Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet ~ Peach Club

*Warning, perfect spring/summer lip colour alert!!!*

I love these liquid lipsticks & this is the fourth shade I've bought but I've only reviewed one, how weird???  Here's my review on Frambourjoise for those who haven't seen it & I'll get on to the other two asap.  But for now, here's Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Peach Club.

As you can see, it's a classic sponge doe-foot wand & it just takes a couple of swipes for perfect, precise application.  This shade is a fabulous corally orange, bright enough yet not too in-your-face & really is a great addition to any spring/summer makeup bag!

Although it's a matte formula, this feels so silky & comfortable on the lips, it's hard to believe that it lasts as long as it does.  I can eat lunch, drink several coffees & maybe sneak in a wee biscwit (sorry, I can't say the word normally now after the Fox's advert!!) & the colour will still be pretty much intact.

This shows how opaque the colour is as this was just the lightest of swipes on my thumb.

Ooooh, I really love it & it'll look even better with a hint of a tan, it's time to hunt out the facial gradual tanner methinks!!  Apologies for the dragged through a hedge backwards look!! ;)

Are you a fan of these lip colours?

I blame the babysitter!

I remember the day so well - our usual babysitter Jane had turned up to look after me & my sister & as she walked in, she handed us a bag of things to share out between ourselves.  In this bag was a huge collection of makeup that she was clearing out & my 8 year old self squealed with excitement!  We spent a happy couple of hours sharing out the goodies but the one item I really, really wanted - and that I hoped my sister wouldn't call dibs on first! - was a bright red lipstick from Estée Lauder.  I did end up with the lipstick & this was the day my love of makeup & beauty products began!

From that day on, I would take my crimped-hair self into town & my pocket money was spent in the local chemist buying all sorts of garish electric blue mascara & the only lipstick that made the whitest of teeth look like they were being subjected to 60 fags a day, Twilight Teaser (it was the 80s after all!), tiny cans of Insett hairspray that would leave my hair hard enough to take an eye out & the ubiquitous pink bottles of Impulse - I loved it all & just wanted to look like Madonna.......or Boy George, ahem!

Photo from Amazon

Photo from Sali Hughes Beauty

Now, 31 years later, I can't walk past Boots or Debenhams without going in & perusing the makeup aisles first.  I just love makeup - there, I've said it!  I love the whole artistry about it & how even the simplest of swipes with a mascara brush makes me feel sooooo much better.  If we have a big night out planned, 9 times out of 10 I'm not so much bothered about what I wear, but about what 'face' I'll be doing & do I complement or clash the nails?!  In fact, I've been known to choose my outfit after choosing what makeup I want to wear first! It's my favourite part of getting ready, whether for a night out or doing the school run & it would be extremely rare to catch me outside my home sans maquillage.

I don't see a problem with this whatsoever.....but for some bizarre reason, other people do seem to have a problem with this & this really upsets me.  For starters, it's nobody's business if I want to wear red lipstick when I drop my son at school at 8.50am & secondly, I would never judge anyone for not wanting to wear makeup so I cannot fathom why someone would feel that they can judge me for doing so.  

One of oldest friends always asks why I wear 'so much' makeup everyday, that I don't need it blah de blah but the truth is, I wear it because I love it & I feel more like 'me' with it on.  At a size 16, I am larger than I'd like to be & more often than not, feel extremely body conscious so I love to make an effort with my makeup, it just makes me feel so much better about myself - is this wrong...or too vain?   And can I just state for the record, that a regular day for me consists of foundation (I have acne scarring & pigmentation that I'm just not comfortable baring to the world!), blusher, mascara & lipstick or lip balm & takes me 4 minutes to apply in the morning - I know this because I timed myself this morning!  It's part of my morning routine the same as jumping in the shower or brushing my teeth & is not something I can see myself foregoing anytime soon.  (Obviously, lounging by the pool somewhere hot would be the exception to this rule!!)

So opinions, is it really such a bad thing to do something that makes you happy every day?  Maybe I'm reading too much into things & my hormones are rearing their ugly heads again!  Is anyone else a makeup lover like me?!

Makeup essentials for Marrakech

Makeup for Marrakech by fortytherapy 


So, as promised, here's what I intend to take in my (small!) makeup bag to Marrakech.  I'm only going for 4 days, it'll (hopefully) be hot & we intend to do lots of walking about & sightseeing so plastering my face in makeup will not be high on my agenda!  I'll only need the bare minimum of products & these few tried, tested & loved beauties will do the trick quite nicely thank you.

1. Cath Kidston cosmetic bag 
Pretty self-explanatory, a decent sized makeup bag in a wipeable oil-cloth.  Large enough to pack everything into but small enough to not take up too much room.

2.  Ambre Solaire Lip protector spf 20
I won't bother wearing coloured lipstick in the daytime but I know from past experience that sunburnt lips are not nice so I'll slick some of this on to protect them.

3.  Ambre solaire BB cream spf 30
Now this is the only thing on this list that I haven't tried yet so I'll get some & try it before I go to make sure my skin doesn't react to it.  This offers a good spf & being a BB cream aswell, it'll offer some colour to my face so as not to frighten the locals too much!!

4.  Bourjois BB bronzing cream
I bought this for the first time last year as soon as it was released & got through 2 bottles during summer alone! It's great on it's own to give a lovely sunkissed (not tangoed!) look but I also mix it with my foundation when my skin gets tanned so I don't have to buy darker ones!  I'll pop a few pumps of this into a little travel-sized pot so I don't have to take the whole bottle - a little goes a looong way!

5.  Sleek blusher in Sahara
I bought this beauty the other day & so far, am loving it.  It's so pigmented that a little goes a long way but offers a beautiful warm glow to your cheeks.  Ideal for when your face has a hint of a tan.  The only downside to taking this is that I'll have to also take a blusher brush.....

6.  Real Techniques blusher brush
Another fabulous offering from RT, the only blusher brush I use now.  I'm looking forward though to seeing what the new travel sized brushes are like when they get released as a smaller brush would be handier for travelling.

7.  L'Oréal False Lash Telescopic mascara
This, my friends, is my HG mascara & the one I go back time & time again.  L'Oréal have really nailed perfect mascaras & this is my favourite of the bunch.  I will tint my lashes before I go away though as I don't like wearing waterproof mascaras & don't want to resemble Alice Cooper when I use the pool!

8.  Rimmel Scandaleyes eyeshadow pencil in Tempting Turquoise
I've blogged about this Rimmel eyeshadow pencil before here & although I don't often wear it, it'll be perfect for a splash of colour.  It's the perfect formula too being waterproof as it won't disappear in the heat.

9.  Rimmel Scandaleyes kohl in Bronze
Bronze colours really make my green eyes stand out so this'll also be a good addition for nighttime looks.  Again, it's waterproof formula means it won't slide down my face if it's hot!

10.  Revlon lip butter in Candy Apple
Yet another product I've already blogged about & although it was nearly a year ago, I'm still as in love with this lip butter as ever!  It's the perfect bright colour that'll go with the tiny amount of clothes I intend taking & the moisturising formula is spot on!

11.  Boots No7 BB lip balm
First off, why is in not possible to clip items to Polyvore from the Boots website, it drives me mental?!  It took me 15 minutes of faffing around online to manage to get it on there......I digress.....
I bought one of these when Boots were handing out their £3 off vouchers.  It's a great nude colour, lasts well, isn't at all sticky, is hydrating & offers spf 15 - a makeup essential for me from now on!

12.  Elizabeth Arden Eight-Hour cream
Most people I know have a tube of this & I've been using it for around 12 years now.  I tend to buy the smaller sized tubes & always keep one in my bag.  It's a fabulous intensive lip balm & hydrates cuticles like nothing else.  I also sometimes add the merest slick to the tops of my cheekbones for that glowy/healthy-skinned effect!  Again, I'll pop some into a wee pot to save on space.

So there we have it, my minimal makeup essentials I'll be taking away with me.  I will of course do another post with my essential toiletries too!  If you want to click on the picture, it should take you to my Polyvore page where you'll find the links for the products.

Now, is there anything I've missed?!

Mr & Mrs

 

So last week saw the first of my younger brothers getting married.  Mr F & I travelled down to Doncaster on the Friday & we'd booked to stay at the Best Western Premier Mount Pleasant Hotel, where the wedding reception was being held.

 

The hotel was fabulous & the room was gorgeous.  There was a fabulous looking spa & I'm gutted that I didn't have time to indulge in any treatments, especially as a few were on offer that weekend!  But it was lovely being holed up with all the family, eating, drinking & generally being silly.  We all enjoyed a gorgeous meal together on the Friday evening before the big day.

 

We got up early on Saturday & enjoyed breakfast before myself & my sister made our way over to our new sister-in-law-to-be as I was on makeup duty & my sis was doing her hair.  It's been years since I did a bridal makeup & we hadn't done any trials so I was a tad nervous but even if I do say so myself, it turned out beautifully & she was really pleased with it......phew!!  Unfortunately though, because it was so manic at the end, I didn't get a close-up of her finished face but I'm sure the wedding photographer took some so I'll have to try & get some off him. 

 

Her makeup stayed on all day & night with only her lips needing a wee touch-up during the day.  Here's what I used:

 

Primer - Smashbox Photo-finish

Eyelid primer - Smashbox Photo-finish Lid Primer

Base - Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum

Powder - MUA Matte Perfect loose translucent powder

Blush - Dior Diorblush in Rose Libertine

Eyebrows - Sleek Brow Kit in Light

Eyes - Sleek iDivine in Au Naturel

Lashes - L'Oréal False Lash Telescopic in Black

Lips - Dior Addict Gloss in Nuit de Juin 

 

It really was a fabulous weekend, here's a few photos.....

 

 

 



e.l.f. haul

 

 

 

 

e.l.f. is a brand I've never tried before because it's an online brand & I do like to try before I buy.  However, they recently had an offer where they offered a 50% saving when you spent £25 & above so I though it'd be a good opportunity to test them out!  All prices stated are the regular full price.

 

1.  Shine Eraser blotting papers  £1.50

2.  Contouring Blush & Bronzing Cream palette £3.75

3.  Makeup brush storage pouch  £5.00

4.  Blending Eye Brush  £3.75

5.  Eyeshadow 'C' Brush  £3.75

6.  Flawless Concealer Brush  £3.75

 

I also bought bits for my daughter but seeing as I haven't used them, I won't comment on them although she's very impressed with all she had!

 

The blotting papers are ok for the money but by no means the best I've ever used.  Best suited to very light shine but not an oilier complexion.

 

I've yet to try out the contouring palette as I keep forgetting I have it!  I'll get on to that this week....

 

I love all of the brushes.  They are so soft & blend eyeshadow so easily with no caking & as of yet, they haven't shed any hairs.  They're also really comfortable to hold.

 

The makeup brush case I bought because I'm doing the makeup for my sister-in-law-to-be when she gets married next week & because we have to travel down to Yorkshire for the wedding, I wanted some decent storage.  It's a great size, opens flat out & is a handy wipe-clean fabric - always handy!  A great buy at £5, even better at £2.50!!

 

I'm still not keen on buying cosmetics, especially face bases colours, from the website as I find it too unpredictable to guess the shades but there are many more brushes & tools that I want to try out as they offer such great value.

 

If you haven't yet tried e.l.f., have a look today because they're again offering a huge 50% off purchases over £10 with the discount code 500813!!