Friday 28 December 2012

Chanel Lipstick Review

Rouge Coco in #40 Charme

Rouge Coco Shine in #56 Chance
From Left to Right: Rouge Coco Shine in Chance, Rouge Coco in Charme
 Hi there!
I thought it was time for another lipstick review, which are my favourite posts to write! Above are the two Chanel lipsticks that I own. I decided to go for two really gorgeous everyday colours for both as they are pretty pricey, which meant that I wanted to make sure I could wear them any occasion. The packaging of both lipsticks is the classic Chanel Black and Gold, which looks classy and sophisticated. 

Rouge Coco "Hydrating Creme Lip Colour" in #40 Charme 

This lipstick has a lovely creamy texture on application. It provides comfort all day round, and while I would say it is not very glossy, it is still very hydrating, and does not show any dry skin on your lips. It also has very subtle flecks of glitter which adds a lovely shine. 

Rouge Coco Shine "Hydrating Sheer Lipshine" in #56 Chance

Unlike the Rouge Coco, the formula of this lipstick is very sheer. It feels a lot more like a gloss, which does come with the inevitable downfall that it does not last as long. However, the colour is absolutely gorgeous and it feels very intensely moisturising, quite like a balm. It is extremely soft on the lips, and looks very natural.

Which do you prefer?

Catriona
x x x

Thursday 27 December 2012

Christmas Pressie Haul 2012

Our Advent Candle
Canon SX50 HS
Lush Solid Shampoo Bars and Conditioner from my Brother
Cath Kidston Satchel
Rapid White Tooth Whitening Strips - can't wait to try these out.
From Left to Right: "Candy" By Prada, 212 VIP for her, 212 VIP Body Lotion
Pandora Charm - A really cute Frog from my Sister
I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas!

Here are some of the presents I received from my amazing family. I have been truly spoilt this year, the biggest present undeniably being the Canon SX50 HS Camera, I couldn't believe it! I've never had a proper camera before so these last few days I've spent time playing around with the features. What I am looking forward to most is getting some amazing shots in Australia, I'll be able to capture every moment.

Christmas day was a very relaxing day, mostly eating, dozing and eating more! I mainly spent the day playing around with my gifts, having received books about Australia and the backpack which I will be using for the year I am there. Boxing day was spent with my Boyfriend's family, which was mainly the same...eating a whole lot of Christmas food, and napping of course, can't forget the napping. 

How did everyone else spend Christmas?

Catriona
x x x 

Sunday 23 December 2012

NOTD: Christmas Nails

Left to Right: No7 Stay Perfect Nail Varnish in Rose Truffle, Topshop Nail Varnish in Razzmatazz


Merry Christmas everyone!

It's that time of year again, I can't believe how fast it has come around. It only feels like yesterday that I was celebrating last Christmas! Tonight I was taking a look through my nail varnishes in search of some seasonal colours, and as soon as I laid my eyes upon these two I knew it had to be them. Red is a very festive colour which you can never go wrong with, and with the glitter even more so! I'm also a huge fan of both No7 and Topshop nail varnishes. The pigmentation from the No7 is gorgeous, meaning that I only had to use one coat. And the amount of glitter that comes from Topshop nail varnishes is incredible, similarly having to only use one coat on top of the red!

I hope that everyone has a very merry Christmas!

Catriona
x x x

Sunday 16 December 2012

Mini Barry M Haul


I realised the other day that I haven't bought any Barry M products since I was a teenager, which is strange as Barry M has some really good stuff. I thought I'd test out a few things from the range once again, and I was very happy to see that right now when you spend £6 on Barry M products at Superdrug you receive a free Nail Varnish as well.

Barry M Nail Varnish in Xmas
I used a white base underneath the Nail Varnish to make it look even more seasonal and to enhance the glitter. Although I like it, the glitter was difficult to get out, which meant that I had to blot it on to get a good amount. 
Barry M Eyeshadow in E3 Tan £4.49

I fell instantly in love with this eyeshadow! It is absolutely gorgeous, and an amazing day and night shade. I haven't stopped wearing it since buying it. It's very pigmented with a gorgeous shimmer, and looks great by itself on the lid. I'm very impressed with it. I went for a bit of a safe shade at first to make sure I liked the formula, but now I know how creamy and long lasting it is, I am definitely going to purchase different shades!
Barry M Lip Paint in Pillar Box Red 121

I've always been a bit dubious about the Barry M lip paint collection. I'm not sure why, but I had it in my head that they were a little drying. However, after actually trying it, my opinion has completely changed. It's so creamy and moisturising, leaving my lips smooth and comfortable for the rest of the day. It's also very pigmented and vibrant, as evident from the picture. This shade is a very very bright red with slightly orangey undertones, I love it.

I'd love to hear any other recommendations from the Barry M line!

Catriona
x x x

Tuesday 11 December 2012

A Foggy December Day


Just a quick post as today has been a bit of a none day. It was so foggy and wet, that all I wanted to do was stay snuggled up under my duvet. However, I decided to take Ralph out for a walk and get some fresh air about me, and boy was it absolutely freezing! My mittens didn't seem to do anything to keep my fingers warm. Unlike my hat which kept my ears nice and toasty.

These pictures don't even do justice to how foggy it really was! 

 


In a way though, I secretly like days like this. It gave me an excuse to settle down with a Hot Chocolate, a Strawberry Cupcake and a good book. At the moment I'm reading The Hobbit, which I've been meaning to read for so long before the film comes out. I need to hurry up!


What does everyone else enjoy doing on a day like this?

Catriona
x x x

Sunday 9 December 2012

How to: Get the Salon Look with BaByliss Big Hair Spinning Brush




I've had this brush for over a year now, but lately I've been seeing it in videos and thought I should really try it out again! I'd got into the routine of blowdrying my hair, so had completely forgotten about it!

The brush comes with a built in hairdryer, which has two heat settings and a cool air button. When the hairdryer is turned on, all you have to do is press either the left or right button which makes the brush spin in either a right or left direction. It uses the same technique as a hairdresser would with a large round brush and a hairdryer at a salon, creating your own blowout. It also comes with a protective cover, to keep the bristles soft.

To use:
The best results come from when it is used on around 80% dried hair. All you need to do is section your hair, and grabbing a piece of any size (this brush can take a large amount of hair at once) simply brush through, with the brush rotating in the same direction as your brush, creating tension. Once you have brushed through a couple of times, allow it to spin all the way to the top, hold for a few seconds, and tap a couple of times on the button for the opposite direction to release the hair. Then continue through the rest of your hair!

It's very easy, and instantly smooths, creating glossy locks with a bounce, completely eliminating frizz! As you can see in the picture, it curled my hair inwards at the ends, although I could have had more curl had I used it for longer on each piece of hair. It also provides great lift and volume the higher you keep the brush when holding it to your head!

I just checked online and saw that at the moment they're selling these from www.boots.com for £33.99 online only! A really good price for a quality salon look!

Hope everyone's well!

Catriona
x x x

Tuesday 4 December 2012

First Impression: Maybelline Super Stay 10 Hour Tint Gloss

I have been waiting for this range to come over from America for a while, so as soon as I saw it in my local Boots store, I picked one up! I decided to go for the shade "Forever Fuchsia" as I didn't want to spend money on a colour that I already have. 

//Maybelline Super Stay 10 Hour Tint Gloss in "Forever Fuchsia": RRP £6.99//

On first Application:
The heart shaped applicator helps the product to glide on. It felt quite wet and gives a slight cooling feeling. I used two applications so as to make sure that I had covered my lips well. I thought that the colour was gorgeous, very pigmented and bold. This was the result after the first application. After I went on with my day.


A few hours later:
Later on, after eating and drinking as normal, I wasn't too sure about it. The glossy effect had completely gone, and it had turned a bit dry, which is a big no-no for me as I really do not like drying products. Also, the product had faded in the corners of my mouth. 

However, I then decided to put on some ordinary lip balm, blending it onto my lips with my finger, and afterwards it turned into a really nice tint! The colour had died down and it had stained my lips with a lovely deep pink colour. It also helped blend out the fading parts at the corners of my mouth. 


My overall thoughts on this product are that it is quite good for a long wearing lip product, keeping in mind that it is a tint. After it had dried, it was quite difficult to work with, however on using the lip balm I was a lot more impressed by it. While it is long wearing, it does not last 10 hours, lasting on my lips around 4 hours (with balm application). Also, don't expect the fantastic colour that you receive at the start throughout this time as it does fade. 

Although I do like the effect, I don't think I'll buy any other shades from the range as I wasn't impressed with how much it faded. Saying that, in comparison to other long wearing lip products, I liked the fact that it didn't go clumpy like so many others do. 

Has anyone else tried this range or any other long wearing lip products? Which were your favourite?

Catriona
x x x 

Monday 3 December 2012

3 New Kittens!

This is completely unrelated to Beauty, however, I thought that it was time to introduce you all to some new additions to my family; three adorable Kittens!  While we have a lovely Cocker Spaniel Dog called Ralph, who we love to pieces, my family have always had Cats. So one day a few weeks ago, my family told my Sister and I that they were taking us for a surprise, and low and behold we turned up at a rescue centre! Needless to say, we were very excited!


The all Black kitten is Donald, the Tortie underneath everyone is Amy, and the Black and White Kitten is Sheldon.


We actually only went for one kitten to add to the family, however, when we saw Sheldon, Amy and Donald, all of which are Brothers and Sisters, we just couldn't tear them apart! Because they were rescued, they were hand reared, meaning that they are very affectionate. They have settled into our home very fast and have made best friends with our two other Cats and Ralph! 

Hope everyone had a lovely, relaxing weekend!

Catriona
x x x