Secret Beauty Blog -

I’m back! Sorry for the short hiatus, personal issues sometimes get in the way of blogging but I’m back now and have lots planned

As soon as I heard about the Illamasqua Skin Base foundation I desperately wanted to get my hands on it, it sounded exactly what I was looking for in a foundation and I needed a new eyeliner so that’s how this accidental haul came about.

From L-R
Pressed powder in PP 120 £19.50
Nail varnish in Lament £13.50
Skin Base foundation in SB 06
Cream blusher in Dixie £16.50
Precision Ink in Abyss £17.00

As you can see I’m really into coral at the moment!

Nail polish in Lament
Illamasqua nail polish is the best EVER! The formula is amazing, the brush is amazing, the lasting power is amazing… Just everything is amazing!

Cream blusher in Dixie

Dixie swatched in natural sunlight
Absolutely love this! I suits my colouring so well, and it has more slip and it slightly sheerer then the other Illamasqua cream blushers I own which makes it a lot more wearable as I don’t have to spend as much time blending and applying.
I’ve had everything a little while now so I’m able to give a short review on everything -
Skin Base …

Escentual.com is probably my favourite online shop for when I need a designer fix, with prices cheaper then RRP and an excellent customer services team I found myself making a cheeky purchase the other night. I desperately need a new bronzer, I’ve watched so many contouring videos I really want to perfect the technique and the blushers/bronzers I have are either too glittery or not quite the right shade. Having heard soo many good things about the Dior Matte spf20 range I had to have one, also on my lip balm quest I noticed Escentual stock the much hyped Jack Black lip balm so of course I had to have one…. The other stuff just kind of jumped in my basket… Oops.

Dior Bronze Matte Sunshine spf20  (001 healthy) £28.50
For a safe and magnificent tan, Dior Bronze introduces Matte Sunshine SPF 20, the first Dior bronzing powder that protects and cares for the skin.
Ideal for normal to combination skin, it offers:
- A matte, even tan for beautiful and shine-free skin;
- Optimum SPF 20 sun protection;
- Water-resistant formula for long wear and flawless finish.
Instant love! I’d heard nothing but good things about the natural effect of this bronzer. I chose …

Happy Chinese new year! To revel in the celebrations, the boy and I took a trip to the west end thinking we would indulge in a cheeky Chinese feast and see what was going on. EVERY restaurant was packed, so unfortunately we didn’t end up having Chinese but I did manage to make a few pit stops in Boots, John Lewis & Illamasqua to pick up these beauties!

I had nearly £100 in Boots Advantage card points so skipped over to the Chanel counter to pick up the Ombres Perlees de Chanel palette but of course, they were out of stock! I didn’t realise how much I wanted it until I swatched it, the colours are absolutely beautiful and are soo smooth and creamy. I gulped at the £39 price tag but I really fell in love with it, in the end I got it from John Lewis (where they have stock of everything, FYI). In the end I just got the Black Pearl polish and Benefit’s Bella Bamba from Boots, I still have quite a few points left so I’ll save them for a rainy day..
Some of you may know I like to dress up as zombie in …

I had waited SOO LONG for Cham-Pale to get online, ever since seeing the swatches on Temptalia. I’ve definately moved onto the more neutral side with my make up, and the light tones and subtle sparkle which make up the collection are definitely up my street.
Anyway here’s what I got!

From Cham-Pale
Highlighting Powder – Rose Ole & Chez Chez Lame £20.50
Paint Pot – Vintage Selection £13.50
Nail Polish – Soiree £9.00
From Stylishly Yours
Beauty Powder – Too Chic & Play it Proper £18.50
Creme Colour Base – Virgin Isle £13.50
From the permanent line
Nail Polish – Shirelle £9.00

First thoughts – I LOVE the Creme Colour Base, it’s absolutely beautiful! I think the Beauty Powders will be going back they’re very sheer and a bit boring if I’m honest. The Paint Pot IS very glittery, so if you’re after something light to use as an eye shadow base you might be better off with something from the permanent line as the shimmer tends to make the Cham-Pale paint pots a little chalky in comparison.
The Highlighting Powders are my stand outs from Cham-Pale and are really beautiful, I don’t have anything like these but I can imagine they are easily dupable as they are just a basic …

Interest in this collection has been a bit poor, not many seem to like the packaging – me included! After seeing swatch photos and collection imagery my new found blush obsession definately had me interested in the cheek products especially as I LOVE peach cheeks! I wasn’t too interested in the eyeshadows, especially after MAC blatently lied about the plaid pattern being not just as overspray, but new technology crap that meant it went all the way through to the pan. British Beauty Blogger exposed this to be a porky pie, but my boyfriend said it wasn’t possible anyway and he’s a smart dude.
Anyway, obviously my spending ban has hit the skids (didn’t see that one coming, did ya) I indulged in a little haulage as I’m a MAC fiend and can’t resist the LE colours. Nothing tartan found itself in my basket, not for no reason but I wouldn’t use one of the kits. Here’s what I picked up -

From L-R
Her Blooming Cheek blush £16.50
My Highland Honey blush £16.50
The Faerie Glen lipstick £12.50
Golden Crown eyeshadow £15.00
MAC also threw in a sample, never had one of them before! Prep & Prime Face seems interesting, I’ll probobly end up …

So as you know I’m currently on a spending ban, but when I saw the press release (and various swatches!) of the NARS Holiday 2010 collection I knew my life wouldn’t be complete unless I had the gorgeous gold eye shadow ‘Etrusque’. The problem with LE collections is you never know how long it’s going to be around for, and luckily NARS unlike MAC doesn’t sell out within hours… But still, that eye shadow had to be mine.
I’ve also developed quite a thing for blushers (thanks to Yinka) and have been drooling over Douceur quite some time now! I also have Taj Mahal & Gilda on their way, thanks to swapping on MakeUpAlley, woo!
My lovely boyfriend let me choose everything I wanted for Christmas, unfortunately after I took these pictures they was packaged back up and I can’t have a play until Christmas morning =(

L-R
Little Darling lipstick £17.00 (LE Holiday 2010)
Etrusque eye shadow £16.00 (LE Holiday 2010)
Douceur blusher £19.50 (LE Fall 2010)
Mash nail polish £13.00 (online exclusive)
As I had spent over £30 I received 3 free mini lip glosses in the shades Supervixen, Female Trouble & Rose Gitane (and yes, they smell like play doh!)
Also shipping was free …

After hearing soo many positive reviews on Origins skincare I deceided to take the plunge and get myself a whole new skincare regime. I’m a bit naughty and chop and change my skincare ALOT, being a blogger and seeing all the new exciting ranges that come out doesn’t help, but I need to stick to one regime and really see if it works for me. So from Monday all I’ve been using and will be using for at least 6 weeks is the Origins Zero Oil range.

I had a look at the Origins website before going to John Lewis yesterday and having a look, I find it easier to browse online and read reviews rather then standing there being given ‘advice’ from an over enthusiastic SA. My skin is really oily, I have tried ALOT of different oil-reducing treatments, washes and the like and while some have been successful I have never found a full regime I can stick to. I quite liked the Clinique 3 step but announcing that on Twitter caused quite a stir, and after learning more about the actual ingredients the masses were correct, and the 3 step system was was too harsh and …

I need to stop getting into a frenzy and ordering all the stuff other people have said they like, I’m turning into a bit of a sheep when it comes to MAC. Here’s what I got from the Venomous Villains collection, quite a modest haul I did like the look of alot the products but I’m quite glad I held back!

So here we have:
Innocence, Beware! Lipstick
Briar Rose Beauty Powder
Bite Of An Apple Blusher
I’m So Vain Mirror
Bad Fairy Nail Polish
Mean Green Nail Polish
I can’t help but think how chalky the powders are, I’m sure my other MAC powders aren’t as cheap feeling as them, maybe it’s just me? My No.7 Coral Flush blusher is quite similar to Bite Of An Apple but alot creamier and pigmented so if you’re after a dupe there it is!
I think my days of being a MAC collection freak are over, I’ve had this haul sitting here since yesterday afternoon and I’ve only just had a good look at it all. It’s alot of money to just sit there when you think about it….
What did you pick up from Venomous Villains?

So I’ve been lusting after the D&G nude palette after seeing Lorraine Stanick praising it up in one of her videos and stalking the D&G website daily. Although I live fairly close to central London I HATE going uptown if I don’t really need to. The tube is horrible, cramped and stinky and I always get super stressed… But alas, I braved the crowds with my boyfriend and skipped merrily into Harrods to the D&G counter =)
The SA was very keen, and couldn’t help me enough. Although I wish she had left me alone to have a play, instead of playing  jack in the box behind the stand =0/ I had a good swatch of the nude palette but this lil beauty is definately more me! The Mediterraneo quad is the perfect neutral eye palette, the gold is simply stunning! I also picked up the Classic Cream lipstick in Nude because I’m a sucker for a nude lippie and this doesn’t disappoint.

So what do you think?
At £35 for the quad and £20 for the lipstick they don’t come cheap. I am so impressed with the quality, and everything about the line just screams luxury. This is the start …

So everyone knows about the Models Own 50% OFF deal right? They reached (or should that be begged….) 10,000 likes and to celebrate gave their ‘fans’ 50% off. Happy days. The promotion ends tomorrow and the code is FACEBOOK50!
I think Models Own are OK. Not the best, but certainly not bad. After using Illamasqua polish for a few wears and then switching to Models Own you really feel the difference in quality, with a slightly thicker formula and a stubbier brush. They don’t last too long on me, 3-4 days at most (with a good quality top coat) and I wouldn’t purchase anymore for the full R.R.P. of £5…. But I was all over that 50% off sale, let me tell you!
Here’s what I picked up:

From L-R Fuzzy Peach, Green Grass, Purple Grey, Blue Gem & Purple Passion

Peach Blusher

Disco Diva eye shadow
FOTD & swatches to come!
What did you pick up?