Friday Night FOTD and Illamasqua Lippie ...

Bonjour!

I went out last Friday night (well I went out for dinner with the hubby and kids this Friday just gone too but last Friday was more of a couples 'out out' and not just 'out' if you get my drift!). Anyway just thought I pop up a post with my slap for the night... really should this be entitled FOTN?  I'll just shut it and get on shall I...!

The products ...

Face
Mally Perfect Prep Poreless Primer
Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealers in Medium and Deep - used medium under eyes and mixed the two for the rest of my face
Laura Geller Balance n Brighten Foundation in Tan
Bourjois Blush in Rose Thé - you can see my full review here
Daniel Sandler Instant Tan Face Powder (only used a smidgen as it was my first time playing with it!).

Eyes
Mally Evercolour Eye Shadow Stick in Antique Taupe - all over eyelid - so easy to use - stays put all day/night!
MUA Undressed Eye Shadow Palette - to highlight under brow
17 Eyeliner in Onyx (got it in a kit last year)
Revitalash Volumising Primer
Mally Instant Impact Mascara - review coming up
HD Brows Kit in Foxy

Lips
Illamasqua Lipstick in Blaze - won in a Giveaway last year - sadly it's discontinued - what a shame, it's one of my favourites!

Here's the whole lot on the kite - a bit more of a half kite than usual - you can see the nose is screaming to take over the pic - ah well...!

And a quick 'awkard pose' of the outfit - both last year's H & M top and Zara jeans - what on earth has happened to the knees on my jeans - they had been thoroughly ironed although it doesn't look like it in this pic ...!

Trying to get one of me and the pooch but he had other ideas! Must have been where I got my creased knees from!


Jen x

NOTD - Sinful Colors - Sweet Nothing

Bonjour!

I spotted Sinful Colors (over from the USA) in Boots a while ago and was immediately drawn to the vast array of colours and finishes - creams, pearls, glitter, shimmer and mattes (that enough for you or what!). I walked away and then returned a week or so later (must have been mad).  A couple of the colours I'd originally had my eye on had sold out but not this one ... there was one bottle left in the stand ... it was meant to be...!

Sinful Colors - Sweet Nothing...

I found the polish went on easily - brush and consistency wise, it was opaque with two coats and dried fairly quickly.  My nails had chipped on the ends after just short of two days (with topcoat) so pretty standard for me (sigh). I will continue in my quest for the most bulletproof topcoat for us Mums.

Let me just say though that the above pic shows probably one of the messiest paint-jobs in the history of mankind, not because of the polish but due to the fact that a) I hadn't had time to prep my nails/cuticles and b) I was trying to do three things at once - rushing to get ready to go out, get the kids dinner on and get these photos taken - yes folks - that's how I roll...! Anyway - try to imagine this gorgeous colour on a more worthy set of nails. I mean it's got a proper 'Blue Lagoon' vibe don't you think - you just want to take a dip in it!

I will be returning to the Sinful Colors stand in Boots this weekend (and hope they've replenished their stock!) There are just too many colours and finishes to try out and at £1.99 a pop (even less at the moment as Boots have buy one get one half price on) the temptation is too great. If you haven't seen the range take a look here - bet there's something for everyone within this lot!

So tell me - have you 'Sinned' yet? Which is your favourite colour/finish?

Jen x

Liz Earle Healthy Glow Cream Blush - Review

Bonjour!

I finally got to try some make up from the Liz Earle Colour range - following the recent QVC TSV - about time too!   I do like a bit of a cream blush during warmer weather and now that summer seems to have finally arrived - albeit in a somewhat sporadic fashion - the Liz Earle Healthy Glow Cream Blush in Rose seems ideal.   The Liz Earle website states   "Our creamy blush softly enhances cheeks with a healthy-looking, dewy finish. Enriched with our own natural source vitamin E." 

The blusher comes boxed in a sturdy little compact (which is easy to open!) complete with a handy mirror. Rose is a mid 'fleshy toned' pink which is ideal for adding a natural flush of colour to my old apples! It has a velvety texture in the pan and is easy to blend - not too stiff or sticky and not too 'wet'.  In the above pic. I've swatched on the bottom and blended on the top.  You only need a small amount of the blush as it's really well pigmented but it can be built up for a stronger pop! I apply with my fingers and pat or dab it on (it can also be applied with a brush).  Considering it's a cream formula it lasts really well once on - most of the day in fact and doesn't seem to overly cling onto any spotty/patchy areas on my face as can sometimes be the case with cream blushers I've found.

Here it is 'in situ' (yes I know I'm pulling a stupid face as usual and apologies for the dark circles - I'd been out the night before!). Now although I had a reasonable 'flush' on my cheeks at the time of this pic. for some reason the colour always pales out on camera. Clearly need to adjust my settings - any advice on that welcome!  Anyway hope you can get a vague idea...!

The Liz Earle Healthy Glow Cream Blush costs £16.50/2g here - which is maybe a tad expensive for me as a stand alone product - however I do want to try some of the other blushers in this range (already got my eye on Peony ...!).  All in all though I do think this is a lovely product for summer - gives a healthy 'pinched cheek' glow - ideal over a bit of BB and will be great in my holiday make-up bag!

Have you tried the Liz Earle Healthy Glow Cream Blush - which is your favourite shade?

Jen x

Mally Beauty and Daniel Sandler Goodies ...!

Bonjour!

Just a quickie... you know those old Twitter competitions where you retweet to win etc - well I recently retweeted and believe it or not actually won on a couple of occasions - gobsmacked or what!

Mally Beauty QVC Customer Choice Trio and Daniel Sandler Instant Tan Face Powder

The Mally Trio contains Volumising Mascara in Black (an old favourite), High Shine Liquid Lipstick in Blossom and Evercolour Starlight Waterproof Eyeliner in Midnight.

Here's a peek of the Daniel Sandler Instant Tan Face Powder - looks gorgeous.  I've got a feeling this is a favourite of Binky's (from Made in Chelsea) so if it's good enough for Binky...!

Not going to waffle too much at this point as I'll try to put up separate reviews at some point.

Over and out for now and hope everyone's having a good weekend!

Jen x

Giovanni 2 Chic Flat Iron Styling Mist & Ultra-Sleek Leave-In Conditioning & Styling Elixir - Review

Bonjour!

The Giovanni 2 Chic Flat Iron Styling Mist and Ultra-Sleek Leave-In Conditioning & Styling Elixir were recently sent to me from Skin Nutrition - online beauty retailer offering a range of natural/organic skin and body care and sister company of the Nutrition Centre.  Giovanni Eco Chic Cosmetics is a family owned company in Los Angeles founded in the 1970s aiming ...  "to create hair products inspired by nature but that were still compelling, high performance formulas....the products are as natural as possible without sacrificing total performance."  According to the Giovanni website their products use lauryl and laureth sulfate free latherers and are paraben-free. 

Both products are suitable for all hair types and contain Giovanni's Dual Smoothing Complex made with Moroccan Organic Argan Oil & Brazilian Phyto-Keratin which are said to smooth and soften, help with the frizzies, whilst providing condition and protection against heat damage.  I've used each product on my daughter's head of medium textured, long, abundant hair and my own short, fine mop. They both have a subtle coconut 'holiday type' aroma.

Styling Elixir  - used on damp hair  before drying - only a small pump is needed for myself - I'd say more like two pumps for my daughter and concentrate on mid lengths to ends - if too much is taken too close to the roots it can feel a bit greasy. It's helped to tame and smooth our collective locks and keep frizziness at bay. My daughter's hair is very tangle prone and this has kept her hair from doing it's usual 'wild thing'.  Also a good one to apply to damp hair if leaving to dry naturally - I've done this a couple of time since the weather has become warmer and it prevented my hair from turning into a frizz ball so I imagine a handy product for holiday evenings.

Flat Iron Styling Mist - can be applied either to wet hair before blow drying or to dry hair for straightening.  I don't straighten my daughter's hair very often so have used it on both our hairs before drying and for myself before straightening. It doesn't weigh hair down at all and leaves it shiny and conditioned - especially important for me now I've had loads of colour put through - I'm desperate to keep the ends from doing their usual 'drying out' trick and so far they look and feel ok so fingers crossed!

Both these products have been great for keeping hair 'tamed' and neither are sticky or crispy.  My daughter's hair has been kept under control with the minimum of tangles, so much so that she's managed to brush and style her own hair in the mornings - apparently my next task is to create the 'Taylor Swift' curls look - whatever that is - wish me luck!

There is a whole range of Giovanni hair and body products available on the Skin Nutrition website here with a current 20% discount. The Flat Iron Styling Mist and Leave-In Conditioner are down from £7.99/118ml to £6.39.  I've really enjoyed using these products from the Giovanni 2 Chic range and being a complete haircare junkie can see myself making a few sneaky purchases pretty soon...the question is which product(s) to go for...too many to choose from!

Have you tried any Giovanni products?  Will you be making any purchases (sneaky or otherwise) from Skin Nutrition?

Jen x