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Hello Kitty Liberty of London makeup bag and a ramble

I briefy touched upon the Liberty Of London Hello Kitty collab when I was previewing the offerings that Boots has for Christmas 2012, and now I have a MUCH better image of the adorable Liberty Of London Hello Kitty toiletry bag to show you. I love how the cute kitty is hiding in the Liberty of London print, and the price (around £10 / $13 ) is very accessible, which makes it a win win all round.

The focus of this blog is shifting away from standard news and reviews and towards a focus on beautiful adorable objects and imagery that elicits smiles, so I figured this sweet makeup bag was a good way to start implementing this new direction. I’m open to suggestions and critique in comments or by Tweets, but you’ll start to see a few changes over the next few weeks.

The reasons behind this are varied; my original desire for a beauty/style blog was to share my love of pretty things and products and offer a sneak behind the scenes view into my world. There are a LOT of other blogs that also do this, and many of them have DSLR camera skills that far surpass mine. Whilst I still believe there is a place for sneak peek photos and reviews of products, I also think that I want to celebrate more of the loveliness the world has to offer. Sure, not everyone might be able to buy ultra cute Korean cosmetics or wear ridiculous but amazing panda heels, but it’s OK to adore them and think WTF at the same time.

I’m addicted to beauty in ALL its forms, and I’m going to try and reflect that more in future. xo

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Buy now or forever hold your peace: Last of the summer styles

The sun might be shining now, but winter is knocking on the door. The weather isn’t exactly a good indicator of the UK’s changing seasons – did we even have summer? – but fashion certainly is. Before we’ve even enjoyed the August bank holiday fashion stores are already revealing their cards; winter fashion looks hot to trot. It’s rich and opulent, gothic and grungy, feminine but androgynous, moody but bold – in sum it is something to get excited about.

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Murad Skin Perfecting primer Dewy Finish Review

I’ma big fan of using primers to keep my foundation in place, and I knew I was going to get something special when I tried the Murad Skin Perfecting primer Dewy Finish. I’m a big fan of the dewy look, but there’s a fine line between oil slick and a gentle glow, so I was prepared for the worst.

Murad is a brand I generally love- I love their philosophy and that they look after you from the inside out, and I was curious to see if this primer would live up to the hype.

It only came in one colour which was a little disconcerting as everyone is so different, but the shade was really flattering to my skin- maybe their ‘universal shade’ motto makes sense after all. I was also pleased that this was oil free, as oil is something I worry about (breakout city here!).

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Miss Selfridge Eye Shadow cream pot : Blast from past

I was going through my makeup collection the other day and stumbled upon a product so old they don’t make it anymore. And the brand doesn’t exist. And people born after 1996 will probably never have heard of this. This is Miss Selfridge own brand makeup, purchased appoximately 1995, and combines 4 metallic cream shadows in a stacking pot. I had to have a little play- on my hand, not my face!- before discarding it, and I was amazed at the memories it brought back.

Nights dancing in London clubs, practicing using liquid eyeliner for the first time, sticking glitter on over the cream for what I thought was a ‘cool’ look; makeup has so many stories and memories and this little pot brought up so much. The colours were still fairly vibrant, and though I won’t risk using it, I admired the swatches on my hand. Remember when Miss S used that heart design?

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Body Oil Bliss: The best body oils I use

I love body oils. Like LOVE in actual capitals, unashamedly Comic Sans about them. I love how they feel on my skin, all soft and glistening and slidey, I LOVE how they make my limbs look semi photoshopped and make my trout face more believable and I love how I feel like a pornstar as my slick legs and torso invite people to slide up and down me (is that going too far?)

I have tried numeorus body oils and there are a few things I have learnt;

• Number One: Apply to slightly dry skin as wet skin dilutes the oil and leaves puddles on the floor.
• Number Two: Do NOT by any means dress for at least 10 minutes- body oil stains are HARD to wash out of T-shirts.

That’s all- and these are my current favourites.

Pevonia Botanical Dry Oil Body Moisturizer (buy it here)

Beloved by people who frequent spas, this amazing oil goes on ina  fine mist and absorbs quickly.Vitamin A, E and D make your skin feel supersoft and it feels lush under your fingers- think baby oil but 100x better.

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Dr Jart Premium BB Cream SPF40 Review

In hot weather a sun cream becomes essential, but many of them leave my skin looking blotchy and clogging my pores. I was really excited ti try the Dr Jart Beauty Balm, as not only does it have an SPF40 but it’s also full of skin saving properties, so would hopefully care for my skin while protevting it. The addition os a tint was also great- could this be my summer go to BB cream?

Dr Jart BB creams are originally from Korea but they are now making waves in the USA and the UK as people become aware of just how good they are, and I was sent the Dr Jart Premium BB cream to try. There are a few varieties in this range, and mine was the Anti Ageing version, which meant that it was quite rich- intended to be good for dry skin. The BB cream had a light almost milky consistency and blended it in well. As it was so milky I had to make sure I didn’t dispense too much, as the first time I tried it I ended up with sticky hands.

The balm sinks in nicely and worked really well with my skintone. I was a little hesitant about if it would suit me, as a one size fits all cream seems insane, but they manage this by having it be really sheer, so it’s not too noticeable. The coverage is REALLY light, so I generally put a foundation on top, as itdodn’t feel enough to last me through the day. The finish was very dewy which i did like as it gave my face a pretty soft focus glow and I LOVED that it was SPF40 as I felt really protected.

I’d be tempted to try some of Dr Jart’s other BB creams to see if they would work well for me- the ‘Oily Water Fuse SPF25 – ideal for those aged 20-35s’ sounds like it might be a better fit for my age group, but the SPF isn’t as high. Overall, I felt really portected wearing this, it was a great base for my everyday makeup, and I didn’t get any breakouts!

£24 from Boots or around $33 elsewhere.

Available at Boots

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MAC Nail range to launch 31 shades!

MAC Cosmetics have just released some exciting news for nail varnish fans. They generally release on trend colours with every makeup collection, but now the are launching a PERMANENT  nail varnish range, so you’ll always be able to get hold of your fave shade without resorting to eBay. The brand new range features a whopping 31 colours and 3 finishes and they’ll be £10 / $13 each from launch.

The colour selection is really lush as they’ve covered a lot fo ground here- many of the shades match popular lipsticks (example: the cult classic MAC Morange) and they have a range of glitters, shimmers and creams.

Here’s the full rundown for the real polish addicts.

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24 Faubourg Hermes scent review

I have a confession to make- I’ve never been much of a Hermes fan. I know that’s probably a good thing considering the price but whilst other’s go dreamy eyes over Birkin’s I’ve always had more of a soft spot for Chloe and Balenciaga.

When I first received  the Hermes Faubourg 24 perfume (thanks Dad!) I was a little unsure. Sure, the box looked lovely- sharp edges of yellow and orange, and the bottle itself was held in an amazing gold embossed design, but would I actually LIKE the scent? The portable container was pretty heavy, though I did think that it gave the bottle a weighty luxury quality- and it was refillable!

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Beauty Blogging Link Love Late July 2012

Phyrra shares her picks for the Best WordPress Plugins for Beauty Bloggers.

Ever wanted to know how to make a cheap and simple palette? Check out Midnight Violets straightforward DIY post!

Hate purchasing without a lip swatch? Check out the Revlon Balm Stain megapost on My Lips But Better.

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed travels all the way to Germany to polish up her nails for the fall – okay, maybe not but she does swatch some of the OPI Germany Fall/Winter 2012 collection so check it out!

Benefit Cosmetics is kicking class, with a slew of awesome new palettes. Check out the details, over at Krasey Beauty.

Short and wimpy lashes everywhere can celebrate–Find out how Angela’s lashes become sky-high with Marcelle Xtension Plus mascara on Do Want Makeup.

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Butter London Heavy Medal Nail Collection

The London 2012 Olympics have started and are watched worldwide with awe. look at those bodies, those feats, those skills- the athletes seem superhuman in some of the stunts they are performing.

butter LONDON has created an Olympic Medal Metallic Nail Lacquer Trio  (not affiliated) to help you celebrate with patriotic talons and the colours they have chosen reflect the winning spirit and medal colours, so they aren’t country specific. I’ve been a bit bored of seeing all the red, white and blue packs come out, so this stylish gold, silver and bronze set is a nice relief for my eyes!

All Butter London shades have super cute names, and these have a British spin;The Full Monty, Diamond Geezer and The Old Bill! All colours are ultra wearable, and I’m drooling over that silver- winning isn’t everything remember!