Monthly Favourites: February 2014

February; what an eventful month you've been! My boyfriend has moved to the States, which while not as close as I would like at least we're on the same continent now! I got a wee little promotion at work which is why my schedule has become easier to stick to the two a week posting schedule and my sister hosted the most badass DIY Harry Potter Birthday party for my nephew that turned 8; I helped out and was referred to as Mrs. Professor Snape all afternoon which I wasn't too upset by. You can see pictures of my sisters handiwork below. And yes, that is me teaching a spells class to a room full of kids...

Now on to the beauty!!

Skincare

February was a month of discovering new favourites and falling in love with old ones all over again!

Delarom Revitality Cream: This little wonder was one of the items I stockpiled during my trip to Paris, I've been using it for about six weeks now and it's amazing, let's just say NO MORE FOREHEAD WRINKLE! If you'd like to know more about why I love this product so much you can read my recent review of it here.

Etude House Missing U Handcream in Peach Panda: Ok, let's be real here, I only bought this hand cream because of how adorable the packaging is, but can you blame me?! Look at how cute it is!!! The cream itself was alright, great scent and doesn't leave your hands with a greasy residue but not nearly moisturizing enough if you have scaly dry hands like me. So why then did I love it so much? Because of the way the packaging is designed you can easily refill the panda when you've used up all the cream, so once I was out of the hand cream from Etude House I cleaned it out and refilled it with the Body Shop's Vineyard Peach Body Butter.

Clarisonic: I've had my Clarisonic Mia for about a year now and I love it. I know some people that use them daily whenever they cleanse their skin but my sensitive little skin just can't take that. When it was oilier and more acne prone that's exactly what I used to do and it worked wonders for me, but when my skin made the massive switch from oily and acne prone to dry and sensitive using it that much caused me to break out like crazy, so I stopped using. This month I reintroduced it to my skin care regime, only using it 2-3 times a week, when my skin was feeling dull or I had a lot of make up on and I just wanted to feel like my skin could breath again and I'm really happy I kept it around instead of giving into the urge to toss it when my face started to freak out; some times less really is more!

Hair Care

Charles Worthington Moisture Seal Overnight Ultimate Hair Healer: Fleur had mentioned this product in one of her favourites videos so when I was in London I had to pick it up and give it a go; it is truly worthy of the name Ultimate Hair Healer! The last night before my weekly shampoo I coat my hair in this and then throw it up into a bun; first let me point out that there is no messy residue left on your pillow from this which is awesome and after shampooing and conditioning as usual in the morning my hair was so unbelievably soft and shiny. When this runs out I'm going to have to get one of my friends in the UK to hit up Boots for me!

Charles Worthington Strength and Repair Pro-Heat Repair Milk: I picked this up at the same time as the overnight mask above because Boots had them on offer and I love this stuff! It works as a heat protectant for blow drying and straightening so you don't need to use two products- it leaves your hair super shiny and soft and I found it also gave a little added volume to my limp locks. I haven't been able to find anywhere online where I can get the Charles Worthington Spa at Home collection so if you know let me know in the comments below!

Difiaba Luminessence Shine Mist in Hibiscus Formula:  I bought a whole bunch of stuff from this collection online (ie. eBay) about a year ago and absolutely loved everything except for this, to me it was a let down, I felt like it left my hair looking greasy instead of shiny. After watching a YouTube video, can't remember who, about dry shampoo and shine sprays I tried spraying it into my brush and then running the brush through my hair as opposed to spraying it directly into my hair and what a world of difference that makes! I absolutely adore this now, its a combination of aromatherapy and hair care in one. The smell is incredible but not so strong as to be offensive, everything else in the collection also has this wonderful scent and my hair always looks so shiny and healthy when I use it. It pairs great with dry shampoo to bring back some shine instead of the "I didn't wash my hair this morning, or yesterday morning and coated it in powder instead" dull hair look I was previously sporting.

Beauty

L'Oreal's Mega Volume Miss Manga Mascara:  I picked this up in Boots back in January because the mascara I'd been using was finished and this one was new and on offer; it boasts uncontrollable volume and it does not leave you disappointed. The wand has a 360 degree flexible cone brush that makes it super easy to apply to even the teensiest lower lashes.

Skin Food Good Afternoon BB Cream in Peach Green Tea: When BB Creams first became popular in North America I steered clear because I had super oily acne prone skin and was busy applying full coverage mattifying foundation with a spackle, the thought of a more natural looking finish with a built in moisturizer was blasphemy to me. So when I started ordering Asian cosmetics and received billions of little samples of different BB Creams I figured maybe it was time to give them a try. I tried 12, yes 12, different samples and this one was my favourite; now that I have dry skin the moisturizing properties of a BB cream aren't up to par with what my skin needs so this one is nice in that the green tea provides oil control so I can layer over my normal cream without looking shiny and it gives great natural coverage.

MAC's Mineralize Skin Finish in Perfect Topping: I'm obsessed. Some days I feel like bathing in this and get a little carried away and suddenly what started out as a highlight has moved onto my collar bones and shoulders because I just can't be shimmery enough! This is a gorgeous rose gold colour that came out with the Fantasy of Flowers collection, I swatched it in a previous post that you can see here.

Random Bits and Bobs

Nigel the Dachshund Necklace from Cat-a-Cake Creations: I stumbled into a cute little boutique shop in Brighton and immediately fell in love with this necklace. I've previously owned two little dachshund and they're probably one of my favourite breeds and will always have a soft spot in my heart so when I saw this necklace I knew I needed it in my life, plus the cute little description that reads " Nigel is one cute little sausage dog looking for a loving home! He has 3 beautiful stars engraved on his back. He loves walks on the beach and dislikes Justin Beiber."stole my heart. While I was paying for the necklace I got a change to meet Nigel the cute little sausage the necklace was modeled after and I heard the heart warming story of how he was given as a 30th birthday gift to cheer up the designer who was a little upset about turning 30. You can find Nigel and many other cute designs here. That adorable little Jammie Dodgers necklace is next on my list!

Tea of the Month:  I was going to give it to Wanderlust Green Tea by Yumchaa Tea but since I already mentioned it in my What's in My Bag post I thought that I would give it to Choconut Oolong by David's Tea because it's like dessert in a cup and I've been indulging all month long!

Blog of the Month: She's quickly become one of my favourite blogger/vloggers, could it be that it's because she's a Canadian living in England with fantastic taste in beauty and skin care.... most likely. That or because she's freaking adorable. Check out Essiebutton here and on YouTube here.

Let me know what you guys were loving this month in the comments below!

What's My Age Again? Delarom Revitality Cream Review

I've been told all my life I seem quite mature for my age and I've always taken it as a compliment, until a couple of months ago I spotted it; this silent evil lurking in the dark behind foundation and under my moisturizer. It appeared in the shadows of the night one evening and installed itself on my forehead: yes, my very first wrinkle!! Ok, so maybe I'm being a little over dramatic, I'm not about to rush out and get botox - if that's your jam groovy but it's just not for me - and almost everyone I've asked says they have no idea what I'm talking about but I think they're just too nice to tell me I've been frowning too much lately - I blame my Kia of Death for that! I always thought crows feet or laugh lines were cute because they show you've spent your life smiling, but a giant forehead wrinkle at 22 was not my idea of aging gracefully.

Fast forward two months later to my romantic Paris getaway with the man, he's now standing patiently outside the pharmacy while I point at my forehead in despair to the girl behind the counter. She must get this a lot because she calmly held my hand, sat me down and got down to business. I should state I've always be wary of these creams that claim to cure wrinkles so I was a little anxious to invest some of my hard earned money into something I didn't totally believe in, but hey, if she said whatever crazy french voodoo in this bottle would work I wanted to believe her. After some discussion about my skin, my lifestyle and the end result I wanted we settled on Delarom Revitality Cream. It was more than I'd ever invested in any skin care item before but that forehead wrinkle had me in a "no fucks given" mood, pardon my french.

You may have noticed the funky new background in this photo, I got kinda bored of taking pictures on a white background, especially when the packaging is also white. So the painting in the background is by a talented local artist by the name of Bradley Gobeil, I chose it because this moisturizer totally makes me feel like fist pumping to infinity and beyond. If you like this picture check out the rest of his work on Instagram.

I was trying to figure out the best way to dish on this cream with out spending all day screaming "look at my forehead" to a bunch of people who can't see through a computer screen and since I didn't really think it would work I have no "before" photo to compare the two images for you guys, so let me give you a good ol' fashioned pro's and con's list and then leave it up to you guys to decide whether or not you want to take the plunge!

Con's:

• It is definitely a little bit more on the pricey side; I can't remember what I paid for it in Paris but this website has it listed for $107 which seems to be the average after a quick google search.
• Not super hydrating; this would be great if you had normal to oily skin but for someone like myself with dry skin I had to do some tweaking to make it work aka mix a little bit of my regular moisturizer with it on drier days. But now that we're out of the death grips of -30 weather I have been wearing it just on it's own for the last couple of weeks and it's been great!
• Not immediate results; clearly with any real "fix" it takes time to work it's voodoo but I'm a results driven person so it took some effort not to give up on it after a week of no noticeable change but around the 4 week mark is where I noticed drastic improvement.

Pro's:

• NO MORE FREAKING FOREHEAD WRINKLE!!!! And I mean none, unless I make that horrid frowny face that I'm sure gave me the wrinkles in the first place, I am back to looking like the fresh faced 21 year old I was before I bought a cursed death trap for a vehicle.
• It has an amazing smell; I can't place it but it's super light almost "clean" scent.
• The texture is great; not too runny or too thick and goopy. Not at all greasy and my make up applies wonderfully over top of it.
• Aside from the wrinkle disappearing, my skin looks great; it's tight and radiant, my pores are small, I haven't had more than a single spot for a "break out"

This is the first and so far only product I have tried from Delarom but I can see a bright future for our relationship if their other products are this wonderful!

Have you tried any Delarom Products before? What are your favourite "anti- aging" tricks and products? I'd love to hear in the comments below.

What's in My Bag?

Every kid loves trick or treating at Halloween, I was no exceptions, although I loved it for a completely different reason than most 7 year olds. I wasn't too bothered by the candy bars that I did or didn't get, I probably wouldn't have noticed if they were handing out moldy sandwiches, I was out there completely  because I had a strange fascination with getting to glimpse into people's homes over their candy bowls, yes I AM a creep, I fully acknowledge this. Well to me the "What's in My Bag" posts are like the grown up version of trick or treating for me; a brief glimpse into someone else's life. So here's my life in the form of my handbag!

First a quick note on the bag itself: I picked up this Betsey Johnson bag at the TK Maxx in Brighton about a week after what we will call the Great Purse Flood of 2014. My boyfriend and I were in Paris for the weekend and while trying to get over jet lag and a bit of a tummy bug I was drinking a lot of Emergen-c (a flavoured drink powder high in Vit C) and I had put a full bottle of it in my bag before a busy day of sightseeing. Whilst in Notre Dame I felt something wet on my leg and glanced down to see my bag dripping, when I opened it up the entire contents of my bag were bobbing around in the purple liquid that had come pouring out of it's bottle. I'm usually quite calm and it takes a bit to ruffle my feathers but I dashed out of the cathedral, with Pete making an effort to keep up, where I ripped everything out of my bag, flipped it inside out to pour all the water out and tried not to bawl on the steps of the Notre Dame cathedral on our first day in Paris... When we got back to our hotel at the end of the day my guy spent half an hour, bless him, trying to dry my bag with the horrid hotel hair dryer; I spent the rest of our trip stuffing his backpack with all my skin care. Once back to London we noticed that my bag was STILL damp and had developed a quite unpleasant odour and desperately needed replacing, but since I spent nearly my entire livelihood on french skin care it was off to TK Maxx for a new bag, enter this lovely not-so-little bag that could probably carry my entire life if need be, we celebrated my tossing the stinky old bag in the bin and I haven't look back since! Ok, maybe it wasn't such a quick note..

These are some of my all time favourite essentials, you can read a bit more about them here and a sample of the Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil that I got at Sephora from the lovely lady that always plies me with samples, god I love that lady! Since my post about the Tangle Teezer last month I've bought 3 more; one for the bathroom, one for my bedroom and one for my niece who screams every time anyone goes near her hair with a brush. This pink one permanently resides in my hand bag now. 

My mittens from the 2010 winter olympics in Vancouver; it's been so cold lately that to dream of leaving my house without these bad boys would be insane. I have to say I'm amazed I still have these, most mittens don't make it a whole winter before they get lost but I've had this pair for four years now! I wasn't actually in Canada for the Winter Olympics in 2010 I was living abroad in Ireland so I had family post these to me so I could cheer on my hockey team from abroad. 

There's a little zipper pocket on the outside of my bag which apparently is where I hoard all my lip products, currently in that pocket is:

• Etude House Kissful Lip Care Lip scrub: I use this to prep my lips before putting on lipstick. I love that it comes in a little squeeze tube so I don't have to stick my finger in a little tub of gritty bits, it has a wonderful smell but don't get it in your mouth, ICK! It has a very chemically sweet taste that lingers.
•  Nuxe's Rêve de Miel Ultra-Nourishing Lip Balm: that shit's the balm. Get it! God I love puns.
• Etude House Dear My Lip Enamel in EPK001 (super shiny pink): I mentioned how much I love this lip gloss in my Beauty Bargains for $5 or Less post, it truly is a staple for me now.
• MAC's Dazzleglass Creme in If It's Pink: it's a limited addition colour that came out in July 2010 as part of the Alice + Olivia Collection. I am obsessed, the dazzleglass creme is the perfect combination of dazzleglass sparkle and cremesheen colour and shine. It is quite close to the Playful Petal Cremesheen that came out with Fantasy of Flowers, and Loud & Lovely Cremesheen is the closest thing they have as part of their permanent collection.
• MAC's Cremesheen in Nectarsweet:  you can see a swatch in my post here it is part of A Fantasy of Flowers so get it before it's gone!
• MAC's Fleur d'Coral: also part of the Fantasy of Flowers collection, a swatch can be found at the link above.
• MAC's Show Orchid Amplified Lipstick: This is a pro colour that can only be found in pro stores, I picked this one up in London at the Covent Garden counter. It's similar to Girl About Town but almost has a metallic sheen to it, it's an absolutely lovely bright pink lippie! 
• MAC's Lip Pencil in Magenta: Perfect liner for Show Orchid, Girl About Town or any other bold pink lip. I've also used it with Creme Cup to create an ombre lip!
• MAC's Prolongwear Lip Pencil in In Anticipation: I love the prolongwear lip pencils as not only are they long wearing but they're a creamier formula than the regular pencils which are much more comfortable if you have notoriously parched lips like myself. I love this colour as it's a nude with a pinky peach tone to it, great for a brighter nude lip! 

These are sort of random life bits and bobs. Some Ibuprofen and Motillium I picked up from the Boots in Heathrow Airport before my flight home, my ticket from Once that I saw in London, absolutely phenomenal show if you get the chance to see it it's an absolute must! The spare key to my Kia of Death so I can warm it up when it's minus a million, my wallet from who knows where - I had this exact same wallet five years ago until a pick pocket in Rome stole it, when I got home from Europe my mum had bought me the exact same to replace. My horridly filthy lint roller, I have to wear all black to work and own two dogs that shed like crazy; this is a must. And my double chocolate chunk Quest Bar; these things are amazing, the only protein bars I eat. They taste great, have a pretty good nutritional profile and always satisfy my sweet tooth without sacrificing my health goals to do so; I always have one on hand because when I get hungry, I get hangry.

And last but not least the things that keep me ticking: my daytimer that I use to keep track of work, social engagements, where I scribble down ideas for blogs, etc. This suffered quite a bit of damage during The Great Purse Flood of 2014 but I managed to salvage it. I always have a book on hand because I hate being late so I usually arrive early and just read, right now I'm reading A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by William B. Irvine I like to switch it up between fiction and non-fiction, so here's some philosophy for the time being! I'm kind of a snob when it comes to tea and rarely drink tea bags so I always have my Tea Filters from David's Tea in my bag along with some tea. This month I've been obsessed with the Wanderlust Green Tea from Yumchaa that I picked up while in Camden, super pleased to see that I can buy it online because it superb! And of course my mints, I'm not a gum chewer but I'm always popping mints.

Well this was a bit more extensive than I thought it would be but by now you're all aware I tend to ramble, I hope you enjoyed your brief glimpse into the madhouse that is my handbag and I'd love to see what you guys all carry around with you! 

Frugal February: Beauty on a Budget - pt. 2 DIY Beauty Fixes

Two blog posts back to back?! What is going on here; is it an alternate universe where I have more free time on my hands? As promised here is part two of yesterdays Beauty on a Budget post, I hope you all enjoyed some of my beauty bargain finds and if you try any of them out let me know in the comments below, I'd love to hear what you think about them! On a side note it is indeed true that I have more time on my hands right now so I will be committing myself to two posts a week so watch for new content every Monday and Friday, I have some blog ideas scribbled down in my journal but if there is anything you guys would particularly like to see please let me know! 

Top 5 DIY Beauty Fixes

1. Macaroon Lip Scrub 

1tbsp Coconut Oil

1 tbsp Brown Sugar

1/2 tsp Cacao Powder (or just regular cocoa powder if that's all you have on hand)

Scoop some coconut oil into a microwave safe container and heat for approx. 15 seconds, stir until completely melted if there are any solid bits left. Mix in cacao powder until smooth. Now you want to make sure the coconut oil has cooled enough that the brown sugar won't melt when added but remember the coconut oil will solidify when it's completely cooled off so don't forget about it! And then I scooped this into some empty tester cups I had left from MAC kicking around because lord knows I love me some testers!

I've tried numerous DIY lip scrubs using olive oil, honey, etc. and I found that they either taste disgusting when you get them in your mouth, and you will get them in your mouth, or they're not moisturizing enough and this one covers both those bases so scrub away dearies and if you get some in your mouth fret not because it tastes pretty damn great too! One last note on this lip scrub concoction; the coconut oil will return to it's solid state so you will have to warm the scrub up with your finger before you can apply it, I also like to let the scrub sit on my lips for a couple minutes after scrubbing to let the coconut oil do it's moisturizing business before wiping it away with a damp cloth (or just licking it off...). 

2. Deep Cleansing Shampoo 

First, before you say anything, I realize that Snow Fairy by Lush is a shower gel but when I first started buying it years ago it was marketed as a shower gel and shampoo and I will always use it that way no matter what anyone says! On a completely unrelated note if you use snow fairy as shampoo with American Cream Conditioner also by Lush your hair smells like Strawberry Shortcake, just saying....

ANYWAYS! I touched on the fact that I wash my hair like a cave man aka almost never in my last post but when I do wash my hair there is a lot of grease, dry shampoo, hair spray, etc. build up that has to go so that my locks are soft and boucy again. Once a week I add baking soda to my shampoo, 1:2 ratio of baking soda to shampoo, give it a good scrub making sure I really massage it into my scalp to get all the gunk out, I usually leave it to sit while I go about scrubbing the rest of my body and then rinse it out. This is usually followed by a lovely hair mask like the Coconut Oil one I mentioned in yesterdays post.

3. Breakfast for Your Face Mask

I love oatmeal so why shouldn't my face? This is a simple to make face mask that's very moisturizing, calming and super easy to make.

1/4 ground oatmeal (just throw your oatmeal into your Magic Bullet or other food processing gadget and lightly pulse)

2 tsp Honey

1/4 cup warm water

Stir all ingredients up in a bowl adding water as needed until you get a nice thin paste and then smear all over a freshly cleansed face. Leave on for 15 minutes, approximately the time it will take you to make a bowl of oatmeal and devour it, and then rinse with warm water and pat to dry.

4. Aromatherapy Soak at Home 

Life is hectic and we all need to unwind some time other wise we get sick, grumpy and our relationships, health and overall life suffers. I'm an avid bath taker, we're talking at least 3-4 nights a week. Nothing beats sinking into the hot water and letting your worries melt away while you sit back and relax with a book and a cup of tea. 

As you fill your tub with hot water swirl a handful of epsom salts into the water, add 10 drops of lavender essential oil and 1/2 cup of baking soda. Hop into your tub and enjoy a spa like experience in the comfort of your own home with no spa price tag attached to your happiness!

The epsom salts and baking soda are supposed to draw impurities out of your body while the lavender soothes you both mentally and physically, whether or not there's any toxins departing my body I couldn't tell you but it's such a relaxing soak and leaves me feeling pampered and serene.

5. Rice Paper Sheet Mask

I love Michelle Phan's YouTube channel and when she posted this video I immediately tried it out and had great results. She uses green tea in her mask but you could also just use warm water with a couple drops of whatever essential oils you like! 

And if that wasn't enough to satiate your DIY beauty fix click here for 30 things you can make at home; happy DIY-ing!

Frugal February: Beauty on a Budget - pt.1 Beauty Bargains

So after a two week trip to Europe, surprise vet bills - don't worry both the furballs are ok!, car troubles and saving up for my next tattoo appointment in a couple weeks; it's safe to say that funds are a little tight right now. I know everyone can feel my pain, we've all been there before but necessity fuels creativity, or so I keep telling myself... Whether you're on a student budget, your dog dramatically breaks a nail and needs sedation just to get it clipped (cue glance in Reece's direction) or you're just looking for some fun new things you can try around the house without needing to make a trip to the store, I give you my five favourites DIY beauty fixes, and some of my favourites beauty bargains for $5 or less. But first let's all take a moment to appreciate how adorable Reece looks still stoned from her emergency pedi...

Now! Onto why you're all really here- for the beauty! 

Top 5 Beauty Bargains for $5 or Less

Let's start with this little beauty, TonyMoly's Changing U Magic Foot Peeling Shoes now if you've read this review you'll know that I am not new to peeling foot masks and that the FaceQ mask left me feeling like I wanted more from it; well these little babies did everything the FaceQ masks did and more, and for only a fraction of the cost! You can get them on Amazon at the link above for roughly $10 including shipping but I've repeatedly purchased them off of Ebay for $5 and received free international shipping. A couple other things I love about these other than the low price point is that unlike the FaceQ booties these ones come with a little sticker closure so you can actually walk around in them, they have english instructions directly on the package in addition to the original Korean AND they tingle, I am all about the tingling. They do a better job of removing dead skin than the FaceQ one's and you don't need to apply a cream nightly. I do recommend a moisturizer morning and night however to prevent you poor tootsies from drying out, and socks too - none wants to watch your feet molt like snakes.

 

This next guy I mentioned in my January Drug Store Haul post last month and I'm still loving it! I'm actually loving it even more though because I purchased it back in January for something like $3 and I've used the same packet twice now and there's still a bit left, that's just how much comes in the little guy! I only shampoo my hair once a week - I know I'm filth right? but at least I take showers and baths daily- and this hair mask is perfect for a deep condition after a thorough hair washing. The first time I used it my co-workers were complimenting me on how shiny and voluminous my hair was and after demanding they pet my head to see how soft my hair was they were all begging for my secret, and my secret is this little wonder here. You can click here to locate the nearest store that sells Palmer's products.

 

Have you noticed I'm obsessed with asian skin care yet?! Well, here's another one for you! This brand was actually the first sheet mask I ever tried and what started this whole addiction and blog as well! After a girlfriend ranted about how amazing these little baddies were I scurried on down to TNT to pick some up to try. When I say these are economical we're talking $1 here people, you can't really get much cheaper unless it was free (which it might be, I'm not saying they're in the giveaway box but I'm also not not saying they are...) I picked mine up at TNT Asian Supermarket but you can also find them here for $10 for a box of ten. I've tried every variety in the line and the Royal Jelly is the best hands down, I used it one morning before getting ready and it actually broke my heart to put make up on my skin looked so nice; it was soft, it was plump, it was radiant and glowing and all kinds of magnificent. This is the perfect budget friendly quick fix if you skin is feeling lackluster.

 

I scored these one use wonders at the Yves Rocher store in Paris when they were having a massive sale; I also picked up another €60 worth of stuff as well, now I'm starting to see where all my money went... ANYWAYS! These guys cost me €2 for the pair which works out to be $3 and I've loved them. The hair mask was great and I gifted one to a friend as well who seemed to love it just as much. The lotion on first impression was wonderful for my super dry skin but I'd need to use it for longer to tell just how great it is.

Last but certainly not least is my new obsession; the enamel gloss from Etude House which is a korean cosmetics line. This guy again was an eBay bargain at $5 with free shipping. It's the perfect combination of shine and colour, it's not at all sticky like some lip glosses and has an amazing strawberry scent. Having worked in the make up industry for a little while now I'm rarely satisfied with just a gloss, usually I need a liner, lipstick and gloss to feel complete but this guy is a one swipe and good to go! I definitely bought lots of other lip products from Etude House after trying this lip enamel. I'm thinking of doing a post on some of my favourite lip products for $10 or less, let me know in the comments below if that's something you guys would be interested in!

Looks like I rambled for much longer than intended so I will save the DIY Beauty Fixes for tomorrow so keep an eye out for even more Facepalm goodness coming your way tomorrow. Let me know in the comments below what some of your favourite beauty bargains on a budget are!

MAC A Fantasy of Flowers - Spring 2014 Collection

Let me just start with saying very seldom do I get stupidly excited about a collection launch but this guy right here had me ALL kinds of excited; as soon as the colours were released I knew I'd be saying a teary farewell to a good chunk of change. The day it launched I had pretty much very single item in my little pile ready to go until I remembered it wasn't too long ago that I got home from Paris where I'd invested a decent amount of money into skin care, so after much contemplation and soul searching I narrowed my pile down to my top 4 products.

Now you can see the whole collection here but for the sake of today's blog post I'll try and keep my rambling primarily on these four products. A quick note on the collection; it's the perfect combination of soft pastely neutrals and bursts of fresh colours to help transition into spring with plenty of shimmer and class. 

Nectarsweet Cremesheen gloss is that perfect pinky nude color that looks perfect on it's own or worn over top of another colour, I personally love to layer it over the new Fleur d'Coral lustre lipstick that also came out with this collection. Fleur d'Coral is a wonderful coral nude color that is perfect for spring; simple and elegant yet fun and playful all at once. I am addicted to layering my lip products so my power trio that I'm loving right now is the MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil in In Anticipation with Fleur d' Coral and Nectarsweet piled on top for the ultimate girly lip combo.

Now the last two products you see swatched above are Perfect Topping Mineralize Skinfinish and Petal Power Mineralize Blush, it should be noted that up until about four month ago I had been wearing the same colour of blush every day for probably the last two years. I broke that streak and fell in love with some new blushes (Blushbaby and Warm Soul also by MAC) but Petal Power might have me wearing the same blush again every single day until I finish it and then I'll probably be trying to sell my organs on the black market for a new one. Now why you may ask is it so amazing that I'm willing to part with a kidney over it? Well let me list the ways I love thee! First of all it's a mineralize blush so it goes on pretty light but you can build the colour, that also means it's got a bit of shimmer to it. Second it's the perfect colour of pink for almost any body, and I do mean any body, I've seen it on so many different skin tones and it's looked rockin' on pretty much everyone. Third, the shimmer on your cheeks makes me feel like a fairy princess, need I say more?

Perfect Topping really is the best name for this new Mineralize Skinfinish, when my face is done and I'm about to head out the door I dust a little bit on to the tops of my cheekbones, the bridge of my nose and a wee smidge on my chin and it just adds this instant glow to my face; and remember what I said about shimmer - fairy princess! I was a little hesitant about this guy at first as I've picked up some of the limited skinfinishes in the past and been a little bit disappointed by them; I felt they were a little too metallic and not enough shimmer, they left my skin looking greasy instead of illuminated and enlarged the appearance of my pores which are generally quite well behaved and stay out of sight, but after one try of Perfect Topping it was love at first sight. 

Some other close runners up from the collection that are definitely worth a glance is the Lily White loose pigment and the Flare for Fantasy Cremesheen Gloss, this whole collection is just amazeballs and I foresee it selling out pretty quickly so I recommend running - not walking or jogging, I'm talking a full on sprint - to your nearest MAC location and getting your hot little hands on some of these glorious goodies, you can thank me later when you're all shimmery and wonderful like your own little fairy princess!

Just another quick note: you can now find us on bloglovin', so follow the link and show us some love. It's also a great way to keep up with all things Facepalm! And to continue with pimping myself out on social media check @facepalmbeautyblog on Instagram and head on over to Facebook. When our Facebook page reaches 50 followers I will be holding a giveaway and the more ways you follow Facepalm the more chances you have to win some of my favourite goodies. 

- <3