ASOS Revive

Ok, this is THE winter dress.

By Asos Revive, check out this faux-fur textured cream fit and flare dress (yikes, that's a mouthful!) for £100. This is pretty pricey for something that's not 'designer' designer, but I literally cannot fault this dress. The faux fur layer is heavy and lined, excellent quality, and the circle cut waisted skirt falls beautifully from the hips. It has a decent (i.e. not flimsy!) zip up the back of the dress, and has teeny little shoulder pads to give the dress structure. I am in love <3

It is super toasty to wear, so I think this baby is going to be visiting lots of fancy Christmassy functions over the next few months - plus, it looks very 'Russian Princess on the catwalk', so it's destined for big time compliments!

Can't Live Without...

It has taken me yeeeeeears to find a beauty regime that actually works for my impossibly oily skin, and I only recently realised that I was buying some products so repeatedly that they actually must work for me! Lifetime member of 'The Chip Pan Face' club, I can now shed some light on the products that keep my skin looking matte and fresh all day - so many products are an absolute nightmare for the embarrassing shine they create part way through the day, so these bad boys really stand out...

Foundation:

Rimmel Match Perfection Gel

Rimmel Match Perfection Cream Gel Foundation, £6.99 from Boots and Superdrug

This stuff is THE NUTS. It feels so light and cool on your skin, the gel formula is fantastically suited to oily skin as it's not as heavy as your average liquid foundation - it's kind of like a cross between an air-whipped mousse and a liquid foundation. This also features blue sapphire pigments which claim to match your exact skin tone and texture for a flawless finish, and I must say, I am completely impressed! The product is formulated with oxygen too, so you're getting some of the good stuff for your skin. I've had no oil or blemish complaints since using this, and I think I've bought 4 tubs of this so far it's so good - it's an absolute rarity for me to stick to one brand usually when it comes to foundation!

Moisturiser:

Eau Thermale Avene Cleanance Anti-Shine Regulating Lotion

Avéne Cleanance Anti-Shine Regulating Lotion, £10.50 from Boots

This creates a smooth, matte and silky finish to your skin which I find works better than any anti-shine primer I've ever used before. Formulated with a high concentrate of pure spring water, your skin drinks up this moisturiser and feels nourished and healthy from the first use. If I ever skip using this before my foundation, I'm working my signature oil slick look by 11am. This is a must have for anyone with excess oil like myself.

Maintenance:

Superdrug Clarity Shine Control Papers

Superdrug Shine Control Papers

These bad boys are cheap as chips (around £2.59 per pack for 60 sheets, but are often on offer), and do the job flawlessly. Whenever I get down to my last 10 sheets I descend into a wild panic and make sure I restock straight away! They are small paper sheets which are imparted with a light layer of pressed powder on one side to absorb excess oil and restore a matte finish to your make-up. Brilliant to pop in your handbag for touch ups throughout the day.

Ahava Mineral Body Lotion

My feelings about this product are a bit up and down - it definitely functions well as a product, but I had some very unfortunate side effects from using it...details spared!

The product is by a brand I've not heard of before called Ahava, a 'mineral body lotion' which as you can see from the picture has WATER written down the side. All this talk of minerals and water made me wrongly assume that it would be a gentle product, but it is actually very strongly fragranced and - to my horror - is not exactly suited to 'delicate' areas shall we say! So...probably not suitable for sensitive skin.

However, when applied to 'non-delicate' (!) skin, this works a treat. I applied straight over freshly shaved legs and they felt super smooth and hydrated with a subtle sheen for the rest of the day. It's a nice thick consistency that you can really get to work with, but absorbs pretty quickly and is non-greasy. In my personal opinion though, the fragrance is still too strong to be suited to an everyday lotion - I had a very strong washing powder smell following me around alllllll day!

Confessions of a Concealaholic

Firstly, I love love love this! As if I wasn't a massive fan of Benefit make-up already (I'm a slut for quirky packaging), this cheeky little palette zaps those dark circles like nobody's business.

I work A LOT. I'm currently juggling a full time 40 hour job, a 25+ hour weekend job, a part time degree, and life in general. As you can imagine, not only am I physically destroyed, but I actually LOOK physically destroyed too! I was getting pretty irate with people constantly commenting on how ill I look, so it was time to take action.

Basically, it came down to either a Bobbi Brown concealer - which I've heard is pretty damn good - or this palette from Benefit. Being the savvy girl that I am, I went for the more cost effective Confessions of a Concealaholic, which houses 6 products, 2 brushes and a cute how-to guide.

L-R/U-D: That Gal, Erase Paste, Boing (#1 and #2), Eye Bright, Lemon Aid, Brushes 

That Gal Primer

This is a pearly pink brightening primer lotion. Lots of people love this product, and it definitely made my complexion smoother and foundation went flawlessly on top, but unfortunately it was just no good for my oily skin. What is great about this product though is that it works brilliantly as a highlighter as it's pretty much the same colour as Benefit High Beam, or you can layer it over the under-eye concealer for a dewy, bright eyed look.

Lemon Aid

This product is designed to balance out purple and red discolouration on the eyelids with its yellow tone - it's pretty thick, so it really works at waking up a tired complexion and is a great base for eyeshadow and eyeliner to cling to, lasting all day.

Boing

Described by Benefit as 'industrial strength' concealer, they've got that right! Boing comes in shades 1 and 2 to match fair to medium skin tones, but you can obviously mix the two together for a custom colour. This is fantastic at covering dark circles, and like Lemon Aid, it is thick enough to last all day.

Eye Bright

I found this one a bit tricky to work onto my face and out of the palette, as it has been adapted from the original formula which comes as an eyeliner/shadow stick - it is too thick to get much off it with the little brush they supply, so I really don't know why they didn't just lob in a cute mini pencil? But, when you can get it out of the palette, this is a frosted pink product designed to be used on the inner corners of the eye to give that 'bright-eye/bushy tail' look I've been missing for a while. Such a simple product gives a great and lasting effect, and can be used up to the brow bone for highlighting or to lightly trace your cupid's bow (the little 'v' bit of your upper lip) and make lips appear larger.

Erase Paste

I'm sure I tried this in store back when it first came out and wasn't massively impressed with it, but if that's the case then I'm definitely converted now! Erase Paste works as a creamy concealer to brighten the under-eye area - it has light reflecting particles in it which give an impressive dewy, wide-awake look. I am really happy with this as shade #2 is a perfect match for my dark circles, and the fact that it comes in its own little pot means you can take it out of the palette and pop it in your bag. Brucey bonus!

I am really happy with all the products in the palette and think it's fantastic value at £29.50 - the concealers will last you for aaaaaaaaaaaaages, and I can't see any of the other products running out too quickly either. For me, the brushes are a bit of a waste of time since I think concealers blend better with fingers, but they are pretty sharp and precise so they're not bad quality. If that's your bag.

Blog Break

I have been a bit of a willy when it's come to updating my blog recently, especially after finding lots of new buys to write about! 

I have just spent a very enjoyable weekend in Windsor. I've not really ventured down south much other than the odd trip to Bristol and Exeter, so it was a nice little break to go somewhere completely different. This is the first full weekend I've had off since beginning of May, so the various pub lunches, dining out, drinks in Windsor and Ascot and walks around town was the exact R&R I needed :)

I can't say that I'm too enamoured with the London Underground, but I'm sure I will got used to it! I can't wait to go down again soon.

So, back to work it is! I have a few more reviews etc to update you with this week, so the plan is to try and blog every day *fingers crossed* I have yet another GlossyBox to share with you, which is always exciting stuff!

Upcoming Reviews

I am trying to work my way through (and photograph!) a LOT of new products I've been trying out lately. My August GlossyBox arrived about 10 days ago, and as it's mainly skincare and haircare products this time, I felt I should give them a few weeks testing to allow them to really do their business!

Soooo...upcoming reviews from my GlossyBox goodies include:

Daniel Sandler Jumbo Jet mascara

Ahava Mineral Body Lotion

KMS California Colorvitality Shine & Shield

Murad Time Release Blemish Cleanser

...they also came with some really gross snake-print nail wraps, but I daresay they're not my cup of tea!

I've been trying to make some changes to my general skincare and make-up over the last week too, as more and more people have been commenting on how tired I look all the time! So, more upcoming reviews include:

Benefit Confessions of a Concealaholic

Bare Minerals Overnight Transformation Treatment

Stay tuned! :)

Shoe-gasm Part Deux

I think by now it's pretty obvious that I like shoes. Just a little bit.

I ordered these Sam Edelman bad boys for a date at the weekend, paid extra for Saturday delivery and everything, and guess what?! Didn't fit. Major sad face. It's my own fault though for thinking that I should order strapless shoes shoes in a smaller size so I don't pop out of them and embarrassingly fall into the path of an unsuspecting victim. Not the first time I've said this within the space of a month, but you live you learn eh?!

Pure filth! And at £180, I think they've got style to rival Louboutins and a Balmain kind of edge to them.

So now I have to send them back and re-order (obviously I cannot be without them). But now the question is...which ones do I go for?

It took me ages to reach the decision that black was a more sensible option since they'll go with everything, but I am head over heels (see what I did there?) for the putty coloured peep toes. And the boots are kick-ass, and winter is around the corner. Hmmm. The peep toes weigh in at £180, and the boots priced at £200 from http://www.coggles.com/

No Arms, No Legs, No Worries

I watched a fantastically inspirational dvd yesterday featuring motivational speaker Nick Vujicic, called 'No Arms, No Legs, No Worries'.

Nick was born without any arms or legs, and after years of being teased by children, suffering depression and dealing with the public's looks of pity, he has had the strength of character to look past his situation and start spreading positivity.

Nick is an inspirational speaker all over the world, spreading his message that we should learn to love and accept ourselves exactly as we are, and never give up on your dreams.

Please check out some of his stuff on youtube, this man is a hero and teaches us that we are responsible for our own happiness whatever the obstacles:

You can also check out his website at http://www.attitudeisaltitude.com/

Liberty Love

Oh. My. Days.

I am in love.

With this...

Barbour Classic Beadnell with Liberty Print Floral Lining, £219

As if I wasn't obsessed with Liberty prints enough already (not that I actually own anything yet), this little bad boy popped up on ASOS this weekend and it's love at first sight. Barbour, notorious for the classic waxed jacket, have collaborated with Liberty on a select few jackets in their collection to put a playful lining and injection of colour into some classic pieces.

I'm usually more of a fitted trench coat kinda gal - a few years ago I wouldn't be seen dead in anything that didn't fit tight around my figure like a bandage - but THIS...this is a deal-breaker. I actually really love the tomboy style and think it kicks any parka's ass as a Winter cover up.

Ahhh, here's the rub. Yes it is rather pricey at £219, but you're paying for a quality wardrobe staple that will only get better with age, as well as an iconic piece of Liberty magic. And as if I need to convince myself further with the lure of a detachable faux fur collar and hood...

Available now from ASOS at http://www.asos.com/

Epic Blender Fail

Well, boy did I get a good start to my Friday morning! In tribute to Wifey (who has abandoned me for 2 whole weeks to go 'home' to USA), I russled up a batch of experimental chicken soup last night and left it in the slow cooker, happily bubbling away till this morning. I was like a kid at Christmas when I woke up this morning to fresh soupy smells, so after my shower I plonked it all in the blender ready to whizzy it all up for lunch. And this is the part where it turned into 'epic fail'. Even with my hand placed firmly on the lid, the lid FLEW off and coated myself, Joben the cat and my walls, floor and ceiling in scalding chicken soup. I'm guessing that's why you're supposed to leave it to cool first? Luckily the burn marks on my arms, tummy and face have started to go down now, so I am a little more open to seeing the funny side of it! You live you learn eh? It was still fun to make, and more than mildly comical getting a second shower and hairwash done this morning to blast shredded chicken out of my hair.

Luckily, the experimental soup tastes pretty good!

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