Review | Real Techniques LE Duo-Fibre Brushes!

Hello, beauties!

Everyone and their mother has heard of Real Techniques brushes - heck, even Simon Cowell's make-up artist uses them, so I'm not going to bang on about how flippin' excellent they are, because we all know that already.

Today's post is about the newest three to be released by the cult brand; sadly, these are not part of the permanent collection, so you'll have to snap them up quickly! The set comes with three duo-fibre brushes - the main purpose of these is to prevent the oh-too-easy problem of picking up too much product. I'm sure we've all been there with a bright blusher or eyeshadow that was darker than we first anticipated, only to end up looking like a clown and hurriedly searching for some make-up remover. Am I right?

The first of the three brushes, and the one that I've used non-stop since opening these is the 'Duo-Fibre Face Brush'. It's absolutely perfect for powder, and would work well with mineral foundations too. I've loved using this with my Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder; it picks up just the right amount to still leave the skin dewy - I'm not a fan of a matte finish!

The second is the 'Duo-Fibre Contour Brush'. As a huge fan of the original Contour Brush from the Core Collection, I was really keen to see how this matched up. It is a different shape, granted, but works particularly well for me with highly pigmented blushers, like the one from my latest Illamasqua review here. Again, it doesn't pick up too much product, so is absolutely perfect for make-up with a higher pigment level.

The last brush in the set is the 'Duo-Fibre Eye Brush', which is quite similar in shape to a MAC 224. It's great for those days when you want a smokey eye, that's not too smokey - do you get me? Or if you're using a particularly highly-pigmented shadow and you don't want to end up looking like you've stepped out of a drag act in Soho. This also saves the issue of needing more than one brush to blend a darker shadow colour, as it only picks up a small amount to start with - see, it even saves on the washing up!

I love these new Real Techniques brushes, and am so glad to have added them to my ever-growing brush collection! I bought mine from iHerb.com, which are an American company, but I believe they'll be heading to bigger Boots stores very soon for all you UK bloggers!

Lots of love,

Review | Victorinox 'Victoria' Fragrance!

Hello, lovelies!

Now, until recently I'd never heard of the brand Victorinox, and I'm sure you haven't either. Interesting fact: they are the manufacturers of the Swiss Army knife, and they've also branched out into fragrances. A weird combination, I know. Nonetheless, this fragrance is absolutely beautiful, so I think we can forgive them for that.

Victorinox Swiss Army 'Victoria' Perfume, £51.00/100 ml (*)

Described as "the perfect companion for everyday life", Victoria's main notes are freesia, plum and blackcurrant. It sounds like a bit of a strange combination, but once spritzed, the middle and base notes of sandalwood, cedar and white musk (to name but a few) really come into their own. I was told by a Chanel parfumiere never to rub your wrists together when you apply perfume, as you crush all the notes together. Fragrances are made with the intention of the notes coming through at different stages: the top notes are what first hit, then the middle, and then the base notes round the fragrance together, which is why your perfume smells slightly differently at the end of the day than at the beginning.

Spritz and leave, girls, spritz and leave.

This perfume smells absolutely beautiful from start to finish; on first application, it lasted all day and I could still smell it the next morning. I've been wearing it every day since - move over Marc Jacobs, I might just have a new favourite! The bottle isn't the most beautiful in my collection, but I think that the design looks lovely when it catches the light. The edelweiss and laurel pattern actually mirrors that of the highest grades of the Swiss Army, classy! I'm actually allergic to some fragrance ingredients (don't ask me, because I don't know what they are, but I get a nasty rash from certain ones!), but I was so glad not to have been affected by this one, as I would have had to give it away! All the more for me, eh?

As the brand does make Swiss Army knives, it was only right that their Travalo-style portable holder was shaped like one. It even has a mini pair of tweezers and a thing that I can only assume is for cleaning nails/pushing back cuticles. It's super cute, nonetheless. The design on the bottle is repeated on the portable one too, it's simple but effective! I love having a handbag-friendly perfume, and I will always know that my Victoria is in the Swiss Army case, so it's practical too.

The lovely people at Victorinox have created a micro site, where you can receive a sample of the fragrance to try - it's not available in a majority of shops, so this is the best place to try it. To get the free sample, you have to create a virtual bouquet of flowers, which gets made into a postcard and sent to a person of your choice - neat, huh? You can obviously send it to yourself too, if you'd like. The postcard is sent alongside the sample, two for the price of one! 

Have you ever tried a Victorinox fragrance? I'd definitely give them another go!

Lots of love,

Haul | Forever 21, Oasis & Accessorize Jewellery!

Hello, girlies!

I've had a bit of a jewellery spending spree recently; my hair is now a lot longer than it used to be, so I wanted some nice longer earrings as I feel like I can pull them off a bit more now. But obviously, I happen to have picked up a couple of other things along the way.

My first port of call was Forever 21. I love their jewellery, there's always something in there that I know I'm going to like, and it's also pretty good value for money as well. My favourite piece was this mint green statement necklace; I wore it on the Selfridges Beauty Night (here) and got a lot of comments about it. It's great for jazzing up a fairly boring outfit, and is a perfect Spring/Summer colour. 

The second item I got from Forever 21 is this long pearl necklace. I wear quite a lot of dresses, and wanted something simple yet pretty to pair with them. It was a bit too long for me to capture effectively with my camera, but this necklace has three strings of pearls, with a smaller set at the top, followed by a break before the larger set at the bottom. It goes perfectly with shirt dresses, as it tucks nicely under the collar. 

I only bought one thing from Oasis, and that was this lovely pair of earrings. I never really look in Oasis at all, but I needed to get some office wear, so I was just wandering around when I spotted these. I love them paired with a simple black dress and sleek, blow-dried hair. They're perfect for going day-to-night as well thanks to the simple design.

And finally, to Accessorize. I rarely buy jewellery in here very often either, but I'm always a fan of their 'black and gold' stand, so I popped in to have a look. The first thing I picked up was this collection of bracelets, which I absolutely love. Three of them have those rope ties where you pull the ends to make the bracelet bigger/smaller, and one of them is elasticated. They're so summery and gorgeous, and I think they look pretty snazzy with my watch! The different textures and colours mean that you can wear them together, without them looking like you've deliberately co-ordinated them too (even though we all know that you have).

The last things I bought in Accessorize were two pairs of earrings. They're very different in style - one being called 'Pretty Princess' with a jewelled chandelier effect, and the other being quite a bold rose gold Navajo-style design. I tend to mix and match with what I wear, so both of these go with my day-to-day look - although I have to say, the triangular ones are quite heavy after a few hours of wear! I like that I'm branching out and embracing drop-earrings now, I've missed them for so long!

Lots of love,

Review | Illamasqua Blush in 'Ambition' & 'Lies'

Hey, beauties!

Today's post is about the latest two additions to my collection - Illamasqua blushers. I bought 'Lover' last year after being matched up for a Skin Base, and have got so much use out of it since. When Amy and I were at the Selfridges event last week, I decided to use my £10 ticket to redeem against two more.

I bought their powder blusher in 'Ambition', and their cream blusher in 'Lies'. 'Ambition' is a very highly pigmented dusky pink, with a subtle silver glitter shot through. Think NARS' 'Orgasm', but more cool-toned. 'Lies' is a beautiful highlighter, it's a baby pink that really shimmers in the light.

I really like these two together; I usually immediately go for coral/peach tones for my cheeks with a similarly toned highlighter, so it's nice to go for something a bit different. You really don't need a lot  - a tap of the brush goes a long way with Illamasqua powder blushes, so they'll last you a very long time.

Have any of you tried Illamasqua blushers? I'm really looking forward to trying more Illamasqua products; they're becoming my newest make-up addiction!

Lots of love,

Collection | Dior 'Birds of Paradise'!

Hey, beautiful ladies & gents!

Today's post is all about the beautiful new Dior collection, 'Birds of Paradise'. Debuting in the UK in Selfridges this Friday (May 17th), it will be available on all Dior counters soon after that. Taking inspiration from their beautiful plumage, Dior have used tropically exotic colours to create a really beautiful summer collection.

Peacock colours feature heavily in both the eyeshadow palettes and nail polishes, with iridescent colours perfect for being in the sunshine. The idea behind the collection is a 'day to night' feel, looking like you've stepped off a beach at any time of day. Their cult classic BB Cream (reviewed here) has been intensified with a 'tan beautifier' molecule, adding a sunkissed glow and enhancing already-tanned skin. It has SPF 15, so is excellent when you're out and about in the sunshine - but watch out for flashback in photographs!

Their 'NUDE' range has also been added to with the Nude Tan Paradise Blush duo, in two colours - Pink Glow, and the one I'm lusting after, Coral Glow (pictured below). It acts as a bronzer-blusher duo, with two lighter shades and two darker ones to create a custom bronzed look.

The lip products for this collection come in the form of another cult product - Dior Addict Lip Maximizer, in a gorgeous apricot colour. There are also Jelly Lip Pens, possibly a rival to the ever-popular Clinique Chubby Sticks, in a range of summery colours.

Personally, I cannot wait to have a peek at this collection in person. The colours are summery and gorgeous and - dare I coin the Cheryl Cole phrase - "right up my street". Definitely adding some to my birthday wishlist! Hint hint friends & family.

Lots of love,