LashTastic – I hope

There has been a lot of press about the new breed of lash enhancers lately. I’ve decided that I’m going to give a couple a try. I’m going to use each for 30 days at a time and let you know how I go.
Today was day one of my first product try out. Cargo is finally hitting the UK’s shores and I thought this would be the perfect way to give it a try. It’s coming into Boots and they’ve got two products out before the whole collection makes it to the stores. They have a 7 in 7 box that gives you a whole face in 7 minutes using 7 products. One of those is the LashActivator. They’re also selling the LashActivator as a stand alone product.

Cargo have said that LashActivator can give you 169% more length and volume over 30 days using the product as either a mascara or a mascara primer once a day. This, and the next product I intend to try, are both free of any ingredients that have the scary side effects I’ve decided I’m afraid of.
Pursebuzz did a great review of Li Lash and thoroughly went through all the pros and cons of using a product like that. If you’re going to opt for a lash enhancer that contains a prostaglandin analogue you need to be aware that it can lead to a change in your eye colour, it can affect the health of your eyes and it can also give you peach fuzz on your cheeks. I decided these were all things I was scared of so decided to steer clear!
So, I’m on day 1 of product one. I’ll check in before the end of the 30 days to keep you posted so watch this space!
Kisses,
Rebecca xxx

How Do You Like Your Eggs Done?

I got a Ped Egg over the weekend! I was out shopping with e friend that was visiting from Australia and it was the first thing I wanted to get on her long day of shopping. To make it even better I got it in pink and the pink on was on special offer! Hooray! I was so excited about it that my friend felt the need to buy one as well!

It's so easy to use and fabulously effective. I am ever so regimented when it comes to using a pumice on my feet every day in the shower and putting foot cream on with socks before I go to bed at night. Even still, I struggle with dry, hard and icky feet. It's just not pretty. Despite all my efforts I can't resist a pair of gorgeous heels for a big night out or an outing in the sun wearing flip flops. It just takes me back to square one on the pedicure front.

No more dry, scratchy feet for me anymore! My pretty pink Ped Egg is fixing me right up! It's quicker and more effective than a pumice stone and I won't have to worry about slipping over in the shower anymore. My feet are still soft enough to use the Ped Egg after I'm dressed and moisturised and the base of the Ped Egg catches any mess you might make. Just make sure that you have soaked your feet and that they're still soft before you use the Ped Egg or you could end up in a situation no girl wants to even contemplate.

I got my Ped Egg from Boots but I'm pretty sure there are a bunch of other places you can get it as well. Now I don't have any excuses for having icky feet throughout winter!

Kisses,

Rebecca xxx

Recessionista Review

Hiya,

I thought I'd share some of the fun finds I've come across over the last few days. There are some pretty good deals to be found out there! Any money saved on cosmetics can obviously be redirected into your shoe fund! Hooray!!!

Not only does E.L.F give free shipping on orders over £30 but they also have a great sale on at the moment! My favourite bargain is 50% off their French Manicure set. It's only £2.25! Mon dieu! I'm thinking of grabbing a few to give away as stocking fillers at Christmas time. Their website is www.eyeslipsface.co.uk.

Superdrug has a 3 for 2 offer going for all Gosh products right now. I quite fancy the Velvet Touch Lipstick in 43 Tropical Pink (I'm such a sucker for bright pink lips!) and some nail lacquer in Gasoline. To find a store near you go to http://www.superdrug.com/page/storefinder or order online.

HQ Hair has a fun outlet website with loads of bargains. I love trawling through the £1 bargain pages. Being a Pout enthusiast before they sadly closed their doors, I am adoring the £1 Pout Glitter pots and the Joico Phine hair treatment. Check out www.hqhair.com.

I hope this has cheered your Thursday up a little!

Kisses,
Rebecca xxx

Sigma Brushes

A lot of people have been reviewing these brushes so it's nothing terribly new. For this reason, I won't do an in depth review of each individual brush or anything like that.

I will say that I think these brushes are a terrific investment for someone that would like some professional style brushes without spending their life's savings. If you're a make up enthusiast or someone starting out on the path to becoming a full time make up artist, then these are the perfect choice.

When I ordered my brushes Sigma were out of stock and there was a bit of a waiting list. Seeing as the brushes are all hand made I didn't think I'd be getting them any time soon. Meanwhile, I got a personal email without waiting too long, in the grand scale of things, to say that my order was ready. Seeing as Sigma is a US based company I made my payment via paypal and my package arrived super soon after that. I didn't have any issues with co-ordinating with a courier company and I didn't have any taxes, duties or postage fees to pay before I could take delivery. I also had some correspondence with Sigma and they replied so promptly to each email that I was shocked! I should also add here that all my emails were of a positive nature - I didn't need any info or have any complaints that needed addressing.

I ordered the full face and eyes kit with the brush roll just to get a broad idea of what the brushes were like. When I made the order, it cost me around £55 including postage. Obviously costs for those of us in the UK or Australia depends on the exchange rate at the time of payment. The brushes are all based on their MAC counterparts and are named in a similar fashion for you. The handles are long, well constructed and easy to grip. Some of the brushes are nicer than my MAC versions, others not quite, but at a fraction of the price I have to say it's a brilliant set overall. The brush roll is also gorgeous. It looks professional, is lovely and soft and is easy to carry around.

I haven't tried out the travel kits but they look super cute. I'm not sure that with the shipping, etc it makes financial sense to order these from outside the US. If I was in the US though, I would be getting one of those kits asap!!!! They look perfect for keeping in your bag for those emergency touch ups during the day when you're on the go.

Definitely check out the website. It has great updates, How-To videos and all kinds of great tidbits. I love this company and all their products. Check it out!

http://www.sigmamakeup.com/index.html

Kisses,

Rebecca xxx

Vita Liberata(tion)

I gave up fake tanning for the better part of a year. I tried to channel the likes of Cate Blanchett and Dita Von Teese in all their porcelain glory. It doesn't really work for a plump-gal with freckles. I have given in and started fake tanning again.

I had only been using the gradual tanning lotions for some time. They weren't really doing much except leaving weird marks on my knees, elbows, etc. I decided this time I was going to stay away from them all together. I did recall that the St Tropez mousse had been good to me and decided I would give that another whirl. Between making my decision and going to the shops I heard about another tan getting good reviews that I decided to try.

I'm addicted. I LOVE Vita Liberata!!!!!

At first I was petrified. It's soooooo dark brown when you put it on. I can't reiterate to you how fair I actually am. I put on my brave face and kept on going. I decided that there was no way I wasn't going to use an application mitt. I got the Boots brand one and it's working a treat. I put one pump of the tanning lotion onto the mitt, squish it around a little and then rapidly sweep it over my limbs in long, circular motions.

Did I mention that there isn't ANY icky smell to it? It also dries in super quick time - around a minute. I wear very loose clothing around the house while it sets and it's terrific. If I go to bed with it on it does tend to come off on my pj's but it washes out easily without any special effort. If I let it set while I'm doing chores around the house I do get a little scared again. If I'm doing something like washing dishes, etc the water spatters do make me look like I have a weird pigmentation issue. When I take my shower to wash it off none of those patches show up though. You are recommended to let this dry for about 6 hours without getting wet though.

When you wash this off you do feel like around 80% of the colour is washing off. At first it can be disappointing but after a week or two of applications (i apply it once a week) you do find that you get a lovely, natural colour building up. I don't have any patches to speak of, but I am religious about putting extra lotion on my dry patches before applying. This even goes on my face though! It hasn't left my skin feeling dry and I don't look like a tangerine on steroids either!

I'm totally converted and give this product a definite four and a half stars. I'm only keeping half a star back because I'm worried I might be a weensy bit over excited.

Kisses,

Rebecca xxx

L'Oreal To The Rescue

Can you believe that on Thursday night I FORGOT MY MAKE UP BAG!? I was supposed to be going climbing but as the boy was working late we just went for dinner instead. Trust me, I wasn't complaining! Anyhoo, On Friday I was meeting a really good friend from Australia and wanted to DIE when I realised I'd left my make up bag at home. So I did the best I could with the two lip glosses that live in my bag and the Jelly Pong Pong Supermodel cheek and lip colour that was in there as well. It was a vast improvement but I still didn't look presentable.

I stopped in at Superdrug for a little bit of extra help. I had a cruise up and down the make up aisle and decided to stick to L'Oreal. I was in a bit of a hurry and felt like it was a safe bet. It was terrific and I now have two new fave products that are safely living in my regular make up bag!

I got the Studio Secrets Primer. I love this little magic pot! I've been wanting to try it for a while, actually. It's a great texture, not too thin but not too gloopy/sticky either. It leaves your skin silky smooth, even and perfected. Having tried it under foundation now as well it lets your base glide on and gives you stunning coverage. I can't recommend this enough. I'm always on the lookout for a gorgeous primer. So far my fave has been the Philosophy one but this could be a contender to take on the top spot.

To help me look a little less like the walking dead I picked up a mascara as well. I know it's a little controversial, but I only like waterproof mascaras. I don't mind that they're harder to take off as I cleanse my face at night with almond oil anyway. If I don't use a waterproof then most of the mascara will end up under my eyes within an hour. I love pandas more than the average person but I really really really can't pull off their dark eye patches in a cute way at all. I decided to try the L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagen mascara. Oooh, I likey! It gave my lashes that really cute criss cross effect that so many false lashes have. It hasn't been crumbly and it has a gorgeous fat brush that makes it super easy to apply. I really like this mascara. I'm not sure that it can stop me from loving the L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes mascara the most as it didn't give me the added length but it's inky black, stays put and definitely gives great volume.

If you're ever in a pinch, I can't recommend these two products enough!

Kisses,

Rebecca xxx

Moschino Fall 2009 Look

I saw this pic while I was flipping through Elle earlier this week. I love it! Here is the video on how I tried to recreate it.




List of products:
Stila Wheat E/S
Urban Decay Perversion Liquid Eyeliner
Urban Decay Zero 24/7 Eyeliner
MAC Carbon E/S
Stila Hint blush
MAC Grape lip liner
maroon red L/S from (I think) a Pixi l/s wheel

Kisses,

Rebecca xxx

August Faves

Hi,

Here are a few of the things that I haven't been able to live without during August.



The main list included:
MAC Mineralized Skin Finish Natural
Benefit FY Eye primer
MAC A Rose Romance L/S
MAC Way To Love L/S
MAC Fix+ Rose
MAC Pretty Baby Beauty Powder Blush
Almond Oil
Waitrose Baby Bottom Butter
BarryM Lip Gloss in 907
Benefit 10

Things I forgot to mention:
Beauty Blender Sponge
MAC 226 brush
L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara

Kisses,

Rebecca xxx

September Look Using ByLaurenLuke and MAC

Hi,



I came up with this little look to go with an outfit I had on today. It wasn't a special occassion or anything. I just thought I'd share! As usual, I can't keep things to under ten minutes so it's cut off at the end. ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!





List of products used:



ByLaurenLuke My Sultry Blues - Continental E/S, Star Dust E/S, Raven Black Eye Liner Creme

MAC Smoke & Diamonds E/S

MAC Strike A Pose E/S

Urban Decay Perversion liquid eye liner

MAC Fly-By-Blue Pearlglide eye liner

Lancome Flextencils mascara in black

MAC Pretty Baby beauty powder blush

MAC Way To Love L/S

Barry M lip gloss in 907.







I hope you're having a great day and that this makes it a little more fabulous!



Kisses,



Rebecca xxx