26 February 2012

big skincare mystery...


Magazines, internet, just walking along the street we're bombarded with ads and brands constantly. So I was really intrigued when I heard about the Big Skincare Mystery. Basically a brand is launching a 2in1 face mask and face wash, but no one knows which brand it is (although if your subscribed to Glamour you might now know). I was immediately intrigued and tried it out as a mask and wash straight away with the sample from my March Glamour-I know Neutrogena do something similar but I've never tried it so can't compare. I thought it worked well but wasn't blown away, but then I got back to uni and my skin started breaking out all over the place, not a pretty sight. So I gave it another go and it definitely helped improve my skin, only problem is I ran out straight away and can't repurchase yet! But on 1st March they're revealing the brand and finger's crossed it will be in my local Boots ASAP.


Overall I think this has been a fantastic concept as it means the product stands on it's own two feet and not on the brand name. There's definitely been some hype on blogs and Glamour where it's featured but the product is fantastic so it's been positive responses all round - I don't think I've actually seen a negative review. Have any of you tried this or Neutrogena's 2in1? What did you think? If you haven't and want to you can get a free sample through their facebook page here. Roll on 1st March :)

22 February 2012

celine...

These Celine handbags have got to be at the top of my lust list. So chic and classic plus they'd make any outfit. A girl can dream...
Check out the rest of their Spring 2012 handbags here and feel free to drool ;)


21 February 2012

Maybelline Colossal Volume Express Mascara...



Thought I'd share with you a recent purchase, which I got a couple of weeks ago when my mascara ran out at the same time that my eyelash curler decided to break. So I wanted a mascara that would do both these jobs. I chose the Maybelline Colossal Volum'Express Waterproof (£7.19) as I've used other products in this range and found them to be really good. Also in Winter my eyes water quite a lot so I decided to opt for the Waterproof version, which I think actually holds curl better than regular. 

The brush itself is big and bristly and manages to not give you really clumpy eyelashes, but volumised and bigger looking ones. Packaging wise I like the shape but it's a tad too neon for me, would prefer something a little more discreet.


Possibly my favourite mascara. It's great and I can use it for both day and evening looks. Plus as it's waterproof so it doesn't smudge everywhere. Pretty much does what it says on the tin :) 


You can buy it here

20 February 2012

frosty morning...

A gorgeous frosty morning walking the dog back in January. Love the early morning mist and frost-edged leaves and grass. 
Wore my trusty Michael Kors watch and favourite nail combo -Barry M 301 Block Orange with Rimmel's Rock Your Colour Glitter Topcoat, everything looks better with glitter.


16 February 2012

stuck like glue...

Does anyone else every have an outfit in their head that they just can't shake? Ever since I first saw these green suede boots on asos, all I've been able to think is how amazing they'd look with white jeans and a red blouse. Of course I don't own any of these items, typical. I'll probably wind up getting them but am on a rather strict budget at the minute. Anyway I think this combo would be just right for spring. Only a month to go and then we'll be out of Winter.
6) Red Keyhole 70's Blouse £95 Whistles @ Asos




home baking...

One of my favourite things about going home is that I can bake! My oven at uni is just plain shocking, tried to bake a cake and it was en epic fail but hey ho I go baking crazy when I get home.
Over the week I tried out these 4 new recipes, 2 are from  Good Housekeeping's Favourite Cakes, Bakes and Cupcakes and the other 2 from the BBC website which is ace for recipes so check it out!
1) Mini Tiramisu Cakes - Perfect combination of tiramisu and cupcake! Saw these on Baking Made Easy and the next day I was baking away. I actually wound up making 1 and a half (18) times the number of cupcakes as I had so much filling and syrup. They really are delicious and best when left for 24 hours for the syrup to soak into the cakes. 

2) Scones - Got this recipe from the Good Housekeeping book, it's actually for white chocolate scones but I swapped this for sultanas. Best eaten straight out the oven, well let them cool first!

3) Gingerbread Cake with Lemon Icing - The recipe actually calls for orange icing but I'm not that big a fan so used lemon juice and zest instead, this stops the cake from being too sweet. 

4) Spiced Carrot Cake Muffins - These are from Good Housekeeping again, I just swapped the crushed almonds for walnuts and cut the muffins in half when cooled to make them like mini cakes. My favourite carrot cake recipe that I've ever made.

If you love baking I'd definitely recommend the Good Housekeeping cookbook it's got a good mix of recipes and gives really clear instructions. So if your considering buying go for it! 

15 February 2012

DVF...

Diane Von Furstenberg's Spring Summer 2012 ad campaign features a model wearing one of her dresses in a gorgeous landscape, so far so normal, but one crucial difference - where the models face should be there's a mirror which leaves an image of the sky where her face should be. Apparently this is in reference to surrealist painter Salvador Dali, but for me it just seems strange. When I was flicking through Elle it definitely made it stand out but is this really a good ad or just something to generate buzz.
The purpose of an ad is to sell the product, who wants to buy into a clothing brand that is about being faceless. This effectively gets rid of the biggest maker of individuality in a person. Are DVF marketing their clothes to faceless clothes horses? If they wanted to create talk they've managed but at the end of the day if people are talking and not buying... ad fail. Not that I think it will really impact their sales but it certainly makes me think twice about what type of consumer they think they have. I'm not convinced, what do you guys think?

14 February 2012

GOSH quatro eyeshadow...


So recently I've started getting more and more interested in make up, and I;ve got a very full make up bag to prove it! It all started a couple of months ago when I saw this beauty tutorial and decided (even though I don't wear glasses which is what the tutorials for) that I needed some new gear to try out the look. So off I went to go find some new make up. Now I'm a student so can't quite justify spending £40 of my loan on the Dior palette they suggested. I did however find this quatro palette from GOSH which was the best alternative I could find, plus at £8.49 it's a gazillion times more affordable on my student budget.


I've never actually used GOSH products before but I've always been tempted. This Dior alternative is the GOSH eyeshadow quatro in Q22 Driftwood and since buying it I've used it virtually everyday. For me they are the perfect natural shades. They've got a good pigmentation and last, some of my other eyeshadow rubs of or winds up in the creases of my eyelid but this one is fantastic.


I use all the shades for both my eyelid, brow and as liner. In fact I've used it so much I've just hit pan so shall soon be returning to Superdrug to get another. I'll definitely be using GOSH again. Have you guys used GOSH products, what did you think?


You can buy it here

13 February 2012

Vogue Paris Jitterbug...




How have I only just seen this?? This is the the new Vogue Paris a la Emanuelle Alt... love it :)


For the article about it on Vogue Paris website click here.