Perricone MD Advanced Eye Area Therapy Winner

Thank you all who entered my little Perricone MD giveaway worth over $95!

Using random.org we now have a winner: Bluefairy0173  Congratulations sweetie!!

Please send me your details (name and postal address) to filthygorgeousmakeup@gmail.com and I shall forward this on to Perricone so they can ship your prize ASAP.

More giveaways to come for your chance to win! xxx

Atomic Violine

Since receiving my first beautiful Maybelline nail varnish (midnight blue) in a goodie bag I have slowly started building my Maybelline nail polish collection. I was really surprised and impressed with the colour density and staying power of these polishes for such an affordable price. They may be a little too thick for some, but I absolutely love them as they are very true to colour in the bottle and you can definitely get away with just one coat. Since they were on offer (3 for 2) in Boots last week I decided to pick up a couple more to try out.

My favourite is this lovely deep purple with a hint of shimmer called Atomic Violine.

After two days of wear I was inspired by Klairedelys' tutorial and decided to try out some glitter french tips. I did mine slightly different as I used a flat liner brush to apply MAC's 3D silver glitter so I could shape the tips. I know it's not exactly a good combo, but I was just playing around and thought I would show you guys :). Next time I would just use a neutral nail varnish and a coloured glitter.

Are you indulging in glitter this season? xxx

UDPP Breaking News?

After a billion complaints about the packaging of Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Urban Decay have finally decided it was time to react.
"Ahhh.. did they change the bottle at last?" I hear you asking. Oh no, that would be far too clever of them!! No, instead they have done this:

Yes, well done, you bent the wand. How innovative. I could never have done that myself!!

I love UDPP, I think it is the best eyeshadow primer on the market and it has really changed my makeup. I have bought countless bottles of it and will continue to do so. I just wish they would listen and put it in a tube like TFSI- hygienic and no product wastage.

Yes, the genie bottle is cute, and looks pretty on my vanity table, but I doubt that this wand will be able to get all the product out. Which means beauty addicts will still continue to attack the bottles with kitchen knives and endanger their philanges (I won't, I'm far too clumsy).

I almost thought the time had come that large companies would listen to us silly little consumers, how foolish of me... sigh.

(OK apparently I'm very late on this wagon.. but I only saw it for the first time today, and wanted to share my frustrations).

Happy Thanksgiving and Mini-Makeover

Today my flatmate was going to a Thanksgiving dinner and wanted to look a little extra special. We didn't have time to do her makeup, as she had lectures all day. However, I did manage to darken up her liner and add some long and glamorous eyelashes. Meanwhile, I set her hair on rollers, then added extra volume with masses of teasing and pinned back the crown section so it would last all night.

I think she looks fantastic, even if I do say so myself ;).

Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it. I hope you all have a lovely night. xxx

Biore Skincare Review

For the last couple of weeks I have been testing out a few products that were sent to me by Biore. I had previously seen this brand in Boots, but never tried any of their products so was keen to see how they would work with my skin.

First up I tried their daily deep pore cleansing wipes.

These wipes are textured to provide gentle exfoliation and clean deep down into the pores. Biore claim that they remove oil, dirt, and make-up - even waterproof mascara.

You get 25 good size wipes in a pack for a reasonable price, but this is where the positives end.

Although, I like the idea of them being textured since they are a little on the dry side you have to rub at your skin a lot more to remove makeup, and this can lead to irritation. The first time I used these I noticed they had a very pungent scent of alcohol. They also really stung my eyes when I tried to remove my eye makeup, though surprisingly the wipe only smeared most of it, and barely touched my mascara.

After looking at the list of ingredients I realised that after water the second ingredient was alcohol denat. No wonder my eyes were hurting and sore! I would never recommend anyone to use makeup remover with alcohol around the eye area, and yet this product claims to remove waterproof mascara (it really doesn't!).

In the name of research I foolishly tried these again, though keeping them far away from my eyes. Though they did do a pretty good job of removing face makeup they once again left my skin red and irritated. In the morning I also noticed that my face was extremely oily, probably due to the wipes being too harsh and stripping my skin of all its natural oils. We all know this only causes one thing- more oil production and clogged pores! I will therefore be sticking to my super mild Johnson's wipes from now on :).

The second product that I have been trialing is Biore's deep cleansing pore strips:

 

These are meant to instantly pull away oil and dirt build-up as well as blackheads in one use. Each pack comes with 6 strips, which should be used about twice a week. They are pretty simple to use, you just wet the skin on your nose, stick the strip on and leave it to dry for 10-15 minutes. After this comes the excruciating pain of peeling it off. Now, I am not one to complain about pain being the price for beauty (far from it!), but these really do hurt, especially if you have sensitive skin. 

 

I won't scar you all with an image of a used strip, but I will describe exactly what it removed. First off, as you can imagine when you are peeling something that has been firmly stuck for 15 minutes you are definitely going to remove a layer of skin. I think this is actually a plus as if you have any dry areas on the nose these will be lifted in a much more effective way than with a scrub. However, this does leave the nose very red afterwards, so it's deffinitely a treatment to use at night, and not before dashing out into public looking like Rudolph. 

 

The other thing that this strip removes very efficiently is the teeny tiny white hairs that everyone has on their face. You may not think you have any, but if you look really closely you will see a miniscule amount of baby fuzz. This is probably not what Biore intended these strips to do, but it does make the area look and feel slightly smoother. Apparently some celebrities get their whole faces waxed to make them look smooth, so perhaps there is something in it.

Unfortunately, these strips didn't remove many blackheads, about 5 per use. I think (and how can I phrase this in a pleasant way) these could have been 'exctracted' manually much quicker and with a lot less pain. Then again, the pores on my nose are really not all that big, and the only blackheads I have are in the creases on the sides of my nose, so this area is difficult for the pore strip to stick to efficiently.

Overall, I think these could work for you if you have large pores and mainly blackheads running through the centre of your nose.. or else if you fancied an at home face wax ;).

Sorry for the rambling.. it is late, and I hope that this review was helpful to some of you!!

Warm Sunset

This dramatic look was inspired by a photo taken by one of my lovely subscribers:

I thought that this was such a beautiful mix of colours that I wanted to incorporate it in a dramatic eye look and this is what I came up with :).

Products used:
MAC painterly paint pot as base
MAC e/s shroom to highlight
moi minerals orange juice above crease
MAC e/s sushi flower in crease
MAC e/s paradisco to blend pink and orange
MAC e/s cobalt and fig.1 on lid
Ruby&Millie gold pigment as inner tearduct highlight
L'ancome liner design in black
NYX doll eye mascara
REVLON lush lashes for bottom, black cherry lashescheeks- MAC melba blush
lips- mix of MAC creme d'nude and costa chic 

Hope you guys like it, and please send me inspirational photos and requests to filthygorgeousmakeup@gmail.com!! I love learning what inspires you and what kind of looks you would like to see :). xxx

What are you loving right now?

At the moment I am loving chocolate brown smokey eyes. They look great with any outfit and effortlessly take you from day to night. You can add glitter at the lashline, a duochrome colour (elf eye transformer) on top, or a coloured liner on the waterline for your own twist.

What are you loving right now? xxx

Saturday's OOTD

Just a quick post to share with you my outfit for Saturday night. It was my best friend's Birthday celebration dinner so a great excuse to be girlie and dress up.

When I was at uni I used to wear this ZARA dress out quite a lot as it is super simple and not too revealing. Basically it was something I threw on when I didn't know what to wear. It goes with any makeup/ hairstyle/ shoes effortlessly and can easily be dressed up with heals or down with boots and a long cardi. So, feeling undecided once again this weekend, I decided to dig it out of my ever expanding wardrobe for a night out on the town.

This time I paired it with Dorothy Perkins faux crocodile leather shoe boots, and a side ponytail with lots of volume. My bf commented that I was channeling Cheryl Cole with my bouffant. Though since he is probably the only boy in the universe who doesn't find her attractive I'm pretty sure it was not meant as a compliment. Luckily, in my world any comparisons to Cheryl make me giddy with happiness :).

I hope you all had a good weekend my lovelies, despite the horrible rain, which made me channel more drowned rat than Cheryl prancing around the streets of Picadilly. xxx

Giveaway- Perricone MD Advanced Eye Area Therapy

Dr Perricone is a clinical and research dermatologist, who believes that cellular inflammation may be the underlying cause of wrinkles. This inflammation is not the redness that is visible to the naked eye, but microscopic irritation that takes place in your cells leading to cellular damage. He believes that this inflammation is responsible for skin-related problems such as breakouts, wrinkles, and loss of firmness. Dr. Perricone’s holistic approach to aging treats this inflammation in three ways: diet, nutriceutical supplements, and his award-winning line of skin care products and cosmeceuticals, which have been featured in Oprah, Vanity Fair, and Glamour. The effects of this program are not only visible externally, but enhance your life with better health and increased energy.

Coming from a scientific background myself, I think a holistic approach that not only treats the surface imperfections, but the underlying causes of these and improves overall health is bound to have greater results. Therefore, I am happy to organise a little competition giving one of my readers a chance to win one of Dr Perricone's leading treatments- the advanced eye area therapy RRP $95.

The Advanced Eye Area Therapy is formulated with DMAE (an antioxidant membrane stabilizer) and Alpha Lipoic Acid (antioxidant) to help prevent and correct the early signs of aging that appear around the delicate eye area. It minimizes the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and puffiness, while diminishing dark circles and discoloration with Vitamin C Ester (antioxidant).

If you want more information you can check out the Perricone MD site here or watch one of their YouTube videos all about this eye therapy.

Of course, I have to be honest and say that I have not tried Perricone products for myself as I am 23 and feel it is too early for me to start using anti-ageing remedies. I will however be recommending them to my mother as the research I have done online has lead me to believe that this is an effective, innovative line. Being a scientist their philosophy makes a lot of sense to me. After all, surely we all want to treat the cause of our problems, rather than merely their symptoms?

To enter this giveaway (US only) all you have to do is leave a comment explaining why you need a product like this, and telling me about products that didn't work for you.

You have until Monday 30th November to enter. I will then pick the winner at random and message you asking for your details. I will be forwarding your address to Perricone, and they will be posting the product themselves. Once again, Perricone is only shipping to the US, sorry ladies!

Good luck my lovelies!! xxx

ASOS heads up

If you order between 2pm and 6pm from ASOS.com today you get free next day delivery.. yay!!

I'm in HD!!

Instant Highlights with Love Hair Extensions

I have been using these for a couple of weeks and really love them so far :).

My E.L.F. Studio Line Review

Rugby Hotties

Today I inocently popped popped into Selfridges to get a new NARS Laguna bronzer as currently I have been using the sad little pieces that were left after it smashed. As usual I was magnetically drawn to the shoe department and while there stumbled upon a massive queue of giggling girls. I immediately thought that it must be yet another C-list celebrity novel signing, but was surprised to find out it was in fact a signing with the English Rugby players. Like the sucker that I am I bought their calendar and joined the queue (not for myself, of course, but to get autographs for the rugby mad bf).

Although this blog is for all things girlie, I thought that I would nevertheless share some photos of the eye candy on offer. After all, who doesn't enjoy a half naked rugby player?

I am normally not a fan of wife-beater tops, but they make them look so good that I will forgive.

 

He was my fave. Those arms are crazy!

So now I am the proud owner of a 2010 rugby calendar with autographs from four of the players. I am not too sure if the bf will really appreciate a calendar full of half naked men for Christmas, maybe he can pin it up and use it as inspiration?  ;)

Who said shopping for xmas presents couldn't be fun?

ASOS Discount

Just a little heads up to all my lovely online shoppers. Until midnight today ASOS is having 10% off their entire site with the code 'SAVEFORLATER1'.

Here are some of the pieces that I may be purchasing. I would love to know your thoughts :)

 

 

Happy Christmas Shopping! xxx

Ooglemakeup

As some of you may know Gail, writer of one of my favourite blogs ooglemakeup, has had to unfortunately delete her YouTube channel due to privacy issues. However, I am very happy to say that she is back!! Wooop! You can find her on her new channel ooglemakeup here. So for great reviews, hauls and beauty musings please check her out!! :) xxx

Free Nails Inc polish w/ Glamour

 I must confess that I am not a huge fan of Nails inc polishes, not so much because of their formula, but their packaging. Maybe it is just my personal experience, but I have found that the lids of the bottles never close tightly and so the polish dries out super fast. Yesterday I even discovered that one polish, which I had previously used only twice, had actually disappeared on me, leaving behind less than half a bottle of thick, pink gloop :(. Off to the trash it went, and I was left wondering what I had spent £10 on...

However, being the sucker that I am (let's face it) I still picked up Glamour today purely for the free Nails inc polish. I decided on Victoria, a deep, dark cherry red reminiscent of the Chanel Rouge Noir craze many of us went through a few years ago.

On application the varnish was quite streaky, though I find that to be the case with most dark polishes. To get a really opaque, rich colour I would recommend applying three coats, though I am far too lazy to paint my nails five times over (base coat+3 coats polish+ topcoat= far too much work), so I stuck with two and I think the overall look is pretty good, though not entirely even. Luckily, my Seche Vite topcoat comes to the rescue of any patchy manicure as it provides a high shine masking any streakiness.

This colour does require a bit of work, but it is vampy, sexy and perfect for autumn. Now I just have to wait and see how the polish lasts. If it goes in the way of its ancestors to a sticky, dry death I shall definitely be reporting to you all :).

Has anyone else had this problem with Nails Inc polishes?

Butterfly- Beauty in the City

Today I was lucky enough to be invited to the launch of Butterfly, a new beauty boutique conveniently located in the heart of the City (a two minute walk from Bank tube station).

The idea behind the salon is very simple- modern women deserve to feel beautiful! In today's fast paced society it is becoming increasingly difficult for women to find the time to pamper themselves, so the beauty treatments in this boutique were all created with the working woman in mind. These include make-up, hairstyling, quick facials, manicures and pedicures all completed within 30 minutes and at a reasonable price.

I really think this is a great idea (and wish I had thought of it first!). If you work in London this salon is a fantastic escape from the stresses of work at lunch time, if you want to relax and treat yourself, or after work, if you are going somewhere special.

I sometimes think it is so difficult for professional women, who work so hard to be taken seriously, to also be able to express their fun and feminine side. Having worked in the City before, I can appreciate how a male dominated environment can somewhat hinder evening plans. Perhaps your colleagues would not look too kindly on you spending the best part of an hour in the office bathroom and emerging in a ball gown, or that sexy little dress you have been saving for a special date. Fortunately, the Butterfly salon offers everything you would need to prepare for your special occasion including a handy changing room.

The boutique itself is small, but beautifully decorated, with a white french boudoir feel. As well as treatments it offers a small range of jewelry, Barbara Bort Italian luxury Make-Up and organic Pure Bliss Skincare. The skincare (which was used during my make-over) is absolutely fantastic and smells delicious. I am definitely going to research this brand further!

I was lucky enough to have my make-up and hair done on arrival. Normally this would be about £40, depending on the time required for styling. The make-up artist and hair stylists were both absolutely lovely and it was an extremely enjoyable and relaxing experience. I was also pleased to see that the whole make-over was very much customer orientated. At every step the MUA was making sure I was comfortable and liked the colours and products being used. This is not the kind of salon where they force you into looks that you would never wear. If you have a specific look in mind they will do their best to re-create it and if you are stuck for ideas, you can even pick something from their Butterfly look book :).

Here is a little photo, taken about an hour after the make-over

I did not have any preference as I had nothing planned that evening, so just let the MUA play around with a little colour. I really like this look, it is always fun having someone else do your make up and seeing what they come up with!

Overall, I was really impressed with the salon and the concept behind it. As I am currently applying for jobs in that area of London I have no doubt that I shall be popping in for a quick blow dry or manicure in the near future and taking full advantage of their loyalty card scheme. If you work in the City and find it difficult to find the time to pamper yourself I would highly recommend Butterfly for a post-work treat!!

What do you guys think of a pit stop style salon? Have you seen any in your area?

Halloween

In case you were wondering what I was for Halloween...

a playboy bunny! More accurately Bridgette (she is my favourite).

 

Guess which pumpkin I made ;).

Hope you all had a lovely Halloween weekend :) xxx

That's Berry Daring

I love this OPI colour- That's Berry Daring. The formula is super smooth to apply, the colour is rich and it lasts well. Although it is a creamy formula, it has a slight blue iridescence, which makes it more interesting than your standard hot pink.

I get mine from www.beauty4nails-body.co.uk. This is a fantastic site as it stocks a wide range of polishes including OPI, Essie, Zoya, China glaze and Orly for a great price! Most importantly the swatches on the website are very true to colour, which I often find is not the case with some sites or ebay.