All the will power in the world...

If there is one thing that is seriously testing my will power during this 100 day spending ban it is the Uber Pink Collection from Bobbi Brown!

Everything about this makes me happy. To start with it is pink and from Bobbi Brown *swoon*. Those colours are just so vibrant and pretty and you know that as it is Bobbi the quality will be just as amazing.

The perfect Valentine gift for that someone special (hint hint) or special treat to yourself of course.

The stand out items for me are definitely the lip gloss in Baby Pink, the nail polish in Pink Peony, the lip colour in Pink Kiss and the piece de resistance the illuminating bronzer in Pink Peony.

It is going to take every last ounce of self-control to not purchase these on my first jaunt around the shops this Saturday with Mum in tow.

Laura Mercier Smokey Violets

Laura Mercier is a brand that I haven't really looked at before but recently I have been gravitating towards that stand every time I visit my local Space NK or John Lewis. The products are high end so good quality with high levels of pigmentation coupled with chic packaging which will give the classic look I long for. 

The Christmas collection really caught my eye this year and has also managed to indulge my love of make up palettes...

Lust at first sight with the Laura Mercier Colour-To-Go in Smoky Violets. Anything with a different way of presenting the products and I just can't contain the excitement and this palette features a double decker design.

Open the first layer and you are confronted with a full mirror and the piece de resistance as far as I am concerned the eye colours that give the palette this name.

From left to right you have the trio of eye shadows, soft with great pigmentation and easily buildable and blendable for a basic day look or something a little smokier for the evening. In the far left we have the luster finish in 'Violet Steel' and in the middle a matte 'Plum Smoke', to the right there is another luster finish to be used as a highlighter which is a 'pink champagne' shade. The darkest shade in the palette is a tight liner in exclusive shade Violet Asphalt. Use a damp liner brush to get the right depth of colour otherwise it is all just a bit 'meh'.

Open up the second level and there is a beautifully presented bronzing powder in 'Golden Bronze' a second skin cheek colour in 'Barely Pink' and one of the famous lip glacé products in a nude 'After Hours'. I really really do like the finish that the blusher gives you and is different to other things that I have as it is matte rather than a little shimmery. A little does go a long long way so I will definitely be checking out some of the other colours.

The lip product has a milky finish and a lovely pink nude colour which again is different to anything that I have but I'm afraid that is where the things I like about this end.  It does have a tendency to look a little 'gloopy' and sticks to any dry spots that you have on your lips. It also has the most horrific smell, I think it is supposed to be chocolate / coco butter but there is an underlying chemical plastic scent that makes me want to gag. For now it can just stay in the palette and continue to look pretty which it definitely does.

This is definitely going to be in my make up bag through out Christmas especially when we travel home as it is practically a whole face in one beautiful packaged palette. 

It can be found at Space NK for £31.00 here.

Autumn Beauty Favourites

It seems like only a few weeks ago I was singing the praises of Bourjois summer hits and now I am looking out of our study window on a rather chilly, rainy November afternoon with Autumn in full swing.

It did not take long to delve head first into the Autumnal tones when it comes to make up and these are a few of the things that I have been turning to day after day.

From left to right: Nars Laguna Bronzer, Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in Beige, Revlon Nail Colour in Vixen, Benefit Sexiest Nudes Ever...Eye Shadow Kit and MAC Eye Shadow in Divine Decadence.

The Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation was a replacement for my Rimmel Wake Me Up. The every day foundation that gives a good coverage and the dewy complexion that I prefer. I personally don't think that there is much between them and I would probably just pick up which ever one was on offer in Boots...that said the next purchase will be the Happy Light foundation...why? Just because.

My first foray into Revlon nail polishes. I can't say I am surprised by the quality of this product, all of the items I have picked up from them in the last year have been great. Great packaging, great formula and great colour. 2 coats give you that deep berry red perfect for these Autumn months.

Long time favourite of many a beauty blogger the NARS Laguna Bronzer has been on my shopping list for quite some time.  I am a huge fan of the Bobbi Bronzer but this gives a little more of an understated glow which adds a little colour as the weather turns cold. This does have a feint shimmer running through it unlike the matte colour in the Bobbi version but you are not going to turn into a glitter ball it just adds a little dimension.

MAC Divine Decadence is a limited edition eye shadow colour from the Indulge Collection. MAC describe it as a soft warm bronze. The colour itself is glittery Autumn in a tub. I use this in the crease for a day time neutral eye but have also used this all over to create a great shimmery smokey eye. 

The last is this great palette from Benefit. There are 3 of these in the collection but I just couldn't resist this cool purple offering. The palette contains 4 powder eye shadows; the white 'milk it!', the deep violet 'raincheck?', the lilac wash 'pause for applause' and the shimmery silver 'blingo!'. All 4 of these have great colour pay off and I've managed to create both day and night time looks. I was always a little wary of purple tones but I am absolutely loving these and the colours certainly do work for the green eyed girls.

Also included are the 2 mini creaseless cream eyeshadows in holy smokes, a dark shimmer laden grey, and bikini-tini, a nude gloss. Bikini-tini is a little 'meh' I don't think it adds much at all but I love love love holy smoke. It is a great shade and I have been using it as an eye liner for when I don't want something quite as harsh.

I think this little lot will keep me busy until the Christmas offerings start attracting my glittery magpie eye.

MAC & Smashbox Payday Treats

Well it didn't take long to grab a treat or two once pay day arrived. These two items were definitely heart over head purchases. 

The first is the MAC Antonio Lopez face palette in Coral. These palettes have amazing designs on the compact cover, which to me seem very 80's retro and to be honest just looks great in the make up drawer. OK and I am definitely jealous of those lips!

Behind the cover is a full sized mirror (always a plus for me) with a delightfully displayed golden peach highlighter for that iridescent shimmer on top of the cheek and then a satin powder blush in the shade coral (obviously).

This blusher has some serious pigmentation and a little goes a long way but unfortunately the same cannot be said for the highlighter which is a little bit 'meh' in my opinion. 

Then for the best bit...the top layer pushes to one side which just excites me so much. Pushed to one side it reveals a terracotta base bronzer/contour powder. This is particularly orange for me and so I do use it sparingly but the powder is wonderfully soft and blends beautifully .

Summer will live on just a little bit longer with this item in my make up collection and it can be part of your collection here. 

Smashbox is one of those brands that I don't really know much although everyone raves about their primers. I have recently been really interested in cream eye shadows mainly because I don't necessarily need to use a brush for the wash of colour I'm likely to add at 7.15am in the morning when the less work required the better. 

The packaging is similar to that of other premium brands - glass jar and black rubberised top - so no points there for individuality although it does look and feel premium.

I am afraid I don't get any points for individuality either when I picked up the limitless 15 hour wear cream shadow in the very natural looking rose gold colour toned 'Quartz'.

This shade is extremely wearable and as it says on the tin long wearing, although I do use the Urban Decay eye primer underneath. It is packed full of shimmer and so can give a sheer wash of colour (bottom swatch) or can be packed on to give a more vibrant opaque glimmer (top swatch).

I've used this on its own and also as a base colour when building a smokey eye for evenings and get just as a good coverage and staying power whether it has been applied with fingers or a brush.

These are very much welcome additions to my make up stash.

Reflecting on Summer Bourjois

Summer is over (sigh) and I don't think I'm the only one to have noticed that Bourjois has been totally knocking it out of the park when it came to their summer offering. So much so that my make up collection grew significantly while my bank balance unfortunately went the other way.

The number 03 was my first foray into cream blush and I'm not ashamed to say was one of those products that I picked up after being inundated with reviews on other blogs. I really like the finish of that this product gives, going from a blendable cream to a powder finish. There is a slight shimmer and it is very buildable to give that pop of colour. I think this will transition well into Autumn as the colour resembles that flush of colour one might get on a wind swept Autumnal day.

This was one of those products that I wasn't looking for but upon spying it I knew it had to be mine. These photos in the sun show it as a bright orange but it is a pale coral/bright peach that screams summer. 

The brush is amazing making sure that enough product is placed on the nail and in one sweep covers everything. The formula is good and whilst one coat gives great coverage it is a little streaky although the second coat totally sorts that out. A Seche Vite top coat makes this so glossy and long lasting. I've enjoyed having this lovely colour on my nails this summer.

The lipstick offering this summer was great and every blogger in the land was shouting from the roof tops about the Shine collection and the Colour Boost lip crayons. Above I have swatched the two that I picked up (this was me reigning myself in) on the left is Shine Edition in Colour 24 and to the right is the Colour Boost lip crayon in 'Peach on the Beach'.

The Shine collection caught my eye as I had continuously swatched the red offering that they launched earlier in the year but red lips are just not my thing. These are moisturising and seriously glossy with a shimmer running through. They are very similar to the Revlon lip butters.

The Colour Boost crayons are the latest Clinique Chubby Stick dupes. I loved this shade the moment I saw it. One sweep gives a feint glossy sheen and a second coat gives a brighter coral lip - the type that boys don't understand but girls compliment. 

I really like the pens as they are so easy to apply and are glossier than the Revlon offerings as well as not having that horrible minty flavour.

I also picked up the Bourjois Bronzing Primer which I reviewed here.

Have you picked up any new favourites from Bourjois recently?

Bourjois Bronzing Primer

Do you ever just pop into Boots and then end up with a couple of purchases that were never intended? Yeah that...

I had seen reviews of this on Sunday Girl and Gemsmaquillage as well as a few other blogs and so it wasn't a surprise that this accidentally made its way into my shopping basket and onto my dressing table. I have been coveting the Soleil Tan de Chanel *remembering that 5 lustful minutes in duty free where my head did finally overrule my heart (or my bank account)* and rumours are that this is a pretty could dupe.

This isn't like a cream blush or a mousse like the Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse its more of a whipped cream consistency. It smells of chocolate orange, which was an unexpected surprise and luckily the scent doesn't transfer onto the skin once it has been applied. 

I had anticipated using this as a product to contour on my 'summer' face but I have actually been using this as an all over bronzer. I'm not sure the colour would be right for my skin all year, but right now it is pretty much a good colour booster and isn't looking orange. I've applied using both fingers and a stippling brush and have been happy with both finishes.

This product has currently replaced my trusted and much loved Bobbi bronzer. I don't think this is shimmery at all, but it doesn't provide the same matte finish of the Bobbi. I can use this on top of my Laura Mercier tinted mosituriser and still feel like it is just my skin but better, perfect for lazy summer days and more importantly lazy summer make up!

Have you tried this product or anything else for this range? Do you have any other recommendations for that coveted summer glow?

Bobbi Brown Powder & Bronzer

I actually originally purchased these 2 products as part of my wedding make up package back in 2011 and have continued to repurchase them as once again Bobbi has come up trumps and I haven't found any others, cheaper or otherwise that do quite the same job.

The packaging is typical of Bobbi Brown, high black gloss with the white logo across the front. As always very sophisticated, and appropriate for a high end brand. There is a mirror in each of the compacts, which fill the whole lid making touch ups on the go much easier.

Pressed Powder

The make up artist recommended to me shade number 1 which is called 'Pale Yellow'. Ummm not actually a shade I would actually have picked up myself, but I was reassured that this is a mattifying powder, not a powder to add colour. It does exactly what it says on the tin. A small amount of this swept in small circular motions around my face sets my foundation and gets rid of any unwanted shine on my nose and forehead. It doesn't taint the colour of my foundation at all, it is like it is colourless and it is certainly does not leave you with that cakey look you can often get, particularly around spots or on dry patches when using pressed powders. I wouldn't say that it is overly matte, and if used sparingly I am still able to maintain a level of dewyness if that is the look I am going for (which I am usually).

Bronzing Powder

Bobbi Brown has 2 Bronzers within the range, one has a gold glitter sparkle running through it, and the other is a matte. As I originally purchased this for my wedding, I went with the matte and this actually means I am also able to use it more regularly in my everyday make up. Shimmery, glitter face is not really appropriate for a corporate law firm. This is very pigmented so I literally need a small amount on my Bobbi Brown Bronzer brush to give gentle colour on my forehead, t zone and then cheeks. It is also great for building up slightly to contour on the cheeks. I have also been known in the colder months to not use all over my face but as a blusher to add a bit of warmth to my face, and then dab a little bit of golden highlighter over the top for something a little more subtle.

I am thinking that a Bronzer with a slight shimmer may well have a little place in my make up drawer though...

Both of these products last a really long time.. I originally brought them a month before my wedding, so April 2011 and only replaced these in October 2012. You really have to use so little, depending on the look your going for as the powder is so fine and used for controlling shine rather than adding colour and the Bronzer is highly pigmented so to avoid looking TOWIE-esque you just need a fine sweep.

The only thing that could make these products better, is if you only had to buy the compact the first time around (a bit like the personal compacts you can buy and make at Bobbi), and then you could simply buy re-fills as sometimes it does feel rather wasteful throwing away the compacts when the make up is finished.

Another Bobbi Brown winner for me.