Jacket – Zara £119 (Sold out online)
Boots – Next £78
Bag – Bimba & Lola (Past season)

Dress – Pearl Lowe @ Peacocks £20

What a busy little weekend I have had! Yesterday I ventured into the city for lots of Christmas goodies and ended up in Build-A-Bear for OVER AN HOUR. If you don’t know what this shop is, it’s basically hell disguised as something fluffy and fun. Long queues, lots of screaming children having Build-A-Bear parties and loooooong queues. Plus add-ons, so a bear that initially costs £15 at the start (of hell) ends up ringing in at an eye watering £38!! once it’s been dressed and given a heart. Did I mention the never-ending QUEUES?!?!

Ugh, anyways… hopefully there will be one very happy little boy on Christmas morning and my measly hour of delirium will all have been worth it. Oh and you know how you’re not meant to shop for yourself while buying presents for others? Yeah well I failed, multiple times… oops…

While making one such purchase (chunky mustard circle scarf) in Accessorize I met one of my lovely blog readers. I was so chuffed! She has a YouTube channel about Plus Size Fashion which you totally need to check out here

Saturday night my Mum took the kids so that Matt and I could have some (much needed) couple time. We hit up the Christmas Market in Belfast for currywurst, macaroons and crepes ♥
Then today we spent the day eating out and doing the last of Santa’s shopping. It’s been a lovely 24 hours

xo

]]> http://dressjunkie.com/2011/12/18/oh-buoy/feed/ 6 http://dressjunkie.com/2009/11/04/try-before-you-buy/ http://dressjunkie.com/2009/11/04/try-before-you-buy/#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:52:23 +0000 dressjunkie http://dressjunkie.com/?p=2870

We all know it makes sense don’t we? Yet for some reason when we see that new MAC Collection pop up online we can’t help ordering somewhat blind.

Recently I’ve really wised up and put the foot down. I dread to think of the hundreds (maybe thousands eeek) I’ve wasted on make-up that I thought looked gorgeous on a computer monitor/ in a bottle/ on a sticker!?!  but of course is actually completely different IRL.

I’ve no one to blame but myself. Testers are everywhere. Granted some of the high end counters can be “funny” (and no, not in the haha way) about giving them out. However I’ve come to the conclusion that if a sales assistant truly believes the product is as good as she is claiming, then she won’t blink twice at giving you a sample. After all, logically you’ll be back to purchase the full size bottle/ shadow/ cream etc.

This has worked really well for me recently. Estee Lauder in particular displayed excellent customer service by refusing to foundation match me on a dull day under artificial lights in Debenhams, Belfast. Instead she gave me generous samples of both the shades she felt I would fall into and told me to “try them, and see how they wear for you in the next few days”I did exactly that, and went back just under a week later and bought the full size from her. Now that’s smart business.

The other place where you can perhaps “try before you buy” a little more freely is of course your local Boots/ Superdrug. Not all of them provide wipes to remove said testers from the back of your hands tho, so my advice is to carry a travel size pack in your handbag.

I can spend over an hour in my local Superdrug and I don’t have any pushy MA looking over my shoulder, trying to force a sale. I swatch and wipe, swatch and wipe. If I try something I like, I leave the store, go do something else (….shopping!!) and then re-evaluate an hour or so later. Does the colour still look good? Has it worn off? Is it creasing? A lot of the times it will look rubbish and I’ll have saved myself £5 – £12 ish. Not to be sniffed at in the current economic climate!

The most recent example of victory for the “try before you buy” thinking was yesterday. GOSH cosmetics have a whole new smokey collection in Superdrug. Part of which is the stunning “Night Passion” Nail Polish you see below. Look how sumptiously gothic and rich it is in the bottle…..

Now look at my thumb nail…. not so beautifully black and beautiful looking is it? Granted the glitter shavings are lovely, and they really do catch the light. However the polish formulation is like dish water. I applied a second coat and it was little better. Needless to say I walked out without purchasing and £6 better off.

How utterly crap it actually is was confirmed again later that evening when I glanced down to see it all but chipped off! How disgusting is that colour? Yuck! Narrow escape.

So the moral of the story is “try before you buy” and if they refuse to let you try, chances are it’s probably a bit rubbish anyway! xox

Arrrrggghh I tried to stay away, really I did but when I saw everyone talking online about their summer foundation routines I just had to share the success I’m having at the moment! Its an illness!

If you’re in the UK you’ll know that right now we’re experiencing a gorgeous heat wave, and I don’t mean warm”ish”… it is scorching!!! (….for us)

This for me as a mummy means a lot of play time at the beach, where obviously I go makeup free, sand and foundation just don’t go
However the rest of the time I’m running to and from schools, doing errands, working… and I still want to feel the security in my face routine that the likes of Revlon Colorstay gives me, without feeling overly made up and caked in slap on a sunny day!

I have A LOT of foundation and a few tinted moisturisers but my absolute holy grail in this weather is Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moistuizer SPF 20 in Nude.

I use this in conjunction with her Foundation Primer, which sadly I am almost out of

IMO summer is the season for primer, I simply couldn’t do without it, it makes the difference between my face lasting eight hours, or sliding off within three, and thats from someone with not particularly oily skin. There are cheaper versions out there such as GOSH however I’ve only ever had heart break with these options, namely a chin full of spots, I’m guessing the silicone content is sky high. Not good.

I like this tinted moisturiser for one very important reason… “coverage”. I have always been put off in the past as offerings from Clinique & Revlon were so un-impressive in that particular department. I have quite noticeable dark circles and broken veins around my nose, which meant that I was having to go back in with a ton of concealer and in my opinion that completely defeated the purpose of a tinted moisturiser.

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer is creamy and dare I say it, buildable. With cheaper offerings I’d say its about 80/20 in regards to the balance of moisturiser/ foundation. With this its about 50/50. However that said it is still not heavy or as stifling as a full on foundation would be. It offers the best of both worlds, a medium coverage that copes well with normal imperfections, yet light enough to let your skin breathe even on the hottest day.

I use the colour Nude which is inoffensive and blends in well with a light tan. The scent is much as you would expect from a daily moisturiser, lightly perfumed, however once on the face that smell is completely undetectable.

To set my Tinted Moisturiser I use Dior Pressed Powder in 002, although any pressed/ translucent/ loose powder will do. Rimmel Clear Complexion is great if you’re in the middle of a break out.

I think this is an all too often skipped step in summer foundation. Its makes the world of difference in finish and longevity. Without it you will inevitably get quite a bit of transfer from a tinted moisturiser base too! Don’t be afraid to pop your compact in your bag and top up to minimise shine throughout the day!

So there you have it, thats my summer skin routine for foundation at the moment, Laura Mercier products may be pricier but you really are paying for the quality. Nothing in her range has ever broke me out, and the results are always fabulous. Why not drop by your local counter and ask for a tester or trial?

xox

I’m meant to be rushing out the door to Granny’s as I type this, however I knew you’d all appreciate an Easter Sunday Face of the day

The liquid liner featured in the pics is the GOSH Extreme Art in 10.

This is the first time I have applied this product and the jury is out, love the effect, odd formulation though. It is quite gloopy and I found I got a lot of transfer onto my actual eyelashes. Think I’ll need to mess about with this and perhaps load less on the brush….. early days tho!

Eyeshadow is basically all MAC, Woodwinked & All That Glitters on the lid, with Contrast smoked into the outer crease and a touch of Mulch. Mascara… need you ask? L’Oreal Voluminous

As you can see the Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment is phenomenal………..

Just kidding

Credit for the locks goes to my 22″ Synthetic Jessica Simpson HairDo <3
Totally coveting the human hair version though however its super pricey at around £250 in the UK.
The pic below is how it looks from the back, I think it looks great for the money! I paid £30 for this one.

Gotta dash, I’ve a Creme Egg waiting on me
Have a great day folks xoxoxo

Last week I purchased GOSH Velvet Touch Foundation Primer from Superdrug.

I paid around £12. Although the 3 for 2 offer is still on if you want to take advantage of that

The actual primer itself applies very well, it is silky and smooth, reminded me a lot of Smashbox’s which I use from time to time. It is unperfumed and doesn’t feel overly greasy.
However almost immediately I noticed spots coming out on my chin and forehead. I washed it off but the damage was done, next morning I had a very angry spot and a few threateners under the skin. Tbh by this stage I thought it was worth trying it again for another two days just to be sure it was definitely the primer my skin was reacting with, after all the spots were already there.

I can safely say 100% that the primer caused my spots. I have stopped use as of today and will be sticking with my Laura Mercier, although more pricey its worth it to me.

I don’t think this is a bad product and I have a feeling it would do particularly well on a dry skin type. However I am classic combination skin, very dry on my cheeks, but very oily T-zone and this is the area that reacted.

I’ve put it up for swap on Slapswap if anyone wants to see if they have more success with it (actually its already been snapped up, saavy swappers!!) xoxo

I’ve been after the ultimate foundation brush for myself for quite a while.
I normally use the MAC 190 at college, but although I like it for working on other people, I actually prefer using it as a concealer brush as the head isn’t overly big. I think the 189 would actually be a lot better as a foundation brush purely because of its larger dimensions.

So I thought I would like to try the MAC 187 which is the circular brush but at £27.40 I wanted to 100% sure I’d like that type of brush, and so I purchased a much cheaper dupe, the GOSH round foundation brush, I think it was around £8. I’ve used this for around 2 months now, the fall out is HORRENDOUS on this brush but with GOSH I think you very much get what you pay for.

However it did let me see how I would like the 187, and what I discovered was I liked the circular buffing motion this style of brush gives, however I missed the density in bristles of the 190. I simply felt the splayed, sparser bristles weren’t conducive to good application in areas such as under the eyes or around the nose. Ideally I wanted a brush with the round shape but much fuller/ larger in size.

I give you the LY34. From a range by Louise Young who is herself a highly acclaimed Professional Make-up Artist. With 20 years experience working in film, fashion, television and theatre she knows what works!

I totally heart this brush and at £22 its a complete bargain. The hair is synthetic but it is the softest I have ever felt, handmade in the UK using protected kiln dried birch or beech for the handles. It is amazing!!

Size wise this is how it stacks up against the others (excuse the dirty GOSH, it is for the bin!)

LY34, 190, GOSH 187

So, if you’re after a new foundation brush I can highly recommend this one, if you’re not but you are thinking about other make-up brush purchases I’d suggest thinking outside the MAC box and checking out what else is available, you might just be surprised and save some money to boot

You can purchase the LY34 here

Its a rainy, dark, dismal day in Northern Ireland

So in an effort to cheer myself up I created this icy blue look.

Excuse the reddish tinged brows in the close-up, I thought I would try a different eyeshadow as a filler, and lets just say it doesn’t quite work

So what did I use……?

Face

• Revlon Color Stay Foundation in 180 Sand Beige
• Barbara Daly @ Tesco Concealer in Medium
• MAC MSF in So Ceylon
• Coastal Scents Blush Palette (second row, 2 from left)

Eyes

• UDPP (base)
• NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in 606 Baby Blue (main lid & under lower lashes)
• NYX Shadow in White (crease to brow)
• Barry M Dazzle Dust in 20 (outer two thirds of lid and crease)
• No 17 Eye Dazzle in Star Crossed (inner third of lid and under lower lashes)
• Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Electric (top lash line)
• Jemma Kidd Crushed Jewel Gel Liner in Diamond (over Electric)
• L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black

Lips

• Gosh Lipstick in 134 Darling
• NYX Lip Gloss in 104 Sweet Heart

Picked this little beauty up in Gordon’s Chemist yesterday.
Gosh’s Light’n Shine Lip Glaze in Shade 02 (also available in 01, a clear glaze with pearl)

The packaging is gorgeous, really chunky and not unlike MAC’s LE Lipglasses.
The colour itself is almost magenta in the container, however it applies quite sheer on the lips, making it more wearable IMO.

The finish is very much like that of a MAC Dazzleglass, large particle pearls reflecting and refracting light, giving a high shine, crystal finish which is very festive. I thought it might be quite gritty but the glitter is finely milled and the formulation smooth. I have quite full lips naturally but this really makes them look super plump!

The taste is neutral, not fruity but no plasticky undertones either.

Some brainbox (clearly a woman ) had the sense to include a nifty mirror on one side, initially I thought it was a crappy sticker mirror as it looked cloudy. Closer inspection revealed a peel off protective topping which hid a sharp crisp mirror beneath. Result!

But the crowning glory in this packaging is only fully revealed on removal of the lid… Ta Daaaaaaa

OMG how totally cool, a light!!! Is this really useful? Not entirely sure…..
Is it gimmicky and fun?? Guilty as charged!!!
Pure unadulterated gadgety lipgloss!!!

The lights are surprisingly bright, and precise due to their genius placement in the lid. So I’m guessing that if you have a penchant for applying gloss in the dark… (think nightclub, taxi etc) this will be a winner.

It retails at under £10 which I think is a fair price. It would certainly make a unique stocking filler for someone special or a nice little treat for yourself. What do you think of it as an idea?

Really pleased with the Gosh Quattro that I purchased. The greys are predominantly matt in finish and the highlight isn’t too shimmery. I find grey can be difficult to wear as a daytime look, as it can look quite sultry if smoked out, however this palette is subtle enough to get away with it.

Yet another bargain this week, in the form of a money off coupon. Yay!!!!!
The coupon is in this weeks issue of Closer magazazine. Redeemable at any Superdrug store from now until the 19th of November, this entitles you to £2 off the Gosh Cosmetics Quattro eyeshadow in either:
Q24 Platinum or Q31 Aquarius. RRP is normally £8.