Out of the Rut #2, Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month & I've been loving the wealth of amazing pink products that have been launch to raise money & awareness for this worthy cause. I have included my picks at the end of this post.
Anyway on with my ramble about today's look. It has been partially inspired by the pink theme of the campaign, a song from Funny Face (fabulous Audrey Hepburn film) & the crazy amount of pink shadows that are gathering dust in my box! Hope you like it. 

After priming lids with Benefit Lemon Aid I swept some Sand 01 (3) from an Estee Lauder palette across the lid and brow bone. I blended Bourjois  34 Rose Tentation  into the inner corners. I took Cherry from NYX palette (TS13) through the crease and over the outer corner before running some Hot Pink from the same palette under the eye. To add an extra touch of girlishness, I dabbed a some Benefit Show Off (Lola) into the very centre of my lids To avoid looking like I'd spent the day in tears, I lined the upper and lower water lines with Maybelline Gel Liner, curled lashes and applied some MAC  Opulash. I left my brows naked.

I finished the look with Bourjois 34 Rose D'or blusher to highlight my cheek bones and a touch of MAC Melba powder blush on the apples of my cheeks. A quick slick of Benefit Her Glossines in My People  Your People gave my lips a cute sheen and I was good to go.
I liked this pretty little look more than I expected, I think the black liner pulled it together.  I think keeping the rest of my face fresh and light helped to keep the overall look from being to Barbie Girl. I'm definitely more likely to give my pinks a more frequent outing after trying this.


So, with so many gorgeous products on sale in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness, what has caught my eye?

Origins Make a Difference/Peace of Mind Duo (£10) These seem to have sold out everywhere, have been desperately seeking one for a a couple of weeks. I love Peace of Mind, it really helps chill a frazzled brain when applied to temples or pulse points and I'm sure the Make a Difference hand cream is as divine as the rest of the range. I love the keyring design as these are two great products to have to hand. Origins will be donating £2 to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (UK) and Cancer Clinical Research Trust (ROI).

Nails Inc Pinkie Pink Polish (£11) 7 OPI Pink of Hearts Shatter (£11) Love the glitter heavy Pinkie Pink Polish (available from Debenhams) & think the concept of the Paint Your Pinkie Pink campaign to raise awareness for this important cause. I'm yet to try a shatter nail polish (not sure I like the effect) but Pink of Heart could be the one that changes my mind! I love the candy pink colour, it'd would compliment today's make up look beautifully! I can't seem to find the details of how much is donated per purchase but you can be sure that your good deed will be rewarded with high quality, on trend polishes that you'd expect from these brands.

Clinique Great Lips, Great Causes Keyring (£15) I featured a Clinique Lip colour key ring in my Christmas wish so you know I love things that I can attach to bags and keys. This all pink version is so pretty, comprising of 3 mini Long Last Glosswear glosses and a pink heart embossed with the ribbon emblem.  £2 from each sale goes to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.   This was available from Boots but its no longer on their website and sadly sold out at my local store. 


As ever, thanks for reading and if you've found a beautiful Pink Product this month please comment, I'd love to hear about them. I'll be donating 50p for each person who reads this post the the campaign, so please share.

November's Wish List

Ok so we're fast approaching payday & I'm already scouring the net for my November Haul!
This month I'm hunting for rich, deep jewel tones & Maybelline's Eye Tattoo range is topping the list. I'll probably grab Endless Purple and Eternal God and seeing as its 3 for 2 at Superdrug it'd be rude to leave Turquoise Forever on the shelf! I already own a couple of these & I love them, so versatile as they work well as shadow, bases & liners & really do last until I deem it is time to remove them.

Hot on the heels of the successful cream blush experiment I think I'll pick up a MAC Cream Colour Base (Hush or Improper Copper) or Bobbi Brown Pot Rogue (Powder Pink). Whilst I'm hovering around MAC I've been eyeing up Lickable & Moxie. I love wearing naked looking make up with a bright lip at the moment & feel I need to mix it up a bit shade wise.

The biggest beauty challenge this month is dressing table & lighting. The darker mornings and a bedroom shift about have left my mirror lacking any kind of decent light. Now I've finally got my collection into some sort of order it's time create the dressing table of dreams! I've seen a few I like & I've been dribbling over hinged mirrors. I've also been trawling eBay for unusual storage ideas. I hope to create a kind of beauty table utopia where I can comfortably sit & learn my craft, have others sit for me to practise on & somewhere to escape to when I need to feel lady-like & spoilt! I love dressing tables, especially when styled with a vintage vibe. I can't wait to get my teeth into this project, I'm sure I'll post photos a plenty when I eventually perfect my vision!

I'd love to hear what you guys are lusting after this month so leave a comment!

Out of the Rut. Eye look #1

One of the nicest things about having a week off work is not having to wear the same super subtle make up everyday! I intend to make good use of this time by trying out some of the looks from my piles of inspiration pictures, books, pinterest boards etc. I hope to try a different look each day & break out of my daytime make up rut.
Today's eye is inspired by a look from Linda Mason's Eye Candy (www.lindamason.com) It's a great little book full of inspiring looks from everyday to full on drama. I've  put Amazon link at the bottom for this post, if you're interested.
I took Linda's original idea (Playful, page 99) but didn't follow the instructions, instead I used my own favoured techniques to create something similar.
After priming my lids by taking my foundation over them, I used MAC Girlie on a large Ms Make Up brush over the upper lid & brow bone. Then I blended  Bourjois Mini 68 into the inner  third of the  upper lid using a Real Techniques Base Shadow Fluff Brush. Next I took Melton Mauve (also MAC) on a Jemma Kidd Deepen Brush & applied a heavy smudge over the centre of the eye, above the crease. Using the same colour on a MAC 266, I smudged a bit under the centre of the lower lashes. Finally I took some MAC Nehru on a Real Techniques Accent Brush & blended from my lash line up & out taking it slightly into the crease and under the outer third of my eye. I blended this gently with the Fluff Brush but I wanted the colours to be quite distinct so only softened the harsh lines of the Nehru.
After curling my lashes a applied one coat of MAC Opulash to define lashes & add a bit of volume but I wanted the colours to be the star of the look so kept lashes fairly soft.
I teamed these eyes with a pinky-nude lip, Lord & Berry Ultimate Lipstick in Nude topped with Rimmel Vinyl Gloss in Pin Up. For cheeks I smeared the smallest hint of Revlon Photoready cream blush (Pinched) over the apples of my cheeks & swept a touch of MAC powder blush (Melba) over the pink and up through my cheek bones.
I think this is a really fun weekend look that could easily be paired with jeans & a t shirt or a flirty tea dress. I'm really pleased with the results & will definitely wear this look again. 

Linda Mason Eye Candy can be purchased from Amazon for £5.39
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eye-Candy-Makeup-Luscious-Lashes/dp/1845432592/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1351196443&sr=8-11

Supermarket Chic

I was dragging myself around my local supermarket the other day when it struck me how spoilt we are these days to have such a wealth of beauty products so easily available. I find it hard to leave the store without a beauty buy of some description falling into the trolley. This post is an ode to the beauty heroes I've picked up alongside my groceries.

Dirty Works

I was drawn to this range as the styling put me in mind of Soap and Glory, of which I'm a massive fan. I've tried all manner of scrubs, creams and even beauty accessories from this brand and all have been great value for money. I'm currently using Wake Up Call face wash as my post work out/quick morning wash of choice. It foams up nicely, smells clean and leaves my skin feeling clean and soft. I love the Blemish Buster 2 in 1 scrub and mask as it is gentle but effective and when used as a mask leaves pores tiny and complexion bright. Bling It On shimmer lotion was a gift that I've used lots this summer on collar bones and shins, its subtle but catches the light nicely without being too gold. Most Dirty Works products come in at less than £5 band are half price in Sainsbury's at the moment. Certainly worth checking out this range if you've not tried it before. 

Bastiste Dry Shampoo

The thought of a world with no dry shampoo leaves me cold! It adds volume, it saves me on those morning where a blow dry is out of the question and it helps hold hair grips when styling freshly washed hair. Bastiste is definitely my favourite brand and I love the hint of colour in this one as it doesn't leave any chalkiness in my very dark hair. So pleased I can get this in the supermarket as I use so much I'd have to buy in bulk if I couldn't get it round the corner!

Rimmel Lips & Nails
now, there are some beauty products I consider to be essential but what about rewards for braving the hoards on a raining Sunday afternoon? Well Rimmel Have that covered! For less than a fiver you can pick up an on trend lip or nail colour that you know will be good quality. I bagged the perfect red lipstick on a whim, (Kate Moss 001) and my current favourite nail colour (Electric 275). I think the range of eye and face products offered by my local store is a bit limited but the lips and nails always catch my eye.

Nailene So Natural 

Having to keep my nails super short for work I need a bit help to fake gorgeous talons when I'm off duty. These nails (short, beige) a really comfortable to wear and when teamed with nailene So Quick 3 second glue, last for ages. for around £8 they give me salon worth hands in a matter of minutes.

Big Hair Heroes

Sadly my hair lacks the natural bounce I love so I'm always on the look out for something that'll infuse the weave with some pizzazz. Got 2b powder-ful by schwarzkopf is amazing. It gives the same effect as Label M Resurrection Dust but at a fraction of the price (less than £5) and its handbag sized. V05 Plump it Up blow dry spray, adds mega volume and protects from heat damage. I've only had this a couple of weeks but it beats my other mousses/sprays hands down.

Am I the only one who spends longer in the cosmetic aisle than anywhere else? I'd love to know if you guys have any supermarket beauty heores so please leave a comment and let me know.

Oh my, advent calendars grew up!

Whilst doing a bit of research for my Christmas list post I came across these amazing Advent Calendars. Now I love chocolate as much as the next girl but imagine waking up each grey and gloomy December morning and opening a door to reveal a tiny beauty treat. Its the stuff of dreams to me! So, apologies for the Christmas overload today but I couldn't resist sharing these with you.

Selfridges Beauty Advent Calendar

24 mini skin care and make up treats compiled exclusively by Selfridges. Its already sold out and I can't find a price on  the website. Its bursting with premium brands like Lancôme, Kiehls, Viktor & Rolf and Shu Uemura, this look divine!

Ciate Mini Mani Month advent calendar (£38)

I love everything about this, the packaging, the contents, the styling. It contains 17 mini Paint Pot colours, 4 Caviar blends and 3 exclusive glitter shades.  Ciate is one of my favourite nail brands, I'm really looking forward to trying the Caviar products as I've seen so much about them online and in the press. With Christmas being a time of social butterflying what better way to ensure your nails are looking hot than by opening a new polish every morning.

Lancome Christmas Crackers (£50 for 6)

Ok, these are not an advent calendar but they are pretty fabulous. Who wouldn't prefer a miniature Lancome goody to a set of tiny screwdrivers? i hope I get the Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate as I've had my eye on it for a while and I know a girl who'd make good use of the Juicy Tube. There's also a mini Hypnose mascara, Lipstick, Bi Facial and Visionnaire. They may not be the perfect cracker for Christmas with your Grandad but for a Festive dinner party with the girls they'd be a great addition to the table. For the price the packaging could do with a bit of noel style pimping but I still think they're great. 

Right, I think I've exhausted my Festive Spirit for now so I promise not to mention the C word until at least 1st December!

My October Additions

I've had three weeks to get to know this months new products so here's a quick round up of what's new & what I'm loving. 

MAC Pro Longwear Foundation, if you've read my review you'll know this was an instant hit. I'm completely & utterly obsessed with this & have not touched another foundation for a fortnight! 

L'Oreal Revitalift Eye Cream, promises visible results from first use. I'm not convinced it lived up to this claim but my eyes are looking firmer & my fine lines are less noticeable after 8 days. This is definitely worth sticking with as I'm encouraged by the results so far.

Lord & Berry Ultimate Lipstick Pencils. I got these super cheap on eBay in my quest for a nude lip colour I like on me! I knew absolutely nothing about the brand except seeing the name in In Style Magazine's A to Z of High Street Beauty. Probably more suited to lining the lips than a stand alone colour,the formula feels quite dry on the lips. They last quite well but I'm not overly sold on the shades I chose (nude & egg plant). I have a feeling they may have been discontinued as I can't find them anywhere other than on eBay. Not too disappointed as I wouldn't buy another.

Shu Uemura Pore Clarifying gentle cleansing oil. It's taken some time to get used to using an oil but it's definitely been worth persevering. It does a fab job of melting make up, eye liner & mascara, it feels a bit unusual in that it's not actually all that oily in a greasy sense. It takes some washing off but my skin feels so fresh & squeaky clean afterwards & looks really bright. I like that it doesn't really have a fragrance & that you emulsify it with water & rinse off, as I never feel really clean when I cleanse without water. I'll definitely repurchase this oil, yes it's fairly pricey but a little goes a long way & I think it really has made a difference to my skin.

Jergens Hand & Cuticle cream. I've been using this daily for nearly 2 weeks & I'm yet to notice any difference. My cuticles are still dry & I've had to supplement with another hand cream. This was fairly cheap from Sainsbury's but I'd heard good things about the brand so am a little disappointed. I think I'll repurchase my beloved Arran Aromatics After The Rain Hand & Nail Cream & retire this to my locker at work for emergency use only, bit of a shame as I expected more from it. 

Revlon Photoready Cream Blusher. Loving pinched it's perfect for 'no make up' looks & a healthy everyday glow. These have turned out to be really good investments as I've already used them both loads. I love the look of vitality they give my skin & the weightless texture is amazing. Just wish the shade range was a bit more extensive as I'd like some more!

Shiseido Body Creator Aromatic Energizing Spray. Have developed an addiction to this spray! It claims to be a moisturising mist that gives the body a toned appearance when used on areas prone to puffiness. It has a 'sense stimulating, invigorating scent' to promote feelings of optimism. Well, I've been using it whenever I need a bit of a boost during the day & it definitely leaves me up lifted and more positive. The Shiseido website (http://www.shiseido.co.uk/#/body-care/body-creator/sculpting/aromatic-energizing-spray) describes a cooling sensation but I find it gives me a warm tingle that lasts about 10 minutes after I've used it. Not sure it's all that moisturising but if my legs are tired or I'm feeling a bit lack lustre, it certainly picks me up. It has a heady, spicy fragrance which I like but it doesn't last too long and I've not notice it competing with my Vivienne Westwood Let It Rock. It is pretty pricey at almost £40 but the magic of eBay allowed me to snatch one up at £10. If you need something to kick you up the bum and motivate you through the winter blues, this is for you! My favourite purchase of the month by far.

It's never too soon to write a Christmas List!

Having devoured the Boots Christmas Catalogue, been seduced by the Debenhams gift sets & had a giddy  moment with Karl Largerfeld for Shu Uemura, I thought it was time I let the big man in red know what I'd like for Christmas!

Dear Santa......

I've been a really good girl this year and would be very grateful if you would perhaps fill my stocking with some of these beautiful things. I promise to write a lovely blog post about them if you do! Many Thanks in anticipation Esme xx

Karl Largerfeld for Shu Uemura

Bordeaux

Smokey Velvet

Oh how I love a palette, especially if its full of rich, creamy deep colours that offer amazing colour pay off. The funky packaging reminds me of the Emily the Strange or Pukka bags I loved when I was a student. This palette is available in Bordeaux (rich golds and plummy wine colours) and Smokey Velvet (green and black with silver and pastel blue). They are pricey at £45 (http://www.selfridges.com/en/Beauty/Brand-rooms/Contemporary/SHU-UEMURA/Karl-Lagerfeld-for-shu-uemura) but of course they are limited edition and offer the high quality colour that Shu's eye shadows are known for. They are also very wearable colours not just for the party season but through the winter and beyond. 
 

Trish McEvoy Voyager Collection

 I've made no secret of my love for Trish products, especially her brushes. This mini set is right up my street, love the colour combinations, love the tiny pink quilted bag but I ADORE the mini double ended brushes. This is the perfect handbag friendly palette containing 2 concealers, 4 eye shadows, a lip colour and a gloss, a bronzer and blusher. The brushes include travel friendly versions of (my absolutely beloved) Tapered Blending, VaVa Voom & precise lining as well as an angled contour brush. This is available at Selfridges for £65 which I think represents good value when you consider the price of the full size products/brushes and the quality Trish offers.

Clinique Mix It Up Kisses Gift Set

I think this is really cute, I like how you could attach this to a bag (think it'd be a bit heavy for your keys) and have a selection of lip products easily to hand. I carry a massive handbag Monday to Friday and I'm always rummaging for a lip gloss in the bottom, so this would be great for me. It offers a great range of wearable shades and a variety of glosses and lipsticks. This is a lovely way to try host of Clinique colours before deciding whether you want to invest in a full size. For £25 you get 6 mini products (2 lipsticks, 2 superbalm glosses and 2 long last glosses) which I think offers good value for money. This would make a great gift for any woman.

Estee Lauder Art of Lips

It was the super gorgeous bag that first dragged this set into my attention. I love it, it reminds me of the styling used by Prada for their Candy fragrance. Housed within the colour block bag is a full sized Pure Colour  lipstick, double ended Pure Colour lip gloss and a Double Wear lip pencil. I love the Chic Pinks but there's also a nude version but the shades looked a bit too brown ish for my liking. They are available for £30 from Debenhams.

Benefit Gift Sets

How to Look the Best at Everything

Passport to Posh

Oh Benefit, how I do love you! This brand has been consistently in my top 5 for as long as I can remember so I couldn't wait to check out this years Christmas gift sets. I love giving these as much as I love to receive them! I have, after much deliberation narrowed down my 2 favourites. How To Look The Best at Everything Complexion Set (£24.50) This fabulously styled (love the book type packaging) kit contains 2 mini Boi-ing concealers, a mini Porefessional pore minimising primer, a mini Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Foundation and a Hello Flawless cover up powder complete with brush. Its available in light, medium and dark it offers a great way of trying these products together. I love boi-ing and the wow foundation but sadly Porefessional breaks me out so I was glad of the opportunity to try it before shelling out upwards of £20 for a product I cannot use. Passport to Posh Eye Kit (£25, exclusive to Debenhams) This looks like a handy little kit, not only does it contain a couple of my Benefit favourites but it seems like it would be really usable for everyday. Along with 3 neutral suit all shades of shadow you get a mini Bad Gal mascara, a boi-ing concealer, an Eye Bright, brush and my personal favourite Creaseless Cream colour in RSVP. Creaseless Creams are similar to MAC paint pots,  versatile as colour, liner or base and last all day. I'd keep this in my handbag for post night shift make up or take it away for the weekend for lazy Sunday morning eyes. It would make a great gift as its  universally flattering.

Viktor & Rolf Flower Bomb Roll-On & Lip Gloss Duo

This is  really clever idea, a 5ml roll-on of fragrance coupled with a 5ml lip gloss in the same pen. I love to carry my fragrance with me but all too often it means taking a heavy glass bottle in my bag. This looks chic, the gloss is a neutrally pink shimmer that looks like it's be quite flattering and easy to wear everyday. The roll-on applicator would allow me to add a quick swipe of fragrance at times when you may not want to spray like in the car or staff room. I'm a fan of solid perfume but not so much the scented fingers I end up with, so to me this is a step forward from that! I now want to invent a roll on  atomiser so I can carry all my scents this way. At £19.50 it is a bit pricey for the amount of product you receive but I'd imagine you only need a tiny bit of perfume if rolling on but the lip gloss may not last too long. A great gift as its quite a natty idea and the type of thing you probably would buy for yourself but love once you owned it!

Chantecaille Elephant 

Now, you'd probably have to be extra good for Father Christmas to drop these little beauties down your chimney but I think they are so cute I just had to add them to the list. The SpackNK website says this palette (£74) combines trends from the catwalk and Kenyan Grasslands with simplicity. Each of the 4 shadows is embossed with a little elephant, the shadows look very rich (I've sadly not been able to swatch them) and although dark I think they are wearable colours that would suit most people. I love the look of Grassland (deep green) and Copper Ore (redish brown with a hint of gold). 
There's also an Elephant Cheek colour (£30), peachy pink powder that claims to make pores invisible and won't settle into lines. A very easy to wear everyday colour that would make you smile every time you looked  at it. But could you bring yourself to sweep away the beautiful baby elephant? Not sure I could!




This post could run and run, there are so many gorgeous gifts around this year, but I'm going to leave it there. I'd love to know what you guys are hoping Santa will leave by the fire for you so please leave a comment.