In the Frow

May 18, 2013

Estee Lauder Five Colour EyeShadow Palette Batik Sun

(Estee Lauder Batik Sun Palette - £35*)

Another absolute beauty from Estee Lauder. In fact these are the first Estee Lauder eyeshadows I have tried and I really am so impressed. Hopefully from the image you can see how beautifully the shades blended together on the eyes. For this look I used four of the shades excluding the beautiful bright green, although I think this would look gorgeous swept along the eyeline with a wet pencil brush. Using the lightest shade in the inner corner, working the light gold over the lid and the dark brown to the outer corner. I then blended the burned copper through the outer corner to give an extra dimension and I can't tell you how much I loved it. There is something quite sheer about the shadows yet with ultra shimmer. They are almost like applying pigments. By building up the colour you can achieve both a deep colour and super sparkle which really catches the light and makes your eyes pop. The first time I wore this palette my mum straight away pointed out how beautiful my eyeshadow was, so I knew I was onto a winner. The colours are something out of Morocco and there are a number of colour combinations that would work beautifully together. Not to mention how stunning the packaging is. Although you may think the palette is quite pricey, you are gaining five beautiful eyeshadows, which equals £7 per shadow; much cheaper than building your own Mac or Urban Decay palette. I absolutely adore this palette and I think I may have to start collecting these limited palettes when they are released.

Have you tried any Estee Lauder shadows? Which would you recommend?

V x

May 17, 2013

Street Style and Company Magazine

Denim Vintage Levis Jacket // c/o Ark Clothing

Disco Pants // Ark Clothing

Coral Lace Crop // Topshop

Boots // Zara

Chain Necklace // Forever 21

Lips // Mac Nicki Viva Glam

If you're a Company Magazine reader, you may have already spied me in the June issue that is currently out. Cant tell you how excited I was to be featured for the first time in a magazine, and one that I adore. On page 146, Company picked me out as one of five beauty ladies, and mentioned one of my favourite lipsticks to wear, the Mac Viva Glam Nicki. I went out into Manchester and took some snaps to send along to them and I have been wanting to put these up for a while. This is a regular type of outfit for me. Denim jacket, cute crop and tight disco pants with a pair of heeled boots. At the time I took these, my hair had faded back to a bright white again with only a hint of lilac, which again brightened up the colours. It was just nice to have some outdoor shots and someone being my photographer for once.

V x

May 16, 2013

TrekAmerica Must Haves

Diamond Jacquard Backpack // Topshop

Strawberry Lip Balm // Carmex

Short Trim Fedora // Topshop

Tan Intensifier SPF15 // Piz Buin

Nourishing Hair Oil // Dove

Klara Aztec Jacket // Missguided

Denim Levis Shorts // Ark Clothing

Dublin Eskimo Boots // Equestrian Clearance

Grey Cropped Tank // Topshop

Well, it is nearly that time. On the 7th of June I will be jetsetting off to the states for a 75 day tour of North America. Starting in NY, I head anticlockwise down the east coast, across the south, up the north taking in the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas Nevada on the way until I head partly into Canada and across the North, back to NY. There are no words really to describe just how excited I am. I decided that I could therefore do with creating a quick must-have list of items that I want, need to pick up or need to remember to pack.

I already have an Aztec backpack from ASOS but I am in love with this one from Topshop. The perfect size for every day use when I'm trekking around here there and everywhere. Obviously the essential products need to be packed, such as a tan intensifying sunscreen from Piz Buin which is on offer at the moment and the Dove Nourishing hair oil which is fantastic for keeping your hair conditioned in the sun. The strawberry carmex will also be on my to buy list as usually I cant go anywhere without carmex and this is no exception. This jacket from Missguided is my new love and I dont think I'm going to take it off even until I go away. It will be perfect for a light yet warm jacket. The denim shorts and grey tank are a must as I think I will practically live in shorts and crop tops. However, when we get to Canada and the Northern states, boots such as these eskimo boots will look really cute with shorts, perfect for walking and horseriding through the deserts and will also keep me much warmer. Better get out and buying now.

Are you going away soon or have you been on a long trek anywhere? I'd love to know what you got up to!

V x

Badger Sleep Balm

( Badger Sleep Balm - £6.99* )

This is one of those products for people with sleeping difficulties. I have tried similar products before from This Works, all containing lavender, as it is brilliant at relaxing and calming therefore making it easier to sleep. This product is a temple rub and is applied to the temples lightly before sleep. The petroleum like balm contains lavender and bergamot which of course relaxes the mind and with extra virgin olive oil and beeswax, the product is entirely natural and organic. I think that even if this was applied every night, the product would probably last 6-9 months due to how little you need to apply. Im always a little dubious about products of this nature and I think that the magic all comes down to the calming scent of lavender. I dont have trouble sleeping fortunately, so I feel as though I cannot comment on the differences in my sleeping pattern. Yet, those that find sleeping extremely difficult, it may be worth a try. It smells really lovely, applies easily and lavender does always relax me, so it is something I might apply before bed after a long, hard day at work.

What are your thoughts on products such as this?

V x

May 15, 2013

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Illuminating Powder Gelee in Heatwave

(Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Illuminating Powder - £30*)

First of all, how absolutely stunning does this product look?! When I opened it up for the first time, I may have gasped slightly it was so shimmery. The fan shape allows the product to catch the light over the pleats and really shows off the dual tones. I unfortunately missed out on a similar product to this, the Estee Lauder Tease pink blush, yet luckily my flat mate has ordered me one as a birthday treat all the way from America. She's definitely a keeper. That product too was a super shimmery face powder and extremely pigmented. The illuminating powder is part of the Bronze Goddess range and is a product you need to pick up soon really if you want to get your hands on it. A lady at an Estee Lauder counter the other day told me that if you see a limited edition product, buy it straight away or the chances are that they will be gone before you know it. Very good tip I thought. So back to this. It is incredibly pigmented and a gorgeous shade of light bronzed gold. When swatched on the fingertip, it is such a light bronze that my first feeling was to use it as a highlight. So for a recent night-out, the pictures above, I applied it over my cheekbones as a highlighting product. I then took my bronzing brush and applied a light coating to my forehead and down my nose to add even more sparkle and a sun kissed gleam. As you can see, it really adds a touch more dimension to the face and really shimmers in the light, I absolutely adore it. For one of those products you can really enjoy using and love every time you apply it, I will keep this safe and only for special occasions I think. When its gone, its gone and that will be a very sad day indeed.

Are you thinking of treating yourself to this or do you know of anything similar?

V x