ASOS EXCLUSIVE - NARS LAGUNA BRONZER & HIGHLIGHTING KIT.

NARS is one of those brands I don't buy and use enough of, yet whenever I am in a department store I cannot help but swatch the lipsticks and blushers or touch the amazing packaging. This stunning kit comes from ASOS and it arrives in it's own little bag, with a full sized Laguna bronzer and liquid Super Orgasm illuminator and retails for just £28!  

NARS Laguna Bronzer is described as being a bronzing Powder which creates a natural looking glow which enhances or creates the look of tanned skin. It is a medium-dark tan brown shade with warm, orange-yellow undertones and a golden shimmer-sheen finish and works really well with my pale skin-tone without making me look like I have a dirty mark on my cheek, yes some bronzers do that.  

If you like Benefit Hoola (yes I do) then Laguna is for me, much lighter on application despite looking quite dark and the little golden flecks add that little something extra.

The Super Orgasm Illuminator is described as being a peachy pink with gold glitter and It is a medium, warm-toned pink with added gold glitter. What I love about this product is that it is quite versatile, you can use it to highlight, you can mix it with your foundation or your tinted moisturiser but you only need a small amount because the texture is quite runny and you don't need to blind people when in direct sunlight.

I am a tad obsessed with this illuminator and I use a teeny amount within my foundation on days where I feel I need a bit of light and lift and I use alone as a highlighter on my cheekbones.

This little kit is exclusive to ASOS and you can find it HERE

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise stated.

My SS14 Wishlist

Every so often I see something and think "ooh I like that", make a note of it and then forget all about it. This wishlist is one of those, I have seen a dress or a top that I like, make a mental note to buy it or wait for the sale and then more often than not it is either too late or it is no longer available.

Here is my SS14 Wishlist

I never thought I would be someone to wear Jeggings, EVER but truth be told I really like them and find them comfortable.  The one and only pair I have from Asda, which are superb are no longer available so I have been keeping my eye on these skinny jeans which are very similar to the ones I have from the ASOS Curve Range.

F&F Clothing sometimes have some beautiful clothes in and the dress which you can see in the middle of my wishlist is from there, though sadly only now available in a size 6, I think it is stunning.

Ted Baker purses have appeared on more than one of my wishlists and one day I will get one in the sale, but for now, I have about 4 or 5 that I really like the look of and as soon as they hit the sale I will buy one.

MAC Lipstick, well yes Fanfare has become top of my target list.  I have read so much about it, love the colour and need to go and swatch it properly to make sure it is something I would wear.

The two tops in this post are both from Dorothy Perkins and are both in the sale which you can see HERE and HERE so I am currently debating whether or not to bit the bullet and buy them.  My problem is they are not normally tops that I would buy.  Neither of them have sleeves and I am conscious about my arms, but I think they are just so so pretty.

Make-up Revolution - Everyone is raving about this brand currently and it is a bandwagon I am yet to join and test, though I do have a palette from my BBB Bow to try.  The one item I do love the look of is the Baked Blusher and there are two which I currently love the look of - All I think about is you and Make Love Instead.

Fitflops - I bought my first pair about 6 years ago and they now look very tatty and in need of renewing.  That said they are the most comfortable pair of shoes I have EVER owned, if there was a holygrail for a flip flop then for me FitFlops would be them.  Recently I have kind of fancied these rather funky looking Fitflops called Bon Easy Sandal.  So as well as another pair of Fitflops which I will definitely be purchasing, I like the look of these too.

The final item on this list is from Marc Jacobs and as soon as I saw the bottle I wanted it.  Pink Honey as it is called is encased in this beautiful bottle, very similar to Honey itself only the bottle is a sheer pink and I love it.

What do you think to my list? Do you have any of the items on it? 

Do you have your own wishlist?

Rare London | Clothes I Simply Can’t Live Without

When I was tagged to take part in this competition by Kate whose entry you can see here  - Clothes I simply cannot live without, it really did give me something to think about.  I am sure you all have clothes that you cannot live without and I would love you all to tell me what they are in the comment section below. 

Rare London have this fabulous competition which you can enter to showcase your favourite piece, and in doing so, you could be in with a chance of winning a £200.00 voucher!  with that in mind, this is my favourite dress

I am sure most of you will agree that every wardrobe needs a black dress, and I found this extract on the birth of the LBD facinating

Perhaps more than any other piece of clothing, the little black dress is, women have been told, the essential, the one that will take you practically anywhere. And perhaps more than any other designer, Coco Chanel was the one who made it ubiquitous. She did not invent the concept, of course, but according to Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life (by Justine Picardine, $40, amazon.com), “the little black dress was not formally identified as the shape of the future until 1926, when American Vogue published a drawing of a Chanel design.… It was an apparently simple yet elegant sheath, in black crêpe de Chine, with long, narrow sleeves, worn with a string of white pearls; and Vogue proved to be correct in the prediction that it would become a uniform.…”  and you can read more about this HERE

So, for me a LDB is simply a must have item of clothing and one I couldn't live without.   I do happen to have 4 or 5 differently styled ones as you can see from the photograph below

From that selection there is one of them that I wear more than any other which is this one:

Source

It comes from the Junarose collection on ASOS and I got it in the sale for just £13 reduced from £22 and the reason why I love it so much is because it is just one of those items that I can dress down and wear it daily when I am going to work or if I have a meeting I can add a jacket to it to make it look a little bit smarter.  

Then if I am going out in an evening I can accessorise it a lot more and make it look really fabulous be it with jewellery, my going out bag and a variety of other items of clothing that I own, including my favourite pair of shoes, shown below.

I am not one of those people who keeps up very well with the latest fashion trend, I envy those of you who do and continue to look fabulous, but for me, being comfortable in what I am wearing matters a lot more and it gives me confidence knowing that I actually look really good in something that to the naked eye might look a bit plain, but with a little bit of effort can look totally fabulous.

If you would like to enter this great competition with Rare London, you can do here and you will also find all guidelines too.

As this competition states that I need to tag three of you, I nominate

Kimberley @kimberleyj77

Keeley @phatcupcake

and finally Louise @Staceysmum84

This competition Ends April 30th and if you have entered, please let me know in the comments so I can come and have a look.

The Beauty Blogger's Perfect Christmas Tree!

As a beauty blogger there are many things that excite me and nothing could currently be more exciting than a Beauty Themed Christmas Tree.  I am amazed at some of the things you can buy as a Christmas Decoration and if I was to build my perfect Beauty Blogger Tree, some of these items would be making an appearance.

Starting with the top of the tree

The Liz Earle Christmas Star - £5.50-£14.00
How much of a bargain is that?! Inside your star, you will get a 30ml of the iconic Hot Cloth Cleanser and Muslin cloth to go with it which costs £5.50. Or there is a choice of two different shades of signature lipsticks which cost £14.00 or a choice of two shades of nail strengthening polish which cost £7.50 each.

Available from the Liz Earl website. 

Then we put on some crackers

I am quite excited about all of these crackers if I am honest and some of them are such good value for money.  These are just some of my favourites:

Nails Inc Christmas Crackers – £29.50

Take your dinner party to the next level and adorn your table with these stylish crackers. Each cracker is complete with a full size polish and fashion quote. 

• Mayfair Mews – navy Fibre Optic polish
• Baker Street – cobalt blue
• Marylebone Lane – red full coverage glitter polish
• King’s Road – rose gold Foil effect polish
• Kensington High Street - deep wine polish
• Trafalgar Crescent – silver Galaxy polish

 They are available from Nails Inc

Balm Balm Frankincense Organic Skincare Collection Cracker - £22.50In this cracker you will get:

• Balm Balm Frankincense Hydrosol 100% Organic 30ml
• Balm Balm Frankincense Deep Cleansing Balm 100% Organic 30ml
• Balm Balm Frankincense Light Facial Oil 100% Organic 10ml

Available from Feel Unique

Cowshed - Cracking Cow Christmas Cracker £10.00 each

A ‘cracking’ stocking filler or Christmas table decoration to add a touch of fun during the festivities and in this racker you will get:

• Wild Cow Invigorating Bath & Shower Gel (30ml) and a 
• Knackered Cow Relaxing Body Lotion (30ml). 

Available from Selfridges

Clarins - Box of 6 Crackers £39.00
In these crackers you will find quite a few lovely beauty treats which include:

• Beauty Flash Balm, 
• Mascara, 
• Lipstick, 
• Hand and Nail lotion, 
• Eau de Jardins 
• Gentle exfoliator. 

Available from Selfridges

Weleda Crackers for Men and Woman - ££14.95-£5.95
A choice of a moisturising cream for the man in your life or for yourself a wild rose smoothing day cream plus a Skin Food Cracker too.  

All Crackers are 30ml and available from Feel Unique 

Jo Malone Christmas Cracker - £30
Spoil every dinner guest with our Christmas Cracker, full of scented surprises. Tart-juicy Blackberry & Bay Cologne. Reviving Lime Basil & Mandarin Body & Hand Wash. Enlivening Grapefruit Body Crème. Tied with ribbon to set the table with style. 

Available from Jo Malone.

More crackers:

Marks and Spencer Crackers:

• Autograph Crackers - A collection of 6 novelty beauty crackers, each containing a specially selected mini make up product and beauty tip. Unwrap each to discover your Autograph lip gloss, liquid glow illuminator, mascara and kohl pencil eyeliner.  Cost £18 for 6
• Royal Jelly - A limited edition collection of luxurious hand creams from the Royal Jelly range and cost £6 each
• Nature's Extracts Lemon Verbena - Experience daily luxury with our Nature's Extracts collection in a festive cracker gift set. These limited edition body care essentials have been enriched with natural extract of lemon verbena - either a shower gel or hand and body lotion. Currently on offer at £2 each
• Happy Holiday Pick N Pix Cracker - Adding some festive fun to your bath with this cracker, costs £5

Now onto your trinkets and baubles.  Again there is so much choice out there that making a decision as to what I was to include was quite difficult, but here are some of my favourites:

Ciate Tree Trinkets - 6 Baubles for £30.00Each bauble is wrapped in a signature Ciaté bow, with a mini Paint Pot in a glamorous glitter shade peeking through, ready to be worn. 

Available from Selfridges

Lancôme In Love Christmas Cubes 4 for - £39.00
These festive cubes contain, a full size Nail Polish in Love, Mini Lip Gloss in Love, Mini Lipstick in Love and Mini Hypnôse Classic Mascara. 

Available from Selfridges

Rodial Glam Balm Christmas Tree Decoration -  £12.00
Give the gift of glam this year with Rodial glam balm LIP SPF 15 Xmas tree decoration. STEMCELL super-food SPF15 glam balm lip is a rose flavoured lip balm, with stem cells and the added benefit of SPF15.

Available from Debenhams 

The Rodial Glam Balm is also available as a little pot for £2 more which you can find HERE

AROMATHERAPY ASSOCIATES Little Bell gift set  - £10

Awaken your senses with Aromatherapy Associates' delectably uplifting and invigorating wonders of grapefruit, rosemary and juniper for a truly reviving start to the day. Includes Revive Morning bath and shower oil.  

Available from FeelUnique

Mistletoe Kisses - Coca Cola Lip Smacker - £3
Time to get festive with the heart shaped lip balm that you can use to decorate your tree or just simply save for that special kiss under the mistletoe this year. £3.00 available in Sainsburys

This Works Perfect Beauty Baubles – £12.00

Silent Night Bauble is a sleep balm to help calm the senses and Shimmer Balm a pocket sized pot of glittery balm. In two words: this works. – 

Available from ASOS

Jo Malone Christmas Ornament - £20

Trim the tree with this season's most desired decoration...a smart little box that opens to reveal a Pomegranate Noir Cologne and a delicious English Pear & Freesia Body Crème. Wrapped and ready to hang for a best-dressed Christmas. 

Available from Jo Malone.

More trinkets for your tree:

• The Body Shop Mini Shower Gels which cost £8 
• Mavala Nail Baubles which cost £5
• Cath Kidson egg shaped soap which costs between £4-£8 online and there are three different ones available
• M&S Limited Collection beauty bauble which contains a mini nail polish and two mini lip glosses and costs £5

And if all of that isn’t enough for you Beauty Bloggers then how about a Liz Earle Limited Edition Stocking? Designed by Jan Constantine and costing £50 

this stunning limited-edition Christmas stocking is brimming with treats, including:

• Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser 100ml pump
• Instant Boost Skin Tonic 50ml bottle
• Skin Repair Moisturiser Normal/combination 15ml tube
• Orange Flower Botanical Body Wash 100ml bottle
• Nourishing Botanical Body cream 50ml tube
• Two pure Muslin Cloths

So there you have it, my idea of the perfect Beauty Blogger Christmas Tree with decorations, baubles and even a star or five.

What would be on your Beauty Christmas Tree?