MAC Mouth Monday - Cockney

Now, I'm slowly getting more into reds as well as my much-loved pinks.  I really couldn't decide between  this, Ruby Woo, Lady Danger, Russian Red or MAC Red but turns out Cockney is what I kept picking up in the shop so here it is.

This is a lustre finish which gives the red a more wearable, jelly-like quality and I think you could quite easily wear this during the day without it looking too much.  I think that because of the finish it would suit a variety of skin tones too.  It's not for you if you want a really classic, sexy red though.

Fancy Whittard of Chelsea Instant Teas - Pink Lemonade, Dreamtime, Mango & Passionfruit

 

Something a little bit different today, mainly because I think they're pretty and I'm a sucker for packaging - instant teas from Whittard!  I tried Dreamtime a while ago and thought it was really yummy, so when I restocked I bought a couple of others too.  As you can see, the tins are really cute.  The teas can be drank hot or cold, it just comes in a powder you can add either hot or cold water to.  They're all pretty sweet so not sure they're actually any better for me than normal tea (I like milk and sugar in my normal cuppa) but they're a nice change.

• Pink Lemonade - not actually pink in colour at all, more a sort of taupe, smells a little bit like Lemsip and tastes quite sweet but with a sharp zing of citrus, like enough to make you smack your lips a bit.  This is really nice hot or cold and I actually imagine it being nice in a cocktail with ice on a sunny day, I haven't tried this though.
• Dreamtime - this is my favourite.  Again it's sweet and has a vaguely fruity/apricot-y taste.  Again, nice hot or cold, I could drink this all the time.
• Mango and Passionfruit - this is my least favourite, but I like the packaging the best.  It tastes more peachy than anything and I'm not as keen because this reminds me a bit of peach schnapps which I'm not a huge fan of.   It's still alright though, but I don't think I'd buy it again.

These aren't that cheap (£5 for each tin) but I don't drink coffee or hot chocolate or anything, just tea, so these are a nice change when I feel like I'm getting bored with normal tea.  I like fruity teabags too but find they often smell nicer than they taste, especially vanilla type ones, bleurgh! So, er there you have it, a round up of teas I like!  Have you tried any of these?  What did you think?

As if all the celebrity endorsements aren't bad enough...

 

Sorry I'm getting a bit on my high horse today!!  Ah, celebrity endorsements.  On the one hand I love you because of some of the amazing promotional images you come up with (Katy Perry for GHD) but on the other hand I sort of feel like if you're paying someone thousands of pounds to say how great something is then is that so great?  Especially when it seems pretty obvious that you probably don't use the product (Liv Tyler for Head and Shoulders, Cheryl Cole pimping out Loreal hair dye).  It's different with blogging, no-one pays me to do it and I'm always honest in my reviews because I can be, if I'm not keen on something then I'll say so.

But that isn't strictly what I'm talking about...I'm talking about the Olympics, and more specifically the use of the Olympics to hawk products.  Now I get it to some extent if you're selling trainers or sportswear (we won't talk about the Adidas ad with Keith Lemon in it) or sports equipment or an energy drink or anything connected to sports but er, anti ageing moisturiser or false lashes or shampoo?  Do these things really link in to the Olympics in any way?

I'm talking about the advert for Olay currently showing in the UK and featuring Jessica Ennis which features a lot of footage of her as an athlete then only really a brief mention of the products at the end, like it was an afterthought.  Sorry the only online link I can find to the ad is here in the Daily Mail, and I can't actually embed it.  The entire article reads like one big ad for Olay, which doesn't surprise me. And the fact I'm linking to it probably means I'm actually serving to promote this video/reach a wider audience, which so isn't the point! If you watch the video, any links to the products and use of are pretty tenuous at best.

Through a bit of research I've now discovered that there are quite a lot of Olympic ladies (including British cyclist Victoria Pendleton) promoting Pantene, synchronised swimmer Jenna Randall promoting the Braun Silk-epil Xpressive Pro Epilator range and swimmer Keri-Anne Payne promoting Max Factor.

I'm not slagging off these girls or the Olympics or anything - they're all gorgeous girls and talented athletes who are probably sponsored by Proctor & Gamble and have been offered a wedge of cash to promote a product, and why shouldn't they make the most of it while they're young?  I just question the relevance of Oil of Olay, Pantene or Max Factor in this context, it is just blatant cashing in but then again, I suppose that's the wonderful world of marketing! 

Does the fact something of this nature is endorsed by an Olympic athlete make you want to buy it? What did you think of the video?  Am I just being a misery?

MAC Mouth Monday - Girl About Town

 

Supposedly beloved by Cheryl Cole and Beyonce, Girl About Town is a much-loved MAC classic.  It's a bright pink that leans towards purple (for some reason my camera really struggled to pick its purple tones up) with an amplified finish.

This is pretty bright and I think I'd personally only wear it on a night out but I bet this would look amazing on darker skin than mine.  Barry M do a fairly good dupe of this, just the finish is slightly different.  I blogged about it when I was first starting out actually so here you go.

Since I'm finding it really tricky to get Deborah Lippmann Sweet Dreams in the UK, here's my version!

 

Sweet Dreams is described as a candied pink (3D holographic) but I don't necessarily agree with this.  It's more a candy pink with flakies in it.  Have a look for swatches, that's exactly how it looks to me.  I'm really struggling to find it in the UK and on Ebay etc it's extortionately expensive.  DL polishes are already expensive so not really wanting to double the price again in shipping.

This is Leighton Denny Madison (one of my favourite - if not my all time favourite - polishes) with GOSH Rainbow over the top.  I love GOSH Rainbow, I've had mine for ages and I wear it with all sorts of different colours.

 

I actually think this is a fairly good replication of Sweet Dreams (obviously I've yet to see Sweet Dreams in person though!), the main difference is that the flakies are only layered on my version and not suspended in the polish but I suppose this is something that I could achieve with a bit of mixing if it was really an issue.  If you've seen Sweet Dreams, what do you think?

MAC Mouth Monday - Pink Nouveau

I recently went a bit mad on the MAC website after every time I went into a certain store they never had the colours I wanted in.  I actually only went looking for the new Nicki Minaj Viva Glam but when I got there I didn't really like it, it's a bit too kind of pastel/chalky looking even though it's a bright pink.  OK, I'm making no sense here so on with MAC Mouth Monday.

 

Pink Nouveau is one of MAC's bestsellers which is why I can probably never find it in an actual store!  It's a bright, light pink that reminds me of a slightly lighter version of MAC Chatterbox (my fave lippie) and is a bit less bright than Chatterbox so is probably a bit more wearable - it's not so light that it looks like concealer lips which isn't personally a look I can pull off.  It's a satin finish, which is my second favourite finish (amplified is first) and why I think it's probably a bit less bright/more wearable.

Needless to say I really really like this - pinks are totally my thing -  and I'm so glad I finally bought it.  Perfect summer lipstick and I'd wear it anywhere, work, a night out, through the day etc.

Smashbox Blush Soft Lights Duo in Passion/Shimmer

I blogged about some Smashbox stuff I got a while ago but I've started using this blush regularly and it's gorgeous, especially when I've got a (fake) tan, it gives a gorgeous sheen look that doesn't look glittery or overshiny.  The pink half of the duo is just the right natural colour for me and the shimmer just adds a bit extra.  It looks so pretty on the skin!

As you can see from the pics above, it's been pretty well used and I'll continue to do so throughout spring and summer.

The manicure that cannot be named (edit!)

In light of this post here about Ciate trademarking the term "Caviar manicure", which I personally think is a joke for the reasons outlined in the post, I've had to change a few things here (this isn't generally something I do ever).

I hit Ebay and got 12 colours of bead for £3.87.  I have enough nail polishes already to match with those!  This is the seller I bought mine from, they're based in Hong Kong so it took a little while for them to arrive but not ages maybe 7-10 days if that.  I loved the description on the side of what they are, he he!

 

 

I applied two coats of polish and waited a bit then I dipped my nail in each pot.  Be warned, this way of doing it is pretty messy and some of the little balls go oddly static in the top of the lid which is a slightly strange sight to see.  I think every nail I did got slightly better.

I think I like it best on the more neutral colours like the silver, black and light pink.  I'm none too keen to try the green one!  If you're just looking to have accent nails or have a little play (like me!) then the kit I've got will be plenty, if you're planning to rock these nails every day then you might run out?  In terms of longevity, well I have no idea, as I removed these straight after putting on as I needed to clean the oven (oh yes, I'm THAT glam).  These types of nails are a bit of a Marmite one - like crackle polishes - you either love 'em or hate 'em.

If you don't like rough finishes on your nail (i.e. glitter and 3D nail art) then this probably isn't for you because it does feel rough.  It's kind of like those licquorice allsorts that are covered in tiny balls.  I like this look but don't think I'd do it on every nail, maybe an accent ring finger or something?  I prefer one solid colour of beads to having a lot of colours mixed together too.

Some more YSL - Rouge Volupte 9 (Pink Caress), La Laque 42 (Ultraviolet) and Volume Effet Faux Cils Shocking Mascara

This was a bit of an impulse/emergency purchase.  I got loads of Trafford Centre vouchers as a leaving present when I left my last job, I hardly ever go to the Trafford Centre and on the rare occassion I do, I really struggle to find anything I want (which is always a huge surprise, I can spend money wherever I am usually!).  I'd tried to spend the vouchers on MAC stuff in Selfridges but the colours I wanted were out of stock, heated rollers in Boots but there was a problem with the vouchers at the till, a dress in Dorothy Perkins but they had every size but mine and in a mad panic as it was about to close I hit the YSL counter in John Lewis to repurchase my YSL Rouge Volupte that had ran out. 

Except it turns out I bought the wrong colour!  It's no biggie though as I quite like the colour I bought (Pink Caress), though it is a smidge darker than pinks I'd usually wear and it's definitely different in comparison to my trusty Opera Rose that I normally would buy.

L-R:  Pink Caress, Opera Rose

I also bought Shocking Faux Cils Mascara in black as this is something I've wanted to try for a while since I love the original but never got round, with mascaras I like to only have one on the go at a time so they don't dry up.  I hate wasting things!  The brush on this is pretty big, and like the original Faux Cils this is a really wet mascara.  It's also quite strongly perfumed which I always find weird in a mascara.  I do like it though, it's not that much different to Faux Cils but it does give a bit more oomph, really strong and thick black lashes, it also gives plenty of length too. I think there is the tendency for it to go clumpy but as long as you're careful it shouldn't do.  If I'm totally honest, I don't hate lashes that are a bit clumpy.  Spidery is a no, though.

This purchase came with a free full size nail polish (Ultraviolet), a bright purple that leans towards pink and actually reminds me a bit of OPI Louvre Me Louvre Me Not.  The saleswoman tried to talk down as being good for toes but I actually like and would wear on my hands.

Things I've recently purchased and things I would like to purchase...

Start of the month = buying more stuff

Here's what I've bought already:

Topshop Peplum Scuba Pencil Dress

When I wear this dress I stick to clear liquids (gin and tonic, vodka and lemonade etc.) as I live in fear of ruining it with my clumsy ways.  The material it's made of is like wetsuit material which is a bit weird but good as it holds everything in!  Just noticed they do it in orange too.

Lulu Guinness Gold Lipstick Keyring

I bought a very cheap, secondhand...er...I mean vintage...one off Ebay as I couldn't justify £45 on a keyring.

Here's what I'd like to buy:

Warehouse Bright Bird Print Shell Top
This picture doesn't really do it justice, and Grazia are offering 25% off at Warehouse at the moment

River Island Blue Scarf Print Tapered Trousers
I'm a bit of a scarf print fan and these look fab on the model on ASOS

Topshop Orchid Print Extreme Drop Shirt
I do like this but it isn't very me, I'm thinking it would be nice with my lilac jeans but I'm rubbish at putting outfits together so maybe not!

Dorothy Perkins Lilac Pleated Pocket Dress
This is very glam and grown up, I'm thinking it would take me through work and maybe some things that are a bit more formal too.

Topshop Bright Blossom Dip Hem Dress
This isn't my usual style at all (I normally prefer dresses that are more fitted and have a sleeve!) but I have a wedding to go to later in the year and we've been invited for the church service and night do, which I find SO hard to dress/buy for so I'm keeping my eye out already and favouring dipped hem dresses to take me from day to night.

There's quite a lot of bright prints here isn't there?  It's maybe the nicer weather making me think lovingly of summer and sunshine!