Review: The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer Highlighter and NUDE'tude Nude eyeshadow palette

One of the best things about moving house is having the opportunity to reorganise! I took full advantage of this, especially in de-cluttering my makeup. It has been so much fun being able to try new things from my stash!

One of the products I have really enjoyed recently is the Mory-Lou Manizer from The Balm. I have no idea how long it was hiding in the hack of a drawer, as it is by no means a new product, but I thought I would give it a chance when I cleared out some of my older highlighters.

This highlighting powder comes in a round mirrored compact. It is super soft and smooth and applies absolutely effortlessly. I would describe it as a warm champagne colour that is very reflective, but with no glitter or sparkles, just a satin sheen.

A little definitely goes a long way as the pigmentation is very good.

I use it as a highlight on my cheekbones, with a thin fan brush and a very light touch. It's also great as an eyeshadow - either an all over base lid colour, a brow or inner corner highlight.

It just adds the most amazing glow to the face and goes with most blush colours I have tried as it is neither too warm/ gold toned or silver/ cool toned. Sometimes highlighters can look a little off on very light skin like mine, but I find this one to add the perfect amount of radiance, without adding too much colour.

The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer is available from Superdrug here for £17.49.

I am also currently trying out The Balm NUDE'tude Nude eyeshadow palette (£29.99), which has a great selection of neutral, wearable eyeshadows. The texture is super smooth and they have great pigmentation. My favourite eye shadow is stand-offish - a nude, pinky toned shimmery colour that is perfect as an effortless all over lid colour!

Review: Clarins Joli Rouge Moisturizing Long-Wearing Lipstick

I have always loved Clarins lipsticks as they have such a smooth texture, never dry out my lips and always smell delicious. I was therefore excited to hear that the Joli Rouge* range has been revamped with a new moisture-enriched formula that comes in a beautiful new spectrum of shades!

It was difficult to choose as the new colours are all super flattering, so I went for some wearable shades of pink, nude and peach.

left to right and top to bottom: 715 candy rose, 745 pink praline, 707 petal pink

I had high expectations and these lipsticks did not disappoint! They are super creamy and smooth to apply giving just enough colour to leave your lips looking plump and glossy without feeling sticky. They have a lovely scent and last a decent amount of time given their hydrating formulation. They are perfect to pop into your handbag and reapply on the go as they are not too intense, but add just the right amount of colour and moisturise to keep your lips looking youthful.

Candy Rose is a blue toned pink with shimmer that adds a wearable pop of colour.

Pink Praline is a wearable pink toned nude that looks perfect when paired with a strong eye look.

Petal Pink is a mid toned, creamy pink that's perfect for every day wear. For me this is a your lips, but better colour!

The Joli Rouse lipsticks can be found here for £19.50.

My Favourite Summer Products

With Summer in full swing I thought I would put together a little round up of my favourite products! Many of these were tested in sunnier climes on honeymoon, but the majority have come back to dreary London with me to continue their hard work.

The most essential part of any holiday for me has always been SPF. I burn in seconds (no exaggeration necessary) so I need a product that works hard to keep my skin protected, while being easy and pleasant to apply, and lasting a good proportion of the day. The absolute stand out sun block this Summer has been the PizBuin Ultra Light Dry Touch Silky Fluid. As the name suggests it’s a lovely consistency and is an absolute breeze to use. I’m very fussy when it comes to the texture of sun creams... I hate sprays as inevitably they leave a patch unprotected, sun milks are too liquid and have no staying power and thick creams tend to give you that white/ blue greasy glow and block your pores. The Piz Buin feels like a light moisturising cream and sinks into the skin quickly with no stickiness (ie. no sand permanently stuck to your bottom). My husband used the SPF 15 (he of pure English descent, but surprisingly Mediterranean skin), while I went for the SPF30. Both of us stayed well protected in the intense Sri Lankan and Maldivian sun through hiking excursions, safaris, snorkelling trips and lazy pool dips alike!

For my face I always wear SPF 50 on holiday as you really can’t have too much protection and there is no doubt that prevention is much more effective than any anti-ageing treatment! My freckles are an immediate giveaway of any sun exposure so I am always very careful. Being diligent is made much easier when you enjoy using your products and I absolutely adore the Rituals 50 Sun Protection Face Cream (£18.50). It feels like a rich face moisturiser, but it absorbs into the skin well and doesn’t feel too heavy in the heat. I also love the fact that it has additional skin benefits such as natural anti-oxidant complex based on Organic White Tea, natural Vitamin E and Ginkgo Biloba. It lasts all day (I usually set it with a little face powder or MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish Natural) and keeps my skin hydrated and protected without causing breakouts.

For night time skincare I am totally obsessed with the NUDE ProGenius treatment oil. I was so afraid of oils for years as I thought they would be too heavy and cause congestion, but this oil is light and absorbs quickly without leaving a greasy feeling behind. I apply this oil alone after cleansing my face and have definitely felt the benefits of the super hydrating and caring formula. Whether I need to moisturise, heal or improve skin texture the mix of omega 3, 6, 7 and 9 delivers a precisely balanced diet of vital skin nutrients making my skin look and feel great.

As an everyday moisturiser I have slowly been working through a bottle of the sublime NEOM Body Lotion (I purchased mine in TK Maxx, but they have new and improved scents on their website for £20). I love the whole NEOM organic range, but these body lotions are perfect for use in the morning straight after the shower as they smell wonderful and sink into the skin quickly so you can dress promptly (and not feel greasy on the tube).

As a more intense moisturiser, especially after a long day in the sun I loved using the NUXE Refreshing After-Sun Lotion (£15). This cream has a rich sorbet texture and feels incredibly soothing as it contains no menthol or alcohol. With its blend of Sunflower Oil and Coconut Derivatives it provides deep hydration and restores the balance of the skin while leaving it with a beautiful sheen and scent. This lotion is also enriched with Carob Seed Powder that aims to even out, enhance and prolong your tan… and for me every little helps!

For a Summer Fragrance I have been loving the NUXE le parfum Prodigieux (£35). I have used the oil for many years (in my hair and on my skin) so the scent really brings back happy memories of holidays and sunshine! I have a bottle on my desk at work and so many people have commented on how beautiful the scent is – rich, but not heavy or overpowering and in my view perfect for Summer!

There are so many more beautiful products I could write lyrical about, but for now these are my top picks of the Summer!

What have been your favourite beauty products lately? I would love to hear some of your thoughts on anything featured and as always your recommendations for a beauty junkie like me to try.. not that I need all that much encouragement!

OOTD: Dinner Date

Happy Easter! I hope everyone is having a lovely long weekend and enjoying a few hard earned days off work :). I just wanted to do a quick fashion post with an outfit I wore for a dinner date with my hubby (to be).

 Jumpsuit: Miss Selfridge (£59 here), Shoes: River Island (a few years ago), Bracelet: Disney Couture (similar here)

I love the statement necklace that comes as part of this jumpsuit. It just makes dressing that much more effortless! It is also removable if you wanted to wear your own, or wear it alone with a different outfit.

To show off the detailing I put my hair up in a little chignon, though I definitely need a little more practice in doing this. Does anyone have any tips?

Have a lovely Easter! xxx

OOTD: Wag

I am fully aware that this outfit is a little footballer's wives... but it was hard to resist pairing huge sunnies with a bright dress and nude heels on a gorgeous summer day.

 Dress: Closet at Dorothy Perkins, Shoes: DP (£29.50 here), Sunglasses: Prada.

As I was home alone this weekend I didn't have my usual 'photographer' to take photos, so excuse the weird poses caught by the self timer. I haven't featured a jumping shot in a while ;).

Is this peplum frill dress and nude heels combo too wag-tastic? Are you a fan of peplum detailing? xxx

L’Oreal Color Riche Nail Collection

You all know how I love my mini polishes, so I was really excited to learn that L’Oreal Paris have recently launched a fantastic new range of mini nail varnishes. The Color Riche Nail Collection comprises 41 new nail shades perfect for every summer-time mood!

 (With flash)

Left to Right: Insolent Magenta 504, Cafe St Germain 109, Divine Indigo 609, Boudoir Rose 204.

 (Without flash)

I was kindly sent a little selection to play with and I absolutely adore them. First of all they are mini (collective awwwww), though despite their size they do feature a large flat brush, which makes application super fast and easy. All the colours I have tried were pretty much opaque in one coat too, so perfect for painting on the go.

Once again I was desperate to try these out as soon as they landed so I had to borrow a nail or four from a friend ;). The above shows just one coat of polish. Pretty!

Color Riche Polishes are available from Boots for £4.99 here.

Have you tried the new L'Oreal Color Riche nail polishes? Which are your favourite shades? xxx

It's all about the lips...

I will put my hand up and admit I am not a fan of Fearne Cotton. She annoys me.. there I said it ;). However, when I was shown a selection of makeup for her line exclusive to Boots I was very much excited by the lip sets. It's All About the Lips in Natural is a gorgeous, wearable trio of lip liner, lipstick and gloss.

What I particularly like about this set is the difference in textures between the products, which lets you create different looks and play with different shades of nude. The lipliner is a deeper, more rosy nude that can create a matte look, the lipstick is a light, creamy pink that looks great paired with a smokey eye and the gloss is shimmery, without being overly glittery, to add some vibrancy to the nude palette.

Top - lipliner, Middle - lipstick, Bottom - gloss, Left - all three.

The above was created using all three (sparingly) to create a beautifully irridescent, natural nude lip.

I am really impressed with this set and look forward to sampling more of the range in the future. This line is exclusive to Boots and retails at £10 (here), not bad for 3 products!

Have you tried any of Fearne's range at Boots? xxx

Jane of the Jungle

As much as I love and lust after high end brands, I often browse my local Superdrug, Boots, and even Sainsbury's (mine sells Cargo!) to find some good deals and special offers. Therefore, I was not surprised to find that the affordable company Sleek has come out with some great new products for the summer.

Recently, with this unbearable heat, I have been wearing minimal makeup and keeping everything pretty neutral with 'earthy' colours. I have therefore reached for Sleek's new Safari palette a number of times.

This palette contains 12 mineral based eyeshadows (both matte and shimmer) for just £4.88.These shadows are quite pigmented and true to colour in the pan, and I really like that they are not all shimmery (my favourite is the matte green in the bottom row). For such a low price this is definitely a great deal as the colours are pretty and very wearable.

The texture of the shadows is similar to any other pressed mineral make up and behaves in the same way as a pressed pigment so you have to be careful with fallout, or use them wet to give a more dramatic effect. I often find that mineral shadows such as these work better applied with your fingers.

Here is a simple daytime look I did using this palette.
I used the shimmery beige all over the lid (L to R 5th on bottom row), the matte light brown in the crease (1st on the bottom row), the shimmery brown (last on bottom row and dupe for MAC twinks) on the lower lashline with a thin line of the matte black (1st on top row) as a liner along my upper lashline.
Now I am lusting after the acid palette!! I can't wait to try it, but can never seem to find it :(.
Do you guys own any Sleek palettes?

FOTD

Hello my lovelies,

Just thought I would do a quick little post to share with you my makeup on Sunday.
It is quite smokey, but was very fast and easy to do.

I simply used two Barry M dazzle dusts. No. 39 went all over the lid, and I have to confess that this has been my favourite all-over lid colour for a few years now. It is a beautiful shimmery yet neutral shade, which goes on like a dream and really makes my eyes look green and vibrant. I then added no. 97 in the outer V with a pencil brush to make my eyes appear more deep set and blended it with a fluffy brush to make it smokey.

On my lips I used BarryM 101, but as this can sometimes be a bit too stark as well as drying on the lips so I mixed it with GOSH Darling lipstick to get a more creamy consistency and a more flesh toned nude colour.

Hope you all had a great weekend my lovelies
xxx