Up and coming beauty TSV's

Just thought I might give you a heads up for the beauty TSV's due to air shortly on QVC.

Happy Shopping! 

Saturday 7th August - Laura Geller

Saturday 14th August - In the Salon with Decleor

Tuesday 17th August - Leighton Denny Expert Nails

Sunday 22nd August - Mally Beauty

Thursday 26th August - Philosophy - cant wait for this one!!

Sunday 29th August - Elemis Skin Therapies of London

Saturday 4th September - Ojon

80 Fulham Road - Possible dupe for Chanel Paradoxal?

I was catching up on a few new blog updates and noticed that that Helen from Just Nice Things had blogged about the much coveted Chanel Paradoxal nail varnish for AW10,  that is due to hit counters around 13th August.  It is without question a divine colour, however, if you have a look at Helen's review, she did make reference to it's lack of staying power and its propensity to chip/flake within a fairly short time frame.

I don't know about you, but  for me there can be nothing more disappointing than lusting after a product that fails to live up to your expectations.  Chanel is obviously a leader in the luxe make-up category, but if I buy into the whole "luxe" ethos, I expect "luxe" products for my "luxe" price-tag. I really hoped that this product would not fall into this category, as I would have liked it to become my first Chanel nail varnish!

 Now, having never tried the Chanel Paradoxal polish, I really cannot comment any further.  I do suggest you take a look at Helen's review.  That's the beauty of blogsphere. If you haven't tried it, there will be someone out there that has and is blogging about it!

 And while I decide if I can live with the slight chipping and flaking, I came across 80 Fulham Road by Nails Inc.  Could this be my money saving dupe?!  What can be better than a polish you already own?  I have asked Helen if she could do a quick comparison, as I believe she owns both polishes. So I wait to hear her expert opinion.  It does seem a little lighter than Paradoxal, so the question is can I live with that??

I also heard on Twitter that Models Own Purple Grey polish  was a cheaper alternative to Paradoxal.  Unfortunately, my local Boots do not appear to stock that shade at the moment, so I can't confirm or deny this either!

What do you think?  To dupe or not to dupe?

My Coral Crush

 

Whilst having a look for Stereo Rose this morning, I noticed that I had quite a few coral coloured blushers in my collection.  Not having the time to think about it for much more than as passing second, I slapped a bit on, threw it all back in the drawer and headed for my train.

I love coral.  And there is something about a coral toned blush that add's a certain warmth to my pale skin - no bronzer required!. My skin tone is enhanced with a bloom of coral .  I find that I look as though I have a really healthy glow from within (all fake I assure you!). 

 I've included 2 pictures.  First one is in direct sunlight, so you can get a feel for the level of shimmer in each item.  The second is in normal light.

1. MAC blusher in Peachykeen
2. Bare Escentuals Tropical Radiance
3. MAC Stereo Rose MSF
4. Benefit Coralista

 I still think my favourite is Stereo Rose MSF.  I love the colour pay-off and subtle shimmer that it provides.  I have to say that I really like all of these products.  The one I use least is the Bare Escentuals Tropical Radiance, but maybe that's because I had forgotten I owned it! It also is the most orangey coral in my collection, so perhaps I subconsciously choose the pinker shades.

 I'm not limited to blusher in my love affair with coral.  I love coral nail varnish, lipstick and lip gloss too.

Do you have a colour crush?  

She's a Beauty

Yes, I know its not beauty related, but she is a beauty!

Introducing the newest addition to our family, a beautiful baby girl named Amelia. She was born on 30.07.2010 and weighed in at 10lb 10oz!! My Cousin and her other half are delighted with her, as is her big brother Che. I just love this picture of them both. 

Congratulations!

X

To Love and Loathe

I don't know what is up with me at the moment, feeling very uninspired! So I thought I might go through a few things that I'm loving and loathing at the moment.

I LOVE...

• Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair.  I got it just before my BIG birthday and so far, I am loving it! 
• Jo Malone fragrance.  I was treated to the gorgeous Pomegranate Noir fragrance chronicles from Nic and the Lime Basil and Mandarin cologne from my friend Lorna for my birthday.  I feel as though I should be wearing a white coat and goggles, when I'm creating my very own bespoke fragrance. Its all a bit scientific, but lots of fun.  Its such a unique thing to do and I like the fact that I can alter the fragrance blend depending on my mood.  I'm also loving the arm massage vouchers that came with Lorna's pressie.  Cant wait to be pampered!!
• MAC Stereo Rose MSF. Need I say more?!? 
• Urban Decay eye-shadow in Sin.  I use this pretty much every day.  I'm nearly out, so I will seriously need to get my mitts on the single shadow.  Or, I'll just have to wait until Urban Decay launch the Naked palette. Another item to add to my lust list.  Roll on September.

I LOATHE...

• Nails Inc polish in Lancaster Gate.  Its the hot pink polish, with a touch of iridescence running through it.  I think the colour is really lovely, although not very me! But I thought I'd brave it and used it for my manicure last night.  On first application, I loved it. Glossy, opaque, fantastic!  After a while, I noticed that it had dried matte, which confused me greatly.  I applied a second coat, same thing happened.  So I thought I'd finish with a top coat of OPI Nail Envy - and it still looks matte!! Its also chipped after less than 24 hours.  Needless to say I'm not a fan of this particular colour/finish.  I had hoped to love it, but it was not to be...
• Elemis Pro Radiance cream cleanser. This came as part of a set from QVC and I was excited to give it a try.  Its not the best cleanser I've ever used and its certainly not the worst. Its got a nice creamy consistency, has a pleasant smell and it does the job of cleansing the skin adequately.  It does seem to have taken the lead somewhat from Liz Earle's iconic Cleanse and Polish! Even down to the pump top packaging.  However, because of the ambivalence I have shown to this product, it seems to be determined to hang around FOREVER and that is my main reason why it falls into the loathe category.  I wouldn't mind if it was a product that I thought was fab, on the contrary, I'd be positively delighted that it was so economical.  But I can't seem to get rid of it. And trust me, I'm trying! I don't want to throw it out or give it away, I just want it to end!!!  Safe to say, its not something that I will consider repurchasing.  If bought alone, its in the region of £27.  I think I'd rather have Cleanse & Polish and to be honest, I wasn't that fussed with that either!!

MACRodarte - Power to the People!

MAC, in my opinion, you've made a total balls up with the MAC/Rodarte collection! I will not be purchasing ANYTHING from this collection, should it ever make it to the MAC stores.

Want to get a handle on the story, check out the links below from some of the beauty bloggers I follow.  Makes for some interesting reading....

www.mizzworthy.com
www.britishbeautyblogger.com
www.getlippie.blogspot.com
www.vexinthecity.com

And follow the trending topic at #rodartemac on twitter.

Sometimes, the internet is a wonderful tool to educate and heighten awareness of issues that are swept under the carpet.  I believe this is one of those times.

Its a miracle!

Just wanted to say that I'm loving this cream blusher from Max Factor. I think it was about £6.50 from Boots. Easy to use, a doddle to blend (even for a cream blush novice, such as myself) and the perfect shade of pink to lift my whole face. The colour here is Soft Pink, but I think they do another shade.  Seems to have decent staying power too. I'm impressed!