Yet Again.. I Forgot..

On my last day in America I had to pop into target for a few bits, lo and behold I found several products I had been on the hunt for forever!

I've known for a while that Sonia Kashuk did a range exclusive to Target, and since we don't have Target in the UK I decided to pick up the #11 smudge brush. I've been watching Tina from The Fancy Face using the L'Oreal Colour Truth Creme Eyeliner for a while now, it always looks so precise and I've never been able to locate it on any of my local L'Oreal displays. Certainly a 'must try' for me. I've also been watching Marlena over at Makeup Geek using Ardell Wispies for well over a year now and I've never located them in any of my local stores so I was keen to pick up a pair. And finally I picked up some waterproof Duo Lash Glue, which I much prefer to the standard glue. The tube is also smaller meaning direct application to the lash is a hell of a lot easier :)

xoxo

A Day In Taxachusettes

So when I'm trying to save a bit of money, where do I go shopping?

Only the state with one of the highest sales taxes in the United States! I do adore Boston though, I'd love to live there for a few years at some point. I'm so disappointed that I only got to spend one day there this summer and compared to last year I was quite good about my spending!

I took two quick trips to MAC and Sephora, I knew what I was going in for, got what I wanted and then left. That took some serious self control! Plus I had to be quick because my lovely, patient boyfriend was in the Apple Store waiting for me or waiting outside for me! We had lunch on the 52nd floor of the Prudential Center, it was so weird to think I was twice as high as that when I went to the top of the Empire State building! The Top Of The Hub is my favourite restaurant and the views certainly make for good table conversation. If you're ever in Boston you HAVE to eat there, Sunday brunch is my absolute favourite! It's so surreal to look out from that high while eating a casual lunch, plus the food is truly scrumptious!

In Sephora I got MUFE's HD Foundation in Shade 123. I decided to splurge a little bit and get this becuase it's so hard to come by in England (not to mention more expensive!!). I then popped up Newbury Street to MAC and bought Opulash in Bad, Bad Black and another Dazzle Lipstick in Win-Win. I adore Naughty You and really wanted to pick up another Dazzle. The opportunity presented itself when MAC were out of both Saint Germain and Creme d' Nude. I've used Opulash once and I've got to say.. It's pretty odd! It feels so weird when it's dried onto your lashes. Definitely worth a post to itself!

I've done a lot of little hauls lately, I think a spending ban is in order fairly soon!

xoxo

I Forgot..

So I bought these little beauties on my way out to the States at the start of August, I can't believe I haven't posted and swatched them until now! I absolutely adore them. I was going to buy Please Me and Hue originally but the MUA suggesteda coral lip for me. She suggested Vegas Volt, saying it was so popular people kept stealing the testers!

 Please Me; Vegas Volt

Vegas Volt

Please Me

What's your favourite coral?

xoxo

First Inglot Experience & Haul

As most of you may know, I spent last weekend in NYC. I had to take this opportunity to visit the only Inglot store in the US, there is one an hours train ride away from me in the Westfields Center in London, but I'm sure it would be twice as expensive...

I chose to have one of the makeup artists introduce me to the brand, their products and have my makeup applied and then spend the required $60 on products, similar to the way we spend £25 in MAC for a makeover and then it's redeemable against products you buy.

I made my appointment the night before on my way to seeing Avenue Q, I couldn't get in at 11am when they opened because there would only be one artist in the store, I was told. I thought fair enough and made a 12pm appointment. I woke up the next morning feeling horribly ill as we had had to change rooms in our hotel at 3am because a air conditioner upstairs had burst and our floor and walls were soaked.. another story entirely. I decided to ring up Inglot and change my appointment to later in the afternoon. The phone just rang and rang and rang.. then the answering machine told me it's memory was full. Great. I gave up and decided to just go in later and buy a few things and just ask if someone would mind showing me the products and what works well together.

I got there to find a woman having a heated discussion with the MUA at the counter asking to see the manager over a return that was being denied to her. The MUA told her the manager wasn't taking any calls just then. I got a bit nervous.. what kind of manager doesn't come out from the upstairs office to deal with a complaint? The woman proceeded to turn to me to tell me that "the customer service in here is ******* ****!". Ugh..

So finally the manager comes down.. I don't know what happened but I just got the feeling that the manager and the MUA were really inconvenienced by this woman. To me that's disappointing, whether the customer is actually right or actually wrong is irrelavant, you deal with it and explain to them why you can't do the return or whatever.

I asked if there was any possibility of having the appointment I missed as I had tried to call and no one answered. I think this MUA was having a bad day because she started giving me lip about how she had been there since 10am. She later admitted that the ringer on the phone was off, but she never apologised for her rudeness. I was told I could wait 10 minutes for the current appointment to finish, I actually waited 30 minutes becuase this chick didn't bother to tell the other MUA who was doing the makeup sessions that I was waiting. Is it really that hard a job?! Then the manager started telling me it was $65 plus tax and I was like.. hang on 5 seconds.. I've been told $40, $60 and now $65.. WHICH ONE IS IT?! She finally said it was actually $60 but I had to purchase the makeup before I sat down to have my makeup done.. she's the manager and she can't remember what the price is? Huh?! And I refused to buy the makeup first, I just said "I've never used Inglot and I'd like to figure out the products that suit me first thanks". So far I'm not impressed by the customer service at all.

The actual application was lovely, Sharice was really sweet and kept apologising for everyone else's behaviour. I loved the colours she chose and was really helpful when I went to choose my own colours to buy. Being an idiot I forgot to take a picture of what she did :( it was fairly similar to the FOTN I did for when I went to see Wicked. About half way through my doing my makeup the MUA that had originally served me came over and pulled Sharice aside whispering. Talk about rude. I just about heard something about that my 30 minutes was up. My makeup wasn't even finished. I was about to walk out and just say screw it, I don't want to try your makeup if you're going to treat me like I'm a pain in your ass! But Sharice turned to me and said, "They're saying I have to finish but I'm not done with your makeup so I'm not going to finish". I was pretty impressed by her, she seemed to genuinely care and want me to not get pushed around by her collegues.

So after all that, I purchased a 10 palette and a cream eyeliner. 

It sucks that you can't see the numbers of the shadows.. I also got the cream eyeliner in 89. I've got to go online or take it to a store to figure out the numbers though..

The colours have amazing payoff, they're pretty much almost on par with MAC. Not quite, but almost. They blend beautifully and aren't chalky. Swatches to come soon!

Sorry for the rant. Their treatment of their customers had really been bothering me.

Do you have a favourite Inglot product?

xoxo

Hey, Hey, Hey Mr. Postman

On Saturday the postman bought me a present :) my first ever Models Own goodies! I have to say I'm really impressed with the deals Models Own offer onlline. Since it was my first purchase I recieved a nail file and finisher free of charge, they do savings deals for buying 3 and 5 nail polishes at a time AND postage is free! Plus I am so impressed with the quality of the presentation, packaging and products :)

So here's the ultra-cute packaging my delivery note was in a little black envelope, that and the purple tissue paper are those extra little touches that make you smile :D

And here are my little presents to myself!

My free Nail File and Finisher

 Lemon Meringue, Lilac Dream, Orange Sherbert, Top Turquoise and Bluebelle

Being me I forgot to take pictures out of the bubble wrap! But I'll be painting my nails over the next few weeks with these and trying them out, I've used one so far, so I'll post my swatch pictures asap :) The Nail File and Finisher works like a dream though!

xoxo

Makeup For Dry Skin

Recently I went though a phase of having extremely dry and flaky skin (hence my lack of FOTDs) and these products absolutely saved my life! Granted I felt a touch over moisturized for about 10 minutes but I'll put up with 10 minutes to look great the rest of the day! FYI: The foundation and concealer are in paler shades than I'm wearing at the moment because I get drier skin the paler I am.

So the first product I'm using is MAC Studio Sculpt SPF 15 Foundation in NW15 (choose the right shade for you though!).

This foundation is completely buildable, so it's great for summer and winter. It doesn't sit in dry patches and stays put all day because of it's gel base. I use a 189 or a 190 brush to apply it. And even better for summer it's water resistant!

The name says it all, my concealer of choice for dry skin is Select Moisturecover again in NW15 (again choose your own shade!).

I only use this when I need it (ususally under my eyes). I love this concealer so much because it gives really great coverage without feeling heavy. I use it no matter what's going on with my skin when I'm using both my Studio Fix or my Studio Sculpt foundations.

Studio Sculpt Foundation

straight out of the tube (with flash)

Studio Sculpt Foundation

blended with a 190 brush (without flash)

Sorry for the with/without flash, only way I could get the foundation to photograph true to colour. There isn't as much colour difference as appears in the photos, my skin is washed out in the first one.

Select Moisturecover Concealer

applied with applicator from tube (with flash)

Select Moisturecover Concealer

blended with a 194 brush (with flash)

 Again sorry for the not so great pictures, it's hard to capture a foundation and concealer that blend in so well!

When you have severely dry skin it's always better to creme blush and highlighter products and not powder. Powder will sink straight into the dryness, but creme products will keep the moisture you're working so hard to keep in your skin there.

I love MAC Blushcreme in Ladyblush and MAC Creme Colour Base in Hush. I like these because again, they're buildable, so you can have as much or as little colour as you like.

Mac Blushcreme in Ladyblush

 MAC Creme Colour Base in Hush

 MAC Creme Colour Base in Hush (left) and

MAC Blushcreme in Lady Blush (right)

both swatched with a single 'swipe'

 MAC Creme Colour Base in Hush and

MAC Blushcreme in Lady Blush

blended with a 187 brush

This combination of products on my skin made such a difference to my skin's appearance, even though it was very dry, it still looked plush and healthy.

xoxo

LUSH Haul - Great Deals and Haircare

I ummed and ahhhed over this deal for a few days before taking the plunge, but I figured it would be a great thing to feature on here and after some research I'm guessing there's about £15 worth of products in a box for £10. So I say DEAL! Naturally putting Lora in LUSH means samples, so I decided to get some hair products after being told by the sales assistant serving me that the haircare range is as good as if not better than the skincare range.

 So you get this cute little box for £10...

And you open it to find a cute beachy postcard

with the product descriptions on the back...

And under the postcard are your 6 products,

all full size except for the creams.

 First up: Buffy

LUSH say:

"Exfoliating scrub for your seating area. Use Buffy on wet skin, in the bath or the shower, to make you softer and smooth to the touch. Buff yourself all over, paying special attention to your backside if you would like special attention to be paid to it in future; rinse off the ground up exfoliating bits of rice, almonds and beans and pat yourself dry. There's no need for body lotion after a Buffy, because the cocoa and shea butters in it moisturise your skin beautifully. There's something about exfoliating your body that makes you feel bright and bouncy, as well as smooth all over. Slay that cellulite."

I've used Benefit's Sugar Scrub (I can't remember it's real name for the life of me!) before so I'm excited to see how this compares.

 Next up: Glorious Mud

LUSH say:

"Rub our dynamic, fizzy cube of rhassoul mud all over your body to cover and cleanse. The aloe vera extract is soothing, and the mix of sesame and vanilla will moisturise. Mask your whole body for smooth, soft skin that smells just like the delectable Crème Anglaise body lotion."

This was featured on the front of the Spring 2010 LUSH Times, so I've been wanting to give this a try for a while.

 Here we have: Stepping Stone

LUSH say:

"Everyone needs a Stepping Stone after an arduous day with your foot to the pedal. The green foot has the zesty You’ve Been Mangoed fragrance and punishing pumice to scrub away the rigours of life. Jojoba oil will moisturise dry skin without leaving them greasy and sea salt will treat them to plentiful minerals. Put your feet up and save your soles."

 

I'm going to need this over the next few weeks as my marathon training intensifies!!

 

 Not quite sure about: A Token To The Forest Gods

LUSH say:

"Our tokens to the forest deities are green, fizzing toner tabs with uplifting grapefruit, sweet orange and neroli oils. Drop into a bowl of hot water and enjoy the sharp, citrusy blast of oils. Your face will be toned, refreshed and a little closer to the divine."

 

Maybe you use these like a steamer? Hot water and a towel over your head? I'm not sure, but I guess now is a good time to try!

 

And last but not least: Ultralight and Fair Trade Foot Lotion

LUSH say: 

"Protective moisturizer to look after all skin types. Ultralight gives you a two-in-one: a moisturiser with sun protection. It has all the antioxidant rich seaweed, aloe, St. John's wort and myrrh we can cram into it to prevent free radicals ageing your skin before it's ready. The ingredients with the long names are synthetic sunscreens. Use it whenever the sun shines. SPF 10 low."

and

"Minty revitalisation for feet with fairly traded cocoa butter. Pink and perky, one mightily minty cream for your feet, which also helps to ease the abuse they get when trapped in shoes all day. We use both spearmint and peppermint essential oils to relieve aches and cool hot feet again. Arnica and marigold herbs take away the weariness and get your feet ready to wear your highest heels or to be seen naked and proud of it."

I'm always up for trying products (especially foundation and moisturizer) with SPF so I'll give Ultralight a good shot on the sunnier days, and I'll be pairing the Fair Trade Foot Lotion with the Stepping Stone scrub.

I also picked up some haircare samples:

American Cream, Veganese, Rehab Shampoo, Big Shampoo and Cynthia Sylvia Stout

I figured since I've been using my curren shampoo since the start of last summer I should make a change, hopefully for the better! I'll be letting you all know how I get on.

I just bought the full sized pot of Celestial as my sample pot convinced me, but since I'm still getting the occasional dry patch I'm still on a hunt for my super-dry-fixer moisturiser so I picked up a sample of Imperialis.

I think my skin just likes being awkward, so I'm just going to keep sample testing until I find my solution!

That's all for now! Hope everyone's week is going well!

xoxo

p.s. I won a virtual £1,000,000 tonight playing along with The Million Pound Drop on Channel 4! Check out the top name on here:

Just a tad amusing huh? :)

MAC To The Beach Haul

I love this collection, I had to wait until I got paid to get some bits and bobs but now here they are!

Life's A Breeze Lip Pencil

(Sorrry for the blurry picture, my camera was being stupid)

I really love this lip pencil. It's the perfect colour to compliment so many pink lipsticks. It looks really good with Viva Glam Gaga, Creme Cup and Lazy Day.

 Easy Lounger Lipglass

This is a really good way to spice up a pink lipstick, without having to buy a different shade of gloss for each one. It's sheer enough to suit all light pinks, but gives the perfect amount of shine and shimmer for use in the day and at night.

Lazy Day Lustre Lipstick

This is another really gorgeous pink from MAC's lipstick collection. It's more of a subtle pink thank most, but I like that. Perfect for work!

Life's A Breeze - Lazy Day - Easy Lounger

 Sweet & Punchy and Humid Eyeshadows

 Humid - Sweet & Punchy

I really want to go back and get the other eyeshadows, they're all really pretty. I have Shimmermoss already, so I won't be buying that one, but I really want the other two. I just got these two today, and I really wanted Float On By Eye Kohl to go with them, but I need to budget still!

LUSH and drugstore hauls later!

xoxo

I Am Officially A Hopeless Addict!

After my post yesterday Ritalime commented that she really wanted to try some LUSH products, since they won't ship to where she lives. I emailed her and arranged to go get her some samples of the products she wanted to try. Since I was going into the shopping center anyway today I decided to pop into LUSH and pick up her samples. Naturally, being me, I had to pick up some more samples for myself too! I know I'm awful, but when a pot of moisturiser is like £25 I need to try A LOT before I buy.

Rita asked me to pick up samples of Fresh Farmacy antiseptic cleansing soap and Vanishing Cream moisturiser. Once she's recieved the products and used them, I'll see if she can do a little review for me so I can let you guys know how she gets on.

(I'm not going to open this, to show you what it looks like, for hygiene reasons because it's not for me)

I decided on getting Skin's Shangri La moisturiser and Oatifix fresh face mask samples, I want to work my way around the skincare range and find a few products I really, really like. I bought the Happy Blooming bath melt, I've been wanting it for aaaagggeeessss since I tried the You've Been Mangoed bath melt, so I can't wait to sit back in a bath with this and a face mask :)

I always make sure I but something (and it's something I want!) when I get samples, I'm not cheating them out of their products, I'm just trying to find the right products becuase my skin is in such a state.

Well I've go to go try to get those lip swatches done!

xoxo