Soap & Glory 'One Heck Of A Blot'

Soap & Glory 'One Heck Of A Blot' Powder, £12.00 from Boots

I've had this blotting powder from Soap & Glory for quite a while now, and although at £12.00 its quite pricey for a high street brand it really is worth buying if you have oily skin (I'd just recommend buying it when Boots are doing their 3 for 2 offer so you get the most for your money).

The powder is a very pale white with a slightly yellow tint in the pan, but applies translucent, and most importantly, keeps skin oil free for a good few hours. I think darker skin tones might find this applies a little ashy, so it might be better to steer clear altogether. It's always in my handbag for reapplications and I take it with me everywhere I go for touch ups. The best thing about this is that it doesn't make my skin look cakey, like so many other powder products do.

There's not really much more I can say about this! It's well worth the money and much cheaper than high end blotting powders, I can definitely recommend it! 

Fiona xxx

The Body Shop Argan Oil Range | Review & Giveaway!

The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil The Radiant Oil: 125ml £14.00

The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil Miracle Solid Oil: 50g £8.00

I was lucky enough recently to be sent two products from The Body Shop's new Wild Argan Oil range to try; their Radiant Oil for body and hair, and their Miracle Solid Oil also for body and hair. The Body Shop say: "Argan oil has taken haircare by storm, and now you can experience the Hammam in your own home with our luxurious Wild Argan Oil bath & body collection".

I've been testing both products out and have to say I'm pretty impressed. Firstly, they both smell amazing (of what I'm assuming is the scent of Argan Oil), fragrant but not too overpowering. The Radiant Oil says "Dry oil with Community Fair Trade argan oil for radiant-looking skin and sleek hair". The texture/formula of this is almost identical to the dry oils already available at The Body Shop, only with the added bonus of argan oil and a super handy spray pump - something I've always disliked about the original dry oil packaging was that it just poured straight out! 

I've tried this on both my body and my hair, and it makes your skin so soft. It's a bit early to say whether its really making a difference to my hair, but having really thick dry curls means I need as much moisture as I can get, and I'd definitely say my hair feels softer already. The non greasy formula also means you can spray it on hair (post-washing) as part of your styling routine.

The Miracle Solid Oil is described as an "extra rich moisturiser for extra dry skin and hair", and its exactly that. It appears to be a solid, more concentrated version of the radiant oil, it melts easily and is perfect for those extra dry bits (elbows, knees and the like) that need some extra attention. Its also not super greasy. I've also been using this on my split ends and the rest of my hair as an overnight treatment, washing it out the next morning. I would definitely recommend this new range to anyone with dry skin/dry patches, and I think its a winner for everyone as far as haircare is concerned. Now onto the good bit!

I've very kindly been given a Wild Argan Oil Miracle Solid Oil to give away to one lucky subscriber! The giveaway will run via the Rafflecopter form below for one week and the winner will be announced via Twitter (@beautyfiend_) and contacted by email. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fiona xox

Wednesday Wishlist #12

#1 TRESemme' Renewal Hair & Scalp Range - £4.98 - £6.98

#2 Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara - £16.91 (from Beauty Bay)

#3 MAC Cool Neutrals 15 Shadow Palette -£65.00

#4 Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stains - £7.99 each.

#5 Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics - £20.00 (launching soon)

#6 NARS Audacious Lipsticks - £19.50 each (launching soon)

Last Of The Summer Wine | Top Plus Size Summer Fashion Picks

I don't normally venture into the world of fashion blogging, but recently I've had a change of heart! Summer is coming to an end, so I've put together my top plus size summer picks to make the most of the end of the season! My absolute top pick has to be the lime green duster coat from New Look, the colour and style are just amazing!

#1 Simply Be AX Paris Vintage Floral Tunic Dress - £38.00, view here
#2 New Look Inspire Lime Green Duster Coat - £29.99, view here
#3 New Look Wide Fit Dark Pink Triple Strap Laser Cut Heels - £29.99, view here
#4 New Look Inspire Blue Keyhole Back Scallop Hem Top - £17.99, view here
#5 Evans Neon Floral Shell Top - £29.50, view here
#6 New Look Inspire Pink Textured Tile Print Tunic Dress - £22.99, view here
#7 Evans Navette Flower Collar Necklace - £16.50, view here
#8 New Look Grey And Pink Milkshake Clutch - £12.99, view here

Essence Make Up Haul

My first foray into Essence cosmetics was a pretty successful one, and since this haul I've been back to my local Wilkinsons a good few times! I won't go into too much detail, but everything pictured ranged from 99p to around £3.50 - pretty bargainous! 

Everything I've tried so far has been, for the price, amazing quality! The only product that was disappointing was the All About Matt! primer, which 'balled up' on the skin if I rubbed it in too much! The nail polish was nothing to write home about in terms of lasting power, but the colours they have are gorgeous! The lipsticks are amazing and come in a wide range of shades, and for 99p the purple sharpener was a funky replacement for my old one. The Blush Up! in 10 Heatwave is a stunning ombre blush that ranges from orange coral to bright magenta pink - go lightly with this one! Finally the powder and blush brushes are great quality and a handy mini size - perfect for popping in my make up bag. 

Overall I'm really impressed with the Essence brand, and I'm so glad we have it now in the UK! It's available in pretty much every Wilkinsons store across the country.

Fiona xox

MAC | Kelly Osbourne Collection

MAC Kelly Osbourne Lipstick in Kelly Yum-Yum - £15.50

MAC Kelly Osbourne Skinfinish in Jolly Good - £24.00

I simply couldn't resist the MAC Kelly Osbourne collection, I love everything about Miss O's style, and I'm an even bigger fan of her Dad's music! The lilac packaging is simply gorgeous, it has an almost silver sheen to it with Kelly's signature in red embossed on it (her mum Sharon's collection is red packaging with a lilac signature - perfect!). 

The mineralize skinfinish in Jolly Good is a baked duo of a light golden bronze sheen and a lighter pink shimmer that mix together to make a darker pink shimmer. To be honest, I'm not too sure what to use this for - it's too glittery for an all over face powder, a little too dark for a highlighter but too light for a blush. I've used it a few times as a blush topper which works nicely, and on darker skin tones I'm sure it would be a lovely highlighter. I'm sure I'll find a way to make it work eventually! 

The lipstick in Kelly Yum-Yum is a very bright candy pink, and obviously very similar to Candy Yum-Yum, which I don't own. It's very bold on me, but I've only tried it without make up on so I'm sure I'll love it when I do. It's not going anywhere anyway! The finish is Satin and it applies beautifully.

I'm so in love with this collection, I even picked up the blusher in Cheeky Bugger in a blog sale and might eve pick up the lilac lipstick in Dodgy Girl, which is still available on the MAC website.

Fiona xox

MAC | Alluring Aquatic Haul

MAC Alluring Aquatic Extra Dimension Blusher in Seduced At Sea 

MAC Alluring Aquatic Lipsticks in Goddess Of The Sea and Enchanted One

I'm a little late in showing you my Alluring Aquatic haul, so I'll keep it short and sweet! As you know, MAC released this collection last month and no one could resist the amazing packaging. Both the boxes and the outer packaging of the products are an aqua chrome with 3D waterdrops! Not printed waterdrops - you can actually feel these when you run your fingers along the packaging. It's just beautiful. 

The extra dimension blusher in Seduced At Sea is described as a plum colour, to me its a very ruddy nude colour! Its not my absolute favourite blush shade, but the extra dimension formula is so smooth and creamy for a powder blush - MAC are bang on when they say its almost gel like. 

I love both the lipsticks - Goddess of The Sea is a plummy purple shade with a cremesheen finish. It's nothing like any of the other MAC purples I own and somehow a bit more wearable! Enchanted One is a peachy nude with a matte finish and I've seen it compared on other blogs to Kinda Sexy. 

It's the Alluring Aquatic packaging that I think most people have fallen in love with - MAC had better keep this standard up for future collections! 

Fiona xox

MAC | Flat Out Fabulous

MAC Flat Out Fabulous - £15.00

MAC Flat Out Fabulous is the latest edition to my MAC lipstick collection, and I love it! It's one of their new retro matte formulas, it really stays put without being too drying. It's now part of the permanent range so you can buy it online and at MAC stores/counters.

The colour is, well, fabulous! It's a matte version of the amplified lipstick Girl About Town, a really nice magenta pink with what I can only describe as purple undertones. If you like a matte pink lip without going super bright or neon, then Flat Out Fabulous is definitely worth a shout. 

Fiona xox

I'M BACK (Really, I mean it this time!)

The last time I wrote a 'I'm Back!' blog post, I never came back. Infact, it's a month later and I haven't posted once. I feel bad, I'm so sorry! 

But I'm really back this time, with a BA Honours Degree in Journalism! I passed everything and I'll be graduating in July! I'm so happy to be graduating and I can't believe I've finished four years of University. I'm also no longer working in the Student's Union, because I'm no longer a student! I'm going to miss everyone so much but I've made some friends I'm sure I'll keep for life. 

So, I'm off to write up some really late blog posts and get back into my blogging groove! Thank you to everyone that has stuck with me and I'm going to try and keep things going through the new adventures that are waiting for me in the real world!

Fiona xox

I'm Back! | Explanation and Apology

I'M BACK! Firstly I want to apologise for my long unexplained absence from blogging - I'm so sorry! I've been so busy with University, my final portfolio and my dissertation were both due over the last few weeks and I've been under so much pressure. I also ran for Campus President at Uni and lost, so that wasn't great but I'm moving on! 

I am finally (almost) done with Uni, I have one exam left in a few weeks and then I am finished forever! It's very nerve wracking and I have no idea what I'm going to do yet, but on the plus side I have time to blog again! 

So, once again I can only apologise for disappearing, but now I'm back in business and I'll be posting lots over the next few weeks! 

Fiona xox 

March Favourties | 2014

L'Oreal True Match Foundation - I've only had this foundation a few weeks but it's already become one of my favourites - as you can tell! I don't know about the 'true match' part as this foundation is a little too dark and a little too pink toned for me, it definitely doesn't adapt to skin colour. However the finish is fantastic, I'd say this is a medium coverage foundation with a not too matte, not too dewy finish. It's not cakey in the slightest and I will definitely be repurchasing in a different shade.
Laura Mercier Foundation Primer - Normally I like an oil control primer but Laura Mercier's original foundation primer helps my foundation last longer and along with the L'Oreal True Match foundation makes my skin look smooth and perfected! If this is the normal primer I can't wait to try the oil free version!
Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipstick in Tantalizing Taupe - Normally, nude lipsticks are a big no no for me. I despise the 'concealer lips' look and prefer something with a little more colour. But Tantalizing Taupe from Maybelline is the perfect in between pinky nude.
NARS Pure Matte Lipstick in Bangkok - Another nude lipstick, Bangkok from NARS is a matte nude pink with a small amount of silver shimmer. It's definitely on the pinker side of nude and completes any make up look.
MAC Paint in Sublime Nature -  This is the first paint from MAC I'd tried, and although the packaging isn't my favourite the product is a long lasting cream eyeshadow that stays on all day. Sublime Nature is a dark nude shade that I really like to pair with MAC's Patina eyeshadow in the crease.

Fiona xox

Maybelline | Instant Anti-Age 'The Eraser Eye' Concealer

Maybelline Instant Anti-Age 'The Eraser Eye' Concealer - £4.99

This concealer took a while to make it's way over to the UK from America, but when it finally landed I snapped it up and have been using it regularly ever since. 

It's described as a 'Perfect & Cover concealer' with Goji berry and Haloxyl, and although it's targeted as an under eye concealer it can be used all over the face. I tend to stick to using this under my eyes as the coverage isn't heavy enough to cover redness and spots. It's the perfect everyday light concealer to hide dark under eye circles, although I prefer to use something more heavy duty for nights out. It's lovely and brightening and not too thick.

The product itself has a 'clicky' twist up with a sponge on top, which is really good for getting the right amount of product and stops the concealer looking cakey. I tend to give the sponge a good clean with a face wipe every so often to stop bacteria building up. 

I have the shade Light, it has slightly pink undertones which is perfect for hiding under eye circles. I really like this as an everyday under eye concealer and will probably repurchase! 

Fiona xox

Revlon Colorburst Matte & Lacquer Balms

Revlon Colourbust Matte & Lacquer Balms in Elusive, Shameless & Demure - £7.99 each.

The new Revlon Colourburst Matte & Lacquer balms have been out for a while now, they were released in January and I've been trying and testing these three shades for a few weeks now. They're in the typical crayon packaging that twists up. I prefer this to pencils you sharpen as I hate having stubby little pencils in my collection!

Elusive is a light/medium pink and one of the matte balms. It's actually one of the few lighter pink shades I can pull off, it has almost no blue tones in it. The amazing thing about the matte balms is that they are so moisturising, they're matte but not drying in the slightest! Well done Revlon! 

Shameless is a dark purple and is so bold. Again, it's very moisturising but the colour is a little patchy on the lips. If you're into purple shades I'd recommend skipping this and purchasing MAC's Heroine lipstick instead, it's a very similar shade.

Finally the only lacquer balm I picked up is in the shade Demure. It's a peachy nude with some chunky silver glitter that is obvious but not uncomfortable on the lips. Out of all three I've been wearing this the most, which is unusual because we all know I'm a matte kinda girl! It's moisturising and natural whilst adding some subtle sparkle, perfect for pairing with a smoky eye. 

Overall I really like these and will definitely be buying some of the brighter shades for spring/summer! 

Fiona xox

February Favourites

Origins Drink Up-Intensive Overnight Mask:

I was lucky enough to receive the Origins Mask Marvels set for Christmas, and I've been loving all the masks, but the Drink Up-Intensive in particular mask has been a life saver. It's an overnight mask and is just amazing for hydrating tired skin.

Maybelline The Eraser Eye Perfect & Cover Concealer:

This has quickly become my favourite every day under-eye concealer, it's not the most heavy duty product but it's very brightening and light for daytime make up. 

Rimmel BB Cream Matte:

I posted about this BB cream last week and I absolutely love it! I'm definitely going to repurchase this but next time in the shade Extra Light, as I feel the Light shade is just a little too dark for me! It's matte without being drying and provides great coverage.

Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Lover:

A true peach blush that almost verges on orange (the good kind of orange!) I've been reaching for this a lot since I got it in January. Illamasqua blushes are always incredibly pigmented and you only need a tiny bit to pack a punch on the cheeks.

MAC Pigment in Vanilla:

I really really love this pigment, it's perfect for highlighting just about everywhere, but it's especially nice on the browbone. It's frosted white with gold sparkle but it still manages not to be too OTT. Also, you get a huge amount of pigment and this is going to last a long long time!

MAC Paint Pot in Painterly:

This is another new addition to my make up collection. I loved my first MAC paint pot in Bare Study, but I'd always wanted a matte base product and Painterly is brilliant for creating a blank canvas for eyeshadow.

Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balm in Demure:

When Revlon released their new colorburst balms I wasn't excited about the lacquer versions at all, but I picked up the shade Demure and it's lovely. A pale peachy pink with chunky glitter (which isn't very comfortable but I can deal with that!) it's the perfect nude lip to wear with a glamorous smoky eye!

Fiona xox

lllamasqua Sale Haul

I'm a bit late in posting this but I picked up a few bits in the Illamasqua post-Christmas sale. I bought two powder blushes in Lover and Tremble for £7.50 each and a lipstick in the shade Magentism for £5.00. Not a bad wee bargain!

Space NK Haul | NARS, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes & Gift With Purchase

I had originally planned on waiting to get the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes, but when Space NK had an offer for an amazing gift with orders over £75 I caved and ordered two, plus a NARS lipstick I've wanted to try for ages! The gift with purchase was simply too good to resist, so apart from the hole in my bank account (spending ban coming soon - watch this space!) I regret nothing. 

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water: £4.99 for 400ml

The newest micellar water to hit the block is from Garnier and boy, is it a good one! Their latest offering is going to test lovers of the L'oreal version and even hardcore Bioderma fans. I do love micellar water for lazy cleansing days so I snapped this up to try! 

Rimmel | BB Cream Matte | 9-in-1 Skin Perfecting Super Make Up

Rimmel BB Cream Matte 9-in-1 Skin Perfecting Super Make Up: £6.99

I'm just going to dive right in here and say that this is the best BB cream I've ever used. Rimmel BB Cream Matte is one of those products that occasionally slips onto the shelves of Boots and Superdrug unnoticed, with no advertising and very little blogger attention. However anything with the word 'matte' printed on it grabs my attention every time, so I had to pick it up to try it. 

Too Faced | A Few Of My Favourite Things Palette

After Christmas, I had my heart set on one thing and one thing only: the Too Faced 'A Few Of My Favourite Things' palette. The palette was limited edition for Christmas and was sold out everywhere, but I ended it up purchasing it on eBay for just a little higher than the original price (RRP £48.00). Now I know that seems pricey for a bit of makeup but this palette is so beautiful and comes with so many extras I just couldn't resist. (The following post is photo heavy, beware!). 

MUA | Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquers

MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer's in Kooky and Funk: £3.00 each -

I've been dying to try these new Velvet Lip Lacquers from the new MUA Luxe range that launched late last year. I love matte lip products so I just couldn't resist these, especially for £3.00 each! They're the same idea as the Sleek Matte Me lip creams (which I love) and the Lime Crime Velvetines (which I haven't tried), a very creamy liquid lipstick that after application dries to a matte finish. 

Christmas Sales Haul | 2013

So I've just lost this entire post and truly can't be bothered writing it all out again, so I'll do the quick version for you! I went a little mad at the Christmas Sales this time, and even ordered a few things for collection in Boots, something I've never done before! I'll quickly show you what I bought: