Recent Favourites #3

It's no secret among my nearest and dearest that I am a product hoarder! If someone even slightly raves about a product then that's it it's on my mental wish list! I'm a nightmare, a retailers dream though! Despite being crazy with cosmetics I truly believe that investing in make up and skincare is key, if you want the best results anyway. Do not get me wrong however! I love a bargain and still have a variety of brands in my make up kit. Anyway enough rambling on I am here to share some recent faves :) So here they are...

Laura Mercier Body Butter in 'creme de pistache' £26

This is a very new addition and its fair to say I've fallen in love! This thick, rich buttery cream is just divine!! The smell is good enough to eat and I honestly can not get enough of it, I find myself smelling my arm constantly! In fact I just took a whiff now! :) It smooths over any dry patches and my skin feel soft to touch, this is one that I save for when I want to smell sickly sweet like today being Easter of course :) £26 is a bit more on the pricey side but this is a real treat and one I would recommend if your on the hunt for a self splurge.

Chanel Eyeshadow Quad in 36 Intuition £38

Ahh Chanel! Anyone who knows me knows I am a Chanel girl at heart, shame my wardrobe doesn't reflect it though! I flit between eyeshadows as I tend to get bored, everyday I try to keep my eyes soft and that is one reason why I like this little palette they can be worn every day for a subtle look or built up to a more intense look for the evenings an when use wet!? OMG a dream! This is one well used quad I can tell you. If you haven't tried Chanel yet then you must! Think I may do a look soon with these to show you as honestly I love them! 

L'oreal SuperLiner Perfect Slim Eye Liner 

Told you I loved a bargain! This is such a great liquid pen liner! I usually use a Lancome one or a gel, sometimes a pencil, but saw this on offer an thought hey that's a bargain an can honestly say it's on par with my Lancome one! It stays black an doesn't fade after a couple of hours like I've found others do and comes in a few different sizes depending on what your looking for! Genius! 

Illamasqua Blusher in 'Tremble' £18

I bought this a bit ago and I've been loving wearing it, the pigment is fab and the powder is finely milled to give a great flush of colour and think the price point is fantastic too. I featured this is my haul which if you fancy reading is here. I use my real techniques stippling brush to apply usually and have so far been really happy with the results and have had loads of compliments when worn, so money well spent then! 

L'oreal Elnett Hairspray from about £4.00

Such a cult classic and forever one of my faves! I despise sticky stiff hairspray and this is nothing like that!! I have been buying it since I can remember and doubt I ever will stop! I have dabbled in other sprays - prices high and low - but always run back to this one! Hands down my must have product, I always have every size  in my possession 'cos I'm just weird like that!

So what has everyone else been loving recently? Anyone else tried any of these? What did you think? Anyway off I go to eat more chocolate because it's Easter Sunday and if that's not a good enough excuse I don't know what is. Have a great bank holiday everyone...

Siobhan xxx

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Review: ESPA Detoxifing Seaweed Bath

Hey Ladies! Hope everyone is having a good week so far? Though I'd do a review seen as I've been using this for nearly a month now and I'm pretty happy to write a review. I featured this in my favourites here if you fancy a look... So anyway onto the review...

This was bought as a present however this is actually something I wanted and would have bought myself eventually anyway. ESPA describe this as 'a clarifying, uplifting tonic to help detoxify for firmer, smoother skin.' Now I don't ever believe that a cream or whatever can give you firmer skin - you need exercise for that, simple as! However, I do believe that products can aid you to achieve your toning goal.

I had been looking at this product as it raves about been detoxifying and that's certainly something I need, what with all the caffeine I drink (Tea lover!) and chocolate I consume I thought my poor body would welcome this with open arms, and it did!

The instructions direct you to add two capfuls to your bath, then jump in and relax for 20 minutes and also advices as this product is highly stimulating its best use in the morning so that you can continue to flush out toxins throughout the day by drinking lots of water. I have always used this on a morning and find it really refreshing and uplifting not to mention softening on the skin :) the capfuls are only small by the way so this product should last a good while!

So first of all, the bottle is beautiful and packaged gorgeously in a glass bottle, I wouldn't expect anything less! I adore the smell of this product - think aromatherapy oils and your on the mark! the liquid inside is a questionable shade of grunge but rest assured this is luxury detoxing at its best! After soaking away I get out and immediately drink a pint of water - don't ask why a pint, its just how I'm rolling :) I just assume the more water the better hey? I then carry a water bottle all day to ensure I drink plenty of the clear stuff throughout the day! On the days where I haven't drank much water, and just drank pretty much tea all day I've ended up with a headache, I don't know if its a coincident but I'm presuming they're telling you to drink water for a reason so i would advise to stick to the instructions.

So how often would you use this you ask? There are a few ways - first you could use this as some kind of maintenance product and use it about two times a week. I was also advised that this could be used as an intensive treatment over the course of two weeks every morning - this would be good if you was doing a detox with food and alcohol at the same time maybe? Or just before a special occasion, say wedding or holiday? Lastly the final way was to pour some onto your hands and massage into cellulite prone areas like thighs wait a moment before getting into the bath and then continue as normal - this would be good for anyone suffering from stubborn cellulite maybe? There is also a detoxifying bath oil and body oil in the collection which would also help.

This retails for £25 pricey I know, but it is a luxury item so I don't think its actually that bad for the brand. You can buy online at www.espaonline.com, from salons and at Harvey Nichols too. I would recommend this to anyone who is particularly interested in detoxing and is looking for a product to aid. I would buy this again if I was embarking on detoxing or after Christmas maybe lol? Next on my ESPA wish list is a body oil and room candle too. 

So what do you think? Is this something you would try? Have you ever tried detoxing items before? Do you think they work? P.s If you want to follow me on Bloglovin you can by clicking the button on my side bar...

Siobhan xxx

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Review: Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief

Hello Girlies! How is everyone? Hope the weekend is treating you well? I'm not working today and have a lot on this week so thought I would spend a bit of time blogging today :) I have also just signed up for a 10k run in Leeds and should be training today for that but hey it's Sunday - the day of rest ha! 

So today I'm going to be reviewing a product that I have been using recently which is - Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief Moisturiser. I have been using this for a few weeks now. This moisturiser is described by Clinique as:

Light, comfortable cream/gel plumps skin with hydration for a full 24 hours. Fine lines, flakiness and tightness are washed away. in their place a sense of supple, firm, vibrant well-being, even through shifts in humidity. One 'drink' and skin looks and feels happier, healthier.

I have to agree with the description of this product - upon application my skin felt smoother and more hydrated and any tightness was instantly relived. I tend to use this on an evening however it can be used throughout the day just bear in mind that it doesn't contain an spf so you would be best to add one. 

For reference I don't have dry skin, my skin is combination and never ever get flakiness in my skin due to dryness, however my skin in very dehydrated due to me stripping it most likely through scrubs and masks! and also being in air conditioned places, which is rubbish for the skin. I can be prone to breakout if I use the wrong products therefore I am very weary about 'moisturising' products as I have in the past found them too rich and emollient for my skin.

This moisturiser is not like any other I have used before due to its texture and also the fact that its highly hydrating but is oil-free - therefore excellent for my skin! I have noticed such an improvement in my skin since sing this and have found that I can tell the difference when I don't use it too. 

I started using this after getting a sample after I burnt my face (don't ask - I'm accident prone! Lol!) and a few colleagues recommended this a few times so I thought why not!? Also I knew I was dehydrated so it came in good time! Although I work for the brand this is something I hadn't personally tried (and no, I didn't get it free! Lol), although I knew it was well loved by consultants and customers alike. Before using this I tended to stick to products designed for breakout prone skins but seen as I'm getting older I thought I needed something more 'grown up'.

It can be used as a daily moisturiser,  as a 'top up' throughout the day over make up (this may be better for the drier skin type though!) and also as a five minute moisture mask an then tissue off. I tend to just use it on an evening though or before the gym. Although I like the sound of using it as a mask i probably wouldn't as 1. it would use too much too quickly and 2. they now have the moisture surge overnight mask that I would use for that :) When I wake up my skin feels smoother and in better condition and also use it along side any spot treatments, during the times of the dreaded breakout arghh and it works a treat!

The cream contains a high level of aloe which makes it a perfect holiday or summer moisturiser that wont feel too slimy or greasy in high humidity. It feels cooling on the skin and so would benefit someone with sensitive skin, especially because it contains for fragrance what so ever. If your looking for a simple hydrating moisturiser that wont clog your skin then I would highly recommend this product  it is designed for all skin types even the driest, however there is an intense version of this product that might be more suited for the very dry which is more of a cream texture. 

Overall this is something that I would certainly buy again and definitely found a new favourite! The product is £32 for 50mls which I think compared to other premium products is a great price. If your skin is dehydrated then I would recommend giving this product a second glance, if like me your worried about breaking out then don't be as its non comedogenic and non acnegenic meaning it been tested to not clog pores or cause breakouts. If your very dry to dry and feel this just might not be enough for you then the intense version might be up your street! However this can still be used by the very dry and think most people would also love this product. 

So what do you think? Have you tried this product before? What did you think of it? Anyone using something similar that they would also recommend?

Siobhan xxx

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Why Do You Wear Makeup Tag

Hey everyone. Hope everyone is having a good weekend? I was recently tagged by the lovely Julz AKA 'J-Bean' at Julz Obsessions to do a 'why do you wear make-up  post which I actually find very interesting to read myself so here it is :)

And here is a picture I took the other morning after doing my make up, you know as you do :)

1. When did you begin to love make up?

Gosh, probably as long as I can remember  I have always been a very girly girl and always loved looking in my mums make up bag as a kid and as I got older I loved reading magazines and getting tips and tricks on make up - I never wore loads as a teenager as I always thought it was bad for the skin and so would only wear it for 'special' occasions lol. However as I got older and became specially trained as a make up artist I found myself experimenting more and more. I guess I've always loved make up and the more I learnt the more I loved :)

2. How do yo feel without make up?

I actually quite happy without make up on - I'm comfortable in my own skin now, however if you had asked me a few years ago I'd have said I wouldn't leave the bedroom without it on haha - well not quite but you know! But as I have to wear make up for work (I work on a make-up counter) I feel quite naked without it lol. I think too many people think they have to wear make up to look good but I personally think people are being too hard on themselves and everyone is beautiful - warts and all! But yeah overall I'm happy without it - just so long as I have mascara though! I would never give up make-up as I love it too much and just love creating new looks and getting dolled up is one of my favourite things to do :)

3.What do you like about make up?

I love how it can change how someone feels about themselves, I can't tell you the amount of times I've done someones make-up who weren't feeling that great about themselves to suddenly leaving with a smile on their face and to me that's what make up does - it can make you feel great about yourself! It's not about masking its about enhancing ;) I also like how you can experiment with different looks and to me it never gets boring trying out new make up - even though I have tons of it, there's always room for more! Plus another thing I love about the UK actually is the fact that a lot our 'high street' make up is good too.

4. Three 'Holy Grail' items?

Ooo this is a toughie! To be honest I switch products so much when it comes to make up but I'll think of what I tend to use the most of. Or have bought a few times

Collection 2000 Lasting perfection concealer - Just a bargain and does what it says on the tin!

Benefit Hoola Bronzer - this has been one of my favourite bronzers for 7 years.

MAC Shy Girl Lipstick - This is one of them lipsticks that I have just bought over and over again.

So there you have it! So what does everyone else think of when it comes to make up?  I tag everyone to do this tag! Please leave me a link on here or twitter if you do it so that I can read them :)

Siobhan xxx

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New In: The Weekly Edit #4

Good Evening Ladies! How is everyone this evening? I've been enjoying my day off to doing absolutely nothing :) It's been fab! Felt like a student again! Lol... And seen as the Football is on tonight I have this evening all to myself too... Total bliss! So thought that I would do my weekly round up edit of what's new in the shops at the mo! 

I'm really looking forward to the weather perking up as I really can not cope with the cold weather any more, dramatic I know! It just makes me want to wrap up all warm every day and drink Tea, and you cant drink Tea without some form of chocolate! But looking at all the new bikinis in stores at the moment has made me think twice about that Mars bar calling my name ha! Anyway I'm going off on a tangent so here goes for the post! Expect a lot of spring bits in this one...

River Island

1. Grey Paisley Sleeveless Shirt £25 - Gorgeous little top that would look fab with some white cigarette trousers.

2. Black and White Sequin Flower Top £25 - This design is hot right now. Be bang on trend with the designer inspired piece!

3. Cream Chain Detail Textured Jacket £40 - This is so cute and would look great just thrown over a little cami.

4. Black Sheer Panel Bodycon Dress £32 - Show off without showing everything in this LBD.

5. Black and White Jacquard Print Trousers £35 - Gorgeous trousers and would look great day or night dressed up or down! :) 

Topshop

1.Bright Leaf Print Pencil Skirt £32 - I just love the print on this and think it would look great any time of the day!

2. Sleeveless Lace Panel Shell Top £30 - Pastel colours scream Spring to me and that's all I can hear looking at this!

3. Petite Tribal Bodycon Dress £26 - This is such a bargain price! Would look great with high heels and a drink in hand ;) Me want!

4. 60s Lace Panel Shift Dress £46 - Be on trend with this little number: white and 60s!

5. Textured Cigarette Trousers £40 -  I love these - I would only worry about getting them filthy but who cares I love them - I would wear these to a Summer BBQ or garden party.

French Connection

1. Aloha Spring Strappy Dress £220 - This also comes in a different colour that I also love - would look great at a Summer Wedding maybe?

2. Feather Ruth Panel Trousers £85 - I love the White panel down the side of these babies!

3. Spotlight Flame Fitted Dress £135 - Another Dress that would look great at a Wedding lol - Shame I don't know anyone getting Married this year :(

4. Mosaic Me Jacket £250 - If you fancy flashing the cash on a Spring/Summer Jacket this one has it covered! 

H & M

1. Jacket £29.99 - Looks great teamed with Trousers or Dresses - I love the detail of this and for the price too!

2. Printed Trousers £14.99 - These are some statement Trousers right here! Love them! :) 

3. Grey Slit Skirt £12.99 - You really can't argue with the price of this Skirt! Wear it with a white tee for a casual look :)

4. Bomber Jacket £14.99 - On trend little jacket that you can throw on and doesn't weigh you down if you needed to take off! 

5. Polka Dot Dress £12.99 - Nice little summer dress- add a belt and cute Jacket for an instant outfit :)

So there you have it! What do you think? Anything caught your eyes? Anyone else fed up of the weather!? Lol...  Let me know what you think! 

Siobhan xxx

@siobhansparkles

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Haul Alert! Hello New Buys

So I've been trying to save for a while and it's getting there but to be honest nothing makes me happier than a little retail therapy to I thought I would show you some recent purchases :) they were not all bought on the same day thank god! Lol... I'm thinking of doing the 100 day spending ban but then all these occasions keep popping up! Lol I might start with a 30 day one instead! Has anyone else tried this? Did you actually save anything?

Anyway enough about saving, here is what I've been buying

Chanel Lippy in 88 Evanescente £25 and Lipliner in 34 Natural £17.50

I love these and have been lusting over both for a while and now I have them in my clutches! The Lipstick was actually bought by a friend for my Birthday so I had to have the Liner to match of course! When I was taking the pictures the pencil kept rolling along so I had to put the sharpener there to hold it in place lol! You have the pencil on one side and then a lip brush on the other side - I probably wont use the brush as I tend to use my own but its good for in a rush though!

Tom Ford Wicked Blusher £45 (!)

This is something I couldn't resist buying as I have a few Tom Ford bits and haven't been disappointed yet! I have a few things on my wishlist from the brand - The contouring pallet most of all! I know it's pricey but they are great quality and will last a considerable amount of time!

Clinique Moisture Surge £32

Everyone at work raves about this but I just hadn't got round to buying it - anyway I got a sample and fell in love so I ordered the full size as soon as I could! Making full use of the staff discount I also got a new mascara lol, it would be rude not to I say! As you can see from the pictures it is a gel like consistency therefore feels lightweight on the skin but it does the job of hydrating your skin really well. It is also oil-free.

Bobbi brown Lipstick in Pink Lily 12 £18

This is a lovely creamy yet matte bright pink Lipstick, it is a joy to use and would recommend it! A review to follow :)

Bobbi Brown Lip Pencil in Red 34 £15

I have a few Red Lipsticks but haven't been happy with many liners as find them to dark or pink.. But this was described as a 'true red' and I find that this description is pretty darn close! And I give extra kudos for the pencil sharpener included too, it's a gem! And I hate it when they don't include one..

ILLAMASQUA Powder Blusher in Tremble £18

I bought this blusher after seeing it on Beth's blog Birds Words (check out her blog it's fab) and thought it looked beautiful and had to have it! I was in a rush when I bought it, but I wanted to look at everything - so going to go back on my day off and have a good ol' nosey in the shop :)

Topshop Spree :) 

Just picked up a few bits and bobs from Topshop, you know as you do - Spring essentials and all. Well ish anyway! :) The dress was £65 and I can not wait to wear it - I have a few big birthdays coming up so will be wearing it to one of them so expect an OOTN coming up! You can find this here.  Sorry about the creases it was shoved my the bag and I forgot to take it out lol! The crop top I bought and I should have tried it on as its too big :( but never mind I'll have to make it work! I can't actually find this online so it could have sold out! The cami top was £18 and though it would make a cute summer staple in my wardrobe!

Warehouse Jacket 

I've already worn this Jacket from Warehouse when I went out for a meal with my friend, I wore it with my asos peplum shirt and dark Jeans it was £46 but I got discount on the day as it was some kind of discount day? Score!! and I can see myself getting a lot of wear from this item! :) You can buy it here. The picture doesn't do it justice as it looks fab on :)

Expect to see reviews on all the make up items separately :) So how is everyone? Anyone tried these products? What do you think of them? Anyone else after anything? 

Siobhan xxx

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Giveaway Winner!! :)

I didn't know how to print screen or whatever lol so I took a picture of it on my phone.. I chose a random number generator on the internet think it was www.random.org to be exact...

But anyway the winner is the 12th person down the list of comments which is Becky Smith So well done hun! :)

But keep your eyes out people for more giveaways soon as I will be doing them at other milestones too... Especially at 100! :) 

Thank you to everyone who entered 

Siobhan xxx

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I'm now on Bloglovin Finally!

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/4784139/?claim=xf3ytnmyvvc">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Been trying to be part of bloglovin for ages but was having trouble signing up :( However the fab guys at Bloglovin helped me set up yey! :)

So now I am posting to claim my blog :) p.s I have posted today with my recent faves if you want to check that out ;)

Lots of Love 

Siobhan xxx

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Recent Favourites #2

Hey girlies :) Hope your doing well? Had a nice weekend? I've been working all weekend so other than that I haven't been up to anything much really..So anyway I thought I would do a 'recent favourites again as its been a while since I last did one and to be honest I don't tend to change things enough to make it as frequent as a weekly faves post or whatever. These are the products that I have been going to a lot recently....

Dermalogica Daily Exfoliant £38

I've been using this once every couple of weeks recently, just when I feel I need a deeper clean usually and I can say I like it. I have a full review of this product coming shortly so I'm not going to say too much about this here but yeah I do like!

ESPA Detoxifying Seaweed Bath £25

This was a birthday present from my friend Katie and I really like it. You use it in the morning and ts supposed to help flush out toxins throughout the day and is therefore good for anyone who is prone to fluid retention, cellulite and even for people who erm have trouble 'dropping the kids off at the pool' if you know what I mean?? Lol... I will have a full review of this product very soon so watch this space.

Lush 9 to 5 Cleanser £4.75

This is a really quick and lazy cleanser but it really like it actually - I tend to use this when I'm in a bit of a rush and it works a treat.

Naked 2 £36

Ahh the Naked pallets again! I used to be addicted to the Naked one but lately I've been reaching for naked 2. I wont say any more on these as there is plenty of hype on them! However I love them both! But this one has just had the edge recently.

MAC Matte Bronzer £19

This has been used a lot recently by me and I'm really loving it again! I strayed from this to use a Bobbi Brown one but this is a goodie too :) As you can see from my pics I tend to dent my make up with my nails lol What is wrong with me!? Lol...

So I'm going to leave it at just five for now as I don't want to get all product heavy on you guys... What have you been using lately? I'd love to hear about them! Or have you used any of these things before? What did you think of them?

Siobhan xxx

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Paris Fashion Week: Lanvin AW13

Bonjour Ladies! How is everyone? Paris Fashion Week might just be my favourite fashion week, I know I should say London but I am a sucker for Paris sorry! :) Any way I thought I'd start off with Lanvin who's show was on Thursday along with many great others - that I will also be lusting over! I usually really look forward seeing the Lanvin collection as I find the pieces wearable and adaptable for my everyday and this show is no different I have to say! 

I just had to put another picture of this dress in again as its my fave of the entire show! Love at first sight... Swoon

Check out the bling and leather shirt 

Source of pics

This show for me was typically Lanvin, however I absolutely love it - the detailing on the black fit and flare dress, it's too lush! The sheer panelling on the dress makes this slightly more wearable yet edgy at the same time.

 I just love the structure of the clothes too, absolutely perfect! I am a massive fan of fit and flare so I was happy to see plenty of it on the catwalk (not to mention on the runway of the other fashion weeks - Yey!)

The looks were very feminine and classy, any sheer materials were used in more conservative places like above the chest ect. Floral and print were used throughout this collection which is something I propose will be big come A/W13 as seen on other shows too such as the heart print in the Burberry Prorsum show. Have you noticed the statement necklaces giving out secret messages of 'Love' and 'elp' Lol... I really like this fun twist on the outfit and really feel like it brings it all together!

We have seen a lot of 'power women' feminine suits on the Autumn Winter 2013 shows so it looks like my wardrobe is going to have to do some growing up between now and then :)

The Make Up

The make up on this show was either berry lips with a sheen - think more healthy and moisturised not glossy! Or they were nude and matte with BIG smoky eyes and winged liner! My fave look to be honest! The make up with the berry coloured lips tended to be more subtle and barely there elsewhere on the face too. I am expecting the Nude lip to rein supreme this Winter so chapped lips better beware! :). The complexion was more of a matte to natural matte finish with contouring used to define the already chiseled cheekbones of the models, but again the blush is more subtle or not there at all - when used it was peachy nudes just to add an awake look - No stripy bright blusher here girls :)

So what did you think of the show? Have you been following Paris Fashion Week? On a separate now has anyone got anything nice planned for the weekend? I'm just working but I'd love to hear from you all! 

Siobhan xxx

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