Dottie Ps Sale

Every shopping trip at this time of year begins with good intentions of buying presents for your loved ones, but if instead you find yourself returning home with bags full of gifts for yourself don't feel bad. You deserve a treat too!

Guilt free shopping is now available at Dorothy Perkins as they are holding a sale with 30% OFF across the site. No codes needed as discounts will be automatically calculated at checkout from tomorrow Wednesday 1^st December to Friday 5^th December.  I'm nothing if not an enabler ;).

 

Black and white structured dress

I am loving this dress and am always tempted by their shoesssssss :). Do you have any favourites from Dottie P's? xxx

Winter Skin Woes and Miracles

Having spent the majority of the weekend flopped under a blanket cuddling a big box of Kleenex, and the entirety of Monday at work dreaming about hiding under said blanket I think it is fair to say that I am miserably ill. As everyone relishes telling me, whether to prove themselves very observant, or simply point out that I'm a bit pathetic, I get ill a lot! If someone even thinks about sneezing on me on the tube I can pretty much tell that.. yup there you have it...

No surprises really as I was always a sickly kid, nothing debilitating, so I shouldn't really complain, but it is nevertheless annoying. Especially as I seem to be the only person (well, the only person I have ever met) who is allergic to paracetamol, which is conveniently found in every single cold/ flu medicine, so I have to go it 'cold' turkey. I won't even begin to tell you what happened the last time I sneaked a lemsip past the bf in desperation...

I will now stop feeling sorry for myself and get to the point of this post. As I am currently burning at approximately 15 million degrees Celsius (same as the Sun's core) my skin is getting horribly dry, flakey and chapped. So I thought this would be an appropriate time to tell you about my winter/ lurgy skin saviour.

Meet Embryolisse 24 hour miracle cream. I was curious about Embryolisse and the hype surrounding it, as it is always being praised by MUAs, but I never thought it would work so well for me.

 

This deeply hydrating, yet gentle cream has soothed my skin and really helped reduce inflamation. What I love about it is that it really moisturises, without feeling greasy and immediately softens tight skin leaving it feeling comfortable. Packed full of effective ingredients such as shea butter, beeswax and aloe vera while being paraben free it does exactly what it sets out to do. When your skin is extremely sensitive you want something simple and effective and as this has no scent it really calms irritation at a time when I find my regular creams (Liz Earle, Origins, even Nivea) actually sting. This is especially true around the nose, where the skin can be particularly raw - this is the only cream (apart from EA 8 hour) that I can apply to this area without feeling the burn and it has really helped as an overnight treatment.

If you have sensitive skin prone to dryness I highly recommend this cream. I was sent a sample of it to try, but I will definitely be purchasing a tube as it has worked absolute wonders at my time of need. Plus let's face it, in a few weeks time I will be back in bed cursing my flakey nose lol.

Although Embryolisse is widely available in Europe it is a notorious pain to find in the UK. Luckily Cocobeau now stock a range of Embryolisse products and the 24 Hour Miracle Cream is available  here priced at £10 for 30ml and £16 for 75ml.

Let me know if you have tried this miracle cream and if you recommend any other Embryolisse products. I am impressed so far and am keen to try more of the range :). xxx

Sparkle with Sleek

As you all know I am a big fan of Sleek palettes, so when their newest creation popped through my letter box I couldn't wait to start swatching away!

From the chilly packaging I was expecting lots of the usual winter colours with a frosted finish (greys, blacks, silvers, blues) however this palette is so much more versatile than that with its great range of colours bursting with sparkle!

Aren't they pretty! 

As with all sleek shadows these are lovely and pigmented, and as the above swatches show, just one (albeit generous) swipe with no base provides a great intensity of colour. The gold and the silver have a smooth frosty finish, while the black in the top row is matte, which will be great for balancing crease work or a smokey eye. The rest of the colours are bursting with glitter. Though I wouldn't say the glitter was 'chunky' in the same way as some Urban Decay shadows (think midnight cowboy), it is definitely glitter as opposed to shimmer or a hint of sparkle. This can mean that these shadows have some visible fall out, so be sure to apply your eye makeup first before concealer/ foundation, use a sticky base (even eyeliner will help) and pat rather than sweep them on to the eyelid.

Just to perform some quality control and make sure that the glitter ran all the way through the shadow I had a good dig down to the pan, and yes it's just as sparkly at the bottom ;). So many brands have been bringing out products with a glittery over-spray that rubs off after a few uses, so I was impressed to see that Sleek didn't follow the trend.

I really do think these are absolutely gorgeous, even if you are afraid of sparkle these can be used subtly to accent the eye, and what better time than the Christmas season! If Dannii Minogue is anyone to go by she has shown us all that you can wear glitter, even at 39, and look spectacular ;).

At £5.99 for 12 shadows I'm sure these won't be around for long so I would encourage haste if you don't want to miss out! Sleek Makeup can be found in your local Superdrug or online here.

Have you tried any Sleek palettes? Which are your favourites and will you be eyeing the Sparkle palette up for a stocking filler or a pre-xmas party treat for yourself? xxx

Liptastik ;)

I am sure you have all noticed my recent love affair with bright lips, but as a girl always on the go I don't always have the time to create a perfect statement lip. I have therefore been really impressed by the new Eyeko Liptastik Glossy Lip Pens as they work as a liner, lipstick and gloss in one.

These really do make lipstick application effortless by giving you more control over placement of product. As my makeup has been all about multi-tasking the last two weekends Loud Mouth (the fuchsia pink) has been a permanent resident in my bag for speedy application on the tube ;).

On the left we have Lip Lover - a vibrant, warm red and on the right is Loudmouth - a bright, blue based pink. Unlike similar 'crayon' style lippies these do not need sharpening as the base twists pushing the product up, just like a regular lipstick.

 

Lip Lover

Loudmouth

As you can see these lip crayons have fantastic pigmentation and a beautifully glossy finish. They feel comfortable on the lips and not too drying, while being long lasting.

The Eyeko Liptastik pens retail at £6.50 and can be found on the Eyeko site here. I highly recommend them if you are looking for an easy way to create a beautiful, statement lip. I do hope they bring out more colours!

Sugababes fragrances winners

Thank you all so much for entering my latest giveaway! As promised we have three winners each receiving one of the new Sugababes fragrances.

The winner of Touch is the lovely Emily Charlotte

The winner of Tease is the gorgeous  Ulaaa

The winner of Tempt is the beautiful Lyndsay 

Congratulations my darlings! Please e-mail me with your details so I can get your prizes sent out to you ASAP. xxx

Party in Purple

It's getting dark at 4pm, the streets are full of twinkling lights and Starbucks are serving Eggnog Lattes. This can only mean one thing.. I will gain three stone in the next few weeks by comfort eating, hiding indoors under a blanket and drinking copious amounts of said lattes? Yup.. it's time to get into the Christmas spirit. So to help you all along this morning I uploaded my first Christmas tutorial.


I was inspired by the L'ancome winter collection to create this look. I love the frosty combination of colours and the subtle pairing of the peach lip with the vibrant purple eye.

I also wanted to show that you don't have to purchase the products used in promotional photos and used a mix of brands including Dior, YSL, Guerlain and Benefit to recreate this L'ancome look. The key element was of course the Guerlain eyeshadow palette. I think this palette would make a beautiful gift! The only thing I dislike about it is the 'overspray' on the pink and frosty cream shadows as it's a slightly different colour to the shadow underneath... it's a little deceptive, but not really a deal breaker ;).

To start the Festive season in style and as a thank you for watching my videos Strawberrynet are also kindly offering each of my readers an exclusive *free gift* of Stila High Shine Lip Color # 14 Darby with every purchase over US$25. This would be a lovely colour for the look above, as it is neutral, but not too pale.

To receive your free gift just click here to go to the strawberrynet site and the Stila lip colour will be added automatically at checkout :).

I hope you enjoy the first of many Christmas tutorials to come! xxx

Glitter at Kensington Roof Gardens

Last weekend one of my best friends was celebrating her Birthday so we headed out for girlie cocktails and dancing to Kensington Roof Gardens. It was a fantastic night, so I just wanted to share my outfit and makeup with you :).

I feel I seldom leave the comfort of my sofa on the weekends anymore. It's funny really because while at uni I used to go clubbing 4-5 nights a week, but now I'm lucky if it's twice a month lol. Most of the time I am so shattered from work that curling up in front of X-Factor with a takeaway denotes a fun Saturday night. As my bf assured me while we were desperately searching the Clapham streets for a cab at 4am last night "We're not old yet darling...".

This gorgeous antique gold and black dress is from H&M at an incredible £29.99. It is already sold out on the website, and most of the popular sizes were sold out in store (I had to buy one two sizes up from the usual, hence the belt holding it up lol).

 

To add some volume and bounce to my hair I used Babyliss heated rollers and a Corioliss flat iron to smooth the front sections.

For the skin I used:

Maybelline Superstay Silky foundation

Bobbi Brown creamy concealer

Nars Laguna bronzer

ELF Peachy Keen blush

MAC MSF Soft and Gentle.

 For the shimmering eyes:

UDPP

MAC Reflects Antique Gold glitter 

MAC Espresso, Bronze and Carbon Eyeshadows

L'Oreal Carbon Gloss Liner

Lashes from Lash Royalty

If you want to see how I created this makeup you can find the tutorial for a very similar look below. Just add some black in the outer corners and some light peachy lips :).

I hope you all had a great weekend my lovelies. Do let me know what you think of the glitter!?! xxx

FOTD and Lip Combo

When my complexion is not looking its best after a few too many late nights I like to perk it up a little with an injection of colour on the lips and cheeks, while keeping the eyes neutral and effortless. Since I have been feeling very tired all week I have absolutely loved this lip combination as it's so quick to do in the mornings and really brightens the face.

 For this look I used:

Mix of Make Up For Ever HD and Dior Forever foundation

Bobbi Brown Creamy concealer (for the big carrier bags under my eyes lol)

MAC MSF Natural

MAC peachy keen blush

NARS laguna Bronzer

MAC all that glitters e/s all over the lid

L'Oreal Carbon gloss liquid liner

L'ancome Hypnose mascara

For the lips I used MAC Viva Glam Gaga topped with Revlon's lip gloss in Coral Reef (170). I love mixing the light bubblegum pink of MAC's Gaga with the vibrant peach of Coral Reef to create a perfect peachy pink that is vibrant enough to lift the face, but still natural enough to be appropriate for work.

What are your favourite lip combos at the moment? I am keen to use my ever growing stash of lipsticks and glosses to create new, unique colours so I would love to hear your recommendations! xxx

Secret Sales Discount

Just a quickie as I'm not too speedy at typing on my phone... Secretsales.com are offering an extra 25% off all orders today across their site.

All you have to do is enter the voucher code TWENTY5 at checkout to receive your discount.

I just purchased some beautiful scented candles at almost a third of their retail price so I highly recommend u check it out :). Xxx

Candy Covers from Les Tai Tai

Les Tai Tai, the creators of the Model Mirror, have recently launched their new line of products - Candy Covers and Deco Deluxe to personalise and add a little 'bling' to your phone. You all know that I love a little bit of sparkle so I was more than happy to test one of these new phone covers and see if it can really survive all the stresses my phone endures whilst rattling around in my bag.

My iPhone 4 has been wearing the Eden Candy Cover for just over 4 weeks and attracting many admiring, as well as curious glances in the process. I am happy to report that not only has the cover protected my phone from the multitude of drops and grazes I have subjected it to, it has also remained perfectly in tact. The adhesive used must be very strong, as even with my keys and all sorts of other sharp items doing their best to dislodge the crystals only one small black jewel has come off, as you can see in the photo below.

The covers do add some weight to your phone, but not excessively so as they are not bulky. They are also shaped well so they are easy to pop on and remove, and none of the crystals block the functioning parts such as the camera, or the buttons on the sides. The only thing I can think to criticize about this particular cover is the fact that the reflective film behind the crystals does not cover the whole back of the phone. This is only a very minor point, as I only noticed it when I took the photos above and looking at the pictures for the other covers on the website this doesn't seem to be an issue, as it only features in the Eden design.

If you fancy yourself a little more creative you can also order a Deco Deluxe set, which contains all the decorative pieces needed to fashion your own, personalised phone cover. One of my favourite sets is the Chloe Fashion Parts - vintage inspired, feminine and so very cute!

Another super girlie cover is the ready made Kala, which you can find here.

At £20 for the Candy Covers and £15 for the Deco Deluxe fashion parts these won't break the bank and would make a lovely gift. So many of my friends have been asking me where they can get similar covers so I have no doubt that these will be just as popular as the model mirrors! 

What do you think of Les Tai Tai's new Candy Covers? Are you tempted to add a little bit of bling to your phone? Which is your favourite design? xxx

BrandAlley Bargains!

Brand Alley is one of my absolute favourite discount sites and warrants my attention on a daily basis. They always have great sales on a range of luxury brands from Juicy Couture to Hobbs. Currently they are having a Beauty Gift Boutique sale featuring NYX, OPI and Murad, all of which would make fantastic Christmas presents or stocking fillers. My favourites include:

NYX Makeup Box £9.00 

(RRP £19.95(-54%))

OPI minis and bag £18.00 

(RRP £45.00(-60%))

 Murad Blemish Complex Kit £30.00

 (RRP £60.00(-50%)) 

 One for the boys too ;) - Murad Man Essentials Collection £34.50 

(RRP £48.45(-28%))

 You can find Brand Alley here or click here to go straight to the Beauty Gift Boutique page.

Have you ever purchased anything from Brand Alley? I highly recommend them as they have a great variety of brands and good delivery times, as well as packaging and presentation. I am currently anticipating some dresses that I ordered. I always see deliveries as presents - they never fail to brighten a long work day ;). 

Will you be secretly purchasing any discount gifts this Christmas to make your budget stretch that little bit further? xxx

Woooo, Swish, Whizzzzzzz

On Saturday night I braved the cold and trundled down to Battersea in my wellies to watch the fireworks display. The fireworks were so lovely I just had to share some pretty pictures with you all. Let's call it makeup inspiration ;).

 

Woop! Woop!

I hope you enjoyed the piccies! Did you get a chance to see the fireworks this weekend? xxx

Win a Sugababes fragrance!!

I am sure you're already aware of the recently launched trio of Sugababes fragrances - Tempt, Tease and Touch, which have been popping up all over blogs. I was kindly given the chance to review these perfumes and hold a giveaway for you, my lovely readers, in celebration of the launch.

Tempt landed on my doormat this week and I have been generously spritzing it ever since ;).Although I prefer eccentric and intricate designs, I do like the minimal, sleek black bottle it comes in. The fragrance is described as a vigorous, fruity floral bursting with zesty iced tea, purple orchid, vanilla, rose and musk.

I chose this one because I adore warm scents with base notes of vanilla and I can definitely detect the musk and vanilla, as well as some sweet berries. I would say this is a perfume for the younger girl as it is very sweet and youthful. It wears well, and I actually prefer the scent when it has faded a little as it mellows and blends.

If you are interested in trying one of these fragrances now is your chance, as I will be giving away one of each - Tease, Tempt and Touch. To enter all you have to do is leave a comment below telling me which fragrance you would like to receive. This competition will run for two weeks, so I will be randomly choosing three winners on the 21st of November. Entries from my UK only lovelies please this time.

To find out more information about these fragrances, as well as exclusive videos and updates from the girls, you can find their official Facebook page here :).

Good Luck my lovelies!! xxx

Oooh win with feelunique.com

Just a quickie to let you all know about a competition currently being hosted by feelunique. To celebrate the site's 5th Birthday they are giving away £1000’s worth of guilt free shopping everyday from 27 October to 14 November. 

All you have to do is click ‘like’ on their Facebook page here, complete the entry form and within 24 hours you will be emailed your prize and details of how to claim. Daily prizes include a £250 voucher and lots of incredible site wide discounts - so everyone wins something! 

I have already entered and am waiting to see what my prize will be... if it is a discount I have already planned my purchases and Bare Minerals Matte is first on the list. Fingers crossed for that £250 gift voucher ;).

           
           

Give a Real Gift this Christmas

With the days getting colder and the evenings darker we are all starting to get into the Christmas mood. I have already started planning gifts for my friends and family, so when an e-mail about Christmas presents of a different kind dropped into my inbox today I felt compelled to post about it.

The International Rescue Committee is offering gifts that your dearest will love while making a real difference to the lives of refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At the IRC store, you can purchase critical items for those in need in honor of your loved ones. The IRC will even send recipients a beautiful personalized card in your name.

They offer a great selection of gifts ranging in price from $18 to $5,000. 


For $20 you can provide a child with a backpack of school supplies, which will aid the poorest children in continuing their education. 

While for $52 you can provide a year of school. In Afghanistan, girls’ education has traditionally been undervalued and restricted – during the Taliban era it was outlawed entirely. Yet educating girls expands economic opportunities for themselves and their families. Your gift can provide hope and promise to an Afghan girl.

For expecting mothers who must give birth in the wake of crisis, there may be few medical resources to adequately support them. Your gift can provide essential items such as blankets and clothing to ensure a safe birth for a child born in a crisis zone for just $24.

If you wish you can also make a single donation, or set up a regular donation. This organisation really does strive to help people and reassuringly 90% of their income is spent directly on helping those in need (4% is spent on fundraising and 6% on management and general admin). Please do have a look at this website whether you are in the US or the UK. I think a donation makes a wonderful Christmas present and would feel honoured if someone made a donation in my name.

If you have particular recommendations for similar charities please leave them in the comments below. Thank you my lovelies! xxx