January 27, 2015

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation Review

A friend of mine gave me a couple of deluxe samples of the Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in 2W1 Sand and 3W1 Tawny. Having heard so much about this particular product I was keen to see if the hype around it is worth it or not.

I've got warm skin, light/medium to medium (around MAC NC25 or slightly darker). The colour 2W1 is slightly too light and 3W1 is way too dark so I  mix a bit of the darker shade into the lighter one to come up with my perfect match. In the blended swatch below 3W1 looks like a pretty good match but my arm is darker than my face so the shade difference is more obvious on my face.

January 23, 2015

Models Prefer Soft Touch Mineral Powders - possible dupes for The Hourglass Ambient powders?

I've tried quite a few things from the Models Prefer range (available from Priceline) over the last few years. I've found that their powder products, e.g. blushes, eyeshadows, have all been amazing despite the cheap price tag. The lip and nail products haven't really done it for me (they have a smell I've found off-putting), but powders I've had no problems recommending to anyone and buying them myself. So when the other day I noticed they had new powders out, which suspiciously could pass off as dupes for the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders, I knew I had to give them a try!

L/R: Luminous Glow, Soft Focus

January 20, 2015

5 Nail Polish Brands That You Probably Didn't think were 3 Free But They Really Are!


During my first pregnancy I only ever wore Essie nail polishes. Why? Because I had read that you should avoid certain chemicals that are contained in nail polish during pregnancy, and Essie was one of those brands that did not contain said chemicals. Firstly, about the chemicals.

The Toxic 3
Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) - used in polish to make it flexible to minimise chips. Can also cause harm to a foetus during pregnancy.
Formaldehyde - hardens the nail. Has also been linked to cancer.
Toluene - used to dilute nail polish formula. Can affect skin, liver and kidneys as well as human reproduction.
If a brand claims to be 3 Free, this means they don't contain the above 3 toxins. 

The Toxic 5
These include the 3 above, plus:
Formaldehyde Resin - can cause skin irritation
Camphor - it's a naturally occurring tree product however exposure to too much can cause vomiting and seizures.
If a brand claims to be 5 free, this means they don't contain all 5 of the above toxins.

The amounts of these chemicals contained in nail polish are so tiny, that normal use is probably not harmful if you don't have any health concerns, but for pregnant women it's definitely best avoided.

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January 13, 2015

Urban Decay Naked On The Run Palette - Review & FOTD

It was my birthday last week, and the husband got me this gorgeous palette! Yes, he may have had a hint. Actually I gave him a list of 3 palettes I had my eye on including a link to where he can buy them from (I think sometimes you need to be very obvious with guys :P). The 3 palettes on my list were the UD Naked On The Run, Lorac 2 and Stila Soul. The hubby chose the UD Naked on The Run. He did well.

Look, if I'm honest, the Naked On The Run palette isn't unique. The colours are all dupable, though the formula of most of the items is quite nice (the eyeshadow on the top right hand corner is a bit gritty, but everything else is beautifully pigmented). What is good about it is the fact that all the colours are very wearable, including the blush and the bronzer. And the inclusion of a pencil and mascara mean if you're travelling or are on the run, this is really all you need to do your eyes and cheeks. There is also a lipgloss included, but this is not a game changer for me as I'm not a big gloss wearer.


January 12, 2015

My Goals for 2015 in Collaboration with Lilian Tahmasian

This is my first post for 2015 and what better way to start than with my goals for the year. For this post I've teamed up with the gorgeous blogger and YouTuber Lilian of Lilian Tahmasian who will also be posting about her goals so make sure you check it out!

I don't generally make New Years resolutions, and even now I don't know if I'm doing this right, so here goes!


Beauty
Last year I neglected my skin. More specifically, I did not take off my makeup before bed every night. There, I said it. There was no excuse except laziness... and perhaps being too tired. And because I didn't remove my makeup, it meant I also skipped all nightly moisturising as a result my skin is now drier than ever. So this year I'm going to make more of an effort to not only cleanse but moisturise each night. And maybe cut down on the number of lipsticks I buy! PS: I've already failed this twice so far.

Hair
This is one area that needs a lot of work. I go through months where I really look after my hair, and then fall off the bandwagon and wash it daily, heat style it daily and just in general don't treat it well. Which means I'm often rewarded with dry hair and split ends, so then I fall back into a cycle of good again to try to fix it. When it comes to hair and 2015, I'd like to be a bit more consistent and treat my hair well (masks, treatments, heat protective sprays, etc) all the time.

Style
I'd really like to wear a lot more of the things in my closet than I currently do. As they say, you probably wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time and that's definitely true for me. Well, I'd like to wear more things from my closet instead of shopping for new items (which end up looking like the clothes I usually wear anyway!). This is also going to be a tricky one as I'm 16 weeks pregnant, which means with my changing body shape (and size!) not only will I need to find clothes in my wardrobe that I already have, but actually make sure they fit my new body!

Health & Fitness
Simple goals here really - being pregnant my main goal here is to continue with a healthy pregnancy, healthy delivery, and ability to get back to relative fitness levels so that not only can I handle life with a newborn but also still be able to chase after my 2.5yr old son. Oh and drink more water.

Career
I racked my brain for quite a while and you know what, I don't really have goals for my career for this year. Half-way through the year I'm going on maternity leave so this is definitely not the year to concentrate on any changes to my career. And I'm fine with that. I work in project management, and I already have a pretty good job which makes me happy (most of the time). The project I'm working on at the moment is due to finish roughly when my maternity leave will start, so if I had to make a goal, then I guess it would be to successfully finish up my project and go on leave without any niggling thoughts of what else I could have done.

Blogging
I see so many people saying they want to grow their blogs in 2015. But what does that even mean? Grow audience? Make money? Get fame? I have no such plans for the blog. Yes, new readers are always welcome, and hey getting relevant sponsored posts is nice but this is my hobby, I have a great community of readers who tune in to my ramblings, and even after 4 years of blogging I'm not finding it a chore. So my goal here would be to continue enjoying blogging, not feel like it's a chore and if I ever feel like I'm burning out then not be afraid to take a break every now and then.


There you have it, my goals for 2015. Now don't forget to check out what this gorgeous girl's goals are by heading over HERE.



Did you make any goals for 2015? Do find it easy to keep your New Year goals?


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