
• #104 Round Foundation Brush (S)
• #105 Concealer Brush (S)
• #200 Eye Powder Fluff Brush (N)
• #201 Eyeshadow Brush (N)
• #202 Angled Eye Contour Brush (N)
• #203 Domed Smudge Brush (N)
• #204 Angled Eye/Brow Brush (S)
• Cosmetic Brush Bag

(N) - Natural 

(S) - Synthetic bristles.

I really like the shape of this foundation brush.  It's domed and I think it will fit nicely into the contours of the face.  It's worth a shot isn't it?

#104 Round Foundation Brush (S)

Close up of #100 Powder Kabuki Brush (N), #101 Angled Contour Brush (N), #102 Duo-Fiber Blending Brush (S) and #104 Round Foundation Brush (S)

Close up of #105 Concealer Brush (S), #200 Eye Powder Fluff Brush (N), #201 Eyeshadow Brush (N), #202 Angled Eye Contour Brush (N), #203 Domed Smudge Brush (N) and #204 Angled Eye/Brow Brush (S)

It's a shame that the #100 Powder Kabuki doesn't fit into the brush roll, but you can't have everything.  It does come with a useful guide that  explains how to use the brushes.  And the number/description is printed on each handle, so you really can't get confused. 

 So far my initial thoughts are that all the brushes are really soft and I haven't noticed any major shedding issues - but I haven't used them yet.  So I will refrain on commenting about that for the time being. 

Anyone tried these brushes before?

QVC May 2011 Beauty TSV's

Wednesday 4th May - OPI Professional Nailcare

Saturday 7th May - Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare

Thursday 12th May - Alpha H Skincare

Tuesday 17th May - Smashbox Cosmetics

Sunday 29th May - Elemis Skin Therapies 

I'm quite excited about the Beauty TSV's this month.  Anything that catches your eye?

Happy Shopping!

NOTD: China Glaze - Coconut Kiss

I've had this on for at least 5 days, before I've remembered to take any pics of this gorgeous colour.  Whoops!  Actually, I still have it on right now, but it is looking a little the worse for wear.  Still, it should last through the day tomorrow - fingers crossed!

  China Glaze Coconut Kiss ( from the Fiji Fling collection) is a really vibrant, glossy metallic violet/purple.  In fact, it reminds me of Cadbury's chocolate wrappers for those of you in the UK.  And for that reason alone,  it is a pain in the arse to photograph.  In some photo's it looked navy blue, some a flat purple. Nothing I could do, would capture this amazing colour in it's true form.  I guess the most accurate colour representation is the one above (taken with flash).  It really needs 2-3+ coats to ensure opacity, but if you can push past that, then you can enjoy this beautiful colour. 

Coconut Kiss with flash

Coconut Kiss without flash

Ladies, I'm looking for ideas for my next manicure. All suggestions welcome!

Lisa Eldridge is a bad influence! Bourjois Foundation's

I've run out of Revlon Colourstay foundation (which I love!) and have been holding off buying a new one until someone has a 3 for 2 offer on, then I can stock up!

I am however, on the hunt for a Chanel foundation.  But that high end treat  has seriously got to wait until after payday!! Possibly the Vitalumiere Aqua or Pro Lumiere. I'm not too sure yet.  Along with the purchase of a Rouge Coco Shine in shade 'Boy' -  for obvious reasons.

Anyway, I was on YouTube watching the beautiful and talented MUA, Lisa Eldridge High St/Drugstore favourites  video and noticed that she really rates Bourjois foundation.  So much so, that it is a staple of her professional make up kit.  I'm pretty sure I haven't used a Bourjois foundation for years, if at all!  So when I saw Superdrug had a 3 for 2 across the Bourjois range I swooped in and picked up the 3 foundation's that Lisa mentioned. At roughly £6.66 per foundation, I thought this was a good chance to road test them out.

• Bourjois Bio Detox (£9.99)
• Bourjois Healthy Mix (£9.99)
• Bourjois 10 hour Sleep Effect (£9.49)

I think I will try them out for at least a fortnight, maybe more and give my thoughts in 3 separate posts. 

 

Has anyone else tested the Bourjois foundations? What do you think?

Pink to make the Boys Wink: From one extreme to the other!

I bought both of these lipsticks at the beginning of the month, whilst out with Sarah (@Sarahln).  And neither of which I have worn yet!  Isn't that awful? 

First up I got Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Colour in Mod Pink (£16) described on the Bobbi Brown website as "A bright pink".  I guess this is something that I am going to wear on a daily basis, to add a bit of colour to my face.  That is, when I remember that I have it! I love it. It's such a beautiful colour.  I did have other pictures of this lipstick, but they keep uploading to the blog at funny angles. So I gave up after the fifth attempt.

And I also succumbed to MAC Impassioned (£13.50), which is an amplified lipstick that is described as "amped up fuchsia".  I initially wanted a bright Spring/Summer lipstick - and boy did I get that!  But having got this one home, I've been a little cautious about what to pair it with.  Hence the reason why I haven't worn it yet.

  Needless to say, the lovely MUA Kenneth Soh was on hand and gave me some fab advice (and a bit of confidence) on how to actually wear it.  His suggestion was to pat it onto lips with my finger and add a touch of gloss to finish the lip look. Keep brows defined and pair with just a simple slick of mascara.  Keeping the look very fresh and all about the pout.  So as I am off out tomorrow night to see Peter Kay, that is the look I am going to try out.  The Boy will be surprised! 

Please tell me that other people buy things, get them home and then are too scared to use them? I really hope I'm not on my own here...

Clinique Chubby Stick

I was extraordinarily lucky to be given a Clinique Chubby Stick by a friend, who thought I'd like to try them out.   And I have to say, I love it!  I've been using it pretty much every day since.  

The new Clinique Chubby Sticks (I love the name!) are the perfect combination of balm/gloss with a hint of colour.  The shade pictured is 02 - Whole Lotta Honey and for me, it's the perfect 'my lips but better' shade.  

02 - Whole Lotta Honey (with flash)

02 - Whole Lotta Honey (without flash)

The beauty of these chubby little pencils, is that you don't need a sharpener, as they twist up from the base to reveal the product.  And I'm not sure if it was accident or design, but my Chubby Stick is still fairly pointed.  This makes it so easy to provide definition to your lips and a hint of colour in one go.  It's my go to lazy lip. And you know me, I like a bit of lazy girl beauty.

 The Chubby Sticks provide just enough daily moisturisation for me.  However, if you have very dry lips, it may not be enough for you and you might like to use a balm underneath for added moisture.  I already have my eye on Chunky Cherry, Whoppin Watermelon and Berry Burst.  They're available now on the Boots website or direct from Clinique for £14 each.

Anyone else tried them yet? Is it Chubby love (no jokes please!!) for you too?

I Love My Little Bro! Part Two

So last Saturday, my little bro and his girlfriend arrived back to good old Blighty, after an amazing time in the Big Apple.  That reminds me, I so need to start looking at organising our trip Stateside.  Anyway, little bro was a superstar and managed to get me 2 of the 3 travel exclusive 'Look in a Box' kits from MAC at Heathrow.

So in my possession I now have 'Girl Next Door' and 'Rocker Chick'.  I'll apologise in advance that some of these pictures wash the colours out. Sorry! Damn you flash!! 

'Girl Next Door' (£25.75) comprises of:

• Grand Entrance (shimmery champagne) eye shadow
• Smoke and Diamonds (frosty taupe) eye shadow
• Deelight (mid tone neutral) Cremesheen Glass
• Zoom Lash mascara
• Belightful Iridescent pressed powder 

'Rocker Chick' (£30.50) collection comes with:

• Electra (shimmery silver) eye shadow
• Black Tied (shimmery black) eye shadow
• Dazzle Lash mascara
• Smolder (black) eye kohl
• Oyster Girl (freshwater oyster pink) Lip Glass
• Hue (soft pale pink/neutral) lipstick

Close up of Hue.  You also get a better idea of the true colour of Oyster Girl here too. 

I'm delighted with these sets and I really cannot get over the value for money. I wholeheartedly suggest you grab them while you can.  I was actually only going to get one set, but little bro encouraged me to get both.  I'm glad he did now!

 I haven't had chance to use any of my new goodies. I've just been too tired this week and work has been just a tiny bit mental.  I'll report back with any firm favourites.  But I can already tell, I'm going to love everything!

Thank you little bro x

Thank you Jeanie!

I've had quite a crappy week, work wise.  And I've begun the weekend with a spot of Tonsillitis - nice! I secretly think The Boy is delighted that I'm not speaking much.  Although I could be wrong...

Anyway, on Wednesday I came home to an unexpected beauty gift from my lovely friend, Jeanie over at Makeup Merriment.  Seriously, I was so overwhelmed I cried.  It's funny, I don't cry often, or easily. I'm not one of those women.  But some things really catch me unaware, and this was most certainly one of those occasions!

Jeanie, I want to say a huge THANK YOU to you!  I'm so grateful to have such lovely friends all over the world.

Have a great weekend ladies, whatever you are getting up to! ;o)

Leanne
X

Accessorize Pigments in Molten Truffle and Wild Moss

When the lovely Louise (aka Get Lippie) blogged about the most beautiful eye shadow she had ever seen, I was interested to see what it was.  When she told her readers it cost a mere £1.50 from Superdrug, I was off like a whippet to snap one up.  Fortunately for me Superdrug still had the beautiful Molten Truffle in stock and I also managed to pick up Wild Moss too.

I'm not going to explain the finer points of Molten Truffle, Louise did a fantastic job of that already.  So I urge you to check out her blog.  But I will say that Wild Moss instantly reminded me of MAC Sumptuous Olive. Except a little more green/gold. I find that Sumptuous Olive leans towards a brown hue when blended out. Making a really simple one shadow eye look.

I'm really quite impressed with Accessorize make up. Their eye shadows are beautiful creamy and pigmented for a budget high street brand.  I also have a few nail varnishes from their range, but they remain in the untested pile at the moment.  Do you have any favourite Accessorize products or recommendations?

No7/Poppy King Lipstick

So you must have been living under a rock if you haven't heard about the No7/Poppy King collaboration to create a beautiful range of 7 wearable lipsticks.  I had two of the £5 vouchers stashed away ready to make my purchases and so I went for Glamour and Power - making them £7 instead of £12 each.  If you check out the product videos, you can also see the make up looks that celebrity MUA,  Lisa Eldridge has created for No7 and the gorgeous Keeley Hawes.  This includes a full product listing.  I'm building up a shopping list and it's all Lisa's fault!! 

Anyway, back to the lippies. Glamour has taken inspiration from the 1950's and screams femininity with it's flirty pink shade, whilst Power is a shade inspired by the 1930's and was created to celebrate women's inner power.  It's a raspberry shade that I think would be flattering for all skin tones. It kind of reminds me of Viva Glam Cyndi.

I haven't used either shade yet, but when I swatched them in-store they appeared to be fairly sheer, but buildable and they were quite creamy.  Their diminutive size is something of an advantage.  I like the fact that they can slip into a side pocket in your handbag.  But you've all seen how much crap I carry about with me, so this should ease my back pain somewhat.  I also really like the satisfying 'snap' when the lid is replaced.   It feels quite safe, for want of a better word.  You wont end up with bag fluff all over the bullet when you go to apply.  Always a bonus!

Anyone else tried these lipsticks? What colours did you go for?

Happy Mother's Day, Mum!

Here is a pic (sorry, a photo of a photo!) of me and the Mothership, taken probably circa 1980/1981.  She will probably perform a ritual sacrifice of her one and only Daughter if she see's this on the internet. Oh well, I'm going to take that chance to say Happy Mother's Day to my Mum!

And to all you Mum's out there reading this. Happy Mother's Day to you too!

PS - Nic, I hope that PD and the 3 Little Miss D's spoil you today. You deserve it lovely x

Once upon a time, in a CCO...

The Boy took me to Cheshire Oaks outlet village today.  I knew exactly which shop I was headed for - straight for the CCO or Cosmetic Company Outlet.   These shops sell discounted cosmetics from brands that are part of the Estee Lauder group, such as MAC, Origins, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, Perscriptives and of course, Estee Lauder.

The picture above was just the MAC section of the store. They had a range of eye shadows, pigments etc., but they also had stock from previous MAC collections.  Today in store, I saw items from the following collections: Hello Kitty, Dame Edna, To the Beach, Venomous Villains and Tartan Tale.

And you can see which collection piqued my attention!

The Tartan Tale collection was released by MAC for Christmas 2010, but at that time of year, I was more concerned with buying gifts, than buying items for myself.  There were plenty of goodies that I wanted from that collection, so I was glad to find them at the CCO at such a reduced price.

The Swinging Violets Mineralize kit (£27.75) comprises of Bare Study paint pot, Zoom Lash mascara, Icescape lipglass and Earthly Riches mineralize eye shadow.

How gorgeous is this eye shadow?  It's half plum and half a gunmetal grey that in some lights leads towards taupe. It is so pretty!  When looking at the 3 Mineralize kits on offer, The Boy honed in on this one and said "this is very YOU" and he was right! That was the one I was drawn to.

The Warm Thrillseekers pigment/glitter set (£19.25). was next on my agenda.  They are a range of lovely wearable pigments, but the unfortunately, the flash sort of washes them out on the photo below.  The only one I will probably not use on a regular basis would be the Reflects Bronze glitter. I have to say, I look at the full size pigments and wonder if I will ever get through a whole jar! These sets are perfect for sampling different colours and I can actually see myself finishing one of these little vials.

The set includes:

• Gift O' Glamour
• Reflects Bronze (glitter)
• Most Darling
• Gilded Green
• Gold Mode

(l-r) Most Darling, Gold Mode and Gilded Green

(l-r) Reflects Bronze (glitter), Gift O' Glamour and Most Darling (again!)

(top to bottom taken with flash) Reflects Bronze, Gilded Green, Gold Mode, Most Darling and

 Gift O' Glamour

I'm delighted with my Tartan Tale bargains. Have you had any great deals from the CCO?

I Love My Little Bro!

My baby bro and his girlfriend are flying over the Atlantic as I type, headed for the Big Apple.  I had such an amazing time there last year celebrating my 30th birthday and so I'm incredibly jealous.

But my darling baby bro has appeased my jealousy and managed to snap up 2 of the MAC "look in a box" sets for me whilst mooching through Heathrow.  I couldn't be more excited about this news!  I have "Girl Next Door" and "Rocker Chic", well, when they return from their hols in NYC that is. I'll post more on these kits when I have them in my possession. *squeal*

I really hope that they both have an amazing time over there in NYC. I know I did!