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Beauty

Bumble and Bumble Pret-a-Powder

2/27/2014

Since going for the chop last year I've been a big fan any product that falls into the 'texturising' category as now my shorter locks hold more volume I can get away with layering products and working a style to give it my oh so coveted 'bed head' look.

Pret-a-Powder* is one of Bumble and Bumble's newest launches and claims to be a dry shampoo, style extender and volumiser all in one. I know - excitement levels were high when I heard about this one. The product is basically a super fine powder that comes out of the (quite frankly adorable) bottle like a salt shaker - but don't worry, this has none of the sticky, gritty feel usually associated with hair powders. In fact it feels weightless and I've happily been dowsing it on root to tip. After a quick massage in it disappears, leaving hair thickened and boasting that second or third day workability with none of the dirt.

In terms of a dry shampoo, it may not be the best of the bunch, but it does the job of adding some freshness the first day after washing and massive bonus - leaves none of those tell-tell white marks that are determined to let everyone know you've skipped a day.

Although it may not pack as much punch as the Oribe or Charles Worthington sprays, this is fast becoming my new favourite texturiser to use on days when I'm going for a more laid back look and haven't quite had the energy (or time for that matter) to pick up a styling tool. One small tip though, make sure you're not wearing black when applying this as it gets everywhere - I'll be using it over the sink from now on!

* Gifted PR Sample

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Beauty

LFW AW14 Beauty Favourites

2/24/2014



Fashion Week may be heading over to Paris for it's last run of the season, but for me it's always the London shows that are most inspiring. While some may be drooling over the latest collections debuting on the runways though, I find myself more interested by the backstage beauty buzz and have picked out a few of my favourite looks from AW 14.

Colour rarely makes and appearance in my make up but the shocking blue hues at Temperley London have definitely caught my eye. Lisa Eldridge was the brains behind this graphic take on traditional winged liner and teamed the bold look with impossibly perfect skin, achieved with the help of the Sunday Riley Effortless Breathable Tinted Primer, a product I've been dreaming about for some time now which I may finally be sold on - although having the complexion of a supermodel always helps.

A more subtle take on blue was seen at Michael van der Ham, this time on both eyes and nails with a soft sweep of MAC's Clearwater Paint Pot across the lids and a 'disco ball' inspired half moon mani using two shades from the soon to hit shelves ORLY ColorBlast line which I've been desperate to try out myself - someone pass the silver nail polish!

My favourite hair look came from Mark Fast after seeing countless images of this untamed mermaid-meets-boho style popping up on my Instagram feed. The beach babe texture was achieved by prepping the hair with TIGI Catwalk Session Series Salt Spray - a product that's definitely now on my radar, and the mismatched braids thrown in at random were left loose and unsecured adding a touch of romance to this undone look.

Of course, I had to include Burberry - the masters of the lived in Smokey Eye who put a twist on their signature brown look by opting for the rich aubergine toned Sheer Eyeshadow in Mulberry. Layered softly in curved motions which were dubbed 'free spirited and effortless' by make up artist Wendy Rowe and with bed head hair to match it was one of my favourites of the shows.

Another Fashion Week, another handful of products and looks added to the 'to try' list - I've got a feeling I'll be digging out the purple shadows first. If only I had Cara Delevingne's brows to match..
Images via: becomegorgeous.com, Sunday Times Style,
klghairadvice.com & cosmopolitan.co.uk

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OASAP

This Week #55

2/16/2014





We kept things pretty low key this Valentine's and although gifts were exchanged and pizzas most certainly ordered on the night, we decided to save the real 'date' for Saturday. In the end we settled on a trip to Chichester, one of my favourite cities in the South of England; full of old architecture, great places to eat and quaint shops (which just so happen to include my closest Space NK).

Believe it or not no purchases were made in that particular beauty heaven but I did spend the majority of the day trying to track dow a Chanel Le Blanc Illuminating Base with no success. It's been a toss up between that and the Dior Glow Maximiser for a while now, but I think the allure of the Chanel packaging and the promise of a radiant glow with zero shimmer has just about swayed me. Let's hope this one won't be as hard to find as their cult Soleil Tan de Chanel which once took me nearly three months to get my hands on.

We opted for lunch at Bill's; Avocado, Spinach and Halloumi Salad for me with Pink Lemonade to match my new Oasap Coat* and a classic Burger for Darren, of course. We were far too full up for desert but decided to wander down the High Street to The Sweet Jar and satisfied our sugar cravings with Strawberry Bonbons instead.

I brought the EOS M with me on it's first official outing and actually managed to vlog some of the day, including a slightly disastrous couples baking attempt which you can find on my YouTube Channel.

I hope everyone's weekend was as wonderful as mine!
* Gifted PR Samples

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Beauty

Valentine's Pink

2/14/2014


Although it may be a bit of a love/hate Holiday, Valentine's Day is definitely one of my favourite times of the year. Relationship or not, it's a wonderful day to appreciate every loved one in your life whether that's an other half, friends and family or even just a box set of Ryan Gosling films. I may not be the biggest 'pink' fan - you'll barely see a scrap of it in my wardrobe, but in honour of the day of hearts and roses I've rounded up a handful of my favourite beauty products in this bright shade to share with you.

Revlon ColourBurst Matte Balm in Unapologetic: This has been my favourite of the three shades I purchased from the ColourBurst Matte Balm line and my absolute go to lip colour of the moment. For a bold shade it's just so easy to apply thanks to the crayon tip and has probably the longest lasting power of any lip product I own.

L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara: Absolutely my favourite mascara of the moment, the tapered brush imparts the perfect combination of volume and length with a formula that so far has boasted some impressive wear time on me.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Lovers Coral: A second lip offering from Revlon who seem to be on top form with new releases at the moment. Completely opposite to the Matte Balm in terms of pigmentation and finish, this lipstick gives a sheer wash of colour, adding a touch of pink and enough moisture to forego applying a lip balm beforehand.

MAC Paint Pot in Let's Skate: I actually swayed my Mum into buying this while we we're visiting the MAC store in Covent Garden. One of the few high end make up purchases she's ever made it was also her first from MAC - what a proud daughter! Of course I then had to have one myself. The pink base is packed with a light glitter that works to even out the lid and add a warm toned sparkle making it perfect to wear alone or tapped on top of other shadows for some extra dimension.

Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover: Probably the only nail polish remover I can ever see myself using again (except maybe when it comes to toes, FYI sticking your foot into this doesn't work so well). Not only does it make the tiresome process of taking off nail lacquer unbelievably quick and easy, the acetone free, sweet almond oil enriched formula is also great for keeping nail beds and cuticles nourished.

Topshop Nail Polish in Keepin' It Sweet: After shunning nail polish for the the last few months I've finally been getting back into colour - although a quick browse of any Topshop nail stand will do that to you. This Spring shade is definitely bordering on pastel but has a little bright kick to it that I love.

Bobbi Brown Blush in Pretty Pink: I'm definitely more of a coral blush fan which you should all know from my overuse of theBalm's Frat Boy Blush but now that we're just about through Winter and my skin is the palest you'll find it all year round I've been favouring a true pink hue instead. This shade from Bobbi Brown is exactly that and gives my cheeks that covetable 'just run around in the snow' flush.

Real Techniques Setting Brush: I've always favoured the Real Techniques Contour Brush from the Core Collection for buffing in my concealer, but after misplacing it during my make up application a few weeks ago I picked up the Setting Brush for the job instead. With a slightly smaller, flatter head I think I may actually prefer this for more precise work, especially as the tapered end fits in perfectly around the eye.

Charles Worthington Volume & Bounce Texturising Spray: Hailed as the 'Drugstore Dupe' for the Cult Oribe Dry Texturising Spray I decided to give this a whirl to see if it could possibly compare to one of my all time favourite hair products. Although the formulas are very different - the Charles Worthington being more hair spray like as opposed to Oribe's powdery feel, it actually adds a similar amount of volume and workability but with some extra hold keeping hair bigger for longer. Coming in at nearly a fifth of the prices as well this may just have just taken the edge over the original for the time being!


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Make Up. Beauty

Make Up Collection & Storage: Muji Drawer Tour

2/13/2014



A tour of my make up collection has definitely been a long time coming and since rounding off my Muji drawer count to a nice equal eight I've found keeping my ever growing pile of products in check to be a lot easier. Everything now has it's own place and no longer must I spend ten minutes rummaging around in the depths of my dressing table just to find a concealer. While I still have a few other places devoted to my less used make up items, ahem - try the entire nine drawer Ikea Alex, the Muji storage houses my most used and most reached for products and keeps them in order even despite my disorganised ways. Acrylic storage really is the one!

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