Onto the random - Company Magazine

I have to admit, the number of magazines i buy doesn't necessarily correspond with the number of magazines i read... A lot of the higher end ones i sometimes give into (Vogue, Elle, Pop) are generally there to look at the pictures and read the captions.
Glamour gets my full attention every month, usually read from cover to cover over the month, the rest are a mix, sometimes I'll read some of it, sometimes all of it.

But, this months Company magazine has impressed me a lot.

The October, 'British Issue'.

I bought it after seeing the video of the Alice in Wonderland themed shoot for British stars, AIW is a favourite of mine, so there was no question i was going to buy it, but i found so many good articles in this months issue, it will definitely be getting purchased next month.

My favourite article was obviously the Alice in Wonderland shoot, although I'm sure replicas of this will be everywhere next year with the release of the AIW film..

It's just a shame it featured Peaches Geldof.. Sorry, not a fan.

They also follow a monthly article, Bargain to Blowout, this is a common thing in a lot of magazines, but i like that they provide more options than just comparing two items - plus it means you can see whether its worth spending a little extra on something anyway.

I'm particularly loving the most expensive pixie boots, £160 from Kurt Geiger - coincidentally i have a £10 voucher for there... V tempted.

But, the article that has spurred on this review of Company magazine was 'A month of fashion and beauty firsts' in which Vicky Trott of Company trialled a different trend each day of the month. I thought this was a great idea, it gives us a normal persons perspective! But, it's something that could easily be recreated by the public, and who knows, you could discover something you thought you would hate, to be something you love - she did!


There's also a feature on fashion bloggers, which led me to discover Charlie May's blog and a couple of others which have amazed me.


And, what better way to end a magazine, than with Stephen Moyer, or 'Bill' of True Blood fame. Am i the only one who loves him? My friends have given in to the 'Eric' way of life - not for me.

Yummy ;)

The only reason i have bothered with this post is because Company isn't usually a magazine i would think "I must get that this month" like i would with Glamour (hence the subscription) but every time i do buy it, i always enjoy it.
So, I'm now left with the dilemma of buying it monthly and most likely progressing it to the 'just look at the pictures' pile or only pick it up when i see a particular feature I'd like and enjoy it every time - tricky.

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Maybelline Forever Strong

A new search has begun in my shopping mind; the search for the perfect dark blue nail varnish.
As a stocking filler I got one from No7 last Christmas, and loved it - but i always thought it was too dark... too almost black to satisfy me.

I was lucky enough to receive a manicure at London Fashion Weekend, and chose a dark blue shade from Bourjous which had a better finish, the No7 one is bordering on too much shimmer whereas the Bourjous one is matte in terms of any shimmer in there, still a little too dark though. Maybe it's the lack of blue reflects that make it darker then No7.

Another product in our Maybelline goody bags was the Forever Strong nail varnish, and i was delighted to see that one of the shades was a dark blue colour - perfect.
This was the first product to get my full attention,

Excuse the ring finger, that poor nail always takes the biting first...

I have to admit that this colour is near perfect in terms of a dark blue, i don't remember it looking almost black in any lights which is just what i was looking for. But, the reason this hasn't ended my search is the chipping factor.
I initially put this on for a proper experiment to see how long it would last, despite having iron (is that right?) in it and being named 'Forever Strong', it failed me. I was aiming to keep a daily diary of how the polish looked but then i bit the majority of my nails off... and didn't want to put the pics up. The following pic was taken after one day of wear, so it isn't that noticeable a chip, but there is chipping non the less.


And after two days it was pretty substantial. This is two days of doing pretty much nothing, especially nothing taxing to my hands or nails.

As colour goes, I could probably handle calling this the perfect blue, until i find the next one that has been hiding...
But for a product marketing itself as a non chip nail varnish (I believe it states 7 day long wear, but don't hold me to that) it didn't impress me, and I'm easily impressed.
For the price, it is what's expected really, and i have yet to use it with a base and top coat, which i rarely do. Who knows, maybe that little extra time and polish could help it.
Until that time comes, I will continue my search.

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Payday = poor little bank account.

I finally got my pay from over two months ago, from temping in my mums office. I've been using her card the majority of the month after spending everything in mine within the first few days of September - error.
Thank gosh i have a job now to funnel more into my bank, because i have just about done the same today.

From Boots;
The silly 3for2 thing drew me in.. I only went in for shampoo.
So, Tresemme colour thrive blonde shamp & conditioner, Batiste dry shampoo, Garnier 24hour moisturiser, Johnsons eye make up remover pads and Bio Oil.

Republic;

Miss Selfridge;
Not sure about this for the now... It may get taken back. But i do heart Barbie :)
It will go perfectly with my Pauls Boutique loves Barbie bag that should be opened on my birthday if Mummy wasn't lying!

Plus, there was about 5 months of photos ordered, my phone bill and food.
I have a 'save for later' batch on ASOS.com that i am very tempted to check out - especially with their facebook 20% discount (use LOOKFB at checkout). It runs out tomorrow, so i will sleep on it.

I only have myself to blame... sigh.

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FOTN

This is more of a hair of the night, my make up is pretty simple but i like it.

I look moody...

Products used;

• Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid in Ivory
• MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in Light
• Benefit Coralista blush
• Rimmel liquid liner
• Rimmel white eyeliner on water line
• Maybelline Pulse Perfection mascara
• NYX Black Label Lipstick in Princess

I used Tresemme 24hour body mousse on the roots of wet hair, then blow dried it while floofing it up! To me, this is massive hair, my hair is usually pretty flat and i'm loving the volume, but this was pre hair appointment, so i have dry ends and roots, which are now a thing of the past!

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Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid

I've said it before and i'll say it again (I hope i'm not boring you yet) I have never been one to wear foundation, other than middle school, when i first got into make up and thought i was being a rebel because you weren't allowed to wear it.. but i did. OOOOOO!

I know there's a few Maybelline heavy blogs going around at the moment, but after the generosity of their goody bag, they really do deserve it.
This is one of my favourite products that i received, the Dream Satin Liquid. This is a build on of the Dream Matte Mousse and in my opinion it offers all the same traits but it doesn't cake your skin or draw attention to any dry patches like the former.
It states it has the 'lightness of a mousse in a liquid formula' which is something I highly agree with, it is such a light foundation that is perfect to wear during the day, but it offers enough coverage to work as a night foundation when you want your skin to look flawless for all the camera flashes!

I believe this could just be a product of Holy Grail proportions - well, it works for me anyway.
It holds quite a creamy consistency, but blends like a liquid, and its blendability is one of its distinguishing points, mine is in ivory which is a perfect match for my skin, so once blended it gives an amazing finish. Nine times out of ten i'll finish this with my MAC mineralize skin finish natural, but because of its finish, setting it with powder isn't a necessary step.


It lasts all night (I did a specific test on this, noting the results while working in a busy night club) which was evident when it still showed up on my make up remover wipes after a long night...
I apply this with my Body Shop foundation brush, and find that there is no brush streaks left behind after applying, which i have found with some other products. Even if you're in a rush, it blends into the skin really well when applied with fingers.

For me, it offers enough coverage that I don't need to use concealer for light blemishes, but don't expect a heavy coverage from the product. I still use concealers on any red areas, under my eyes and more noticable blemishes. If you're looking for superior coverage I wouldn't opt for this product.
I've looked around and found it retails at around £6-£8, depending on where you buy it from. For the product I think this is a reasonable price, but even though you don't appear to use all that much product mine has already gone down quite substantially in the bottle. I use about twice the amount shown above to cover my whole face and i've had for about a month, we'll see how it goes over the next few weeks, but it looks like you'll be repurchasing more than other foundation products. But that won't be a problem for me!

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Onto the random - Kate Winslet

This isn't going to be beauty based - in any way, but it needed to be done.

I have indirectly been watching a few films with Kate Winslet in recently, I don't choose them because of her presence, she just happens to be popping up in a few. But, from this run of events, I have grown to love her as an actress (..and person for that matter).
I'm almost certain that everyone knows of her appearance in Titanic, and I'm almost shocked when people haven't seen it. It is one of my back of the mind favourites, but I never really liked her in it, I don't know if it was her, or her character or her portrayal of the character, either way, she didn't catch me then.

The turning point came in 'The Reader'. For those of you who don't know it, she plays a German woman who falls in love with a 17 year old school boy, it follows their story together and continues even when they are separated without choice. I really recommend this film for those who haven't seen it, I cried a lot, and it's pretty serious, not one that can be watched in the background, plus, it deserves your full attention anyway.

Image taken from Google Images.

I've just finished watching Revolutionary Road, and it's another role which she really held my attention. This is the role in which she played the wife opposite Leonardo Dicaprio, it's quite an odd film just because so much seems to happen in it. But it's another recommendation. Despite me not liking her character in Titanic, I still think that her and Leonardo Dicaprio make an excellent on screen couple.

Image taken from Google Image.

AThe Holiday also deserves a mention, which i never think of as a favourite film, but i always really enjoy it if i watch. This is the culmination of 4 character's lives (including Jack Black, Cameron Diaz and Jude Law) but I think she is kind of pushed to the back because of Cameron Diaz' brash character compared to Kate Winslet's more subdued atmosphere - she befriends an older man in a bid to get him healthy again and back on his feet for an awards ceremony (that isn't the highlight of the film by the way!) which is another thing that draws me in, because it all seems very believable from her portrayal.

Image taken from Google Image.

I prefer her more vintage portrayals because I think she can handle that role so well and despite me saying this wasn't a beauty post - I do hold a bit of hair envy here...

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Soap & Glory - Dr Spot review

If you were a follower of my blog a month ish ago, then you might have witnessed my turmoil at trying to get my hands on this glorified product. I'd seen it on a couple of blogs which initially drew me in, then researched it further and it became a desperate treasure hunt to get my hands on it.
Manchester was the answer - thank you Manchester Boots.

This is specifically marketed to get rid of stubborn spots, with an extra focus on chin break outs which is my problem.
I'm one of those people that doesn't really get spots, but when i do they remain for a long time and i think some of the blemishes on my skin are actually scars from previous spots - I'm thinking of investing in bio oil, is it worth it?

Back to the good stuff - I apply this product a few times a day if I'm at home, but note that you need to allow good settling in time, because if you apply make up too soon after you can feel the product rubbing of, which i assume will affect the power of it. But, once make up is off at night there is no stopping the amount I apply.
It has quite a runny consistency, but is almost a gel (if that isn't too contradictory) which gains it another gold star because it means you only need a tiny amount. Obviously blemishes are small, so you would think that anyway, but this means less than other spot treatments and it still works!

The pump applicator is another reason it scores points, because you're not going to be dipping your fingers in something and getting too much product or spreading germs. The amount above is about a full pumps worth, I tend to use about half a pump which is just enough to suffice my blemishes.

So, does it work?
After my lengthy research, it does get some mixed reviews rating from the raves to the straight in the bin thoughts... Which for a skincare product I suppose is expected because everyone is different! I have to add another tally into the rave section though. I feel the majority of my reviews are positive and I don't know if it's all psychological but i really do believe this has helped my spots, both the ones i have and the reduction in the amount I now get.
I can't tell you a specific amount of time they took to disappear, but it was a lot faster than normal and by that i mean a few days at the most. This also seems to be a product that prevents spots from forming, for example if you can feel one brewing under the skin (as I did) then you just need to apply some to the area. In the occasions I did this it either completely stopped it in its tracks or just reduced the size when it did eventually surface (boooo!).

This would be another recommendation of a product from me, but i think this is a product for those who are lucky enough to only get a few blemishes every now and then. For those with more spot prone skin, I think something stronger is recommended or something that can cover more at once instead of just dabbing it on to each individual blemish.

This retails for around £5 (I think mine was £5.88, I'm not positive) which is a really good price, you might not think so from the tiny bottle (15ml) but like I said, a little goes a long way and I'm predicting this will last me quite a while.

I hope this helped a few of you.
Despite there being a few reviews out there, I don't think this product gets the mentions it deserves, this is one item i will be repurchasing when i run out - have you used it? Let me know what you think :)

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My Face routine

I have to admit that I never used to wear foundation, generally just because I didn't actually need to the majority of the time and although it might have enhanced my look - i didn't feel like it was really necessary.
But, since the Maybelline event this has all changed, as you know I got 3 different foundations to play with - the Dream Matte Mousse was given to my mum, it's one of her favourites but i always feel it's a bit cakey? For example if you were to cover a blemish with this product, you would get a nice patch of flakiness, and it always felt a little too thick for my tastes.

I used to stick to my Nivea Young tinted moisturiser, applying a concealer to any problem areas which used to work fine; it still does! I have changed my routine around a bit though, and i change it daily to have a little variety in my life...

So, during the day I either opt for...

Nivea Young Tinted Moisturiser in Natural ;
This blends really easily and you only need a little bigger than pea size amount to cover your whole face, the colour looks pretty intense when it comes out of the tube but it matches pretty much any skin tone, i think it's only available in one shade.

Maybelline Pure.Mineral concealer in Natural;
This is really liquidy, so a little goes a long way. I like to use this for under my eyes more than on blemishes, but it works well for light coverage on any problem areas.

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in Light;
I love this product. It leaves a really flawless finish, but not overdone or cakey, it just sets your make up really well.

Or,

Maybelline Pure. Mineral foundation in Ambre Rose;
This is my first experience with Mineral make up. I asked the MUA when i was getting this how it worked and stuff and she highly recommended it for a light coverage, this provides a little more coverage than a tinted moisturiser and leaves a really flawless finish, plus because of its powdery consistency it means you don't need to set it with powder.

Maybelline Pure. Mineral concealer in Natural.

For the night, or a more special occasion (is that weird?) I opt for;

Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid in Ivory;
I honestly can't believe I didn't know about this product earlier, it holds all the qualities of Dream Matte Mousse, except their is no caking and no problems when applying it to problem areas. I'm going to give it its very own review soon!

No7 concealer in Extra Fair;
I use this for blemishes, because it offers a really strong coverage, it can sometimes go a bit cakey so you need to make sure you blend it out well, i find it too thick to use under the eyes as well, so i still use my...

Maybelline Pure. Mineral concealer in Natural.

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural.

Let me know if you want a more in depth review on any of these products :)

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Lush Lovlies and then some.

The lack of posts seems to be a common theme with everyone going back to school/uni - I have taken the same fate, but it's actually because I just got a job at a local night club, i've only worked one shift but the majority of the time i won't be getting back til 6am at least.. then sleeping the majority of the day. So, i'm sure that is an adequate excuse to why my blogs may have a larger gap in them than usual, i might try and get a few written then post them over the next week cos i don't like to leave you hanging!

Anyway, I had a trip to Meadowhall today - specifically to get a plain top and trousers for work, but i picked up a few extras.

The Lush stuff;
I went with a specific request from mother to "get some stuff to make the bathroom smell nice", I originally went down the route of matching to the bathroom (blue) but they don't have many blue ones that are nice... So, I chose the Blackberry bath (£2.56), Creamy Candy bar (£2.27) and The Happy Pill (my favourite.. £2.86). I think this was the first time nobody attempted to help me... nice.

Work stuff;

Plain tops, £4.99 each - H&M

Cheapy black skinnies (they're only going to get drinks on them)
£8 - Primark

And the rest;

So wrong yet so right... Primark perfume (yes, you heard right).
It smells quite musky, and for £4 is a lot better than you'd expect, plus, it has a name of 'Very Sexy Important Person', gosh, what more could you ask for?


Scarf, £15 - Miss Selfridge

I also received what i think is my last package from the Superdrug competition, consisting of yet more Aussie hair stuff, Bourjous Coup de Theatre mascara (first impressions = v,v,v, good) Dove shower gel (I got a sample of this just a few days ago, so glad i got a big size for free!) and a loofah thingy.
They also offered me free tickets to London fashion weekend next week, but i don't think i'm going to be able to afford the travel, despite doing temp work for 2 months i won't be getting paid til the end of this month... So i am desperatley trying to pursuade my mother to pay for travel then i'll re imburse. There will obviously be a post on that if i manage to get there!

I think that's all the goss for the day, believe me i will try and update as much as possible. I'm not working til 10pm tomorrow, so any requests? I'll write a list and work my way through :)

Thanks for reading,
Phoebe x

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Superduperdrug

I haven't been updating much about the Superdrug competition I won - mainly because there was problems with the delivery, they somehow managed to take it to the wrong house, and they were meant to retrieve it but i never heard back - kudos to the people at the Superdrug competition HQ though, because they have put a lot of effort into trying to get the missing packages too me.

Anyway, we eventually sorted it out - they're now going to deliver them to my mum's work address, and I have received two since i changed the address, i think i have one, maybe two more to come.

So last week I received my spa voucher (on top of my Aussie one ;P lucky girl), I'm going to share this one with my mum and we're planning to go on the 2nd of October, sort of for my birthday (on the 1st) for a proper girly day, I am v tempted to lavish it all on her as i have my one from Aussie and I hate being greedy. We shall see.


Today I got another pack of Simple skincare stuff - I used to follow their 3 step routine in middle school and i really loved it, but then realised that toner didn't really do anything... But, I received their face wipes (which have been beseached to mother, their her faves), toner and moisturising facial wash. I'm intrigued to try the wash just because none that advertise a 'moisturising' quality have ever followed through on that promise, but this is a brand i really trust so i hope it doesn't let me down!


I'll give you a review of the face wash asap, still not sure that I'll commit to the toner, maybe if I'm feeling in a cleaning - face mood it'll get a use.

You can see mine and the other girls' blogs for Superdrug here, there's usually a link to the Summer Insiders on the Superdrug homepage as well, but it seems to have a tendency to disappear - at least on my computer anyway.

Thanks to the Superdrug team for these and all the help over the postage thing. Thumbs down to CityLink delivery...

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The drawers are bursting!

Since starting blogging, my make up collection has grown somewhat, and I honestly don't see how it has gotten so much - especially since these drawers weren't all that full when i began... Anyway, i'm thinking of investing in some different storage, but i'm going to shop around to see what i want, but these will act as my before pictures for when i finally get around to buying some - plus, i love looking at other people's storage and it seems to be a mini trend on the blogs right now.
Enjoy!

The Dressing 'table';

On top of the drawers;

Tissues, perfumes, eyeliners, brushes, palettes.

Top drawers;
Lips -

Eyeshadows -

Mascaras/primer/liquid liner -

Middle drawers;
Face -

Misc/Hair -

Accessories -

The hair area;

The drawers are from Ikea, which i then painted my self to fit with my room, i think these are great because they hold loads and are a really good price.
If you can see anything you want more info on or a review then leave a comment :)

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EOTD

One of the products included in our abundence of Maybelline goodies was their Eye Studio quad, which aims to make professional eyes acheivable. It comes with a step by step guide on the back of the quad, so all you need to do is follow them! It's foolproof, it even comes with a double ended applicator, including a liner applicator to get a great line.

Mine was in 03, Smoky Indigo;

This was the first product to get my full attention when playing - the others were just to see what they did...
The end result was really good to be honest. I haven't given much attention to Maybelline's eyeshadow in the past, and have to admit that i was a little dissapointed with the pigmentation of the single eyeshadows we received. But this gets a thumbs up in my opinion, here is the finished product;


Products used;

• UDPP
• Maybelline Eyestudio quad, Smoky Indigo
• Maybelline's Pulse Perfection Mascara (I will do a proper review, but i am loving this right now!)

I am definitely going to look into some other colours because i love the finished product, it's wearable for the day, but adding more colour into the crease could transform it into a going out eye too!

Also,
I finally got my hands on Soap & Glory's Dr. Spot - you don't know how long i have been looking for this.
I'll try and get a review up as soon as i can! Here it is in all its glory in case you're a newbie to this wonderful invention;


Thanks for reading & welcome to all my new followers - leave any requests in a comment and i'll get round to them as soon as! :)

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