Nail du Jour: The perfect purple?

I am totes in LOVE with this Barry M Nail Paint that I borrowed off a friend (hence the absence of the bottle). However, I have no idea the name/number of it and I haven't seen it anywhere in the shops! Does anyone know if it's still available? 

The colour, as you can see, is a vivid pinky purple, although it looks a bit lilac in this picture

Could this be the end of my search for the perfect purple?

Sami xx

Golden Makeup Look

Here's a look I did recently for The Asian Beautifier's blog competition where I had to create either a Golden Goddess or Sparkle Diva makeup look. Of course I love gold so I went for that option! 

I wanted to go for a dramatic, yet glamorous, look so I took inspiration from Cleopatra and went for heavy black eyeliner, lots of gold and statement brows (I used a black eyeshadow to make them really stand out but it came out a little messy :S )

Close up...

What I Used...

FACE

MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation in NC42

MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC42

MAC MSF Natural

Chanel Bronze Universal

Bobbi Brown Bronze Shimmer Brick

EYES

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Urban Decay Half Baked Eyeshadow

Urban Decay Urban Decay Virgin Eyeshadow

Urban Decay Sin Eyeshadow

GOSH Gold Pigment

Shu Uemura Gel Liner

L'Oreal Volumize Mascara

Eyelure False Lashes in Glamour 120

LIPS

YSL Lip Contour

MAC Lipstick in Faux

THE REST...

I straightened my hair and put it in a middle parting. Then I clipped a earring in the middle (like a tika) togive it more of a glam/eastern vibe.

Hope you likey :- )

Sami xx

Lush Goodies: Honey Farm & a new Hero product?

I'm not a Lush expert and there are sooo many products to choose from so I thought I'd go for the Honey Farm Gift Set, £14.95, to sample some of their products. Dipping my toes into the water, so to speak. 

The gift set comes cutely wrapped in yellow (recyclable) paper and a black silk bow. I love buying presents, especially when they're for me, so this made me feel very special indeed :)

You open the box to find it covered in popcorn!

Note: Do NOT eat the popcorn - they are purely for packaging... as I learnt the hard way...

What you get inside

Top Left Clockwise: Honey I Washed the Kids Soap, Flying Fox Shower Gel, Honey Bee Bath Fizz, Ma Bar Bubble Bar

My Thoughts

Honey I Washed the Kids Soap: I don't usually use soap because I have VERY DRY skin but this one had no nasty chemicals, lathered up nicely and smelt delish! The scent lingers for a while after you use it too.

Flying Fox Shower Gel: Hands down BEST shower gel ever! The smell is very strong but it left my skin feeling soft and you only need a tiny bit to get a thick, creamy lather.

Honey Bee Bath Fizz: I'm not a 'bath kinda gal' but I chucked it into a running bath last week and it started fizzing up and coloured the bathwater a bright yellow! My skin feeling really silky and soft, which no other bath bomb/oil has ever done.

Ma Bar Bubble Bar: I got two baths out of this and it smelt like a yummy fudge... Mmmm! What else can I say about a Bubble Bar... Er... it created nice bubbles for my bath?

Overall

This is a great product for those that don't know much about Lush as it gives you an introduction to their main ranges: Soap, Shower Gel, Bath Fizz and Bubble Bar. The only thing missing was a massage bar, which I still want to try out. The perfect treat for a night of pampering :)

Hero Product?

Lush Dream Cream, £9.95

Does it work?

In a word: Yes. Lush Dream Cream is meant to be amazingly moisturising and soothing, especially for dry/sensitive skin so I couldn't resist trying it out. I might have mentioned before that I suffer from dry skin and I've tried nearly every type of body butter and cream out there! The Body Shop range is OK and smells lovely, but doesn't absorb properly into my skin. Other cosmetic brands like L'Oreal and Vaseline are rubbish, as were medical brands like E45, Johnson's Baby Oil is too light and Palmers Cocoa Butter did nothing. Everything just left me feeling underwhelmed.

My mum suggested Olive Oil, which worked a treat and made my skin so, so soft - but it left me with a greasy layer of oil all over my body! I had low expectations about Dream Cream but can I just say that it could possibly be the BEST BODY CREAM EVER. Seriously, I applied this at night and my skin was left feeling so soft the next day. I don't know how Lush did it but there is not a single dry patch on me now - not a flake. I've been using this every night and my skin has improved tenfold... I'm so happy I discovered it! :)

Why you should go 'Au Natural'

The main reason why Lush products work so much better than other cosmetic products, I believe, is because the ingridients they use are natural and organic. Soaps and creams loaded with chemicals can seriously disturb your skin's PH balance and this is why a lot of people with sensitive/dry skin prefer to go organic. Next time you buy a cream or shower gel look at the ingredients and think about whether you want all those chemicals on you?! I'm no skin expert, this is just my personal opinion. I'd love to know what products you all use!

Sami xx

PS Sorry about the lengthy post... next one will be full of pics I promise :-)

Haul Time: MAC and other bits...

So, after a whole one month makeup ban, I decided to treat myself :) and of course what better brand to treat myself with then Mac?! There wasn't anything that caught my eye in their Feline collection so I went for some other bits that I'd been meaning to get for a while... 

Lipsticks

Left to right: MAC lipstick in Show Orchid and Impassioned

Top to bottom: Impassioned and Show Orchid

I've wanted to get Show Orchid for such a long time but it's only available in Pro stores (I don't understand why it's not available in normal stores because it's such a popular colour). As you can see it's a gourgous, bright fuschia that would look great with a LBD. The second lippy I got was Impassioned which initially scared me - but as you can see in the swatch it comes out as a creamy pink that I think would suit just about anyone (probably not my uncle though...) I am addicted to Mac lipsticks, and although I'm sure there are better brands out there I will always go back to them!

      Eye Makeup

        MAC Pigment in Tan

I was torn between the MAC Pigment in Tan and Melon, which are both very similar. In the end I went for Tan because it swatched as a shimmerey beige and Melon was a bit more on the yellow side. Nothing much to say about MAC pigments other then that they have amazing colour payoff, can be messy and come in lots of yummy colours :)

MAC Paint Pot in Groundwork

I originally wanted to get Painterly but it wasn't in store so I went for Groundwork instead. The quality of MAC Paint Pots are amazing because it goes on as a cream and dries as a powder. As you can see by the swatch it doesn't leave any creases and melts into my skin like magic. I use this as a base for eyeshadow and on it's own for a more natural look. Love, love, love it! In fact, I may go back for more :)

Presents!

Laura Mercier Pistashio Body Souffle 

              

Everytime I'd walk past the Laura Mercier counter I'd look longingly at their Pistachio Body Souffle because of thei ntoxicatingly delicious smell. I'ver never been able to justify spending £41 on it (yeah - you heard right - £41!) but then I got it as a present! Yay! This cream is seriously moisturising and the smell (think freshly baked cakes... or any other yummy dessert) stays on your skin for the entire day - I put it to the test the other days and it stayed on for hours. My 9yr old cousin also put some on her arm and reported back, saying that she could still smell it when she went to bed!

Dolce & Gabbana Rose The One

I prefer this sooo much more to the original D&G The One because the floral scent makes it alot more feminine. Two sprays of this last all day, which is another bonus!

The perfect weekend treat

My sundays usually consist of lazing around the house, in front of the TV with some chocolate and a magazine!

As you can see I've been busy spending my wages and lazing about (!) but now that Ramadan is over I have more time (and energy) to do more blog posts. I don't want to do loads of lazy, pointless posts every week just for the sake of posting something, but I will try and do 2/3 good quality, (hopefully) interesting posts from now on. I have a few exciting ones coming up this week!

Sami xx  

What's in my bag??

The LV Speedy (medium size)

I know it's rude to go through a lady's bag but I'm quite nosey... and I love 'What's in my bag' posts so I thought it'd only be fair to do my own :- )

I try to travel light because I hate carrying heavy bags - especially when I'm travelling around London, on the tube or train!

From clockwise left:

Quilted gold makeup bag - got this free with a magazine, although I usually hate magazine freebies, this one caught my eye

Makeup bag - I desperately needed a makeup bag when I was going to Paris and in a rush I grabbed this one from Superdrug... I would prefer a Gucci one though :)

Sweets - I always have sweets or chocolates in my bag... my friends go through my bag because they now I'll have something!

D&G perfume - this is probably the biggest, heaviest thing in my bag but I love it so much that I don't mind lugging it around... I wish they'd release a travel version though

Mobile phones - My Blackberry is a lifesaver - I use it to check emails, Tweet, BB Messenger... it's so addictive! The other phone is just a backup in case my BB dies, which it usually does...

Pen - what kind of journalist would I be if I didn't carry a pen with me?! (I usually have a notebook too, but on this occasion I left it at work)

Keys and Oyster card holder - I'm always losing stuff in my bag and it takes ages to find things (anyone else have that problem?!), so I got this pink, glittery cardholder from Accessorize, hich is pretty hard to miss...

Purse - I got this recently from River Island for my birthday... it's quite Mui Mui/Prada esque non?!

In my makeup bag...

From clockwise left:

Black Khol - My friend brought me this from holiday and it's what I use pretty much everyday for my lower lash line... it's sooo intense and black... maybe it deserves a post of it's own?

Pink Heart USB - I'm not sure where this is from because I got it as a gift but it's sooo cute... and soo me

Origins On the Spot Relief Breast Cancer version - this is a great stress-buster and the scent is so soothing...

Lipstick - I have quite a lot of lipsticks *guilty face* so I try and wear a different one everyday

The Body Shop bronzer - I got this ages ago and use it more for the mirror, although the powder is great to use as a subtle shimmer for the face and neck

Mini D& G The One perfume sample - I got this in Sephora when I went to Paris but I'm not too keen on it...

Bourjois Kabuki Brush - I love this! Kabukis are usually really expensive and super soft. This isn't as soft but for a fiver it really does the job

Paracetamol - I rarely take these but then there are instances when I really need one... usually during the time of month!

YSL Lip Contour - This is like a lipbalm and is great for keeping my lips soft... it's got a rich, creamy consistency so it's almost like a moisturiser

Carmex Cherry lipbalm - This doesn't really moisturise my lips as well as the YSL but it tastes and smells so nice that I just HAD to have it!

Ring - I usually have some random piece of jewellery in my bag 

Other bits and pieces...

Pink iPod - keeps me entertained when I'm commuting

Hand sanitizer - if you use the tube you'll understand why this is a MUST

Picture - this is actually a  broken keyring that I just carry around. This pic is of my cousin and I'll pull it out whenever I need to :- )

Tissues - a had a nose bleed on the train a few months ago and since then my mum's been giving me tissue packets to keep with me in case it happens again... bless her

I also keep my camera in my bag but I can't exactly take a pic of it as I'm using it now... I'm also a magazine JUNKIE and usually have something to read in my bag... And I'm going to get a diary (FiloFax!) to keep me organised too.

Anyway... I hope you enjoyed having a nose around in my bag... and I hope this doesn't turn into an open invite for muggers :-O haha!

I'd love to see what's in everyone elses handbags!

Sami xx

My Nail Varnish Collection

As you can probably tell by all my NOTDs I loooove nail varnish! And I've built up a little collection over the past few months... here's what I've got right now....

Left to right: OPI Coney Island Cotton Candy, OPI Glitzerland, OPI Pinking of You, OPI So Hot it Berns, Bourjois Rose Lounge,  Bourjois Rose Lounge, Barry M Bight Purple, Mint Green, Flamingo Pink and Matt White, Estee Lauder Wild Orchid, Nubar Creme, No7 Matt Top Coat, NARS Adelita, Rimmel Urban Princess, Sleek Nailed Polish, GOSH Golden Brown, LCN no name pink

My Top 5

OPI Pinking of You - a lovely bright candy floss pink that I have been wearing non-stop lately

OPI Glitzerland - another beautiful colour from OPI, this is from the Swiss collection and looks like melted gold on my nails... I don't think I'll ever get fed up of this colour

Barry M Mint Green - I love how obscure and bright this colour is! 

Barry M Pink Flamingo - beautiful two-toned colour that looks amazing in the sunshine

Bourjois Rose Vamp - this is, in my opinion, the perfect pink

I also LOVE Bourjois' Fuchsia Hype but I've lent it to a friend :)

Not really liking...

OPI Coney Island Cotton Candy - the colour is a little blah in my opinion... but maybe it just doesn't mesh with my skintone... Zara from MouldyFruit suggested using it as a top coat to give bright colours a pastel wash so I might try that

 Barry M Matt White - I'd been itching to try white nails for a while but found that the consistency of this was awful... imagine applying Tipex to your nails and you'll get the idea...

Bourjois Rose Lounge - another blah nude that just gave my nails a polished sheen but failed to make any impact 

Rimmel Urban Princess - gorgeous colour but chips a few hours after you apply it

NARS Adelita - again... blah, blah, blah on its on but could be used as a top coat to give a shimmery finish

In terms of brands I really like OPI but find that their nail lacquers are slightly overpriced... but for high street I really like Barry M and Bourjois for colours and quality.

As you can see I tend to avoid blues, greens and darker colours and stick to pinks and neutrals. It's mainly because I have been collecting nail varnishes throughout the summer and so my taste has geared more towards the brighter, girly colours... I'm still on the lookout for the perfect purple so any suggestions would be lovely :- ) 

Sami x

The Naked Palette

What does one do when they're on a self imposed makeup ban? Use birthday money to gift themselves with makeup of course! Okay, so using my birthday is a rubbish excuse... but I had some extra money burning a hole in my purse. That, and I was crippled with fear that the Urban Decay Naked palette would become SOLD OUT. 

So anyhu, here it is in all it's Naked glory... 

Lovely velvet casing with a Primer Potion to boot

Preeeeety neutral colours that suit EVERYONE

I'm not going to go into a long detailed description on this palette because chances are ALL the major beauty blogs have covered it (I'm a bit late on it : - ( lol ). But what I will say is that the quality of these shadows are wicked... my current faves are: Naked, Smog and Gunmetal.

Did I really need another eyeshadow palette? No... but it is something that I will use time and time again.Who else has the Naked palette and what are your fave looks? I can't wait to experiment with more combos!

Sami xx