Estee Lauder Pure Color Illuminating Powder Gelee

Following on from my post recently regarding Estee Lauder Double Wear Powder which uses innovative technology to blend powder, gel and liquid, I discovered this new item from the same beauty house, using the same technology.

It looks really lovely...

This is a bronzer which is designed to be used all over the body, as well as your face. It has both brown and light tan/golden elements to it, and it has a pearlescent sheen to give your skin a warm, soft-focus look.

This will be ideal for Summer - I think a slight shimmer and a pearly palette looks great on Summer skin if it's not overdone. A shimmery highlight in the right places can really offset that warm, glowy Summer skin that we all covet.

Just like their other new powders, Estee Lauder have ensured this is moisturising and seamless by using their new powder blend which contains liquid and gel so you never get that cakey, dry make up look that a lot of powders create.

Estee Lauder are generally really good with their packaging and this is no different - very glamorous and chic, I definitely want this in my make up bag!

This is available now for £30.


xo

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Fine to Full Blow Out Spray Review

I got this blow dry spray a few weeks ago now and wanted to give it some proper testing before writing a review.

The spray is part of John Frieda's luxurious volume range and generally John Frieda is a brand that I trust. It's a high street brand that I think had performed really well over the years and although I would never say that all of their products have worked for me, there are a couple that stand out and this spray is one of them.

The blow dry spray is designed to be used in semi-wet hair before you blow dry. You're meant to towel dry your hair first, then spray this in and off you go.

I tend not to towel dry my hair too much as I find it roughs it up too much and it's bad for split ends, so instead when I have time I just wrap a towel around my hair and leave it like that for an hour or so whilst I go and do something else.

If you spray this in when your hair is too wet, it'll just dilute really quickly. If you're in a rush, blast your hair for a few minutes then spray this in before you finish off.

If you want a massive dose of volume, blow dry your hair upside down. Otherwise, this spray works great with any style of blow dry.

I find that this does make my hair bouncier and it also holds my style for longer without ever feeling sticky or greasy. I can tell I'm wearing the product as my hair feels different, but in a good way - it feels like it's got natural hold and like its got some real volume at the roots.

The spray is pretty cheap and you can get it on the high street at Boots. For the price, I think it's really good value and you don't have to use very much each time you style to get good results.

I'd recommend this product to anyone looking for bouncier hair or anyone who finds it difficult to get volume in their hair when they blow dry it.

Have any of you tried this? What do you think?

xo

Estee Lauder Double Wear Invisible Powder

Normally a powder isn't something beauty brands will release for Spring/Summer but this new powder by Estee Lauder promises to be so light and moisturising that it's perfect for balmy days.

Most importantly, this powder is completely oil free so for those of you who get oily skin and worry that Summer will make it worse, this product is great.

This powder promises a 'barely there' look which will be light and breathable on your skin. 

The powder itself is different to others on the market because it is actually a blend of powder, liquid and gel - this means it will look much more natural than a standard powder and won't dry your face out or sit on top of your skin like a mask. It's also talc-free which means you don't have to worry about that tell-tale powder texture on your face, as this will blend beautifully with your skin.

When we think about face powders, the older formulations that were cakey, overly-powdery and really unnatural looking can be a big put off, but the newest formulas are much more suited to real skin and, like this one, are designed to be almost undetectable apart from the fact that your skin will look much better and polished!

There's a great colour range available for this powder and Estee Lauder have catered well to darker-skinned ladies and the less common skin tones. There's 14 colours available at the moment.

The compact costs £29 and you can get this now from John Lewis online as well as a range of other suppliers.



xo

Nip + Fab 'Lip + Nip Fix' Review

I originally got this as part of a Nip + Fab box set and was so impressed that I bought an additional one of these - I didn't realise at the time that just on tube lasts months and months so between the two tubes I've probably got a years supply now!

Anyway... This balm is SO similar to Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream but for a fraction of the price. One tube of this Nip + Fab balm costs around £8.25 but if you keep a look out for the box sets, you can often catch them online for a reduced price. The box set I got in a sale costs £8.50 for 4 full-sized items including this!

Anyone who hasn't used Eight Hour Cream before may not understand the texture of this - both are thick, kind of sticky and don't just smooth on like a lip balm. The Nip + Fab one is so thick that it's sometimes hard to squeeze it out of the tube - the only downside to this product I've found so far!

A lot of people are put off by the texture but for both of these products, the texture is what makes them work really well. This balm stays on for absolutely ages and is really amazing at healing dry, burnt, chapped or damaged skin. I smother it on to my lips before bed and wake up with baby-soft lips in the morning, and it's also great for soothing burns or a rage of other skin ailments.

The balm even has the same sort of smell as Eight Hour Cream. A lot of people really don't like this smell so make sure you don't mind it before you buy! I personally don't have a problem with the smell and it's not something that anyone else can smell on you anyway.

The beauty of this balm is that it is ideal to keep in your handbag in emergencies. During winter, it's been a real saviour for dry lips and it's so handy to keep it nearby in case you notice some dry skin or need to add a little sheen to something. A little goes a long way and you can use it anywhere on your body that you think could benefit from some deep moisturisation. Just be careful that you don't get in on your clothes because it's really sticky!!

You can get this now from a range of stockists including Debenhams and ASOS.


xo

Dior Nail Art at Harrods

This has to be the ultimate combination of nail art and high end fashion..! If you're a fan of pretty, graphic, bold or patterened nails  - of if you're a fan of Dior - you'll definitely appreciate the the nail 'menu' at Harrods, inspired by Dior's Spring/Summer 2013 collection.

Gorgeous, right? But which one to choose...

The nail patterns are directly inspired by different outfits and patterns that walked down the Dior catwalk, so you're not only buying into a beautiful manicure, but a really on-fashion look without the usual Dior price tag.

The nail art has been created by Sophie Harris Greenslade,  AKA 'The Illustrated Nail'. Sophie is an amazing nail technician, if you haven't checked her out already make sure you do - @TheIllustratedNail 

You can book in to receive on of these very special manicures up to 14th April at Harrods in London. Sophie herself will be carrying out Dior manicures on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays if you fancy a session with the woman herself. 

This is only available for a short while and is bound to be very booked-up so if you're after one of these get your booking in pronto!

xo

Tria Rejuvinating Laser

Would you trust yourself to zap your own face with a laser...?

The Rejuvinating Laser from Tria is now available to buy so you can administer your own laser treatment at home. Tria claim that this product can give you salon-worthy results from the comfort of your own home - I think a lot of people are generally skeptical when it comes to salon treatments at home. How good can it be if a certified beautician isn't doing it, right?

However, so far it's received really strong reviews and has built up a celebrity following with the likes of Kate Moss and Kim Kardashian zapping their own faces. 

There's also a lot of professional research behind this product. The handheld device uses fractional laser technology (the same as they use in clinics) to blast away fine lines and wrinkles, as well as help with discolouration and skin texture. 

Skin lasers work by creating light energy, which stimulates collagen production - and we call know collagen is a powerhouse when it comes to skin plumpness and elasticity.

Tria say this is really easy to use at home and rather than going for one heavy laser treatment at a clinic and then having a few weeks break, this laser is designed to be used for a few minutes every single day over an eight week period. 

I won't be trying this out - I'm 23 so wrinkles are not really an issue, but I'd definitely be intrigued to give it a go in a few years time.

The laser costs £450, which seems expensive but when you think just one salon treatment could cost you that amount, it suddenly seems like much better value. The people who will get the most benefit out of this are those who either already go for laser treatments at clinics, or anyone who is thinking about doing so. If you're happy to hand over £450 you might as well get something physical in return that you can keep using...

You can buy this now from Selfridges or the Tria website.

xo

LBD vs LWD - Fashion Face Off

The Little Black Dress is a girl's wardrobe staple and can be worn any time of year, day or night. But the Little White Dress has slowly become a Spring/Summer staple, seen all over thew catwalks as well as on many celebrities.

I chose my current favourite LBD and LWD. Two very similar shape dresses but with different colours and a very different price tag.

Which is your favourite?

 First up is this 60s style lace panel dress by Topshop. I love the detailing on this dress - the very subtle trim and the lace pattern makes it so girly and sweet. A black dress can sometimes look a little heavy in Spring/Summer but the light fabric and the lace panel across the middle makes this a perfect pick for warmer days. I think this would look so chic worn with some metallic sandals and a great tan. This dress costs £46 .

This cutie is from Issa at Net-A-Porter and costs a pricey £795. White dresses look really gorgeous against tanned skin and this dress, with it's colourful embellished neckline will look perfect on a warm Summer day when you need something a little more dressy. I'd keep this simple with some white or nude sandals and let the neckline do the talking. 

Which dress is your favourite? Are you an LBD or LWD girl? Leave a comment below!



xo