BEST. MASK. EVER!

Origins - 

Out of Trouble Mask

I've had some serious trouble with my skin recently, it's been breaking out like crazy, and their not those little ones either...these are the big, evil, inflamed ones that stand out for miles. I didn't however have anything which was aimed at spots as a while ago I ran out of my trusty Origins Super Spot Remover and forgot to repurchase another. Therefore yesterday I decided to go and buy another, my skin was just that bad and desperate times call for desperate measures. Whilst there the assistant showed me the Out of Trouble Mask, she said a colleague of hers who suffered really badly with acne was obsessed with using it as her skins saviour, there for I thought I would give it ago. Now I'm going to be honest, when it comes to spot treatments...which this is...I don't exactly set my expectations high, I've previously tried every spot treatment mask going and non of them have worked.

The description on the Origins website states; 'When skin is too-slick, or when more pressing problems start to pop up, it's Origins to the rescue to keep skin out of trouble. Nature's trouble-shooters, including super-absorbent Zinc Oxide and Sulfur, calming Camphor plus skin-sloughing, rapidly respond to problem skin's plight with a three-part plan - sop up oily-shine, slough off sticky, dead cells, and sweep away irksome debris. Together they steer skin clear of slippery situations, refine rough texture and pull the plug on troublemakers to oust potential outbursts.'

Now let me explain my skin...to sum it up briefly its super sensitive and can be very oily in the t-zone, I usually suffer with some spots however until a couple of days ago I'd never had a saviour break out. Therefore I was rather worried trying this mask as I didn't want it to have a really negative effect on my skin, like many masks I've used. 

The mask itself is a smooth cream facial mask, the product glides onto the skin with ease and it feels slightly tingly on the skin but this doesn't last very long. It incredibly soothing and therapeutic as its a sulphur/zinc oxide/camphor based product, and it does have a strong camphor smell, which personally doesn't bother me. Last night was the first time I used it and I just applied it all over after I had cleansed my skin, and left it for 10 minutes, however next time I might leave it 30 minutes just for good measures. The mask definitely dried up all the badly effected areas, mattifys my skin, makes it feel incredibly softer and brighter and calms down any redness. I have to say its no 'one night wonder' however it definitely helps get rid of them faster then anything else I've ever used before. This morning my skin look really good, you cans till see the marks, however they're no where near as red and less massive bump like.

This is definitely the best mask I've used and thats just after one use!

This mask is definitely going to be a staple in my skin care from now on. I haven't yet decided if to use it every week, however i'm going to re-apply it on the specific target area's on Thursday just to make sure that they are definitely gone.

Whilst at the Origins counter the assistant also gave me a sample of the Clear Improvement Mask, this aims at drawing everything out of your pores to clear them and get rid of any blackhead. She did however warn me that it may fetch me out in quite a few spots...can you see where the Out of Trouble Mask is going to fit in. However I'll see how I get on with that mask first before I make a dead set mask routine....I'll keep you updated.

Dazzle.

MAC -

DazzleGlass - Baby Sparks

If anyone knows me, the two things I love most other then my boyfriend and family, is everything Pink and Glittery, therefore this amazing lipgloss was definitely up my street. I've been eyeing up the MAC DazzleGlass's for a while, originally I had my eye on a bright pink shade, which was called Extra Amps. It was a bright, vibrant, sheer blue pink with blue and pink pearl. However after trying it on, it wasn't as amazing as it looked in the tube, therefore I thought I would go for a paler pink, with much more sparkle...therefore I went for a much more neutral pink called Baby Sparks.

In short, Baby Sparks is a baby pink with violet pearl sparkles, its INCREDIBLE! The product description states; "Electro-pearl atoms blast their light as LipGlass gets the dazzle treatment. High-shine and large particle quartz and opal crystal captured in a great new formula with light-reflecting, crystalline iridescence. To be this dazzling: that's power." It looks just stunning on and can be worn alone and over a lipstick, because of the sheerness of the colour, it can be worn over a baby pink lipstick or even a bright fuchsia.  

Since this was my first time trying a MAC DazzleGlass, I expected the formula to be similar or the same as the LustreGlass and LipGlass ones. However the DazzleGlass feels much less tacky, and even though its rather thick, it goes on smoothly and last such a long time...which is down to it being thick...bonus! A little does go a very long way, so be careful not to go over the top. The one thing this has in common with the other MAC LipGlosses is the Vanilla scent, this isn't something which bothers me, I don't sit there sniffing my lipgloss tube and as it doesn't linger when applied it doesn't bother me. Never the less if you don't like the idea of vanilla...stay away from this lipgloss.

They all come in clear hard plastic tubes with opaque black caps. The long wand has a brush applicator which I prefer, not only is it more hygienic, but it also makes applying the lipgloss so much easier. The selection of colours available is amazing, theres a shade for everyone, as-long as you like glitter your onto a winner. You'll find everything from a baby pink and funky purple to a trendy coral to a trendy coral and a cool gold. And what's even cooler...they all have loads of glitter - some are iridescent while others have tone-on-tone glitter. One things for sure - they have personality!

Overall, this is a beautiful lipgloss, it looks incredible on and give just the right amount of glam. Another bonus because of it being so sheer, it works perfectly with a smokey eye and a natural make-up look. I apologise for my photos they aren't the best, especially the photo swatch of the lipgloss, however my camera wouldn't pick up the glitter. HOWEVER you definitely have to go into store and check it out in person, its stunning!

Have you tried the MAC DazzleGlass collection, if so which is your favourite?

Naked.

Urban Decay -

Naked 2 Palette

I have the original version of this, and use it pretty much every day since I got it for Christmas. It creates the most natural daytime looks to the most dramatic, brilliant evening looks. However all the colours within the palette are rather warm tones, and due to me having blue eyes even though the colours help make my eyes stand out, I find cooler tones make them look even more dramatic and ridiculously blue. Therefore I was ecstatic when my boyfriend bought me the Naked 2 palette. He even explained that he asked the women in Urban Decay prior, what colours were cool tones, then figured out for himself that a lot of the colours within the Naked 2 palette, were them colours to which she had pointed out…he gets extra points for remember I wanted cool tones!

Now the original palette was beautiful, however this one is just stunning. Every colour just blends and goes with all the others; there isn’t one shade within the palette, that doesn’t go beautifully with any other. Personally I think is incredible because it means you can create so many different and stunning looks.  Formula wise its exactly the same as the rest of the eye shadows Urban Decay have, the pigmentation is incredible, however some colours do have a little fall out, but this isn’t a big issue for me as I don’t mind cleaning up a little mess afterwards.

The palette contains 12 eye shadows, 5 of which are new and exclusive to the palette; Blackout (blackest black with matte finish), Booty Call (Shimmery cork), Busted (deep brown with shimmery finish), Chopper (copper shimmer with silver micro glitter), Foxy (cream bisque with matte finish), Half Baked (golden bronze with shimmery finish), Pistol (light greyish brown with shimmery finish), Snake Bite (dark bronze shimmer with metallic base), Suspect (pale golden beige with shimmery finish), Tease (creamy pale brown with matte finish), Verve (oyster with shimmery finish), YDK (cool bronze shimmer with metallic base). It also includes a trial size version of the Lip Junkie Lip-Gloss in Naked (sheer shimmery pinky neutral), this lip-gloss is really nice, and just adds enough colour for a very neutral look, it also has mint in it which helps slightly plump the lips and make them look a lot fuller which looks just stunning. It also includes a double-ended fill size Good Karma Shadow/Crease Brush. I have both these brushes already, and they’re really amazing, it’s exactly like the normal ones, however just double ended and its definitely going to come in handy during traveling (saves me taking all my brushes).

It’s packaged in a metal tin that closes shut really well, but it is a bit heavier than Naked 1; it’s the same size in terms of length and width. I’ve traveled with the Naked 1 palette many, many times, and I haven’t had any issues with it opening, ripping, looking worn, etc. I expect that the packaging of Naked 2 will appeal to others, though, as it feels more secure and hefty. If you’re less inclined to have a dual-ended brush, an Urban Decay 24/7 Liner will fit in the slot as well.

I’ve read many reviews about this palette, and I know its got a lot of mixed reviews. Some say it’s very similar to the original, and others say its completely different and a whole different tone. Personally I do agree that it is a mix of cooler toned shades. However in a sense the there are also a lot of colours which look very much like the originals, Half-Baked is a repeat (which is somewhat upsetting, as I would have liked another gold shade to be added), Bootycall is just slightly warmer than Virgin, Snakebite is similar to Smog (and exactly the same as Darkhorse + Smog together), Suspect is just a touch cooler than Sidecar, YDK is quite close to both Sidecar and Toasted, and Busted is almost the same as Hustle. The shades that didn’t have comparable shades already in Naked 1 were Foxy, Chopper, Tease, Pistol, Verve, and Blackout; that’s five of twelve.

Overall, does it live up to the hype…not as much as I expected it to, however it’s a really good palette and for the price you really cant complain as its £36 for 12 full sized eye shadows, a double-ended full sized brush and a tester lip-gloss (which is perfect for tiny purses when you go out), therefore its worth beyond £200. So even though it doesn’t live quite up to the ridiculous hype surrounded, its never the less beautiful and definitely will be a staple in my make up for a long time to come.

Have you tried or got the Naked 2 palette, what do you think about it?

Lip Therapy.

Urban Decay -

Honey-Infused Lip Therapy

I have always loved Urban Decay's eye products, there Naked palette is incredible and I use it pretty much everyday, and when I'm not using it, its because I'm using another eye shadow from their 'build your own' palette. However I thought I would stray from eye shadows within Urban Decay and see what other little gems they have and trust me I found a stunner.

I think one of my primary concerns with the new Urban Decay Lip Love Honey Infused Lip Therapy was the size. It’s a lighter, ridiculously smaller than their Lip Junkie lip-glosses however remarkably they actually contain the same amount of product at 0.34 oz. This seriously put my mind at ease knowing I was still getting the same amount of gloss. Therefore I started to embrace the small size of the tube and felt like it was super travel friendly because it didn’t overtake my makeup bag and it fits perfectly in any size clutch bag if I'm going out and only want a bit of sheer gloss.

I only picked up a single shade because no matter how you splice it they are all pretty sheer so it’s not something you need to haul all five variations of since most will only give a mild tint to lips or apply transparently, therefore pick your favorite and keep it forever.

The formula is smooth with a glossy, shiny finish. I love Urban Decay’s Lip-gloss formula as they always have a knack for creating a lightweight, super shiny gloss without being tacky or sticky.

The brilliant thing about the gloss is it actually treats lips as you have it on, so well after the gloss was gone my lips still felt smooth and hydrated. It’s packed with Vitamin C, which boosts collagen as well as jojoba, and apricot kernel seed oils moisturize, replenish and promote cell turnover. It would probably be best suited for a Winter lip-gloss when lips are dry and cracked, however I know during the warm weather my lip still get rather dry, therefore it’ll give parched, dry lips a moist, plump, and hydrated feel.

I bought the shade Lolita, which in the tube looks bright, almost neon pink, however due to it being rather sheer, it gives a beautiful tint of pink and amazing shine. As you all know I love my pinks, therefore this was a must have for me as this pretty much sums me up. The best thing I like about this lip gloss/treatment is that you can build up colour if you wish; therefore you can create that day to night transaction just by using one lip-gloss…how amazing is that!

Now, the one thing that people may not like about these lip-glosses/treatments is that due to them having a lot of honey in them, they smell very much of honey. However not the honey you have on toast etc., but the pure flowery scent of honey, which I know from reading reviews has really put people off. Personally, I don’t mind the smell because at least I know its natural and its not something which has been added for selling purposes, and also when you put it on your lips, you obviously cant smell it and it does disappear. This is the only negative thing I could pick up on from this stunning little gem of a product.

Overall, I’m very happy with my first delve into things outside of just Urban Decays Eye Makeup, and now I’ve tried there lip products, and know of the brilliant quality, I’ve definitely got my eye on a few other lip products.

Urban Decays Lip Love Honey-Infused Lip Therapy Glosses retail for £12, which is incredible and can be picked up from any Urban Decay counts, they also come in 5 colours; Stung (deep purple), Failbait (orange), Drizzle (baby pink), Lolita (hot pink) and Taunt (nude/brown), however do remember they are sheer, therefore create more of a slight tint rather then a true colour.

Dior Spring 2013.

Those who read my blog regularly will know that I'm a HUGE fan of Dior, its my favourite luxury beauty brand. Not only for the amazing quality of there products but also for there stunning packaging. Therefore I was incredibly excited when I saw previews of the Spring launch, however I was even more excited when I found out that its all focused around...are you ready for this...PINK...my favourite colour EVER! The collection is called Cherie Bow, and this blog is just a picture collage of the products which are to be released...Its just a stunning collection and the design and thought that has gone into this is just incredible. So lets begin...

Palette Cherie Bow £59

Dior Vernis, £18

DiorBlush Pink Happiness, £29.50

Dior Nail Glow, £18

Dior Twinset Eyeshadow £24.50

Dior 5 Couleurs Palette, £41

Out of everything, I think I'm most excited about the Lip Glow, Rose Bow Nail Varnish and The Twinset Eyeshadow. 
So those are the main events for Dior Spring 2013, from what I can gather there are different colourways to some of the items, and these aren't all the photos of everything. Therefore I do think there is more to come...how exciting.
Oh, lastly, I should say, it's really not so long to wait for it because it launches on 4th January in Selfridges and nationwide on the 18th. 

I really can not wait, its going to be incredible. There are some beautiful things and I would really love to see how they translate into real life.

So now you've seen it, what do you think about the collection?

Nails Inc Spring/Summer 2013.

I've always liked Nail Inc products, mainly because they have really good different products, for example the graffiti nail varnish…that is just amazing. However I have to say there are some really amazing releases on the horizon, so lets get started. I will now state however the photo's included are from Google and are not my own.


Gone are the days of sticking to releasing trend-led colours named after London landmarks and streets, Nails Inc are stepping it up a gear, hopping on the nail effect express and bringing more than a handful of innovative and new formulas, texture and techniques onto counters. Stick on skulls, leather, feathers and concrete? Where to begin…

Denim and Stars

I’m totally in love with this polish! It's not only denim in colour but denim in finish too.  It's denim blue with a swirl of a lighter blue that accurately captures an indigo denim finish.    Overall I just think this effect is stunning, you cant really see how amazing it is because I couldn't find a good photo up-close photo, however its looks like its got tiny bits of glitter in it, wether it has or not is something I'll have to leave until its released. This comes as part of a kit that contains star embellishments, but we'll have to wait a while for its arrival, as it doesn't land until June 2013 priced at £19...which is so unfair.




Bling it on

There are a couple of new additions to the line of Bling It On Kits, including Rebel, which contains a Leather Effect varnish in Shoreditch Lane as well as a selection of studs and Swarovski crystals and Romance, which focuses on bows and crystal embellishment, they each contain a mini Porchester Square and Electric Avenue. Both of which will be released in March, and will cost £25.

There is also a Neon Kit that'll contain a pink and blue glitter, which I really can’t wait for as they look amazing on the swatches. I'm truly a glitter girl so I'm incredibly excited, plus one of them pink! They will also include a mini Floral Street varnish and a Kensington Caviar topcoat, this will launch just in time for summer in May and cost £20.


Crystaltastic

It was about time Nails Inc did their take on fake nails and here they are! Obviously, they're not just any old fake nails and instead they all feature beautiful, crystal designs and come with nail stickers rather than glue so you can easily reuse them.  The crystals are genuine Swarovski crystals, so the price of each set varies depending on how many crystals are used.  They'll be launching in March 2012 and the price range is from £20 - £45. Personally, I’m not a massive fan of these, however never the less I think they’ll sell out really fast because they’re so unique in design. Out of all of them the gray and white ones are ok, however not sure I would rush out and buy them.

Feathers

This has got to be the most amazing nail effect ever, I'm so excited for these nail varnishes to be released. It’s a new formulation containing tiny feather-like particles, almost like long strands of glitter, blended into a range of pastel shades. From what I can gather these feather polishes had bloggers head over heels in love. It comes in four shades, Edinburgh (pale blue and peach), Brighton (teal and yellow), Cornwall (blue and white) and York (peach and white), from looking at the swatches of these they are incredible and looks amazing on, I haven't yet decided which one is my favourite just yet. However I will definitely be getting one as there just stunning.

Leather Effect

The finish of this collection, as the name suggests, is leather, and the shades are all leather-like shades to stay in theme, so you have Shoreditch Lane (mulberry), Soho Mews (tan) and Noho (black).  The finish of these is fantastic and these were apparently the most popular choice for manicures among bloggers at the event, which Nail Inc held to show case the collection.  These will launch in March 2013 for £12.

Concrete

Now we have the Concrete collection, these are four shades, which dry to a matte, "concrete" finish.  Just to be clear, the name Concrete is a reference to the finish and not the weight of the polish! The four shades are Marble Arch (red), Stonehenge (blue), London Wall (nude) and Monument (lime). The finish is really interesting as it's a little grainy and very, very matte.  It's definitely different to the standard matte, however I cant help think of a pain these must be to remove, due to the little grains.  Never the less these will launch in December for £12.

SS Trend Shades


The SS13 shades are beautifully summery; bright, fun and I want them all.  There's nothing textural here and instead the focus is on the colours themselves, which is fine by me.  The four shades are St James Park (coral/red), Royal Botanical Gardens (mint green), Chelsea Physic Garden (baby blue) and Kensington Palace Garden (peach). These arrive in March 2013 and will cost £11 each but there's also a mini kit launching at the same time, which will cost £22 and will include 3 of the shades mentioned above plus three more garden-themed shades.

Extras

There's a new base coat and topcoat being added to the Kensington Caviar collection in January 2013 for £12 each.  The base coat promises a primer like base with a fast dry finish and the topcoat is a Gel Effect, meaning that it'll give that plumped-up, ultra-glossy finish you get with gel manicures but without the commitment.  There's also a corrector pen available now for £10.

So what are your favourites out of the up coming collections?