Posted | 0 Comments

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.

Posted | 0 Comments

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!

Posted | 0 Comments

Undergreen White and Black perfume

I’m a little bit of a perfume addict, so I was very interested to read all about the Black and White perfume offerings from Undergreen. First launched in April, I’ve been vaguely aware of them for a while, but I only recently got around to sniffing them, and then I was hooked.

Yes, they have a lot of arty conceptual stuff going for them, such as their collab with perfumer Fabrice Oliveri and they’re created using a trademarked process called  Chimie Naturelle® which lets them be 100% natural. These words aside, what I’m actually interested in is the scent- the marketing waffle is cool, but it doesn’t make me love a perfume, and sometimes it even turns me off it before I sniff as nothing needs to be that pretentious. However, I’ve given Undergreen the benefit of a clear mind and find that I like what they’ve done.

Posted | 0 Comments

Braces Faces are desirable (and deadly!)

Braces used to be the ultimate in teen stigma, but threy’ve recently had a comeback, and it’s now seen as cool to have a brace face. This concept is utterly alien to me (a reccessive bite makes braces the DEVIL) but I promise you this is true- if only in the EAST. Howwever, due to the soaring costs of braces in places like Thaildn and China is has become a badge of honour- wealth if you will, to be seen with a barec face, the sartroial equivalent of a Chanel handbag for the teeth.

You can now get braces in a myriad of colour combos, and styles vary from little flowers to butterflies and Mickey Mouse ears pressed onto your teeth. Not my sort of thing admittedly, but a cute way to take the stigma out of teeth alignment, and pretty kawaii in its own quirky way.

The problem now occurs when the poorer kids try to emulate this trend- but they can’t afford the £500/ $700+ pricesfr the real deal. This has sparked a wave of FAKE braces, and these aren’t the best for your mouth health. Remember that your mouth is a hotbed of germs and bacteria and if something unsanitary goes int here, the outcome can be bad. There has been a wave of brace infections, one causing a death in Thailand due to a thyroid infection it caused!

Thailand has always been uber strict on some things, and they’ve outlawed fake fashion braces- where selling them can get you 6 months in the slammer.

Posted | 0 Comments

Beauty Moments to treasure

The last post I did sharing about beautiful images that make me smile was so popular that I’m going to continue with more beautyspiration pictures. here are a few that capture my heart today. Not all beauty images need to around makeup- happiness can be taken from pretty desserts, stunning landscapes and gorgeous cakes. Here are a few images that have made me feel good lately!

Something about this shot makes me smile- the balloons, the pink dress, the desert- looks amazing!

Posted | 0 Comments

Etude House Beauty Blender dupe

My recent dabble with Korean beauty products has no doubt ended in a lifelong obsession as everything I picked up whilst in Seoul has ended up being amazing. The latest item I want to share is this cute pink foundation blending sponge, packed in an adorable box which makes it look Heidi-esuqe. It also resembles something else…dum dee dah- THE BEAUTY BLENDER

Etude House is quickly becoming my favourite of the various Korean Beauty Brands I have tried, and I’m completely in love with this adorable blending sponge. It’s round, tapered and has a great latex texture.. and yes, it is JUST LIKE THE EXPENSIVE BEAUTY BLENDER which retails for over $20 / £15- and this was £1 /$2. It’s incredible- the price is a fraction of that of the famous beauty blender and this is every bit as good.

Posted | 0 Comments

Guam Seaweed Mud from Urban Retreat

Summer is in the air, and I’ve been thinking about how I’m going to feel beach wise. I don’t want to start some crazy diet, but I like the idea of feeling a little more comfortable in my smalls, so a mud wrap sounds like a good solution. The one in question is the Guam Cellulite Seaweed Mud which is full of ingredients designed to firm the skin and make it look super smooth and bright.

The Guam Mud comes in an ENORMOUS BOX, which was a little off putting, more so when I discovered an enormous tub of MUD inside it. Yes, that should have been a no brainer but it was still disconcerting.

Posted | 0 Comments

Sera Nails Seoul Nail Art Salon Review

South Korea is known for being big on the nail art scene. so when I visited Seoul I knew I had to get something crazy. I was wandering around the nail bar area in Cheongdam-dong when we fell across Sera by Sera Nail Art salon, and was inexplicably drawn inside (OK< it was the pinkness and Barbie windows that did it).

The salon looked like Barbie had thrown up, had five kids and then intermarried- it was pink everywhere, from the walls to the toilet, and Barbie dolls lined the shelves in a variety of poses. The salon even featured an area where you could buy clothes and try them on in a barbie-esque changing room.

Posted | 0 Comments

Neom Organics Serenity Candle Review

Readers know that I like nothing better than a good book, a warm bubble bath and a lightly scented candle, and NEOM just so happens to be one of my favourite candle brands. perhaps it’s the fine quality vegetable wax they use, or maybe its their use of essential oil rather than synthetic fragrances, but wither way they are de-licious and delightful, and I was thrilled to pick up a new scent from them recently.

Called NEOM Serenity it combines two of my favourite things in the world, Vanilla and candles (oh and sandalwood) and smells really sweet with a warm oak base. NEOM are master candle makers, so the scent actually lingers in the air for far longer than you’d expect and it smells amazing, like a waft of summer and funtimes all round into one small candle.

The packaging is exquisite and I love the small box it is presented in (you know I’m using this for jewellery now), and the mini travel version I had is well priced- £15- and a great way to intro the range if you’re wary of new brands.

Posted | 0 Comments

Beauty Blogging Link Love July 2012 part 2

Phyrra is in love with the cult product inspired by beauty balm creams, Illamasqua Skin Base! She compares shades 1, 2, 4, and Au and dazzles you with their versatility!

Say hello to summer. Fleurissante has swatched the new Dior Diorskin Nude Tan bronzers.

Gouldylox finds a mascara that may permanently end her search for the perfect mascara.

Looking for a product that’ll create a smokey eye in under ten seconds? Check out Rae’s review of the Sephora Smoky Kohl Eyeliner on theNotice to see if it fits the bill.

Addicted to Beauty shares her Sleek MakeUP palette collection – be prepared for palette overload!

Shannon at Lipstick Musings is captivated by the Limited Edition Ray of Light Nail Lacquer from Deborah Lippmann. Move quickly, because it will disappear soon!