October Glossy Box

On the basis that I wasn’t able to do anything to celebrate my favourite day of the year I am sulking and pretending it isn’t Halloween. Instead I’m going to talk about Glossy Box. I am so far behind the band wagon on this one. In a nut shell you pay £10 + £2.95 P&P per month to have 5 mystery product samples delivered. I only subscribed last week hence why I received my box later than everyone else.

First impressions are good. I can think of few things more delightful than having a nicely packaged box of beauty surprises sent you once a month. It’s like a little mini birthday. I haven’t photographed the box as I have already used it to store something else. You get a little card explaining what everything is. This month was their 6 month anniversary so they threw in 6 products instead of 5. I’m a little confused as to why they would make three of them be from the same brand though (Dermalogica in this case). It’s a bit of a risk banking on everyone actually liking the brand. Personally I haven’t tried anything from them before and I am quite excited about the products included.

We received a bonus makeup bag which is actually quite nice. It’s a bit small for me but I’m sure I will find a use for it.

There are three little Robert Piguet perfume samples. It’s not a brand I’ve ever heard of before and to be honest I don’t love the fragrances. Full marks for the pretty organza bag though.

The Leighton Denny full sized polish is generous but the colour I received, Sex Kitten, is foul. It’s a shimmery baby blue that is giving me flash backs to the 90’s and Baby Spice. Yuck.

There is a Dermalogica Multivitamin Thermafoliant which at 15ml is actually a pretty generous size. There is a equal sized Multi Vitamin Power Recovery Masque too which I think might make a pleasant change from my usual kaolin clay masks. The Dermalogica Age Smart Lip Treatment is only 1ml but it looks interesting.

And finally another full sized product. The Stila Smudge Stick in Moray is a lovely shimery olive. This is the kind of thing I will get a lot of use out of.

The verdict? I do think it is worth the money even with the postage and packaging (which was a cheeky addition after the first couple of months). The full sized products are generous and the Dermalogica sample are big enough for several uses. You can’t please all of the people all of the time, I’m sure someone out there loves the perfume samples and the polish colour so I will forgive them that. I don’t like that their beauty profile function isn’t currently working so you are getting samples at random that may or may not be suited to you. A quick email from their customer services did state that they are working on an improved version though. I’m staying subscribed for now and will re-evaluate on a month by month basis. Have you subscribed to any of these beauty box services? Which one do you rate? X

*Bought by me*

A haul and a rant

Here, as my Halloween horror for you, is my face in HD. 

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!




Constructive feed back on the camera quality is much appreciated. I think I have found a setting that will make it focus on objects in future... I am aware you can't see them well here xx

MAC 168 Large Angled Contour Brush

I’ve had this brush for forever but for some reason have never talked about it on here. It’s one of my favourite blush brushes for one reason, it picks up a lot of product. It is fluffy but densely packed making it ideal to pick up sheer products and blends them out seamlessly.

I think this is natural hair although it doesn’t specify on the website. Either way is feels extremely soft and I haven’t lost a single hair through shedding. I have found that the shape has splayed somewhat over time so it would probably benefit from a brush guard (which I don’t own). The angled shape makes it perfect for contouring too.

At £26 it’s more that I would like. It’s a great brush don’t get me wrong but I have other great brushes that cost a lot less. As I’ve said I tend to use this with more sheer products, it just applies too much of pigmented products. If I were to get one more MAC brush it would be the 109 but which ones do you recommend? Or if not MAC, what brush brands do you really rate? X

*Bought by me*

Collection Overview – Powders

I touched on this subject in my ‘Product I’ve Hit Pan On’ where I confessed my pressed powder hoarding sins. I have an extremely oily nose (not t-zone, just nose) so setting my makeup with a powder is essential for me. I use loose powder in the morning and carry pressed powder around with me. I am aware that I have more than any normal human could possibly ever need but I would like to stress that I do rotate through them all so they are all getting used. Slowly but surely I will finish them!

Loose Powders:

Benefit Powderflage – This is supposed to be an under eye brightener. I don’t notice any brightening effects but it is essentially a silica powder which when used to set your under eye concealer prevents it from creasing and settling into fine lines. I have used the daily for a year yet it still looks full so although it is pricey (19.50) it will last a very long time).

Elf High Definition Powder – At £3.50 this is very budget friendly but the packaging makes me despise it. As a general rule loose powders are a bit messy but this has a similar effect to letting a crowd of toddlers loose in a flour factory(I think I mean mill...). White powder everywhere. I have a review coming up within the next week or so.

Estee Lauder Lucidity – I believe this has been discontinued. I would not recommend this for pale skin at all. It might claim to be translucent but it pulls quite orange. It isn’t brilliant at controlling oil either.

Rituals Finishing Touch - £16.50 so again not super cheap but I do like this one. It’s translucent without being ashy and gives a lovely soft matte finish.

NYC Smooth Skin - £2.99 and it’s my favourite! Does a great job of controlling oil. The only problem is the packaging is so damn cheap that it keeps cracking (hence the sellotape). All it does is sit in a drawer, it’s not like I’m throwing it about but still every time I look at it there is a new crack.

As I’ve already mentioned I went through the pressed powders in my recent video so I won’t repeat myself here. All I will say is that I have too many... ELF Studio Translucent Matte Powder, ELF Studio Complexion Perfection, 17 Shine Control, No7 Creme Touch, MAC Mineralized Skin Finish Natural, Rituals Gemstone Compact Powder.

*All bought by me.... the shame!*

October Empties

I cannot believe it is the end of October. This month has been absolutely packed with course work (I’m doing an at home study course), exciting new projects at work, family chaos and general madness. As a result the blog has somewhat taken a back seat this month however changes are a foot. I’m slowly getting to grips with my new camera and editing software and I have plans to change the layout (again). Some more interesting posts are in the works too so stay tuned!

Madness aside October was quite a good month for getting rid of some stuff!

LUSH Snow Fairy Lip Tint – Ok so I’m cheating. I loathe this. The formula is cakey and strange, I hate that it’s in a pot and I’m not keen on the colour. It’s going to expire soon and there is no way I will finish it before it does so I’m cutting my losses and throwing it out. Good riddance!

Lancôme Define Cils Mascara – I bought this in an outlet centre and think it’s been discontinued. The formula is a bit clumpy and I’m not enamoured with the brown shade. I don’t think I could repurchase it even if I wanted to, which I don’t.

ELF Mineral Eyeshadow Primer – I love this primer! It stays as well as Urban Decay Primer Potion but is easier to blend over. Plus it only costs £3.50

Benefit BADGal Black Mascara – I love the formula but hate the wand so I won’t be buying it again.

Benefit You Rebel Lite – It’s finally gone!! I won’t buy it again to be honest. It has very little converage even for a tinted moisturiser and has a tendency to pull a touch orange.

Batiste Brunette Dry Shampoo – I go through at least one can of this per month and will continue to buy it again and again.

Botanics Skin Brightening Toner – Too harsh and packed full of alcohol. I won’t be buying it again.

Sanctuary Body Scrub – This is actually a good little scrub if, like me, you like your exfoliators grainy and hard core. Unfortunately I didn’t care for the scent and the packaging is awful. The scrubby bits kept blocky the nozzle making it a pain to get any out. For that reason I won’t buy it again.  

Carino Hair Mask from Aldi – I actually really liked this! It left my hair super soft and smells like a salon. Oh and it was dirt cheap.

ELF Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths – I have another 4 packs of these and will buy them again once they are finished. They are my absolute favourite makeup remover wipes.

Neutrogena Visibly Clear Spot Stress Control – This did nothing. NOTHING. Waste of money.

Are you doing an empties post this month? If so please post the link below. I love reading them!

*All bought by me!*

Some Gold/ Bronze Top Picks

I’m going through a proper bronze/ gold phase at the moment when it comes to eyeshadow. I just seem to be gravitating towards these shades on an almost daily basis. They just seem so appropriate at this time of year and I suspect I’ll still be craving them when the party season rocks up in a couple of months time. Here are some of my current favourites.

MAC Woodwinked – This has almost a peachy tone to it and I have heard some people with cooler skin tones saying that it pulls orange on them. On my though (neutral undertones) it’s a gorgeous burnished gold.

MUA Heaven & Earth Palette (third shade from left of top row) – This is a little more yellow toned than Woodwinked. The texture is very comparable though and it is excellent quality, especially considering that the palette is only £3!).

Urban Decay Twice Baked – This is found in the Naked Palette although I suspect it probably crops up in other Urban Decay palettes too. This is probably my favourite true gold. It’s bright, clean and fairly neutral in tone. The formula is perfect as well.

Urban Decay Oraculum – This is in the Alice in Wonderland palette although I believe it appears in others under the name Baked. This is more of a coppery shade with a very strong orange tone. I love this on the lid with black in the crease for a Halloween vibe.

Barry M Dazzle Dust 24 Old Gold – This is a much cooler, dirtier shade. Whereas the others are smooth and shimmery this is more glittery. You can see in the swatch picture that my camera just couldn’t make sense of it. These are best used with sticky bases but the effect is very beautiful when on.

Swatch from left to right Woodwinked, MUA, Twice Baked, Oraculum, Old Gold.

What shades are you loving at the moment? Do you have any favourite gold shadows that you think I need to get my mitts on? 

*All of these were bought by me*

The Body Shop Satsuma Body Polish

I’m a huge exfoliator junky thanks my scaly dry skin on my body. I use a body exfoliator at least once a week in the shower and have tried a few. A couple of months ago I had a £5 voucher for The Body Shop and decided to put it towards this scrub, unfortunately I think it would have been better spent on something else. Me no likey...

This costs £9 for 200ml which isn’t actually a bad price (although you can buy similar products for much less elsewhere!). The scent is a strange one. It is very, very strong and I veer wildly from loving it one day to it making me feel sick the next. It is exceptionally sweet smelling, more like Satsuma’s soaked in syrup than a fresh fruity smell. Definitely sniff before you buy. Annoyingly for me the scent tends to hang around on the skin as well. I prefer my bath products to smell great at the time then to disappear so that I can smell of my perfume and nothing else. Just a personal preference.

I could forgive it the strange scent if it actually worked but sadly no luck on that front either. The loofah particles and crushed walnut scrubby bits are very sparse. I like my scrubs to be really, well, scrubby. When I use this I don’t notice any difference in my skin. It just isn’t harsh enough for me in that respect. However the high fragrance content is harsh and the formula itself does dry my skin out somewhat.

If you love fruity scents and tend to prefer very gentle scrubs this might be for you but for me it’s a definite no x
*Bought by me*

Sigma F82

Before I even start I will say I bought this brush myself from a blog sale. Just thought that would be important as Sigma do tend to work a lot with bloggers (which isn’t a problem in my eyes, just wanted to be clear). I’ve wanted to try Sigma brushes for ages especially the face brushes. This is a more rounded version of the famous F80. This costs £13.99 from Love-makeup.co.uk.

It’s synthetic but works equally well with liquid and powder foundation. It is so supremely soft and certainly the most dense brush I’ve ever come across. It doesn’t seem to matter what product I use this with it gives a flawlessly blended finish. The brush itself feels well made and sturdy and I haven’t experienced any shedding at all.

The only problem is that I find it very difficult to get 100% clean. You can see in the picture below that even after a good wash there is still some colour left in the centre. It also takes a couple of days to dry fully. Both of these issues are probably the trade off for having such a dense synthetic brush.

I would like to try some more Sigma brushes as I’ve been very impressed with the quality of this one. I know there is a three pack of this, the F80 and another similar face brush out there that will be going on my wish list. Do you recommend Sigma brushes? What are your favourites? X

*Bought by me* 

MAC Brights Palette

I have posted before about my Neutral Palette so I won’t go into detail about the cost again. I will mention again that the 15 pro palettes from MAC do also fit The Body Shop shadows and Inglot shadows. Here are the shadows I currently have. 

Top Row (left to right): MAC Pincurl (ltd edition), MAC Sushi Flower (permanent), MAC Goldenrod (was permanent, now discontinued I think), MAC Kid (permanent).

Middle Row: MAC Beautiful Iris (permanent), Inglot AMC Shine 40, Mac Lucky Green (permanent), Inglot Matte 360. 

Bottom Row: Inglot D.S 487, MAC depotted from the Burmese Beauty Quad (ltd edition Fabulous Felines), MAC Humid (permanent), Inglot Pearl 450, Mac Brun (permanent). 

The light seems to be washing the colours out a lot. I promise they look brighter and more pigmented in real life! As you can see I need two more shadows to fill this palette. I have my eye on Deep Truth, does anyone have any other suggestions? X

*All bought by me*

Hitting Pan Round Two

A few months ago I did a rather popular post on products that I have hit pan on. This is just a quick update!

Beauty Blog Link Love

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Polish Insomniac shows off her favorite manicure to date!

Can you believe that Fall is already here! Check out Spiced Beauty's favorite red fall lipsticks!

Midnight Violets gives us the low-down on some of the great nude palettes available at the moment - comparison included!

Being bored watching Loxy play Shooty-Town led Gouldylox to this helpful discovery. It'll all make sense and help your super-short nailed ladies look amazing when you click here.

Want big Bambi lashes? Amy Antoinette reviews Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara.

Miss Beauty Nerd features a lovely blusher from Iman for Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Get full lashes that last throughout the day with L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara, as reviewed by My Lips But Better.

Being an international jet-setter just became a little easier. See how on the Perfectly Imperfect Beauty Blog.

Phyrra shares her Hacks! Cheats for blending eye shadows.

Krasey Beauty has the scoop on the new, the awesome, Urban Decay Midnight Emergency Kit!

K from Beautifully Addicted To gives you her opinion on MAC's Purple Majesty nail polish.

Kajal Couture reveals whether the $35 Boscia Black Mask is better than a $2 face mask.

Anita compares the new Mac Lighstcapade MSF with the old, prettier version over at Pleasureflush.

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theNotice is still celebrating it's four-year blogiversary! Enter Rae's Pink Giveaway now, and keep your eyes peeled for something big on the 24th ;)

GOSH Let’s Twist Eyeliner in Blue Grass

I’m a huge fan of the normal GOSH Pencil liners so I thought I should probably try the twist up version too. These are quite inexpensive at £5.70 each and come in a whole range of funky colours. As they twist up you negate the need for a sharpener and the site proclaims that they are waterproof. This is important to me as I use pencil liners exclusively on the water line or smudged under the lower lash line and I would rather not have them running half way down my face by the end of the day. 

The colour Blue Grass is a shimmery teal which leans more blue than green. Although it benefits from being warmed up on the back of your hand for a few seconds it transfers easily onto the waterline. Once it’s on it stays put. I get at least 6 hours wear out of it which is pretty damn impressive. 

I find that the GOSH liners are at least as good as the more expensive Urban Decay 24/7 liners and the colour range is just as wide. I’m eyeing up the colour Hot Flamingo (bright pink) already! X

*Bought by me*

You evil tempters Selfridges!

Last year I swooned over the Selfridges luxury beauty advent calendar. At the time it cost £60 and I resisted. Yet this year I caved even though they have put the price up to £80? (plus p&p as I don’t live anywhere near Selfridges). The answer is simply that it gives me the opportunity to try a myriad of brands that I haven’t tried yet and probably won’t ever buy from due to the cost.

Isn’t it just gorgeous? Everyday you wake up to a luxury beauty sample ranging from perfume, lipstick, eyeliner and skincare. The brands include Lancôme, Shu Uemura, Armani, YSL. How could I resist? At first I thought £80 was a rip off but when you actually sit and calculate the costs it works out.

Now my only problem is self restraint (this has long been a problem). I’ve asked my husband to hide it from me until December when he must become the advent calendar police and ensure that I only open one door per day. I can’t wait! X

*I bought this*

Skincare Overview Video

I think my camera is dying... the quality is worse than usual, there is a weird fan type noise going on and the lens doesn’t open properly on its own anymore. Le sigh. Regardless here is a quick (actually stupidly long) video on the stuff I slap onto my face in an effort to take care of my skin.

Reviews for most of the products are linked to below:

http://eyeliningobsessions.blogspot.com/2011/10/paulas-choice-anti-ageing-clear-skin.html

http://eyeliningobsessions.blogspot.com/2011/09/superdrug-mud-therapy-sensitive-deep.html

http://eyeliningobsessions.blogspot.com/2011/07/body-shop-pore-perfector.html

http://eyeliningobsessions.blogspot.com/2011/07/holy-grail-face-wipes.html

http://eyeliningobsessions.blogspot.com/2011/06/botanics-organics-face-nourishing.html

http://eyeliningobsessions.blogspot.com/2011/05/simple-skin-to-skin-hydrating-light.html

http://eyeliningobsessions.blogspot.com/2011/03/origins-zero-oil-matte-finish-for-shiny.html

http://eyeliningobsessions.blogspot.com/2011/02/sample-sunday-clinique-7-day-scrub.html

http://eyeliningobsessions.blogspot.com/2010/05/simple-kind-to-eyes-soothing-eye-balm.html

I should add that some of these reviews are older and my opinion might have changed on the product since I wrote them. For example I used to think the Simple moisturiser was a very light formula but as my skin has become oilier I now consider it slightly richer. I’m entitled to change my mind about things!

I bought everything mentioned apart from the Paula’s Choice moisturiser which was provided for review consideration. 

My New Baby

No I’m not pregnant. Nor have I adopted yet another animal. Instead I have bought myself something that I have been lusting after for a very long while. Behold. Ain’t she purdy?

Nikon D3100 Baby Yeah!!! The first thing I have learned is that fancy DSLR camera does not a good photographer make. I like to think the photo’s on the blog are ok. They aren’t anything special but they are in focus (mostly). As I write this I have spent several hours pressing buttons and playing with settings but I will be honest. The Nikon hath out foxed me.

Steep learning curve aside (I may need a book, or another degree to work out how to take a decent picture with this) I am thrilled to have this camera. I just need some tips on using it. Help?! x

Bare Minerals Quick Change Brush Cleaner

I’ve given up my hunt for a cheaper better brush cleaner and I will soon be crawling back to MAC with my tail between my legs. Why did I buy this? Even if it were great (it’s not) It’s £10 for a mere 110ml. To compare the MAC one is £8.50 for 233ml. Unimpressed.

Yes the bottle comes with a spray pump which I appreciate. In fact I may even keep it to put my MAC cleanser in. You just spray the cleanser onto a tissue and swirl your brush on it until it is clean. The first thing I notice it the smell of alcohol (not in a yummy way). The next thing I notice is that no matter how hard I try this doesn’t actually get rid of the colour on my brushes. All of my white bristled brushes end up looking grey and murky. It just doesn’t do that great a job of cleaning them.

So it’s poor value for money and doesn’t work for me. Fail.

*Bought by me*

Estee Lauder Double Wear Zero Smudge Lengthening Mascara

I think most of us would agree that less is more when it comes to product names. Estee Lauder seem to disagree... anyway this little sample tube has great significance to me. It is the last of the little mascara samples in my back up drawer meaning that soon I will actually be able to go and buy a new mascara guilt free! Suggestions in the comments please :-D

The wand on this is a strange one. It’s very thin which actually suits me and my piggy little eyes down to the ground. It’s easy and fuss free to manoeuvre. The formula is a little trickier though. It gives a lovely glossy black finish but the consistency is very wet which can lead to a little bit of clumping on me. I suspect that after a few more weeks it will dry out a bit and become a little easier to work with. Here are the before pictures:

And the afters:

Hmm. Not much added length but plenty of volume and drama. I actually kind of like it although it isn’t the sort of formula I would normally gravitate towards. What I do love about the formula is that it definitely smudge proof. I have had no issues with flaking or running even when I’ve been running around in the constant drizzle that is hanging over Glasgow right now. Despite this it isn’t a pain in the arse to remove, it just takes a bit of warm water and off it comes.

The more I use this the more it’s growing on me. Almost enough to justify the £19.50 (eek!) price tag for the full size! X

*Received as part of a gift with purchase* 

Claire's Perfume Collection

I have a funny mix of perfumes as many were bought as gifts and so weren’t chosen by me. My taste leans more towards darker, woodier evening scents. I am more excited about the New Illamasqua Fragrance ‘Freak’ than I can stand, can’t wait to have a sniff! In the mean time here is a quick rundown of the fragrances I currently own. And I do mean quick. It’s not like you can sniff them on here.

From left to right: (Full size bottled)

Elizabeth Arden Sunflower – This was a gift and not a fragrance I would normally gravitate towards. I has a strong floral sunflower (shocking I know) scent. It’s nice on balmy summer days.

Ghost Cherish – Another gift, this is a soft powdery almost soapy scent. It’s perfect to wear during the day as it is completely non intrusive. Subtle and feminine but not knocks your socks off amazing.

Katy Perry Purr – I am the first to admit that I am a total snob when it comes for celebrity fragrances. I find most are sickly sweet and overpowering. This is much more interesting though. It’s quite fruity but darker than most celeb scents. It’s a little sweet but not sickly.

Lola by Marc Jacobs – This has a special place in my heart as it is the perfume I wore on my wedding day. It’s another dark fruity fragrance with more than a little vanilla and a touch of spice. It just smells delicious and is one of those fragrances that just works with my body chemistry.

Noa by Chacharel – I wore this to death as a teenager and was recently given this bottle by my sister. It’s a very floral, the blurb says peony which sounds about right. It just doesn’t seem to sit as well on my skin anymore. I wear it and the fragrance holds a lot of memories for me but it’s no longer a favourite.

From left to right: (Samples)

Absolutely Givenchy – A sweeter soapier scent which last about 5 minutes on my skin before disappearing completely...

Lancome Hypnose – A very spicy, woody scent that’s a little alcoholic at first but it mellows quickly.

J’adore Dior – Not one I ever reach for actually. It’s supposed to be fruity and floral but it smells a little bland to me.

Estee Lauder Pleasure – Bizarrely all I can smell in this is gardenia although it isn’t even mentioned in the scent description! I’m not a fan.

Dior Addict – A slightly warmer scent with more than a little vanilla in it. I think I’m going to use this a bit more this Autumn.

Miss Dior Cherie (front) – Girly but not sickly, floral but spicy. I do actually like this one a lot.

I’m aware my scent descriptions suck but I was strapped for space. I tend to have a very good sense of smell so I don’t wear a lot of perfume, half a spritz is enough for me so it takes me a while to get through a bottle. As you can tell from this lot! x

Stila Shine Lip Colour SPF20 – Sonia & Anna

I think these have probably been discontinued but you can still find them in TK MAXX (where I found these) and Cheap Smells had them up for less than a fiver. I decided they were worth a mention because these particular shades, if you can find them, are perfect for this time of year. The evenings are drawing in and I’m continuing my vampy berry lip phase. 

The packaging is rather lovely. It’s all pretty and silver with filigree print. The lipsticks themselves have an irritating waxy scent and taste. Not like gone off lipstick but more like that annoying scent that NARS lip products have. 

The formula is sheer but still gives you plenty of colour. The result is a rather juicy look on the lips. Anna is a brick coloured rusty red shade (Left on lipstick pic, bottom on swatch pic). Sonia is more of a pinky berry shade. 

Lip Swatches Sonja First then Anna

They aren’t particularly moisturising but they don’t dry my lips out either. They don’t last particularly long on the lips either, perhaps 3-4 hours. Regardless I just love the look of these. They are perfect for easing you into darker vampy shades for Autumn/ Winter x

*I bought these*