Clinique Smart Custom - Repair Serum: A review

Normally I'm a little bit slack with my skincare products. But I had been thinking about buying a serum for a while, my skin gets quite blotchy and red and dry in patches and I thought a serum could help. Then I saw that Clinique had launched a brand new product they were hailing as their best serum yet - The Clinique Smart Custom Serum. It was created after 5 years of research with patented technology and apparently can solve ALL of your skincare issues in one go.

I picked up a sample sachet in store in the summer and thought I'd try it out. Of course the sample only had enough product for 2 or 3 uses, which is no way to properly test out skincare. However, it felt quite rich and moisturising and a little went a long way. A few weeks later I decided to buy my mum a bottle for her birthday present and accidentally ended up with some for myself too (oops).

The packaging is really sleek - a tall silver pump action bottle, a departure from Clinique's usual green bottles. The pump dispenses the right amount of serum so that you don't waste any - which given the price of this stuff, is very important! I think what appealed to me was the claim that the serum is for all ages and all ethnicities. The sales assistant explained it by saying that the serum can sense the individual needs of your skin and is activated to repair and improve it. Now I can't vouch for the science on that but I was swayed. Being a serum-novice I liked the idea that this one would solve all of my issues and I wouldn't have spent my money only tackling wrinkles OR pores OR skin tone.

Review: Dior Fluid Stick 373 Rieuse

I first set eyes on the Dior Fluid Sticks in the Selfridges beauty hall. The packaging just looks so beautiful - especially when the whole colour range is laid out in a line. Dior make such pretty looking lipsticks that you just want to buy them and look at them. I love the silver ball lid with the 'CD' inscription and I love the colour of the gloss gleaming from the clear vial. If you turn it upside down the pointed end of the gloss inside looks like a lipstick. Swoon.... But aside from being such a thing of beauty, is the Dior Fluid Stick as good as it looks?

Essentially the Fluid Stick is a lip gloss with no stain, but it is more of a liquid lipstick / gel type formula. So it applies like a gloss and sets as a gel on the lips. It is water based so it applies well and as the water evaporates from your lips it leaves a non-sticky finish. It is glossy and pretty and lasts longer than a regular gloss (but won't survive a meal - expect to reapply regularly).

OPI Chillin' Like A Villain Nail Polish

I picked up OPI's Chillin' Like A Villain nail polish recently. I liked the nude colour and thought it would be great for summer, especially with a tan.

I have a quite a stash of pale pink nail polishes but this is different. It is a pale nude peach in fact it reminds me of the colour of ballet shoes. It is really pretty and quite unusual.

I used 3 coats and the colour built nicely and was not streaky. This particularly impressed me as most of my other pale opaque colours tend to apply unevenly. To maximise wear time and give a really glossy finish I used my Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat (reviewed HERE). I also love Insta-Dri because it makes my nails touch dry in 30 seconds - yes really!

OPI's Chillin' Like A Villain is part of a Muppets Most Wanted collection. The other colours in the collection are chunky glitters, pale pink, pearly white, metallic blue and a pretty duochrome mauve and gold (you can see swatches of the full collection over at the The PolishAholic).

I have no idea how the choice of colour range corresponds to the film - but I do love the film and have just bought the dvd - for my son of course....

I bought OPI's Chillin' Like A Villain at Sally for £11.50, but they don't have it online. You can find it cheaper on Amazon though at £8.98 HERE or £10.40 for mini versions of the whole collection HERE.

Just in case you haven't seen the film yet, I will leave you with my favourite song from the soundtrack which just really makes me laugh!

Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stains: A Review

I first read about the Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stains months ago when the pre-release hype was building. Since then I have been eagerly awaiting their August release in the UK.

Finally the time came for my local Boots to be fully stocked with the new Colorstay Moisture Stains! I was on holiday when they were first released, but to be honest by the time I made it into Boots I had already been looking at online swatches and had a good idea which shades I would buy. Cannes Crush - a pretty peach coral was already leaping out at me!

I was relieved that my local Boots had plenty of stock so I could swatch away and see all the different shades in the flesh. So often when a new product is released there are only a few shades in store for a few weeks and stock can be limited for the most popular colours. Not this time!!

I swatched 8 of the 12 available shades as you can see above. My first impression was a genuine excitement about the range of shades. Sometimes a product has a great formula but the shades are too bright or too Barbie pink for my tastes. But I am sure that there is something for everyone in here. The 4 that I didn't swatch were Miami Fever (orange), Rio Rush (bright pink), Shanghai Sizzle (bright orangey-red), and LA Exclusive (a Barbie pink) just because I don't wear bright pink lipstick and as much as a love an orangey-red lip I have enough lip products in that shade for now (yes I was at least briefly, the vision of restraint).

Sephora Haul! Sephora & Make Up Forever Waterproof Eye Make Up

I love a trip to Sephora, whilst you can buy online in the UK now there is something exciting about browsing a store full of new beauty discoveries. My first Sephora visit was a few months back (I bought some great lip stains and eyeshadows which you can see HERE) and as soon as I arrived in France for my summer holiday I was Googling the nearest store.

Ok I admit it, I actually made a few visits during my trip - the first time was a quick browse which was interrupted by my squealing toddler. But I had managed to swatch some products as I looked round the store. I noticed later that day and the following day that despite two showers and adequate hand washing (I promise!) some of the swatches still hadn't budged. I had to make another, now solo, trip to Sephora to track down this amazing product. Retracing my steps I realised that it was the Sephora Jumbo Liner 12H Wear Waterproof.

Sephora Waterproof 12H Jumbo Liner in Beige and Khaki

The Sephora Jumbo Liner 12H Wear Waterproof is a twist-up eye shadow crayon that is very soft when you apply it. If you work quickly you can blend it but within a few seconds it sets and doesn't budge easily. Online the Jumbo Liner comes in an amazing 28 shades, but in store the offering was much smaller. I chose a pretty pale peachy golden shimmer, misleadingly called Beige and I also bought Khaki.

I was interested in the Jumbo Liners more as a smudged out eye shadow than a precise eye liner, so I didn't pick up any of the matte black or brown options. But I did want a bronze shimmer colour and there weren't any in the Sephora range in store. However, I did find the colour that I wanted on the Make Up Forever stand!

MeMeMe Cosmetics - Coral Blossom Lip and Cheek Tint review

It is summer and I am all about bright colours at the moment! I have just come back from holiday and all I want to use on my nails, lips or cheeks right now is something bright like coral or orange! If this sounds familiar then the new Coral Blossom Lip and Cheek Tint could be for you.

MeMeMe Cosmetics are a new discovery for me and from reading other blogs the products get rave reviews and they aren't expensive. So when I was offered the chance to try the new Coral Blossom Lip and Cheek Tint I was keen to put it to the test.

Tints are not a new concept for me. Benefit make some well known tints - Benetint, Posietint, Cha Cha tint and Lollitint. I have them all! I use them on my lips rather than my cheeks although the idea is to use them on both. I like the long-wear effect of a tint and I tend to use it as a waterproof, matte, lip base colour and then apply a Clinique Chubby Stick or other lip crayon over the top. Best of both worlds!

Coral Blossom is a really pretty coral, peach colour which is right up my street! This kind of colour really suits my complexion and gives a really healthy glow. It is much more subtle that Benefit's Cha Cha Tint - which is more of a bright orange. Seeing as I only dare wear Cha Cha Tint when I am tanned in the summer, I think Coral Blossom will be more of a year-round option for me.

MAC Monday: MAC Satin Taupe Eye Shadow

Satin Taupe was the first MAC eye shadow that I bought. It was a couple of years ago and I wandered into the White City Westfield MAC Store and asked them what I 'needed'. I had heard beauty bloggers mention Satin Taupe as a must have so it seemed a good place to start!

As it was my first MAC eye shadow I bought it in the single pot because I didn't have my larger pro-palette at this time. Nowadays I always choose the pro palette format as I find them much more convenient for travel. I also find that just like Woodwinked (which I also bought as a single pot - see my swatches HERE) my single pots tend to get lost amongst my expanding make up collection and I just reach for my palettes instead. What a waste! (Obviously I really need to improve my make up storage!).

At first glance, Satin Taupe doesn't look like much. But it is more than just a cool toned taupe. Satin Taupe is a Frost finish and this gives the eye shadow a slight iridescence and a silver shimmer. It also has a pinky colour to it in certain lights.

Maybelline Color Show Crystallize Nail Polish: Rose Chic

I don't normally go in for textured nail polishes. I like them to look smooth and glossy. But my colleague at work came in one wearing one of these Maybelline Color Show Crystallize nail polishes and it caught my eye.

The Crystallize polishes come in 6 colours Light Up (silver), Rose Chic (nude), Silver Touch (lilac), Green Depth (green), Red Excess (deep red that looks bronze on the nails) and Nearly Black (black with pink & blue glitter). I chose the shade Rose Chic which is a pretty nude with rose-gold glitter.

MAC Monday: MAC On Hold Lipstick

I bought MAC On Hold when I visited the MAC store in Birmingham recently. I'm always a sucker for a new MAC lipstick and I'm starting to exhaust the usual colours I would choose. Slowly I'm being more adventurous with colour and I think this is what lead me to buy On Hold.

On Hold is a Cremesheen finish so it is opaque and creamy. It lasts quite well - not as long as a matte but longer than a glossy lipstick. The lipstick is packaged in the usual MAC black plastic bullet and like all MAC lipsticks has that lovely vanilla scent.

MAC On Hold - has a golden shimmer to it

On Hold is quite a bright colour on me. It is a pinky red or coral with a slight gold shimmer to it. Looking at swatches and photos of it on other people it can look quite subtle, but on me I think it looks quite bright red. Although if you are a regular My Beautopia reader you will know that I always panic about a bright lip! Perhaps I wouldn't pull it off as a daytime shade but it would be perfect for the evening.

Holiday essentials: Nivea In-Shower Body Moisturiser

If you are going on holiday this summer then you must try this!

Nivea first released their In-Shower Body Moisturiser in the UK last year. I picked it up as I read about it on British Beauty Blogger and I wanted to give it a try. I ending up liking it so much that I hailed it the best after sun I have ever used!

The basic premise is that you shower as normal and then at the end you wash yourself with the In-Shower Moisturiser and rinse it off... I know - I was sceptical too at first. But it works!

I was surprised that my skin really did feel moisturised afterwards, even though I had washed the product off. It looks like a creamy shower gel and has a really nice fresh fragrance. When you use it in the shower you need to stand out of the water flow for a few seconds whilst you apply it, so it has contact with your skin. But I didn't need to hang around waiting for it to soak in - I just washed it straight off and was good to go!

If you are anything like me on holiday then you will be very familiar with the post pool or beach shower, followed by the endless application of thick greasy aftersun. Then follows 30 minutes or so of 'soaking in' time whilst you lie around in a damp towel, before you can get yourself ready for the evening out. But you feel greasy and shiny all evening and any silky clothes just stick to you...

MAC Monday: MAC Woodwinked Eye Shadow

In my opinion, MAC eye shadows are the best out there. This perhaps goes some way to explain why I have so many of them! So this week's MAC Monday is dedicated to an eye shadow I have been wearing a lot recently - MAC Woodwinked.

I bought Woodwinked a year ago when I passing through an airport. I normally buy MAC eye shadows in the pro palette format - they are slightly cheaper and fit into my big palette. But in the airport they only had the single eyeshadow pots. I must admit that when I returned from that holiday the single pot got lost somewhere amidst the chaos of my make up collection. It was a case of out of sight out of mind for a while, until someone mentioned it online and I had to dig it out!

Woodwinked is a veluxe pearl finish eye shadow, so it has some shimmer to it - but not chunky glitter. It is very soft and easily blendable. Colour wise it is an antique gold colour with hints of a yellow toned bronze. It really brings out the blue of my eyes but would also look good with brown or green eyes.

Review: L'Oreal Skin Perfection Micellar Gel

I have been raving about micellar water as a fantastic make up remover for months. It started when I discovered the L'Oreal Skin Perfection Micellar Water. I reviewed it fully HERE but I was really impressed with how it removed even waterproof eye make up without scrubbing. So when I saw the new L'Oreal Skin Perfection Micellar Gel in the supermarket last week, I bought it straight away!

Seeing as I rely on my micellar water to remove eye make up I really liked the idea of gel rather than the water solution. I have always been an advocate of how effective micellar water is at removing make up without scrubbing at your eyes with cotton wool. But I will admit that as a force of habit I do tend to wipe at my eyes with the cotton wool pad - I know I shouldn't but it just happens! I thought that gel was a great idea because it would really coat my lashes and dissolve mascara and eye liner.

Sure enough - I was right! It feels gentle and cooling on my eyes too and because I can feel the gel on my eyes it stops that urge to wipe and pull at the skin around my eyes in the process. So far so good, but unfortunately it isn't without some issues.

MAC Monday: MAC Ravishing Lipstick

After my recent foray into the limited edition MAC Osbournes collection, I have returned to the permanent range for this week's MAC Monday. Lipsticks are always my weakness, because I am always searching for the absolute perfect specimen which works for all occasions (mind you I came pretty close with this one but I keep on looking just in case...). So in my most recent MAC visit I couldn't help but pick up Ravishing as a perfect summer colour.

Ravishing is a pale peachy coral colour with an undertone of warm pink. It is a really wearable colour for day or night. The colour is buildable so you can wear it a little bolder with a couple of coats or blot it for something more natural. It is not as orange or bright as Vegas Volt, not as coral as Costa Chic, but brighter than Shy Girl. At this time of year I love the orange and coral colours for lipsticks. I don't really wear anything too bold, so something like Ravishing is a great choice for me.

MAC Monday: Sharon Osbourne Collection part 4 - Peaches & Cream Powder Blush

This week's MAC Monday post is dedicated to my final purchase from the recent Sharon Osbourne collection. It is the much hyped Powder Blush in Peaches & Cream. When I read some pre-release posts about this collection it was this blusher that everyone was getting excited about. I will admit that I was so keen to get my hands on this collection that I gave into the hype and added it to my online shopping basket without much thought.

I think the name is a little misleading as this is a rose blush rather than a peach one. I assume the name references the idea of creating a 'peaches & cream complexion' - with a natural rosy tone. On me it is quite close to the colour that I turn when I blush. A make up artist once told me this is the shade of blusher you should aim for. (I will admit that I'm not sure about that seeing as I am prone to blushing and don't really want to emphasise it). However it is a pretty shade.

MAC Monday: Sharon Osbourne collection part 3 - Mineralize Skinfinish in Refresh

So here it is - my third installment of my recent MAC Sharon Osbourne Collection haul. This was a collection that I was really drawn to because the products are just so pretty! As you will know from my previous posts, I really indulged myself with the beautiful Duchess Eye Shadow Quad (review HERE) and the Patentpolish Lip Pencils (review HERE). But this week's MAC Monday post is dedicated to the MAC Sharon Osbourne Mineralize Skinfinish in Refresh.

Normally I'm not fanatical about bronzers, highlighters and blushes. I will buy them if I think I need the shade but I don't have the same irrational need that comes into play when I am choosing lipsticks (where I need ALL of the lipsticks in the same shades...). I chose the Sharon Osbourne Mineralize Skinfinish in Refresh because I liked the idea of a bronzer and a highlight in the same pan. I will admit that a certain element of shopping frenzy came into play when I ordered, as the collection had literally just gone live online and I didn't want to miss out!

Like the rest of the Sharon Osbourne Collection, the packaging is red instead of the standard MAC black. The clear plastic lid also has Sharon Osbourne's signature across it in lilac. The lid clicks shut so I would be confident that the packaging is sturdy enough to protect the product if you kept it in a make up bag or a handbag.

MAC Monday: Sharon Osbourne Collection Part 2 - Patentpolish Lip Pencils

If you read last week's post you will already know that I had a MAC splurge on the new Sharon Osbourne Collection. Last week I reviewed the Duchess Eye Shadow Quad (HERE). This week I wanted to show you the two MAC Sharon Osbourne Patentpolish Lip Pencils that I bought.

A few weeks ago I snapped up four Patentpolish Lip Pencils when MAC first released them (which I reviewed HERE). The name is quite misleading as they are actually chunky lip crayons that deliver sheer lip colour with a balm type feel. When I bought some of the original Patentpolishes I read that there would be some additional colours as part of the Sharon Osbourne Collection and I made sure I pounced on them as soon as they were released! These are the same formula as the original Patentpolishes but the packaging is red with Sharon Osbourne's signature in lilac.

The two colours that I chose were French Kiss and Ruby. The Sharon Osbourne Collection also has Patentpink (a cool toned Barbie pink) and Innocent (a sheer almost clear nude) which were part of the original release. But I skipped past those as it was the new colours that I was excited about.

The Battle of the Foundations: High End Products

Recently I have been experimenting with new foundations. This little project originally started as a search for a good high street foundation so I could save my beloved Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua for special occasions. Then during the winter I started trying to find a higher coverage foundation to even out my blotchy winter skin tone and my search slowly crept higher up the price scale. There are great high street foundations but I haven't found one that performs as well as my favourite high end ones. So several months and many purchases later I have given them all a good trial and it is about time I gave you the low down on my findings!

Lancome Galateis Douceur Cleanser: A review

For the past several months I have been using micellar water as my go to cleanser and make up remover. In particular I have been loving the L'Oreal Skin Perfection Micellar Water (see my review HERE). It is amazing eye make up remover but I have read reviews recommending that you also use another cleanser.

This is where the Lancome Galateis Douceur Cleanser comes in. I haven't used a cleansing milk for years and years, so when I was lucky enough to be sent a bottle - I was keen to give it a try!

MAC Monday: Sharon Osbourne Collection pt 1 - Duchess Eye Shadow Quad

Aside from my well documented MAC obsession, I was really excited when I first saw details about the MAC Osbournes collection. This wasn't because I hold any particular fascination with Sharon or Kelly Osbourne, but because I thought the Sharon Osbourne collection looked really amazing. Quite often in a MAC collection there are one or two stand out items, but this time I wanted nearly everything!

Having a habit of waiting to see swatches online before taking the plunge I often miss the boat. This time I already knew exactly what I wanted by the time the collection released online. I even continually scoured the internet for a couple of days waiting for the moment that the products appeared online. The big UK launch was in Selfridges last week and the collections were available on their website exclusively for the first day. I always resist buying online from Selfridges as I hate paying the huge delivery charge and I don't live close enough to click and collect. Luckily Debenhams sprang to my rescue the next afternoon and I immediately ordered my selection. Thank God I did! By that evening some of the products were already out of stock.

MAC Monday: MAC Teddy Eye Kohl

When Anna at Viviana Does Make Up asked her readers for the perfect warm brown eyeliner, the overwhelming response was MAC Teddy Eye Kohl. I had forgotten that I had this in my stash as one of my first MAC purchases. This was a great prompt for me to rediscover it.

I always use eyeliner and I always go for a brown. Somehow black eyeliner just looks too harsh on me, the only exception being if I was going for a really dramatic liquid eyeliner look. Oddly though my mascara is always black - its just a combo that works well for me. If eyeliner has too much of a grey or cool tone to it it accentuates the dark circles under my eyes and makes me look tired. But a warm toned brown with hints of red, gold or bronze works really well and brings out the blue of my eyes. MAC Teddy Eye Kohl definitely has that warm golden undertone which looks better on me. It also has a pretty pearl type finish to it which makes it a little more interesting than a matte brown.

MAC Monday: MAC Please Me matte lipstick

I was raving about MAC Kinda Sexy Lipstick recently (which I reviewed HERE) when one of my lovely readers asked whether I had ever tried MAC Please Me Lipstick? Both of these are from MAC's matte range. I love Kinda Sexy so much that I have been keen to try some other matte colours. I was convinced and immediately went online and ordered it!

Revlon Parfumerie - scented nail polish review

I first heard that Revlon were launching the Parfumerie Nail Polishes a few months ago. At first I was baffled by the idea of scented nail polish, but I then I knew that I would have to try it.

I bought 4 different shades based on colours I liked but also based on the scent of each. In the shop there were handy little scratch and sniff leaflets with the display so you can sample the different scents. It is worth pointing out that the scent really appears once the polish is starting to dry - otherwise it still largely smells of nail polish. This means you can't just open the bottle in the shop and smell it to see if you like it.

MAC Monday: MAC Patentpolish Lip Pencil

MAC Patentpolish Lip Pencils

As a fan of Chubby Stick style lip balm crayons and pencils, I have been looking forward to the release of the MAC Patentpolish Lip Pencils. Recently I have found myself wearing balm sticks more and more and they are an especially great product for summer time.

Summer nails: OPI Where did Suzi's Man-Go?

OPI: Where did Suzi's Man-Go?

I was lucky enough to be invited to a special charity nails event the other night. A friend is fund raising for charity and hosted a wine and nails evening - I didn't have to be asked twice! It was a real treat for me to have my nails done professionally and for once I have immaculately applied nail polish.

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara: A review

I first heard about the Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara from Estee over at Essie Button. So when a few weeks ago El at The Beauty Isle mentioned that she had just picked it up it aroused my curiosity even more.

Mascara is my favourite make up item, if I could only wear one item of make up then I always choose mascara. I feel like it opens up my eyes, makes them look bigger and brightens my face. I never, ever skip wearing it. However, I never wear it on my lower lashes. I have tried, but I always felt that it looked 'too much' and of course it usually got messy. If I managed not to accidentally smear it on my skin whilst applying it then it would end up smudging and looking dreadful.

MAC Monday: MAC 217 Blending Brush

MAC 217 Blending Brush

The MAC 217 Blending Brush has to be a make up kit staple for so many people. If you only own one decent brush then this really should be it! I think this must be one of MAC's most cult products and I know that some people actually own several of them.

The MAC 217 Blending Brush can be used to apply or blend eyeshadow or cream eyeshadow. The fibres are densely packed and arranged in an oval shape. The brush has a long wooden handle, feels nice in your hand and is easily controllable.

Tresemme Thermal Creations Style Creator Spray

I have long hair that falls just below my shoulders. I must admit that most of the time I pull it back into a ponytail and really only style it if I am going out for the evening. My hair is quite fine and tends to be a bit fly-away so I try to address this by carefully conditioning it, but if I am not careful conditioner can weigh down my hair making it limp.

I'm not a huge heated tools freak, but I do use my hair drier regularly and occasionally my straighteners and styling wand. Because my hair is highlighted I do have to be careful otherwise this can create a big dry, frizzy fly-away mess.

A few months ago I decided to look for a styling spray. I had a couple of false starts with products that just made my hair feel crispy and then I saw a few bloggers mention Tresemme. I wasn't exactly sure which product they were referring to, but the next time I was in town I picked up the Tresemme Thermal Creations Styling Spray as it seemed to cover all bases.