Kiehl's Meetup with ViviannadoesMakeup and LilyPebbles

Hey My  Lovelies,
I hope your Christmas Holidays have been fab. Mine has been wonderful and I have totally rested really well because i don't think I have had a proper holiday and these past weeks have been so very busy. Would you believe how late I am putting up this post? I actually went for this meetup earlier in December!!  Precisely on the 3rd December *gasps* and I am a bit late in posting this but it's better late than never. I was glad to be able to book a place at the meetup (it was free) but there were limited places so i promptly sent an email and received confirmation of my place.

*Would you believe I actually forgot my camera batteries? So I had to use my iPhone to take all the pictures so apologies for the quality of these pictures but it's better than nothing.*



The meetup was organised by Kiehl's with Vivianna from ViviannadoesMakeup and Lily from Lily Pebbles who have really wonderful blogs here in the UK. It was a free meetup which was booked by sending an email to the organisers although they were limited spaces so there were two sessions; one from 7-8pm and 8pm-9pm and it was held in the first Kiehl's Flagship Store on Monmouth Street Central London.





Being the early bird (and excited at my first meetup...don't judge me!!), i got there almost an hour before it started. I envisaged some crazy peak time traffic from work but there was none. I met Anna and Lily on their way in as well..yeah, i know..who even arrives before the hostesses?*deep sigh* and we had a little chat before they went in to the store to prepare for the event. They are really nice and friendly.





So, I decided to wander and take some pictures. I even had the nerve to forget my batteries for my camera so I am afraid you have to make do with my iPhone photos which are not too bad. I decided to take a little stroll and appreciate the awesomeness of Covent Garden.All the christmas decor really made Covent Garden look really magical. I was tempted to go into Space NK  and Shu Uemura but I held my peace. I sauntered into Hotel Chocolat to redeem a free Christmas Cracker I received courtesy of O2 Priority Moments. If you are in the UK and use O2, always check out their Priority Moments because they always have amazing freebies.



Shortly before 7pm, I strolled back and got into the queue which was fast building up. By 7pm sharp, the doors were open to us and we were given a really warm reception by the Kiehl's staff who were very nice, friendly and ready to answer questions. More importantly, we were welcomed with the nicest canapes Ever!! I can't even remember all their names but their taste and rich flavour stuck in my head till now..nom nom!! All this was topped off with the most refreshing drinks!!





Honestly, the Canapes were really sumptuous and more and more kept coming our way and i have to say the waitresses and hostesses did an amazing job of ensuring we were well fed and comfy. I wandered around the store which was really cosy and well laid out. There were different sections for men and women beauty and skincare products.





I got a skincare consultation with one of the white lab coat clad Kiehl's skincare consultants who clarified that I indeed had Normal to Combination skin..who would have thought? He used a small paper device/applicator (is that even the right word though?) which he lightly brushed against my T-zones which are usually the oiliest part of my face and truly the paper read that i had normal to combination skin and there I was prancing about saying I had combination to oily skin..it felt like an Aha! moment!!



He proceeded to recommend a full skincare range from the Kiehl's skin care range that was suitable for my problem areas which are dark pigmentation from Acne and slightly enlarged pores. One product which he recommended and which I thought stood out for me was the Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution which he said was very efficacious.



 I should have bought it at the time because there were also offering 20% discount across the whole range. However, he kindly gave me really nice samples of all the products which he recommended...a skincare consultant after my heart for real!!



Next, there was a speech from the regional director of London Kiehl's (I am pretty sure that's not his right title) and he gave us all a small brief history of Kiehl's which originates from the USA and actually started as a Pharmacy/Chemist and although they have evolved, most of their skincare is still based on science of a pharmaceutical background. He also told us that particular store was the first ever Kiehl's Store in London. Little wonder it had that cosy vintage feel to it.





He handed us over to Lily and Vivianna who gave us a low down of their favourite products from the Kiehl's range and also the new Christmas range. It was lovely listening to them and you could tell they were really passionate about skincare and beauty products. The product which really stood out for me is the Kiehl's Soy Milk and Honey Whipped Body Butter. Honestly, it is the bomb.com and I absolutely love how soft, buttery and moisturising it feels. It smells too amazing and I just feel like licking it as it reminds me of whipped butter and sugar which my sister mixes before she starts her baking shenanigans to which I am always on standby to lick the bowl..hehehehe.



We all had a lovely chat afterwards and networked with all the other lovely guests while being served with more canapes and drinks. We were absolutely spoilt and we had a chance to take pictures with Lily and Anna with a Polaroid Camera courtesy of the Kiehl's team which I think was really amazing as it was a lovely memento to have to remember a really nice meetup.



I have no idea why my eyes were closed in the picture so totally ignore it (and me) and concentrate on how pretty Lily and Anna looked and Yes, I am that short petite... , I am only 5ft3 and I love to wear flats despite how much my mum nags me to wear heels..I would get there someday mum..Thank you!!  



Soon, it was 8pm and it was time to go but not before we were handed put goodie bags which contained samples of Lily and Anna's favourite products which were in very generous sample sizes. Lest, I forget, I also took a sneaky photo of  the famous Kiehl's Mr Bones..Hahaha, he didn't catch me though!!



It was  a really nice outing for me especially after work and fro my first meetup, I think it was amazing and I am definitely looking forward to attending more meetups/blogger events. I hope you have enjoyed this post despite the picture quality but more posts are on their way with better quality..see you in my next post..toodles..xx..

JACAVA Nail Polish Discount Code

Hi My Lovelies,
I hope you have all been having an amazing time these season with the Christmas holidays and festive season. Boxing day sales are on and I guess they would continue till January when the best sales are on.  I have got a discount code for Jacava London Nail Polishes. I have reviewed the Jacava London Marrakesh Nights and Top Coat earlier this year and I think they are really amazing!! You can check out the review here.



I have my own discount code which is "201315FSL" which gives you a whooping 15% discount off their range of single nail polishes only excluding the nail polish sets which have already been discounted. They are also offering Free delivery in the UK which I think is amazing!! So grab them while you can as the code is only valid till 31st December 2013. Happy Shopping and see you in my next post. You can purchase them directly from the Jacava Website, Amazon and FeelUnique.

*I am not affiliated to Jacava London Nail Polish and I do not get any compensation when you use these codes*

Merry Christmas!!!

Hi My Lovelies,

I just want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and the Happiest Holidays Ever. Thank you so much for all your support; it means the world and more to me. It's time to stuff our faces with yummy dishes...x

Sleek BB Cream (Blemish Balm) Review in Medium 803

Hi My Lovelies,
I hope you all have been having an amazing Christmassy week so far. I  recently ran out of all my foundation which is something that hardly happens because i always have new ones to try or even samples/pots but this time I had none. I  recently tried the Estee Lauder Foundation (review up soon) but i wanted something lighter and for every day use . During the summer, I went without foundation and only used powder and concealer sometimes but with Winter here, i think foundation would be nice. So, I decided to try my second BB cream. The first one i tried was the Bobbi Brown BB cream (check out my review here) but i was not totally convinced to buy a full size so I went to Super Drug to pick up the Sleek BB cream. I have read mixed reviews about it but i was attracted to it because the shade "seemed" quite close to my complexion and Sleek is one of those brands that cater to dark skinned women really well. Let's get to the nitty gritty shall we?





Packaging
It's basic and characteristic of Sleek with their black sleek (no pun intended) packaging. This comes in a tube which is really handy as i hate anything without a pump. It's flat which means it can fit into my makeup purse or stand easily and it won't easily get damaged. It's also easy to clean if it gets messy during application. I also like the flip lid which makes it really easy to get the product out and prevent it from being infested with germs flying around.



Shade
I chose the shade Medium 803 which is a little bit dark for me. Understandably, many BB creams have a limited range of shades and Sleek has only 4 which include the Fair, Light, Medium and Dark. Light is too light for me and Fair is out of the question. Don't get me started with the Dark one though; it's really dark. Medium is more of my shade but it's a teensy weensy bit dark so i look a little tanned which I thought was not too bad at first...



Formula/Ingredients
According to Sleek Makeup, the Sleek BB cream marries the world of skincare and makeup into one formulation that provides full coverage that instantly conceals skin imperfections, resulting in a natural flawless finish. I quite agree with some aspects of the claim because this provides full coverage that is similar to a foundation but without the associated heaviness on the skin. It also contains Red Algae extracts which normalises the skin's moisture content and suppleness and Vitamin C which is an antioxidant which aids in reducing skin discolorations and aids in providing a natural glowing skin. It also contains SPF 15 which is quite handy in protecting your skin against the harsh rays of the sun




Coverage
As stated earlier, this is a medium-full coverage BB cream which is quite different to the Bobbi Brown BB Cream which is more like a light-medium coverage BB cream. If you have some redness or slight skin discolourations, this would be ideal to wear while your skin heals. For me, I was unable to appreciate its coverage because it was too dark for me so it indeed made me look very "covered" in a different shade.Given the thick coverage, it lasts longer than the Bobbi Brown BB cream in my own opinion and I quite like that although using a primer may be aiding it. I find that towards the end of the day, my T-Zone is quite shiny. I think it is very good lasting power for a BB cream.





Application
I find the formula a little too thick for the consistency of a BB cream but it is not too much of  a problem because the coverage is good, if you find your shade. It is a little problematic to apply on its own but if you mix it with a moisturiser it becomes a tinted moisturiser which is easier to apply provided the moisturiser's formula does not mess with its stability. I apply and blend this in as soon as it hits my face because if you wait longer, especially with the Winter weather, it becomes even harder to blend. But once its blended well (i use my small Lancome Travel Foundation Brush), it gives a very good finish and almost flawless look. It is very important to use a primer underneath and a powder to set it.

Cost
It retails for £8.99 which i think is very reasonable for the quality and amount that you get. Did i mention it comes in 50 ml? Oh yes, it does which is equivalent to almost 2 foundations (1 and more than half) given that most foundations and BB creams are 30 ml and more pricey than this.

Verdict
Would i repurchase? I don't think so... until Sleek Makeup releases more shades. I think it is a good quality BB cream especially for women with darker skin color but I think the range of shades are very limited which would make it difficult to find a good shade. I think if i mixed this with the Light shade it may work but if there is anything that puts me off, it is having to mix foundations or BB creams or anything at all. That's pet peeve of mine and it's an absolute No-No.



I hope you have enjoyed this post and I know i don't sound my usual enthusiastic self but i think I always have to give a good representation of how i feel about a particular product although my experience may differ from other people's own but i think this may help someone out there especially if you have a similar skin tone like mine. I would be seeing you in my next post which would hopefully be a positive review....x

MAC Eyeshadow Palette (Quad) feat Cork, Amber Lights, Antiqued and Cranberry

Hi my Lovelies,

I hope your week has been exciting. I have enjoyed mine so far especially because Christmas is near and i have so many things to be thankful for this year. I have been looking forward to this post because i have finally completed my first MAC eyeshadow palette quad (read my review of the empty quad here).  Do you remember one of my posts where i did a show and tell of the MAC Quad itself? I said i looked forward to filling it up and it took me a while to do so with the help of the discounts from Debenhams.







In building my palette, I wanted colours that complemented my skin tone, which could  also serve as an everyday eye shadow palette. I asked a few questions here on the blog, got some good recommendations and I noted them all down with a few swatches in MAC counters before i narrowed down my options to the following: Cork, Amber Lights, Antiqued and Cranberry. This was actually the order i bought them in. Wait..did you think i bought them all in one go? Ain't nobody gat time (and money) for that!! It took me a few months (since October) to buy them all because £10 for one eye shadow is not exactly an amount i want to part with in a jiffy but i have to say the quality is amazing. Enough said, let's get a more detailed look at these beautiful shades shall we?

Cork

I have lusted after the perfect crease color for ages and Cork just packs the punch. It is a warm medium-dark brown shade with a satin finish which is perfect for the crease and can be used to add more dimension to other eye shadow shades. To be honest, i have not really used this anywhere else except my crease. It is just the right shade of brown that complements my skin tone. Just like all other MAC eye shadows, it is very pigmented so you need just a light sweep with a crease brush(I use either my Nanshy brush or my Elf Angled eyeshadow brush) depending on what look i am after. It is very important to blend it out to avoid any harsh lines.

Amber Lights

This is the ultimate MAC eyeshadow which cuts across all skin tones to achieve the most flattering eye shadow looks of all times. It is a rich warm bronze/gold shade with a frost finish which looks so beautiful every single time. It is extra pigmented so you only need a light hand when applying it; of course, this can built up depending on what time of the day it is. For night looks, i build it up a notch just so it contrasts well in the dark. Seriously, if you have £10 to spar

Antiqued

I was torn between buying Antiqued or Twinks but i settled in Antiqued because i think it just suited what i wanted. Antiqued is a coppery brown shade with a pearly finish which is just gorgeous especially when it hits the light. I just love it and i have often worn it on its own or as an extra dimensional colour on my eyelids, crease and outer v of my eyelid. Either way, it's a beautiful colour/shade and it is another shade that flatters many skin tones.

Cranberry

This was the last eye shadow i purchased to complete this quad and let me tell you, I searched high and low for it and it was nowhere to be seen. It was sold out online and unavailable in the Debenhams near me and they had no hopes of replenishing their depleted Cranberry stock. All this stress was simply because i was determined to use my 10% discount from Debenhams but it wasn't meant to be. In the end, I grudgingly went over to Selfridges in Oxford Street London and purchased it. It is b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l., perfect and i love it. It is a rich berry shade with hints of purple and pink with a frost finish. On my lids, it just looks incredible and i think it would look the same on any skin tone even if you are really dark as this is the shade of pink/purple that is flattering without being shiny or too out there.

That's it folks, my first ever custom built MAC eye shadow palette..ahem, can you detect the "subtle" pride in my tone? I hope you have enjoyed this post and if you are thinking of buying any MAC eye shadows, i hope i have helped you narrow your choices a little. The insatiable little girl in me is saying i need to build/invest in another MAC pallette quad or 15-eye shadow palette pan so i can start this whole charade again..i have decided not to listen or maybe i will just listen a little bit..MAC eye shadows are very addictive...what do you think? See you in my next post...x

Christmas/New Year Giveaway - Revlon Chroma Chameleon Nail Polish

Hey Lovelies,
I know i am bit late on the Christmas Giveaway so this would be more of  a New Year's Giveaway just to say thank you to all my lovely readers for all your support and love. I appreciate everyone of you and if i could do giveaways for everyone, i would do so. This is just a tiny giveaway to usher in the New Year because i know everyone is concerned with Christmas Gifts now so i think getting something new in time for the New Year is nice. 





Prize
I recently discovered the Revlon Chroma Chameleon Nail Polishes which were launched earlier this year. Revlon Chroma Chameleon™ Nail Effects is a collection of 6 iridescent, colour-traveling shades of nail enamel with an irrestible chrome effect. The shades i chose are Topaz, Pink Quartz and Tanzanite and i think they would complement many skin tones.

Rules
I hate to stress you all with rules so all you need to do is: 

1. Be a follower of my Blog via GFC or Bloglovin AND my Twitter account. That's it folks....easy peasy. 

Who is Eligible?
1.This giveaway is open Internationally and a winner will be chosen via Random.org by December 31 2013 and I would announce a winner on 1st January 2014. A perfect way to usher in the New Year. 

2. You need to be 18 years and above to be eligible for this contest or you would need to provide parental consent. Thank you and Goodluck!!

Nanshy Eye Brush Set Review

Hi My Lovelies,
Yes, I am back with another brush review so soon but I can't help but write about this. Where are my manners? I hope everyone has had a nice week and you are looking forward to a smashing weekend. I am sure you must have read my review of the Nanshy Professional  Makeup Brushes* which were sent to me a few weeks back. If you have not head over here to read that post and familiarise with the brand. The lovely people from Nanshy were kind enough to also send me the Nanshy Eye Brush Set* which is absolutely fantastic.. I am a very lucky girl!!  I am really grateful to them. So let's find out what these brushes look like.



Brief Background on Nanshy Brushes
Nanshy Brushes are a UK-based Makeup Brush company and their brushes were launched in 2012 after some years research to ensure they produced high quality brushes that provides a seamless and flawless finish of makeup products on the face. According to the Nanshy Website, they strive to bring products that have been researched extensively to ensure only the best quality is produced. Apart from that, they have gone the extra mile to ensure their brushes are vegan-friendly, have not been tested on animals and are PETA approved. I think that's amazing! Nanshy brushes promise high quality brushes with a price you can smile about which i will agree with but don't take my word for it...Let's find out together if they back up their claims well. Meanwhile, be sure to follow Nanshy Brushes on their Twitter and Facebook as they always have exciting discounts especially for this festive season.

Contents
The Nanshy Eye Brush Set* is a makeup lover's dream (beginner or professional; you are well covered) because it contains all the essential brushes to create all kinds of eye looks ranging from the everyday look to night look to smoky eyes..name it. The set consists of 7 eye brushes which include the Precise Bent Eyeliner Brush, Angled Detailed Brush, Flat Definer Brush, Blending Eyeshadow Brush, Eye Crease Brush, Tapered Crease Brush and Large Shader Brush. I totally love the selection of brushes in the set. The good things is all the brushes are well labelled so anyone can use them (of course , you don't have to restrict their use to their labels, they can be multi-tasking as well). I like that the brushes are small enough to fit your hands when doing delicate and intricate eye shadow designs. I don't think chunky handles for eye brushes go well so I really like the size of this as it is really perfect.



Packaging
Again, i really like the packaging of this collection and it is pretty simple. One thing that has stood out for me is the plastic insert of this set which has some grooved corners for the brushes which means you can travel easily with them stored inside. Also, you can leave it here to dry after washing as it would help mold it back to shape if ever it looses shape. It is a really flat, weightless packaging which makes it easy to slip into your bag.



Bristles/Brush Hairs
As expected from a PETA-approved company as Nanshy, these eye brushes are synthetic and they are also vegan-friendly which means they have not been tested on animals and no animal products have been used in producing them which i think is really thoughtful. I think it is commendable when companies, especially beauty and makeup brands, try their best to cater to the needs of most of their customers. Before i used them, i played with the bristles a lot because they were so soft and fluffy..i could be a little weird sometimes but hey! we all are :-)



Application
Just like the Nanshy Professional Makeup Face Brushes, the Nanshy Eye brushes are really soft and fluffy so it makes using them really easy to use.I am not a fan of harsh brushes on the eye area..it's way to delicate for anything harsh. There are not as densely packed as the face brushes as expected because they are for the eyes. They are made of synthetic hairs so they really pick up products really well and it is so easy applying my eye shadows, bases and eye liners with them. 



Washing
They are so, so easy to wash and dry which really endears them to my heart. If you are a clean freak, you can actually wash your brushes everyday and it will dry before you need to use them. I have used various makeup brush cleaners (and even Fairy kitchen liquid, naughty me) to wash them and it comes clean with just one swipe no matter how dark the eyeshadows i may have used earlier are. Minimal effort with washing yields maximum results with these brushes. 

Shedding
I have had them under a month now and they have not shed at all which is good but i know a month is too soon to tell but I am quite confident that they will stay put because the brushes that shed always show tell-tale signs when you are washing them. I would like to add that i have washed these brushes a lot because i love to see their white tips and they are still as good as new.





Precise Bent Eyeliner Brush
This was the first brush i tried/used because my previous one was nothing close to being precise- it was all over the place. The Nanshy Precise Eyeliner Brush is what it should be and that's precise. It is slightly bent at an angle to ensure your cat flick eye liner application is super. I use this with my Maybelline Gel Eyeliner and both of them are a dream together. 



Angled Detailed Brush
I use this for my eye brows and that's mainly to highlight them after the brows have been done. I use this with my concealer to clean up any mess and its precise angle follows the arch of my eye brows really well. It is slightly smaller than my Lancome and Elf ones but i find this is easier for me to control and its smaller size makes it easier to reach some areas which may prove difficult.



Flat Definer Brush
This is definitely my least used brush and it's not because it's not amazing but mainly because the other brushes fit more around my everyday makeup application. This can be used in various ways and top on the list is for applying eye shadow to the lower lid. Its really flat and light so it just packs the right amount of shadow for the lower lid. Also, if you are not a fan of the lower lid eye shadow application then you can use this for filling in your eye brows which is what i do. I use this with my Sleek Eye Brow Kit powder and it gives my brows an even finish. I don't use it very often because i now use my MAC Brow Pencil which is sufficient in itself.



Blending Eyeshadow Brush
Just as the name suggests, it is for blending eye shadow and this is my favourite of the lot because it really helps blend out any harsh lines the eye shadows (especially dark ones) may have left. It is fluffy and slightly larger than the other brushes but the density of the bristles ensure that it can fan out and blend out eye shadows really effectively. If you are adventurous (and multi-tasking seeking) like me, you can use this to set your under-eye concealer and let me tell you--->it is amazing and gives the best even finish for your under eye and prevents any creasing.



Eye Crease Brush
This is looks a little similar to the blending eyeshadow brush but it is smaller and more precise. The bristles are more closer together in order to target the crease even better. I use this mainly for my crease because it allows me define my crease evenly. I really like that it does not pack too much eye shadow for my crease (i hate that) but it just picks up the right amount and it also acts as a blending out brush as well.



Tapered Crease Brush
This is quite similar to a pencil brush and it is useful in adding dimension to the crease. I use this usually with darker eye shadow colours. More often than not, i use it towards the outer "V" of my eye lids and its tapered tip really captures the v shape really well. If you are a fan of the smokey eye, this would be your new best friend.



Large Shadow Brush
Last, but not least,  is the Large shadow brush. It is the most densely packed of the whole lot which makes sense because it is meant to pack on eye shadow to the lid for the initial application before you startt building up. It is really soft and picks up the eyeshadow well but it does not deposit as well as i would have preferred. I think if it was a little less dense, it would be better but that's my personal opinion. I still use it everyday but more for when i am adding an additional eye shadow colour on top of one already deposited.



Cost
The whole set retails for £29.95 let's just say £30 and i think it's a bargain given the number of brushes and the quality you receive. It works out at  about £4 per brush which i think is brilliant. I have had previous eye brush sets which i have only liked and only used about 3 brushes but with the Nanshy Eye Brushes, all of them are useful to me and i really love them. You can buy the Nanshy Eye Brush Set from Ebay, Amazon.co.uk, BeautyStore4U, Madame Cosmetics (Italy), Amazon.de(Germany), Amazon.fr (France) and they are working on shipping worldwide.

Cons
To be honest, I have thought so hard and I can't really think of anything i don't like about these brush set. I really like them and i am sure you can tell. Forget about them being free or anything, if you like something, you just do. However, the only con i can think of which is more like an advice to the Nanshy Team would be to make the Large Shader Brush a little less dense so that it can pick the eye shadow colours and deposit them as well. As mentioned earlier, it picks the eye shadow well but it does not deposit as much as it should; maybe it retains them..I don't know. Other than that, I think they are fantastic. Also, maybe the addition of any eyebrow spooly brush and/or comb would have made the whole set more complete because i definitely have to do my brows and i reach for my Lancome spooly for that which is amazing!



Verdict
Although I was sent these brushes to review, I would buy them in a heart beat. Why? Simple because they are amazing. The whole set contains all the eye brushes you would ever need and the quality is comparable to the bigger names out there like Sigma, Real Techniques and even MAC. Yep, it is so true. They are durable brushes and wash really well and i have experienced no shedding at all so far. Don't even get me started with their white pearly handles which makes them look really classy. Thats's it folks, I hope you have enjoyed this and see you in my next post.

*I received these brushes to review but my opinion remains mine and I have not been compensated in any way to give a positive review. I always include the Pros and Cons of a product because I believe no product is 100% good or bad.