Giveaway Winner of the Real Techniques Core Collection + Discount Codes for everyone

First off, I just want to thank every single person who has entered the giveaway. I have been overwhelmed by your lovely comments on what makes you happy and it really made me smile and very happy because I read EVERY SINGLE comment you left behind. A Massive THANK YOU!! Thanks for sticking with me on this blog and although, I think I never say it enough, I really and truly appreciate each and every one of you..xx As always, I wish I could give a set of brushes to everyone because you all deserve it but I only have one to give away. I used random.org to pick a winner and the winner is.....................

                                                                      Iris D

Thank you so much and please send me an email on liv@fashstyleliv.com with your full name and contact address for me to send your gift to you. If you did not win, don't you worry, I have got a few more giveaways to start in June so stay tuned. In the meantime, enjoy some discount codes I found on LatestinBeauty and I thought it would be nice to share them with you all. I have not tried all of them but I am pretty sure they should work...here goes...See you in my next post...x

*P.S. I have no connection whatsoever with any of the brands including LatestinBeauty linked below and the links are not affiliate links either. I have not been compensated either.I just saw these codes on LatestinBeauty and decided to share them with you all :-)

                                                                  ELEMIS            
Enjoy 20% off all full-size Elemis products at www.timetospa.co.uk. Simply use the code DREAMB2at the checkout. (20% valid on full size Elemis products only. Not valid on sets, collections, gift cards or vouchers, or other timetospa brands. One time use only. Offer ends 20^th July 2014. Offers and promotions cannot be redeemed retrospectively.)

                                           
                                                   ROGER AND GALLET Paris
Enjoy 20% off Gingembre Rouge Fragrance, both 30ml and 100ml at www.escentual.com. Simply use the code BBB20 at the checkout. (Valid until 17^th June 2014.)

                                         
                                                           REN Skincare
Enjoy 20% off all products at www.renskincare.com. Simply use the code BBB20 at the checkout. ( Offer available exclusively with online orders until midnight on the 16th June 2014. Free Delivery with orders over £30 applies to online orders with standard delivery to the UK and Ireland only until midnight on the 16th June 2014 GMT. The offer cannot be exchanged for a product in the REN range as part of this promotion. Offer not to be used in conjunction with any other online offer.)

                                                                   JANJIRA
Enjoy 20% off all products at www.janjira.co.uk. Simply use the code BBB20 at the checkout. (Offer valid until 30^th June 2014. Offer cannot be combined with any other offer.)
                                             
                                                              La ROCHE POSAY
Take advantage now and save 1/3^rd on all La Roche-Posay at www.escentaul.com. (Offer valid from 1^st June until 30^th June 2014.)
                             
                                                        MAKEUP REVOLUTION
Enjoy 25% off your order at www.makeuprevolutionstore.com. Simply use the code MUR25 at the checkout. (Offer valid until 30^th July 2014. Offer Excludes shipping costs. Code can only be used once per customer. Subject to availability. Online only www.makeuprevolutionstore.com )


                                                                   BEEGOOD                                    
Enjoy 20% off your first purchase at www.beegood.co.uk. Simply use the code BEAUTY14 at the checkout. (Offer valid until 20^th July 2014. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other discount or promotional offer. One offer per person.)

                                                   BENEFIT
Ready, Set, Glow. Discover the rest of the b.right radiant skincare range with a complimentary consultation at your nearest Benefit Beauty Bar. (Valid until 31^st August 2014. Take the leaflet found inside The Dream Box with you to redeem offer. Subject to consultant availability.)
                                 
                                                    TOO FACED COSMETICS
FREE Too Faced Primed & Poreless Primer Compact Powder when you buy a full price Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette in Debenhams stores nationwide and www.debenhams.com.  Simply mention the code dreambox in any Debenhams store. To redeem online use the code dreamboxat the checkout. (Offer valid until 20^th July 2014. While stocks last.)

                                                                  KNEIPP
Enjoy 2 for 1 on Kneipp body washes available now at www.graftonsbeauty.co.uk/kneipp. (Offer valid until 10^th June 2014.)

                               

Lush Haul- Popcorn Lip Scrub, Breath of Fresh Air Toner and Cupcake Face Mask

LUSH is one of those stores I find myself going to when I need an inexpensive treat such as this little haul. I popped into my local Lush and picked up an old favourite- Breath of Fresh Air Toner which I have used in the past and I love it. I also decided to pick up the Popcorn Lip Scrub because my lips need some real good exfoliating. Guess what? I got the Cupcake Face Mask for free. I was amazed and very delighted. The sales lady said they just got a free carton of Face Masks and I could choose one and I chose Cupcake because it looked and smelt amazing...so let's get down to the nitty gritty of these products shall we?



Breath of Fresh Air Toner-£3.95
I love this toner and as mentioned earlier, it's an old favourite. It feels very, very refreshing. It can be used as a toner or as face spritz or a makeup fix. Either ways, it is fab. I tend to use it mainly as a toner although sometimes, I find myself giving my face a quick spritz when things get a bit too dry on my face. It contains Organic Aloe Vera, Spring water, Fresh Sea water, Seaweed, Rosemary Oil, Rose Absolute in addition to a host of other lovely ingredients.  As a toner, I find it just gives my face that needed moisture and freshness especially after cleansing. I just love it. I picked up the smaller bottle which costs about £3.95.



Popcorn Lip Scrub-£5.50
I have been  wanting to try this for the longest time after reading a few lovely reviews from fellow bloggers but somehow I never got around to it. I know there are many DIY lip scrubs which are mightily similar to this but then, hey, sometimes you need to treat yourself. As the name implies, it tastes just like popcorn mainly because Castor Sugar is one of its major ingredients. It's very hard for me not to lick this off and it's delicious but I don't think it's advisable to do so..lol. It contains Jojoba Oil, Sea salt, Coconut Oil, Popping Candy (oooh no wonder it's delicious) and some flavouring. As un-serious as some of the ingredients look, it is effective. It exfoliates my lips really effectively to reveal softer and smoother lips ready for matte lipsticks which look horrendous on cracked lips. Personally, I dissolve some the scrub in some Vitamin E oil and apply it gently across and its efficacy is optimized with this method. It retails for £5.50 which I think is a little pricey but the packaging is cute and can be re-used for any future DIY lip scrubs so I can't complain.




Cupcake Fresh Face Mask-Free
I have not tried any Face Masks from Lush so I was pleased to try this one. It looks delicious-just like chocolate pudding and if you have kids, you better keep it away from them. Lush describes it as Chocolate Heaven for Oily and Teenage skin as it helps absorb excess oil and calm breakouts which is music to my ear as I was having some little hormonal breakouts which I thought was a thing of the past. It contains, Rhassoul Mud, Cocoa Butter, Linseed, Cocoa Powder (hence the gooey chocolatey look), Peppermint, Spearmint and Sandalwood oil. To be honest, I am not a huge fan of the smell and it's because I hate chocolate mixed with anything minty and I can't stand mint chocolates...Ugghhhhh!!! On application, I don't really mind the smell as it seems quite okay and bearable. I apply this generously on freshly cleansed skin and try and cover all parts of my face especially my cheeks and nose where I have blemishes and blackheads. I leave this on for about 10-15 minutes as recommended.



It hardens slightly after this time and I wash it off with warm water and a flannel. Taking it off is easy and my skin feels really soft and fresh. I noticed that my hormonal breakouts appeared much better the first night I used this and after subsequent use, it was almost all gone. I am not sure if it is all down to this mask but I think it had a good part to play. If you have sensitive skin, you may want to try a less drying mask because my skin felt a little dry after use but not in a bad way. If like me, you have combination-oily skin, you definitely want to try this. This small jar is supposed to last for 3 weeks which is impressive and I intend to use it all up. One thing to note is this mask is preservative-free which means you need to store it in the fridge (away from kids because they would eat it I promise!!) to preserve its life span. See you in my next post..x

What's in my Travel Beauty Bag?

Following on from yesterday's post on What's in my Airport Bag?, I thought it would be handy to share what Skincare/Makeup/Beauty bits I took with me for my recent trip to Nigeria which I am sure you are tired of hearing about now. I still have a few more posts on my trip so stay tuned for more and bear with me if there are not the kind of posts you prefer. This is my second travel beauty bag essentials on this blog and if you fancy reading the first one, check it out here. The first one was for a very short work trip and what I packed was very limited. For this trip, I tried to be disciplined with my packing but somehow, some products still found their way in....

Skincare: Before travelling, I went to Primark and purchased their travel decanters for skincare/makeup which is amazing and it retails for only £1 which is a massive bargain considering what other stores charge for theirs. It also came with some labels which were useful. I never take full size skin care when travelling because they take up too much space and they can get damaged which is why these small travel containers/decanters are wonderful. I decanted some of my Estee Lauder Gelee Cleanser which is one of the best I have tried and it was perfect for Nigeria which was little humid and dusty. I also decanted my Pixi Glow Tonic toner which is a very good exfoliating toner. Sunscreen was one of the first items I packed because I knew the weather was super hot and I was prepared. I armed myself with La Roche Posay's Anthelios XL with SPF 50 and it was perfect (a review will be up soon). For serum, I took my Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair which comes in the cutest miniature packaging and I also decanted some Nip+Fab Glycolic Acid Serum into one of the small tubs for day time. For face cream, I took my La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo sample which I did not really use as such and I took my full size LRP Effaclar A.I. spot treatment because I knew I always break out when there is a change in weather. For removing my makeup, I took my Astalift Cleansing Oil sample which was such a sweet saviour all through my trip and I also took loads of flannels for my face. Lastly, I took my No 7 Cleansing brush which was perfect for getting off any dirt, grease and grime on my face along with my cleanser.

Makeup Tools: Let’s just say I was very, very bad when it came to packing my makeup and makeup tools because I was very indecisive and I really don’t think anyone needs to pack this much for just 10 days. I took all my Nanshy Eye Brush set which I adore, my Real Techniques Core Collection brushes along with the Expert Face Brush. I took some other unbranded Concealer brushes and Lancome brushes as well. I am terrible I know. The good thing is I had these cute makeup bags which made packing so much makeup look so compact and easy to use. The L'Oreal makeup bag (I won this in a competition) is the best for packing my brushes because it has a brush compartment underneath which is so handy and you can still stuff a few things at the side and inside the makeup bag itself. The red and black makeup bag are from Lancome and they housed the rest of my makeup.

Makeup: Again, I was uncontrollable and very undisciplined. However,I tried my best. For foundation, I took my Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation which was perfect for the weather as it gives a matte finish and felt really light -just like skin as the name implies. Concealer saw me packing my Estee Lauder Concealer and the Becca Concealer which are both amazing. For brows, I took my MAC Brow Pencil in Stud and Sleek Eyebrow Stylist in Dark as they both serve different purposes. For eye shadow, I took my MAC customised Palette and Estee Lauder Palette (which I never used). Primers were Benefit Porefessional sample and Becca Primer for the face and Benefit Stay Don’t Stray for the eyes and they were all fabulous. The Sleek Face Form was one of the most useful makeup items I packed because it housed my contour, blush and highlighter-I just love it.  Eyeliner has and always will remain my lovely L’Oreal Super Liner and I have not used anything else that can beat it till date with a matching price. Mascara was Chanel Sublime Mascara sample along with my YSL Baby Doll Eyes which were perfect and clump free. Lips had me pack all my MAC lipstick- Spirit (bought in Duty Free), Girl About Town, Vegas Volt and Hug Me. I also packed my nude lipsticks which were all from the L’Oreal Privee Collection including the Eva, Julianne and Frieda. Powders were Chanel Les Beiges and MAC Mineralized Skin Finish in Dark (also bought in Duty Free). The good thing was I used 85% of everything I packed so I don't regret packing them :-).

Fragrances: In my mind, I was going to buy some perfumes at Duty Free but that did not happen and I am so pleased I took these fragrances with me otherwise I would have had to deplete my sister and mum's perfume stash. I took only one proper perfume and that was the Elie Saab L'Eau Couture which just smelt even better in Nigeria..don't ask me how/why. For Mists, I took the Body Shop Atlas Mountain Rose which is still one of my favourite scents. The two tiny miniature perfumes from Britney Spears (Midnight Fantasy) and Salvatore Ferragamo (Eleganza) lived in my handbag and were my perfumes on the go which served really well in the humid weather conditions. Phew!! I never realised I packed this much but I so did. It was easy to pack them even if they looked a lot because many of the items were samples/miniature sizes and I have these amazing makeup bags that make everything so easy to pack. Hope you enjoyed this little peek into my travel beauty bag essentials. Are you a disciplined packer? See you in my next post...x

Travel Essentials- What's in my Airport Handbag?

Packing my handbag for travelling is pretty easy for me because the contents of my bag remain the same except for removing some items and replacing them with more essential items appropriate for my trip and flight essentials. I also try not to stuff this because it would weigh me down and make me even more tired. My bag was one of my Zara Shopping Bag/Tote which i bought in this haul post over here. It's perfect for travelling and it has an outside pocket where you can store random bits in there. Here are the few items that made the cut...

1. Passport/Travel Itinerary : I guess this has to be the most important item to get inside my bag or else I won't be travelling anywhere. The Passport Cover was bought for me a long time ago by my lovely sister and it also came with a matching luggage tag which i never use because it just looks so pretty. I put my ticket and other flight itinerary in between my passport so they are all together and I don't have to faff about looking for them when asked to. My wallet is also an important essential and this one is from Fiorelli and I love it because it has so many compartments.

2. Entertainment: I place most of my electronics and valuables in my hand luggage but my iPhone and iPad  Mini stay with me in my hand bag because I definitely reach for them more during the flight. I downloaded a few books on my iPad and the one I read in flight was Americanah by Chimamanda Adichie. I just love her and all her books. My ear phones go with me for some music on my phone. Lastly, I took my Lightning cable because I never want to run out of charge for either of my devices. I also took with me my Portable charging bank from RAV Power which were so amazing in flight although I realized there was a charging port already.

3. Notebook/Diary: I never go anywhere without my Notebook/Diary complete with pens because I love to write all my plans and anything really random. Yes, I have my iPad and iPhone to take notes but I feel the best when I am writing with my pen in my notebook. I am old fashioned like that.

4. Makeup Bag: I only put my barest essentials here because I already have another one in my hand luggage for proper freshening up in between flight transfers in the restroom. I just put my Chanel Les Beiges Powder which is perfect for travelling, a Lipstick, Lip gloss, Lip balm and my retractable Powder brush from Marks and Spencer. I place this in a clear bag first before putting it in the makeup bag to save me time at the airport. The make up bag is also from Zara.

5. Snacks and Water: I know water is a no-no when you are passing through security in the airport but I take a bottle with me to keep myself hydrated during check in and toss it before security. When I pass security, I just buy one from the Boots in duty free because the prices are fairly okay. I love to drink water a lot. I also take some nuts and chocolate bars with me because I don't eat breakfast before travelling so I snack on these before I get served on the plane.

6. Random Bits and Bobs: I have a small Hand Cream-Lancome La Vie est Belle (50 ml) in my bag to keep my hands hydrated as well as a small miniature Perfume Sample-Britney Midnight Fantasy to ensure I smell sweet through out my journey. I always have a pair of socks in my handbag to keep my feel warm in the plane because somehow they just get cold and I just hate feeling cold on my feet. Depending on what hair style I have, I may have a Brush or comb. Lastly, I always have some Chewing gum/Mints to refresh my breath.


7. Glasses and Contact Lens: I always carry my Glasses and Contact Lens with me because my eyes are super important to me. Once I get on the plane, I take out my contacts (they are disposable) and wear my glasses because the air in the plane usually makes my eyes dry when I am wearing contacts. With my glasses I can watch the TV/film in-flight and also take it off for a nap. Just before we land, I put on another fresh pair of contacts in the rest room so my eyes feel fresh and I don't have to wear my glasses. It may sound cumbersome but it works bets for me and I have been doing it for a long time. Generally, I only wear my glasses at night or weekends when I can't be bothered with my contacts; I just hate to have to wear glasses. Still on the glasses matter, I also take a pair of Sunglasses which is perfect for hiding tired eyes and giving you a Chic look which I love to go for. My favourite is this Tort Shell Brown Shades from Primark already featured here and I love them so much. I also got  a Quilted case from Primark to protect it and I love both of them together. I think that's about all the travel essentials I had in my bag and I hope you have enjoyed this sneak peek. ..see you in my next post...x

Fashion Haul for my vacation to Nigeria

Despite the "Fash" in my blog name standing for Fashion, I have featured very few fashion related blog posts and I thought the best way to start will be with a fashion haul. Maybe, someday i would graduate to OOTDs (Outfit of the Day) who knows? But baby steps here..this is a sequel to my Beauty Haul featured here where i promised a fashion haul post and here it is. I did not really break the bank and I just got a few necessities that i needed and a few extras. Most of the items were from high street stores like New Look, Elys and of course my beloved Primark aka Primarni. P.S. I was going to take pictures of my trying these items but that would mean this post not going up until forever so hopefully next time I will:-()

Shoes

The Tan Meshed Open Toes  are from Primark and I am really impressed with Primark's quality these days but the prices are slowly being hiked. Nonetheless, i think the sandals are cute and would work well for Spring/Summer but most importantly it will be perfect for my holiday where I would be in the Tropics (Nigeria) for a few days to get some well needed TLC. The black patent leather shoes are from New Look and I bought it one day at work during lunch because my shoes, at that time, suddenly became so painful. I hotfooted limped my way to New Look and chose this beautiful patent flats. I love the slightly opened sides for some leg cleavage and I think it's a very sexy pair of flats. But beware! These shoes also hurt  initially when I first got them. It was like jumping from frying pan to fire from my old shoes to these ones. Boy, were they painful? Thankfully, I have finally broken into them so I can walk in them limp-free.

Jewelry- Earrings

I am a big lover of studs and I rarely wear dangling earrings or hoops just because I feel studs are classy and stylish. Anyway, I feel it's time to buy some new pairs because my old pairs are on the last leg of their cat lives. Most times, one pair gets missing and I haunt it down everywhere till i find it because they are special to me especially the ones gifted to me by my loved ones. I got two similar but slightly different black studs from Primark for a £1 which I think is decent. I find that most of their brassy-bronzy earrings last a longer time compared to their gold or silver ones. Then I popped into Elys Shopping Mall in Wimbledon (my new second home) and spotted a Jon Richards and Mood Jewlery stand. These 3 pairs of earrings stood out for me because they looks so classy, simple and expensive looking but they were only £6. I could not resist. They have not left my ears since. I am just obsessed with them.

Sunglasses (Sunnies)

I have never really been a sunglasses girl because I wore normal reading/seeing glasses for a long while (I am short sighted). Ever since, I switched to contacts (about 2-3 years ago), I have forayed into the fascinating world of sunglasses. I am trying to get the perfect shape and fit for my face so I picked a couple from Primark all ranging from £1-£2. No sense buying more expensive ones when i don't know what shape suits me best but some of these shades are amazing. The oversize ones don't do me any justice so I am experimenting with square shaped glasses ( à la Wayfarers style), cat eyed shapes and square-ish round shapes (for lack of a better word to describe this). I particularly like this one in Tortoise Shell Brown ones and I think the shape flatters my face the most.

I bought all these in preparation for my trip to Nigeria and they were all useful and I hope to share a few snippets of my holiday with you all when I get around to editing pictures and writing up the posts to follow so please bear with me. Thanks for reading and I will see you in my next post...x

iPad Mini Cases and Covers Review- My Favorite Picks

I am currently typing this as I cycle (in the gym) and it is a good distraction but I can feel the burn. Anyway, hope you are all well. I recently did a mini feature of my iPad Mini which was a birthday gift from the lovely BF along with the Logitech Folio Keyboard.To say I am a little obsessed with my iPad is a huge understatement but it is so true. I love it to bits and it's my favourite companion. My favorite part of the evenings after work is to be tucked under my duvet scrolling through my iPad reading blogs, watching YouTube and just surfing the web. Accessorizing my iPad has recently become an exciting hobby for me and I thought it would be nice to share a few of my favorites here with you..

Logitech Folio Keyboard

This has already been featured here so I would try not to be repetitive. I received it at the same time as my iPad so it's safe to say I did not really get to test any other iPad Mini accessories because this pretty much covers all the bases. It works as a keyboard which is essential for work and blogging as typing on the iPad virtual keyboard can sometimes be a little hassle. Apart from that, this also acts as a case and cover for my iPad mini which happily snuggles inside and is easily transported because it is very portable. I love this a lot and it still remains one of my favorite accessory for the iPad. However, it's not every time I want to type, sometimes I want to just scroll through and handle my iPad in a portrait position as opposed to a landscape position which is the default way if you want to use the keyboard which is why I opted for other new covers/cases.

iPad Mini Cover/Case

I saw this outside of a shop near work. You know one of those shops that sell accessories for phones, laptops and tablets...yeah,those ones. I popped in, had a look through and I liked it. I wanted another case that would protect my iPad but also allow me use it in vertically and this seemed perfect. It was only £8 and I am aware it would have been cheaper online but I just liked this one. It is not real leather but it looks and feels good. It has that Tan Vintage vibe going on and I love it. It has an okay fit for my iPad mini but I don't think it provides a perfect snuggle for it but I adore the design. A good feature of this is the various slides which you can adjust the iPad if you want to use it in a landscape position which is the best when you want to watch a video or a movie and for that, I don't mind the cost or the non-snuggly fit.

The Envelope Clutch

As mentioned earlier, I take my iPad with me almost everywhere I go and I usually take two cases along (don't judge me!); my keyboard and the case of the day. This means I need to fit everything into one place and this lovely envelope clutch does that and more for me. This particular style is for the proper iPad (the larger iPad) but I prefer it because it means I have ample space to fit my iPad, case and keyboard and any chargers or accessories I am carrying along. Again, it's not real leather but it feels really soft and almost like real leather. Honestly, I have been tempted to use this as a clutch and if it had a zip, I would totally do that. It's that amazing!!

Cath Kidson iPad Mini Case/Cover

I had been spying on this for the longest time along with this lovely Ted Baker one but I could not justify spending £30 -£35 on a case. No, it's a tad too painful  in my own opinion. Until one day, I was browsing around Elys in Wimbledon (a very dangerous place where your wallet can find its way out of your bag on sighting the most beautiful fashion and beauty items) and I saw the Cath Kidson counter had a 20% discount poster on selected items. I picked this up and I loved it and secretly hoped this was a selected item. The sales girls said she was not sure but she will put it through anyway. What a good sport!! That's how I came to own this baby! At £24, it is pricey but it is well worth it. The floral vintag-ey design just appeals to me and it fits my iPad snugly in a way that the faux tan leather one above did not. It also has a small latch at the back which allows you to let it stand if you want to watch a film, Youtube or a video. I think it's amazing and that's my go to cover at the moment and it makes handling my iPad during commute less cumbersome than the Logitech Keyboard Folio especially when I am not typing. That's it folks and sorry for so many pictures, I went a little crazy :-).
P.S. Blogpost done in record time as my cycling session in the gym is over..this may well be a regular occurrence..See you in my next post! 
Update: I wrote this post last month (I know I'm terrible but I am currently on holidays in Nigeria so watch out for more posts soon)

Beauty and Makeup Haul feat Pixi, Body Shop, Real Techniques, Astalift,etc

I mentioned a few weeks back that I was going to have a busy April and May and that has absolutely been the case because I have been very busy in my full time job; I have been working harder than ever but it's all so rewarding. Anyway, I decided I needed some shopping therapy for some essentials and seeing that I have not really done a haul on here, I thought it would be useful to share a haul. I split this haul into a beauty and fashion haul so watch out for the fashion haul soon...

Beauty and Skincare

I think this has to be my favourite type of haul as I love anything skin care. I got to try an amazing sample of the Astalift Cleansing Oil and I really liked it so I purchased the full size. It is truly wonderful and it has to be the best oil (IMO) for removing makeup. Before purchasing the Astalift which was little pricey at the time, I purchased the Body Shop Chamomile Cleansing Oil which was a cheap and cheerful version at just £10 and I had a 40% off discount code. It feels a little heavier than the Astalift version but it does the job relatively well. I like it but I don’t love it and I don’t see myself repurchasing in the nearest future. For Toner, I picked up the cult favourite and very elusive Pixi Glow Tonic which is an Exfoliating Toner that contains Glycolic Acid, Ginseng and Rose which is such a beautiful combination for clear skin. Honestly, it has to be my favourite toner and it is as effective as it is gentle and don’t worry a full review will be up. I also picked up the Femme Fresh Soap Free Wash for my VJ and I love it. Don’t worry I won’t go into anything graphic but I think it’s helpful that it is soap free as some of the ingredients in soap can kill off some useful bacteria down there that helps keep everything tip top #okbyeamdone.

Hair Care

I have taken my braids out and it was such a relief to have my hair out for a while in a different style. I went back to my weaves but I left some of my hair out (ditched the closure) which is not particularly my favourite thing to do because it means I would be breaking one of my rules-Straightening my hair. To combat any untoward effect, I purchased my favourite hair care from John Frieda which includes the John Frieda Frizz Ease Serum and John Frieda Frizz Ease Heat Protectant which I feel is one of the best out there. Boots and Sainsbury's are currently having an offer where you can get two products for £8 which is very handy. I also purchased a new hair straightener because my old one was no longer effective. I got the Remington Ceramic Straight 230 and they are fabulous. It heats up really fast and straightens my hair and extensions really well. I apply the heat protectant first, then the serum and I straighten my leave-out for a few seconds only running it through once and I straighten the extensions as well. The amazing thing is, my leave out blends really well with the extensions and I don’t have to straighten it until a few days have passed which is amazing. I just ensure that I avoid any water/moisture unless it would revert back to its curls. Long story cut short, straightening your hair when it is natural and curly is a damaging hassle. Don’t do it J.

Makeup and Makeup Brushes

I love how colorful these brushes look. I already posted a review on the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush on here. I am in the process of reviewing the Real Techniques Blush Brush but I can tell you it is one of the softest brushes I have ever used; it is so fluffy. While I agree with some reviews on it being too big to be a blush brush, I find it very useful because I prefer to apply blushes on an angle to the apples of my cheeks and my face rather than just the apples of my cheek if that makes any sense. It is not the best at picking blush colours and transferring accordingly but I find this flaw feature useful when I use very pigmented blushes as it balances it out evenly. Before I purchased the Real Techniques Blush, I purchased the Body Shop Blush Brush and I am not a huge fan of using this as a blush brush. I prefer to use it to contour (strange I know) and as a light setting brush. For makeup, I picked up the No 7 Lipstick and Lip gloss and the Sleek Eyebrow Stylist in Dark which I would be reviewing soon. I am on the look out to find a more affordable dupe for the MAC brow pencil but honestly, I think it may be a really difficult feat because MAC's brow pencil is everything.





Samples
What haul will be complete without samples. I love samples because it gives you a chance to try new products before committing to buy them and I received quite a few samples this past month even in beauty counters I never expected to receive them. I got some Vichy Samples which included the Serum, Eye cream and Dermablend foundation. They were given to me at the Boots counter free of charge..I know I am surprised myself...who knew that Boots gave samples? Certainly not me. I also got two teeny sample tubes of the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo which is an amazing product. I popped into Debenhams and the Benefit sales lady was such a good sport and told me they just had some new samples in and she kindly gave me a few samples including the Benefit Porefessional Primer, Big Easy BB cream and the Hello Flawless Oxygen foundation which I am hoping will be the right shade. That's it folks. Yes, this is a super long post but I am sure you enjoyed it :-)))

L'Oreal Privee Collection Lipstick

When the L'Oreal Privee Collection was launched, I really wanted to try it but I just never got around to it until sometime in March (which seems like a long time now). I was in Sainsbury's as usual picking up some grocery and looking out for some offers in their beauty, skincare and makeup section as I always do. The L'Oreal Privee Lipstick Collection was on offer for 3 for 2 and I thought I might as well give this a try. The Privee Collection (or is it Collection Privee??) is a nude lipstick collection which spans a range of skin tones and complexions that match various women from all walks of life. L'Oreal decided to use famous actresses, singers and models for its campaign and these stunning women include Cheryl Cole, Julianne Moore, Liya Kebede, Doutzen Kroes, Jennifer Lopez (J-Lo), Eva Longoria and Frieda Pinto. The shades were designed to match their nude lip colour which is an interesting concept. These lipsticks are all named after the relevant actress/model/singer complete with their signature on the packaging.  All the shades were available except the Doutzen Kroes, Jennifer Lopez(I heard it's only available in the US) and the Liya Kebede shade which I really wanted to try because that would have been the closest for my skin tone. However, I picked up the following shades: Eva (Longoria), Frieda (Pinto) and Julianne (Moore) and while I knew all the shades were not going to be a good nude match, I felt the shades will still look nice and flattering. Plus, it was on offer and picking up 1 would just be a waste :-) (that's what I told myself).








Shades
Eva's Nude: I think this is my favourite because it is the perfect shade of  flesh pink with earth/warm undertones. It comes off quite flattering on my lips and I reach for this more than the others.
Julianne's Nude: This has more of a bright pink hue to it but it still looks good on the lips especially if you have fairer skin. I was scared this would look unflattering but it's actually nice especially for Spring/Summer.
Frieda's Nude: I had high hopes for this as well because she was the nearest to my skin tone from the whole lot but I don't really like it as much as the other. It has a very slight lilac tint to it which may look flattering for other skin tones but it just fell flat on mine. I still like it paired with other lipsticks or even some from this range so it's not completely a waste :-)

Packaging
I am not even going to lie; I really wanted this because the packaging is adorable and classy (my fav word). It feels a whole lot more expensive than it looks and it has a nice secure click which I love because it means the lipstick is secure and it would not make a mess in your bag. Black packaging with gold rims and detailing just looks...oh so lush!!!

Formula/Application
I am so pleased it is more of lustre finish.. I was scared it would be one of those that would drag across the lips like MAC Ruby Woo style but thank goodness! it's not. It also does not cling to dry patches or rough patches on the lips assuming your lips have not been well exfoliated. If your lips are well smooth and freshly scrubbed /exfoliated to get rid of dry and rough cracks/patches, the experience with this lipstick will be heightened. Having said that, not all the shades seem to have the same consistency but maybe that's just me. They all really apply well and I have not had any trouble with its application. You need a lip liner with these shades which matches your skin tone especially for the brighter ones just so it blends properly.

Lasting Power
Although it has good pigmentation for a nude lipstick, I don't think the lasting power is that great but I really don't mind reapplying it if I have to. I just really like the formula so I am not really fussed about the lasting power. The colour pay off on application is great and it actually lasts for a good while if there are no lip actions like eating, drinking, kissing, etc.

Cost
I have seen this priced for about £8.19 which I think is the RRP. I got this for £7.99 from Sainsbury's which is not a huge difference per say but it was also on offer as 3 for 2 so £16 for 3 lipsticks I think is fair. At the moment of writing this, Superdrug and Boots all have offers of 3 for 2 across their range so now is a good time to pick it up.

Personal Thoughts
I have been using this almost everyday since I purchased them because they are just the kind of shades and formula I like for my lips especially as an everyday/work type of lipstick because it's really subtle and classy. I love the packaging and I may just be tempted to try the other shades in the range. Have you tried any of the L'Oreal Privee Collection? See you in my next post...x