Friday Favourite: Metallic Croc Effect

After my previous post on Autumnal Nail Shades, I experimented using two together. Barry M Nail Paint in 343 Burgundy Croc and Rimmel London Metal Rush in 80 Purple Reign. Both of these were two of my favourites from the selection and when paired together they create a stunning nail for this season. Metallics are everywhere at the moment and the Rimmel polish reflects that with it's electric purple pop of colour. The result with a coat of the Barry M Croc Effect on top is amazing, with a beautiful texture and two autumnal colours that work perfectly together with just the right amount of contrast.  The metallic purple peeks through the berry toned burgundy underneath the cracks formed by the Croc Effect polish and once finished with a slick of my favourite top coat, Sally Hansen's Mega Shine, you have a unique nail polish collaboration that will ad a pop of colour to the dull tones of Autumn clothing! I've worn this pair for a solid week without a single chip, perfection!

Review: Sara Happ Lip Scrub

I'm sure many of you have heard of Sara Happ's infamous Lip Scrubs and The Lip Slip; amazing luxurious treats for you lips which are hugely popular with many celebrities including Rachel Zoe, Reece Witherspoon and Gwyneth Paltrow to name a few. I always had my eye on her products but couldn't justify the hefty price tag that comes with them. This all changed when I tried the Blood Orange lip scrub that I added to my basket on a whim while stocking up at Beautybay.com. I'd heard such great things about these scrubs that it had a lot to live up to when it arrived, but it promised a result and it definitely delivered. It buffed away all the dry, chapped skin from my lips, leaving them soft and supple and most of all really plump and healthy looking.

The limited edition Blood Orange flavour of this cult favourite is enriched with moisturising jojoba and grape seed oils and naturally flavoured with blood orange extract. All of Sara Happ's lip scrubs smell and taste amazing so if you're anything like me, you will undoubtably want to be scrubbing them all day! I tend to use mine as part of my morning routine, after washing my face, leaving my lips prepped for whatever makeup I decided to wear that day. I absolutely adore the bright pink blood orange lip scrub with it's delicious citrus scent but am tempted to purchase the Green Apple lip scrub next because I imagine it can't get much better than the sweet, crisp apply freshness.

The entire range of Sara Happ products are available at Beautybay.com with the lip scrubs retailing at £19. A little goes a long way with this product so it lasts a long time...worth the investment if you want beautifully soft lips!

Autumnal Nail Shades

I have an excessive nail polish collection but the strong majority of the polishes I own are darker shades, my favourites being the vampy plums and almost blacks. While I do love the brights and pastels of Summer, there is something about the deep rich shades that return every Autumn and Winter that I'm drawn to, so I thought I would head to Boots & Superdrug to scout out ten of my favourite shades that I'll be wearing this season. I've chosen from a variety of brands and tried to include different tones and finishes so I hope you enjoy my autumnal nail picks!

From left to right:
Maxfactor Max Effect in 03 Red Bronze -  A gorgeous metallic bronze, reminds me of the falling leaves of Autumn.

Models Own in Red n Black - One of the aforementioned almost blacks, with a very slight tint of red.

Maybelline Forever Strong Pro in 786 Taupe Couture -  A dark grey toned taupe, perfect neutral nail for Autumn.

Barry M Nail Paint in 327 Magnetic Burgundy - A beautiful burgundy colour polish, reacting to the magnet with stripes of pink.

Barry M Nail Paint in 433 Magnetic Moon Dust - Similar effect with the magnet, resulting in gold and silver stripes, another great metallic shade for Autumn/Winter..would look great at Christmas.

Barry M Nail Paint in 327 Magnetic Burgundy. This is definitely one of my favourite shades from my selection, I love the berry tones and the stripes the magnet creates. Makes a change to plain block colour nails and is just as easy as a quick manicure.

From left to right: (excuse the nasty little cut on my first finger!)
Barry M Nail Paint in 343 Burgundy Croc - Another great polish from Barry M with a textured finish in a great vampy colour for Autumn.

Models Own Pro in Limited Edition 043 Pinky Grey - It's not all doom and gloom! This is a great neutral nail colour and is exactly what it says on the tin -  pinky grey! Slightly lilac I think, and great for days when you want to perk up a dark Autumnal outfit with a lighter colour nail. I'm finding this is the perfect transition colour from Summer to Autumn.

Essie Sole Mate - Very similar to Models Own Black n Red but much more red so looks like a dark burgundy on the nail rather than almost black.

No7 Stay Perfect in Thunderstorm - The photo does this colour no justice, it looks a lot more dark and black than it actually is (I'm sorry!) It's similar to Maybelline's Taupe Couture because of it's grey neutral shade but has a slightly blue/purple undertone which I really love.

Rimmel London Metal Rush in 80 Purple Reign - This has to be another of my favourites, it definitely steals the show. The Metal Rush polishes are part of Rimmel's AW12 collection and from the four polishes on offer, this one stood out. I just adore the bright purple metallic shade and think it will work well to brighten up an Autumn outfit.

Best of the bunch: Barry M's Burgundy Croc is a polish like no other. I've seen the crackle effects been done by so many brands and quite frankly, I'm tired of it! This is a new twist on things and yes, it does still crackle like the others but the cracks are more precise and it definitely does look very similar to a Crocodile skin. I used this over Maybelline Taupe Couture as to not detract from the effect but I'm thinking of trying it will the Rimmel Metal Rush polish next to see how that contrast works. When finished with a slick of Sally Hansen's Mega Shine, it truly does mimic that of a patent mock-croc bag. Love it!

So there you have it, my nail polish picks for Autumn. Let me know if you'll be sporting any of these yourself this season!

September Empties

There's something about empties posts that I love. Hauling new items is one thing, but using up a whole product and deciding whether it's worthy of repurchasing again or best to try something new is somehow more satisfying for me. I think it's because it's not just a first impression of a product after having just bought it, but instead you've emptied it, so you've used it long enough to gain a real impression and experience of the product to able a fair review. These are the products I've finished this month; for each one I'll tell you a little bit about what I think of it.

I got Soap & Glory's Foam Call as part of a 3 for 2 deal in Boots and I've loved the other products I've tried from the brand so I was expecting big things. And as always, Soap & Glory delivered. I love this body wash. When used with my shower puff it really does foam up and the scent is like nothing I've smelt before; it's their new Fruitigo fragrance and it smells so fresh and zingy, a great wake up call in the morning. I don't find it super moisturising but it doesn't dry out my skin and I rely on my body butters to moisturise anyway so I'll definitely be repurchasing this!

TIGI Bed Head Headrush shine spray was a gift a while back and I used it religiously before forgetting about it, but after recently rediscovering it I'm not sure what all the fuss was about before really. It does smell amazing but I don't notice much of a shine in my hair after using it so this was just a case of using it up really, personally I think there are better shine treatments on the market.

I could not live without Batiste dry shampoo. The amount of times I have used it to rescue a bad hair day and give it some volume and oomph or simply just to freshen up my hair between washes, it truly is a live safer! I've been through a ridiculous amount of these before and will continue repurchasing because for me Batiste works best. I've tried other dry shampoos but nothing lives up to this one for me - and it comes in an amazing range of scents..I'm currently loving this cherry one :)

Chanel Vitalumière Aqua compact, now for me this is a love/hate product. I absolutely adore the liquid version of this foundation and it makes my skin look flawless without it being thick and cakey, so naturally when it got released in compact form I snapped it up. Unfortunately it just doesn't work the same for me and it's a bit of a cheat empty really because I actually passed it on to my mum to use up. She loves it and it looks amazing on her skin but unlike me, she has dry/normal skin. I'll definitely be sticking to the liquid Vitalumière Aqua but I think I'll have to consider buying a refill for my mum for Christmas (shhh!)

I think this is the third bottle of Caudalie Beauty Elixir I've been through. Mainly because I buy the small 30ml size for it's practical handbag friendly size to spritz when I need freshening up. I love this product, using it as part of my daily makeup routine acting as a toner before application and a setting spray once finished. It's so refreshing and will remain a staple in my makeup bag for a while I think.

Bare Minerals Pure Transformation night treatment was a risky purchase for me because I really wasn't sure how going to bed with what was effectively mineral powder makeup on would benefit my skin. But to my surprise it worked a treat and I really noticed a difference in my skin with it looking clearer and brighter after using it daily for a couple of weeks. I used it religiously until it finished but don't think I'll repurchase because I just can't justify it's £45 price tag. I think sticking to mineral foundation (see my post on it here) is enough for my skin for now.

Lastly my beloved Soap & Glory Hand Food which is probably one of the best hand creams I've used. It smells ah-may-zing and really does its job well. I've moved on to another favourite hand cream of mine by L'Occitaine now purely for a change but will definitely go back to this at some point (I have one in stock ready!)

Friday Favourite: Body Shop Peach Body Butter

This skincare treat needs no introduction but for those of you who aren't familiar with The Body Shop's infamous body butters, they are award winning gorgeous rich moisturisers for the body in a range of delicious smells. The different smells have their own collection of lighter body lotions, shower gels and body scrubs. The latest collection on offer is Vineyard Peach and I assure you now, it is heavenly. Containing wild peach extract and Mediterranean peach kernel oil, I assumed it would be very Summery because of the fruity fresh scent but it is so mouth-watering that I would happily wear it all year round. I normally opt for the body lotions in the Summer as I tend to find them lighter in the warmer months, but in the Winter I prefer to indulge in the richer body butters which provide more moisture. Hurry over to the Body Shop now to take advantage of their buy more save more offer!

Bare Minerals vs. Laura Mercier

My current foundation favourite at the moment is Laura Mercier Mineral Powder. I have combination/oily skin and I need coverage mostly for acne scarring now, but still get a few blemishes and active breakouts. Having previously sworn by Bare Minerals, I have now discovered other mineral foundations on the market and think these two are the best I've tried.

Since using mineral foundation, my skin has improved dramatically. I used to have a constant battle with breakouts and there was rarely a day where I didn't have at least one, but it's the opposite now and I only have the odd one or two now and again. This is because these powders don't clog up and sit in your pores like normal foundations do, and instead are good for your skin because of the minerals themselves, especially the Zinc, known to help skin fight acne. Not only has my blemish-prone skin improved, but so has my skin tone. It is less irritated and red and instead much more even.

I was sceptical when I first experimented with mineral foundation, not believing it could provide enough coverage for me because it's really just a powder...but these foundations are so buildable and buff into the skin beautifully with the complementing brushes so you can have a light coverage or if you need more, simply buff more into the skin. I also thought they would look really matte on the skin, but they still give a slight dewy glow leaving your skin looking healthy and fresh. They also both have SPF 15..what more could you want?!

When it comes to choosing between these two (please bare in mind these are just my personal favourites, there are others on the market) I prefer Laura Mercier. For me, I find it is a better colour match for my skin (I am 03 Real Sand) and you get a lot more product for your money. I also find the Laura Mercier brush is a lot less coarse than the Bare Minerals ones (although the Bare Minerals concealer brush is fantastic for targeting blemishes for a little more coverage).

However, the Bare Minerals does still stand it's ground. If you buy the Get Started Kit you get three brushes, two shades of foundation, a bronzer and a mineral veil (which claims to give a flawless finish) which is fantastic but again, I'm not keen on the colours for my skin tone and find their brushes too harsh since discovering Laura Mercier. Bare Minerals do offer a great range of colours though, including eyeshadows, blushes and even their new solid minerals in the READY range so it's worth experimenting with different brands and seeing which minerals work best for you! Let me know what mineral foundation you prefer...I'd love some new recommendations!

CHANEL Loveliness

So here's what was hidden inside the beautiful Chanel packaging in my last post. The nail polish in Infidèle is a gorgeous plumy pink, a perfect transition shade from Summer to Autumn and Winter. I'm not a massive fan of Chanel polishes for their lasting power, as they are known to chip more than others but I just can't resist all their stunning shades and glossy finishes. This shade is part of Chanel's limited edition collection 'Les Twin-Sets de Chanel' created exclusively for Fashion's Night Out. Chanel's latest limited edition offers three new shades - Infidèle, Délicatesse and Provocation - each with a coordinating shade of Rouge Allure Velvet lipstick. I wasn't as impressed with this collection as I thought I might have been but think I'll wear this shade frequently throughout the bleaker cold months.

And here is the lipgloss: Chanel Lèvres Scintillantes Glossimer in #119 Wild Rose. I'm not really a lipgloss kind of girl, and rarely stray from my lip balms and lipsticks, with the exclusion of my beloved Clarins Lip Perfecter but I thought I'd dive into the world of lip glosses while I was there. I was looking for a 'my lips but better' shade, although cliché, because I wanted one I could wear subtly every day. Wild Rose was picked out for me and so far I am really enjoying it. The colour is a gorgeous subtle pink with a slight iridescent finish and it lasts a good few hours before I have to reapply, so long as I don't eat or drink! The formulation is great with a creamy, non-sticky consistency. I even got a couple of free sample lip glosses in a very scary bright pink...more on that when I find the courage to try it! So far my experience with lip glosses has been good! Hoorah!

Next on my Chanel list: Eyeshadow due in Misty Soft 

CHANEL at Covent Garden

Chanel opened it's first stand alone makeup store in Covent Garden back in July and I hopped on a train straight there as soon as I heard. Since then I've popped in whenever I've been in the area, if only to admire the beautiful displays of makeup inside. Unfortunately it's only a pop-up store and is closing on December 30th...still plenty of time to get some goodies before Christmas!

The store stocks all the Chanel perfumes, skincare & makeup. Downstairs is the first ever UK Chanel nail bar where anyone can have a shape and polish, with £20 redeemable against purchase. Effectively you're getting a free shape and polish when you buy a nail polish!

My habit of perusing the loveliness within the store didn't end when I passed the other day, and I ended up leaving with a nail polish and lip gloss (oops..!). The service in there is amazing, all my questions were answered and they even wrapped up the polish in Chanel wrapping paper before putting each item into very cute little bags. I literally gasped when I got given a tiny black embossed one...adorable! (I'm definitely going to have to go back and get something for my step-mum who also loves makeup and cute bags!) More on the treats inside in my next post.

Review: L'Oréal EverPure

My bathroom is constantly cluttered with half-emtpy bottles of products, and the main culprits are always shampoos and conditioners. I'm drawn in to new products when they arrive on the market, especially as they normally arrive with a 3 for 2 deal in Boots and Superdrug but unfortunately this results in an unnecessary amount of neglected products that have been replaced by the latest new purchase.

However, this didn't stop me when I spotted the L'Oréal Paris Hair Expertise EverPure range, which boasted to be a colour care system with no sulphates. I'm aware that sulphates are known for stripping the hair of it's natural oils as well as colour, leaving it dull, lifeless and faded. I have coloured hair myself, brightening up my darker blonde with brighter ashy highlights, and I often find my hair looking very damaged and neglected. There is nothing worse than brassy straw hair, and while this range doesn't combat the 'brassy blonde' problem, it does help with the dryness.

I chose the 'Colour Care & Moisture' but there different variants available including one that claims to help with volume. Since using the range I have noticed a clear difference and my hair feels so much softer and smoother to the touch. I'm not completely convinced by the shampoo as I have used previous shampoos that have left my hair feeling a lot cleaner, but the conditioners for me are fantastic, especially the 'Reinforcing Intensive Mask' which provides instant results; even when my hair is still wet it is noticeably smoother to the touch (as crazy as that sounds).

The star of the show me for me though has got to be the Shine Serum which much like any other serum is meant to leave the hair feeling silky smooth and in better condition, targeting dry and split ends. This does exactly that. After my experience with the conditioner I didn't expect it to get much better but after applying this I was left with incredibly soft hair which resulted in me constantly playing with it throughout the day.

The smell is distinctively menthol, with the mint making it smell almost like toothpaste? I can't say I love it, but it's easy to overlook. This range will definitely not fall into the neglected and forgotten about pile of shampoos and conditioners and I'll undoubtedly end up repurchasing.

L'Oréal EverPure is available at Boots and Superdrug at £5.99/£6.99 depending on each specific product.