Queen of Turquoise

Just some pictures..

2011-07-27T15:05:00.000+01:00

A little slice of me...

2011-07-22T02:56:00.000+01:00

It's taken me a while to realise that while this blog was originally set up to let me express my love of all things superficial (because finding people in real life who can listen to me talk about one aspect of a mascara for 15 minutes without wanting to hit me/run away/fall unconscious is surprisingly difficult) it doesn't just have to be that. It's my slice of interwebs and if I want to write a post about nothing then I can do that too.

So that's what I'm doing...

It's currently 2:44am and I am awake for no apparent reason, having also been awake until 5:30 yesterday morning and having around 4 hours sleep (plus a sneaky nap until 8:30 this eve, waking in time for Torchwood, which I like to watch but which has a tendency to leave me rather confused..). This isn't particularly unusual, my body likes to remind me that it is totally convinced it is right in thinking night time is the best time to be awake but it had been considerably better for a few months and I was enjoying my more normal sleeping habits.

Whatever. Stressing about it gets me nowhere and I'm making the most of the time. I live in the middle of nowhere (not literally, like a black hole) and it is totally silent here tonight. Some nights I can hear sheep chewing (they have no respect for night time and call across the field and play their music loudly...) and coughing and other times it's cows but tonight it is silent. And dark. Totally, pitch black, dark out there. I love it. I grew up until age 11 with a street light right outside my window so the dark used to freak the hell out of me (monsters and spiders and bizarre people and strange dreams and all).

Perfect. I've talked myself to sleep now, and will risk clicking publish in this half asleep state and hope that this doesn't strike me as a hideously-boring-mistake of a post when I wake...!

If you're very unlucky there may be more of these entirely irrelevant ramblings.

x

Beauty Blog Link Love 17/7/11

2011-07-18T15:18:00.000+01:00

Daily Polish shows off an old holographic polish from the classic China Glaze Kaleidoscope Collection!

Head over to AOYV to see Shivani's favorite eyeshadow primer and tell her yours!

Still contemplating the Urban Decay Naked Palette because you have too many shadows? Kajal Couture shows you how you can dupe the Naked Palette using MAC shadows.

Jellyminx shares her gleeful Face of the Day from her evening at Glee Live.

Claire puts Lancome's Teint Miracle foundation to the test over at The Beauty Scoop!

Phyrra shows you the delights of Meow's latest collection, the Summer Carnival!

It's time for yet another SPF post! Makeup Morsels reveals her favorite sunscreen.

Angela shares a review and look for a product from one of her latest drugstore hauls, Revlon Luxurious Color Satin Eyeshadow in Peacock Lustre, at Do Want Makeup.

Cindy at Prime Beauty got a sneak peek at the new IT Cosmetics Naturally Pretty in Plum eyeshadow trio and a fantastic anti-aging brush--yes I said BRUSH!

At Beauty Info Zone, Marcia and Lisa reflect back on their top skincare favorites so far this year.

Tired of a boring french manicure? Check out Socialitedreams' colorful reverse french manicure for a cool new take on a classic.

At Eyelining Obsessions come and take a sneak peek at this former tanning phobe's bronzer stash.

Pink Sith has pictures and swatches of the Nordstrom Annual Sale EXCLUSIVE Chanel Joues Contraste Blush in Rose Tourbillon. Something to add to your shopping list!

Do you think Benefit's new mascaraBenefit They're Real! delivers the false lashes look for Tracy at Beauty Reflections?

Sleek MakeUP is having some really good palettes lately and Monaco is just one of them! Check out Vesna's swatches if you're a fan of true summery shades!

Still undecided about Mac's Semi-Precious collection? Check out Anita's swatches of the mineralize eyeshadows and the skinfinishes and blushes over at Pleasureflush to help make up your mind!

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Kimmie Karma Love's Show Me Your Inner Animal contest ends on July 17th, did you get your entries in yet?

Summer slump

2011-07-14T20:09:00.000+01:00

source

As it turns out, in June my blogging mojo went on it's own summer break and still hasn't returned. I'm well aware my blog posts are about as infrequent as they have ever been (if not more so!) in the last year and a bit and I'm really missing blogging and putting together posts however if there's one thing I've learnt it's that blogging when the passion and the ideas and inspiration aren't there just doesn't work.. I end up with rubbishy posts that I'm not pleased with and I post out of obligation rather than wanting to. So I'm trying not to stress about it, and I know that the blogging bug will bite me once more at some point. There will still be less-frequent posting when I'm feeling inspired I hope!

Until then though, it's likely to be quieter around here... Makes a change from me rambling on at least!

A huge, huge thank you to all of you who read and hello to my new followers, please bear with me :)

x

Liz Earle summer treats!

2011-07-05T07:30:00.000+01:00

Liz Earle are one of my favourite skincare brands, the products work extremely well and are always a pleasure to use too.

Recently I trialled the Instant Boost Skin Tonic (which I'm already a big fan of, but this one is in the larger spray bottle form) and the Refresh and Revive Foot Spritzer. They came at the perfect time for the warm, sunny weather and I've really enjoyed using them.

I've been using the Skin Tonic (with organic aloe vera, calendula, rose scented geranium, cucumber and vitamin E) at least twice a day every day, and it's kept my somewhat unpredictable skin under control, keeping my skin clear and hydrated even when I've been lazy and just used face wipes to cleanse and totally skipped moisturiser in the evenings. It's perfect for setting make up and for refreshing your skin and foundation in the heat. The bigger spray bottle makes all the difference as the mist is finer and I've had no problems with it clogging up either.

The Foot Spritzer left me pleasantly surprised as unlike many products that claim to cool and refresh but fail to perform it's actually been wonderful for hot, sore legs and feet especially in the evenings. Menthol and peppermint oil provide a noticeable cooling sensation that lasts and rosemary and aloe vera add to the refreshing scent. The 75ml size bottle is perfect for handbags to use throughout the day for an instant refreshing wake up. Maybe not an essential, but great for the warmer months.

Liz Earle's Instant Boost Skin Tonic (200ml spray bottle) is available here for £12 and the Foot Spritzer can be found here for £7.15 or find both in the New Festival kit.

What are your essentials in the heat?

x

[P.S... sorry for the total lack of blogging, things have been all out of routine for me lately with new things and changes and it's totally messed my brain up= thoughts too mangled to blog!]

Beauty Blog Link Love 3/7/11

2011-07-04T14:32:00.000+01:00

K from Beautifully Addicted To reviews the much hyped Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer.

Crave strong, bold, eyebrows that last? Beauty's Bad Habit might have just the thing you're looking for...

Addicted to Beauty suffers the ultimate beauty blogger dilemma when she receives a bad product.

Miss Beauty Nerd is feeling the baby fever, and as requested, she shares her 5-minute face routine for busy moms!

Makeup Morsels finds her new favorite summer scent. Head over to her blog, and find out which one it is!

Christina the Glitterholic reveals Marie Therese, the newest color by Antoinette's Revolution Cosmetics.

Did the Pink Sith really get adopted by Neimans employees while waiting for the Chanel Quadra Eye Shadow in Prelude from the 2011 Fall collection?

Ever wondered about theEstee Lauder Pure Colour Lipsticks then take a look at these swatches on Nicoletta's Beauty Space.

Lipstick and Luxury swoons over Stila's Garden Bliss Bronzer. What do you think?

Jenn from Spiced Beauty shows you how to get a gorgeous glow with one product!

Have you heard of Birchbox? It is a monthly sample subscription gift box of fabulous deluxe sized samples. See what Pammy Blogs Beauty got in her June Birchbox!

Jeweled Thumb goes on a wild goose chase for the softest cheapest travel kabuki and finds a winner!

Looking for some seriously sparkly longwearing eyeliners to wear on your summer holidays? Check out Pleasureflush to see how Anita got on with the new Stila Sparkle Waterproof Liquid Eyeliners!

Get glowing this summer with Bobbi Brown's Shimmer Brick in Nectar. Head over to Makeup, Beauty & More for some photos & swatches.

Learn about Ellis Faas summer colors on Beauty Info Zone. It might just change your mind about summer!

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Jellyminx is giving away a bottle of Trilogy Sensitive Skin Very Gentle Calming Fluid worth £28.50!

KimmieKarmaLove is having a contest! Show Your Inner Animal and you can win some awesome prizes!

Guest post! Matching your make up to the weather...

2011-06-25T06:51:00.000+01:00

Jeneille kindly offered to guest post for me, thanks Jeneille!

Going on a holiday to the Caribbean? Here’s what to take in your makeup bag!

Different climates call for different types of makeup- something I learned the hard way after I moved back home after spending a year in London. While there, I wore cream foundations because my skin (usually oily) now tended to be a bit dry, especially during the winter months.

But being in St. Vincent did not mean that I could automatically switch to liquid foundation-as a matter of fact, it took quite a bit more experimentation before I found the products that worked for my skin IN this climate that didn’t result in me looking like I’d slathered my face with olive oil.

If you’re unsure about what to bring (and we never think too much makeup is too much do we?) do what I do! My favorites for foundation are the MAC Pro Long wear foundation which is longwearing but still gives a natural finish. On days where I can’t be bothered to wear foundation, use the MAC Face and Body which is so light it might as well be a tinted moisturizer!

Bronzer during the day (yes!) and blush at night (for a punch) along with a few lip glosses and eye shadows of your choice will clinch the deal….along with mascara, eye-liner and lip-balm. Below are a few of my faves and what I find myself reaching for as of late...

Jeneille is from Caribbean Beauty Blog, go check it out! Are you interested in guest posting on Queen of Turquoise? Let me know with a comment or drop me an email on queenofturquoise@gmail.com

Beauty Blog Link Love 19/6/11

2011-06-19T13:29:00.002+01:00

Have you met Inglot? Well, Vesna from Beauty addict blog has and she's in love with their eye shadows, especially 420P & 378M so check out here look created with them!

Can't get enough of MAC's Surf Baby collection? Well, you're in luck because Krasey Beauty has the scoop, complete with pretty pictures, and a review!

Head over to AOYV to read Shivani's reaction to cult favorite Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer.

Tracy at Beauty Reflections finally finds a great lip stain and it's the Sephora Cream Lip Stain!

Check out Miss Beauty Nerd's Father's Day Gift Guide if you want to help your pops feel a little more dapper this year.

Are high end mascara worth the price check out Nicoletta's Beauty Space review on the Diorshow black out mascara.

Faced with incredibly oily skin, Fleurissante presents her favourite mattifying moisturiser for summer.

Want to see some amazing sheer lipsticks in on-trend summer shades? Jeweled Thumb goes through some of her favorite new products here.

Do you struggle with Dark Under-Eye circles? Then be sure to follow Pammy Blogs Beauty's ongoing "Cover-It" blog series which details Pammy's quest for the ultimate concealer!

Hellcandy discovers a fantastic natural shampoo that lathers up nicely, washes out with absolute ease, and leaves hair super soft. Now if she can only keep her bf’s mitts off it!Click here to find out what shampoo she’s loving!

Smashinbeauty reviews e.l.f. HD powder after using it for a just over a year. It is really worth the buy?

Beauty's Bad Habit channels her love for everything dark and dramatic with Illamasqua 'Disciple' lipstick - who says you can't wear navy on your lips?!

Beauty Info Zone has begun a love affair with Rouge Bunny Rouge. RBR lipsticks have this week’s spotlight.

Save face this summer with this Summer Makeup Must-haves from Skindinavia.

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Makeup Morsels is hosting an Auric Blends giveaway! There are tons of unique scents to choose from, so head over to her blog to try your luck.

Audrey Dao kicks off Summer 2011 Giveaway featuring the Sephora Favorites Set For Summer!

Fancy guest blogging?

2011-06-14T15:02:00.000+01:00

So I've managed to do something very clever with my wrists.. I have tendonitis in both of them, quite probably from a mix of jewellery making, using crutches, typing, driving etc. both my wrists are in splints and as they're meant to be resting, typing isn't ideal! Rather than leave my blog a post-less desert I thought I'd open things up and ask if anyone was interested in doing a guest blog.

click picture for source!

You can leave a comment, email (queenofturquoise@gmail.com) or tweet me- button's in the sidebar- to let me know if you'd like to be part of what I hope will be a bit of a guest-blogging fest! A chance to discover some new and different blogs, you don't have to be a beauty blogger to apply.

I'm looking forward to hearing from some of you and having some exciting new content on here!

x

May favourites

2011-06-12T07:00:00.000+01:00

This month has definitely been one of trying new products and getting to grips with older ones or testing new combinations.

T-B- NYX cream blush in "Natural", Beauty UK blush in Royal Rose.

My NYX cream blush has become an everyday staple for a dewy finish to an everyday face. It adds a healthy tint whilst remaining in place pretty much all day. I've been using one of the new baked blushes by Beauty UK which I'm a big fan of, it's very pigmented with some fine shimmer to it, and it complements the NYX blush well enough to use on top just to add a bit of extra kick to the colour or keep it on for longer.

Ooh la la Naked is a wonderfully creamy moisturising body wash with a heavenly scent that makes me want to eat it and produces mountains of creamy lather when used with a shower scrunchie (buff puff/ mesh-thingy... Everyone calls them a different thing!)

Naked's Perfect Getaway cream cleanser is something I've been using everyday for the last week and a bit and so far it's pretty much perfect. I don't use it quite as the directions suggest (smoothing on and removing with a cotton pad) but use it like a hot cloth cleanser which seems to be working well. Full review on this to come once I've been using it for longer!

Max Factor Experience Weightless Foundation - I'd seen Fee @ Makeup Savvy rave about this foundation and I love, love, love it! The coverage is amazing, for general blemishes I don't need anything extra but spots do require either a tiny bit extra foundation (which can be built up without looking at all cakey) or a dab of concealer. It visibly perks up my skin leaving it looking smooth and perfect whilst not looking like I'm wearing a heavy foundation or feeling as though I'm wearing anything on my skin at all! It lasts all day, doesn't need any powder on my normal-combination skin and is what I'd describe as a satin finish. This is definitely a must have and something I'll be sticking with. I actually got hold of this for £6 including postage on ebay instead of the Boots £10 price after swatching instore for a colour match.

elf Studio cream eyeliner- after quite a number of months of this being my only used eyeliner the top of this started to dry up and made application difficult and a bit messy. Having started to burrow down past the top layer of drier eyeliner it's got a new lease of life and I'm back to using it every single day without fail. Such an amazing product for the tiny £3.50 price tag.

elf Studio stipple brush- perfect for cream blushes and for a quick swirl in pigmented powder blushes too.

Bourjois Delice de Poudre bronzer- a tiny price for a lot of bronzer! This smells delicately of chocolate which in my books can only be a good thing, it's just about totally matte though there is the odd bit of shimmer thrown in. It's great for evening out my chest and neck if my fake tan is starting to fade or for a bit of all over colour on my face, this is a really buildable powder ideal for us paler girls (mine's number 51 which is the lighter colour I believe).

Nivea Daily Essentials oil free moisturising day cream is another new product, I was running low on my Simple oil balancing moisturiser and this was on offer in Tesco for £1.50 (usually £3) so I thought it was worth a try. If anything I prefer it to my Simple moisturiser, it's scented, which I like, and it's possibly a little more moisturising too, the formula is more creamy and less gel-like. Does a great job of keeping my skin from getting oily through the day and moisturises too!

17 Wild Curls is definitely my favourite everyday mascara (and that's not to say it doesn't deliver fierce curled lashes!) but with No7's exquisite curl mascara layered over it I'm left with even bigger lashes that are both volumised and lengthened.

A long favourites post this month! Anything outstanding that you've used this month? Let me know!

Naked Haul (!)

2011-06-09T12:07:00.000+01:00

I recently took advantage of the amazing Groupon deal for Naked, £20 of Naked goodness for £8 (plus P&P of £3.99)... Overall costing me £13-something as I clearly couldn't stick to the £20 budget!

Naked have been a company I've admired for some time now, their products are interesting and very well priced for natural ingredients, paraben and SLS free goodies.

This is what I picked up...

Ooh la la naked Coco de mer body wash, Melt away naked starflower bath foam, bare faced cheek softening face wash, perfect getaway cream cleanser and up tone girl gentle toner!

The body wash has become my new favourite, I already have the body butter and I've had the bubble bath too so I knew that the scent of this is just amazing, it's so rich and gorgeous and it stays on my skin afterwards too. It is really creamy and moisturising too which is so unusual for my skin to actually be moisturised by a body wash! (£3.99 from Naked)

The bath foam is also incredibly scented (again, I've had products in the starflower scent before, a long time ago!), the whole bathroom and upstairs area just smells gorgeous when I've used this, and the bubbles last for at least an hour in the bath. (£3.99 from Naked)

I'll be doing a separate review for the skincare, but so far I'm really enjoying it, particularly the two cleansers.

Have you discovered Naked products? What are your favourites? Let me know in the comments :)

Beauty Blog Link Love 5/6/11

2011-06-05T10:12:00.000+01:00

Retrodiva reviews the e.l.f. eye makeup remover pads. Sometimes you get what you pay for!

Gouldylox shows you how to attach your own feather extensions and save on this summers biggest trend.

At Musing on Beauty, Mariella enjoyed a week-end makeup shopping in London and shares her likes and tips about the city!

Miss Beauty Nerd recommends 4 humidity-proof sunscreen products to keep you protected against harmful UV rays this summer.

Love Make Up For Ever? Great, 'cause Krasey Beauty has swatches and a full review of ALL of the brand new UpLights!

Do you struggle with liquid eyeliner? So does Cindy over at Prime Beauty. Get tips and read about Make Up Forever Aqua Liners, an awesome new product!

Which blushes do you normally wear for spring/summer? At Steal My Heart Lovee.com she shares her favourites.

Beauty Info Zone gets both practical and beautiful when they get mod with Unii Palettes.

If you love bright shimmery summer nails, head over to Pleasureflush where Anita reviews 3 gorgeous shades of Zoya's Sunshine Collection: Apple, Rica and Faye!

LilBiuty shares her love for MAC's Pro Longwear foundation. Could this foundation be her Holy Grail?!

As the weather hots up Claire pulls out some bright andbold blushes that are perfect for summer.

Makeup Morsels adds some sparkle to her hair with Hair Crystalz.

Are you looking for something bright for summer? Check at Fleurissante whether the new Givenchy Givenchy Acid Summer collection is for you.

Getting ready for summer? Be sure to read about the Bourjois Delice de Soleil collection, over at smashinbeauty!

Like the idea of a guided eye shadow palette? Take a look at one of the two Instructional Eye Shadow Palettes from Sonia Kashuk, over at Makeup, Beauty and More.

Socialite Dreams starts a new series of celebrity makeup challenges and does a Katy Perry makeup look as the first one. Check out the post for the look and next week's celeb inspiration.

Christina the Glitterholic reveals Duchesse, a new pigment from Antionette's Revolution.

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Head on over to Amy Antoinette's blog to win a complete Sigma Brush Kit!

Giveaway winners!

2011-06-02T20:10:00.000+01:00

Chosen using random.org the winners of my belated-blog-birthday giveaway are...

Gem and Louisa!

Congratulations girls!

Drop me an email at queenofturquoise@gmail.com with your details and let me know if you've developed a preference for which prize you'd like!

Thanks to everyone who entered, it's always fun to host :)

x

Giveaway Reminder

2011-05-27T19:42:00.000+01:00

There's just 3 days left to enter my belated-blog-birthday giveaway!

It ends on Monday at 11:59pm

and there are all sorts of lovely prizes you could win...

...You can find all the details here.

April's Wishlist...

2011-05-25T07:00:00.000+01:00

Yes, it was on my last wishlist, but I've been busy finishing up my Neal's Yard cleanser and getting involved with a Soap and Glory scrubby face wash, now I'm excited to be getting my hands on this soon. I find it so easy to get distracted my other, cheaper cleansers though, despite knowing how much I love this one!

Bourjois lip tint in Cyber Cassis. I saw this on Makeup Savvy and Fee rates this so it's on my list! I hate having to mess around with lipstick when I'm out and about so this looks perfect and hopefully it won't dry out my lips either.

Not beauty related, but so pretty it had to be included, a gorgeous iPod skin from Decal Girl

June's glamour magazine that goes on sale on the 9th of June will contain a generous sized mini (apparently worth between £8 and £10 according to Raspberry Rouge) of one of the three Benefit tints... I'm leaning towards Posie Tint and High Beam, though at £2 for each magazine it wouldn't break the bank to buy all three!

ELF's new addition is this Studio complete coverage concealer palette, which looks perfect for meeting different concealer needs as your skin colour changes throughout the year, ELF claim that it provides a "flawless, makeup artist finish" for £3.50 you can't go wrong really!

What are you lusting after this month? Let me know.. there's room for a few more on my list ;)

Beauty Blog Link Love 22/5/11

2011-05-22T12:44:00.000+01:00

Can't get enough shatter? Have a look see at the new OPI Serena Williams Grand Slam France collection at Beauty Crazed!

Can a liquid liner really make your lashes grow? Find out how Pammy from Pammy Blogs Beauty likes Physician's Formula 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner and Serum.

Gouldylox gives you inside skinny on how to fake it like a superstar.

Rachel finally jumps on the NYX cream blush bandwagon at Queen of Turquoise, but do they live up to the hype?

Musicalhouses has gone on a rampage with swatches of the Illamasqua cream blushes!

Do you love purple eye shadow? Check out a makeup look using just that, at Steal My Heart Lovee.

Melasma, acne and stretch marks... oh my! Whitney brings in Dr. Downie to answer your pregnancy skin care concerns.

Want to know to dip dye your hair? Madame B Fatale shows you how!

Wondering if Maybelline's Fit Me Foundation is any good? Check out Vonnie of Socialite Dreams review of the product.

Want to treat yourself to a little tube of pure luxury? Stina from Chic Beauty Blog shows you her favourite Chanel lippy.

At last! Makeup Morsels discovers her HG volumizing mascara.

Miss Beauty Nerd is currently coveting the new lip line Bite Beauty, formulated with bite-worthy resveratrol, and suddenly she feels not so bad about eating her lip products.

First ever manicure using solely Jessica products. How did LaaLaa from Dolce Vanity find The Jessica Manicure ? What was so different to this treatment?

Claire finds out if a concealer really can be hydrating with Dior.

LilBiuty is getting ready for summer with bright and bold colors and it all starts with a lime green nail polish.

Beauty Info Zone thinks that Nars Dogon eyeshadow duo is doggone pretty. Check out a new way to wear the colors.

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Phyrra is celebrating her 3 year blog anniversary! Visit her blog to enter to win some fabulous prizes including MAC Candy Yum Yum, Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy and more!

Jenn at Spiced Beauty is giving one reader the opportunity to find out if "Spit can heal a zit?" and she's throwing in a $50.00 Sephora Gift Card too!

Taking control.. of Spotdom

2011-05-22T11:00:00.000+01:00

Recently my face has decided it doesn't like me and must punish me with spots and clogged pores despite having normal/dry skin. I decided enough was enough and went to search out some solutions to rid my skin of pesky blemishes!

I got my hands on T-Zone's antibacterial pore cleanser, which reminds me of the first cleanser I ever had, it's just like water in consistency and it smells of tea tree and generally clean and fresh, I personally really like the scent to it! I've been using it for about a week either before cleansing in the morning and before I wash my face in the evening/after facewipes. It does nothing to exfoliate my skin and little to look after it so I don't fancy using it all on it's own. I have to admit though it's not been drying and I've had no problems with my skin reacting badly in any way.

You literally squirt some onto a cotton pad and wipe it over your face and that's it. It's doing a good job of keeping my skin balanced and it's definitely made a big difference to the congestion and blackheads in my pores, especially on/around my nose. It's also got on top of the spots I had which left much quicker and the amount of blemishes plaguing me has dramatically reduced

I picked mine up from Home Bargains and I can't see it online in either Boots or Superdrug.. Definitely worth having a look for it though if you're after something to keep spot-prone skin under control!

Are you a fan of no-water cleansers? Any suggestions for me?

x

Queen of Turquoise's belated birthday giveaway!

2011-05-16T19:48:00.005+01:00

It is FINALLY here, a month and a bit after my blog's actual birthday!

This is just a little token of my appreciation for my lovely readers, and a thank you for helping me get to my one year blog birthday :)

The main set of "rules" are at the bottom of this post, please read them before commenting :)

There are two prizes, if you have a preference then please put it in your comment with your entry into the giveaway and I'll try and give you your first choice if you win, however if both winners choose the same prize then the one random.org chooses will get their first choice prize.

Prize number 1- Models Own 4-step nail buffer, Models Own Magenta Divine polish, a mini Soap and Glory The Righteous Butter, Naked body care's White Ginger body wash, Pixi "Winter Wakeup" eyeshadow palette (with many spring-like colours, bought from Asos a couple of months ago and there was no mention of it being a winter palette!), Dorothy Perkins earrings and a lovely handmade teapot necklace from Clutter's Closet [You can find more here: Facebook, Etsy]

Prize number 2- Mini Soap and Glory Flake Away, Dorothy Perkins earrings, Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate 10ml roller-ball, Organic Surge Sugared Almonds shower gel, Glitter nail files and a Figs and Rouge lip balm in Rambling Rose PLUS a necklace of your choice from Randomeyes Boutique [find more from Randomeyes here: Facebook, Twitter, Myspace] - I'm a big fan of the ice lolly and ice cream necklaces!

Dorothy Perkins earrings and Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate

Glitter nail files and Figs and Rouge lip balm.

The rules:

-You don't have to be a follower of my blog to enter the giveaway, though if you'd like to, please do! :)

-To enter leave me a comment and tell me how long you've been reading my blog for..

-You don't need to leave your email address unless there's not one on your blogger profile/blog.

-To send the prize out I'll need your address, if you're under 16 please don't forget to ask your parents' permission before entering.

-Winners will be chosen using random.org

- Open INTERNATIONALLY!

- I can and will remove/discount entries that don't meet the above rules and/or look like entries that have come from a competition site or similar. PLEASE don't post this giveaway on competition forums, as it's intended for people who enjoy my blog.

- A huge thank you to Clutter's Closet and Randomeyes Boutique for their generous contributions to this giveaway!

- The giveaway will close on the 30th of May at 11:59pm

For an extra entry tweet: "@Turquoise_Queen is having a birthday giveaway! Check it out here! http://ow.ly/4VPnZ!" and don't forget to tell me in your comment, along with your twitter username too.

Good luck!

Naked DEAL!

2011-05-15T12:39:00.000+01:00

Another amazing deal from Groupon..

£8 for £20 worth of Naked body care products! You can find the details here, but it's only available for the next 35 hours or until they sell out so get there fast! I'm fancying the new skin care range...!

x

Randomeyes Boutique

2011-05-12T07:00:00.001+01:00

The great thing about being a part of the lovely big network of handmade jewellery businesses is that you get to discover so many amazing businesses. Just about every one is unique, bringing something new to the market and keeping it fresh and exciting.

One of the first I came across was Randomeyes Boutique, who describe themselves as making "alternative handmade gumball jewellery and accessories. Kitsch earrings, necklaces, bracelets, pins, magnets, mobile charms, keyrings, hair accessories...and now mirrors - all with kawaii inspired googly eyes!"

I thought I'd show you a few of my favourite pieces...

Amazing pink sprinkle donut mirror! Found here

cute cherries keyring

totally unique colgate toothpaste charm!

You can find their website here and you may just find that something of theirs appears as a giveaway prize very soon!

What do you make of quirky kitsch jewellery and accessories?

x

I am...

2011-05-10T07:00:00.002+01:00

...Buying new duvet sets for the change in season! I love, love this colour, it's so bright and pretty! The back of the duvet cover and pillows have a contrasting red background with big white polka dots too.

...Eating fizzy strawberry lances (what the heck are lances anyway, I just call these laces like their non-fizzy counterparts) in some kind of addicted crazy fashion... Fizzy sweets confuse me a little as the sourness makes me feel slightly uncomfortable upon eating them but I just can't help it!

...Loving Nutella... I had a break from my caffeinated-chocolate ban over Easter which has been wonderful! Nutella is my particular weak point, but straight off the spoon, no wasting this on bread!

...Buying pretty ring components, I love getting new ones through the post and getting excited about making them into little pieces of jewellery!

...Enjoying the sunshine :)

x

Weekend Update...

2011-05-08T15:20:00.000+01:00

A bit of a random post from me... I've been really bad recently at posting, I've got lots of lovely things that need reviewing for you! From bronzers to moisturiser, fake tan, a BAD products post and more..

I'm also just waiting on some very last bits for my belated one-year-birthday-giveaway... There are TWO different prize sets, which means TWO winners :) I'm very excited!

It'd be absolutely amazing if you'd be so kind as to pop over to my facebook page for my jewellery business... Lovely Little Charms and take a look at my handmade jewellery, I make rings, handbag charms, charm bracelets and earrings, and I also undertake custom work too :)

There's an "I am..." post coming right up too, so I'll try not to spoil it by telling you everything right now.

The gorgeous summer weather seems to have disappeared and the sky is currently grey with totally rubbish lighting for taking pictures!

What are you doing this weekend?

x

Beauty Blog Link Love 8/5/11

2011-05-08T14:59:00.000+01:00

Krasey Beauty acquaints herself with the new MAC FashionFlower collection, and you too!

Interested in tinted moisturizers? Pammy Blogs Beauty tests out Origins VitaZing SPF 15 Energy Boosting Moisturizer.

Beauty Info Zone shares some of their favorite ways to tan without the sun using Beautisol and Le Metier de Beaute.

Summer is coming! Make sure your pout is perfect with this product Mary Kay.

Who doesn't love a good highlighter? Musicalhouses shows you the St Tropez Skin Illuminators, one of the most hotly anticipated Summer season items!

Phyrra shows you the new ethereal collection from Meow, the Supernaturals collection and shares the many ways to use them!

Retrodiva samples Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's Manhattan oil blend.

Love Chanel Mimosa but not the price? Find out how you can dupe it for under $10 on My Lips But Better.

Tracy at Beauty Reflections tests out the good for you Bite Beauty Luminous Crème Lipsticks that contain the antioxidant, Resveratrol!

While studying Burberry for her final exam, Miss Beauty Nerd daydreams about gorgeous packaging from the Burberry makeup collection.

Fragrance makes a beautiful Mother's Day gift, see what 5 Spring Scents have Prime Beauty aflutter.

Do you struggle with packing for holidays? Check out what make up products Anita took with her and how much she actually used over at Pleasureflush!

Erin found lipstick that makes your lips look like ruby slippers!

Jo at Music and Make up shows why she can't live without Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy.

***

Want soft, shiny hair? Then enter Madame B Fatale's Two Year Blog Anniversary Hair Pack giveaway!

For more links, please visit the BBLL homepage.

GlossyBox

2011-05-06T13:35:00.000+01:00

I just spotted this over on Rotten Otter's Thoughts and thought it was worth sharing...

For £10 a month (cancel anytime) you get a box of 5 luxury product miniatures, application tips and the newest beauty trends.

It looks like a great way to get your hands on higher end products if they're generally out of your reach and it gives you a chance to try out a range of different products that you may otherwise have overlooked... This month's box is no longer available but you can sign up now for a delivery in mid-June, I've just bought mine and I'm excited about receiving it!

Curious? Let me know what you think!

x

Soap and Glory's Girligo!

2011-05-01T10:32:00.000+01:00

While Boots had their big huge 3 for 2 skincare event I was unable to resist getting a couple of bits from Soap and Glory. One of them was Clean Girls! which I love and which also lasts FOREVER and the other was Girligo, a wonderfully scented moisturising spray, perfect for spritzing on after a shower.

First off, my only niggle with this... I cannot hold the bottle and spray it with one hand, it's too big/unbalanced and it's just too difficult to do both without it falling with a thud to the ground, I have to spray it into my hands and then apply it to my arms/legs/wherever I'm moisturising which annoys me a little.

This is so perfect for summer, the light moisturising action is only going to be any good if you either have no issues with dry skin/ you're using it in the summer as a supplement to moisturiser. It'd be great for travelling as the beautiful girlie scent lingers as well, so it's multi-tasking!

As ever the packaging is gorgeous and despite being a teeny bit on the expensive side (£6.38 for 250ml in Boots) for a light moisturiser, it's a price I'm happy to pay for a multi-tasking, pretty product.

Are you a fan of moisturising sprays?

x

Beauty Blog Link Love 23/4/11

2011-04-23T13:29:00.000+01:00

Mariella at Musing On Beauty tries the whole Becca Skin Perfecting Makeup System and reviews all the products for you.

Spiced Beauty is on a crusade to end discolouration, scars and stretch marks with Palmers: Skin Therapy Oil!

Kelly from Gouldylox learns that a nude by any other name is not the same. Or at least this nude looks different on everyone. Any by different, she means gorgeous.

Do you hate messy mascaras as much as Tracy at Beauty Reflections does? Then you should try LashControl Mascara and say goodbye to gloopy mascaras!

Miss Beauty Nerd is a sucker for cute and is hopelessly giddy over Anna Sui's Doll Face lipstick collection.

Nicole from Lipstick and Luxury shares how to get a perfect pout from the NEW Beauty for Real lip glosses!

Kimberly from KimmieKarmaLove has a camera dump and struggles finding the perfect lippie.

Vonnie of Socialite Dreams goes blonde! Check out her Marilyn Monroe inspired hair and makeup look.

Have relaxed hair? See how WEN Pomegranate Cleansing Conditioner worked for Kim Porter.

Wedding season is upon us! So if you are getting married then have a read of Makeup Savvy's Wedding Makeup Series for tips on how to look picture perfect for the big day.

Beauty's Bad Habit reviews and swatches uber geek chic indie make-up brand, Shiro Cosmetics.

Check out swatches and a review of Morgana Cryptoria's new Shifty Eyed Eyeshadow Collection at the Pretty Exclusive.

Jellyminx shows you how to recreate the look worn by Megan Fox in the Armani Code ad in this simple tutorial.

With the long awaited sunshine finally arriving, Hellcandy gives a sneak peek at Estee Lauder's new Bronze Goddess Collection for S/S 2011!

***

Beauty Crazed is giving away more makeup then any sane person could possibly want - but who said you were sane? So go enter already!

Beauty Info Zone is celebrating their year anniversary with contests galore. Visit to see the latest MAC giveaway!

NYX cream blushes

2011-04-22T07:00:00.001+01:00

NYX blushes are pretty legendary in the beauty community. They're affordable with a wide range of colours and a great formulation, so why it took me so long to get hold of some I've no idea.

L-R- natural, boho chic

I eventually bought them from an ebay seller in America (see the current listing here) and I paid around £5 each for them, including postage. The two shades I have are Natural and Boho Chic, as sadly the infamous Glow was out of stock. You can see all the different shade selections in the listing.

It's taken me a couple of months to work out how best to use them, and to decide whether I like them or not, now that I've found that my ELF stipple brush is perfect for applying and blending just the right amount I'm really enjoying using them! I'm clearly like a small child, some days I choose cream blush just because it's fun to use... You can apply with fingers too, you only need a tiny dab, I dot it onto the apples of my cheeks and blend up and out towards my hairline.

The effect once on is a glowy, dewy look that can be played up or down depending on blending and it lasts most of the day even without a powder blush on top on my (currently!) normal skin.

Well worth a look, and I'd really recommend the seller that I've linked to in the post too!

Are you a cream blush fan? Any tips to share? Let me know :)

x

Mapril favourites

2011-04-19T07:00:00.000+01:00

Since we're now half way into April and I've still not done March favourites I thought I'd squish them together (hence the oh-so-clever title) and maybe do a mini favourites at the beginning of May if anything's changed..

So, Mapril favourites...

Soap and Glory's Scrub Your Nose In It. Love this! Great for an oil-free face all day and can be used as a mask as well, lovely minty scent and feel to it, this will be great especially as the weather gets warmer. Full review to come.

Topshop blush in Flush remains a firm favourite, because of the cream-to-powder finish I've been using it over powder mineral foundation (shock!) without any disastrous results too.

Please excuse the ridiculously grubby packaging, although pretty it seems to be like a magnet for staining! I've been using my Lily Lolo mineral foundation with my Liz Earle Skin Tonic for better, more flawless coverage and extra staying power.

L-R Mac Laugh a Lot and No7's Power.

Mac's Laugh a Lot is a Lustre finish and on my lips doesn't look that much different than my normal lip colour, except with a lovely glossy finish that generally makes a simple face of make up look much more polished. Power is a gorgeous raspberry colour that I tend to blot down to leave a pretty stain, it's perfect for spring and it's not drying either!

NYX cream blush in Natural. I have finally worked out how to make this work for me. A very, very light hand and my ELF stipple brush, I buff it in and it leaves a wonderful fresh finish and a perfect natural colour, just as the name suggests!

What are your new spring favourites?

Poppy King Lipstick- Power

2011-04-14T14:56:00.001+01:00

If I'm honest, the only thing that excited me about the Poppy King range when I first heard about it was the beautiful packaging I was expecting. Sadly this only extends to the cardboard box that houses the lipstick however it does do something to satisfy my craving for pretty packaging!

Take a look at the promotional video for an idea of the other shades on offer...

Power is described as raspberry in colour and I totally agree. For a range that's supposed to be sheer I actually don't think that Power is that sheer, sure one swipe leaves less colour than the bullet would have you expect but still it's not all that sheer. The colour also doesn't particularly match the colour in the video, but it's still pretty and not a colour I have already.

I personally like it blotted which leaves a beautiful raspberry stain, that is so perfect for spring. It leaves an even stain as it wears off which sticks around for hours.

swatched 2/3 times

£12 seems a little on the expensive side for such a teeny lipstick (3.5g of product in a tiny lilac-y silver tube) however with a £5 No7 voucher the £6 is so much more reasonable.

Definitely something I feel I'll be getting a lot of wear out of this spring/summer!

Disclosure: I was sent this free lipstick to review. All views and opinions expressed are my own.

Hello!

2011-04-11T20:41:00.000+01:00

because no-one likes a picture-less post!

I've been a really awful blogger the past couple of weeks and I really do apologise! What with getting my jewellery business up and running and then getting busy and then having problems with misbehaving health things are just piling up on top of me and I'm trying to climb to the top to get posting again!

Posts I'm planning...

Poppy King for No7 lipstick review
Soap and Glory Girligo spray
March Favourites (so late I may have to rename it..)
Some skincare bits and pieces
Miscellaneous ELF products

Stay tuned for more!

x

Beauty Blog Link Love 9/4/11

2011-04-09T07:59:00.002+01:00

The Lip Print gets the Smooth Infusion treament thanks to Aveda and Oscar Oscar salons.

The Pink Sith invites you to marvel at the Givenchy Prisme Yeux Quatour in Candide Garden, which is a nice departure from tired old Spring pastels.

Over at The Glamorous Gleam, Mz. More introduces a dupe for MAC's Ripe Peach blush: Sleek's Life's a Peach!

Got a craving for something sweet? well, Krasey Beauty has swatches and a full look into the MAC Cosmetics Quite Cute collection!

LaaLaa may not have been wearing makeup so much as of late but that doesn’t mean her brushes have been neglected. Take a look on Dolce Vanity how she deep cleanses her brushes.

Tracy@Beauty Reflections got to try the new Sebastian Color Ignite Line and it whipped her hair into condition!

My Lips But Better put OPI Black Shatter to the test under various conditions - see the results!

L from Beautifully Addicted To re-discovers a favourite foundation in Bourjois 10hr Sleep Effect .

Jellyminx shares a super simple Nail Art tutorial.

Kimberly from KimmieKarmaLove learns to tutorial on soft green and purple eyes.

Are you having problems with your foundation? Check out Spiced Beauty's HDsecret.

Alyson at The Gloss Menagerie has some Inglot AMC lipgloss swatches to share with you!

At Music and Makeup Jo can't stop raving about a £1.50 Accessorize eye dust bargain and features it in this face of the day.

Spring is here, so Mariella at Musing on Beauty reunites with her fake tan and reviews Clarins Delectable Self Tanning Mousse.

Daily Polish has teamed up with a top London salon to give away a FREE Minx or Shellac Manicure or Pedicure! Enter now!

theNotice is giving away two rather surprising products that'll get your skin summer-ready in no time flat. Find out what they are!

Queen of Turquoise...

2011-04-08T17:56:00.000+01:00

... Is one year old today!

It doesn't seem like only a year ago I started this blog, and yet in some ways it seems like so much longer.You, the lovely people who read my blog, have made it what it is, and I so appreciate your continued support, and continued reading.

I hope that next year I'll be celebrating my second blog birthday, and enjoying blogging as much as I do now!

Here... Have ~~some~~ a LOT of cake with me!

Rachel x

I am...

2011-04-04T12:35:00.001+01:00

...Making jewellery...

...Spring cleaning...

...(Still) loving Adele

...Finding new spring music

...Not blogging!

Naught naughty. I've been so busy getting my new jewellery business venture sorted and up and running that I've been neglecting my poor blog. Hopefully it won't be too long until more regular posting resumes :)

Liz Earle Mother's day gift

2011-03-28T18:22:00.000+01:00

Are you being a naughty, rebellious child and leaving it late to buy your lovely mum her Mother's day gift? Lucky for you Liz Earle have a special treat that even comes all ready in a gift box!

Liz Earle's special Mother's day gift contains THE cutest little pot (15ml) of Superskin moisturiser, a 10ml rollerball tube of Superskin Concentrate and a lovely travel sized tube (50ml) of Superskin Body Cream as well as a sample of the new Superskin Eye & Lip Treatment all in a generously sized gift box in Liz Earle's signature blue (or is it turquoise? Or even green?!) colour, which is sure to earn you a bigger portion of dessert!

I've previously reviewed the Superskin moisturiser and the Concentrate is a favourite of SO many, even if I personally found the scent too strong for my sensitive little nose. The body cream is wonderfully unique, it's fragrance is the same as the concentrate but not as strong, and it feels really luxurious.

Available until the 11th of April from the Liz Earle website, priced at £30.

Beauty Blog Link Love 26/3/11

2011-03-26T10:57:00.001Z

-my apologies for the jumble posted earlier... Didn't check properly before posting!-

Miss Beauty Nerd dishes on Asia's hottest and most coveted product - BB Creams!!

Jellyminx shares a Jessie J inspired makeup tutorial.

K from Beautifully Addicted To gives us a look at ELF Mineral Glosses.

Anita over at Pleasureflush sorts through her stash of mascaras to find out which ones are keepers and which ones are heading for the bin!

Fee at Makeup Savvy takes on this year's Spring/Summer key fashion trends with a series of inspired nail art tutorials!

Phyrra's Indie Spotlight for March is Epically Epic Soap Co. Learn all about Allison!

Getting downright swatches spring blushes and tries to decide between Givenchy and Yves Saint Laurent!

Ooh, shatter! Musicalhouses shows you an awesome black and silver shatter NOTD with Barry M Instant Nail Effects!

Krasey Beauty hobnobs with makeup royalty, and learns of new beauty releases, while she's at it!

Beauty's Bad Habit shares her favourite eyeshadow bases and primers for vivid, 'life proof' eye make-up that lasts.

Checked outELF's black bottles yet? Queen of Turquoise has!

Welcome to your new addiction - Alyson reviews the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams at The Gloss Menagerie.

Tracy at Beauty Reflections gets a 70s makeup vibe with Rimmel Glam'eyes Quad Eye Shadow that fits right in with the 70s fashion trend!

The Pink Sith won't be able to kill your lemming for this new Armani Beauty Eyes To Kill Intense Silk Eyeshadow in # 4 Pulp Fiction.

Who said neutrals can't be dramatic, Madame B Fatale shows you how!

Kimberly takes the Dare To Wear Charity Challenge: For Japan Are you up for the challenge?

Hop in the car for a roadtrip with My Lips But Better and OPI's Fall 2011 collection, Touring America.

Are you a Kate or a Vanessa? You'll find the answer at Musing on Beauty, by comparing Chanel Rouge Coco Shine and Dior Addict lipsticks.

The Chantecaille Sea Turtle palette came swimming into Cindy's life, see if she thinks it's worth the $79 price tag.

***

Did you hear? BarryM may come to Canada!! To celebrate Spiced Beauty is giving away a huge 5-piece prize pack.

Want to win 2 NARS blushes + other goodies? All you have to do is be a follower of StealMyHeartLovee's blog for a chance to win.

Music and Makeup has been going for 2 years! Jo celebrates with a giveaway of some of her favourite products.

theNotice is giving away a ridiculously glittery Honeycat Cosmetics lipgloss. Whether you're a cat lover or a glitter girl, you *need* to check it out!

Dear girls, Re: bronzer

2011-03-26T07:00:00.000Z

I need help.

Summer is round the corner, the fake tan will be coming out very soon, and I'm in need of bronzer. I'm also in need of lessons on how to use it properly.... It's been many years since I went near the stuff, and when I did, it was muddy, glittery mess from the front of a magazine. Up until I started getting into the blogging world I had no idea that someone as pale as me could use bronzer without looking like a total fool, and looking like a total fool is obviously what I'm wanting to avoid. No more oompa-loompa look here thank you!

At the moment I'm leaning towards a bronzer from the Accessorize range, or the Bourjois chocolate one. Links to reviews would be great, and links to tips on using bronzer would also be a huge help too!

Love,

Bronzer Noob

x

Neal's Yard Remedies... Chamomile Cleanser

2011-03-24T07:00:00.000Z

I love it when a product surprises you and your opinion changes from one end of the spectrum to the other...

Neal's Yard Chamomile Cleanser was one of those. I received it as a gift for Christmas and eagerly used it for the first few days, waiting to get used to it and love it. It didn't happen. I didn't like the scent, the lack of "slip" when I massaged it into my face made me want to throw the pot, and it wasn't doing anything for my skin. Eventually I stopped using it and it was only after a break of a few weeks that I went running back to it with my arms wide open (think slow-motion romantic end of film) realising that I did in fact love it.

I've used it just about every day since then and it's wonderful. I recently found out from the website (a little video in the bottom corner of the page..) that you can use it with water rather than massaging it onto dry skin which makes a big difference to how much I need to use and how easily it moves over my face (this is totally missed out from the- reassuringly heavy- jar). The key for me is that once it looks like it's gone from my face, it really has gone; it's not possible to rub it in any further, as that just results in non-slip frustration.

I use it with a muslin cloth to remove it which makes sure my face gets a little exfoliation too and leaving it on for a few minutes results in baby soft skin. I still think that it's not the best for helping to clear congested skin, you'll need something extra too, but aside from that it removes make up perfectly, leaves my skin soft and smooth, the scent has definitely grown on me to the point where I really like it, and it's become a real favourite.

Neal's Yard Chamomile Cleanser costs £11.75 for 50g and is available from their website.

Have you tried anything from Neal's Yard?

x

Mysterious black bottles from elf.

2011-03-19T07:00:00.001Z

I've declared my love for elf, budget makeup company, many times now so I'll spare you my thoughts on the company themselves!

These two black bottles are from the elf studio line and contain daily brush cleaner and makeup mist and set, which both retail at £3.50 each.

The daily brush cleaner was bought on a bit of a whim, I'd always seen it as a waste of time.. Why do I need a spray when cleaning my brushes quickly in the sink works just as well?! Turns out convenience is the answer, I can have a brush daisy fresh and ready to use again in under a minute with this, no waiting around all day for brushes to dry! It smells nice too and is in a really generously sized bottle- 250ml. You spritz it onto your brush and use a towel to remove any old makeup left on there, before letting it dry for a few seconds. Definitely something I'd recommend for lazy-girl brush cleaning in the mornings!

Please excuse smeared bottle...!

Makeup mist and set is also a spray bottle but this one houses setting spray for perfect makeup all day with a dewy glow. The only thing that I feel could be improved with this is the spray could be a little finer, it works just fine as it is but sometimes I get a couple of bigger drops on my face which feels a little odd. I definitely see an improvement in the longevity of my makeup when using this, plus it leaves a fresh glow about you and makes sure there aren't any sneaky cakey patches of makeup in sight! The 60ml bottle lasts me a couple of months when used most days.

Have you tried sprays from the studio line? Want to?

x

Bloglovin'

2011-03-13T12:54:00.000Z

Just a quick post to remind you that you can follow my blog with Bloglovin here.

It's my preferred way to keep up to date with new posts and follow new blogs.. Go take a look :)

Weekend Update...

2011-03-13T11:44:00.001Z

It's beautiful and sunny outside today, and I'm really looking forward to warmer weather, the winter seems to have gone on for ever this/last year! Pretty dresses and skirts, summer-y make-up, sitting outside blogging and editing pictures- a job that goes so much faster when you're sitting in warm sunshine!- eating ice lollies and going to the beach.

I'm hoping to have a giveaway up in the next few weeks, I might save it until my first blog birthday next month. I've already started getting bits and bobs together and I hope you'll like them as much as I do :)

Since I've been on the Facebook scene for handmade things I've seen so many gorgeous pieces, I'll have to show you a selection in another post, the talent is amazing, I could buy so much!

Today I'm looking forward to taking some pictures for new blog posts, making some jewellery bits and getting things tidied (I love tidy!).

What are your Sunday plans?

(P.s, for image credit click the pictures)

Beauty Blog Link Love 12/3/11

2011-03-12T11:45:00.000Z

Want the Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara but don't like the price? Come over to Jeweled Thumb to learn how to make your own for free!

Kelly from Gouldylox Reviews loves peach colored makeup. After lots of searching, here are three perfect peaches for spring.

Krasey Beauty visits the International Beauty Show in NYC, and takes you along for the ride!

Does Victoria's Secret Sparkling Lip Gloss light up Makeup Morsels' life? Read to find out!

The Pink Sith Pontificates on the Perfect Peach Pigmented Pucker Provided by Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color in Sweet Nectar. Quite Possibly the Prettiest Peach in Perpetuity!

Kim Porter takes you inside of QVC's Beauty Breakfast showcasing QVC's top-selling beauty and hair products.

Kimmie at KimmieKarmaLove plays catch up with three brand new looks that are different for her. What do you think?

Mariella at Musing on Beauty falls in love (yet again) with a new foundation, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua and tells you everything about it.

Daily Polish thinks she's found the red polish to top all others in A-England's Perceval, take a look and see if you agree (and fall in love with this Cult English Lacquer company!)

Rae swatches and reviews the new Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm at theNotice. Find out if it's bee-utiful, or just a bee-rate product!

Who says you can't wear a smokey eye in Spring? Musicalhouses shows you the perfect forest green smokey eye that's great for any weather!

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed tests out lip colours looking to bring some coral into her spring lip wardrobe!

Retrodiva has been searching for the perfect oud fragrance - find out if Tom Ford's Oud Wood is the one.

Phyrra raves about a must-have makeup brush! You need this one, and it's a steal at $3.

Beautywoome divulges the new 'forever' beauty products she found in 2010.

AOYV is mighty impressed with Guerlain's Terracotta Loose Powder Kohl Liner.

Get ready for summer with these bright MAC Cremeblend Blushes on My Lips But Better!

Brighten up your look by following this spring purple and pink makeup tutorial by Socialite Dreams.

Audrey Dao drops by Inglot to check out their Freedom Palettes. Find out what she thought!

Tracy at BeautyReflections is craving Spring and Annabelle Smudgeliner in Limetteis helping to satisfy!

Jenn over at Spiced beauty conquers her fear of falsies and rocks a pair of MAC 38 lashes in her newest FOTD!

Jo at Music & Makeup shows us swatches of her favourite blushes.

Like eyeliner? Like colour? Claire has found some rather lovely GOSH Velvet Touch Liners that fit the bill nicely.

***

Win a huge £300 Boots voucher by commenting here in The Beauty Slice competition.

Anti-ageing eyeshadow? Finally! Cindy at Prime Beauty learns all about the new technology in Anastasia's Illumi8 Eye Shadow Palettes and is giving away one for you to try!

Bargain Asos voucher!

2011-03-10T12:22:00.000Z

If you read other beauty blogs then you've almost certainly seen this before, but just in case I thought it'd be worth posting here!

Groupon have a £20 Asos voucher for just £9 until midnight tonight (or until they sell 50,000 and over 47,000 already sold!) You can find the deal here (this is my referral link which will give me money back if you buy through it.) if you're interested!

Utter bargain.

x

Review: Topshop Makeup

2011-03-10T07:00:00.000Z

Recently I made my first ever order from the Topshop website as they had free delivery and I'd been lusting after a cream blush of theirs for a while. While I was there perusing the Clearance section (where, as ever, just about everything I liked was out of stock...) I came across a lip "glaze" that they described as bronze.. Scary huh? It was £1 so obviously it had to be thrown into the virtual shopping basket and then I (virtually) ran to the till before anything else found it's way in there!

I'm really keen on the packaging of both the products, it's different and stands out amongst the glossy blacks and clear tops of other products. The large mirror in the top of the blush makes it great for travel and the packaging seems sturdy enough to survive that too.

I was slightly concerned to find my products had been sent in what is effectively a paper bag, with only the tiniest bit of padding... Luckily for me (and Topshop!) my order arrived in one piece.

The blusher I ordered is "Flush" and it's gorgeous! The colour in the pan is pretty scary, I thought I was going to end up as a clown face... Surprisingly though this blends out well to leave a natural flush (as the name would suggest!) in a powder finish, which having tried NYX cream blushes is definitely welcome (I don't find having a cream finish staying on my face in a slightly sticky reminder that I'm wearing blusher particularly thrilling). It lasts all day and as you only need a tiny amount I can see this lasting a long time! Really good value for money at £6 and definitely unique to the highstreet.

The glaze is actually surprisingly wearable, it's not too bronze, though will look much better on me when the fake tan and bronzer comes out for the summer, it's non-sticky and just feels like a good quality gloss.

Have you picked up anything from the Topshop makeup line? What do you think?

Current Boots deals

2011-03-08T07:00:00.000Z

Just a quick heads up on current offers from Boots as they seem to have LOADS on at the moment..

First up, 3 for 2 on face and body skincare (until 22nd March) which is perfect if you're looking for a new skincare routine!

3 for 2 on selected indulgent bathing.. which for me means Soap and Glory!

Buy one get one half price on selected Naked haircare and styling

3 for 2 on selected make-up items, including Model's Own and L'Oreal!

Advantage card kiosk offer- valid until 22nd (I think!) of March- 200 points when you spend £15 on facial skincare.

Free Max Factor Minis when you spend £15 on Max Factor

3 for 2 on selected professional haircare

...

And not to forget the infamous £5 off No7 vouchers that are around once again!

The list just goes on and on. Definitely a good time to be stocking up and trying new products!

Anything you've got your eye on to try out? Let me know!

x

A little bit of shameless self promotion for Sunday!

2011-03-06T12:20:00.001Z

Hello lovelies!

I just wanted to point your attention over to the Facebook page for my jewellery- Lovely Little Charms. It gets updated regularly with new pieces and has all the details of how to order.

I've currently got a giveaway going on over there, and the 50th person to like the page will win a custom made handbag charm!

Here are a few examples of my charms..

For lots more pictures and details head on over and don't forget to Like my Facebook page :)

Pretty Purchases!

2011-03-04T07:00:00.001Z

For someone who professes to dislike pink I certainly have enough of it around in my room... And now I've added these rather lovely Dahlia fairy lights and a pretty polka dot storage box to the mix!

I got hold of them both at a great price, the box was £2.99 from Home Bargains, and the lights were fromSainsbury's, for around £9 in their recent 25% off event. The fairy lights are wrapped round the end of my bed whilst the box is currently looking for a home somewhere in my room!

Have you got your hands on any new home accessories recently? Let me know!

Fabulous February's Favourites!

2011-02-28T07:00:00.000Z

I can't believe it's the end of February already!

This month's favourites include....

Topshop blush in "Flush", No7 Exquisite Curl, Lily Lolo Flawless Silk Finishing Powder, ELF's cover up stick, ELF's Candid Coral blush, Distilled Witch Hazel and ELF Mist and Set spray.

Topshop Cream Blush in "Flush" and No7 Exquisite Curl mascara

After many months of seeing "Flush" on other blogs I finally popped this in my basket when Topshop had their recent free delivery offer, it's gorgeous and I love it.. full post of love to come!

I wrote about No7's mascara here and since then I've used it just about every time I've worn mascara. It's great for everyday and layered with 17's Wild Curls for more drama!

ELF's studio line blush in Candid Coral

This was my first blusher from ELF and it's perfect, it's subtle but buildable and the fine gold shimmer works even with my pale skintone adding a very natural sheen to the skin. Total bargain too, as with all things ELF!

Lily Lolo's Flawless Silk Finishing Powder and ELF's all over cover stick

Flawless Silk is great for using all over the skin to keep oil at bay without taking your fact to a totally matte level, it adds a flattering glow and a very slight peachy colour that add to that flawless finish.

I'm still using ELF's cover stick under foundation or alone just about every day, it stays put, lasts and matches my skintone. Definitely one of my essentials.

Distilled Witch Hazel and ELF's mist and set

Once again Witch Hazel makes the line up, see my full post here for more raving about it. Tightens pores, evens skintone, balances moisture levels and banishes oil.

ELF's mist and set has been hailed as the poor man's fix plus.. I've never tried it, nor do I intend to! This is great for freezing make up where it's meant to be whilst leaving skin looking healthy and hydrated.

Last but not least, Neal's Yard Chamomile Cleanser

I managed to leave this one out of the photo (there's always one) but this has become an everyday staple over the last few weeks after a rocky start! Full post on this to come but it's doing a wonderful job!

Beauty Blog Link Love 27/2/11

2011-02-27T07:00:00.000Z

Want your own customizable magnetic palette without spending big bucks? Beauty's Bad Habit shows you how to make your own!

AOYV find her love and joy in NARS Lovejoy.

Take a look at INGLOT's new Chelsea NYC Studio: Kim Porter shares pictures from INGLOT's Grand Opening event.

Inspired by Parisian culture with Asian nuances, The Beauty Nerd features gorgeous beauty products from Tokyo Milk.

Revlon's Super Lustrous line has officially converted Angela at Do Want Makeup into a lipstick lover! Check out her review of Wine With Everything.

Come over to Jeweled Thumb to see some new lipsticks from Essence at a price point everyone will love!

Hot Beauty Health shares the best travel makeup to stay gorgeous on vacation.

Love Rihanna? Musicalhouses attempts to dupe her "Who's That Girl" eye look!

Hot thermal springs, healing white silica muds, soothing spas...sounds a bit like heaven, right? While most of us can't get to Iceland, check out Socialite Dreams review of the Iceland Blue Lagoon Spa Mud Mask that you can use at home.

Take a peek at the toners and moisturisers in Rachel's current skincare routine.

Retrodiva shows how easy it is to use the Kiss Premium Eyelashes. Gorgeous lashes in just a flash!

Blush Fiend Tracy at Beauty Reflections reviews Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush and other blushingly beautiful blushes during Blush Week!!

Sarah from IHeartCosmetics reviews the new Naked Skin line of 97% natural facial skincare.

Missed out on New York Fashion Week? Make sure you check out Krasey Beauty's recap on fall beauty trends.

Ever wondered how to pick the right blush to go with red lips? The Lip Print gives you a few pointers.

At Music and Make Up Jo has lip swatches of her favourite red lipsticks.

Jellyminx shares her first nail stamping experience!

Cindy over at Prime Beauty happily referees the Lip Crayon Smackdown! See who comes out on top between NARS, Tarte and Clinique!

Do Revlon creme glosses live up to the hype? Check out Spiced Beauty to see how she scored them for 2.50 each!

What's the hottest new lipstick in the drugstore? Find out over at theNotice (and don't miss Rae's swatches of the entire line!)

Do men moisturise? Isn't it too macho for them? hellcandy's bf guest posts and reveals all...Click here to read his post.

Katie sounds the dupe alert siren when comparing Kat Von D's Beethoven palette ($34) to the NYX Jazz Night palette ($8) on My Lips But Better.

What did you buy from Mac’s Wonder Woman collection? Check out Anita’s Wonder Woman haul over at Pleasureflush.

***

Feel like there isn't enough nail polish in your life? Beauty Crazed has a nail bonanza contest going on that you should enter! What are you waiting for?!

Phyrra's Indie Spotlight for February is Sobe Botanicals! Learn all about Lex, and don't miss out on entering the giveaway, too!

Say hello to the new Braun Silk-Epil Dual Epilator!

2011-02-26T17:00:00.000Z

Thanks to you lovely lot putting up with blogs and tweets of facts about this revolutionary device I've been lucky enough to get my hands on one free as part of the BzzAgent scheme (which I wrote about previously here).

The model I've got is the brand new 7891 and I'll be sharing updates on how I'm getting on with it and whether it makes any difference to hair growth speed soon!

Hope you're enjoying your Saturday :)

x

A new lease of life for baked eyeshadows..

2011-02-24T15:46:00.000Z

..Courtesy of Fee at Makeup Savvy and Muhsine at Bubblegarm.

After reading Fee's post on scraping the top layer off baked products to leave them more pigmented I decided to have a go myself with Accessorize's baked duo in Rendezvous as after originally being impressed with it I then became less and less so as I used it a few more times. I tend to use this foiled, so with a wet brush, which seems to cause this problem of a frosty top-layer much faster than with a dry brush.

Here's the obligatory before shot:

Pale, washed out colour. This is relatively heavily swatched.

Pretty shimmery colours in peachy and pale pink colours.. but with a frosty sheen

Time to score the surface of your baked shadow (or other baked product) to reveal fresh new surface!

Top to bottom: before & after. Both swatched over ELF's eyeshadow primer. There's a huge difference in pigmentation and the bottom swatches took a whole lot less loading onto the brush too!

I look forward to being able to use this duo properly once again.

Have you had pigmentation problems with baked products? Tried this?

Naked bargains!

2011-02-22T07:00:00.000Z

Very different from shopping for bargains naked...

Anyway.

A few days ago this post popped up on my Bloglovin' page from Lily at Beauty's Bad Habit revealing the discovery of the Naked cocoa body butter for £1 in Savers. I'm a big fan of Naked, bargains in general and body moisturiser so I went off in search of hidden treasures in my local Savers.

Amazingly (the shops in my nearest town never seem to contain the products I go hunting for!) I found the Naked cocoa butter, along with an orange and honey hand and body lotion and a Wake up shower gel, for £1 each, utter bargains considering they all currently sell on Naked.com for £3.99 each!

I'll be reviewing the hand and body lotion and cocoa butter fully in the next little while.

Are you a fan of Naked products? Spotted any bargains?

x

Liz Earle Springtime offer!

2011-02-21T11:59:00.000Z

Just a quick post on an offer from Liz Earle...

Liz Earle are offering all the above- 2 x 100ml pump Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth cleansers + 2 muslin cloths, a 200ml Instant Boost Skin Tonic and your choice of Skin Repair moisturiser (normal/combination, dry/sensitive or combination oily) plus a beauty bag for £44! A total saving of £23.55 off the normal price of £64.55.

Or if you prefer Superskin moisturiser then there's this..

Which contains the same as the original one above, except the Skin Repair moisturiser is swapped for the Superskin moisturiser. On the springtime offer this retails for £56.80! Again with a total saving of of over £23!

These are great offers from Liz Earle if you're looking to try the whole range, you can find the Essentials kit here and the Superskin kit here.

Happy shopping!

Topshop free delivery...

2011-02-20T12:34:00.000Z

Until Tuesday the 22nd.

The perfect time to pick up a few bits from the new Sandstorm collection? Or a cream blush (that'd be me!).

No code required just run along and check it out!

x

Skincare: Toner and moisturising!

2011-02-19T07:00:00.000Z

Following on from my post on my skincare routine: cleansing ...here's what I'm using for toners and moisturisers right now...

Witch Hazel- both distilled liquid and in gel form are my current favourites, they do a fantastic job of keeping my skin's tone and texture even, keeping oil at bay and generally boosting my skin condition, my pores are also much much smaller too, take a look at my full review to find out more!

Also in use is Liz Earle's Instant Boost Skin Tonic which softens and soothes my skin with a wonderful scent as a bonus!

I know for some people toner is a step that's seen as pointless but it's really made all the difference to my skin and if I wasn't going to do anything else with it then toner's what I'd reach for.

Moisturising is a bit of a mis-match depending on what my skin's up to. Sometimes leaving my No7 hot cloth cleanser on an extra minute makes all the difference to the moisture level of my skin whilst for others' Liz Earle's Superskin moisturiser does the job in one application, bringing my skin back up from neglected and dry to smooth and supple.

Simple's oil balancing moisturiser is generally the one I reach for in the mornings whilst Boots' Botanics moisturiser does an amazing job of settling my skin whilst reviving when I've been slack with the nurturing my skin needs.

Currently my face isn't the picture of perfectly cared for skin, but generally when I stick with the above routine I have soft, happy skin!

What are your top toner and moisturiser favourites? Always good to know for future reference!

x

I am...

2011-02-15T07:00:00.004Z

A fruit fiend! Loving grapes especially, and those sneaky yoghurt coated raisins that PRETEND to be healthy. Oh, and also raspberry flavoured Fruit Flakes, once again more fruit that isn't really healthy.. Too much sugar!

Swimming.

discovering that finding a bikini that actually fits is a SERIOUS challenge...

Looking forward to spring.. We may not quite be at the stage of the above picture but Snowdrops are here now!

Particularly enjoying Grey's Anatomy at the moment.

Addicted to face cleanser, running out of room to store it...!

x

P.s- Click images for image source

Beauty Blog Link Love: 12/2/11

2011-02-13T07:00:00.000Z

Do you want a lip product that's both long-lasting and hydrating? Get the best of both worlds with MAC Kissable Lipcolour, as reviewed by My Lips But Better.

Madame B Fatale trials some Cellnique products,with some lovely results!

Physician's Formula Happy Booster Glow and Mood Boosting Powder and Blush is making Tracy at Beauty Reflections smile!

Fabulous eyeshadows for a bargain price? Claire reckons she's found some from Collection 2000.

Socialite Dreams is celebrating Black History Month with the 28 Days of Black Beauty: a series showing a black female celebrity each day and recreating her famous look with makeup!

Valentine's Day is almost here! Check out Musicalhouses' funky Valentine's Day eye and funky Valentine's Day nails!

Makeup Morsels finds a spot-on dupe for her favorite Asian gel eyeshadow.

Over at Queen of Turquoise Rachel shows off some of ELF's lovely lippies!

Retrodiva was asked how to do a cat eye, so she explains how in a new tutorial video.

Gouldylox desperately wants longer hair but doesn't want the damage and hates how clip-in locks feel. These look like a gimmick, but actually deliver.

Phyrra raves about a new indie company, Brazen Cosmetics. She shares a 20% off coupon code, too!

Jellyminx embraces her inner rock chick and share a super easy smokey eye look.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away the Pink Sith tells of her experience with Guerlain Meteorites Illuminating and Mattifying Pressed Powder in 01 Teint Rose.

Are you ready for your Valentine? .. Why not check out Sleek MakeUP's Stiletto Collection, It's Limited Edition, and especially for Valentines!

Jo at Music and Makeup talks about her experience at the Academy Of Freelance Makeup.

The Lip Print combines two of her favourite things: celebrity makeup and red lipstick.

Beautywoome shares the things she dropped from her beauty routine in 2010 and why they've been given the boot!

Anita gets excited about the details and promo pictures of MAC’s gorgeous, girly, "Quite Cute" collection over at Pleasureflush!

Amy Antoinette showcases her perfume collection

Fabulous eyeshadows for a bargain price? Claire reckons she's found some from Collection 2000.

***

To celebrate her 2 year blog anniversary, Audrey Dao is giving away Urban Decay’s Naked Palette, 15 year 24/7 Eye Pencils and much more!

Want a chance to check out some of theNotice's favourite products? You're in luck - Rae's giving away five of her favourite products!

Krasey Beauty is celebrating her two year anniversary with a huge giveaway ! Naturally, it's packed with her favorites from Make Up For Ever, Zoya, Hourglass, and more!

Will Mr. Postman bring YOU a package from the Cargo Spring 2011 Voyages collection? Enter the giveaway at Prime Beauty but hurry, the giveaway ends Monday, Feb. 14th!

Beautifully Addicted To are saying thank you to their beautifull followerswith a host of goodies include OPI, Bliss, and MAC as a giveaway!

Wishlist for February....

2011-02-12T07:00:00.001Z

CND cuticle eraser- because mine are a mess.. I've heard good things about this, particularly that it actually removes cuticles rather than claiming to but really just softening them.... sneaky!

ELF's studio cream blushes- rumoured to be appearing this month on ELF's UK site. I'm liking my NYX cream blushes more now I've got used to them so I'm looking forward to trying this out!

UNE skinglow foundation- this seems promising from a sample I got in Marie Claire this month, love the texture and the feel and just everything really! I don't know if they've re-formulated because I've not had any of the issues I've heard of others having in reviews...

Models' Own- I got hold of the champagne colour with a buffer in a gift set on Asos' sale for £3. It just lasts and lasts, never had any polish stay on my nails so long. I'm looking at either mystic mauve or hot pink.

Liz Earle- Cleanse and Polish- because nothing beats the original.

Naked skincare- jojoba exfoliator- if only for the legendary scent! Cookies without the calories AND smooth skin?! It just doesn't get any better!

What are you wanting most this month? As if I need any more temptation...!

x

Braun Silk-epil 7 dual epilator... An epilator unlike any you've seen!

2011-02-10T07:00:00.000Z

So previously I shared a little chunk of information about the new Braun epilator and the next is..

The Braun Silk-épil 7 Dual Epilator combines the benefits of epilation with those of wet shaving; In just one stroke it gives a new skin feeling that lasts.

Personally I can't think of anything better to add to an epilator than a razor. The main issues I have with epilating- particularly my legs- is that they just don't feel as smooth as when I shave, and there are always a few sneaky hairs that manage to avoid being savagely pulled from their roots. An added razor is perfect, it should deal with both of those problems.

Plus...

The Braun Silk-épil 7 Dual Epilator has a non-slip grip for safe use under water and with shaving gel or foam.

Hopefully epilation + shaving + water/shaving gel should = a much smooother experience!

Review: No7 Exquisite Curl

2011-02-08T07:00:00.000Z

No7 mascaras have impressed me in the past, however I've not picked up any of their newer ones from the past few seasons as I've been relatively happy with my lower-end drugstore mascaras. This one was sent to me for review.

The newest offering from No7 is their "Exquisite Curl" mascara which claims to coax your lashes "to a more beautifully curved and volumised look, with long lasting curl", sounds good to me! I always used to curl my lashes until my eyelash curlers broke and the replacements just didn't cut it, ever since then I've demanded more from my mascaras; I want them to curl, lengthen, add volume and for all of this to STAY PUT for the whole day... Not much then ;)

The Exquisite Curl wand itself is curved to help curl lashes and has bristles which are quite densely packed, with one side having longer bristles than the other.

Application is easy enough, although I do seem to be having some issues with getting mascara on my eyelid which isn't normally a problem.. I'm putting this down to the brush shape which is a little unusual for me and bound to take a bit of getting used to!

Before...

After....

It definitely lengthens and curls, doesn't add a whole lot of volume but it's pretty rare to get everything in one! I really, really like this mascara and think it's well worth it's current £10 price tag- which is valid until the 23rd of Feb, after that it'll be £13.50 (or £8.50 with the £5 off vouchers that are regularly around).

No7 also have a competition to win an exquisite pampering weekend including a make-over by none other than Lisa Eldridge! There are also 9 goodie bags to be won every week. For your chance to win all you need to do is upload a wink via picture or video to the No7 facebook page here! You've got until the 15th of February to get your entries in.

Have you tried No7 mascara's before? Like the look of this one?

ELF's lovely lippies!

2011-02-06T07:00:00.002Z

L-R- Classy, Gypsy, Seductive

Last year ELF launched their essential (£1.50) line's lipsticks. Within the day there were shades sold out and after a little research (elf's swatches rarely reflect the true colours in my experience) I decided on Classy or Seductive. Typically these were both out of stock and so I ended up with Gypsy first. A deep pink this is reserved for more dramatic looks for me personally but a lovely colour all the same. Classy is a lighter lilac-y pink and Seductive more coral based.

L-R- As above- Classy, Gypsy, Seductive

Packaging-wise these are sturdily made and survive the battle inside my bag with ease. A silver tube with a transparent band in the middle makes them easily identifiable in amongst a drawer and saves having to rely on the teeny font on the end.

Top to bottom- Classy, Gypsy, Seductive

All three are creamy, pigmented and non-drying, my only niggle being the relatively strong fruity scent that comes with the colour, the only giveaway to their bargain price. I can't decide if this is any better than the wax-crayon-esque cheap lipstick smell but the taste is certainly better. Lasting power is average, but better than the similarly priced MUA lipsticks.

Overall a total steal, perfect for experimentation and everyday wear! Available from ELF at £1.50 each.

Have you tried the ELF essential lipsticks?

x

January Favourites

2011-02-02T13:30:00.001Z

Urban Decay's Naked palette, ELF stipple brush, 17 Wild Curls mascara, L'Oreal Telescopic mascara, ELF cream eyeliner, ELF essentials primer, ELF cover up and colour stick, Clarins' True Radiance foundation!

Urban Decay's Naked palette... I've used this just about every day now since I got it when it first came out (in November?) and I love it. It's simple, it's easy to choose a combination that works and the shadows are beautifully soft and pigmented.

Clarins True Radiance foundation- perfect for evening out the complexion and brightening with it's dewy finish and gold coloured micro-particles this is a perfectly easy to wear, easy to blend foundation. It doesn't dry the dry parts of my face out and stops me looking shiny with it's oil free finish.

Both 17 Wild Curls and L'Oreal Telescopic have been favourites for a while now, either alone or layered... wild curls is great for volume and telescopic is fab for length. Together they're amaaazing.

L-R ELF cover up stick in apricot beige and color (bleurgh, COLOUR) stick in spotlight. ELF's cover up stick has become a firm favourite over the past couple of months, as my Clarins foundation is relatively light coverage and I'm prone to blemishes and redness this is great for splodging on underneath. I also use it on it's own. It's so easy to use and at £1.50 it's probably one of the best value-for-money things that I own. The colour stick makes a great highlighter, blends easily and looks perfect without any fuss.

Once again ELF's eyelid primer, use this under every eyeshadow and it does just as well as UDPP in my opinion! Keeps shadows crease free and in place allll day long.

It's taken me a while to make my mind up about the ELF stipple brush. I'm not really sure that it's firm enough to use for application of foundation, but that's not something I've explored much.. however it's great for blushes- especially cream- and for stippling over my make up after using a setting spray of some description. Better than a certain Sigma F15 that I had to send back due to epic shedding!

The cream eyeliner I've been using just about everyday. Not much more I can say about this! Full review here.

If you're interested in finding out more about any of these let me know and I'll try and do a more detailed post on it :)

What are your current essentials?

Skincare routine: Cleansing

2011-01-31T12:08:00.001Z

After I ran out of my beloved Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish a couple of months ago I decided I'd not go back for it straight away, simply because I get bored easily and fancied playing about with some other cleansers for a bit.

I received the Neal's Yard Chamomile Cleanser (I plan to do a proper review of this very soon.) as a gift for Christmas and got on with it relatively well, it's taken some getting used to as it doesn't massage into the skin as easily as some cleansers but it does leave my skin soft and smooth. I don't think it's the best at deep cleansing though so I was needing something more suited to that to add to my routine.

So with my £5 off No7 voucher in hand I went in search for the No7 Radiance Boosting hot cloth cleanser. I've only been using it for a few days but I'm really liking it, after use my face feels clean and soft without any hint of tightness. It is missing the scent of the Liz Earle one- the No7 one smells more.. soapy? and it's not quite as luxurious feeling, but then it's normally £9 for 200ml instead of £11 for 100ml, and with a voucher a bargainous £4 for 200ml!

Soap and Glory's Greatest Scrub of All is my current exfoliator and has been for a while. It's the perfect amount of scrubbiness but I just don't feel it's working for me anymore, so any suggestions are most welcome!

I'm using deep cleansing sponges as well as a muslin cloth to remove my cleansers at the moment, I find it's quicker and easier and something I can see myself sticking with. They seem to do their deep cleansing job well whilst still being really gentle too, they're from the Botanics range and they were around £3 for two.

The Body Shop's facial brush is another favourite accessory, it's great for transforming a normal cleanse to a really thorough exfoliation, it is something that's likely to make you break out at first though, as everything gets settled down and your skin gets a really good deep cleanse, so not one to start using right before a big event!

The rest of my skincare routine will be coming up soon!

What are you using for cleansing at the moment?

x

Beauty Blog Link Love.. 29/1/11

2011-01-29T11:27:00.000Z

Rachel finds out if a body lotion can be energizing with Liz Earle.

Makeup Morsels finally tries out those famous Urban Decay Liners.

Looking for a similar powder to the Magic Cool Powder from MAC? Look no further - Sleek Makeup have one for half the price!

Check out Audrey Dao's review of Zoya's Spring 2011 Intimate Collection along with photos and swatches!

Daily Polish shows off sneak pictures of China Glaze's Holiday 2011 Collection Let It Snow!

Phyrra tells you about Shadow Transformation. She compares four products from Fyrinnae, Hi-Fi, Sobe Botanicals, and Medusa's Makeup. See which one comes out on top!

Kelly of Gouldylox Reviews finds a new love at the drugstore. It's quickly becoming a foundation favorite!

What do you do when your bosses go on leave? Why, wear crazy turquoise fishnet nails to work of course - Musicalhouses did it!

Retrodiva shares her five favorite tinted moisturizers that can be used even on oily skin.

One palette; how many looks can The Lip Print create? It's a Palette Challenge!

Sarah from IHeartCosmetics bypasses Bella Bamba and goes straight for Benefit's Prrrowl and Magic Ink.

Jo at Music and Makeup finally had a play with MAC Club eyeshadow and liked the results!

Are China Glaze Channelesque and China Glaze Below Deck dupes or not? Check out this post at Beauty addict's blog to find out!

Big pores? You need this! Hellcandy shares her love for Benefit's Porefessional.

Craving the new Make Up For Ever Lab Shine lip glosses? Well, you're in luck because Krasey Beauty has swatches of the full collection!

Mz. More of The Glamorous Gleam tries out OPI Shatter Nail Polish. Is it all it's "cracked" up to be?

Jenn over at Spiced beauty puts on her best glam face using BarryM Cosmetics!

theNotice chats about the new love in her life - that is, Clarins Rouge Hydra Nude lipsticks. Will you be picking up a tube before they're sold out?

Amy Antoinette reviews ELF's Studio Line blushes.

It’s all about glowing skin and pink hues this spring! Anita reviews (almost) the entire Guerlain spring collection over at Pleasureflush.

***

Beauty Crazed wants to solve your winter hair woes with $200 worth of Marc Anthony products! So enter the contest already!

Start the new year with a new you. Win a La Mav anti-age skin care pack and enjoy your new skin.

Help Cindy celebrate the one year anniversary of Prime Beauty. At this celebration the presents are for you!

Come by Jeweled Thumb to read a review of the Eyeko My Coral Crush Peachy Keen blush and also win one! Enter now to be one of the 2 lucky winners!

Socialite Dreams is hosting a giveaway of socialite approved goodies!

Braun Silk-epil 7 dual epilator... A little bit of info

2011-01-28T10:11:00.009Z

As I've mentioned in a couple of previous posts I'm a Bzz Agent, which involves spreading honest "Bzz" (basically info/opinions) about certain products that I'm sent to try out.. This time's a little different though. In order to be one of the first to try the Braun Silk-epil 7 dual epilator I'm required to share some information about it before they at the Bzz HQ decide who to send them to!

Today's snippet...

"The Braun Silk-épil 7 Dual Epilator is the world's first epilator with integrated Gillette Venus Technology, combining the best of epilation and shaving."

Exciting (as hair removal can be...), yes?!

I feel my current epilator isn't the best so it would be great to try a new, higher level model to see if there's any difference. Have you tried epilating?

FOTD!

2011-01-25T11:42:00.000Z

Face-

ELF cover stick

Clarins' True Radiance foundation- shade 03 soft ivory

ELF mist and set spray

ELF eyebrow kit

Eyes-

ELF (essentials range) primer

Urban Decay Sin- Naked palette- all over mobile lid and up into crease

Urban Decay Toasted- in crease

Urban Decay Naked & Virgin as highlight

ELF cream eyeliner in Copper on upper and lower lashlines

17 Wild Curls mascara & L'Oreal telescopic mascara.

Lips-

Revlon Colorstay lipstick in Tender Pink. The bottom picture shows the true colour of this the best. It's quite frosty but just enough to add dimension, love it. You can find it here.

Star blogs!

2011-01-23T12:35:00.001Z

I thought I'd do a quick post on some of my favourite blogs.. I follow a lot of them so not all my favourites are going to get in here but here's a few...

Do Not Refreeze Leanne's nail art is amazing and I always look forward to a FOTD from her!

Lipglossiping was the first beauty blog I ever read, Charlotte's writing style is unique, I'll read posts about products I have no interest in and enjoy them!

Dottie K was another of the first blogs I read. Kim's reviewing style is fab, always very clear and again, another great one for nail art!

Makeup Savvy, I only came across Fee's blog relatively recently but already it's one of my favourites, I LOVE a bargain and she really is the queen of them!

Magic's in the Makeup is great for all things beauty, particularly skincare and lipsticks/foundations/blushers. A very cute blog!

Sailboat is a beautiful blog. I love Jennie's photographs and her favourites posts are amazing!

May Loves Makeup May's blog is a haven for all things pink and girlie! (It actually reminds me of that shop, Girl Heaven.. I don't know if it's still around any more, but it was just make up, glitter and pink things!) She has some fab giveaways too!

Vivianna's blog is full of lipstick! She does some great favourites videos too and I always enjoy watching them.

Phew! I might make this a more regular thing of just a few blogs at a time, it might make it a little easier to read as well as saving everyone from link-death too!

What are your favourite blogs? Feel free to link me up with posts/suggestions in my comments!

P.S- all pictures are clickable for their source.

Help with statcounter?

2011-01-21T18:45:00.000Z

Since I started blogging I've used statcounter to keep track of the number of page views and visits I have to my blog, it normally works fine but every so often something breaks and I have to replace the code... Only this time even that hasn't stopped statcounter from under-recording the page views I'm getting. Generally my blogger stats are just over half of what statcounter records and as my bloggers stats have overtaken my statcounter ones I know there's something wrong.

Anyone who can help me fix this or suggest another good website for recording stats would be sooo appreciated!

Thanks lovelies! :)

x

Lip balm love.

2011-01-21T07:00:00.000Z

I use such original blog post titles ;)

A while a go I was stuck for lipbalm inspiration and a lot of you came to my rescue! These are the ones I'm currently using:

Nivea pearly shine- perfect for adding a bit of extra shimmer to a lipstick or for toning down a bright colour, very pretty!

Palmer's cocoa butter formula lip balm- Not too slippy yet very moisturising which makes it my first choice for under lipstick.

Blistex relief cream- this is the one that I reach for when my lips are cracked and sore, it works well whatever but I like to use it overnight and within hours lips are soft and hydrated.

Blistex daily lip conditioner is one I use every night to maintain lip hydration, it smells lovely (as it contains cocoa)

Vaseline- I generally use this on top of a lipstick or for when I know I'm going outside to protect my lips.

Burt's bees lip shimmer- Rhubarb and Peony- perfect for days with less make up, colour and great moisturisation all in one!

L'Occitane shea butter lip balm- by far the most expensive of the bunch but smells beautiful and does a wonderful job for day-to-day moisturising!

Superdrug currently have 2 for £3 on Blistex products so it's the perfect time to get your hands on them!

What are you girls using on your lips at the moment?

I am...

2011-01-18T07:00:00.002Z

...Enjoying driving freedom!

...Still eating the many edible presents left over from Christmas. White lindt lindor are my new favourite.

...Trying to work out where things are going for me now, in a juggle of health and fun and aspirations. Frustrated that everything can't just happen NOW!

...Loving feeling organised buying gifts for the year in the sale!

...Definitely in a lipstick phase...

...Needing to find out how to work new camera to fulfil it's true potential!

... Click on pictures for image credits.

Beauty Blog Link Love!

2011-01-16T15:20:00.000Z

Jellyminx introduces some Spring colours to get over the Winter blues in her latest look.

At Beauty Reflections, Tracy tests the redness reducing power of Smashbox Halo Yellow Color Correcting Hydrating powder. See the results for yourself!

Angela at DO WANT Makeup reviews her newest favourite, Hard Candy Baked Blush in Pin Up.

Vonnie of Socialite Dreams test runs the famous NAKED palette and shows a simple, sexy look.

Rae checks out Urban Decay's cult-favourite Primer Potion in Sin, over at theNotice... but can't decide if she loves it or not. What do you think?

Phyrra battles it out with powerhouse MAC Feline vs. newcomer Urban Decay Perversion. See which one wins for the deepest, longest wearing black eyeliner.

Need to take a photo for a professional shoot, or a resume photo? Musicalhouses shows you some makeup tips for professional photos that should come in handy!

Over at The Glamorous Gleam, Mz. More gives us a sneak peak of Sleek MakeUp's Scandalous Blush from the upcoming Limited Edition Stiletto Collection.

Retrodiva takes a look at some of her skincare favorites for 2011, including PREP by ybf to get a good start on the year.

LaaLaa Monroe over at Dolce Vanity experiment's with home-made wax hair removal to try & save the pennies for 2011.

Jenn from Spiced Beauty makes neutrals pop with the Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips for Blue Eyes palettes.

Rachel reviews Bourjois' 10 hour sleep effect foundation over at Queen of Turquoise - but is it up to the job?

Sugarpill gets some love all the way in Trinidad! Check out this FOTD by Teaserhi using the Burning Heart Palette.

Amy Antoinette trials some natural looking false eyelashes.

Lipgloss86 dives into the world offacial oil.

Curious about MAC's newest collection, Peacocky? Well, Krasey Beauty has the scoop, complete with swatches!

K at Beautifully Addicted To gives you a look at a lesser known but stunning MAC Lippie in Syrup.

It's a dry shampoo showdown at Eyelining Obsessions.

Hot Beauty Health shares 8 effective beauty tips for glowing skin.

Emma reviews Max Factors 'Weightless' Foundation over at BirdsDecorateBranches. But is it really weightless?

***

Happy Blog-o-ersary to Prime Beauty! Help Cindy celebrate the one year anniversary of Prime Beauty.She is hosting a giveaway EVERY DAY in January! Stop by every day to see what's up for grabs and enter to win!

Beauty Crazed is giving away over $400 worth of Make Up For Ever products so one of our lucky readers will really have enough makeup to last forever!

Come by Jeweled Thumb to read a review of the Eyeko Graffiti Eyeliner Pen and also win one! Enter now to be one of the 3 lucky winners!

Check out Anita's lipgloss collection and enter her giveaway to win some great goodies.

Jewellery Love...

2011-01-15T14:54:00.000Z

I love jewellery, in particular I'm a big fan of necklaces and bracelets and I find it hard to pass up the opportunity to add to my collection, even if I am running out of room!

One of my favourite places for high street jewellery has got to be Dorothy Perkins. They have some amazing sales which are around just about all of the time and their jewellery has a pretty wide range of styles.

Yesterday I picked up a few more sparkly treasures...

Glass bead necklace- £10

Gold leaf necklace and rose earrings- £2

Bow ring- £1

Rose ring- £2

Have you picked up any bargain jewellery recently?

Liz Earle Energising Body Lotion

2011-01-12T15:04:00.000Z

Anything that claims to be energising is welcome at this time of year when everything's a bit gloomy and dull- including skin.

Liz Earle's new body lotion has been released with perfect timing to coincide with new year's resolutions and the cold, dark weather.

Naturally active ingredients...

Formulated with gingko biloba, caffeine and ivy- amongst many others!- this relatively thick lotion is lovely on the skin and the smell is amazing!

I personally don't wear perfume when I've used this as it's really quite strong and lingers on your skin for a number of hours after application. The smell does remind me slightly of the superskin concentrate that I couldn't stand due to the strength of the scent but this is much more manageable and it's perfect to use after a morning shower.

It works well to moisturise dry skin fast and although I can't test the toning properties fully my skin definitely feels firm and hydrated after use.

A very enjoyable product to use and one that's perfectly suited for winter use!

Available from the Liz Earle website a 150ml tube costs £16.50, also available in a very cute 30ml tube- perfect for a pick me up through the day!

A post in which I blurt out (some of!) my insecure thoughts..

2011-01-10T14:48:00.000Z

As my one year blog birthday approaches (April, so a couple of months yet) I can't help but wonder if I could have done it better. Not because I'm ungrateful for what I have, or because I want to have a moan, these are just some of the thoughts wandering through my head.

I've loved writing the posts that I've done and I've enjoyed just about everything to do with being part of the blogging community. I'm ashamed to admit however that I look at other, newer blogger's (or the same "age" as me) reader count and the amount of comments they get, somewhat enviously.

I have a wonderful 201 readers and page views that are getting higher and I'm definitely not complaining, but I just can't help but wonder if I'd written differently, or about different things, if I'd not be feeling like this and feel that I was doing really well.

It frustrates me that it bothers me but I really think that wanting to be better, in whatever you do, is natural. I still love to read these blogs, my feelings and personal insecurities don't get in the way of that! They're well written, interesting, light-hearted, which is reflected in the amount of readers they have.

But then confidence becomes an issue too, I wonder why I've not managed to do as well as they have, is my blog boring, does my writing need to be better, am I not entertaining enough? ;) I am in no way fixated with readers/followers/page views, but with them being a reflection of how well I write and how many people enjoy what I do, it's hard not to!

This doesn't really mean anything in terms of my blog. I'll keep on going and enjoying writing and posting and taking photo after photo trying to get the perfect one...! I'd really love some feedback on what I could do to improve my blog however, it seems a good time to review, so there's going to be a poll up on the side for you to tell me what you want!

Image credit: click on photo for link.

Review: Good Things Fresh Start Creamy Cleanser...

2011-01-09T07:00:00.000Z

... Superfruit extracts Grape and Pomegranate.

Good Things is a brand designed specifically for young skin, free from parabens, mineral oils, SLS and animal ingredients. The pricing's really reasonable and the packaging's attractive without looking like it's been designed for an 8 year old as some younger skin brands have a tendency to be.

I had high hopes for this cleanser having read wonderful things about the face mask and night cream but it's been a minor disappointment really. Having said that, one of the main things I dislike is the sickly sweet smell that for me really doesn't conjure up fresh-face thoughts, more mega amounts of sweets and sticky small people, but of course scent is definitely one of those things in which people's taste can vary hugely!

Good Things say:

"Regular Cleansing is the first step towards fabulous skin. This gentle creamy cleanser is enriched with moisturising mango-seed oil to clean and comfort your skin without drying it out, while skin calming cactus extract and skin boosting anti-oxidants from grapes and pomegranates give your face a fresh start."

Directions for use are similar to hot cloth cleansers in that you apply and rub in for a minute before removing with a flannel (I use a muslin cloth) dipped in hot water. I love cream cleansers, the texture, the softness of my skin after and the way you can dual cleanse and gently exfoliate...But whilst this doesn't claim to be a cream cleanser the way they suggest you use it, and the expectations I had of it's results having read the back of the packaging could easily lead to confusion....

After use I personally find that my face can feel quite dry and tight and there are still visible amounts of eye make up left on my face so this is definitely something you'd need to use an additional eye make up remover with.

I think that this would probably be more suited to an oilier skin type than my generally dry/normal combination skin and to someone who's not put off by sweet smelling skincare. I'm definitely still intending to try out the 5 minute face mask and dream cream but will be just be keeping this as a back up rather than everyday use. Have you tried any of the products from Good Things? What did you think?

Good Things is available from Boots and the cleanser is priced at £5.10.

x

NYX Tea Rose lipstick/FOTD

2011-01-05T16:14:00.000Z

Face-

ELF all over cover stick

Clarins' True Radiance foundation (003, Soft Ivory)

ELF studio blush in Candid Coral

Eyes-

ELF cream eyeliner in Copper

Wild Curls mascara

Lips-

NYX round lipstick in Tea Rose

This was my first NYX lipstick and I'm really pleased with it, the texture is wonderful, smooth and silky but not too slippy with pretty decent staying power. Plus there's no cheap lipstick smell/taste! I'm looking into different shades now, so if you've got any personal favourites that you'd recommend then please do let me know!

Countdown to Christmas giveaway winners!

2011-01-03T12:09:00.000Z

The winner's of my Countdown to Christmas giveaways, chosen using random.org are....

Olivia

Ria

Heart shaped bruise

Jen4

SiSi Sparkles

Christina Marie

I'll be sending you girls emails very soon, if you happen to see this before I get to you then feel free to email me at queenofturquoise@gmail.com with your details!

Thanks to all of you who entered :)

Accessorize NOTD!

2011-01-01T13:54:00.000Z

I thought I'd cleverly disguise my new year's post.... So first of all, Happy New Year!

And then onto the NOTD ;) this was what I wore for Christmas day this year...

Accessorize Pink Spice. A beautiful mix of pink and orangey-yellows. Love it!

Then I added a coat of ELF's "Twinkle" to it (which is a matte finish) and added a coat of INM's Out the Door to make it shiny again!

Hope you've all had a very happy Christmas period!

Rach xx

P.S- giveaway winners coming soon!

Review: Bourjois 10 hour sleep effect foundation

2010-12-29T09:00:00.000Z

It's been a while since I used a liquid foundation, but every winter I start thinking about it and then I get disheartened and overwhelmed in Boots with the shades, and being in the way (aisles are too narrow for more than one person to browse properly at a time!) and I leave and forget about it.

It was only when I was in one of my bigger local Superdrug's looking for sleek Sunrise blush (didn't find it annoyingly!) that I started to look at the foundations.

The choice came down to this one, Sleek's foundation (looked quite flat in the bottle) and Bourjois Healthy Mix (a little too yellow looking in the bottle, but one I want to try) and at around £8 it was one of the cheaper ones too.

As I've mentioned (many times!) before, I'm really pale, with skin leaning more towards the neutral-pink base tone, and the shade that I chose was 72- Rose Clair, which matches surprisingly well. I do have to be careful not to apply too heavy handedly but to be honest that's what I've come to expect. The picture below looks incredibly orange for my skin tone but it blends in well to match my skin colour.

It's a relatively thin foundation which makes it really easy to blend and I've been using my ELF studio powder brush to apply which has been doing a really good job at applying this so that it just looks like my skin but better. The finish is gorgeous, a nice middle ground between dewy and matte, a satin-y finish, however it's oil free which stops my normal/combination skin from becoming at all oily.

(Pictures taken mainly in an attempt to capture beautiful glowy (in a good way) finish! Also illustrate how well this blends in).

Coverage is light and you'll definitely need an extra concealer to use with this if you've got redness or blemishes as this isn't heavy enough to double up as cover up (I'm quite impressed with that little rhyme myself...) as well.

My biggest problem with this is longevity, it just doesn't last, whether I've got a base or primer underneath or with powder on the top.

Overall, this starts off looking so promising only to be ruined by it's staying power which is really disappointing! I'll be finishing this by using it for at home and pop to the shop days where it doesn't matter so much if it doesn't last.

Have you tried 10 hour sleep effect? What did you think?

x

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T15:10:00.000Z

To all of you lovelies! I hope that by this time you're feeling huuugely fat and are having a peaceful Christmas day.

Rachel x

Image credit

Review: Liz Earle Botanical Essence No.1

2010-12-24T12:34:00.000Z

I received this fragrance from Liz Earle a month or so ago, and it's taken me a while to make up my mind about it.

It's really quite strong and sprayed into the air I like it for the first few minutes when it reminds me of the unusual herbal-y smell of the conditioner, and then something happens as it settles and I find it too strong.

Sprayed as a cloud before walking into it, or straight onto my wrist however and it seems to react better with my skin to leave it smelling fresher and... calmer. If that makes any sense? I find myself catching the smell of it on tops I've worn whilst wearing this perfume and really enjoying the scent, it seems to be something that I like more as I wear it more.

Liz Earle say:

"We’ve used the finest natural botanical ingredients from around the world – including high-altitude lavender from France, damask rose from Turkey, Italian bergamot and spicy patchouli from Indonesia. Using the expert nose of distinguished leading French perfumer, Jean Charles Niel, we gave him the time to indulge in this age old art, carefully hand-crafting this complex scent with true passion to create this vibrant, sparkling fragrance translating into warmth and sensuality."

It's a really unusual fragrance, though one I think that needs to be applied with a lighter hand to younger skins, but definitely something that can be worn everyday and enjoyed just about all year round!

Available from the Liz Earle website priced at £39.50 for 50ml.

Are you a big fragrance fan? What are your favourites?

x

Image credit: Liz Earle

The final Countdown to Christmas Giveaway! [ends 12am on the 24th]

2010-12-22T00:00:00.000Z

The very last Christmas giveaway contains:

A beautiful scrabble tile necklace kindly donated by It's All About The Print she has some absolutely gorgeous pieces in her shop, she's currently on holiday but will be back on the 23rd of December and I'd really recommend checking it out.

Also on offer... Some very cute teddy erasers ;)

Countdown to Christmas giveaway number 5! [ends 12am 22nd December]

2010-12-20T00:10:00.000Z

Today's giveaway prizes are:

-MUA glitter eyeliners in silver and gold (these are great, I use the gold one all the time at this time of year!)
-MUA blush in shade 4 (my favourite)
-ELF primer

and one of my handmade handbag charms!

This giveaway IS open internationally.

Rules can be found here, leave a comment to enter!

x