Givenchy Dahlia Divin fragrance

Hey everyone ! It's been a blooming long time since I have blogged ! Manchester keeps me busy, but I'm sending a promise out there to blog a bit more! 

Today's post is rather special and I'm lucky I have a bottle of this fragrance (*)

Dahlia Divin is Givenchy's biggest launch this year and is the fragrance we have all been waiting for.  I knew I wanted one of these before I even smelt it since alicia keys is the muse for it. 

Alicia had a lot of input in this fragrance, from the scent to the design of the bottle, which is what I love the most!

The bottle is a classic bottle with a gorgeous gold coil around the neck, I absolutely love the style of it.  It is so sleek ! 

The smell itself is incredible and nothing like anything I have smelt before.  If I had to describe what elegance smelt like than this would be it.  Mirabelle plum, jasmine and sandlewood makes the fragrance feel classic.

I love this so much and can't wait for it to launch in stores.  This is going to be huge. 

P.s I have been lucky enough to see Alicia's dress that she wore in the advert and the campaign too... it's breathtaking ! Riccardo Tisci is an extremely talented designer.

It's so stunning and the picture doesn't do it justice!

I urge you all to go and give this fragrance a smell and to let it take you away on a divine journey ! 

Available nationwide July 21st :)

Mel xxx <3

My favourite primers !

Hey lovelies

I haven't posted in ages (due to my big move to manchester and my new job) but I thought I would bring you a post to tell you about a staple in my make up routine ! 

If you suffer from oily skin then you know a Matt primer is key ! 

So, my 4 favourite primers I love at the minute are.... 

Clinique super primer for dull skin

Mac Matte

Maybelline babyskin

Clarins instant smooth

My favourite out of them all is the Clarins instant smooth! (Just bought a new pot as it's on offer in a gift set on the Clarins website!!) 

So everyone that uses this or has heard of it knows it's referred to by the nickname "polyfilla" as it literally does what polyfilla does !! It fills ! It smooths over lines and pores and is actually amazing ! It is a 15ml pot but it lasts forever ! (Bit like benefit browzings!) I wouldn't be without it, it's a silky texture and makes my skin Matt :)

Next up is the Clinique superprimer, which if you check my last post it will give you more details about it.. 

I love the primer when I don't want to wear make up as it brightens my skin too :)

Thirdly is Matte by MAC

This primer is good for daily touch ups throughout the day as you can use it over make up.. I have tried it under make up but it didn't really make a difference and it felt quite wet on my skin.

So my new favourite primer at the min is baby skin by Maybelline.. It has only just come out in the UK, and I managed to grab one from boots the other day.

It is £7.99 for a 22ml tube.  The texture is a silky Matt gel and it evens out my skin tone nicely.  I like this primer as it does make my pores disappear (until I take my make up off) !! I live the quirky packaging and I'm a massive babylips junkie so I definitely had to buy this!  It is worth every penny and I will continue to use it, as it keeps my oil at bay :)

What are your favourite primers ? 

Mel xxx 

Clinique superprimer colour corrects dullness

So everyone who follows my blog knows I suffer with blemish prone /oily skin and I am always looking for something new to try to calm it.

Today's post comes from a well known brand a a new staple in my make up collection.

I read a few reviews about this Clinique primer and having received a sample of the original white one I decided to buy one.

My skin is quite dull so I immediately went for the pink one, which correcs dullness and lack lustre skin. Perfect !!

The texture is really silky and Matt, which I really like, it's quite velvety too. I have been using it for a few weeks now and I actually love it. My skin feels brighter and my make up actually lasts a lot longer then it normally would.

I use it with my urban decay de slick spray and I actually don't have to touch up my make up during the day ! 

It's great for masking pores (obviously it doesn't treat them, but it does hide them)  and it really makes my skin smoother.

Here it is swatched. 

I would recommend these primers to anyone. Definitely go to your nearest clinique counter and try them out ! 

I will definitely continue to buy this, I love it ! 

Have you tried these primers yet ?

xx 

October favourites :-)

Okay so I have loads of favourites this months but here are the ones I can't live without this month !! 

(Ignore the table and chairs haha )

So first of all:

Lee Stafford climate control spray

 

This spray I picked up when there was a 3 for 2 offer at boots.  My hair is thick and dry and frizzes up at any slight drop of moisture !! So I was curious about this spray. It claims to be a perfect umbrella for your hair and to keep hair under control from the horrid wind and rain.  I really like this spray as it actually does what it says ! My hair isn't a massive frizz bomb in the rain anymore !! Yay !! And it's  not bad for £5.99 either !! 

Givenchy la rouge lipstick 306 carmin

So I don't do red lips at all, I'm a pink girl but I thought I would give it a go and conquer my fear of looking like a stripper !! I have definitely found my perfect red, it's the most amazing colour and the lipstick is so long lasting ! The lipstick is so moisturising and nourishing and it such a couture accessory for my bag ! It comes in a leather case and smells divine ! 

Here i am wearing it ! I love it so much !! 

Origins super spot remover

I won't say too much about it because I have reviewed it before !! Check it out :-) I love this for any pesky pimples I get !! It's a-mazzzzing !!!! Will definitely keep buying it ! 

Urban decay de-slick oil control make up spray

This spray is actually amazing ! I picked up a small one for £9 just to trial it ! I spray this all over my face as a fine mist and use it to set my make up ! I'm finding I'm not touching my make-up up as much anymore and it really holds it all in place ! I can't recommend it enough for those with oily skin like mine ! 

Givenchy prisme libre no 2 

This powder is amazing !!! I lightly dust it over my foundation to set it ! It's so light an airy and has a slight but suttle shimmer to it ! The 4 different shades give a natural look to my skin, and make it more even ! It's a loose powder which I love on my oily skin ! And the packaging is so beautiful !!

Have you tried any of these products before ??

Mel xx 

Nails inc galaxy nail lacquer

So it's no secret that I adore nails inc and have done for years ! They were the first luxury nail brand I bought (many years ago) 

I couldn't wait to try the new galaxy effect nail varnish ! And I managed to grab on in a pack on qvc last month ! 

The colour is a gorgeous silver, with different sized glitter inside.  It has a holographic effect too which I love when it catches the light ! 

This looks fab on its own with a couple of  coats, but you can also wear it over the top of another block colour ! 

I can't wait for the next unique effect polish to come out from nails inc ! definitely my favourite for quirky nail techniques ! This colour is called trafalgar crescent :)

What are your fave nails inc polishes ? 

mel x 

Givenchy acti'mine primer

Okay so I purchased this primer a week ago as I have quite a lot  of redness on my chin due to acne and I am desperate to hide it.

There are six shades in the range including colour correcting and illuminating. I went for acti kiwi as the green neutralises redness. 

The texture is only slightly rich but goes on really evenly.  I only use it on the areas that I need it then I pop my foundation on top.  It has an SPF of 15 in it and is packed full of vitamins so I know my skin wakes up when it's on.

So far I love this base as I know it's treating my skin as well as hiding imperfections. And for £25 it is worth every penny.

Have an of you tried these bases before? What did you think ?

Mel xx

Origins Super Spot Remover

So I've been wanting to try this product out for a really long time now, I have used a similar product from Clinique but it has ran out so I thought I would give this a go.  I love Origins products so I was quite excited to try this.

First impressions

What a small bottle, it's tiny in fact ! At only 10ml it's so cute.  I did wonder how long it would last.

I was wrong though, I take a cotton bud and put a drop on it and then directly onto my blemishes.  I use a separate cotton bud for each spot to avoid cross contamination.  I put it on at night time and by morning my blemishes have shrunk and the redness has definitely calmed down.  At £14 I think it is a bargain, and will continue to use this.

I bought this from the origins website because they had a cracking offer on.  If you purchased any skincare item you received a goody box of treats (4 to choose from) so I went for the "best youth protectors" which included a face wash, charcoal mask and a micro dermabrasion product.  I am yet to try these out but I am too excited !!

 

 What a great freebie !! I would check it out if you want to buy any origins products as their are 4 to choose from.

I also got 2 samples as well, so I chose to try the ginseng eye cream ( I have been wanting to try it for ages, and so far so good !! ) and also a voucher to get a free facial ! Excellent :-)

So all in all £14 spent and 5 samples !! Amazing !!

What are your favourite Origins products ?? 

Mel xxx 

Farmaline Treats

Okay so i was sent some goodies the other day from a company called Farmaline , It is an online pharmacy which has been shipping to the UK for a number of years.  You can get everything on there !! From toothpaste to Ibuprofen, and even Bioderma and Vichy products.  Each product has a discount of up to 30% which is fab.  There are more than 22000 products and 350 brands online to choose from, and i was quite thrilled when i was sent some things.

The first product i tried was a gorgeous multi purpose dry oil called Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Oil (*) - check it out here

So i have been using the oil for a couple of days now and i really like it.  I am a sucker for dry oils and love the fact you can put them wherever you feel ! I also like the body shop oils too.  I put this on my face before bed and it made me skin really soft in the morning, i also put it on my dry ends of my hair and my cuticles.  The smell is gorgeous and i like the fact that it is 30% plant oils too.

The next product i was sent was a body lotion (Which is in a massive tube) called Laino Karite Body Milk (*), you can check it out here

The body milk is lovely actually.  I am not a big fan of applying lotion and i prefer the new vaseline mist for the convenience, but i have to say its great for my dry patches such as my elbows.  I think that this will be my body lotion i use before i tan, as i know it will nourish my knees,elbows etc.  I used it for the first time the other day and i love the fact it has shea butter in it, so i know my skin was getting all the nourishment it needs.

Overall i was happy with these products, they are not brands i have heard of before and i probably wouldnt re purchase though as i think this body lotion will last me ages, and i do prefer my liz earle hair oil, but i like this oil for my face.

Have you purchased anything from Farmaline before ? 

Mel xx

The Autumn Tag

Hey guys, i came across a new blog today with a lovely post called the Autumn Tag which i thought i would do ! You can check out Mollys blog here.  Autumn is my 2nd favourite season ! (Summer being the first, obvs)

Favourite thing about Autumn?

 

The weather ! I love how chilly and sunny it can be at the same time, which is an excuse to get out all the cute jumpers, boots, jackets ! Its great.

 

Favourite drink?

 

Definitely Hot chocolate ! It has to be the number 1 autumn drink ! especially when you come home from work and you can snuggle down watching tele with a hot choc ! Options are my fave as there are loads to choose from

 

Favourite scent/candle?

 

Yankee candles are my fave and i have loads !! I love burning either french vanilla or black cherry in the autumn ! gorgeous warm scents

 

Best lipstick?

 

I don't really wear berry coloured lipsticks at all, which i know are a firm autumn favourite ! I just cant pull off plums and reds at all, I love pink ones ! YSL rouge volupte no 10 is my favourite, its so glossy and moisturising and perfect for making an outift jump out.

 

Go-to moisturiser?

 

I would have to say clinique moisture surge and the intense one ! These are a staple in my autumn/winter routine as my horrid blemish, oily skin can dry out quickly ! I like that it is oil free too and hydrates my skin lovely!

 

Go-to colour for the eyes?

 

neutral browns are my go to for the autum ! or any combination from the urban decay naked 2 pallette, i adore all the different looks you can create from one pallette.

 

Favourite music to listen to?

 

The wanted ! i listen to them all day everyday ! (big fan - they are hot)

 

Favourite outfit to wear?

 

My leather jacket and a thick pashmina scarf.  I love woolly tights too and a cute dress.

 

Autumn treat?

 

Definitely the new barry m matte nail varnishes ! cant wait to get my hands on them !!!

 

Favourite place to be?

 

My bed ha ! its comfy and i love being snuggled up in the autumn !!

So, here is who i tag !!!

Chloe at closbeautyspot.com

Vicky at heartsstarsandtea.blogspot.ie

Carly at carlysbeautyworld.co.uk

harriet at harrietdarcey.blogspot.co.uk

sophie at sophierosee.com

sophie at sophisticatexx.blogspot.co.uk

Thanks for reading !! I love doing posts like this :-)

Mel xxx

 

Liz Earle strengthening nail colour

Okay so it's no secret I'm a massive liz Earle fan, so when I received an email the other day saying free delivery on colour products I jumped at the chance to try their new nail varnishes !

After about 10 mins of deciding what colour to go for, I went for a gorgeous pink called "Parade 06"

It came a couple of days later and I got a free mini cleanse and polish ( which you can never have too many of ) 

First impressions. I love the sleek and simple packaging and I adore the colour !  It's such a fresh and summery colour (which I know we are getting into autumn but I've never been a dark colours girl when it comes to nail polish )

So I have been wearing it for 3 days now and it hasn't chipped yet ! Yay ! 

I love the fact that it is so glossy and shiny.  The liz Earle theory of using natural ingredients is common in the nail polish as it contains avocado and borage oil to strengthen the nail as well as protecting it. 

I am moving to Manchester this week, so will definitely go and look at the other colours when I get to the liz Earle counter.

Have you tried any of the colours yet ? At £7.50 a bottle, they are a bargain for a high end brand :)

Love mel xx 

What's in my make up bag ?

I have too many things in my make up bag but these are my favourites ! 

First of all I LOVE my make up bag ! I bought it from New York when I went in feb ! (Excuse the state of it, it's been bashed about it my bag ! )

Smashbox O-Gloss I love this gloss, it goes on clear and transforms into your own shade of pink when it comes to contact with your lips. It's not sticky either ! 

Benefit stay flawless primer this primer is so good, I rarely touch up my oily skin when I use this. You do need to apply foundation with a brush though or it doesn't blend properly if not. My make up stays in place for ages ! I love that it is colourless too.

Mac studio fix fluid I have nw20, which is too dark for me (the girl at mac colour matched me wrong ! ) but its a perfect colour for when I tan, so I'm using this at the min. The coverage is fab too ! 

Bare minerals stroke of light I have this in luminous 1.  It's a pink colour and neutralises the dark circles under my eyes ! I use this as a base and pop another concealer on top. It's a fab product!

Make up forever full cover concealer I love this concealer, it literally covers Everything !!! I wear number 4, it's a good  neutral shade. I use this to cover my blemishes and I use a concealer brush to apply. 

Benefit fake up concealer I use this under my eyes to hydrate and brighten. I really like it as it is quite light but still covers. I use 01 light.

Mally volumizing mascara I rave about this mascara so much.  My lashes are so big and long when I use it and it makes them so black ! Best Mascara ever !!! 

Have you tried any of these products before ?

Mel xx 

Battle of the hand creams

I love nail varnish and pretty nails etc but what's the point in doing all that if you don't have the base to start ! Why would you do amazing designs if your nails are dry and cuticles are messed up ! 

This post focus' on my 2 favourite hand creams ! 

Rituals extra rich and repairing hand balm and Clarins hand and nail treatment.

Okay, so the rituals hand balm is my go to hand cream, I have about 3 in my house and I always carry one in my bag ! With the run up to winter, this is when our hands become at their driest so I'm a firm believer of using a hand balm every day and this one is perfect. At only £10 too I recommend it to everyone ! 

It has ginseng and ginkgo biloba in it which are natural ingredients to help to repair the hands, strengthen and stimulate the blood flow ! I love this because i know it's repairing my hands as well as moisturising them. The texture is a thick balm but non greasy which i love ! They do a gorgeous hand scrub for the same price called hand therapy which I use as well. It's amazing !!!! Those 2 products are my saviours during winter months !! 

The next hand cream is my luxury treat ! At £20 it is steep for a hand cream but its worth every penny ! I rub this into my cuticles every night and the smell is just divine ! I have a tube of this on my bedside table so I can just use it whenever. The texture is similar to the rituals one, quite a rich balm. I prefer that to a light lotion anyway. This cream protects hands too from hard water etc and minimises age spots which is great if you have any! I don't, so I can't comment ! 

The rituals on is 75ml and the clarins 100ml. I prefer the rituals one for the convenience and I love the bright green tube, it's great for people on a budget too ! The clarins one will be one of those presents I don't buy myself and will always be on my Xmas list ! 

You can see the textures are quite similar ! ( the rituals one is the white balm and clarins is the beige coloured one) 

Have you tried any of these hand creams ? I'd love to know ! 

Mel xx 

The Skincare tag

So I was kindly nominated to do a skincare tag by the lovely Carly at Carly's Beauty World, you can check out her blog  here !! :)

I love skincare, and I am a firm believer that if you can't get your skincare right then your make up will never go on they way you want it !

Everyday I leave 5 mins for my moisturiser to soak in otherwise my make up will literally slip off straight away ! When I was younger I didn't understand why my foundation never stayed on for more than an hour and now I know why !

Working on cosmetics counters I have seen skincare at its best, and I love exploring new things.  My favourite skincare brand is of course Liz Earle because I love the fact all her ingredients are natural.

I do like sticking to one brand but in todays world we mix and match to tailor to our skin needs ! I use Liz Earle but I also use a Clinique wash for my blemishes and a serum from Aesop for my dehydration.

My beautiful Liz Earle Collection ! Pretty sure I have more things now haha.

The Tag Itself :

Describe your skincare routine in 5 words:
Cleanse, tone, serum, moisturise, eye cream

What’s your skin type?
Oily and blemish prone (unfortunately)

Top Blemish Zapper
Tried many over the years ! (trust me) Clinique anti bacterial gel or benefit boo boo zap

Face Wipes, yay or nay?
definitely nay ! I just don't find my skin to be clean when I have used one ! I used to use them when I was about 14 but they just freak me out now haha.

Toner, yay or nay?
definitely yay ! Toner is one of the most important steps in any skincare routine ! It removes all traces of make up and tightens your pores. It makes your skin clearer ! I love Liz earles instant skin tonic! its gorgeous ! or clarins exfoliating toner ! (exfoliates and tones in one ! brilliant)

High-end skincare or high-end makeup?
Either or ! not fussed ! I love high end skincare and make up ! I couldn't choose !

What’s the most unusual skincare product you’ve tried?
toothpaste for blemishes ! Its rubbish and definitely doesn't work haha.

Tell us your top skincare tip

I would always recommend using a serum/face oil ! People associate serums with mature people but that is definitely not the case ! A serum gives that added boost of hydration etc that your skin may need !

 

Here is who I nominate

 

Chloe

Hannah

Emma

Jess

Stacey

Harriet

Emily

Vicky

Sophie

Beth

 

What are all of your fave skincare products ?

 

Mel xx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My August favourites

Hey lovelies ! August is my favourite month, full of summer, gorgeous weather and bright colours ! It's when we can get away with bright coral and neon pink ! 

My favourites that I've used a lot this month are:

Liz Earle cleanse and polish limited edition

Barry m textured nail effect in Ridley road

Liz Earle deep cleansing mask

Benefit lipstick in my treat

Aesop oil free hydrating serum

Mally volumising mascara

 

I have already reviewed this product, it's a gorgeous spin off on the original with grapefruit to brighten the skin ! I love the scent of this in the morning.

I love the colour and textured effect of this nail polish ! It's a lovely Tiffany green and the effect reminds me of OPI liquid sand ! I have been using this throughout August :-)

I love this clay based mask ! It cleans up any pesky blemishes I have ! I use it on my chin daily if they are really bad and I love the results I get from it ! It comes with a gorgeous little sponge to take it off easily ! :-) perfect mask for large pores and oily skin.

I use this lipstick daily ! One of my favourites really. It's a gorgeous sheer pink colour and it is really light in texture. I bought this for £14 and its lasted a real long time ! However it was on the benefit website half price so I bought 3 more ha ha. 

I love this Aesop oil free hydrating serum ! It balances the oil in my skin and it doesn't break me out which is good ! I use this at night in place of my moisturiser. The smell is divine ! Reminds me of medicine when I was a child ! It's a bit steep at £41 but it is a 100ml bottle ! I bought mine from Selfridges London and the girl on the counter was amazing ! She knew her stuff :) 

The last product I am loving this mont is this gorgeous mascara 

I cannot speak highly enough of this mascara ! It volumises my lashes so much they almost don't look my own ! I always use a mascara primer anyway so they look even more false and black ! I use this daily ! Mally make up never disappoints me ! Check out QVC uk for her full range :) 

So that's my August favourites really, have you tried any of these products ? :-) 

Mel xx 

Mally 6 piece easy on the eyes collection

So I am a HUGE fan of Mally make up !! I love when she comes to the UK and I always try and catch her when she is on QVC ! So on Tuesday was her TSV, which obviously I bought, and it arrived today yay !!

This is how it arrived, in like a book style case. I adore her packaging, it is so cute and quirky ! 

So hear is what you get in the case.. 

A gorgeous (or gorgois as mally would say) eyeshadow pallete, complete with primer too ! You can either chose from nude or colour ! I went for the nude as you can see :-) I love the snake print green case too, so cute ! There are 11 shadows which can be use wet or dry and a mixture of shimmer and matte :)

Next is a set of 3 lovely eyeliners ! The staying power is ace ! I've used these eyeliners for years ! 

You get a cute sharpener too ! 

You also get a under eye brightener. Which is a yellow toned oil free hydrating brightener.. You would still use your normal concealer and pop some of this on top just to refresh :) and you get one of her iconic volumizing mascara's too ! I swear by this mascara ! The effect is amazing and it doesn't smudge at all ! Bonus ! It definitely is my Holy Grail product !! 

My favourite thing about this eye kit is the  cute 60 page booklet you get of all of mally's tips and tricks for creating the perfect eye ! 

I'm so happy I purchased this and I can't recommend Mally make up enough ! When i went to new york i went to her only counter there, was amazing !! She has a full range on QVC uk.. 

This TSV was £39 plus p+p but cause that has ended it is now £47.50 which is still amazing as the eyeshadow palette is £40 on its own ! 

If you wanna check it out click here !! :)

Have you tried any Mally make-up before ? what products do you love ?