Some more Topshop nails - Ice Crush and Gypsy Night

I bought these on a bit of a whim after ordering some stuff from Topshop online and needing to make my order up to £75 to get free delivery, given my past experiences with Topshop polishes (here and here) I knew these were what I would order to make up the amount.  Both of these were an absolute nightmare to photograph and I don't feel like I've done either of them justice with my pics...they're both really sparkly and holoish.

Ice Crush

This is a silver glitter with multi-sized glitter pieces  in it, the larger of which sparkle with a holo shimmer.  It would be good as a layering polish and to wear it on its own, it took about four coats and still wasn't totally opaque.  The glitter was evenly spaced and I didn't find I was having to manipulate it too much to stop it looking bare.  It looks gorgeous on, really eyecatching without looking tacky - even my boyfriend commented that he liked it and he doesn't normally notice that sort of thing (he also said "that looks like it's going to be really hard to get off your nails" too ha ha!).  It also lasted really well on the nails too.  I put this on on Wednesday night and it was still looking acceptable on Saturday morning, and one nail chipped a little at the tip on Sunday. 

Boyfriend was right, it was a nightmare to remove, but I didn't expect anything else really so I won't dwell on it too much.  I did manage to pick it off on a few nails (naughty) and it just came away in one perfectly-shaped sheet but I think that's because of the amount of coats I had applied.

Gypsy Night

I bought this thinking it would be a good replacement for my Eyeko Cosmic polish, which I loved but threw away in my recent polish purge because it had gone all gloopy.  I thought this was just a black polish with multicoloured glitter in, which it is I suppose - with the addition of red/orange flaky pieces in there too that give a slight duochrome effect!

The first coat of theis applied really thinly and quite watery, I was worried that it was going to be totally disappointing.  Second coat was better, third coat was a treat.  Again, this is really pretty - and perfect for doing galaxy nails - much better than my pictures show.

Yet again, Topshop has impressed me with their nail polishes!  I also quite fancied Adrenaline (pictured below) but decided against it as it looked quite similar to OPI Katy Perry Collection - Teenage Dream....but maybe I should still try it...

I've had a clearout of my dressing table...

....and this is all I have left in terms of nail varnish.  I threw a LOT away - there isn't much left, is there?

Keep an eye out on my blog sale tab for the spoils soon!

Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss in Fame

I got this for Christmas, and didn't think much of it as it's a fairly different pink to what I usually wear.  However on the lips, it's really nice and as you can see in the picture above you can see it's been a bit er, well loved in my make up bag.  I'd say it's slightly darker than the picture below shows but it's a really glossy dark natural pink with a slight shimmer.

If truth be told, I'm more of a lipstick girl, but I really really like this and definately want to check out some more Smashbox glosses.  It lasts pretty well too (for a gloss).  Smashbox is a brand that generally goes under the radar for me, I've tried their primer before but that's about it.  Here are the other Smashbox goodies I go too - Eyeshadow Quad in "On Stage" (includes shades Sand, Obsidian, Aristocrat and Shimmering Taupe) and Blushsoft Lights Duo (colours: Passion and Shimmer).  I'm looking forward to trying these out!

Dorothy Perkins 25% off until next Sunday (26th February 2012)

Just thought I'd let you know that Dorothy Perkins is having 25% off everything online and instore this week.  I've got my eye on a few things for work so will definately be using this!

Mini blog sale...

I've been having a bit of a sort out of drawers and my wardrobe and I decided to have a little blog sale - I did actually have loads more stuff that I was going to sell (including some Deborah Lipmann and Chanel stuff) that I'd set aside a little while ago but it seems to have gone missing which is a bit annoying!  I've probably thrown it away in my eagerness to sort stuff out.

Anyway, if you head over to my Blog Sale tab, this is where I'll be putting items I want to sell from time to time so do keep an eye on it!  I've added a few things to it now so please have a look.

Friday Favourites (some stuff from the archives!)

I just thought I'd do a little post where I list what my favourite products are,and what works for me - I've linked back to my old reviews on most of these and included some pics too!

Foundation
Estee Lauder Doublewear

Lipstick
MAC Chatterbox (pictured below) or YSL Rouge Volupte in Opera Rose

Blusher
Illamasqua Ambition or POP Beauty Blush Cake in Pretty in Pink (pictured below)

Lipbalm
Carmex Moisture Plus (pink)

Body moisturiser
Plain old Palmers Cocoa butter - I love the smell, how moisturising this is and that it gives a slight sheen, espeically on legs.

Facial moisturiser
I'm yet to find my holy grail product to moisturise my face I'm afraid....I'm still looking though.

Body scrub
Sanctuary Salt Scrub - smells lovely and feels nice on the skin.

Facial scrub
Dermalogica Microfiliant or Philosophy The Microdelivery Peel (which I reviewed earlier in the week).  I quite like the Clinique facial scrubs/exfoliators as well.

Eye make up remover
No 7 Cleanse and Care Eye Make Up Remover

Eyeliner
Liquid liner is probably Bourjois Liner Feutre (I prefer liner pens than pots or gel liners) and pencil is either MAC Eye Kohl in Black or Revlon Colorstay in Black.

Concealer
Don't think I've found my holy grail concealer just yet...

False Lashes
MAC 7 or Ardell Demi Wispies (pictured below)

Nail Polish
I definately don't have a favourite nail polish - far too difficult to choose!

Bath/Shower Product
I love Lush bath bombs/bubble bars - my favourites at the moment are Yuzu and Cocoa, Creamy Candy and Dragon's Egg.  I'm quite partial to a bit of Snow Fairy too!

Hairspray
The Aussie ones all smell amazing and do a good job.

Shampoo
Not found my perfect one yet - I've kind of gone off the Bedhead stuff I'm using!

Conditioner
Again, yet to find a favourite, maybe I have unrealistic expectations!

Hair  product
Batiste Dry Shampoo - Wild (pictured below)

Do we share any favourites?  Are there any products on this list that I really like but you definately don't? It's been quite interesting going back through my old posts...I can really see when I started getting into more high end stuff (damn you, blogging!).  If there's anything I've not listed and you'd like to know what my favourite is (or anything else), you can either comment below or tweet me @LucyBATB.

Philosophy The Microdelivery Peel - Vitamin C/Peptide Crystals & Lactic/Salicylic Acid Activating Gel

If you thought Philosophy just did cute novelty bath bubble stuff, think again.  I've tried a few things from their skincare range and I've been really impressed every time, I want to try more!

Described as "a two-step, in-home peel that resurfaces and rejuvenates sun-damaged, hyperpigmented and ageing skin. the kit includes vitamin c/peptide crystals and lactic/salicylic acid activating gel", The Microdelivery Peel claims that it can smooth and resurface skin, minimise the look of fine lines and brighten and even out skin tone.

The Vitamin C/Peptide Crystals are yellow, smell vaguely sweet citrusy and feel gritty without actually feeling like they're scratching your skin.  You massage - not rub, vigorously - this into clean, dry skin for about a minute and then add the activating gel on top which turns white to show it's working and infusing your skin with Vitamin C.  You leave that on your skin for 2-3 minutes and then rinse off thoroughly.

Now, my skin does go pretty red after I use this, and the activating gel does have a warming effect to it - so don't panic if you use this and it happens, it's normal.  Obviously, if it's hurting or itching or anything, take it off your skin, but this isn't something that's happened to me.  I tend to use this once a week on a night when I know I'm staying in, so I'm not bright red when I go out, to be honest any redness subsides pretty quickly though.  I've not experienced any breakouts or sensitivity when using this either.  If you do use this, make sure you read the instructions as there are some recommendations about not tanning for a while after use.

This leaves me with ridiculously smooth, soft skin, much better than anything else I've used and the smoothness lasts.  It really does get rid of any dry skin or bumps, which is an absolute godsend in this weather as I tend to get quite dry skin anyway.  It stops any flaking or dryness being noticeable, and I feel it evens my skin tone out a bit, making me look more awake.  It is expensive (at £55 for the crystals and activating gel together) but you don't use a lot of product each time so it lasts and the results, for me, are good enough that it justifies the price.  I use a rich moisturiser after this as well (currently a Gatineau one) to keep the results going.  I wonder if it would work on my extremely dry elbows?  I might have to try!

Philosophy Microdelivery Peel is available from QVC for £55 (there's also loads of really positive reviews on there as well).

Montagne Jeunesse Passion Peel Off and Zap Them Peel Off Masques (for him and her)

As a general rule, I tend to prefer scrubby creamy face masks rather than the peel off ones as I sometimes find I'm still peeling bits off hours later that I've missed, but I must admit there is something pretty satisfying about peeling this mask off.  I've used mine, and I liked the smell of it - not sure if it did much for my skin but I definately enjoyed peeling it off (am I strange?) though I did manage to get some in my hair!

I've not tried out the Zap Them mask yet as my boyfriend has been away and I'm not really into the smell of Ginger so thought I'd leave it to him.  I thought I'd post on it though for any of you that are struggling to think of little presents for your other half, as a lot of people do the token gift thing.  The picture on the front of it is very cheesy but it's what's inside that counts, right?

Montagne Jeunesse skin care products can be bought from http://www.montagnejeunesse.com/ or at the likes of Boots, Superdrug, Bodycare, Asda etc for a fairly bargainous price of around £1.  They're a lovely, cheap and readily available treat!

Hotel Chocolat - The Jewellery Box

Ok, first of all, when I received this from Hotel Chocolat, I opened the parcel and left it on the kitchen table, actual box unopened as I'd got in quite late.  When I came home from work the following day, my boyfriend had actually opened it himself when he'd got in from work in the afternoon and ate a load of the chocolates...typical!  Luckily he was wise enough to leave the pralines, but we'll talk about them later.

My first impression was that this looked absolutely gorgeous, I love the butterfly design on the front - I'm actually having a bit of a butterfly "thing" at the moment in our house and keep buying homewares with butterflies on, oops - and I think the mirror/drawers are so cute, you definately could use this as a jewellery box or storage after the chocolates are gone (which incidentally, is quite quickly in our house).

The chocolates that are included in this are (in order of my favourite):

• Dizzy Praline - Milk
• Billionaire Shortbread
• Berry Mousse
• Dizzy Praline - Dark

These are the kind of chocolates that everyone will like, my boyfriend's favourite was the Billionaire Shortbread, there was only one of those left by the time I got home. But I suppose it's nearly Valentine's Day so I'll let him off.  As you can see, my favourite was the milk praline but pralines are my favourite kind of chocolate (apart from maybe caramel chocolate, but I can't decide) so they were always going to be the winner for me.

The Jewellery Box is available in store at Hotel Chocolat or from http://www.hotelchocolat.co.uk/ for £20, and I guarantee it would make a lovely gift if you're buying for someone on the 14th, or even a gorgeous treat if you're buying for yourself.
This box is part of Hotel Chocolat's Valentines range, and just in case you weren't drooling enough, here's some of the Valentines Chocolates range, which has something to suit every budget really:

How cute is that stuff?!!  I would be really pleased to get any of that for Valentine's Day!  And fellas, if you're reading (I actually don't know if I have many male readers, but hello if you're out there!), and your girlfriend likes chocolate, these would be some brilliant gifts for Valentines Day...wait, you did know it's Valentines Day on Tuesday didn't you?

Rose & Co Apothecary Sweet Vanilla Salve with Beeswax and Honey

I was given this as a gift and I actually really like it though I don't think it's quite ready to take the crown for best lip balm from my Carmex Moisture Plus Lip Balm but nevertheless I do like it and I'd buy it again.   It's made with pure golden beeswax, honey and sweet almond oil (full list of ingredients below).

It comes in a cute 20g tin and looks/feels a bit like Vaseline but thinner and less rubbery (if that makes sense at all) - obviously some people might not be keen because of having to dip your finger in and out of the tin but this doesn't bother me.  It smells absolutely gorgeous - very sweet and not overly synthetic which I prefer.  It moisturises my lips really well and is one of those products that I keep at my desk to reapply as needed.  As I said, it's not quite my favourite lipbalm but it's up there, I like it and would definately buy it again.

Ingredients:
Petrolatum, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Almond) Oil, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Hydroxypropyltrimonium Honey, Polysorbate 40, Parfum (Fragrance), Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Sorbic Acid.


Sweet Vanilla Salve is available from Rose and Co Apothecary for £5, as well as from stockists nationwide. 

Things I learned today...beauty damage!

I work in finance and recently came across some information about house and contents insurance (no, stick with me, it's not that boring really) that sounded familiar - apparently beauty products are "known" in the industry for causing claims on house insurance!  The majority of damages that results in homeowners making a claim can be balmed on makeup stains, closely followed by hair dye and fake tan stains.  Hair straighteners and stiletto heels are also known causes of claims.
I would not have thought to claim on my insurance for anything like this, and I've definately damaged things before with beauty products (mainly make up on carpets, cotton wool coated in nail varnish remover being left on a table and stripping the paint, melting carpet with hair curlers and dinting the lino at my parents house with my heels, oops!).  Have you ever claimed for a beauty-related issue or have you ever really damaged something with a beauty product/item and wished you had claimed now?

Currently in the process of uploading nail pics to Pinterest...

...in my few years of blogging, I've kind of harvested loads of pics of nails that I like (as well as a few I've done myself!) which I'm currently uploading into an album on Pinterest, you can find the album at www.pinterest.com/lucybatb/nails/ (keep checking it as it's a bit of a work in progress, I've got a LOT of pics).

If you use Pinterest, please leave your Pinterest name or link in the comments section so I can check it out. I need to follow some good pinners as at the minute I only follow a handful of people - I feel like I'm missing out a bit!  So if you've got any recommendations of boards to have a look at or follow on there, let me know too.

Diorshow New Look Mascara in New Look Black

As someone who has had positive experience of Dior mascaras in the past, I was pretty happy to be sent this to review.  I've been using this for the last few weeks.

It's a really black mascara, which gives a lot of pigment to the lashes without looking clumpy - I find on my bottom lashes it actually looks quite dramatic.  It feels like quite a "sticky" mascara on application (if that makes any sense) but it doesn't actually take that long to dry on the lashes.  The other good thing is the brush, as this photo below shows, it's a bit like two brushes in one and grabs every lash, even the tiny ones at the inner corner of your eye.  It's also quite a stiff brush, and made from rubber, so really does seperate every lash.

I'd definately say that this mascara adds intense colour and volume to your lashes without looking spidery - however in terms of adding length, it's better than average but I wouldn't say that this is a mascara that will give you really long lashes.  And - as I've documented well on this blog over the years -  my lashes are so short I prefer something that makes my lashes look a bit longer.

In saying that though, I have found it to be a good everyday mascara, it doesn't flake or smudge throughout the whole day and stays looking dark.  My main moan about this is that it's really hard to remove, even with an oily super make up remover like No 7 Cleanse and Care.  This also contains a regenerating treatment serum to reinforce lashes and make them stronger.  I can't say I noticed anything in particular with this but my lashes are quite strong anyway, and not really prone to breaking.

I love the packaging on this, as a mascara it feels really heavy - the tube seems a bit wider than a standard mascara one - and the packaging is understated but very much luxurious, I love the little silver band on this

It's also available in brown and blue, exclusively from Selfridges for £23 - either online or instore.

In need of retail therapy...

Phew, January is finally over, and payday finally came!  That seemed like a long month didn't it?  I've got some Trafford Centre vouchers burning a hole in my purse and I can just feel in my bones that ASOS will put out a discount code soon (or at least I hope so), so I just thought I'd show you some of the items I'm dying to indulge in:

Topshop

Knitted painted parrot print top

Pink French Word Studs

Tangerine Boyfriend Blazer

Tall Unicorn Sweat



River Island

Purple Bow Neck Midi Dress

ASOS

Tulip Dress with Scoop Neck

Sleeveless Mini Dress with Double Skirt

Boohoo

Hannah Colour Pop Skinny Jeans



As you can see, orange is featuring quite strongly here!  There's a lot more stuff I want but it's things like bikinis and tshirts and stuff, which is far too early/depressing to be looking at!