Empties: April 2014

Okay, I promise, no clichéd comments about how fast the year is going by and how I can't believe tomorrow will be MAY (although it is, and I can't...) April has been another busy month for me, featuring a job interview (I sadly was unsuccessful, but never mind - onwards and upwards, hey!?), a wedding and a funeral amongst other things. I haven't posted as much as I would have liked and have a few posts that I really wanted to get up this month which I simply haven't had time to write - hopefully they'll be coming soon! That said, one thing I have managed this month is to finish a heck of a lot of products, including no less than three cleansers..!
Korres Sage & Salicylic Acid Cleansing Gel This was a total whim purchase but I actually loved it; it left my skin clean and soft, seemed to do a good job of controlling my excessive oil production, and this bottle lasted me almost a year, making it a pretty bargainous buy! I have a large stockpile of cleansers to use up already but this is definitely on my list to repurchase.
Repurchase? Yes, eventually.
Gillette Satin Care Radiant Apricot Shave Gel There's really not a lot to say about this apart from it smells beautiful and makes it much easier to shave my legs closely and comfortably! I get through it at a ridiculous rate as my hair grows so fast... TMI? Sorry!
Repurchase? Already have.
Naked Bodycare Love Me Heaven Scent Rose Body Wash I only really bought this for a bit of a change from my usual Naked bodywash but I absolutely loved the scent and will definitely be switching things up a little more often from now on!
Repurchase? Already have.
Batiste Blush Dry Shampoo I usually buy the Tropical variant but this was an emergency purchase and was the only scent my local Tesco had in stock - I wasn't a fan of the scent and I also didn't feel it did as good a job of freshening my hair up as my usual Tropical does. For those reasons, I wouldn't repurchase this particular scent.
Repurchase? No.
Naked Volume Bodybuilding Shampoo This is my go-to shampoo for keeping my oily scalp under control without irritating my eczema; it smells lovely, cleans well and doesn't contain any nasty silicons to build up on my hair. In all, I love this shampoo!
Repurchase? Already have.
Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser I won this as a giveaway prize without realising it was actually meant for dry skin, but have actually really enjoyed using it. It leaves my skin feeling really soft and hydrated but not greasy, as well as doing a good job of removing my make-up. This tube has also lasted me absolutely ages, so again, another bargain! Repurchase? No, but purely because I'd prefer to try similar products aimed at my skin type. Sanctuary Spa Mande Lular Body Soufflé Another giveaway win, I wasn't really a fan of the scent of this product and also found that it didn't do much to hydrate my dry skin - possibly due to the petroleum and mineral oil it contains. Sorry, Sanctuary, but this one wasn't for me! Repurchase? No. Super Facialist by Una Brennan Vitamin C+ Skin Renew Cleansing Oil Another cleanser which has lasted me what has felt like aeons; this smells absolutely gorgeous and feels so nice on the skin! It has been wonderful for melting away my make-up and leaving my skin looking really bright and clear. I've loved using this and can't wait to add it back into my routine. Repurchase? Yes. Boots Cotton Wool Pads This isn't a very exciting one - cotton wool pads are a bit of an essential for removing eye make-up and nail polish, and these have done the job just fine. I'm not so sure about the double-faced claims, they are different but it didn't seem to make much difference which side I used for what. Repurchase? Maybe, I'm not picky about my cotton pads I'm afraid! Garnier Simply Essentials Soothing Eye Make-up Remover Another essential for me and one that I find does the job pretty nicely indeed, without breaking the bank in the process. I soak a cotton pad, hold over my eye for ten seconds or so, then sweep off. It removed all but the most stubborn of mascaras and doesn't leave my eye area feeling tight or greasy. Win! Repurchase? Most probably. Mitchum Powder Fresh Deodorant Stick Again, not very exciting but one of life's essentials! This smells lovely and does a great job, for me, at keeping me feeling fresh and dry all day. Repurchase? Already have. So, there you have them; my Empties for the month - whew! What have you finished up this month? Have you tried any of these products? What did you think?
xo

NOTD: Models Own 'Swan'

This weekend, I went to the wedding of a friend from school; It was a beautiful day and it was good to see some people I've not seen in a couple of years. It also made me feel really old! It's almost five years since I left school now, my friends are starting to get married and have babies... It's frankly terrifying. Anyway, this is what I wore on my nails; three coats of 'Swan' from Models Own's Speckled Eggs collection, over a base of OPI's Nail Envy. I didn't use a topcoat as I liked the slightly textured finish the glitter gave.
Even without topcoat, I got a good three days' wear out of this with only the tiniest amount of tip wear on a couple of nails - that's pretty good going by any standards, and for me it's nothing short of miraculous. My only minor complaint about this polish was the removal, although really it's to be expected when there's this much glitter involved!
Have you tried any of the polishes from the Speckled Eggs collection? Which is your favourite? Do you like the look of 'Swan'?

xo

Review: Montagne Jeunesse Hot Spring Sauna Face Masque*

A couple of weeks ago I reviewed Montagne Jeunesse's new Black Seaweed Peel Off Masque; today I'm going to share my thoughts on the second of their new face masks, the Hot Spring Sauna mask!
"Exfoliating and nutritiously rich warming masque. Bursting with nutrients, the feisty ground Volcanic Spring Powder and chopped Ginger in our gentle self warming sauna mask opens up pores for a deep cleanse. Then exfoliating Bamboo gently removes dead cells and polishes, leaving your skin sparkling."
I cleansed my face and applied the mask to damp skin, as suggested on the packaging. The thick orange-yellow cream spreads easily onto the skin with quite a harsh exfoliation; this definitely isn't a mask I'd recommend for sensitive skins, and it's not one I'd want to use more than once every few weeks as the exfoliating particles really are quite abrasive. That aside, the gorgeous ginger scent and the way the mask heated up on my skin made this really pleasant to use. I washed it off in the shower after my 15 minutes were up, to avoid having to scrub too hard, and found that my skin was left feeling soft and looking bright and clear, so the mask pretty much lives up to its claims! (Ignore my hugely puffy just-got-out-of-bed eyes, I know it's not a good look...)
Montagne Jeunesse's Hot Spring Sauna mask is priced at £1 for a 15g sachet which definitely puts it at the budget end of the price spectrum as far as I'm concerned. Montagne Jeunesse also offer free postage in the UK on orders over £15, so you could easily stock up on a few different varieties and have the next few month's face masks covered! Have you ever tried a self-heating mask? Will you be trying either of Montagne Jeunesse's new masks?

xo
[*Although this product was provided for review purposes, all thoughts are and always will be 100% my own.]

Sleek 'Showstoppers' Palette

Happy Bank Holiday Monday, and I hope you've all had a lovely Easter weekend! Today I'm sharing another Limited Edition product released in celebration of Superdrug's 50th birthday; the Sleek Makeup 'Showstoppers' palette, which consists of twelve shades named after some of Sleek's most popular palettes. The inner packaging is the standard Sleek palette, matte black plastic, but the outer box has a beautiful pink feather design along with the '50 Years of Superdrug' label. Having not previously owned a Sleek palette, I was pretty excited to try this little beauty!

The twelve shades are presented in two rows of six, with the top row containing (left to right) Paraguaya, a pale matte peach, Sunset, a shimmery red-brown, Me, Myself & Eye, a frosted white, Bad Girl, a shimmery olive green, Noir, a shimmery gunmetal blue-grey, and Ultramattes V2, a matte black. The bottom row consists of (left to right) Oh So Special, a matte blue-toned grey, Bohemian, a matte peach-pink, Storm, a deep matte navy blue, Sparkle, a shimmery champagne shade, Au Natural, a deep matte purple with glitter, and Graphite, a deep brown with bronze shimmer. I can't help but think some of the shades are oddly named; Noir is French for black so to me it would have made sense for that to be the black shade, whilst Au Natural is in no way a natural-looking shade? That aside, these are twelve beautiful shades, all of which are very wearable with the possible exception of Bohemian.

The swatches below show the shades built up, which took little effort for most, and slightly more for the matte shades. As you can see, Paraguaya is almost invisible and is really the let-down shade of the palette to me. All the other shades are easy to build up with a relatively strong pigmentation. The only shades which showed any fall-out were Bad Girl, which is so buttery soft that I wasn't surprised, and Au Natural, which being a glitter shade, again I expected a little fall-out. I used the 'Showstoppers' palette to create the eye look below, blending Bad Girl and Graphite for a slightly smokey green eye. The shadows were easy to apply and blend, making them lovely to work with. I love green eyeshadow, so for me this is a very wearable daytime look; I find greens really bring out the hazel in my eyes. I paired it with a nude lip, Max Factor's Lipfinity lip colour in Essential Natural, which I'll be reviewing soon. [Products used: W7 Anti-Dull Skin Balancing Primer; W7 HD Foundation in 'Buff'; Soap & Glory Kick-Ass Concealer in 'Light'; NARS Blusher in 'Deep Throat'; Collection Sheer Loose Powder in 'Barely There'; MUA Pro Brow Kit; Max Factor Lipfinity in 'Essential Natural'; 'Bad Girl' & 'Graphite' from Sleek Showstoppers Palette; Santhilea Magnetic Lash Mascara] All in all, this is a lovely palette containing some good quality shadows in beautiful, wearable shades, and especially at Sleek's prices, I'd recommend picking it up if you're an eyeshadow wearer! Sleek's 'Showstoppers' Palette is available from Superdrug, priced at £7.99, but remember it's Limited Edition so if you like the look of it, I'd get a move on if you're planning to pick it up because when it's gone, it's gone.
Have you picked up any of the Limited Edition products released for Superdrug's birthday? What do you think of the 'Showstoppers' palette? You can see my post on Barry M's Limited Edition Nail Paint here!

xo

NOTD: Barry M LE 50 Years of Superdrug!

I knew as soon as I saw it that I was going to have to pick up the Limited Edition Nail Paint Barry M have released in celebration of Superdrug's 50th Birthday, which is now available in Superdrug stores. The polish is a super-bright, slightly metallic pink with a tonne of glitter in it - micro, small and medium hexes in both pink and white. It definitely brings Superdrug to mind, for me, and I absolutely love it!! It goes on quite sheer with the first coat, but two coats would be passable - I went with three as I wanted to really build up the depth of colour. You could also layer it over a pink polish in a similar shade. The photos below show three coats over a base coat of Nail Envy, with a layer of Jacava London's UV Filter top coat, which didn't smooth it off entirely but did add a lovely shine.
I love the way this looks on the nails - loud, bright and very summery, it's basically my ideal polish! I have to say, however, it is an absolute nightmare to remove, as you'd expect from a polish with that much glitter in. Barry M's Superdrug Birthday polish is priced at £2.99 for 10ml and is available from Superdrug.
What do you think? Will you be picking up this Limited Edition release from Barry M in collaboration with Superdrug?

xo

Tag: The 'Not Another Tag!' Tag

The lovely Hayley created this rather tongue-in-cheek tag which I thought was quite good fun; so, although I've not actually been tagged to answer the questions, I thought I would anyway - what a rebel! I hope you enjoy reading my answers, and if you've done the tag yourself please do let me know!!

The Rules

You must mention both Hayley & the person who tagged you in your post (and the rules too).

Once you've answered all your questions you need to tag 5 people.

Also if you tweet me the link to your post (@teapartybeauty) I will RT.

If you are tagged & don't do the post you will have bad luck for 68.5 years. FACT.

1. You've made it BIG & bagged some VIP Fashion Week tickets. You lucky devil, you. But in your rush to get there & get yourself noticed, you forgot your VIP Passes. The guy on the door says he will cut you a deal; you can go in only if you sacrifice either your Front Row seat, backstage privileges or goody bag. What's it gonna be?
I'd lose the backstage privileges - I wouldn't be that fussed at all as long as I had a good view of the actual shows, and I wouldn't want to lose the chance to get some lovely new bits and pieces to play with!
2. You're making a new Subscription box, what 4 items & which dreaded perfume sample would you include in it?
Ooh this is a fun one! Taking it seriously, I'd like to see a foundation actually suited to my skin tone - is that so much to ask!? I'd go for a blusher in a wearable shade, maybe a peachy coral for Spring? A pretty, neutral cream eyeshadow which would be perfect as a base for other shades... And a Tangle Teezer because I really want to try one! As for perfume - I'm really not too sure, maybe a Jimmy Choo scent as I do love those.
3. What's your biggest blogging bugbear? The one thing guaranteed to make your blood boil & have you screaming/eye rolling at your laptop?
Poor spelling and grammar; I honestly can't be bothered reading the same sentence three or four times trying to figure out what it's supposed to mean. I know not everyone can spell well but honestly, every computer has a spell/grammar checker!? They're not foolproof but some of the blogs I've seen have obviously never been anywhere near one.
4. No more joining in Twitter chats only slightly relevant to your blog. You can only join in one blogger chat a week for the rest of your blogging days, which one's it gonna be & why?
The only chat I ever actually (occasionally) take part in is the #bbloggers one on a Sunday (and Wednesday when I remember), so I guess I have to go with that!?
5. 'Fess up, do you actually own any MAC? If so what don't you like about the product?
I do. I have one lipstick, five eyeshadows, and one Mineralize Skinfinish. I do like them but think they're all way over-priced for what they are!
6. The Blogging Gods ban arm swatching, which body part will you swatch on now?
Ooh. Maybe my ribs. Just for fun.
7. You can no longer have Yankee Candles & Perfume Bottles in the background of your shots, what other inanimate object will you choose?
I don't use either as photo backgrounds! I actually just use some wallpaper samples, and occasionally my carpet/curtains. I really like flowers in photo backgrounds, though!
8. Your blog's Instagram - is it for cats or meal shots?
In my case it's actually dogs - and meal shots! Also sunrises/sunsets, and mega close-ups of my outfits/accessories/make-up. I'm such a cliché!

I'm tagging Kel, Laura, Amy, Jennie and Rachael! Your turn, ladies - you don't want 68 and a half years' bad luck, now, do you!?

xo

Review: Montagne Jeunesse Black Seaweed Peel Off Masque*

I was recently sent a couple of Montagne Jeunesse's new face masks to try out, one of which was their Black Seaweed Peel Off Masque with Laver Seaweed and Sea Buckthorn. I have to admit I was pretty keen to try this one out almost entirely because it's black; it definitely appealed to my inner goth!! This interest was compounded by the peel-off nature of the mask, as peel-offs are definitely my favourite kind of face mask; everyone knows they're the most satisfying! Montagne Jeunesse say, "Our chopped black Laver Seaweed (from the Welsh seaside) and crushed Sea Buckthorn berries are pressed together to make our black peel off mask. A seaside detox to cleanse deeply and peel off dirt and grease weekly. Ultra deep cleansing straight from the sea."
I followed the instructions on the sachet, cleansing my face before applying in an even layer, avoiding my eye areas. The mask is quite a thick, black gel-like liquid which kind of made me feel like I was rubbing tar onto my face; nonetheless, it spread quite easily and didn't sting at all as I applied it. As it dried, I could feel the mask growing tighter around my nose and mouth, which is always the sign of a good peel-off in my book! The mask did seem to 'run' slightly on my face, hence the drips you can see below. After about twenty minutes I began peeling off from these areas first, followed by the rest of the mask. As it lifted away from my skin, I could see it pulling gunk from my pores, and all the dead skin cells were visible on the "inside" of the mask - gross but satisfying to know it's doing its job so well! The mask peeled off really easily with the exception of a patch on either cheek where the dripping had made it slightly too thick, but another ten minutes drying time saw that peel off, too. I followed this up with a shower as I invariably get bits of peel-off stuck in my hair and eyebrows... Once I was done, my skin was left looking much brighter and feeling smoother and softer than previously; I also had noticeably fewer blocked pores, particularly on and around my nose. These results have lasted a good few days which makes this mask a winner for me!
Montagne Jeunesse's Black Seaweed Peel Off Masque is available directly from the Montagne Jeunesse website, priced at just £1 for a 10ml sachet, which I think makes it really good value and definitely puts it in the 'affordable weekly treat' category! I'd recommend this for those who need a good pore clear-out or are after a little bit of brightening; I'll definitely be repurchasing. Have you tried a black peel-off mask? How often do you use face masks? What's your favourite Montagne Jeunesse Mask?

xo
[*Please note this product was provided for review purposes; this does not affect my review, as always all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.]

Six Mini Reviews #4: The Body Shop, Bochéry, Viktor & Rolf & More

Once again, I've managed to amass a few samples which I've used up; I've actually had this little heap quite a while but for one reason or another, never quite got round to writing about them... Until now! This is actually quite an unusual selection in that I'd consider buying almost all of them in full size - in the past, these posts have been much more evenly split into yeses and nos! Anyway, here are six little samples I've used up recently, and my thoughts on them. Bochéry Nanoface Eye Cream* I was kindly sent a few sample sachets of Bochéry's Eye Cream along with the full-sized Cicatrizel I received to review; I have to admit that it's very hit and miss whether I remember to actually use eye cream but I did pretty well with this, remembering to use it most evenings. I really enjoyed using it, the cream had a gel-like texture which felt light and hydrating on the eye area. I found it worked quite well to reduce puffiness, but dark circles aren't really a problem for me so I can't comment on how effective it would be on those. At £35 for 30ml, this is a pricey product but one that I would consider buying in full-size in the future as I found it so pleasant to use.

B. Pure Micellar Water This travel-sized bottle was part of a gift-with-purchase I received from Superdrug a few weeks back now; I used the micellar water of an evening as a pre-cleanse, sweeping it over my face on a cotton pad to remove make-up before cleansing properly. I found it really effective in removing my make-up, including eye make-up, although it did struggle with my waterproof mascara. I really liked this product as a quick and easy way to remove make-up before cleansing and will definitely consider buying the full-sized product, which is £4.99 for 150ml (though it's currently on offer at £2.47, so now would be a good time to buy!)
The Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream I received this sample at the #TBSXmasBonanza event I attended back in December, but held off starting it until I'd finished the day cream I was using at the time. This tiny sample pot lasted me a good three weeks of daily use, which I think is really good going! The lovely, light texture felt really nice on my skin, leaving it soft, smooth and well-hydrated without being sticky or oily. Make-up applied beautifully over it, although I'm not sure whether I'd say it lived up to its mattifying claims or not. Nonetheless, it's a lovely moisturiser and I think I'll be getting the full-size, £10 for 50ml.
The Body Shop Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask Again, this sample came from the #TBSXmasBonanza event, and the little sample pot was good for two uses. The mask had quite a distinctive, though not unpleasant, scent, and felt pleasantly cooling on the skin. It hardened as it dried, and took a little bit of effort to remove, but left my skin feeling clearer, softer and smoother straight away. I'll definitely be investing in the full-sized version of this just as soon as I've cleared a few more face masks from my stash! 100ml of this will set you back £12.
L'Occitane Angelica Cleansing Gel This was a magazine sample quite some time ago now and I found it at the back of my cupboard with just enough left in for one face wash; I remember quite liking it when I was initially using it, it was effective for removing my make-up, smelt beautiful, and left my skin soft and clean. However, it contains SLS, so I wouldn't buy it again purely for that reason. The full-sized product is £16 for 200ml.
Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Eau de Parfum I already knew I loved this scent, so I tried to make this 1.5ml sample last as long as I could. I am honestly hopeless at describing scents, but apparently this consists of top notes of Osmanthus, Bergamot and Tea, heart notes of Jasmine, Orange Flower, Rose and Orchid, and base notes of Musk and Patchouli. Either way, it's a gorgeous perfume and one I really loved wearing, so hopefully one day I'll be able to treat myself to the expensive full size - starting at £48.50 for 30ml.
Do you use sample products? Have you tried any of these products? What were your thoughts? I'd love to know what samples you've tried recently!!

xo

FOTD: In The Light

It's been a while since I've shared a FOTD post just because, rather than as part of a review of a particular product, but recently I was inspired by a post by Kate over at Gh0stparties and decided to try out the look she'd created using Stila's In The Light palette, which I've had for a while now. I love the In The Light palette and think it's absolutely beautiful, but I've only really worn the shades individually; I've never experimented properly with combining the shades until now. Here, I've used 'Kitten' over the whole lid, 'Gilded Gold' in the crease, and 'Luster' in the outer corner of my eye and along my lower lashline. I also used the Smudge Stick which came with the In The Light palette, 'Damsel', along my waterline and to tightline my lashes before applying mascara. The shadow is all blended out to give a lovely smokey effect which isn't too dramatic for daytime wear; I actually really enjoyed wearing this look and will definitely be trying a few more combinations from my In The Light palette!
The rest of my face is really pretty standard; W7's lovely HD foundation buffed out over my Holy Grail primer from Pop Beauty, with Soap & Glory's Kick-Ass Concealer to cover dark circles and blemishes. I used MUA's Pro Brow Kit to fill in my brows, as usual, and kept my lips bare to allow all the focus to be on my eyes. I used two blushers, although I find that MUA's Mosaic Blusher in 'English Rose' is really more of a highlighter as it doesn't give much pigmentation but rather a lovely glow. 'Stereo Rose' is an old favourite and one I go back to time and time again for an effortless glow. Finally, my mascara is just the one I'm using at the moment, which I'm not especially in love with, but it does a reasonable job.

[Products Used: Pop Beauty Face Magnet Primer; W7 HD Foundation in 'Buff';

Soap & Glory Kick-Ass Concealer in 'Light'; Collection Loose Powder

in 'Barely There'; MUA Mosaic Blush in 'English Rose'; MAC Mineralize Skinfinish

in 'Stereo Rose'; 'Kitten', 'Gilded Gold' and 'Luster' from Stila In The Light
Palette; Stila Smudge Stick in 'Damsel'; Max Factor False Lash 
Effect Mascara in 'Black-Brown'; MUA Pro Brow Kit.]

Do you like this look? Do you keep on experimenting with your palettes, or do you find you fall into habits of using certain shades certain ways?

xo

Review: Sanctuary Spa Hand Cream

Shopping for stocking fillers for myself just before Christmas last year (one of the many pleasures of being an adult!), I picked up Sanctuary Spa's Hand Cream in Boots on something as a whim, as the ingredients list looked pretty eczema-friendly and I seem to recall it being a bit of a bargain at the time. As I've mentioned many times previously, I suffer quite badly with eczema on my hands and consequently get through an unholy volume of handcream! I've been using this little tube for a couple of weeks now and have been pretty impressed.
The description on the tube actually sums up the product quite well, making it sound appealing and luxurious: "A velvety cream enriched with shea butter and sweet almond oil, used during spa manicures to soften and care for hands." As handcream tubes go, this is quite a nice one; white plastic with an orange flip-cap, and the product information printed in dark grey. I find the tube practical as well as pretty, with the flip-cap making it easy to dispense product. The cream itself is a medium consistency, not too thick nor too runny, and spreads easily over the hands. It has quite a strong, spa-esque scent to it, which personally I'm not a lover of, but I know others really enjoy this type of scent, so don't let me put you off. The cream absorbs super-quickly without leaving behind any greasy or sticky feeling. As claimed, I find this product works quite well to soften my hands, although I have been using it in conjunction with Bochéry's Cicatrizel as my eczema has been particularly bad the past few weeks. If you have "normal" skin and are just after a bit of extra care, this will be ideal!
In all, Sanctuary Spa's Hand Cream is a lovely option for adding softening and moisturising the hands, with a spa-like scent and hydrating ingredients such as Shea Butter and Sweet Almond Oil. Sanctuary Spa Hand Cream is available from Boots, priced at £3 for 30ml of product.
Have you tried Sanctuary Spa's Hand Cream, or any of their other products? What do you think of typical 'spa' scents?

xo

NARS & Guy Bourdin 'Crime of Passion' Palette

I was incredibly lucky recently to win the beautiful Crime of Passion palette by NARS & Guy Bourdin, from the lovely Nuala at Dolled Up London - thank you so much Nuala! ♥
The collaboration between NARS and Guy Bourdin has been much-hyped amongst bloggers so I was absolutely thrilled to be able to get my hands on this palette. Described as an 'Eye, Cheek & Lip Palette', Crime of Passion contains three eyeshadows in the shades 'Jezebel', 'Naïade' and 'Pandora (II)'; a blusher in the shade 'Deep Throat'; a bronzer in 'Laguna'; and a Larger Than Life lipgloss in 'Deep Throat'. I actually already own the 'Deep Throat' blusher and it's one of my all-time favourites, so it's lovely to have this as a back-up.
The packaging is the typical black, rubberised finish of NARS products, with the name of the palette on the label underneath; the Guy Bourdin products are differentiated from the regular NARS range by the splash of red "lipstick" over the logo. Upon opening, the first layer contains the three pressed powder eyeshadows; these lift up to reveal the blusher and bronzer. Behind these is a mini-tube containing the lipgloss, whilst in the lid is a good sized mirror. All in all, the packaging is neat and compact, and would be ideal for travelling with. The rubbery packaging can get quite grubby, but I find it cleans up nicely with a baby wipe!
The three eyeshadow shades are very wearable; 'Jezebel' is a peachy-golden champagne shade with shimmer, whilst 'Naïade' is a red-toned brown with shimmer, and 'Pandora II' is a matte black. None of the shades are particularly unusual or special in and of themselves, but I'm hoping the formula will make up for this; high-quality basics are always good to have. I have to say, when I swatched them (below), I found that 'Pandora II' was quite chalky and lacking in pigmentation for a black shadow, so I'm hoping that it'll fare better on my lids with a proper application!
'Deep Throat' is a peach-pink blusher with a golden shimmer to it, which I find very flattering on my pale skin; it really wakens my face up and highlights beautifully. 'Laguna', meanwhile, is a mid-brown with a golden shimmer to it. I am not a bronzer wearer as I'm always scared that it'll look weird on my super-pale skin, but I have heard a lot of people say that they use 'Laguna' for contouring, so I'm looking forward to trying it out for that.
Finally, 'Deep Throat' lipgloss is, again, a peachy pink with golden shimmer which will be beautiful for summer and will look lovely paired with the matching blusher; in all, I think this palette is a great 'all-in-one' offering, giving you the products you need to create a look which ties together nicely. I'll be doing a full review of the palette once I've had a chance to have a proper play with it - I've just been looking at it since I received it, it's just so pretty!
What do you think of the Crime of Passion palette? Have you bought any of the NARS & Guy Bourdin collaboration products? Which has been your favourite of the products released? I really love the look of the 'One Night Stand' palette!

xo

Recipe: White Chocolate Brownies

Doing a spot of baking on Friday, I decided to try something a little different, on a suggestion my step-son made a few weeks back; White Chocolate Brownies. I basically followed the exact same recipe I use for regular brownies, but swapped out my dark chocolate for white chocolate!
Start by beating three medium eggs with 325g Caster sugar in a stand mixer; beat until they're thick, white and fluffy. Meanwhile, break 200g White chocolate into a glass bowl, and add 175g Butter, cubed. Melt this, either over a pan of simmering water, or in thirty-second bursts in the microwave, stirring in between.
Pour the melted chocolate and butter into the egg and sugar mixture, and continue to beat for a few seconds until combined. Turn the mixer speed down to low and add 140g Plain flour and ¼tsp Vanilla extract; beat until just combined. Pour the mixture into a baking tin lined with baking paper; my tin is around 30cm x 20cm. Place in the oven at 170°C for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown on top. Remove and allow to cool before slicing into squares.
These are actually really easy to make and worked so well; they taste amazing! They're quite gooey and fudgy in texture, which is exactly how I like my brownies. If you're a lover of white chocolate, I'd definitely recommend you give these a go, and I'd love to hear how you get on.
Have you tried adapting any chocolate recipes to use white chocolate? What would you like to try?

xo

Review: Neal's Yard Lip Gloss in 'Goji Berry'

This wee lipgloss tube was a freebie with Marie Claire last month (the April issue with Katy Perry on the cover, if you happen to see it still in the shops!) - I did intend to review it much sooner so that you'd be in with a chance of being able to pick it up if you liked the sound of it, but as per usual life didn't go quite as planned and I'm only just getting around to it - sorry!
Neal's Yard's description of this product makes it sound like the perfect mixture of lip care and colour all in one handy little tube: "Lipgloss with organic orange oil and antioxidant white tea, to moisturise, smooth and protect." With 94% organic ingredients, and a wealth of natural ingredients including Hemp Seed Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil and Evening Primrose Oil, this sounded like a really promising way to add a hint of colour and gloss to the lips, with the added benefits of moisturisation and protection!
The tube is pretty basic; a clear plastic, squeezy tube with a dark blue screw-cap and an angled applicator for easy use, the Neal's Yard logo and product information are printed in dark blue to match the cap. It's easy to squeeze the product from the tube, and it spreads easily across the lips. The first thing I noticed was the scent, a beautiful orange flavour which comes from the Orange Oil in the formula, which makes it really quite pleasant to use. The scent lingers on the lips and becomes a taste which I'm less keen on but it's not unpleasant per se. The shade I have, 'Goji Berry', is an orange-red with a slight shimmer in the tube and, indeed, when swatched on my hand. On the lips, however, it just appears as a lovely finish with no real colour added, making it perfect for a really natural look, but less so if you prefer to add some colour with your lipglosses. You could, of course, layer it over your lipstick of choice for the best of both worlds! My favourite thing about this lipgloss is how it makes my lips feel; smooth and moisturised, without being sticky in the slightest! I rarely wear lipgloss as I can't stand having sticky lips, but I've been reaching for this almost daily since getting hold of it, which says a lot for me. I don't find it lasts particularly well on the lips, around an hour or so, but I guess that's because all the lovely, moisturising ingredients are soaking into my lips and making them healthier - so I don't really mind reapplying.

[Ingredients: Ricinus communis (Castor) seed oil, Hydrogenated castor oil,

Cera alba (Beeswax), Copernicia cerifera (Carnauba) wax, Mica,

Citrus sinensis (Orange) peel oil expressed, Linum usitatissimum

(Linseed) seed oil, Cannabis sativa (Hemp) Seed oil, Tocopherol,

Camellia sinensis (White tea) leaf extract, Helianthus annuus (Sunflower)

seed oil, Persea gratissima (Avocado) oil, Cucurbita pepo (Pumpkin) seed oil,

Oenothera biennis (Evening primrose) oil, CI 77891 (Titanium dioxide),

CI 77491 (Iron oxides), Citral, Citronellol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool]

Neal's Yard Lip Gloss is available from Neal's Yard, priced at £9.50 for 15ml; it's quite expensive for a lipgloss, but then again it's cheaper than the likes of MAC's lipglasses and much better in terms of caring for your lips! The lipglosses are available in seven other shades so if 'Goji Berry' doesn't sound like quite your cup of tea, you should be able to find something to suit you!
Did you pick up this freebie? Have you tried any other Neal's Yard lipglosses? What do you think of 'Goji Berry'?

xo
[Please note that although this product was received as a freebie with a magazine, all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own!]

Joyful Dresses

The weather today suggests the north of England may have had what Spring it's going to get, but I'm ignoring the facts and looking at pretty Spring dresses with unrivalled optimism. Joy have some absolutely beautiful dresses at the moment which will be perfect once the weather finally gets its act together; until then, you'll find me looking at them longingly and daydreaming about picnics and butterflies and topping up my Vitamin D levels...
(Clockwise from top right):

Louche Syreta Dress, £50
Louche Chica Floral Dress, £25
Louche Ivette Blurred Floral Dress, £25
Lavish Alice Paisley Print Playsuit, £20
Louche Cathleen Peach Dress, £39
18AndEast Slash Dress, £30

The beautiful bright print of the Syreta dress would be perfect for a wedding outfit, this is definitely my favourite of these picks! I really like the asymmetrical hem of the Chica dress, with its pretty floral print. The graphic print of the Ivette is equally gorgeous, and I love the lace across the shoulders and in the back of the dress. The playsuit is, obviously, not strictly speaking a dress, but it would be perfect for casual Spring/Summer attire over a plain white top, with bare legs and tan sandals. The Cathleen dress is another favourite with its lovely peach colour; this would be so nice for picnics! Finally, the Slash Shoulder dress is a really nice mint colour and the cut-out detail around the neckline makes for quite an unusual look.

Which is your favourite of these dresses? What are you most looking forward to about Spring? Have you ever shopped at Joy?

xo

FOTD: Purple Haze

I was recently sent a selection of cosmetics from W7's range, one of which was the 'Purple Haze' Eyeshadow Palette; I'm actually a huge lover of purple eyeshadow so I was really pleased to see this amongst the goodies I received, and pretty excited to try it out! 'Purple Haze' is an eyeshadow quad consisting of four shimmery pressed powder eyeshadows in various shades of purple; also included is a double-ended sponge-tip applicator, which I rarely use but is nice to have in case of emergency I guess.

[Ingredients: Talc, Mica, Magnesium Stearate, Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Palmitate,
Polybutene, Synthetic Wax, Paraffinum Liquidum, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate,
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Tin Oxide,
Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate / Caprylic / Capric Triglyceride,
+/- CI 77019, CI 77891, CI 77499, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77007,
CI 77742, CI 75470, CI 77510, CI 77266, CI 15850:1, CI 16035]

The four shades, from left to right, include a light lavender with shimmer, a pale raspberry purple with shimmer, a deeper purple with shimmer, and a deeper plum shade with a slight blue shift. The palette contains complementary colours which makes it really easy to combine them for an all-in-one eyeshadow look; I used all four shades to create this look, starting with the third shade all over my lid, with the second shade on the inner corner. I then blended the fourth shade through my crease, and used the lightest shade to blend everything together nicely. I also ran my brush along my lower lashline to add a touch of colour there to bring the whole look together.
I experienced quite a bit of fall-out with these shadows, but did find them reasonably well-pigmented, as well as blending really easily. I didn't use a primer under the shadows and still found that they lasted really well without creasing, around 8 hours on my oily lids - pretty good going! My biggest complaint is actually really petty, and that's the fact that the word "palette" has been misspelt on the back of the packaging - I know, I know!! Other than that, I found the shades to complement my hazel eyes really nicely; I've enjoyed using this palette and can see it making regular appearances in my make-up routine.

[Other products used: Indeed Labs Nanoblur; W7 HD Foundation
in 'Buff'; Soap & Glory Kick-Ass Concealer in 'Light';

Collection Loose Powder in 'Barely There'; Nars Powder Blush in 'Douceur';

MUA Pro Brow Kit; Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara
in 'Black Brown'; Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in 'Honey']

In all, 'Purple Haze' is a really nice, wearable eyeshadow palette consisting of four shimmery purple shades which complement each other perfectly and blend together beautifully to give a pretty daytime wear look; they could also easily be built up a little more to create a more dramatic evening look. 'Purple Haze' is available from Xtras-Online priced at £2.99; an absolute bargain! What do you think to the shades in this palette? Would you wear them?

xo
[This product was provided for the purposes of an honest, unbiased review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.]