Archives for all posts tagged Beauty Trends
Benefit X LinkedIn International Women's Day collaboration
It’s International Women’s Day on Sunday, March 8, and Benefit has an interesting collaboration for it – with LinkedIn. The beauty brand is offering women the chance to have a FREE professional headshot taken to makeover their profile. The offer is available between 11am and 4pm on Sunday, at two Benefit...
MGC Derma New CBD Skincare Trio
Yes, it’s another CBD brand – they are everywhere. You will use cannabinoids in your beauty regime! Okay, let me try to explain the science part of this. The skincare line was founded by pharmaceutical company MGC Pharma – trailblazers in the Phytocannabinoid industry. They’ve created this new collection...
Apothem new CBD brand launches in Harvey Nichols
I was very fortunate to be invited to a gorgeous breakfast at Harvey Nichols a couple of weeks ago week to learn all about the latest CBD brand on the block – Apothem. This is a high-end CBD brand – the clue is in the stockist, right? I have to confess that the CBD beauty revolution has sort of passed...
FabFitFun - USA's favourite Beauty Box is here!
There’s a new Beauty Subscription Box on the block – all the way from the USA. Welcome, FabFitFun. FabFitFun is actually a lifestyle membership for women, and started life in 2010 as a media company, with multi-platforms. The flagship product is the subscription box which arrived in 2013. The brand’...
Crabtree & Evelyn Announce New Brand Identity
Crabtree & Evelyn has announced a new brand identity, more in keeping with the ethos of its founder, wanderlust and nature enthusiast, Cyrus Harvey – and one that is aimed at bringing it right into the 21st Century! The brand is obviously looking to move away from an old lady gift set image, to one...
On-Trend Beauty with 5pm Deals
There is always a new trend in the beauty world. From treatments, to products, to hair colours, and nail techniques, it’s hard to keep up with the latest must-have looks and beauty styles. In terms of ingredients, the latest to hit the top of the on-trend list is Cica, or Tiger Grass, or Centella Asiatica...
Benefit Add New Brow Product Shades
Benefit is all about extending the shade range this year – first it was Hoola, now it’s their best-selling brow products. Benefit is the biggest brow brand in the land – if you don’t have Bene-brows, do you even have brows?! The Brow Bars are massively popular – and good. And if you want a brow product...
Sunny Summer Beauty
Are you in a summer state of mind? I can’t help drifting constantly to the beach in my mind, which is a nightmare, as I won’t be heading there until at least August! This time of year is when we all start craving our sunny summer holidays, and who isn’t keeping everything crossed that we get the summer...
Unicorn Beauty
It’s National Unicorn Day. Yes, that is a thing. The unicorn is Scotland’s national animal, so why should we not celebrate this lovely, mythical, omnipresent, beast? Unicorns are EVERYWHERE! You can pretty much get anything unicorn-shaped, themed, or printed in 2019, but let’s concentrate on some unicorn...
Coral Crush on the Pantone Colour of 2019
Every year Pantone announce a ‘Color of the Year’. For 2019, it’s Living Coral. A colour with an eco-message too – the living coral around the world is sadly diminishing, so it’s a reminder to us whenever we see it to be more eco-aware. The colour itself is a gorgeous coral shade with golden undertones...
Vegan beauty in Veganuary
Veganuary! It’s everywhere – even here! Yes, there are loads of vegan beauty products out there. Probably loads more than you’d even think – but why would beauty products have loads of animal product in them?! Anyway, I’ve been bombared with Veganuary press releases since, ooh, way back in October, ...
Black Friday Beauty Offers
It’s Black Friday this week – and there are all sorts of deals out there, on all sorts of products,from all sorts of brands. It’s a bit overwhelming, and who knows if it’s really worth it? Or are you just buying because you get caught up in the hype? I’ve had loads of info sent to me for beauty offers...
Korean Beauty Brand J.One launches in Boots
I’ve been all about the K-beauty of late, as more and more brands launch into the UK. Boots now stock Sephora’s best-seller J.One. The J.One Jelly Pack sells four units EVERY MINUTE in South Korea. This hero product is joined in Boots by the J.One Black Jelly Pack, and the J.One Jelly Cream. The J.One...
Elemis Beauty Advent Calendar available now!
It might still be September, but we’re off and running with this year’s crop of beauty advent calendars. Elemis launched theirs – 25 Days of Beauty – yesterday, and it’s available whilst stocks last – but be quick. Last year this one sold out in FIVE DAYS!! It’s £150, but the contents are worth £345...
MAC Cosmetics tops the Instagram beauty brands
If you’re on Instagram, you probably follow at least one beauty brand. And if you’re on Instagram you are one of one BILLION active users worldwide (as of June 2018). So it’s no wonder brands love this platform,and recognise its potential to engage existing and new users to like, share and feel encouraged...
National Spa Week - Treat yourself to a 5pm Spa Day
It’s National Spa Week this week, did you know? Well, now you do, so treat yourself to a day at the spa! 5pm Spa and Beauty has lots of lovely spas offering brilliant deals on the site, so have a good look. Here are five of our luxury spas – click through to discover the deals that are on offer at each...
We all love a cleanser, according to new stats
It seems that our love affair with skincare shows no signs of ending, with British women spending £1.15bn on facial skincare in 2017, with sales set to increase by three per cent to reach £1.18bn this year, according to Mintel research. Over the next five years alone, Mintel expects the category to ...
Moody Blues - Gorgeous Blue Shades
It’s been a wee bit wet this last week, but let’s not dwell on that – it’s August, and somewhere the sun is high in the sky and someone is diving into the glorious deep blue sea! August makes me think of hot summer holidays, and in turn that got me thinking about blue skies and seas – and my favourite...
SMASHBOX LIMITED EDITION PHOTO FINISH SCENTED PRIMER WATERS
There are some beauty products you need – mascara, lipstick, blush, maybe a bit of concealer. And some you don’t. You probably don’t need the new Smashbox Limited Edition Photo Finish Scented Primer Waters in your beauty regime, but you might want them. These new 3-in-1 face primer and setting sprays...
Jo Malone White Lilac & Rhubarb Charity Candle
It’s that time of the year again, Jo Malone fans – a new charity candle is about to be launched. This year the candle is White Lilac & Rhubarb. The tart and vibrant rhubarb cuts through the delicate florals of soft lilac, sensual rose, and sun-loving heliotrope. It’s meant to evoke that lovely scent...
Get Insta-ready with Charlotte Tilbury's Beauty Filter Collection
Hands up who doesn’t love a filter on a photo pre Insta-posting? I don’t believe you! We all do it, well, I know I do! But maybe we’d need less filtering if we were using products from Charlotte Tilbury’s Beauty Filter Collection? She’s not daft that Charlotte, tapping right in to the zeitgeist with...
Catwalk inspired beauty deals
Beauty trends come from the catwalk, and last September, fashion week makeup artists and hair stylists created all the beauty – and hair – trends you’ll be wanting to wear now for the SS18 shows. So, if you want to get ahead of the crowd, here are a few of our favourite – and where to book in for offers...
Easter Beauty!
It’s Easter this weekend, and if a chocolate egg doesn’t do it for you – or you want to gift someone something a little different – then check out these Easter beauty-themed eggs. L’OCCITANE EASTER EGGS These are SO cute. An adorable alternative to a chocolate egg for the beauty fan. The egg comes in...
New masks from GLAMGLOW
GLAMGLOW is a fun beauty brand. That’s not to say the products don’t work, of course, but fun is a big part of this brand – and they are brilliantly instagram friendly. I’ve had the pleasure of trying two of their latest releases this last week – the #GLITTERMASK which is essentially the GravityMud ...
Veganuary beauty
Yes, I know, every time I mention the word ‘Veganuary’ my husband’s face contorts. It’s fair to say annoys him, this constant marketing of months! But it is what it is, and if you are going vegan for January you might want to extend it to your beauty regime. This new brand – Utopia – is a vegan and ...
Go Ultra Violet with Elemis
Elemis’s Peptide4 Night Recovery Cream-Oil is the perfect January product in so many ways. Firstly, it’s the perfect shade of Ultra Violet – Pantone’s color of the year for 2018. Secondly, it’s a nighttime product – and we plan to spend a lot of January hibernating/sleeping/in bed. Finally, it’s packed...
Through the Decades with Eylure
It’s Hogmanay soon, and as we see out another year, we’ll all be reflecting on the past, as well as welcoming in the new – but which decade would you choose if you had to? In 2017 Eylure celebrated their 70th anniversary, and produced a series of images showing beauty looks through the decades, from...
Meghan Markle Nude Lipstick Love
Meghan Markle loves a nude lip – and so do British women it seems. Inspired by the Royal Princess-to-be, nude lipstick sales have gone up by 65% thanks to love for the Suits star. According to new makeup brand, MEMI, founded by 21-year old entrepreneurs Millie Watson and Jack Thompson, sales of nude...
Givenchy Rouge Sculpt
Givenchy launch their Rouge Sculpt in September, a two-tone lipstick, each with one luminous shade on one side, and a graphic contour on the other, to perfectly frame the mouth. The finish is demi-matte, and perfectly defined. And the packaging is beautiful. So, Givenchy’s first two-toned lipstick offers...
Beau-TEA-ful! Afternoon Tea Week beauty
This week is Afternoon Tea Week – and there are lots of lovely afternoon tea offers on 5pm – but, if beauty if more your thing, then how about these tea-inspired beauty products! Tea, as a beauty ingredient has all sorts of antioxidant properties, and it comes in everything from moisturiser to shampoo...
NEW Smashbox Be Legendary Triple Tone Lipsticks
Lip contouring – or making your lips look fuller with makeup – has been a ‘thing’ in the beauty blogging world for a while now. Check YouTube, and there are loads of tutorials on how to do it. Most of them invlving a lot of products, and a fair bit of work. Smashbox are here to make it much simpler ...
M&S Night Cream Waiting List
If you haven’t tried it yet, then get on the list, because, apparently, Marks and Spencer’s Formula The Absolute Ultimate Sleep Cream is THE beauty musthave of 2017! It promises to give skin eight hours of sleep – or at least look like it has – and the results don’t disappoint. So much so that the cream...
Masking January
If there is one thing you do to to treat yourself this January, slap a face mask on! Masking is big in the beauty industry, and it’s a simple way of indulging yourself and giving your skin the nourishment it deserves. January is a long, cold, hard month, and we’re all expected to be pounding away in...
Clarins DO Contouring!
Clarins launch a contouring palette this month. It’s limited, and I am interested to know what Clarins fans will make of it. Contouring is a massive trend in beauty, but is it on the way out? Perhaps. But there is still a market for it, and this new contouring palette will tap into that. It’s a pretty...
The Estee Edit and where to get it!
Back in May this year, Estee Lauder launched The Estee Edit, with a little help from Kendall Jenner and Irene Kim. Like Estee Lauder’s little sister, this brand within a brand is full of fabulously innovative and fun products, and is now available online. Last night in London, Irene Kim helped lanch...
Lipstick Queen Smokey LIP kit.
Yes you read that right – Smokey LIP, not smokey eye. Lipstick Queen – that’s Poppy King- has launched the Smokey Lip Kit, which creates a deep, dark, autumnal, smokey, lip by layering lippies. The kit contains two lipsticks – one of them the Black Lace Rabbit, a sheer black lippy with gold flecks through...
Elizabeth Arden's NEW Prevage Foundation and Brush
It’s rare to get a foundation these days that is simply a foundation, and this new one from Elizabeth Arden definitely does not fall into that category. The new Prevage Anti-aging Foundation SPF30 is for women who want a gorgeous foundation, an extra layer of environmental protection, and anti-ageing...
The Perfect #Selfie Products
Sometimes, I get press releases that give me a bit of a laugh. Actually, scratch that, A LOT of the time, I get press releases that give me a bit of a laugh. This latest one did. How to get the Perfect #Selfie, it says, with just four products. I know it’s just the PR showcasing their products, but ...
Bobbi Brown open Edinburgh free-standing store
BOBBI BROWN fans get down to Edinburgh’s George Street and into the newly opened Bobbi Brown studio! It’s the second free-standing Bobbi store in Scotland, and you are going to love it! The fab space has everything Bobbi you could ever need! Sometimes it’s hard to believe that the brand began life in...
Tom Ford Private Blend Les Extraits Vert
New private blends from Tom Ford launch at the end of August, with a new note for the brand. For the first time, Tom Ford introduces unexpected dimensions of green. Ranging from florals, to citrus, to deepest woods, Les Extraits Vert is a curated collection with a very 1970s feel. Apparently the ingredients...
More Matte Lips - this time from Clinique
Matte is DEFINITELY the new black, to use fashion parlance in the beauty world! Matte liptick is everywhere, and everyone has one. Last week we looked at Boots SEVENTEEN’s new mattes, this week it’s the turn of Clinique. Clinique’s new mattes are in lipstick and liquid form. So, there’s the Clinique...
The Bronzie Tanning Mitt
It’s another gimmicky beauty product today, but this one I do quite like. It sort of reminds me of my Granny drying me after a bath as a kid, so it makes me very nostalgic – maybe that’s why I like it. The Bronzie ‘Got Your Back’ tanning mitt is a revelation in tanning mitts and is actually a pretty...
Collistar S.O.S Critical Areas Firming Stick
Many weird and wonderful beauty products land on my desk, and this falls into that category, and then some – meet the Collistar SOS Critical Areas Firming Stick. The what? Yes, I know, I felt the same when I opened the parcel and first saw it. From Italian breauty brand Collistar, this, it claims, is...
Illamasqua News
Lots happening at Illamasqua these days, with PETA recognition, new #Illaxpress lessons, and recently I refamiliarised myself with their skin bases – Hydra Veil, Matte Veil, and Radiance Veil. But first, the exciting news that Illamasqua are now PETA recognised. Since the brand launched in 2008, they...
Get Fully Loaded with TIGI Bedhead
VOLUME is where it’s at with hair. We all seem to want our hair to be bigger and bigger, and it’s not that hard these days with a plethora of volumising and thickening products on offer. The latest I’ve had a look at is the new Bed Head by TIGI Fully Loaded range. Addressing the growing trend for messy...
Estee Lauder's Genuine Glow - K-Beauty style
Let’s talk about K-Beauty. What is it? Well, it has nothing to do with the Kardashians (for once!), it’a actually Korean-inspired beauty. If you’re a beauty fan, you will know, and you will no doubt already be influenced by beauty from the Far East. The Korean beauty aesthetic isn’t like ours. They ...
Father's Day Grooming Gifts
Surprise your dad this Father’s Day with a grooming gift. He doesn’t need a new tool kit, an oversized Toblerone, or another silly slogan T-shirt, does he? But he probably does need some lovely grooming products in his life! I’m right, right? Boots now stock a fab men’s beauty brand – Johnny’s Chop ...
Neom's Scent To Make You Happy Kit
NEOM are a lovely brand, all about making you feel better, with lots of lovely smelly things for you and your home. Their candles are gorgeous, and their beauty products are really good. You just know they’re good for you as well. I particularly love their little Essential Kits. This one, their Essential...
Master Your Mascara with New CID Cosmetics
We all wear mascara, right? Applying it is like second nature, most likely, but are you making the most of your mascara? Are you applying it properly? You might think you are, but we’ve asked an expert to give us the mascara masterclass. The low-down on how to get the most from your mascara, from New...
Legs, legs, legs - prep for summer
It’s officially summer, so that means NO MORE THICK BLACK TIGHTS! Time to put the opaques back in the drawer and get the legs out. And that means facing what the winter, and our cold spring, months have done to our legs. No-one is saying you have to do anything, but who really doesn’t want to look after...
Jo Malone Charity Candle
Jo Malone London launch another charity candle this year for their charity initiative which sees their gardens across the UK helping people with mental health issues. There are five existing gardens in the country, with another set to open in London, with charity partner St Mungo’s, this year. The Redhall...
Bourjois La Laque Gel NEW polish
BOURJOIS launch a new alternative at-home to gel nails next week, La Laque Gel. GEL nails have to be the most popular nails around. As someone who loves to change her nail colour, I’m not the biggest fan, because being stuck with the same shade for a few weeks does annoy me. However, on the occasions...
Origins Dr Andrew Weil Mega-Defense
It’s incredible to think that four decades ago, the term SPF had yet to be coined. We used reflectors, we sunbathed too much, and we used no skin protection at all. Now we know that unprotected exposure to UV rays exacerbates skn ageing, and causes cancer, we do all we can to keep the sun off our skin...
New Gradual Tanner and BB Body from St Tropez and Ambre Solaire
Regular readers of this blog will know that I am not very good with fake tan. I actually don’t really like having a tan. Am I allowed to say that in 2016?! It seems that we’re all obsessed with a golden glow, and looking ‘sunkissed’ and as a beauty writer and editor, yes, I talk about fake tan a lot...
Illamasqua's Hypnotica Collection is Fun!
Makeup should be fun, right? Essentially, we’re creating art on our faces – they are called makeup ARTISTS after all. Therefore, I am absolutely in LOVE with Illamasqua’s new collection, Hypnotica, and in particular their brilliant Sketch Sticks. These fabulous big crayons of makeup are like sophisticated...
Kiko Milano Trend Collection - and Store News
Italian beauty brand KIKO MILANO has started appearing everywhere of late. They’ve been around since 1997, and have over 700 stores worldwide, but only launched fully into Scotland at the tail end of last year with their first stand-alone store in Glasgow’s Fort Shopping Centre. The brand is now set...
Jo Malone and Marthe Armitage Summer Afternoon Collection
Every year Jo Malone London collaborates with a creative, and produces a gorgeous limited edition home collection. This year, it’s octagenarian artist and wallpaper designer Marthe Armitage, who has been living and working in London for 60 years. Marthe draws, cuts lino, mixes paint and prints herself...
Coconut Nails from Barry M and Nails Inc
You’re just drinking coconut water? Ugh, you’re so 2015! It’s the latest musthave beauty ingredient, don’t you know?! Two brands are popping it into nail polish now! First up, Nails Inc, and their Coconut Brights Gel Effect nail polishes – the hydration boost your nails have been waiting for. Nails ...
Elizabeth Arden Sunset Bronze
Ah summer beauty, I do love it. Lots of lovely new collections with shimmery shades, bronzers, and all-round healthy looking glows! Elizabeth Arden’s summer beauty collection is the lovely Sunset Bronze. Inspired by the breathtaking summer sunset, Elizabeth Arden introduces the new Sunset Bronze Limited...
Urban Decay's Alice Though The Looking Glass Collection
If you love Urban Decay, then you are going to love, love, LOVE the new Alice Through The Looking Glass palette, out later this month, to coincide with the release of Disney’s Alice Through the Looking Glass film. You’ll need to be quick too. When Urban Decay launched their Alice in Wonderland Book ...
Tom Ford SS16 Soleil Makeup Collection
It’s that time of year, when all the summer beauty collections land on counters, and we all start dreaming of tropical beaches, hot summer nights, and shimmery sparkly, sheer, summer makeup. And that’s what Tom Ford are offering with their new Soleil Color Collection. There are some lovely new products...
St Tropez Tan Finder App
St Tropez have launched a ‘tan finder’ app which aims to help you choose the right tan for you- and you get 10% off your purchase when using it. It’s actually really simple to use, you just click through a few screens, and it recommends a product. It’s fun for avid fans, and first-time tanners, and ...
Feel Unique Skincare Superstars Box
Beauty boxes are a great way of getting to try a lot of beauty brands, before committing to them, with sample or travel sizes. There are lots of beauty subscription boxes out there, but this one from beauty e-commerce site Feel Unique isn’t a subscription, just a one-off box that you can buy and try...
Bobbi Brown Beach Nudes
There’s something about Bobbi Brown Cosmetics that makes them work so well for summer. Maybe it’s fresh-faced Kate Upton in the campaign images, but Bobbi Brown and beach just seems to gel. The new Bobbi Brown Beach Nudes Collection is more of the same, really. There’s nothing overly exciting about ...
Benefit's Bold Is Beautiful Project 2016
Benefit launched their global philanthropy program, The Bold Is Beautiful Project, last year, and, after outstandingsucess, they’re back for a second year. Launched to spread the feel-good approach to beauty beyond the boutiques and counters, Benefit’s campaign raised over $2,900,000USD globally in ...
Earth Day/Week/Month Beauty News
It’s Earth Day tomorrow – April is Earth Month, and this sees the start of Earth Week. I am a wee bit confused, but the beauty companies have their hearts in the right places when it comes to this cause. Lush are celebrating Earth Day by encouraging us to strip off the excess packaging and trial a range...
Fudge Paintbox Rainbow Colours
When my hair was bright red (which it was for six years, until February this year), inbtween salon visits I would top up the colour with Fudge Paintbox Hot Chilli. Bizarrely, a few weeks after I stripped the red from my hair, Fudge launched their newly revamped Paintbox range of semi-permanent colours...
Oils, oils, oils
It’s all about oils in beauty of late. For the last few years beauty oils have become more and more mainstream – and in more and more products. The latest to land on my desk is Smashbox’s Primer Oil, which might be a step too far – but more on that later. Oils for the face, for lips, for hair, for body...
Bumble And Bumble Curl Care Collection
Having wrestled with curly hair all my life, it’s still strange to me to celebrate the curl. Which is ridiculous, of course, because curly hair ROCKS! Of course, that’s not always been the case. There was a time in the 1990s when new curly hair collection launches might have been laughed out of salons...
Beauty Transformers!
If you fancy yourself as a bit of an alchemist, and love playing about with all things makeup and skincare, then you’re going to love these new beauty transformers from Clarins, Illamasqua, Autograph M&S, and Smashbox. Clarins were the first to produce the fake tan booster product, launching their facial...
Seventeen are non-touring, not contouring!
What on earth does that mean, I wondered when the press release landed on my desk – Move over Contouring, Hello Non-touring!, it proclaimed. According to SEVENTEEN at Boots, using highlighters to enhance your natural features – the non-touring trend – is simple, guaranteed to give you that all important...
Fake Bake Flawless Coconut Tanning Serum
Fake Bake have just launched another tan – just in time for the start of British summertime! The clocks went forward at the weekend, the nights are lighter, and, HOPEFULLY, the weather will warm up too! When that happens, we have to bare our skin, and, even those of us who don’t normally tan, sometimes...
Darphin latest to launch cleansing brush
These cleansing brushes are a proper’ thing’ now, right? If you don’t already have one, or are looking for a new one, then check out the latest – from Darphin, launching in April. It’s called the L’Institut Facial Sonic Cleansing and Massaging Expert. Catchy, right? Can you imagine the meeting where...
Aveda Lights The Way
The clocks go forward this weekend, so the nights get lighter – but that doesn’t mean there’s no room for a little more light thanks to Aveda’s 2016 Earth Month Light The Way Candle. Aveda enters its 10th year this year of shining a light on the global need for clean water. Aveda – and their customers...
Clarins Urban Oasis in Edinburgh
If you are in Edinburgh this week and this Easter weekend, then escape to the Clarins Urban Oasis at the bottom of Castle Street, at the west end of Princes Street, for a pamper. It’s a brilliant innovation from Clarins, marketing at its very best. I spent around 40 minutes there this week, and it was...
National Fragrance Day Scents
It’s National Fragrance Day, so I have spent today immersed in the gorgeous aroma of my favourite scents -and a few new ones,and now I am sharing them all with you! Fragrance is a powerful thing. It is the most powerful memory-inducer I can think of, it changes our mood, it enhances our personality ...
Bobbi Brown x Balthazar Afternoon Tea
How fab does a Bobbi Brown afternoon tea sound? If you’re in London this year then you can find out exactly how fab it is, by heading to Balthazar, where this special afternoon tea is happening. “Balthazar is one of my favorite restaurants, and it just happens to be located two blocks from my office...
Charles Worthington's New Instant Root Concealer Powder
When I first saw these root concealing powders, what, a few years ago, I was sceptical. I couldn’t try them either, as my hair was scarlet red, and they tended to just come in more natural shades. But, since my hair makeover last month, my hair now falls into the more ‘normal’ category, so, when I was...
Brows Are It say MAC!
MAC has just launched a brand new brow collection with everything you will ever need (other than your own threader/waxer/plucker) to keep your brows on point! Brows shape your face. You need them! MAC Senior Artist Cher Webb told me over lunch recently that she would take brows over mascara and lipstick...
Origins Maskimizer and new Mask!
Did you know Origins are the No.1 mask brand in the UK? Well, they are. So, it’s no surprise that they have come up with something new and innovative in the face mask game – The Maskimizer! It is a bit of a rubbish pun-based name, but I will forgive them that for because it’s an interesting, new, product...
MAC's Flamingo Park
This new collection from MAC is FABULOUS! This spring collection is all about gorgeous, punchy pinks, and it’s kitsch-tastic! The campaign images are so cute, evoking the collection’s sweetness. The products are great – and there are loads of them! Where do we even begin. I included a couple on my pink...
Rose Quartz Pinks
Pantone’s Color of the Year this year is actually two – Rose Quartz and Serenity – that’s baby pink and baby blue to you and me! But there’s more scope for wearable makeup with Rose Quartz, so that’s what I am bringing you today – gorgeous, wearable, pale pinks, for cheeks, lips, eyes and nails. Let...
Girl Meets Brush
This is an interesting new concept from makeup artist Lynne Mills (co-creator of the Miss Flicklash lashes – eyelashes with a liner flick – which are now made by Eyelure). Essentially, it’s makeup brushes, but, with a twist – buy the brushes AND the expertise, in actual, real-life, form. Lynne’s aim...
Clinique Kiss It Better 2016
Clinique’s Kiss It Better 2016 campaign is underway, and the products produced this year for the charitable cause are just lovely. Clinique partners for the twelfth year running with Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity for the KISS IT BETTER appeal – raising money to fund research into the...
Summer with Miss Sporty
Teenagers are much more makeup-savvy than I was, back in the 80s, right? Most of them are blogging, or vlogging, with huge followings. But a regular teenager can’t spend loads on makeup brands, so what’s out there for beauty budgets? How about Miss Sporty? The Coty brand is specifically targeted at ...
Estee Lauder's New Dimension Phase 2
Last September Estee Lauder launched their New Dimension transformative collection – and now comes New Dimension Phase 2. The hashtag for this collection is #BestAngle, and it’s all about shapes and angles – empowering women to transform and define their appearance, without fillers, surgery, etc. The...
Tea & Nails with Crabtree & Evelyn
New nail polish is always a good thing, and at Crabtree & Evelyn, there are lots of lovely new spring shades to choose from. Oh, and whilst you’re at it, how about some detox tea?! I had completely forgotten that Crabtree & Evelyn did teas and infusions (and biscuits, and sweets, and jams, but let’s...
Paul Mitchell Cruelty Free 2016
Paul Mitchell is well-known as a cruelty free brand, and that’s probably because they make a point of continuing to shout about it. It’s part of their identity, says their latest campaign, with the tagline ‘Never have done, never will’ Founded in 1980 by friends Paul Mitchell and John Paul DeJoria, ...
Hello Kitty by OPI
I am a HUGE Hello Kitty fan – have been for years – so this new OPI Hello Kitty Collection made me smile. Yes, it’s not that exciting, just nail polishes with Hello Kitty images on the bottles, but the colours are nice, OPI is a great brand, and if you need a new polish and love Hello Kitty, then why...
Revlon's new Mascara Collection
Yes, you read that headline right, Revlon isn’t just launching ONE new mascara, but a whole COLLECTION! All the mascaras you could ever need (and more), all at once. You don’t have to buy then all, of course – just choose the one that does what you want done to your lashes the most. So, the five mascaras...
Creme de la Mer The Lifting Eye Serum
Here’s a new one for all you Creme de la Mer fans to spend any Christmas cash on – The Lifting Eye Serum, out next month. Continuing its commitment to deliver optimal benefits that lift the look of skin, Crème de la Mer introduces The Lifting Eye Serum with its new Stretch Matrix Complex to visibly ...
Hangover remedies for New Year
Hogmanay in a few days time, and that means we’ll all most likely be over-indulging in alcohol as we say farewell to 2015 and usher in a new year. Always a good idea at the time, but never a good idea the morning after and there really is no cure for a hangover, or is there? Apparently this little bottle...
Accessorize Sweet Lotus Collection
This Accessorize Sweet Lotus collection seems an odd one to launch in November, but really, when you think about it, it’s nice to have something floral and fresh at this time of year, yeah? And this lovely collection is aimed at travel – so time to daydream about long summer nights, high temperatures...
Estee Lauder Micro Essence Infusion Masks
Skin feeling and looking a little bit tired and dull? Then what you need is a boost from Estee Lauder’s new Micro Essence Infusion face masks. These new sheet masks (a pack of six will set you back £50), have been produced to complement Asia’s best-selling Estee Lauder Micro Essence Skin Activating ...
Star Wars Space Age Nails
The new Star Wars movie is out this week (in case you hadn’t heard…), and the Star Wars tat memorabilia is everywhere. I was browsing Instagram the other day, and saw LOADS of amazing Star Wars nail art posts, like this one, below. For all my Star Wars lovers! #nailsbykimmie #utahcounty #handpaintednailart...
Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream All Over Miracle Oil
Now, here’s a launch that made me sit up and take notice! I am a big fan of Elizabeth Arden’s iconic Eight Hour Cream (watch out for it in the cult beauty category soon), so I was thrilled to try their new Eight Hour Cream All-Over Miracle Oil. It’s one of those multi-taskers that are actually brilliant...
Aesop comes to Scotland
Aesop are an Australian beauty brand, founded in 1987, in Melbourne, and now a worldwide name, with lots of stores – and last month they opened their first in Scotland, in Edinburgh’s Stockbridge area. Nestled in the Georgian New Town, Stockbridge is an area full of well-heeled Edinburghers who will...
MAC Berry Black Friday
It’s Black Friday, and that means shopping madness takes over the world. There are loads of Black Friday deals out there in the beauty world – far too many to mention. Not to mention the great deals on 5pm Spa and Beauty every day of the year. So, I’m sort of passing Black Friday by on the blog, for...
Urban Decay Vice 4 and Gwen Stefani
Urban Decay are known for their palettes – amazing collections of brilliant eye colours from neutral nudes to bold brights and everything in between. Recently they launched Vice 4 – more on that one later. But let’s talk about their Gwen Stefani collaboration… Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani lands later ...
Winter warming candles
Scented candles are big business – I don’t know many people who don’t have at least one in their house, and they’re particularly lovely to light in the autumn and winter. So, I’ve rounded up a few to share with you, to scent your home this Christmas, or as a festive gift. 1. Space NK Shimmering Spice...
Cult Beauty - Chanel Rouge Noir
Whilst it’s always great to celebrate new launches in the beauty world- and there are more than enough of them to do that on this blog every week – there are some cult beauty products we just love to celebrate. Classics that have stood the test of time, maintained their best-selling status, and products...
YSL Christmas Kiss & Love
YSL’s Christmas 2015 collection, Kiss & Love, which launched last week, is simple. I already discussed the Limited Edition version of the Touche Eclat in the Cult Beauty slot last week. The rest of the collection is also lip imprint embossed, very pretty, and, er, very small. Which is actually a good...
Autumn, Chanel-style!
Chanel have created two gorgeous collections for the last part of 2015. Their autumn colour collection has been on counter since the end of August, but I haven’t featured it let, and I can’t let it pass. Tomorrow we’ll explore Christmas with Chanel, but first autumn… Les Automnales celebrates the shades...
Always Remembered with Elizabeth Arden Always Red
Elizabeth Arden has long supported women throughout their war efforts, even creating a red lipstick for female US Marines to wear as part of their standard issue uniform in WWII. So, with this in mind, Elizabeth Arden are supporting The Royal British Legion with an Always Red charity initiative. As ...
Beauty Advent Calendars 2015
Forget the chocolate, or the even more retro pictures behind the windows of your advent calendar – we want beauty products! And full-size ones too! Where there used to be just one or two beauty advent calendars to choose from, there are now, well, loads! Here are eight of the best! Clarins Beauty Advent...
Tom Ford Noir AW15 Makeup
I have to confess that I love a dark festive makeup collection. I’m not a huge fan of pale at the best of times, but when the weather turns, and the nights get shorter, and we all start thinking about our festive parties, I think a good old smokey eye, a lot of glitter, and a bold red lip are the perfect...
Nails Inc Halloween Nail Art
Have I mentioned I love Hallowe’en? Just once or twice? I promise this is the last Hallowe’en post for this year! Some gorgeous Nails Inc nail art! Nails Inc have created four lovely Hallowe’en looks, and here’s how to do them yourself! Look 1 – Leather & skulls Using: silver skull and glue from Nails...
Halloween Beauty Bits
It’s Hallowe’en this week and I am ridiculously excited – far too excited for an adult! I shared my favourite spooky Halloween makeup tutorials last week, and today it’s less frightening than that post, I promise. Let’s start with something completely non-spooky from Oskia Skincare. The only Halloween...
Winter Skincare
The clocks go back this weekend, signalling the end of British summertime. Of course, any ‘summer’ we had ended a while ago, right? But have you changed your skincare routine accordingly? What you use in the summer is probably not good enough come the shorter nights and colder days of the autumn/winter...
Halloween Makeup Tutorials I Love
So, I’m having a Halloween party – yay! I love Halloween, and dressing up, well, horribly. As I got married this year, I thought my husband and I would make the perfect Zombie bride and groom (don’t worry mum, I’m not going to wreck my actual wedding dress!). The theme of fancy dress for my party is...
Niche Brands New Beauty
There are more beauty ranges and lines that I could ever possibly list, or even imagine. So, it’s not surprising when new (to me) brands land on my desk every week. This week I’ve been playing with three new products, two of which come from brands that are totally new to me. First up was Swell Ultimate...
Cult Beauty - Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish
Whilst it’s always great to celebrate new launches in the beauty world- and there are more than enough of them to do that on this blog every week – there are some cult beauty products we just love to celebrate. Classics that have stood the test of time, maintained their best-selling status, and products...
Bourjois Fuchsia Mania
I LOVE this fab campaign image for the new Bourjois Fuchsia Mania Collection. It’s so 80s-tastic, it takes me right back. Fuchsia Mania is four versions of fuchsia, from bluish reds to purples, with four new shades and four highlighted ones, in two lip finishes – Rouge Edition, and Rouge Edition Velvet...
Alpha-H Liquid Gold is 15!
Are you familiar with Australian skincare brand, Alpha-H? If not, then I suggest you get yourself familiarised with them immediately! One of my faves, their cult product and best-seller is Liquid Gold, and it’s 15 years old this year! To celebrate Alpha-H, who regularly sell on TV shopping channel, ...
Breast Cancer Awareness Beauty
October heralds the beginning of a month of pink products in the beauty world, as Breast Cancer Awareness month begins again. The charitable initiative provides you with the opportunity to buy some lovely Limited Edition products with the knowledge that you are donating to a worthwhile cause. So, let...
Pink Out Loud with Paul Mitchell
As we all know, every October the beauty industry goes pink for breast cancer in Breast Cancer Awareness month. Various brands and companies give to different breast cancer charity and Paul Mitchell will give to the CoppaFeel! charity this year for the second year running. Kris Hallenga was diagnosed...
New Brushes from Bare Minerals
Bare Minerals have launched a few new brushes to their range, which sees them as the No1 makeup brush brand in the UK. Being a powder-based brand, that’s not surprising, as most of their products need applied with a brush, and one of the new brushes launched is the Beautiful Finish brush (£26) for use...
Five Facial Oils
I have a sort of love/hate relationship with facial oils. I have tried LOADS over the last few years, and they just keep on coming. Facial oils are NOT just for dry skin. Many of them are actually much better for oily skin than any moisturising cream. However, sometimes, I find them too heavy, sometimes...
Estee Lauder New Dimension Transformative Collection
It’s ALL about contouring at the moment in beauty. Those saggy jowels are being dealt with! After Clinique’s new range, and Temple’s Spa’s The Contourist mask, comes Estee Lauder’s New Dimension Transformative Collection. That’s not the snappiest name in the world, but it does promise to allow women...
MAC Viva Glam with Miley Cyrus II
Miley Cyrus returns once again as MAC’s Viva Glam campaign spokesperson. The star look very, well, blonde, in the new campaign images for the launch of her two products for this year’s charitable launch. So, Miley has launched a super-sexy bright orange lipstick and a co-ordinating lipglass with sparkling...
Sophia Webster & TONI&GUY
We buy our beauty and hair products on how they work, right? But sometimes, we are drawn in by the packaging. We all love a bit of pretty packaging, and are drawn to products on the shelf because of it. So, prepare to throw away your old shampoo etc when you see this fantastic Sophia Webster for TONI...
Kim Kardashian, Elizabeth Taylor and Cleopatra...
What do Cleopatra, Elizabeth Taylor and Kim Kardashian West have in common? Well, most likely nothing, really, but, thanks to US super beauty website / shop / edit / magazine / amazingonlinebeautythingIvejustdiscovered, VIOLET GREY, the three are linked together in a pretty gorgeous makeup cover story...
Candle with Benefits
Occasionally I get VERY excited about a beauty product, particularly a multi-purpose product – I like innovation in the beauty world. So, when this lovely Oskia Rose De Mai Massage, Body Oil and Treatment candle landed on my desk, I was intrigued – and excited. Made using the finest May Rose, nourishing...
Tom Ford Fall 2015 Flawless Face
Tom Ford launches his ‘Fall’ 2015 range in two parts – the first part, the Flawless Face. But let’s call that Autumn Winter 2015 or AW2015, as we’re not in the USA…Flawless Face is a small capsule collection of three new products – Powder Foundation, Skin Illuminating Powder, and Complexion Enhancing...
Superfood Beauty!
We are all aware of superfoods, right? Things like pomegranate, kale, goji berries, quinoa are all, apparently, very good for us. We should be consuming large amounts of them. And perhaps we should be using them in other forms as well. Like in beauty products, for instance! Superfood beauty is feeding...
White Stuff launch Body and Home Range
White Stuff launch their first ever body and home range later this month, just perfect for gift-giving. The fashion brand are know for their prints, and if you are a fan, you’ll be thrilled to know the packaging of the body and home range also carries some fantastic prints. There are three ranges within...
H&M Launch Beauty Range
H&M will soon launch their new, exhaustive beauty range, full of products from haircare, to makeup, to nails, body care and styling. H&M’s sister company, & Other Stories already has a huge beauty range, some of which I have written about before, and now H&M follow suit with a range that will include...
Not Just a Hairspray....
I had a little laugh when this information landed on my desk – all these uses for hairspray. Many of them are familiar, but I can’t say I have ever used hairspray to hold my clothes in place before… Hairdtrade.com have done some research into all the wrird and wonderful things we use the humble can ...
Danielle Romeril for Neutrogena
Irish fashion designer Danielle Romeril has designed some really smart packaging for Neutrogena’s Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit range. I have to admit to not being that au fait with the Dublin designer’s work, but she will present her sixth collection at London Fashion Week this September, so that’s...
Colour Your Way with Boots No7
Today sees the launch of a new colour cosmetics campaign from Boots No7, using contradictory statements about colour and feeling -think ‘serious pink’ and ‘quiet red’. No7 say it’s inspired by the belief that women use cosmetics to bring out how they’re feeling, not to cover themselves up. No7 want ...
Alpha H Absolute Eye Cream SPF15
Here’s one to set the TV timer for – the launch of a brilliant new Alpha H product as part of a QVC TSV (that’s a Today’s Special Value, in QVC-speak!). Let’s deal with that deal first. The date is August 13, and the Alpha H Absolute Eye Cream SPF15 will launch on that date exclusively as part of this...
Neom Treats On The Go
I LOVE these little treats from Neom. If you haven’t heard of the brand before, they’re a lovely natural beauty company based in Harrogate in Yorkshire, and they make gorgeous products, all with a wellbeing, feel-good factor. I have long been a fan of their candles, but this is the first time I had ...
Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy new eyes and lips
There’s a lot going on down Estee Lauder way at the moment – new launches galore! Let’s start this week with four brand new products, for eyes and lips. First up, Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Eye Defining Singles eyeshadows (£20). This is a collection of 27 eyeshadow singles ranging from the softest...
Paul Mitchell's Ultimate Color Repair
Quinoa. What is it with this stuff? Gillian McKeith (her that flaked out on I’m A Celebrity creating some of the best TV ever) extolled the virtues of quinoa years ago on that programme she did on Channel 4 when she looked at people’s poo. Then we all started eating it (the quinoa, not the poo!). Except...
Label.M Honey & Oat Mask
Hair masks. Or masques, depending on brand. They really need to be my friend. If you have coloured wrecked hair like mine, then don’t do as I do (forget to use them!), do as I say, and make hair masks your friend. Start with this new one from label.m, the latest addition to their Honey & Oat range, ...
Bobbi Brown's Telluride Collection
So, in Bobbi Brown’s last collection, Sandy Nudes, there was a Telluride bronzer. I was wondering what on earth the name meant, and well, whadda ya know, it’s a place! Not just any place, but one of Bobbi Brown’s favourite places, a pretty little ski resort in Colorado. And it’s pronounced Tell-You-...
After Sun
What do you use after a day in the sun – particularly if you have overdone it a bit, and are a wee bit pink – or even lobster-red. But let’s hope, after reading our facial suncare, and body suncare posts, you won’t be the latter. After sun is a tricky one. Do you buy a specific after sun or do you just...
Clarins' Charity Bracelet offer
Part of my summer holiday ritual is to stack my wrists with bracelets – friendship bracelets, silver bangles, you know the kind of thing. I don’t wear bracelets much any other time of year, but I love the look in summer. So, when I saw Clarins’ latest online offer, I was all over it. Buy a product, ...
Super Suncare
Okay, I know, we’ve had more rain than sun of late, but there are moments when it shines (today is a good day, yeah?!), and if you are off on holiday soon, you will need this super suncare guide! Following on from last week’s facial suncare post, it’s the turn of your body this week Don’t leave home...
Facial suncare
Gone are the days of just slapping on a bit of your bottle of sunscreen onto your face. If you really care about your skin, then you should invest in a tube or two of dedicated facial suncare when you head off on your holidays. You should probably wear an SPF daily anyway, to keep ageing at bay – those...
Maria Sharapova's Beauty Faves
She might be out of this year’s Wimbledon, but tennis star Maria Sharapova can now make a trip to Harrods to stock up on her favourite beauty brand – SENSAI. The US tennis ace loves this premium Japanese brand, and she and her US based makeup arist, Andie Markoe-Byrne regularly use the products. “Our...
Off to Le Disko with MAC...
MAC have reinvented the disco for this summer – well, okay, they’ve not really, they’ve just added a Le before it, and changed the C to a K. But – they have invented a pretty amazing Studio 54 inspired shimmery, summer make up range! Le Disko, on counters in July, is bang on-trend this summer, with ...
Jo Malone Bath & Body range
Here’s something new and lovely from Jo Malone London – a new bath and body range. There are a few body products from Jo Malone already, but this is a brand new concept – with one lovely new fragrance as well. Hands up who loves having a bath? I do. There’s nothing more relaxing than lying in the hot...
Get festival ready at Boots!
It’s festival season, so that means getting a little festival beauty kit together. For many of us, going to a festival is the perfect excuse to shake off the norm and go a wee bit crazy with our makeup. If that means just changing our lip colour, that’s fine! Festivals mean fun. According to research...
Fake tan Bronzer and Night Cream?!
If you read this blog regularly you will know that I had a bit of a pre-wedding tanning moment, before deciding (again!) that fake tanning was not for me! However, I did really like my Vita Liberata fake tan, and was interested in a couple of their latest products which were sent to me. First up is ...
Flowers & Other Stories ...
My poor garden was battered by the poor spring we had. It currently looks like a bit of an overgrown jungle, and the poor spring flowers didn’t survive those crazy winds we have been having. I’ve not had time to plant any new summer plants. In short it’s a mess. So, I’m going to get my floral treat ...
Happy Father's Day!
It’s time to celebrate the awesomeness of dads this weekend – Sunday is Father’s Day. Dads are great, but sometimes, maybe, they need a little sprucing up in the grooming department, agreed?! So be kind this weekend and gift your dad the gift of grooming with something from our pick of the Father’s ...
Little Miss Makeup Bags
How cute are these Little Miss makeup bags from Truffle Shuffle?! The quirky online store has loads of fantastic products – go have a look. I love a new makeup bag, and these are just very cute and fun. I can’t decide which one I love most. Are you Little Miss Sunshine, Little Miss Chatterbox, Little...
Aveda Thickening Tonic
Apparently, when we claim we want volume in our hair, we actually mean thickness. According to Aveda, and lovely expert Bea Watson, who I shared breakfast with the other week, to chat all things hair, thickening is a real issue for many women. Bea explained that, although we think it’s just volume we...
NEW M.A.C Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation
I’ve been deliberating over what foundation to use on my wedding day for months now. I am doing my own makeup, and whilst I want some coverage, I don’t want to wear much more than my usual base. Bridal makeup is a key part of any bride-to-be’s planning. So many brides choose makeup artists, and completely...
MAC Wash & Dry Summer
MAC’s Wash & Dry Summer collection has been on counter since May, and is a Limited collection – so if you haven’t snapped up bits of it yet, they’re probably sold out already. However, I still wanted to cover it, because it’s so lovely – bright, bold and fun. The campaign images have a retro feel, with...
YSL Saharienne Summer 2015
GORGEOUS.One word to describe this lovely new collection from YSL for summer. I could give you a few more as well – bold, innovative, wearable, trend-setting. You get the idea: I love it! The yellow nail polish is my absolute favourite, and I have had so many compliments when wearing it. But I digress...
Boots launch NEW Protect & Perfect Intense ADVANCED Skincare range
It’s hardly a surprise, given the recent success and validation of their Protect & Perfect Intense ADVANCED Serum, No7 are now upgrading the Protect & Perfect Intense Skincare range to the ADVANCED level too. Consisting of three products – a day cream, a night cream, and an eye cream, it’s targeted ...
Creme de la Mer's Blue Heart
This is one for the hardcore Creme de la Mer fans – their annual charity collector’s pot. If you have £300 and you want a pot of your favourite face cream, and to help celebrate World Ocean Day (today, June 8) and Creme’s ongoing commitment to the ocean, though their Blue Heart philanthropic mission...
MAC Is Beauty
Here’s another new collection from MAC – this one is a beauty. Well, actually it IS Beauty. MAC is Beauty, on counter yesterday, is deliciously delightful! It is full of rich pastels, gorgeous brights, and more shades of Fluidline eyeliner than you’ve ever seen! The campaign imagery is retro kitsch ...
New from Scottish Fine Soaps
New soaps – and a whole lot more – from The Scottish Fine Soaps landed on my desk this week. The company are branching out with a variety of new products in two new collections. You can unwind or uplift with Pink Grapefruit & Argan Oil, and Larch & Lavender. Following on from the 40th anniversary restyle...
Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess 2015 Shimmering Nudes
It’s that time of year again – Bronze Goddess time. I always feel very summery when the classic Estee Lauder summer collection lands on my desk. This year, we’re breaking it down into a beauty collection, and a fragrance collection, as there are three lovely products in the fragrance collection this...
Creme de la Mer Treatment Massage Tool
There has been a HUGE trend in the last couple of years for beauty gadgets. Cleansing brushes are a particular favourite – everyone seems to have one, or at least have tried one. I’m not that much of a gadget fan, but I was impressed with Creme de la Mer’s addition to the trend – their Treatment Massage...
Fake Tan Fan?
During my many years as a beauty writer, I have had many fake tans. Before I was a beauty writer, I had many fake tans. I spent most of my teenage years, in the late 1980s, feeling completely let-down by my peely-wally Scottish skintone, and used anything at all to give me, what I thought, was a golden...
Origins Night-A-Mins Facial Oil
Sticking with Origins, and another new launch – their High Potency Night-A-Mins Skin Refining Oil, which they say is like a ‘sleeping peel’. I am up for any beauty products that work whilst you sleep. In fact, the more I can put on my face before my head hits the pillow, the better! So, I have added...
Creme de la Mer's NEW Reparative Skin Tint
Creme de la Mer fans will love the NEW Reparative Skin Tint SPF30. Creme says it is ‘far beyond a BB, and light years past a CC’. I’d say it was pretty similar to both of those. It gives you a healthy tint, whilst simultaneously working to repair and protect the look of your skin. I’ve used this for...
Estee Lauder's Crowning Glory
Have you had a look at the Estee Lauder blog, the Estee Edit yet? It is lovely. If you are a fan of Estee Lauder, and Aerin Lauder, then I would suggest having a wee look. One of the nicest posts on recently is all about how to create a stunning floral crown, inspired by Lauder’s classic scent, Pleasures...
Tom Ford's Fleur De Portofino
Another new Private Blend from Tom Ford? Yes, please! This one is Fleur De Portofino. It’s the fourth scent in the Neroli Portofino collection, and like the others, it comes in a gorgeous blue glass bottle, this one a delightful pale blue. It’s a floral complement to the eau-fraiche vibrancy of Neroli...
Clarins' Aquatic Treasures for summer
Clarins’ summer collection captures the textures and shades of the sea. It’s not, however, what you might expect, with stereotypical aqua blues, etc, etc. It’s actually much lovelier than that, with gorgeous bronzes and golds to reflect the silky sands, and iridescent shades to mirror pearls on the ...
Stress-Fix with Aveda - new products
Hooray for Aveda Stress-Fix. You know all those stories you hear about weddings being stressful things to plan? Yeah, the ones I dismissed as rubbish. Well, turns out they’re true. I get married one month today and it can’t come quickly enough! I am thrilled to be getting hitched, but if I could drink...
Boots No7 Summer Collection
Summer Collections are coming out thick and fast now, as we wait for the weather to at least pretend it’s summer for a full day or two! Boots No7 Summer Collection isn’t hugely exciting, I have to admit, but it’s very wearable, and if you like muted tones, you will love it. It blends a few bright pops...
Green Lipstick Fairy Tale...
Let’s start the week with a fairytale, shall we? A tale of very different women and their quest for that seemingly elusive, perfect, lipstick. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I will begin… Once upon a time, in a land far far away, there lived a beautiful queen who longed to find the perfect rosebud...
Make Up Forever with Debenhams
New launch alert! Make Up Forever will launch into Debenhams next week, only one store at first, but also available online to those of us outside London. The brand isn’t new, it’s been around for 30 years, offering high-tech formulas – essentially professional products for everyone. I’ve not seen this...
Boots Protect & Perfect really works!
I am always being asked ‘does it work’ by friends and family when I try some new beauty product. It’s hard to give a definitive answer. If you don’t use something regularly, you may not see results. What works for you, might not work for another. But, now, after a 12 month clinical trial, scrutinised...
YSL Summer Splash
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Three ways to describe the new YSL Summer Splash collection, which can be broken down into three simple product launches. All beautifully advertised by the stunning Cara Delevingne. First up, there’s the Rouge Pur Couture Vernis A Levres Pop Water (£26). That’s a new version...
Something Blue?
Imagine if I turned up at my forthcoming nuptials with blue lipstick as my ‘something blue’?! Well, I can if I want, thanks to a fab new mini collection from out-there beauty brand, Illamasqua. To Be Alive is the one of the more quirky collections which Illamasqua like to release now and then. Created...
Liquilift
I’ve tried lots of different products and treatments over the years as a beauty writer. Sheep placenta facial, all manner of fake tans, face creams worth more than £500, every false nail ever invented…you get the idea. I have drawn the line at injectables, any other cosmetic procedures,and this bonkers...
Elizabeth Arden does the 1970s
The 1970s is a BIG fashion trend this summer – think flared jeans, smock tops and macrame bags. And with that 1970s style, you need to have 1970s makeup. So, this is Elizabeth Arden’s guide to how to achieve the look of the decade. The 1970s makeup moved on from the dark eyes and pale lips of the 1970s...
St Tropez tanning tips
St Tropez is a byword for fake tan really, isn’t it? Kate Moss is their current campaign face – and body, of course – and how I wish I could achieve her gorgeous tanned perfection! Let’s be honest, fake tan can go well, or, well, it can go horribly wrong. The latter has happened to me on more than one...
Baby Sleep Pillow Spray
With the new Royal baby’s birth imminent, we’ve all gone a wee bit baby-mad – and so have the brands! This Works have brought out a Limited Edition Baby Sleep Pillow Spray – in pink and blue of course – to celebrate the new Royal baby. The packaging is lovely – that’s the lid in the middle – how cute...
The Body Shop All Eyes On You
If you find yourself in an eyeliner rut, then The Body Shop is here to help! They’ve just launched a whole new range of all sorts of eyeliners for whatever style you like. Whether you prefer a pop of colour or opt for a feline flick, The Body Shop has it covered with their new range. The range consists...
Rimmel's Sweetie Heart Matte Pastel Nails
If you’re anything like me, you’ll have had enough sweet things over Easter to last a lifetime. BUT…I found something very sweet that doesn’t make me feel sick at the thought! Rimmel’s Sweetie Heart Matte Pastel Nail Colour Collection! This little collection of candy-coloured polish has been in stores...
The Estee Edit from Estee Lauder
Of course, you love this beauty blog, but if you want to have a wee look at another one, then we suggest the newly launched ‘The Estée Edit’ from Estee Lauder. This online magazine/blog/resource into all things Estee Lauder past and present launched this week, and is definitely worth a click or two....
Philip Treacy for MAC
Top milliner Philip Treacy has created a simple, yet powerful beauty collection with MAC. Complementing three amazing headwear creations, the make up collection consists of bright colours, and strong lines. The focus is on eyes and lips, and a simple highlighting of the face. The key items are three...
Tom Ford Summer 2015 Soleil Collection
When this new Tom Ford Summer 2015 Soleil Collection landed on my lap last week, I stopped ehat I was doing and sgtarted a mad internet search for a summer holiday. It IS summer, in lovely, sleek, white packaging. It made me think of luxury holidays I can only dream of, but wherever you head this summer...
Jo Malone Lace Bottle Collection
Jo Malone have another Limited Edition collection out, available in May, and it’s looking like a winner for Jo Malone fanatics! The new, bespoke, Lace Bottle Collection features ten of the brand’s most loved scents, in three gorgeous lace designs. Each Lace Bottle is etched with a delicate design by...
Jo Malone Blue Skies & Blossoms
It’s spring – the clocks go forward at the weekend, and we can finally perhaps discard those thick opaque tights! It’s also time to change up our fragrance; ditch that heady winter scent for something lighter, and more spring-like. And Jo Malone’s Blue Skies & Blossoms collection is just perfect. If...
Clarins Radiance-Plus Golden Glow Booster for Body
Clarins launched their Radiance Plus Golden Glow Booster for Face a year ago, and we blogged about it on here. It instantly became a huge hit, and Clarins themselves were taken aback by the instant response the product generated. It finished the year as the number one self-tan product in the premium...
Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Review
Bare Minerals have evolved as a brand SO much from when I first became aware of them. I was never a fan of that classic mineral powder makeup. I always felt it sat in my pores, enhanced my lines and wrinkles, and was drying on my skin. I wasn’t a big fan of their last liquid base launch, BareSkin Foundation...
Living Lalique
So, apparently it’s International Fragrance Day tomorrow – who knew? So, I thought I would share a beautiful new scent that you won’t be able to spray tomorrow, as it’s not on sale until April, but you will want to add to your perfume wardrobe, the minute you see and smell it. Living Lalique is as visually...
Origins Plantscription Anti-Aging Handcream
Origins have had huge success with their Plantscription line, and it’s no surprise – it’s great! I love the facial serum, the eye cream is my current favourite, and the facial oil is brilliant. There are face creams, a cleanser and a treatment lotion in the range as well, and if you are looking for ...
Radley launch fragrance
UK handbag and accessories brand Radley have moved into the beauty market with the launch of a signature fragrance and bodycare range. Radley London, which launched this week is made in England, and has been developed by renowned perfumer Azzi Glasser, and brought to the market by the Floris group, ...
DKNY Delicious Sorbet Delights
They just keep coming up with new versions of their best-selling apples at DKNY, don’t they? The latest incarnation of their Delicious fragrance is the DKNY Delicious Delights, inspired by sweet sorbet treats. We’re talking sorbet, sweet sprinkles, you get their idea. In the pink corner, it’s Fruity...
Origins Original Skin
Apparently, being 25 isn’t that great. You fall in the Millennials demographic, or Generation Y, and, it is, apparently, the most stressed-out demographic in history. Finally a reason to be glad to be old! Anyway, why am I rambling on about Millennials, Generation Y and being 25? Well, it’s all about...
Blonde like Kim Kardashian?
So, it wasn’t Kim’s backside that broke the internet, in the end – it was her hair. Yep, it seems that even in 2015, someone bleaching their dark hair blonde is, well, quite frankly, AMAZING. But it’s not really, is it? In these modern times we live in, those hairdressers can work magic. Although, granted...
Urban Decay Spring 2015
It’s been a while since I’ve seen Urban Decay makeup, so it was good to get my hands on their Spring launches (which actually launched at the end of January). I’m not a sheer lipstick fan, and I don’t normally do nudes, but, when I experiemented with a very dark smoky eye last week – see more here –...
Fifty Shades of Grey beauty
Yes, that movie is released this weekend! Finally, the Fifty Shades of Grey fans get to see Christian Grey on the big screen. And it gives us an excuse to explore a much-maligned shade – grey! Grey is a great shade in beauty. Makes a brilliant base for nail art, gives excellent smoky eyes, and, well...
Estee Lauder Pure Envy Shine Sculpting Lipstick
Spring summer beauty means sheer lips, agreed? There seems to be a sort of unwritten rule somewhere that when the sun comes out (even just a wee bit) we should all forgo our matte lipsticks for something sheer. I’m not buying that as a ‘must-do’ beauty rule, written or not. I love a good matte too much...
Tom Ford Spring 2015 Colour Collection
Tom Ford is, of course, first and foremost, a fashion designer. So, his Spring Colour Collection in beauty has strong links to his SS15 clothes collection. Full of dark leathers, smoky dirty eyes on the models, messy grungey rock-chic hair, and dark, dark, dark shades, with hints of metallics, his Spring...
Do or Dye Hair Academy tonight!
Ever fancied being a hairdresser? Then you must tune into BBC One Scotland tonight at 7.30pm for Do or Dye Hair Academy. Filmed at Glasgow salon group Rainbow Room International’s hair academy, it’s a brilliant insight into the life of a trainee hairdresser. Meet Binky, Angel, Alijah, Austin and Syd...
Bobbi Brown launches Ask Bobbi App
Bobbi Brown has launched the new ASK Bobbi App, and it’s pretty good if you’re a big beauty fan. I’ve had a play around with it, and there’s a lot you can do. Discover recommended products, expert advice, how-to’s and you can shop straight from the App, via bobbibrown.co.uk. Features on the App include...
How much is your makeup bag worth?
A new survey shows that the average British woman carries £231 worth of cosmetics in her makeup bag. Do you think you carry that much? The research by online hair and beauty retailer Hairtrade.com quizzed 640 women about the products in their makeup bag, and how much they paid for them. It all added...
Fake Freckles from TopShop
I’m not entirely sure about this latest beauty trend – fake freckles! It’s not the first time I’ve heard of it, and I am sure for catwalk shows, if the look requires freckled faces, then it can look great. But are you really going to pencil on some freckles and go out like that? TopShop think so and...
Holly Willoughby for Garnier
Holly Willoughby has been announced as the latest Garnier brand spokesperson. The pregnant TV star’s first campaign – for Garnier Nutrisse Pearly Blonde – will air nationwide from July 4. Almost a third of UK women are blonde, highlighting that British women have a long-standing love affair with blonde...
Stocking Filler of the Week!
You still have time to rush our and get a few last minute bits and bobs if you need to, so here’s a final Stocking Filler of the Week for inspiration. Not strictly beauty gifts, but how gorgeous would all of these be on your boudoir dressing table, or bathroom shelf? All from the Boots Vintage Collection...
Stocking Filler of the Week - Festive lip balms!
So, in the run-up to Christmas, I will be bringing you my Stocking Filler of the Week in place of my Beauty Bargain. This week it’s from Marks and Spencer. How cute are these festive character lip balms from Marks and Spencer? And at just £2.50 you can grab all three if you like, or buy one for all ...
Stocking Filler of the Week!
So, in the run-up to Christmas, I will be bringing you my Stocking Filler of the Week in place of my Beauty Bargain. This week it’s from Lush. This week we’re loving Lush gift Ho Ho Ho. It’s a reworking of a gift from last year whose name, Secret Santa, has now been given to a new bath bomb. Lush kept...
Stocking Filler of the Week!
So, in the run-up to Christmas, I will be bringing you my Stocking Filler of the Week in place of my Beauty Bargain. This week it’s from The Body Shop. How cute are these festive sponges? So cute, and absolutely perfect stocking fillers, for mums, dads, kids, grans – the whole family really! I’m buying...
Beauty Bargain of the Week - Sequin makeup bag
We can all spend a fortune on beauty products, but we don’t need to. Every week, I’m going to bring you my ‘Beauty Bargain of the Week‘ – a product I’ve used, and would recommend, and that, on most occasions, costs less than a fiver! What’s not to like! We’ve been all about the shimmer and shine for...
Clarins and The Sanctuary Spa Beauty Bargains at Boots
There a couple of good reasons to get down to Boots today – the Clarins Offer of the Week, and this week’s Boots ‘Star Gift Offer’. The offer of the week from Clarins, starting today and exclusive to Boots, runs until the 28th. The Face & Body Care MustHaves Collection – or Beauty Boosters – has some...
Beauty Bargain of the Week - Christmas jumper nails!
We can all spend a fortune on beauty products, but we don’t need to. Every week, I’m going to bring you my ‘Beauty Bargain of the Week‘ – a product I’ve used, and would recommend, and that, on most occasions, costs less than a fiver! What’s not to like! There are Christmas jumpers everywhere just now...
Beauty Bargain of the Week - Miss Sporty
We can all spend a fortune on beauty products, but we don’t need to. Every week, I’m going to bring you my ‘Beauty Bargain of the Week‘ – a product I’ve used, and would recommend, and that, on most occasions, costs less than a fiver! What’s not to like! A few new bits and bobs from Miss Sporty landed...
British Women Feel Most Beautiful at 29
According to recent research we women in the UK feel at our most beautiful aged 29. That year before we hit the big 3-0 is when we think we look her best. My dad used to tell me a tale of a boss of his who once asked him how old he was, and upon my dad’s response of 29, stated that 29 was a ‘good age...
Beauty Bargain of the Week - M&S Nail Deal
We can all spend a fortune on beauty products, but we don’t need to. Every week, I’m going to bring you my ‘Beauty Bargain of the Week‘ – a product I’ve used, and would recommend, and that, on most occasions, costs less than a fiver! What’s not to like! I was lucky enough to have a guided tour of a ...
Model's Own and Midori -Beauty Bargain
We can all spend a fortune on beauty products, but we don’t need to. Every week, I’m going to bring you my ‘Beauty Bargain of the Week‘ – a product I’ve used, and would recommend, and that, on most occasions, costs less than a fiver! What’s not to like! Okay, so if this set was less than £15 it would...
Boots Advent Calendar - Beauty Bargain of the Week
We can all spend a fortune on beauty products, but we don’t need to. Every week, I’m going to bring you my ‘Beauty Bargain of the Week‘ – a product I’ve used, and would recommend, and that, on most occasions, costs less than a fiver! What’s not to like! This weeks Beauty Bargain is the first ever beauty...
Beauty Bargain of the Week - Giles Deacon for Nivea Soft
We can all spend a fortune on beauty products, but we don’t need to. Every week, I’m going to bring you my ‘Beauty Bargain of the Week‘ – a product I’ve used, and would recommend, and that, on most occasions, costs less than a fiver! What’s not to like! So, of course it’s the product that’s inside the...
Beauty Bargain - Wow Brows and Dual Liners from Maybelline
We can all spend a fortune on beauty products, but we don’t need to. Every week, I’m going to bring you my ‘Beauty Bargain of the Week‘ – a product I’ve used, and would recommend, and that, on most occasions, costs less than a fiver! What’s not to like! This week’s Beauty Bargain of the Week is actually...
Beauty Bargain of the Week - Models Own Velvet Goth Collection
We can all spend a fortune on beauty products, but we don’t need to. Every week, I’m going to bring you my ‘Beauty Bargain of the Week‘ – a product I’ve used, and would recommend, and that, on most occasions, costs less than a fiver! What’s not to like! I am in LOVE with this week’s Beauty Bargain. ...
Beauty Bargain of the Week - Dove Shower creams
We can all spend a fortune on beauty products, but we don’t need to. Every week, I’m going to bring you my ‘Beauty Bargain of the Week‘ – a product I’ve used, and would recommend, and that, on most occasions, costs less than a fiver! What’s not to like! This week I have been trying out some lovely Dove...
Beauty Bargain of the Week - Real Techniques
We can all spend a fortune on beauty products, but we don’t need to. Every week, I’m going to bring you my ‘Beauty Bargain of the Week‘ – a product I’ve used, and would recommend, and that, on most occasions, costs less than a fiver! What’s not to like! So, yesterday on here, I was banging on about...
Beauty Bargain of the Week -Radox
We can all spend a fortune on beauty products, but we don’t need to. Every week, I’m going to bring you my ‘Beauty Bargain of the Week‘ – a product I’ve used, and would recommend, and that, on most occasions, costs less than a fiver! What’s not to like! It’s been a LONG week – the first back at work...
Beauty Bargain of the Week - L'Oreal Elvive Serum
We can all spend a fortune on beauty products, but we don’t need to. Every week, I’m going to bring you my ‘Beauty Bargain of the Week‘ – a product I’ve used, and would recommend, and that, on most occasions, costs less than a fiver! What’s not to like! I’m quite fussy about my hair oils and hair serums...
The Body Shop Colour Crush Lipstick - Beauty Bargain of the Week
We can all spend a fortune on beauty products, but we don’t need to. Every week, I’m going to bring you my ‘Beauty Bargain of the Week‘ – a product I’ve used, and would recommend, and that, on most occasions, costs less than a fiver! What’s not to like! This week’s Beauty Bargain is £10 which I guess...