Product Spotlight: Collection 'Bedazzled' Palette

Hey Guys!

A couple of weeks ago it was my birthday and among many other lovely presents and cards that I received from my family and friends, I was given this Collection eye shadow palette. Let me just start by saying that if you hate shimmery eye shadows and the thought of glitter makes you shudder then click away now - this definitely won't be for you.

The packaging of the product isn't fantastic, it's just a cardboard 'book style' palette with a magnetized close -however for the price point I wouldn't really expect anything too expensive looking packaging-wise.  

The eye shadows themselves are of average size, and as you can see from the above picture, very, very glittery. The bottom row of colours aren't really ones that I would think to wear (being a strictly neutrals only girl) but I think that they're a nice addition for someone who likes to add a pop of colour to their look now and again.

Sadly, as you can see from the above swatches, the colour payoff from the majority of the shadows isn't great - there is extensive glitter fallout from all but the copper toned brown on the far left, and the white, grey, peach and bronze shades barely show up at all. The shadows are fairly chalky and difficult to work with (again with the exception of the copper-brown) and so I wouldn't really recommend this product to you if you're looking for good quality eye shadow on a budget (perhaps somewhere like Sleek or MUA would be better).

The palette can be picked up from Boots or Superdrug for £4.49

Hope you've all had a great week!

Penny

XoX

A/W '13 Trend Spotlight: Tartan

Hey Guys!

Sorry about the massive gap in our posts but with starting school again and getting back into a routine it's been hard to the find time (and motivation) to sit down and write up a blog post. However we're going to try and make a conscious effort to post more regularly (at least once a week) as we really do enjoy blogging and we hope to create loads of new content that we're really proud of and that you'll find interesting to read. Anyway on with today's post...

One of the biggest trends this year seems to be tartan, from scarfs and dresses to cushions and skirts - it's impossible to not notice the influx of everyone's favourite highland inspired print that's hit the high street this year - and I love it! In the past I've dismissed Tartan as being a little old-fashioned and not for me (with the exception of a brief and embarrassing dalliance, age 10, with a questionable punk inspired tartan mini skirt) but this year I've really embraced the trend and I would love to own more tartan things to add a bit of interest to my A/W wardrobe. So, without further ado, here are my top 10 picks that are available on the UK high street right now:

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Happy Shopping!

Penny

XoX

My Back to School Beauty Kit

Hey Guys!

For most people in the UK back to school is this week (seriously, where did the summer go?) and we're all busy filling our bags and pencil cases with the equipment we need. This year I decided I definitely needed to bring a couple of beauty essentials (not my whole makeup drawer of course, but the most important 'touch up' bits) so I don't get caught out after sport, hot weather or the typical British rain. 

My cute cat bag was a bargain at £3 from Primark and is the perfect size to fit all of my products in. My beauty must-haves for school that are in this bag are:

1. Hand-Cream and a Nail file- These two are essential for keeping hands hydrated and sorting out any hang nails, both of mine come from a wild-rose gift set from The Body Shop, but any kind will do.

2. Mascara- Mascara is great for making the eyes look wide awake and is an essential for touch ups during the day. I use Lancome's Hypnose Doll Eyes which is a personal favourite.

3. Clear Mascara- I have particularly unruly brows, so a clear mascara is a must have to keep them in check. This MUA one is as good as any other I've tried and is only £1!

4. Black Liquid Eyeliner- If I need to go somewhere with friends after school, or need to instantly refresh my makeup, a black liquid liner is indispensable, this one from Eyelure isn't my favourite, but it's compact size means it fits neatly in the bag.

5. Brown pencil eyeliner- This serves the same purpose as the liquid liner but can also be smudged out to give more of an eye shadow effect.

6. Lip-Balm- Keeping my lips hydrated is essential.

7. Mini Dry Shampoo- If I didn't have time to wash my hair, or it's looking a bit lackluster after PE, dry shampoo is perfect to refresh it and give a bit of volume.

8. Concealer- Perfect for covering up under eye circles and any spots that might pop up throughout the day.

9. Pocket Mirror- I'm always needing to check my makeup during school, so a mirror is an essential for me.

10. Mini Pack of wipes- Perfect for cleaning up makeup mistakes.

11. Hand Sanitizer- School isn't always the cleanest of places so I use hand-sanitizer for cleaning my hands before or after lunch, or just during the day whenever I feel like I need to.

Hope those of you going back to school have a great year!

Penny

xox

Product Spotlight: Vaseline Spray and Go Moisturiser - Cocoa Radiant

Hey Guys!

There're many beauty rituals that I'm extremely lazy about undertaking, and moisturising my body is definitely one of them. I can religiously complete a five step skincare routine, spend thirty minutes attempting a complex makeup look but moisturising- forget it!

However, recently my skin has become more prone to dry patches (attractive,I know) so I decided it was time to get my hands on a solution. When I heard about Vaseline's Spray and Go moisturiser, I knew it would be the perfect 'lazy girl' solution- and so far it seems that I was right.

The moisturiser comes in a typical pressurized con  tainer which allows a fine mist of product to be applied directly to skin which makes rubbing it really easy to rub into the skin, meaning that you aren't left with the sticky residue heavier moisturisers can leave you with.

Overall, this is a hydrating, convenient product that smells good and is a great choice when you want to moisturise but can't be bothered to go the whole hog with a heavier body cream.

Penny

XoX

Back to School Clothes Wishlist

Hey Guys!

When school starts in September I'll be in Sixth Form and therefore allowed to wear my own clothes as oppose to the unflattering, boring uniform that has been obligatory for all of my previous school years. Whilst this sounds like it'll make going to school a lot more comfortable it also has the potential to be extremely stressful in the mornings, so below I've created a little 'capsule wardrobe'/wishlist of smart-casual pieces that are suitable to wearing at a school with a fairly relaxed dress-code.

The clothes I've chosen are mainly autumn/winter pieces with a fairly muted colour scheme, but many of them can be mixed and matched to create a variety of simple, comfortable yet stylish outfits for school.

1. I've picked two pairs of my favourite River Island 'Amelie' skinny jeans in black and dark blue which are £30 each- not too bad for good quality staple pieces that you can wear with many different tops in all seasons.

2. A good pair of basic 'go with everything' flats are essential for school and the gold detailing on this £28 pair from Miss Selfridge adds some extra interest to the shoes.

3. This simple black blazer from H&M is super affordable at £14.99 and versatile, perfect for dressing up a variety of different outfits.

4. The lace shoulder panels on this simple white shirt from Forever 21(£18.75) make something that could be boring a little more stylish and interesting.

5. Skater skirts are great for school because they're comfortable and flattering, these black and maroon ones, both from River Island and both under £20, would go with a variety of tops and are suitable for all seasons.

6. A denim jacket is great for layering with skirts and dresses when the weather gets colder, and this one from H&M is a bargain at £24.99

7. This Minnie Print top which is £18.75 from Forever 21 is perfect for making a fairly formal outfit that little bit more casual.

8. A leather jacket is another layering staple and this faux leather biker jacket from H&M is a steal at £29.99

9. A simple long sleeve, slouchy top is perfect for pairing with skirts and jeans and this cream one from River Island (£14) is a great basic to own.

10. Ankle boots are great all year round and these black ones from New Look are stylish and reasonably priced at £19.99.

11. A simple T-Shirt style dress is both flattering and practical, this burgundy one from New Look is only £12.99.

12. A cardigan is an essential in Britain where the weather can turn at any moment! This one from Topshop, although not the cheapest at £38, is extremely versatile because of its colour and style.

Happy Back to School Shopping!

Penny

XoX

Product Spotlight: MAC Eye shadows in 'Honey Lust' and 'Bronze'

Hey Guys!

Before jetting off on my recent holiday to Switzerland I decided to make a few makeup purchases to take advantage of the duty free discounts, and when I saw a MAC store, I knew exactly where to head first. Although MAC probably isn't my most lusted after makeup range they have such a broad range of colours and the quality of all their products is extremely good, definitely worthy of their high-end price tag.

After being overwhelmed by the choice available at the counter, I eventually set my sights on two eye shadows (neutrals... Of course) in 'Honey Lust' and 'Bronze' because I felt that they were two really versatile shades which were totally different to any of the other brown-toned neutrals in my current collection.

The products come in MAC's standard 'no frills' packaging  with the round pots containing a fairly standard 1.5g of shadow (which for£12.50 each, is probably why I haven't taken the MAC eye shadow plunge before). The packaging is convenient for travel and the shadow pan can be removed and placed into a MAC palette were you to own one.

(Left=Bronze) (Right=Honey Lust)

As you can see from the swatches Bronze is a medium-brown shade with red undertones and a shimmer finish making it suitable for both an all over lid shade and a crease colour for a natural, every day, smokey eye. Honey Lust is a pink toned champagne gold colour with a lustre finish which is a good lid shade to brighten the eye when paired with something a bit darker (like bronze) in the crease for definition. Both shadows (as typical to MAC) have amazing pigmentation and consistency, particularly Bronze which has less glitter fallout than Honey Lust, and both have become a regular part of my makeup routine as they're flattering shades which are suitable for both every day and creating a more dramatic look.

You can purchase these shadows from MAC stores and counters for an RRP of £12.50.

Penny

XoX

Back To School Wishlist

Hey Guys!

One of my favorite things about back to school (aside from catching up with everyone after summer of course) is buying new stationary and equipment to start the school year with. I know to most people stationary is not exactly the most exciting thing, but some of you out there will definetely love shopping for back to school equipment as much as I do- so I've made a little wishlist of my favourite finds which are pretty, practical and great value!

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Happy Shopping!

Penny

xox

Guest Post: Beauty Myths

Hey guys!

Today Penny and Clio have let me write a post for their brilliant blog. Today I will be posting about beauty myths Here are five widely believed statements that are actually complete myths!

Wearing nail polish will make your nails yellow:

This is slightly true, however not for everyone. Darker colours like reds and dark pinks can stain your nails, along with cheaper brands of nail polish. Althought this is not always the case as Barry M's range of nail polish range from £2.99 to £4.99 and do not stain at all.

Brushing your hair 100 strokes a day makes it shine:

This is most definitely not true. In fact, brushing your hair too much can damage your hair as you are tugging at it. How could that possibly make your hair shine?

Curling your eyelashes with mascara on breaks them:

This is also not true, although personally I avoid it. I always curl my lashes before applying mascara. If you curl them straight after applying the mascara the chances are that the mascara will still be wet and it will stick to the curlers, leaving them dirty and can make your lashes stick to the curlers.

You know your skin is clean when you wash it, it squeaks:

Definitely not true. If your skin is squeaking then it is probably because you're using the wrong products. Or that you have your skin type wrong. Many people including me, just guess their skin type and buy products purely for that skin type. If your skin is squeaky just use a basic face wash and leave everything else so that your skin stops squeaking!

Wearing lipstick dries out your lips:

This is false. If you just wear lipstick then yes it probaly will but it's really important that you keep your lips moisturised! I use a Nivea lip balm or Vaseline. Just apply before bed and then in the morning they're smooth for the application of lipstick.

I hope your have enjoyed reading this short guest post. 

Thank you to Beauty Devotion for letting me write a post today

Please check out my beauty, fashion and lifestyle blog at

www.ourworldofstyle.blogspot.co.uk

Lots of Love

Lydia

XxX

Beauty Book Club: Lauren Conrad, Beauty

Hey Guys!

I'm always on the hunt to find new resources to help me to learn that bit more about makeup and to give me new ideas for applying it and mixing up my everyday look, so when I came across 'Beauty' by Lauren Conrad it seemed rude not to spend my £20 WH Smith's gift voucher on it!

For those of you who don't know who Lauren is, she's a reality TV star from 'Laguna Beach' and 'The Hills'. Lauren's style is amazing, and her makeup always looks flawless (she runs the blog 'The Beauty Department' with her hairstylist and makeup artist) so naturally any book that claims to hold all of her beauty secrets had to be mine!

Although this book contains no 'revolutionary' tips as far as makeup goes, I did learn some helpful pointers from the easy to follow diagrams such as how to properly contour and highlight along with how to do the perfect cat flick (something Lauren is the master of, and I fail at miserably). The layout and pictures in this book are aesthetically pleasing which makes it a good read even if you learn nothing from it. Overall I would say this book is a great choice for beginners and even those more experienced with makeup will find it enjoyable to flick through.

You can pick this book up from all major book stores and Amazon for an RRP of £14.99 (although it's only £8.39 on Amazon- bargain!).

Penny 

xox

Holiday Wishlist

Hey Guys!

I'm going on holiday in a week- so, naturally, I've prepared a list of things I want to take with me that I feel will make my holiday experience that much better - not that I need an excuse to make a wishlist of things to buy- it seems to be what I spend a lot of my time doing these days!

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Happy Shopping!

Penny

xox

Product Spotlight: Mint Carmex Moisturising Lip Balm

Hey Guys!

Here in England, the sun has finally decided to rear its head from behind the clouds, and that means that we need to start focusing more on SPF. Whilst you should wear SPF all year round, it is particularly important during summer when , obviously, it's likely to be sunnier than at any other time of year. An often overlooked, yet easily sunburned, area is the lips, and this is where SPF lipbalms come in handy.

When we spotted mint carmex in our local Primark for the affordable price of £2 we had to snap up a tube- the lipbalm promises to be "long lasting relief for dry, chapped lips" as well as containing SPF 15, making it perfect as the warmer weather approaches.

The product comes in the typical bright yellow Carmex packaging, and can be applied to the lips using its spherical doe-foot applicator, making it hygienic and perfect for on the go application. The lip balm itself has a smooth texture and the strong peppermint flavour is a nice addition if you like mint flavoured products. 

In terms of performance, we found that the lipbalm was really nourishing and made our lips extremely smooth and well moisturised- all you could really want from a lip balm- we can definitely  see why Carmex is such a popular product!

You can purchase Mint Carmex from Boots and many other retailers for an RRP of £2.69.

Penny & Clio

xox

Product Spotlight: Benefit World Famous Neutrals: Most Glamorous Nudes

Hey Guys!

When we heard Benefit were coming out with three neutral eye shadow kits featuring both cream and powder shadows we knew we had to get our hands on one. They sound perfect, six complementary colours that you can combine in order to achieve the perfect smokey eye or daytime look, and they certainly lived up to our expectations.

As always, Benefit do not disappoint with their packaging. The shadows are housed in a super cute box that looks almost like a book, and is also fairly compact and suitable for travelling, making this kit a good choice for holidays.

Inside the box there are two creaseless cream shadows in the shades 'Birthday Suit' and 'My two cents', along with four powder shadows (from left to right, starting on the top row) in 'Call My Buff', 'Kiss Me I'm Tipsy', 'It's complicated' and 'Gilt-y Pleasure'. There's also a really helpful 'tips and tricks' booklet with application guidelines, and behind that a medium sized mirror, again making this a good option for travel.

As you can see from the swatches, all the shades are fairly subtle and 'everyday', although they can be built up to create a smokey evening look if that's desired.  From the Top down the swatches are: 'Birthday Suit', 'My two Cents', (Hard to see) 'Call My Buff', 'Kiss Me I'm Tipsy', 'It's Complicated' and 'Gilt-y Pleasure'.  Our favourite shades are ; 'Kiss Me I'm Tipsy', which is a great crease shade and 'My Two Cents' which is a great all over lid shade and as it's a creaseless  cream shadow it's very long lasting.

Penny & Clio

xox

Steal Her Style: Millie Mackintosh

 Hey Guys!

Recently I've been watching  a lot of Made in Chelsea (I know, I know, it's not the most intellectual program). One of the things I've noticed about the people on this show is that all the girls dress so well, always looking really classy yet still relaxed and casual at the same time. But whilst all the female cast members have great fashion sense, I have a serious case of style envy for Millie Mackintosh, I don't think I've ever disliked a single outfit I've seen her wear, but being a 'Chelsea Girl' a lot of her clothes are slightly out of my budget. As a result of this I've decided to put together this blog post on how you can get her look for a more reasonable price.

 

 

Images courtesy of:

http://millie-mackintosh.com/style-diary/

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All the pieces above are from high street stores such as Topshop, Miss Selfridge, New Look and H&M so the items should be reasonably affordable, definitely more so that Millie's designer picks, so that you can get her laid-back, pulled together style for less!

Penny 

xox

Product Spotlight: Essie's Mint Candy Apple Nail Polish

Hey Guys!

Essie's nail polishes are a popular choice in the beauty blogging world, with some shades, such as Fiji (and of course Mint Candy Apple) popping up more than others. As we've recently been looking to get a really nice summery mint green nail colour we decided to take the plunge with Mint Candy Apple, as it looked like it fulfilled our needs!

As you can see the product is in the regular Essie packaging, but it is one of their diffusion line polishes, and as a result the brush is thicker than that of the standard Essie polishes, making it easy to apply in one or two strokes, a definite bonus in our book!

 The colour translates onto the nails as a blue-toned mint green which is really gorgeous and complements most skin tones. Formula-wise, it's okay. The texture is fairly thick, becoming totally opaque in two coats, but it did go on a little patchy and streaky, although nothing major, this is easily resolved with a coat of Seche Vite (or any other top coat) over the top.

Hope you all had a good Monday!

Penny & Clio

xox

Product Spotlight: M.A.C Peachy Keen Sheertone Shimmer Blush

Hey Guys!

Recently we've really been getting more into cheek products, as they're great for adding a healthy glow to the complexion and really finishing a look off. So, naturally, when we popped into Debenhams and stopped off at the MAC stand, we decided to purchase one of their Sheertone Shimmer Blushes in 'Peachy Keen'. 

 The Blush comes in the standard MAC packaging, which is practical, sturdy and visually appealing. As you can see, in the pan the colour appears to be more of a dark pink than the 'peach' stated in the name. However, upon application the colour definitely transforms into a shade more worthy of its title.

You get 6g of product here which is a fairly decent amount when compared to some other high end beauty brands, so the blush is good value for money, especially as a little goes a long way, even with these less pigmented sheertone formula. You can definitely expect this to last you a good while!

Although MAC describe this colour as 'peach', we would say it's got a definite pink tone to it, along with a hint of gold shimmer, which makes it a very natural looking pink-y peach that is really good to subtly brighten the complexion and add a slight pop of colour. Peachy keen is a Sheertone Blush and therefore isn't the most pigmented, but it can be built up to give a much more opaque finish if that is the look that's desired, so on that front it's quite versatile.

You can pick peachy keen up from MAC counters in department stores and from MAC stores for an RRP of £17.50.

Penny & Clio

xox

The Summer Sales Steals

Hey Guys!

Sorry for the silence on the blogging front for the last few days, but we've been a bit busy with finishing up our exams and prom prep- but now we're back!

Sales season has rolled around again, and we're super excited to get our hands on some amazing bargains because as much as we love to shop, it can be a bit of a drain on our (limited) budget. Below we're showing you our top ten sales picks from our favorite high street stores to give you guys some inspiration because although you can find some real gems in the sales, lets face it, often a lot of it is stuff that most of us wouldn't really wear!

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We know that these ten picks don't follow one particular trend or style, but we really like each of them individually and feel that these are some of the best pieces in the sales stock of this season.

Happy Bargain Hunting!

Penny and Clio 

xox

Product Spotlight: Bourjois BB Bronzing Cream 8 in 1

Hey Guys!

Both of us are fairly pale but now that the elusive summer seems to have finally reared its head we've been looking for a way to achieve a 'bronzed' look that's totally natural and gives a bit of colour to our complexions. So, when we saw this Bourjois BB cream we were a little intrigued, in the bottle it looks terrifying, it's so brown that it seems like you would risk looking like a TOWIE-extra even after the most sparing application, but we did think it would be good for darkening our regular 'the palest shade they do' foundations if on the off chance we managed to get a bit of a tan, so we took the plunge and purchased it.

The product comes in a glass bottle which gives it a luxurious and expensive feel that we really like. And, in addition to this, the pump dispenser makes it really convenient to dispense just the right amount of product which is always a useful feature in a liquid base. Finally, the bottle's colours are very summery and complementary to the bronze tone of the product.

First off, the product itself smells amazing, when they say it has an 'addictive fragrance' they aren't lying, the scent reminds us of freshly baked cake, which is definitely a bit of a bonus. But, you don't just wear a product because of the smell, and although we can't really vouch for the claims of it moisturizing the skin and prolonging a tan, it does give a nice sheer finish, and darkens the skin in a fairly natural way. It is a bit too dark  for us, although could probably pass as acceptable with copious amounts of blending- but we've really enjoyed using this as a bronzer on our cheeks, jawline, nose and temples to give that sunkissed 'just been on holiday' look.

As you can see from the swatch on the left, when unblended the product is extremely dark, which may look a bit terrifying when you apply it to the skin. However, the swatch on the right of the hand shows the product when blended, which has really made it considerably more subtle, just giving a slightly darker tanned glow to the skin.

All round, we would say that this is a nice product, however if you are pale, there are probably better things that you could use as a bronzer. It is an affordable and brand new type of product, and it's nice to see drugstore brands such as bourjois really making an effort to bring out revolutionary products that make the brand stand out from it's competition.

You can purchase the product from Boots for an RRP of £9.99.

Penny and Clio

xox

S/S '13 Makeup Trends: 'No Makeup Makeup': Drugstore Edit

Hey Guys!

I've decided to do a series of posts based around the drugstore products you would require to recreate the on trend makeup looks for this season so you can get a catwalk ready look for less!

The first trend I've decided to write about is 'no makeup makeup'- because this is a really fresh faced, natural look which is easy to recreate and can be worn to a variety of places, from school/work to a party (giving you a laid back but still pretty appearance).

A key feature of this look is skin which is perfectly powdered in the right places (T-zone) but still has a glowy effect on the cheeks to give a youthful feel and stop you from looking unnaturally matte. Additionally, a natural foundation and concealer have been combined to create a flawless base.

A light natural toned blush should be swept across the cheeks, and the eyebrows can be lightly filled in if needed. Then a product such as a tinted lip balm can be used to add a 'sheen' to the lips.

Finally, a brown gel eyeliner (or black on darker skin tones) can be used on the top lash-line to create the illusion of thicker eyelashes, and a nude eyeliner in the lower waterline for a 'wide awake' look. Finish with a few coats of a non-clumpy mascara. 

Drugstore Product Picks:

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These products are all great on their own but ,when combined, will create the dewy-natural finish you're after so you'll look as good as the models at London Fashion Week for a fraction of the price!

Penny

xox