My biggest make-up haul of the year!

Reunited!

Blogging has been a bit neglected this week as my parents arrived on Tuesday for a much needed sunshine filled break-not only is it awesome to see them but they came with them bearing make-up and beauty products from the UK-things I have bought and had sent to them or things I bought when I was in the UK 3 weeks ago and couldn't fit in my suitcase!

I've also done a bit of speed shopping this week and bought some extra 'can't live withouts'-that's what I tell myself anyway!

The products from the UK

Ciaté

Ciaté Breakthrough Breast Cancer Duo and Speed Coat

Ciaté Mini Mani Month

I've been waiting for these products for SO long!!  I bought them both in the UK but they didn't arrive before I left so mum and dad had to bring them.

The Breakthrough Breast Cancer duo is 2 pink polishes Pinkalilly which is described as a shimmering pop pink with golden undertones and Pinkaboo, a twinkling pink holographic glitter, based on their bestseller Jewel.  Jewel was worn by the singer Adele at the Grammy's this year along with 'mistress' (now famed as the Louboutin manicure).  20% of the profits from this product goes to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

Ciaté Jewel (l) and Mistress (r)

I bought Jewel and it is an amazing polish-twinkles and sparkles in the light so I am excited to try this pink version.

The Ciaté Mini Mani Month is one of the most exciting products I have seen this year and makes an excellent present.  It's designed to be a 24 day advent calender with a surprise behind each door-17 polishes, 4 mini caviar beads and 4 exclusive glitter shades.  I bought mine from Selfridges but you can also get them from the Ciaté website here for GBP38.00.  They've sold out twice over so far so get one fast if you want one!  I'm actually going to save mine for post Xmas January blues (and I counted my nail polishes the other day and have 95 eek!!)

Ciaté is also sold in Dubai at Sisters Beauty Lounge and in Bloomingdales Dubai Mall.

Selfridges Lucky Bag

I was so excited when I heard about these and I bought 2 literally the minute they launched online.  I'm going to do a separate post on them so you can see what I got inside.

Selfridges Lucky Bags

My first Cult Beauty order

This is actually a company I have fallen in love with over the past week and I placed my first order with them to be sent to my mums last week.  Whilst researching for Xmas presents I had come across this website and whilst browsing came across Belmacz Glow Gold Leaf Lipgloss

Belmacz is an acclaimed jewellery house.  Belmacz designer Julia Muggenburg has launched a cosmetic collection where, and I quote from Cult Beauty's website 'she has applied the same originality, quality to detail and attention to each beautiful pot of gloss as she has to her gemstone collections.'

I was attracted to her pots of lipgloss because the contain actual flecks of 24ct gold.  Yes you heard me right, this lip glosses have actual gold in them!  This is a gift for the girl who has everything!

Cult Beauty ship worldwide but my first order was to the UK and they offer free shipping to the UK.  Mum said the order arrived just 2 days after it was placed.  They offer 3 free samples with orders over GBP25 and I chose an Eve Lom, and Astalift and a Dr Brandt sample.

I am SO happy with the Belmacz lipgloss I am going to give them a whole post of their own.  I am actually in love with them already-an expensive habit at GBP24.95 each!

This is my order and look our for my Belmacz post and swatches

Cult Beauty order, two Belmacz lipglosses and 3 samples

Bobbi Brown

I bought 2 Bobbi Brown palettes from the UK but couldn't fit them in my suitcase!  One is the Extreme Party Eyes which I believe is exclusive at Selfridges. 

Bobbi Brown Extreme Eyes Palette

This palette contains 7 eyeshadows, a liner colour and a highlighter.  It also contains 4 brushes.  The shadows have different finishes-from matt to glitter/shimmer to metallic.  It's a beautiful palette perfect for the party season.

I also bought the Bellini Lip and Eye palette which contains 10 eyeshadows and 4 glosses.  The colours are much more neutral and wearable for every day in this palette-I can see me getting a lot of use out of this.  The Bobbi Brown website has a really good description of the palette contents.

Bobbi Brown Bellini palette

These palettes are NOT in any of the Dubai stores yet :-(


Clarins


It's fair to say I have been lusting after this eye quartet since reading about it, what seems to be, months ago on British Beauty Blogger

Beautiful gold packaging and 4 wearable shades, I can't wait to try it!

Clarins Odyssey

Clarins Odyssey Eye Quartet

The products from Dubai

Dermalogica

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant

I have been dying to try this Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant for a long time and as Dermalogica is stocked in almost every pharmacy here in Dubai I bit the bullet and bought some this week.  I need a new facial exfoliator and my interest in this one was renewed when I read a few UK based beauty blogs about receiving a sample of this in their beauty boxes.  I'll do a review when I open it up.

Laura Mercier

I have been reading so many good things about Laura Mercier recently and my mum has bought me one of their Holiday 2012 palettes for Christmas.  Laura Mercier used to be stocked in the UAE but disappeared a while ago.  It's now re-stocked in Bloomingdales in Dubai Mall but I hadn't heard very good things about the counter there.

I went along to try and get a Silk Creme foundation and primer.  I have a lot of problems getting a foundation that suits my skin colouring as I have quite high redness in mt face but a very pale neck so avoiding the 'tide mark' look is crucial for me.  Now I have found a foundation that really does suit me, when I am buying another foundation I take that one along to try and colour match it.

To be honest I am happy just browsing most make up counters without the sales assistants asking me if I want help.  But of course (as happens everywhere in Dubai), as soon as I got to Laura Mercier I was approached by one of the staff.  But I have to be honest, this girl was brilliant.  I told her what I was looking to do and she said fine and she started to ask me lots of different questions about my skin type and what coverage I wanted and what I was using now, both in make up and skincare.  She obviously knew a lot about different brands and I was really comfortable talking to her.  We tried 2 different Silk Creme foundation shades and found the perfect one on the second attempt.  She re-did my foundation and showed me some other products but there was no hard sell and she taught me a new trick to minimise dark circles.

I bought a Radiance Primer, Silk Creme Foundation, Flawless Skin Tone Perfecting Eye Gel Creme, Secret Brightening Powder (this has been on my wish list for a long time), Under Eye Perfecter and a concealer brush.

Laura Mercier haul

And finally, my second Cult Beauty order

On Sunday I saw Susie Amy who writes Blusher and Blogging tweeting that Cult Beauty were offering a free goody bag with orders over GBP40.  I zoomed over to the site and the goody bag looked ace-lots of unique brands that I would love to try.  I didn't find spending GBP40 that hard to be honest!  This time I chose to use their international delivery service.  They offer 2 services, a standard and a Fed Ex.  I chose the Fed Ex which costs GBP25 flat fee.  Now that may seem a lot but, it was in Dubai and on my desk in 3 days and, I didn't realise at the time, but because I was ordering to a non UK address, the website had automatically deducted VAT off all the products.  So really, what you save in VAT covers the postage.  Also, Dubai ladies, if you have a Shop and Ship account remember you can't ship anything liquid, including cleansers, nail polishes, toners and lotions.

Receiving the order on Thursday really perked up my day-again I got to chose 3 samples and I got the goody bag.  Now THIS is what the Selfridges Lucky Bag should have been.  And this one was free.

My order was;

Stila Tiki Lip Glaze Trio

Astalift Discovery Kit

3 Custom Colour Century in Red Lip Palette

I love Stila.  I have for years.  This 3 pack of lip glazes are in lovely colours-I'm going to take them on holiday with me in a couple of weeks!
I have been dying to try Astalift for ages but it is not available in Dubai.  I love 'discovery kits' so that I can try a little bit of everything.
Finally, this lip palette from 3 Custom Colour is ace.  On the packaging it tells you what or who each colour in the palette is inspired by and from which era.  The colours look so wearable as well.

The goody bag is brilliant.  Let me tell you what was in it;

Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energising Mask 10ml
Jouer Lip Enhancer Conditioning Lip Treatment 2.3ml
Anastasia Lash Genius (waterproof topcoat)
Aromatherapy Associates De-stress bath and shower oil 3ml
Dr Brandt Flexitone BB cream-sample
DuWop Lip Venom-1.5ml
Kai fragrence
Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel 15ml
Alison Raffaele Reality Base foundation

I am most looking forward to trying the Bliss mask and the Anastasia Lash Genius.  I travel a LOT for work and having little samples like this is ideal for me.

Am so pleased with all my new products and can't wait to get trying them!