FOTD 1

 

Face

Benefit Porefessional

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Clinique Moisture Surge 02

Revlon Photoready Concealer 002

Clinique Line Smoothing Concealer 03

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder 001

Cheeks

 Benefit Dallas Blusher 

 Eyes 

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Bootycall

Clinique Lash Building Primer

Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara

L'Oreal Super Liner Perfect Slim

Urban Decay Brow Box in Brown Sugar

Lips

Carmex

MAC Lipstick Vegas Volt

  Kate x

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(End of) June Wishlist

So here is my current wishlist. It's coming close to pay day and I've got an itch to go out spending.

1. Nars Deep Throat Blusher - I've read good things about NARS and their blushers. Currently I don't own any of their products, but I would like to put a stop to it and after reading reviews I like the sound of Deep Throat, although I do quite like the look of Dolce Vita and Douceur also. 

2. iPhone 4S White - It's nearly upgrade time and I'm ready to ditch my tired Blackberry and venture out into the world of touchscreen (which admittedly scares me a little).

3. MAC Lipstick in Capricious or Costa Chic - I recently purchased another MAC Lipstick and the scent is just so lovely, I can't get enough of it. One of these two lipsticks will be purchased next.

4. Caudalie Beauty Elixir - Let's face it, everyone is raving about it. I'm curious to see how it fares to all the hype and whether it will help my skin at all, as I keep getting minor breakouts which is seriously annoying me and this seems to have ingredients to calm down the skin.

5. Benefit Plush Lipglosses - New to Benefit, these lip glosses all correspond with one of the blush boxes that they sell. I am definitely going to get at least one, so far I'm eyeing up Coralista and Dallas (I own both blushers) but the Dandelion one is really nice as well. I believe they're £13.50 each. 

Kate x

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Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat Foundation Free Sample

Hello!

Just a quick post really to let you all know about an offer I have just found out about on Facebook (for all I know I may be the last person to know about it) for the YSL Touche Éclat Foundation which is due to launch on the 9th July. 

If you go onto their Facebook page (click here), you will be able to claim a voucher which you can then print out and take to your nearest YSL counter and claim a 5ml ('7 day trial') sample of the foundation before it rolls out across the nation (subject to availability). 

Has anybody claimed this yet? What were your thoughts?

Kate x

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NOTD: Kiko Nail Laquer 385

On my recent trip to Berlin, I popped to one of the large shopping centres and into Kiko which is an Italian make up brand that has now come to both Westfields in London. 

In Berlin there was an offer on of every nail varnish for €2.50 but I believe the offer has been on here as well as nail polish for £2.50. I took advantage of this offer and bought 4. I will do a collective post on them but I thought I would also show you what I am currently sporting on my nails.

This is shade 385 which is a beautiful cobalt blue colour. Kiko Nail Laquer is generally good quality for a low price, and they last quite well too.

 

They have an extensive range of colours, and I believe they have also branched out to crackle nail polish as well as magnetic. 

Kiko Cosmetics has make up and skincare products and you can find stores like I said in both Westfield White City and Westfield Stratford.

Have you tried any Kiko products?

Kate x

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Thalgo Deep Cleansing Absorbent Mask

Over the past couple of years my skin has gone from oily, to combination/dry and right back to oily again and now that it's back I can't say I'm overly thrilled about it and by the end of the day I feel like I have an oil slick on my face, the other disadvantage to this is that I've been having more regular outbreaks so to stem this I have been trying to get into a regular routine of using facial masks and the Thalgo Deep Cleansing Absorbent Mask* is aimed at combination/oily skin.

Thalgo is a French marine health and beauty brand founded in 1964 and uses various species of marine algae in their products. This mask is "rich in natural clay which absorbs excess sebum, Deep-Cleansing Absorbent Mask gently but effectively lifts away impurities, leaving a matte, healthy and radiant complexion." (taken from their website)

On application this mask has a tingling sensation and is a pale green in colour. It is very creamy in consistency, and is lighter to put on than some other clay masks - others can feel very thick and heavy on application. It is recommended to leave on for 15-20 minutes before washing off and it dries to a fairly transparent film. During this time I didn't feel my face going rigid nor did I feel like my facial expressions were paralysed (as though I'd had botox).

After rinsing the face mask off my skin felt very soft and didn't feel tight in the slightest. Like most face masks it doesn't rinse off as easily as say soap.

I will say my skin still is oily the following day of using the mask but I don't feel quite as oil slickish as I usually do and my skin does feel softer. 

This product is available here and here and is £24.80 for 50ml.

Kate x

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*It is important to mention that this is a PR sample sent to me for consideration. This is a 100% honest review of the product.

Review: Urban Decay Naked vs Naked 2

Last year for my 22nd birthday, I treated myself to the Urban Decay Naked palette and since then have used it almost religiously, this year I asked for the Naked 2 palette for my 23rd birthday and receive it I did. 

Funnily enough, it was through googling Naked reviews that I stumbled across many of the blogs I read today and have continued to read for the past couple of years. 

So, instead of giving you a review of the two palettes seperately, I thought I would give a comparison for someone who, say, only has the budget to buy one but can't decide.

So first the original, this palette comes in a felt like case with gold embossed letters, I apologise now for the state that mine looks in, given that I've had it a year, a certain amount of wear and tear has occurred with taking it on holiday and just through regular use. This palette came with a miniature Primer Potion which I would highly recommend as a side purchase as my eyeshadow has never creased when using it which I am highly impressed with.

L-R Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Halfbaked, Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

I'm not going to bother with swatches simply because there are hundreds upon hundreds of them floating around the blogging community. You can probably see that the colours on the left of the palette have had the most use. My favourites being Sin and Naked. My least favourite probably being Dark Horse (5th from the right incase the names aren't that clear on this photo). This palette includes a lovely eyeshadow brush which applies the shadows fantastically. Some of the colours (Sidecar I'm looking at you) has some glitter fall out, so be careful when applying that you don't end up looking like a vampire from Twilight.

The Naked 2 palette has a completely different appearance. This is more of a tin, and looks more robust and like it would be able last a few more rounds kicking around in my bag.

The palette this time comes with a miniature lipgloss (Lipjunkie lipgloss in Naked) and a double ended brush, which I believe to be exclusive to this palette.

T-B Foxy, Halfbaked, Bootycall, Chopper, Tease, Snakebite, Suspect

T-B Blackout, Busted, YDK, Verve, Pistol

In my opinion, there is a wider range of shades in Naked 2 and that this palette seems more fitting to the name 'Naked' given that my interpretation of that is for more natural colours. Admittedly Naked is advertised as having 12 bronze and cocoa neutral shades but many of them are so dark, I think many of them are more appropriate for a night out smokey eye as opposed to daywear which is one of the reasons I stick to the lighter colours.  Naked 2 is described as having 12 taupe and griege neutrals.

Now don't get me wrong, I still love the Naked palette but given that I'm comparing the two, unfortunately, the Naked 2 palette wins with me purely because it has more shades that I'm likely to wear on a day to day basis and that I could build up for a night time look, the packaging is more robust and the brush is double ended.

I will still continue to use both - don't worry the Naked won't get pushed aside but if I could only choose one, or only had the money for one it would be the Naked 2 that I would purchase and recommend others to purchase.

Both palettes retail for £36 (it sounds a lot I know but given it's for 12 full size eyeshadows it works out at good value for money) and are available online via House of Fraser or Debenhams and in store. I would recommend keeping an eye out for one of Debenhams' many events when cosmetics usually have 10% off.

Do you own either of the palettes? What are your thoughts?

Kate x

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June Glossybox

This months Glossybox arrived on Tuesday to my work, and I was rather excited to open it. I will admit that on first opening I was impressed, then when I thought about it I was a little disappointed, but now after sleeping on it I'm not as disappointed as I was.

It didn't help that I received another beauty box the day before and was really impressed with it, so I think it was just a case of being a tough act to follow perhaps. 

This is what I received:

Now I'm very keen to try the Vichy foundation, the Yves Rocher Mascara, and bronzer but I was quite disappointed with the perfume as it gave me headaches and I have read others say that they've received them as a free sample with other purchases before. It may be a case of me needing to change my preferences on my profile on Glossybox to opt out of receiving fragrances - I can't remember off the top of my head if it is a preference on the profile. The fifth product was a Glossybox branded brush, which while practical to apply the bronzer I think I felt a bit cheated by it being Glossybox own brand. We received a Glossybox mirror with the birthday box as an extra which was lovely. I will give the brush a go though and see how I get on!

I had actually done a 3 month one off payment subscription, and now I'm left with deciding whether I want to continue. I think I might go for a monthly subscription and see how next month fares.

Please don't interpret this as me slating Glossybox, I'm aware of various things that have been said this month, but the theory behind it is to make you aware of new brands you previously didn't know and they have achieved that with me.

What were your thoughts on this months box?

Kate x

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June She Said Beauty Box

After receiving the Glossybox (reviews here and here) for a couple of months, I've decided to branch out and try other beauty boxes, and one that I've signed up to is the She Said Beauty box! 

The box was delivered to my work while I was on holiday, so coming in on a Monday morning to a nice package has made the transition back to work a little bit easier. 

On first the glance, the box has a very familiar colour - think high end jewellery and Audrey Hepburn. The box opens and closes with a magnetic fastening which is nice and stops me losing lids.

Inside I was very impressed with what I received:

 

Elemis Tranquil Touch Indulgent Bath Elixir
Mischa Barton Whipped Shea Body Butter: Lemon Zest
Let's Go Lashes in Temptress 2

Yardley London Royal Diamond Eau de Toilette

This fragrance is to celebrate the Queens Diamond Jubilee which I like the idea of. The scent is self is very light, and not overbearing in the slightest. I may see how this fragrance goes and perhaps invest in a bottle - it is reasonably priced at £9.99 for 50ml, however it is on special offer at the moment at £7.49/50ml but I don't know how long that special price is lasting. 

St. Tropez Self Tan Perfect Legs
If I'm honest, this is quite possibly the product I'm most impressed with of all the things in the box, it is full size and obviously St Tropez is a very well known brand, though I didn't know it existed. I shall definitely be using this when the weather is nice enough for me to get my legs out!

and there was even a bonus product inside - Ginvera Green Tea Nude Cover BB Cream

My only criticism of this box is that the material they used inside for the padding has shed quite a bit and stuck to a lot of the plastic bottles, and has even dried out the glue on the box meaning that it is beginning to come away from the sides, but that is purely aesthetic and hasn't affected the products in the slightest.

She Said Beauty Box is available for monthly subscription of £9 plus p+p but other subscription options are available. If you follow them on Twitter they will quite possibly message you with discount codes.

Has anybody else received this box? What were your thoughts?

Kate x

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Revlon Lip Butters in Berry Smoothie & Peach Parfait

Hello!

So this product is pretty much old news by now too, but regardless I shall be writing about them: Revlon Lipbutters.

According to the Revlon website, the Lipbutters contain mango, shea and coconut butter for their moisturising properties and they come in 20 shades, though that may be in the US as I don't recall seeing 20 different shades in my local Superdrug/Boots, but then again I don't live in a city.

Funnily enough, back in April I had heard of the Lipbutters but wasn't in a position to go out and buy any, then my Aunty came to stay while I was out of it after having my wisdom teeth removed and she had one - she's ahead of me with what's hot!

She had it in Berry Smoothie which is a very nice pink, so I decided to give that one a go as I'm not a big fan (anymore) of paler pink shades, as well as Peach Parfait, which is a nice peachy gold (well it's in the name).

Berry Smoothie is a nice pink colour that isn't too pale.

Peach Parfait is a peachy colour with a golden shimmer.

Both have a shimmer to them, they are more sheer than a regular lipstick (but you can build the colour up) and given that they are lip butters they are also quite moisturising - I found myself using one when I couldn't find my lipbalm earlier which isn't something I'd do with a lipstick. I also don't worry about using them when my lips are dry, lipsticks often highlight dry or chapped lips whereas I haven't found that these do.

What are your thoughts on these Lipbutters? What colours do you own?

Kate x
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Berlin Trip June 2012

Hello!

I hope everybody is well!

So, I am back from my little holiday and very sad about this fact. I had such a wonderful time with my boyfriend and friends that I really didn't want to come back. 

My friends actually surprised me at the airport arrivals gate, I had no idea - one of them had even flown in from France to surprise me for my birthday! 

We saw the majority of the sights and did so much walking that my legs still feel like they are going to drop off - thank god I work in an office and minimal walking is required. Hopefully the walking counteracts all the bad food I ate while I was out there!

Berlin is a city that captured my heart back in 2007, but then my love affair with the city truly started in September 2009 when I moved there. I lived there until July 2010 and studied at one of the Universities, I like to go back when possible to see friends and also because I miss the city, going back to living in a town after living in a Capital is incredibly difficult.

Here are some photos of my trip, I tried to take some of me too but my hay fever flared up and the result was me looking somewhat like Rudolf (very unattractive):

East Side Gallery

Reichstag

Memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe

Fernsehturm / TV Tower

Olympia Stadion / Olympic Stadium

Kate x

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Holiday Anticipation

Hello!

So, tomorrow I am off on holiday for five days with my boyfriend! We are off to Berlin which is where  I lived for a year as part of my degree and I couldn't be more excited to go back! To top it off, tomorrow is also my 23rd birthday! 

I saw my 21st birthday come in, in Berlin so I'm thinking that perhaps every other birthday should be celebrated there !

I don't have any posts scheduled unfortunately while I'm away, but hopefully there will be much to post about when I'm back! 

Have a lovely week/weekend!

Kate x

Herman the German Friendship Cake

Hello!

So today’s post is a little different. I’m writing about the German Sourdough Cake called Herman, I think recently this has become a big thing. I’d seen people referring to their cake as Herman on Facebook and wondered: “Why the hell are people naming their cake?!”. All was revealed to me a couple of weeks ago when my colleague presented me with a Tupperware of cake batter and instructions to take care of him over a period of ten days.

It is a food equivalent of a chain letter effectively, but a very yummy chain letter at that.

 Herman is ‘fed’ so much that by the penultimate day you split the batter into 4 equal shares, give three to friends for them to start the 10 day cycle all over again and then you bake your share the following day, usually with fruit (I’ve tried it with apple and with blueberries and colleagues of mine have tried pineapple and raspberries too).

It’s time consuming but it’s quite a nice thing to do, as it is a sourdough cake, there is a smell to the batter as it ferments – a bit like a beer smell which isn’t too overwhelming (or to myself at least)

These are the instructions that you’ll be given together with a little pot of batter:

• 1 cup sugar
• Half teaspoon salt
• 2 cups plain flour
• Two thirds of a cup cooking oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
• 2 cooking apples cut into chunks (or other fruit if preferred)
• 1 cup raisins (optional)
• 2 heaped teaspoons cinnamon (optional)
• 2 heaped teaspoons baking powder

The end result is a pretty large cake which is also good to share. If you ever get given Herman I would recommend doing it, the only difficulty I found was finding people to give it to, and I’ve ended up doing two cycles.

If you don’t want to wait to be given a Herman, you can start one from scratch and you can find the instructions here (Page 2).

Unfortunately I don't have a photo of my cakes, but I can assure you they were delicious. I also discovered this weekend that they can come under another name, my boyfriends parents were given one called 'Oscar' on Sunday, but looking at the instructions, it looks as though they've renamed it each time it has been passed on (judging by the scribbled out names on the instructions)

Have you been given Herman before?

Kate x

What's in my bag?

Hello!

I often enjoy reading other bloggers posts on what's currently in their bag, so I thought I'd follow suit and give it a go!

I am a bit of a bag whore but currently I'm using my Mulberry Bayswater bag which I absolutely love. (I really want an Alexa at some point too, I can dream).

Purse

Obviously one of my bag essentials is my purse. If I'm just going to work I could get away with not having it as I work on a rented barn on a farm, so I'm unlikely to pop out into town on my lunch time. I love this purse, I got it in a Topshop sale last Summer but unfortunately I managed to get doughnut grease on it last weekend, so I'm currently on a mission to get said grease out.

Kindle

I don't actually use my Kindle as much as I should, but I love it nonetheless, it comes in handy for train rides and my upcoming holiday to Berlin so I can read on the flight and as I don't have direct flights I can read while I wait for the second flight. 

Lipstick

I usually keep a couple of lipsticks in my bag at all times. At the moment I have these, which I'll admit is a little excessive:

L-R Chanel Rouge Coco in Mademoiselle, Rimmel Moisture Renew in Nude Delight,
Revlon Lipbutter in Peach Parfait and Berry Smoothie.

 

(As you can see there are a couple of Revlon Lipbutters there, review to come)

Compact mirror

It's quite scratched up now, but it was a present from a friend for a birthday one year and I think it's very cute.

Diary

I am a big fan of Moleskine, especially their diaries and I try and keep this on me as much as possible.

Umbrella & Sunglasses

I never know what I need at the moment so I've just got both in there just in case!

Handcream and Lipbalm

I got this handcream in April's Glossybox and I'm coming to the end of it now which I'm rather sad about, it is fantastic stuff. Once I've finished all other hand creams lurking around I'll probably start buying that one exclusively.

 

So that's what's in my bag at the moment! What's in yours? I'd love to see!

Kate x

L'Oreal Super Liner Perfect Slim

Hello!

After hearing many good things of L'oreal's liquid and gel liner range I decided to purchase their Super Liner Perfect Slim pen, the Gel Intenza does look lovely, but I'm still going strong with Maybelline's gel eyeliner so I think I'll wait until that's finished before I purchase another gel liner.

Despite loving eyeliner, I've always struggled a little to try and get a nice thin line, and I end up having fairly thick eyeliner usually because I make a mistake and have to even it out, but with this eyeliner I can get such a thin line, it's quite amazing really. 

Draws on like a pen almost.

I will admit the first couple of times I wore this, it did run a little by the end of the day, but I haven't noticed it particularly since, but then again, the weather has taken a turn for the worse....

Aside from that I am very pleased with this, eyeliner simply because of the thin lines I can get and it has brilliant precision. The pen itself has a grip which is good when using, as I can hold it a bit better when applying.

Have you tried this eyeliner? What were your thoughts?

Kate x

Osmo Berber Oil Hair Treatment with Argan Oil

In this months Glossybox I received a 10ml bottle of Osmo Berber Oil Hair Treatment with Argan Oil which is one of my favourites from this months box. I was quite worried before using it that I would put too much on and end up with greasy looking hair. I also expected the oil to be quite thin and runny, more like water.

On using this product I discovered I was quite wrong - the oil was thicker than I expected which makes it more manageable to use. The oil is actually a reddish colour (I expected it to be clear) and has a lovely strawberry scent to it. 

I've noticed my hair to be softer when using it, and I have also noticed that my hair dried quicker when I used it also (with a hair dryer, I rarely let my hair dry naturally).

A 10ml bottle is £5.70 and a 100ml bottle is £22 which is a bit more than what I usually pay for a hair product (I usually spend no more than about £10 on a hair product) but I think if I have the money I would definitely purchase this.

Did anybody else get this in their Glossybox this month?

Ciaté Bon Bon Nail Polish

Hello!

This weekend I picked up Marie Claire's July Edition which comes with 3 different shades of Ciaté nail polish worth £9. The shade I picked up is called Bon Bon which is a dusky pink. There is also Purple Sherbet which is a lovely lavender shade and Jelly Bean which is a hot pink shade with a blueish sheen.

I'd heard of Ciaté before, but I've never owned one of their polishes so I was eager to get my hands on one, especially if it was only for £3.70! 

In application this was lovely, one coat is definitely enough to get an even colour, although I think I ended up using two.

I will definitely be investing in another colour from their range, and I believe Marie Claire comes with a 25% discount code valid throughout June and July - MARIE25.

Have you got any of the colours that come with Marie Claire this month? 

Which is your favourite?

Kate x

Glamour and Marie Claire Magazine July Edition 2012

Hello!

So this is almost old news by the time I'm writing about it, but many fashion and beauty magazines this month are coming with free gifts. I popped into town on Saturday for some shopping and one of the first things I did was run to WH Smith to pick up Glamour Magazine and Marie Claire. 

Glamour Magazine this month is coming with either: Porefessional, That Gal Brightening Primer or BADgal lash mascara. I picked up a copy with Porefessional - I already own That Gal. I may even go and buy the one with BADgal as well. Obviously they aren't full size products, but given that the magazine is only £2 it's worth stocking up!

 

Marie Claire on the other hand this month has a selection of 3 Ciaté nail polishes: Jelly Bean, Bon Bon and Purple Sherbet. I picked up Bon Bon which is a lovely pale dusky pink and I can't wait to try. The magazine costs £3.70 and the nail polish is worth £9. 

 

Aside from Marie Claire and Glamour Magazine, other magazines this month are offering gifts. I believe Red is giving away Jemma Kidd products, InStyle is giving away Body Shop products with each copy.

Have you picked up any of this months magazines with their giveaways?

Kate x

NOTD: Jubilee Nails!

Hello!

So given that it is the Jubilee weekend, I thought I'd get into the festive mood through my nails. So here we are:

The colours are: Models Own True Blue and Raspberry Crush.

 

 Unfortunately I can't find my nail art pen otherwise there would have been some white in the mix too.

Have you Jubilee-fied your nails?

Kate x