Christmas Gift List

This is the first in the series of my Christmas Gift Guide and I think it has a little something for everyone!

Christmas Gift List

Which item would be your perfect Christmas gift? xxx

Clinique Chubby Sticks

Clinique Chubby Sticks are a really fun moisturising lip balm that give your lips a soft wash of colour. They are available in a great variety of shades and I was lucky enough to pick my top 3 at this week's Clinique cocktail party.

 Top to bottom and left to right: 14 curvy candy, 06 woppin watermelon, 15 pudgy peony.

As you can see the original chubby sticks are pretty sheer and while giving lots of moisture and shine they are not overly buildable in colour. As a lip balm they work perfectly for daytime wear and the crayon shape makes them effortless to apply, even without a mirror.

Being a lover of strong lip colour I am really excited to see that Clinique have now also launched an 'intense' version.

 This stunning red is 06 roomiest rose.

Even though my lips are pretty pigmented you can see that the chubby stick intense lives up to its name delivering an intense burst of colour. The texture of this lipstick is a little thicker than the original giving the lips a matte finish.

The original chubby stick can be found here for £16.

 

Are you a fan of Clinique's Chubby Sticks? Which is your favourite formulation? Which of the shades would you recommend?
 xxx

Things I am currently loving!

With work, exam revision, a videoshoot to prepare for and a wedding this weekend I am desperately trying to get some blog posts up for you guys in between! However, with time falling short I thought I would do a little favourites post of things I am currently loving.

Carmex Moisture Plus Lipbalm (£4.49)

This lipbalm is inexpensive and easy to use while on the go. It gives lips a glossy finish with a hint of colour and a shot of moisture. It also has vitamin E and SPF 15 to protect the lips and keep them soft. Yum!

Rituals Under a Fig Tree Fragrance Sticks (£21.50)

I am not usually a lover of fig scents, but these fragrance sticks give the room a subtle wonderfully delicious, juicy fragrance that is fresh and comforting all at once.

Jo Malone Rosewater and Vanilla Cologne Intense (£95)

This fragrance is probably an acquired taste, but I am completely obsessed with it. Rose Water and comforting vanilla are enriched with a succulent bite of rose loukoum. 'A tempting and addictive fragrance'... they certainly got the addictive part right, though given the price tag I won't be bathing in it anytime soon!

Philip B Oud Royal Shampoo and Conditioner

This is an intensive hydrating duo that leaves my hair silky soft, smooth, light and buoyant. Once again given the price tag I only use this once a week or as a treat, but you can definitely see the difference even after just one wash.

Peplums

I absolutely adore peplums and am keeping my fingers crossed that they never go out of style as I have purchased numerous tops, dresses, jumpers and jackets with peplum detailing. It's extremely flattering, easy to wear and gives that amazing exaggerated waist silhouette that I lust after. However, if you are feeling a little hesitant about diving into this trend I highly recommend checking out this nifty little leather peplum belt that will look beautiful teamed with... well anything!

Hobbs Marissa Peplum Belt (£99)

Zaggora Hot Pants (£50)

I was recently sent a pair of Zaggoras to try and they have become a workout staple, so much so that they are making tri-weekly turns in the washing machine. I can't comment on their exact weightloss properties, but they sure do make you sweat (in places I didn't know I could). They are great to wear when doing aerobic exercise and are flexible and comfortable enough to join you on a run, cycle or even dance class. They are a little pricey, but having worn both the viva and original hot pants styles I can equally recommend both. Personally I think the shorter style is just as good and is a more purse friendly £30 here.

Denman Be-Bop Massage Brush (£2.87)

I love my tangle teezer, but sometimes my hair is so knotty that I lose patience. After discovering this amazing little brush from Denman that can be used in the shower I have cut minutes from my routine, and not just any minutes... tangled, frustrating minutes of pain. There are lots of ways to use this little beauty, but my preference is to run it through my hair while I'm rinsing out the conditioner. This makes detangling an absoute breeze for kids and big kids alike ;).

What are the products you are currently loving? I would love to know! xxx

Sweet Boutique - Revlon Lip Butter Giveaway

Revlon's lovely Lip Butters have been sweeping the beauty blogs over the last few months and are fast becoming the most popular lip product of the Summer! If you haven't been tempted to purchase yet (I have) this may be your chance. The sweet Boutique is open for business and Revlon will be giving away 100 Lip Butters every day.

The Sweet Boutique can be found on Facebook here and will be offering the chance to win a different colour every day during its opening hours 8am to 11pm. The Lip butter giveaway is now open and will last until the 26th of June when a special 3-day prize draw to win the whole collection will be launched.

For your chance to win Lip Butter shades at the Sweet Boutique you can submit your details here.
Or if you are too impatient to wait you can view and purchase the full range of shades (£7.99) here.

FOTD: 10 Mins Going Out Makeup

When in a rush I usually go for fail safe combo of bright lips and neutral eyes. This whole look took about 10 minutes, which I think is pretty speedy... though I have no doubt the bf would disagree ;).

With my amazing new Boudoir lashes (review coming soon) all I had to do was add a flick of L'Oreal carbon gloss eyeliner and a tiny amount of MAC's Phloof in the inner corners to open up my eyes.

I then used a small amount of MUA's Hot Lips lip balm on my cheeks (multi tasking) and mixed a red Eyeko lipstick with MAC's cool toned gladiola to create a statement. I find that mixing colours and layering up different textures of lip products ensures that your colour stays put all night!

What are you fail safe makeup choices? What products do you rely on to get ready in a hurry? xxx

Revlon Lip Butter - Strawberry Shortcake

I know that the Revlon Lip Butters have been reviewed by a myriad of blogs, but having recently purchased one (slow on the uptake...) I thought that I would show you some swatches of my favourite shade - Strawberry Shortcake (080).

The lip butters have a lovely, creamy texture and give a subtle colour to the lips.

If you have quite pigmented lips you can build the colour up with a few coats, but I wouldn't say that it is overly buildable as it is very glossy and smooth.

As much as I enjoy the light texture, effortless application and hydrating properties of these lip butters I can't say that I share the huge amounts of enthusiasm expressed when these are mentioned. Perhaps the hype has set the bar too high, but if I am completely honest I actually prefer the 17 Mirror Shine Lipsticks as they are just as smooth, but are slightly more opaque and longer wearing. This lip butter has made it into my handbag as the colour is so easy to wear and very versatile, but I doubt I will be repurchasing it when it runs out as I just don't find it that unique!

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters are £7.99 here and available in a great selection of colours.

Are you a fan of the Revlon Lip Butters? What are your favourite shades? xxx

Happy Birthday Lipcote!

The beloved classic that is Lipcote is celebrating it's 50th birthday!

Now, I must confess that I haven't worn Lipcote in about 5 years, in fact the last photo I can find is circa 2006 below ;).

I recall it working brilliantly and keeping my lipstick in place all night without any bleeding or fading, however it did dry my lips out (a lot). Having worn it all day today I am surprised to say that my lips are not as parched as I would have expected! I do think the formulation has improved, it's not as tingly as I recall and it has a pleasant new vanilla scent.

To celebrate 50 years of Lipcote the HPM bloggers were invited to a 'virtual twitter party' this evening. Personally, I thought this was a good idea as it allows those outside of London get involved without the hassle and expense of having to travel in for an event.

As I am currently sitting glamorously on my sofa in pjs I decided to make a little effort and create my own unique shade of lipstick using an array of different lip colours.

I topped my custom made shade with a thin layer of Lipcote, which gave the lipstick a satin finish.

At just £3.49 Lipcote is an affordable essential for the party season to keep your berries, plums and vintage reds in place under the mistletoe. I wouldn't recommend it for use every day as coupled with the cold weather it will make your lips dehydrated, but it's perfect for special occasions when you need your lips to be picture perfect and kiss proof all night!

Lipcote is available from selected pharmacies including Boots and Superdrug.

Are you a fan of Lipcote? Do you use any products to promote the longevity of your lipsticks? Do you have any tips for making lipstick last longer? What's your go to shade this party season? xxx

** This is a sponsored post. All views and opinions are my own, as always.**

Eve's Kiss from Rituals

Being blessed with a fairly substantial sized pout I have always had chronically dry lips. I am constantly reapplying balms, lipsticks and glosses in an attempt to keep them hydrated and am always on the look out for new products that will help to condition my lips. I was therefore excited to try the new lip treatment from Rituals - Eve's Kiss.

Eve's Kiss promises to be a long lasting, moisturising treatment that soothes and protects with SPF 8. This treatment has a beautiful creamy finish and a delicious, subtle apple scent. Although it is a little thicker than your average gloss or balm it is not at all sticky and feels very silky on the lips. With extracts of Karite (shea butter) it works hard to hydrate the lips and lasts for a respectable length of time. The packaging is also super handy as it's quick and hygienic to apply on the go. There's nothing worse than sticking dirty fingers into pots, especially if you have false nails, yuck! The applicator is angled perfectly and cut very flat so it's easy to spread an even layer (I find some of the rounder ones a bit more tricky to use as they can smear the product).

I have been so enthusiastic about Eve's Kiss that I have been using it as an overnight treatment as well as a gloss during the day. Any lip products that make it into my handbag should be very proud of themselves ;). It's great to use on it's own or over lipsticks as it gives a beautiful, long lasting shine.

As this product was sent to me for review I wasn't sure of its price point, and after using it for a few days was convinced that it would probably be a little more pricey that I would like, however after checking out the Rituals website I was thrilled to see that it was only £4.90 - not bad for 15ml! You can also find it in John Lewis here.

Have you tried any Rituals products? What are your favourite lip treatments? xxx