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Saturday 13 August 2011

TWIL

Usually my skin is pretty clear apart from a few little bumps under my skin on my forehead, I cleanse, tone and moisturise daily so this helps keep my skin in good condition. However a few weeks ago I encountered a bit of a facial disaster and my skin was covered in spots. I had been told before that Sudocrem was great for keeping skin clear, but had never really tried using it. 2 weeks ago I thought I'd give it ago and I am far from disappointed. I have been using it every night after cleanser, toner and moisturiser and sticking to my usual cleanse, tone and moisturise routine in the mornings. I have been applying a thin layer all over my face and it does tend to turn the face slightly white, so not really appropriate for daytime wear.

The results are phenomenal and it cleared my skin up pretty much straight away and even got rid of the bumps under my skin on my forehead (which I have had for a while but make up covers them so they were never a massive issue). Now I can wear less foundation and my skin looks flawless.

This week I'm loving Sudocrem. Not only does it reduce the redness of spots but also it prevents them from appearing, makes your skin feel beautifully soft and is cheap too.

Wednesday 10 August 2011

Wednesday's Wishes # 1

There are many fashion and beauty products that my budget won't stretch to at the minute or that I want but simply haven't found the right one yet. So I have created a wish list and I thought I would share some of this list with my readers and would love for people to comment on this post if they have tried and of the products below or have any feedback/recommendations.

1: Casual T-Shirt- I am looking for a fun day time t-shirt, I am loving the ones on Truffle Shuffle but am currently searching for the right one to buy.

2: No7 Beauty Balm- I love Clarins Beauty Flash Balm but I'm really intrigued to try No7's cheaper version (I think it retails at around £16- so almost half the price of Clarins) I think I will buy this once my Clarins runs out to see if it is as good as I'm always up for any money saving. Anyone tried it yet?

3: Designer Handbag: I got a Chanel hand bag as a gift a few years ago and was distraught when it got ruined by my dog. Now I am in desperate need of a replacement but need to get the money and make a decision on which brand/style. I'd love another Chanel one but also quite liking some of the Marc Jacobs arm candy too.

Tuesday 9 August 2011

Casual, City Chic or Date Night Tops

I don't know about all you fashionista's but I am very much a dress girl- I rarely wear jeans or trousers, I'm bottom heavy and don't really feel as comfortable in them, a lovely dress suits my figure much more. However recently I have bought a new pair of jeans from Topshop (The only pair I own) and although I still prefer my dresses, my bum doesn't look too bad in the new denim threads (with some heals of course). The only problem is I don't have any tops (you don't really find the need for tops if you live in dresses everyday like me).

So I spent a bit of time over the weekend searching for cool casual tops and more dressy blouses to wear with the new denims. Here is what I found:

Because Barbie gets too much credit:

£14.99 Truffle Shuffle

Ok so this is really not me, and I think if any of my friends saw me in this it would shock the hell out of them, but I'm loving it. Now I've got my new jeans I can be a bit more casual in the daytime and this screams casual chic.

Get it here







City Chic:
£25 ASOS

This on the other hand is very me. I love it, and it probably won't be as much of a shock for my friends if I wear this with the jeans for the first time, great for work wear and will dress up your denims.


Available here







Date Night:
£55 Warehouse
Wow. This is definitely my favourite of all the tops I found, (although not strictly a top more of a shrug) isn't it amazing? You could wear it with a plain vest top and would look perfect for a date or evening meal with friends.

Available here

Monday 8 August 2011

Competition time

So here it is my first ever competition, you wanna know how to enter? Well all you have to do is follow the blog- simples!

Once I have reached 100 followers I will choose the first winner at random to win a bottle of my favourite fake tan: Lancome Flash Bronzer for face.


Then once I reach 150 followers I will choose another lucky winner to win all my favourite cosmetics:


  • Clinique blusher in 114 Iced Lotus
  • 2 bottles of Estee Lauder Double wear foundation in 02 Pale Almond
  • Estee Lauder Double Wear gel eyeliner in black
  • Clinique True Bronze bronzer in 02 Sunkissed
  • 3 bottles of Lancome Flash Bronzer for face




Top 10 Summer Time Essentials

Are you planning a summer holiday? or city break? Are you on the search for your new summer time make up collection? Then look no further. I have put together a top 10 list of summer essentials all tried and tested by me:

  1. Clarins Beauty Flash Balm- Mix in with foundation to create a flawless face with a radiant glow.
  2. Clinique True Bronzed pressed powder- Creates a natural looking bronzed glow.
  3. Nails Inc I Can't Paint a Rainbow- I love the colours in this set, bright and perfect for summer time fun.
  4. BareMinerals Get Started Kit- Contains:
  5. 2 Foundation shades
  6. Mineral veil/tinted mineral veil
  7. Warmth
  8. Full flawless face brush
  9. Flawless application face brush
  10. Maximum coverage concealer brush/ light stroke brush
  11. Bisque multi-tasking concealer
  12. Get started DVD
  13. Benefit Big Beautiful Eyes Palette- enhance your eyes with this eye shadow set, in natural shades of brown
  14. Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm Tin- refreshes lips and gives a lovely natural daytime look.
  15. Smashbox Photo Finish Color Correcting Foundation Primer- glides on easily and evens skin tone whilst ensuring make up stays in place all day long
  16. Benefit High Beam- for cheek and brow bones to create a radiant glow
  17. Benefit Coralista Face Powder- perfect for summer- not too pink or too orange. A warm coral pink tone brightens up cheeks for a summery glow
  18. Lancome Flash Bronzer for Face- I have blogged about this product before, I love it and use it all over the body for a natural looking tan.

Saturday 6 August 2011

TWIL

This week I'm loving Debenhams Beauty Club. This is fantastic and I encourage everyone to get down to Debenhams and sign up to the Beauty Club cards. They are similar to Boots advantage card and Superdrugs Beauty Card: you spend money in store and receive points on your card which can be used as payment for products in store. You get 3 points per pound you spend in store when you spend over £25 and 5 points per pound when shopping online. Not only this you also get free beauty make overs and insiders tips and advice on make up!!! I love it and have already earned lots of points to spend on new make up!!

Less is PWHOAR

So if I'm being completely honest I am not the most natural of girls. I'm a fake tan addict and never leave the house without double layer foundation, bronzer, blusher, eye liner, mascara and lip gloss, but saying that I think the most beautiful girls in the world are: Caggie Dunlop, Kate & Pippa Middleton and surprisingly these girls don't wear much make up. I love there look but I always think that I need to plaster my face with make up to make myself look good.

This week I've been working on a photoshoot and on the first day of shooting the photographer and stylist both commented on the level of make up I wear and the fake tan so I decided that today I would tone it down a little to see if I could pull of the au naturale look.

Taking inspiration from the likes of Caggie, Pippa and Kate I wore: Clinique Superbalanced foundation (instead of my usual Estee Lauder Double Wear) Clinique blusher in Iced Lotus (I usually wear a much darker colour), and a really small amount of Maybelline Falsies Volume Express mascara (as apposed to my usual 100 layers of it).

The Results:


I really liked my new look. Less is definitely pwhoar. I looked really fresh faced and the make up simply enhanced my natural beauty rather than creating a mask for my face and turning me into someone that is not me. Don't get me wrong: I am not completely ditching the bronzed heavy make up look. I think for nights out I will stick to using bronzer, eye shadow, gel eyeliner, and spidery lashes created by YSL or Maybelline Falsies mascara but I am really going to tone it down to a more natural look for day time.

Monday 1 August 2011

Inspired by Kate

Yesterday’s Silent Sunday post was an image of the gorgeous Duchess of Cambridge, wife to the future king Kate. I’m so jealous, not only is she super stunning but she is a true style icon and she’s bagged herself England’s most eligible bachelor.
Yesterday Kate really inspired me when I saw what she wore to the wedding of Zara Phillips. Although many of Kate’s outfits I wouldn’t dream of wearing myself- that doesn’t mean to say I don’t love them. I think her outfits are classy and perfect for royalty. I’m sure if I was to bag Prince Harry my wardrobe would need a major transformation and I’d like to think I would dress similar to Kate- I don’t think the Queen would appreciate my current outfit choices for dinner dates at Buckingham Palace.
You see me and Kate are unfortunately for me very different- I’m a young 24 year old, struggling to pay of my student debt (my shopping addiction really doesn’t help the situation) and Kate is now a member of the royal family with no money worries whatsoever. She is constantly in the public eye and as a representative of British royalty it is imperative that the way she acts/dresses/speaks/eats/walks/smiles/drinks is that of a future Queen, but let’s not forget life wasn’t always like this for Kate:



There’s hope for me yet, if Kate can go from this to super hot royalty, maybe I can set my sights on Prince Harry?
Anyways what this post is all about is this. When I saw Kate’s outfit choice for the second royal wedding of the year I thought I’m sure I recognise that and I was right. Kate actually wore this same attire in 2006 at the nuptials of Laura Parker Bowles.

At Zara Phillips Wedding

In 2006 at the nuptials of Laura Parker Bowles
After undertaking a little bit more research I discovered that this is not the first time Kate has worn the same outfit twice. Take a look at these images:


In LAthis month


At Zara Phillips' pre wedding party
 
Night out in London in 2007


In June at a friends wedding
 
At the Duke of Edinburgh's 90th Birthday and again in 2009

So if it’s good enough for Kate it’s definitely good enough for me. She even wore the green dress twice in one month!
I’d love to say I never wear the same outfit twice- but that’s not true, I do however thoroughly assess the situation before re-wearing a previous outfit:
  • When was the last time I wore it?
  • Are there Facebook pictures?
  • Was it with a different group of people?
  • Have these people seen me in this dress before?
Come on all girls we all do this right?

What this Kate research has taught me is not to be so analytical when it comes to wearing the same outfit twice. Who cares really- if it’s hot it’s hot, and hopefully next time I’m getting ready to go out I will keep this in mind. Recycling=New trend of 2011.


Saturday 30 July 2011

Take me to the dresses

So after a disappointing shopping spree last week I decided to investigate this fashion failure of all the high street stores further and I am very pleased to say that this week with the help of the www. and the Trafford Centre I have found beautifull dresses!!!Excited much? I was. All thats left to do now is decide which one I want to wear tonight.

Missguided £23.99
Have you ever shopped on http://www.missguided.co.uk/? I've looked on this site a few times but never actually found anything I wanted to purchase- until now. They have an abundance of gorgeous dresses perfect for nights out- and the best thing is the price- check out this beautiful burnt orange skater dress for £23.99.

For the past few months I have tried to stay away from lace dresses as they seem to have been in fashion for a while and to be honest I'm getting quite sick of them- come on this trend is getting so last year right? Ok maybe I'll take that statement back (or make an exception) for this dress. Only because of the cut out detailling on the back and sides and I really love the skater style too- makes it different from your last years lace bodycon style that everyone is sick of seeing.

Misguided seem to have lots and lots of this style dress in at the minute in different colours and materials and I'm loving them all and may even be back for a second purchase soon.

River Island £40
I'm loving the 70's look at the minute and this mustard drape bodycon is perfect for a party night 70's style. It is a web exclusive from http://www.riverisland.com/ and at £40 is not a bad price either. The only problem is they seem to be out of stock in most sizes but hopefully this will be available again soon as I'm dying to buy it.


Rare £37





Ok so not strictly a dress but still equally as stuning, this tennis style  skirt by Rare (available at http://www.asos.com/) is a great addition to any party wardrobe and has a bit of a sophisticated edge to it.

Colour blocking is one if the biggest fashion trends this season so I have been searching for the perfect party piece to fit this trend and may have just found it with this full cut design contrasting coloured skirt. Although it is not as bold as I would have liked teamed with bright top, shoes and bag I think it will look perfect.

French Connection £110
And finally- I am loving red dresses at the minute and this one shoulder number from French Connection is a real eye catcher. It is a bit more pricey than the other dresses but I'd say its definately worth it. Whats £110 if its sure to get you noticed?

TWIL

54 Boy
Ok so I'm usually all about the lip gloss and love a bit of Lancome Juicy Tubes and Dior Addict, but this week I have been trying out some good old fashioned lipstick and I have to say- I'm kinda in love with Chanel Rouge Coco Shine. I got it in a nude pink colour (54 Boy) and it has a lovely subtle shimmer perfect for daytime wear.

I love the fact that it feels really nourishing on the lips (more like a lip balm than a lipstick- but obviously with more colour). I even think I might be purchasing it in a few different colours for autumn as I would definately say that this colour is more of a summery tone- maybe I'll brave it and go for a bright red?


Thursday 28 July 2011

Lady in Red.......


So this week I have been catching up on a bit of Audrina (a reality TV show based on the life of Audrina Patridge for those who don't know) and couldn't help but notice this amazing red number Audrina wore to a polo game. I absolutely love it- she looks amazing. The dress features a stunning fish tail and is completely backless- leaving me utterly jealous of how fabulous she looks in it.  She had it teamed with some tan wedges and this gorgeous lamb skin leather Chanel bag (one can only dream)  and I am in some ways pleased to say that I have managed to find out where one can purchase such an amazing ensemble (some ways I wish I didnt know as there is no way I could ever afford it- its Hugo Boss).

After much disappointment thinking about how long it would take me to save up whats left of my wages at the end of the month to actually purchase this dress I decided that instead of feeling deflated about it I am going to turn my disappointment into inspiration. Which is why I have spent most of today searching the www. to find red dresses and backless dresses at a slightly cheaper price.

Anybody interested in the results?

Yes- thought so- take a look at these beautiful alternatives:



£45 ASOS


£45 ASOS

£210 Karen Millen


£60 Oasis







Sunday 24 July 2011

TWIL

This week I'm loving Lancome fake tan for 2 reasons:

1. The absolutely ridiculous price it is at Superdrug at the minute

2. It's absolutely blooming fantabulous- I wore this for the first time last night and I am usually tragic when it comes to fake tan but this was amazing. No streaks, no roast chicken smell, no tango just a really natural bronzed look. I am so so glad I stocked up on this at the cheap price- I am told that this offer is not on for long so if you haven't got any yet I urge you all to get down to Superdrug now. Although for the outstanding results I got from the tan when my stock runs out I will definately be paying the £21.95 to get more, and my friend is not a fan of spray bottle tans so bought the Flash Bronzer Aqua for face and used it all over her body and it worked a treat.

Saturday 23 July 2011

Fake Tan Bargain

OMG!!! I really feel the need to share this with everyone as it is such an AMAZING bargain!!! On my Saturday spree I have found the most incredible bargain for all fake tan lovers! Lancome Flash Bronzer for face and Lancome Air Brush Bronzer for body at an absolutely fantastic prize of £1.49 each from Superdrug!!! The face bronzer is usually prized at £21.95 and the Flash Bronzer Airbrush is usually £21.50! Check them out on the Lancome website and stay tuned the tanage results.




What to wear?!?

Why is deciding what to wear to go out one of the hardest desicions a girl can make? I'm usually a dress girl but recently I have found the shops to be pretty rubbish- either that or I've out shopped them and already have all the good stuff (I wish).

So tonight I am going out with old old old school friends (I'm talking primary school here!) We fell out during high school and started talking again after a few years later but only the odd hi's. We recently met again at a christening and the 2 girls (lets call them Laura and Jodie) asked me to go out with them (probably because I'm such good fun to hang around with and they've missed me millions).

I said yes never thinking they'd call but they have and although I'm looking forward to it I am actually dreading it too. These girls are HOT I'm talking super HOT- so that means the pressures on right? And the dreaded what to wear tonight desicion is made even harder because lets face it, I know many girls don't admit this but we are all competing.

I've had a reaction to some new moisturising products recently and thus my face looks like disease. So must must must do a good make up job tonight- I'm thinking Estee Lauder Double wear foundation- nothing gets out through that beast- I love it. So now thats sorted I have the even harder descion of clothing and thought I'd share my options with the world incase any other poor girl is in the same or similiar situation:

1. The good old savior dress
You know the one you were whenever you're stuck for what else to wear. Everyone has one of these dresses. The one everyone loves and compliments you in. The one that suits your figure to a tea. The only problem is as the shops have let me down badly recently I fear the world has seen too much of this dress.

2. The PANIC buy
The one you buy when you fear there is nothing else. For me that one was this cut out dress from Lipsy. I love Lipsy dresses and although this one is nice I dont really think black is appropriate for the 'yeah you're hot but look at me look' I'm going for (again I wish) Plus I'm not feeling at my slimmest today- too much treat eating this week at work- (I swear the whole office is full of feeders) so probs not a good look with an inch of flab hanging out of the cut out section!!


3. The not really me but sould I try it?

OK so after hours and hours of searching for an outfit I finally clapped my eyes on this shorts and bodysuit combo from Miss Selfridge. I'm not 100% sure about it as it is something I've never wore before for a night out (as I say I'm very much a dress girl) but weirdly I like it- It really flatters my figure. Theres only one problem will I be out dressed by lots of fabulous dresses -(I hope not because if I couldn't find it with my hours and hours of shopping I'm hoping they couldn't either. What does everyone else think? Is this the right adobe for a night on the town? I'm wearing it with some gorgeous tan heals I got from New Look (in the sale for £14- bargain) and I'm undecided about the bra situation (do I need one or not?) My good friend suggested not but I purchased a new gorgeous one anyway just incase but also got some fabulous nipple daisies from La Senza so I'll make that call later. Or maybe the psychic I'm seeing later wil help with with this difficult decision?!?

Friday 22 July 2011

Can't Live Withouts......

For most women there is always one 'can't live without' beauty product whether it be lipstick, foundation, mascara, cleanser- and why should we stop there? I never ever buy a new cosmetic product without reading reviews or recomendations- I invest a lot of pennies in my make up so want to get it right first time, but unfortunately this isnt how it always happens.  For the past 8 years of my life I have tried and tested many cosmetics- I've been majorly disappointed and I have been amazed by some of the products, thats one of the reasons I decided to start a Blogging frenzy! Here are my 5 can't live withouts:

1. Estee Lauder Stay in Place Double Wear Foundation.

I have only recently discovered this product and it is totally amaze!!!! I hate the shiny face look that some girls go for and this matte foundation is perfect for my skin type (oily incase your wondering). It stays in place all day and even through heat and lots of activity there is no fading- you really can look like a cover girl all day long.







2. bareMinerals Multi Tasking Concealer

An excellent concealer from bareMinerals by Bare Escentuals. This is an absolute miracle worker for anyones face- after this was recommended to me by my local beautician I have told lots of friends about it (whom all love it too). It covers all dark circles and imperfections and leaves skin looking flawless.



3. MAC Fluidline Gel Eyeliner
I have always had trouble with liquid eyeliner but I love the look it creates- this is the perfect solution, it glides on the eye so easy and lasts all day (and night too) no need for re-applying- Yippe always a winner.








4. The Body Shop Tea Tree Foaming Cleanser

LOVE LOVE LOVE this- it gently cleanses skin and is perfect for blemished skin. I have lots of trouble finding cleansers that dont irritate my delicate skin- but this works wonders.







5. Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Gloss

I LOVE LOVE LOVE plumping lip gloss. If it's out there, I've tried it. This one works fantastically well, and tastes/smells absolutely terrific. I have it in every colour. Tastes too good not to have on hand!

Sunday 17 July 2011

Contact Me

For any information about any of the blog posts on Fashion & Beauty Addicts please contact me on the below email address:

fashionbeautyaddicts@gmail.com

About

A 20 something year old Product Marketing Executive working in the clothing industry. I have been obsessed with fashion and beauty since I was 16 and with my first wage I rushed into Harvey Nichols and spent the whole lot on Chanel make up. Since then I have enjoyed experimenting with different brands and now have a make up collection fit to rival any celebrity or make up guru.

My favourite brands include: Chanel, Estee Lauder, MAC, Clinique, but I also find that sometimes its the cheaper brands that win my vote such as: Max Factor, Maybelline, Rimmel.

Keeping up to date with the latest fashion trends is key for my line of work and I am constantly looking around the shops and searching for new catwalk trends. I often find myself providing friends and family with advice on fashion, clothing styles to suit their body, make up and skin care, which is why I decided to start this blog! Hopefully my posts will be of interest to the rest of the blogesphere?