Sunday, June 30, 2013

Le Blush Créme de Chanel-Révélation



When I first saw Chanel were launching a cream blusher I was delighted!  I believe it is not yet available in the UK but it's coming soon!  I managed to order mine from Nordstrom in the US-I also bought a second one, in the shade Affinite, but that one is on back order so hasn't yet arrived.  Having said that, I can't wait for it to arrive having tried out Révélation today!





Révélation is a peachy coral with a hint of pink.  Right up my street.  This is hands down this is the best cream blush I have tried.  It feels like velvet to apply and dries to a powder finish but without losing it's dewiness.  It dries quickly but not so quickly that you can't work with it.   It's not got the stickiness that the Stila convertible colours or the Illamasqua cream blusher has.  It's easy to blend with your fingers or with a brush (I dabbed it on using fingers then blended out with a Real Techniques Expert Face brush).  It's buildable.  It's going to look fab on pale girls like me and amazing on olive skins.  It's love already.


I have to be honest I hate posting pics of myself on my blog but I think to show how lovely it is it is needed....here it is just applied over my foundation with no other make up on apart from foundation.


 And here it is with the rest of my make up on.

 

If you're looking for an easy to use cream blusher I would definitely recommend you have a look at these Chanel beauties!




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Saturday, June 29, 2013

Disappointing products


I quite like these posts...let's face it, not every beauty product out there is amazing!

I have been storing stuff away and jotting down in my notebook when I have come across products that, for me, were disappointing for some reason and here are my thoughts on 6 products that just are not rocking my world.  I'll say from the outset, I am quite surprised 3 of the products are from Laura Mercier as it's a brand I thought I quite liked.

Usual disclaimer-just because I don't like these products doesn't mean other people don't love them-this is just my own opinion.  Two of the products in here I know LOVED by other beauty bloggers on the whole.

First up with have an eyebrow and eyelash enhancing serum

Peptalash from Indeed Labs and Hi Brow

I blogged earlier in the year here about my love for RapidBrow and Rapidlash.  I used to apply them religiously but when they ran out I thought I would try something else so picked up these two products-Peptalash from Indeed Labs (£24.99 from Boots in the UK) for my lashes and Hi Brow Eyebrow Growth serum (£14.99 from beautyexpress.co.uk) for my brows.  Now firstly, I was recommended the Eyebrow Growth serum by a beauty salon in Dubai and when I went to pay for it I remember being quite shocked how much it cost (AED350 which is £61) but I didn't want to cause a fuss so just paid for it.  Now I realise I have been royally ripped off again in Dubai seeing how much it costs in the UK!

The reason I don't like the Peptalash is purely because it makes my eyes sting even though I obviously don't apply it in my eyes!  The reason I don't like the Hi Brow is that the plastic wand is SO hard I find it painful and scratchy to use.  And because of this I just found I didn't bother to apply it everyday as I had with Rapidbrow and Rapidlash.

I've just had false eyelashes and my lashes are now quite short and damaged so I have cracked open another Rapidlash and it's so much nicer to use!

Second up is a beauty bloggers fave that I just don't feel lives up to the hype and it's the L'Occitane Amande Shower Oil.

L'Occitane Amande Shower Oil

The smell is delicious but I find that the product 'sticks' to my skin on contact with water leaving a milky white residue that is difficult to remove.  I will no doubt use it all but I expected to fly through this bottle but in reality this has been in my shower since January and every time I use it I am disappointed.  Having said that I am currently using the dry body oil from the same range and do really like that.

Lastly are three Laura Mercier products-the Silk Creme foundation, the Smooth Focus Pressed Setting Powder and the Lip Glace in Orange Tulip

Laura Mercier Smooth Focus Pressed Setting Powder, Silk Creme foundation and Lip Glace in Orange Tulip

I won't repeat myself but I blogged about my experience with the Silk Creme foundation here.  I just could not get it to work for my skin type whatever I did-and I tried everything!

The Smooth Focus Pressed Setting Powder was just horrendous-the fall out when trying to apply it from the palette was awful as you can see here-it literally goes everywhere!

One dip of my kabuki brush in the powder!

When applied on the skin it just gave a ghostly white cast and just didn't seem to blend at all.  The only way I could get it to work was to use the Real Techniques multi task brush, dip it lightly in the powder, push the brush bristles down on the back of my hand to 'push' the product down the brush shaft and then lightly tap and roll the brush on my skin.  Far far too much hassle!!  I did use it all as it was expensive but I will definitely not repurchase!

Finally the Lip Glace.  Don't get me wrong, the formula on this is pretty damn perfect.  If you hate your lip gloss being sticky then Lip Glace's are for you because they feel like water on your lips.  I also like the colour of this lip gloss, what I HATE is that it settles into every single line on your lips and within minutes looks like a milky mess.  You can kind of see it already seperating in the picture below and this was literally within seconds of applying it.  I will probably try this on top of a lipstick in future rather than gloss on it's own.




Have you tried any of these products and loved them?  What products aren't floating your boat at the moment?


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Friday, June 28, 2013

Mac Flamingo



I may be a little late to the party with my review of this lipstick from Mac's All About Orange collection but it's so lovely it's worthy of a mention!

Flamingo was first launched in December 2011 as a limited edition and now it's back-sadly limited edition again. 

I ummed and ahhed about buying any of the lipsticks and looked at online swatches several times.  It was sold out on the Mac UK website but when Selfridges got the collection in I snapped up Flamingo.




I'm glad I did as this is right up my street as a summer lipstick even though it's a Lustre finish which I am not that bowled over by.

But the lustre finish makes it shiny and glossy and also pinker than it appears in the bullet.  It's a semi opaque pink with a hint of coral.  Perfect for daytime and I suspect something I will use regularly over the summer!  It's much more wearable than I expected it to be.

You may still be able to find it on counter and also on ebay (be careful and always go for sellers with high ratings when buying make up).  It would be so much easier if Mac just launched this into its permanent collection!!




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Thursday, June 27, 2013

Label addict

I have been wanting to write this post for ages but I've finally gotten down to sitting down and writing it following a discussion I had over twitter with my friend Jen at the weekend who you can find over at Daisy Rose Beauty about problematic skin.  I was hesitant because it's the first ever post I have written with no pictures!

Over the past two months I have become completely label obsessed.  Not designer label, I'm talking ingredients labels.  Particularly in skincare.

I am absolutely NO expert in skincare at all.  I love reading about it and getting recommendations for new products and my two favourite blogs for skincare are Caroline Hirons and Rebecca at Be Beautiful.  The way these two ladies write has given me a real interest in what I am putting on my skin and I feel I have learned about different ingredients, their benefits and the building blocks of a good skincare routine.

My interest started after I had a horrific experience in January with Liz Earle cleanse and polish cleanser.  It broke me out horrendously, I have never had such instant, deep routed and painful spots.  They sat under the skin, quietly raging away and never came to a head.  My skin made me want to cry.  Even though I stopped using the Liz Earle after 3 days it took 2 and a half months for my skin to recover.

Mistakenly I thought Liz Earle contained Shea Butter and immediately started telling anyone who would listen it was the Shea Butter in it that was making me break out and I actively avoided any product with Shea in it on my face.

It wasn't until I one day realised that the Ren Number 1 Purity Cleansing Balm contained Shea Butter. I was using it and loving it so I went back for a second look at the Liz Earle ingredients.  No Shea.  But it did contain both Beeswax and Cocoa Butter which I have heard can cause breakouts for some people.  Ahhhh mystery solved I thought.  Shea = good.  Beeswax and Cocoa Butter = avoid like the plague.

Then I realised that the Kiehls light moisturiser I used every day contained Beeswax.  Wow.  So maybe Beeswax isn't an issue either.  I just needed to avoid Cocoa Butter.

Currently I have just started using the Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm as my evening cleanser.  Ingredients in the balm include Beeswax (but no cocoa butter) so I wondered how my skin would react.  The first couple of days were ok then I started getting spots around my jawline.  I used it for 6 days and then travelled to Cairo.  In my travel wash bag I had thrown the Ren No 1 Purity Cleansing Balm and over the last 5 days my skin has totally cleared up.  Since I have been back I decided to give the Emma Hardie another try and so far so good.  But I have really stripped back my skin care to try and see if this is what is effecting me.  Also it is VITAL in my opinion that you use a flannel to remove this properly from your skin-trying to wash it off just doesn't cut it and leaves me feeling like I have a film of product on my skin.

I'll be honest, it's a frustrating process.  I like to read all ingredients labels now before I buy.  And if a product doesn't have the ingredients listed I won't buy it.  I spend a lot of money on make up and skincare, I want to at least know what I am putting on my face.

There are SO many ingredients in skincare that I don't recognise or understand what they are supposed to do.  So many of the ingredients use the Latin derivative and it can be a complex and confusing process.

I've also learned that Shea Butter is sometimes listed as Butyrospermum Parkii and Beeswax as Cera Alba.

If my skin breaks out over the coming days I will know it's something in the Emma Hardie as the rest of my skincare routine will remain the same as before I used the EH.  I will assume it is the Beeswax in it but to be honest there are so many ingredients in the EH it could easily be something else.

Other things I have learned through Caroline and Rebecca are that;
-I should be double cleansing especially as I wear SPF (I'm not-well until I see what happens over the next few days)
-I should be toning using an exfoliating and hydrating toner.  (I'm not, I am back to using Alpha H every second day to sort my skin out and it is working
-Neither of them rate muslin cloths for removing cleaner, both prefer flannels (which should be washed after every use).  I now use flannels to remove my cleansing balm in the evenings and to remove any face masks I put on before a final rinse with water.

I know Carolines perfect skin care routine involves a non foaming cleanser in the morning followed by double toning, any serums (heaviest last), hydraluron and then moisturiser.

In the evening double cleansing (balm then milk or gel). double cleansing, oil, serum then moisturiser.  It may seem heavy but Caroline says she is a fan of piling it on.  In all honesty I'm not, I prefer to start with a base cleanser and moisturisor and if my skin is ok slowly start to introduce other products into my regime.  I know many many people are eagerly snapping up Carolines recommendations and spending their hard earned cash on multiple products and starting anew-but if your skin breaks out how do you know what is irritating it.

Having said that, best line ever from Caroline has to be 'facial wipes are for flights, fannies and festivals'.  I don't use face wipes.  Or cleansing water now unless I am on a flight and it's the easiest way to remove make up or I am drunk and can't be bothered with the whole routine.

I have also learned that my skin CAN tolerate shea butter.  I loved the Ren cleansing balm.  I also know my skin tolerates rose and almond oil as ingredients and that Glycolic acid (which is an AHA) was my skin saviour in March when I tried the Alpha H Liquid Gold.

I've learned a whole new vocabulary-I know what Salycilic acid is (and how to pronounce it!), that hyluaronic acid holds 1000 times it's own weight in water so is great for plumping the skin.  I know mineral oil and parabens are skin nasties. I know Retinol A is a great anti-ager and and AHA's are acids but good acids.  I know silicone makes my skin feel so silky but also puts a barrier on the skin so is best in products like foundation primer.

As I have said I am stripping back my skin care at the moment to see if the Emma Hardie is causing me to break out.  Once I know or not I'll be slow introducing other products into my skin care routine.  I don't think it will ever be a perfect science but I am definitely happy to be more conscious of what I am putting on my face.

How have you ever gotten to the bottom of an ingredient that doesn't suit your skin?  Do you always read the ingredients before buying anything?

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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Shopping the stash #1

I'm so glad I scheduled some posts over the weekend as following my dentist appointment yesterday I am not feeling 100% at all!

Here's my first ever Shopping The Stash post....enjoy!

I travel quite a lot with my job and last week when I was in Cairo I decided to pull some 'forgotten favourites' and some 'never yet been used' make up and shop my own stash.

Something old, something new.  Bloody cat in the corner again.
Something new

I admit to having an obscene amount of make up that is still unopened.  'Saving for a special occasion' which is ridiculous hey!  I also have some old favourites which for one reason or another had been cast aside.

Jo Malone Osmanthus Blossom

Kinda new, kinda not yet used I threw this perfume in my bag for the trip.  This is a limited edition by Jo Malone, it's their latest so you may still be able to lay your hands on it and I believe it has only just launched in the US.  It's insanely fresh and fruity.  I am not a big fan of perfume descriptions, I mean really, what does 'top note of Petitgrain, heart of Osmanthus and base of Cashmere Wood' actually mean.  And also, I will be honest-I have a sinus problem which means I can only smell top notes (at the moment-hoping to be fixed soon) and this just reminds me of peaches and apricots, ice cream and sunny days. 

Benefit Coralista

Coral seems to be such a beauty bloggers favourite and I admit to be right up there at the top of the fan tree!  I utterly adore coral on my lips and cheeks.  I bought this in Thailand in December and used it a few times but it's been hiding in the back of my muji drawers for some time.

Benefit Coralista is a pigmented yet easy to wear blusher-slightly shimmery so not for matte lovers.  I'm very pale and just feel this lifts my complexion when I put it on.  A summer staple.

Balm Balm lip balm

A new product for me now that my Carmex is finished.  I don't even know how I got this Balm Balm lip balm-I think it might have been in my Latest in Beauty advent calender.

This balm is the perfect texture for me-it's very moisturising but not sticky or heavy on the lips.  It's not greasy but it's very easy to spread.  It's a solid balm rather than that horrible gloopiness of vaseline.  The scent is lovely-really light but refreshing.

This is also a new brand to me so I did a little google search and discovered that not only does this balm cost only £3.50, it's 100% organic and can be used as a face or hand moisturiser (be careful if you are spot prone though because it contains both shea and beeswax).  It also comes in fragrance free and tea tree.

Anastasia Lash Genius

Now the weather is heating up to sauna type temperatures, sweat and smudge proofing your make up becomes vital.  Lash Genius by Anastasia is the best waterproof top coat I have ever tried-it stops mascara smudging and running but doesn't make your mascara a pain in the ass to remove at the end of the day.  I picked mine up from Cult Beauty and founder of CB Lex told me to wait until my mascara has dried and then apply this topcoat from roots to tip.

Mac Select cover up

Mac Select Cover-Up is, I have to say one of the best blemish concealers I have come across.  The texture is light as a feather yet the coverage is pretty heavy duty and was a god send last week whilst my skin was mis-behaving for the first couple of days.  I was colour matched as a shade darker than my normal Mac foundation shade but it seems to work really well and isn't yellow or pink at all on my skin.

Laura Mercier Glamour Wardrobe

Laura Mercier Glamour Wardrobe

This double layer zip up pouch houses pretty much all the lip, cheek and eye products you need for a week away.  This was a Xmas 2012 special edition and my lovely mum bought it for me.  It's lain untouched since then (shame on me) but I know that will no longer be the case after using it for the first time last week.

The matte eyeshadows on the top layer are pretty unspectacular to be honest although Buttercream makes a nice under brow highlight.  The shades that have the tiniest of iridescent sparkle (Peridot, Sable, Midnight Navy, Cherrywood and Heather Plum) are SO beautiful.  Best applied over a primer, they blend easily and the end result is more slight shimmer than full on sparkle.  I am wearing both Peridot and Sable blended together today and I love the combination.  Sadly most of these eyeshadows are limited edition but I do highly recommend trying out some swatches of the Laura Mercier Baked and Lustre eyeshadows-they are my picks from her range.

The lip glosses range from neutrals to deeper colours.  As you can see I have only tried the Sugarplum shade but it's absolutely lovely.  An iridescent coral, smooth and light as a feather on the lips.  The only downside-they don't last long and I wouldn't carry round this pouch during the day for touch ups.

The cream blushes are really sheer-you literally can't go wrong with them and they're easy to build up.  They dry to a powder like finish almost immediately.  I'll be using the 'golden glow' as a highlighter and the bronze veil when and if I ever get a tan!!

I have to admit I did enjoy digging out some of the products I have had for ages and not yet used and re-discovering some old favourites.  Have you been shopping your stash recently and discovered an old favourite?

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Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Incognito Braces Update


Eeekk the brackets are on

So today I had my brace brackets fitted.

You can read about my journey so far here and here but today initially was a bit if a farce.

I turned up for my appointment and it was supposed to be with Dr Payam being supervised by the professor Dr Anas.  But another dentist came out to greet me and asked me to go with him and told me that Dr Payam wasn't able to be there today but that he would be happy to fit my brackets for me. I was like 'Erm ok, what about Dr Anas' who is the supervising professor and he said 'No Dr Anas isn't feeling well today.'  I was really annoyed to be honest because I feel the hospital should have called me and told me that neither of the doctors I have been dealing with since March were not there today as planned and given me the option to reschedule.  I has done the worst possible thing and 1 hour before my appointment started googling Incognito and I read stories about pain etc and so I was also very nervous.

The dentist showed me a large box that had my name on it and inside were my brackets and a plaster model of how my teeth should look post-braces.

He said he would be happy to fit them but I was really confused and annoyed I wasn't dealing with people I knew and I told the dentist that he hadn't even told me his name!!

To cut a long story short I did have the brackets fitted and now have them on both top and bottom. The procedure wasn't painful in any way but there was discomfort at times-especially with the tongue guard they put on to try and keep your mouth as dry as possible.  Applying the brackets to my teeth didn't hurt at all.  The procedure took 3 hours but I can't help feeling that was the easy bit!!  I'm booked in to have 2 teeth removed on Sunday and the third tooth removed on the Wednesday.  Then at the beginning of the next week I will have the wire fitted which will be adjusted each month.

The dentist did a great job in the end and my initial reticence was unnecessary.

The brackets on my teeth don't feel painful at all.  Now typing this I am in no pain, or even discomfort.  The brackets do feel strange, I keep running my tongue round them!  But they're not cutting into my tongue.  It is a real struggle to eat.  I can't chew at all.  Mike has made me soup but it had real pieces chicken in it and noodles and I honestly couldn't eat the chicken or chew the noodles. Could be great for the diet I suppose.  Now being able to chew is the most bizarre feeling to be honest, I don't suppose if you've never had braces you can comprehend it.

My speech is pretty much fine, my 's' are a little difficult but I can hold a comprehensible conversation.

I am dreading the extractions to be honest but having seem the model of my 'after' teeth I know I just need to remember it'll be worth it in the end.

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Sunday, June 23, 2013

Emerging Beauty Brands Blogger event!

Hostesses with the mostest-Sarah from EBB, Jay from Hair Works and Catherine, founder of EBB

Treats from Hey Sugar!

More delicious cupcakes

Jay demonstrating Sleeprollers

Susie modelling the hairdryer hood

Jay using the bun ring on Aseya from Pretty In The Desert.  This was my favourite look and I loved finally meeting Aseya!

Bun ring in Aseya's hair

Bun ring in Aseya's hair

Sarah and Jade with their Sleep Rollers bun rings

Sarah's hair by Jay

Bun ring in my hair but going for a curly up do

The up do Jay created for me using the Sleeprollers bun ring

Xen-Tan goodies

Xen-Tan Daily Self-Tan

Xen-Tan Daily Self-Tan for face

Goody bags!

As a relatively new beauty blogger I was truly delighted to get an invite to my first blogger event, hosted by Emerging Beauty Brands.

Emerging Beauty Brands is a company I have followed on twitter for what seems like forever!  I've chatted a lot back and forth about brands with the founder Catherine but today I got to meet her for real!

Emerging Beauty Brands was established in 2010 by fellow beauty addict Catherine as a platform to introduce unique beauty brands to the Middle East.

I'll be honest, it took conversations with two of my friends this morning to convince me to go-not because I didn't want to but because I was SO nervous!  I am so glad my friends said 'GO, you'll be in your element' as the event was so much fun and I met the most lovely people.

The hosts Catherine and Sarah were so welcoming and instantly put me at ease.  And wow did we get looked after-delicious cupcakes from Hey Sugar!, treats from 1762 deli and gorgeous biscuits and haribo were scoffed as we settled down to have presentations from Xen-Tan and Sleeprollers.

Catherine had brought in Jay from Hair Works as the stylist for the day and she did an amazing job.  She created fantastic but re-creatable styles using Sleeprollers products.  She used of course the Sleeprollers themselves which have almost instantaneously reached cult status in the UK.  Their drawstring pink bags are instantly recognisable and I knew this product would go down a storm in Dubai.  They have expanded their range and Jay also used their bun rings, their clip in extensions and the hairdryer hood.

I have tried a bun ring in the past but because of my fine hair I just couldn't get it to work.  When Jay asked me if I would like to try the bun ring in my hair I sheepishly admitted that I didn't think my hair would be thick enough to cover it.  Jay said she liked a challenge and a challenge indeed she took on because there were no small bun rings left, only the medium size.  I am amazed and delighted at the style she created.  I don't want to take it out I love it so much and wonder how much I would have to pay Jay to come and style my hair every day!!!

I also had an in depth tanning consultation with Catherine who definitely knows her fake tan and sported a flawless no sun tan.  I am a tan-phobic.  This is after years of unsuccessful applications of fake tan.  Catherine recommended I try the Xen-Tan gradual tan and I was given a bottle to try which I will definitely be testing out the next few days as I am currently so pale I am practically blue.  The first thing that struck me was the smell-I hate the smell of fake tan but wow, this smells of vanilla!  One of the other tanners we talked about smelt of chocolate.  Such a pleasant change from the traditional pong of self tanners!  Xen-Tan has such a huge range of products, there literally was something for everyone in the range.
Catherine told me Xen-Tan was created by a redhead who was sick of all fake tans making her orange.  As a pale and interesting person this gives me immediately an internal sigh of relief as I definitely don't want to look like I have been tango-ed.  It also has an impressive list of celebrity clients-Lady Gaga and Kate Middleton to name two-pop royalty and actual royalty, so that appealed to the Princess in me!

I met some absolutely lovely people but I was particularly delighted to meet Aseya from Pretty in the Desert.  I knew from following her on instagram, twitter and her blog (stalker alert) she was going to be lovely and she truly was!  I also chatted to Sara from Sara in Dubai and Azeen from The Monroe Affair and Zein from The Beauty Residence-all such fab girls and new blogs to discover!

You can keep up with all the latest happenings with Emerging Beauty Brands on their twitter account (@EmergingBeautyB) and their blog.  They're always up for some beauty banter!

You can get Sleeprollers in Bloomingdales Dubai Mall and Areej across the UAE.  Xen-Tan can be found at Sephora and Dubai Duty Free.

Jay can be found at the new Hair Works salon on Jumeirah Beach Road 04 385 4777.  She was so good that I'm definitely going to be booking an appointment to see her for the full works over the next couple of weeks.

It was such a lovely event and I was delighted to be invited-thank you to Team EBB for looking after us all so well!

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Saturday, June 22, 2013

Liberty haul

Liberty haul-Nars and Hourglass

This haul is from my very first trip to Liberty-ever!  I'd never shopped there before but I saw Rebecca at Be Beautiful talking about the beauty hall there and saying how lovely it was, so when I went to London recently I went in to kill some time before waiting for my Lash extensions appointment which was just round the corner.  If you are a regular reader of my blog you'll know I often mention Rebecca-I just love her blog.  She's so knowledgeable about skincare, I have followed many of her recommendations and benefited from them.  She has a lovely blog and youtube channel and is very bad for my bank balance!

I have posted about Liberty before as they did a great gift with purchase in May but this haul was from my first trip to London at the beginning of May.

I don't know what I was expecting but I found Liberty to be a bit of a cavern, you seem to really have to explore to find the beauty hall and even then it's split into two parallel corridors.  It almost feels like you're walking through someones home, with interesting nooks and crannies everywhere.  It has a little bit of a reputation as having snooty sales staff but to be honest the girl on the Nars counter was absolutely lovely.

Nars eyeshadow primer, Nars sheer glow foundation and Nars pro prime

I wanted to buy the Sheer Glow foundation after hearing such good things about it.  I have a preference for buying the primer that 'goes' with the foundation-I don't know if this is right or just an expensive habit but I went for the pore refining primer and also the eyeshadow primer which I have wanted to try for ages!  I am super loyal to my Clarins eyeshadow primer but I am always open to trying others and this one is widely highly rated.

I then bought three more eyeshadow duos.  I really love the Nars eyeshadows-but I have a preference for the more shimmery colours over the matte ones in the range.  I have found the shimmery colours to be much more pigmented and easier to apply than the matte which don't seem to have as good colour payoff.

Nars eyeshadow duo-Nouveau Monde

Nars eyeshadow duo-Earth Angel

Nars eyeshadow duo-Hula Hula

Nouveau Monde is a 'metallic lilac silver and rich olive gold'
Earth Angel is 'bronze taupe and muted olive' and is very wearable for daytime.
Hula Hula is 'Strawberry with gold particles and hazelnut with gold particles'.  Strawberry sounds scary as an eyeshadow shade but it's actually quite a subtle nude colour when swatched and not as pink as it looks in the pan.

Nars blush-Gilda

I'm also a total sucker for Nars blushes-this latest addition to my collection is Gilda.  Described as 'the perfect coral with a hint of red', it's highly pigmented and similar to Orgasm but with no shimmer at all.

Hourglass haul-retractable kabuki brush, Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder and eyeshadow duo in Suede

The Hourglass brushes feel amazing!  I've never felt a brush so soft-they are made of PETA-friendly takelon bristles.  I chose the retractable kabuki brush as I have been looking for one for a while and it's really densely packed.  Expensive but will last a very long time if looked after properly.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder in Ethereal Light

I'm SO bad.  I now own 5 of the 6 Ambient Lighting powders and this purchase was the 5th.  These powders are super super finely milled-invisible on the skin but I have been using the 'Diffused' light and it adds such a lovely radiance to the skin. 

Ethereal Light is an opalescent sheer, cool white powder that mimics a moonlit glow even in broad daylight.


Hourglass Visionaire eyeshadow duo

This is my third eyeshadow duo from Hourglass.  Their eyeshadows are quite frankly amazing.  Pigmented, butter soft, easy to apply and blend, no fallout.  This is the very neutral palette of Suede, taupes with an almost grey tinge-just beautiful.  I highly recommend these.  Admittedly the girl on the Hourglass counter was a little arrogant and offhand and I would prefer to buy Hourglass from Space NK in the future.

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