Garnier Summer Body

I'm not much of a self tanner, I have done in the past & I still own a couple now, but I generally opt for the gradual builder moisturisers as, for me, they are less likely to streak, generally have a better scent and means I get moisturised while applying.
My fail safe in this category is Johnson's gradual builders, any of the brilliant yellow bottles suffice (although still not sure about the firming one), but on a recent trip to the supermarket (Asda to be precise) it was nowhere in sight, no Johnson's body care was in fact.
So this is what I went for, the promise of a 'summer fresh fragrance' drawing me in.


I generally only apply this to my legs, as the rest of me stays pretty tanned on its own, my legs fail to tan even in bright sunshine & 35 degree heat.
I picked up the 'Light sun-kissed look' shade, I believe there is only one other, which will give a darker tan, quicker. The lighter version is formulated for fairer skin, which is what I've been 'blessed' with, it come on naturally instead of going from pasty straight to tan which can be a little daunting.

Not taken for the purpose of this post (was in fact, Race For Life day) but shows the natural tan it can create.

You need about 3 coats of this for a good tan (by a good tan, I mean looking natural, just got a bit of sun & not pasty. I don't take tanning too dark).
For example if I wear to prep for a night out, I would apply a layer the morning & night of the day before, followed by one more on the morning of, if I'm lucky enough to have been given that much notice...

It fades of gradually, making it look even more natural, and doesn't get shaved off, like I've experienced with Johnson's.
I look at this as more of a moisturiser then a gradual tanner in consistency. Compared with Johnson's it is a lot thinner and lighter to apply to the skin, it soaks in quickly and you don't need all that much for a whole leg.


The promise of a 'summer fresh fragrance' did not disappoint. When applying it, you get a great scent, which reminds me of Starbust (Opal Fruits for you golden oldies) which I'm going to label apricot, as it contains extract of.
I have had nights where I'm drifting off to bed & I'll get a subtle scent of the dreaded fake tan/biscuits. But it was fleeting, and it definitely doesn't compare to the stench that the majority of fake tans have.

This product may have just replaced Johnson's for gradual tanners. I think it's the subtle scent that sets it in a different league, I love the natural look it gives, and it has yet to step over into the too tanned category, which has been done before by Johnson's.
The only downside to this is the subtle orange tinge that is hiding beneath the natural tan. As long as it's blended out well, it's easily avoidable, but just something to watch out for!

Are there any other gradual tanners I should know about?

Twitter -- Bloglovin' -- Facebook

Honorary Member of Aussome Volume

So, if you look over to the right, you'll see that I'm actually part of the Colour Tribe for the Aussie brand, but, as I will be in fabulous Barcelona when the colour party is going on, I snook into the Aussome Volume Tribe event, which was held in Manchester last Thursday.
Never the less, I'll be looking forward to catching up with the colour tribe event when I return.

Me and a few other of the attendees arranged to meet on the afternoon of Thursday the 22nd, squeeze in some Manchester shopping, then continue into the early hours for some post Aussome fun drinks.

The event was held at the Bluu Bar, set in the Northern Quarter of Manchester centre. For once, I wasn't among the first to arrive - which meant I was faced with a room full of Blogger's, some old and new faces, which I didn't manage to talk to! Hopefully those faces that I didn't get around to speaking to, will be able to make an appearance at a future event & I won't be so subdued!
I did get to speak to Jen though, from A Little Bird Told Me- I've followed her for a long time so it was nice to finally put a personality to the fashionista.

Of course, being an Aussie event, we were supplied with beautiful cocktails throughout the night, a table full of nibbles and hairstylists on hand both to personally style us, plus talk us through a look on Jennifer and how we could recreate it.



For the tribe parties, Aussie place a 'tips' box in the room, along with notepads and pens, in order to compile an Aussie Style Bible. The idea is, to add any tips to this box, so Aussie Angels worldwide can pick up some new tricks. I added a few, although creativity was somewhat lacking after the cocktail consumption, so watch this space to see if they are publish worthy!



My challenge set to Amber Rose, the hair stylist, for this event, was Kardashian curls. After watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians & Khloe and Kourtney Take Miami, pretty much back to back, that is my latest quest.
However, as she informed me, their hair is most likely created with a heap load of extensions, something which I don't have. And, probably already has some natural thickness as they have that subtle Latino look - something again, lacking in my genes.
So, she worked with what she had, and while Kim might not be shaking in her glossy hair topped Louboutins, I loved what Amber came up with.
The best picture I have to show it off is me cropped here;

Some subtle curls in my weight lacking hair.

Despite saying I would have to be on the floor before I would take up karaoke, I obliged when I saw 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' was on offer. Even if the wrong lyrics were available I worked with what I had. Which was then followed by a group session, with a couple of passers by poking their heads around to see what was going on. Obviously, just wanting to join in themselves!



So, before heading out with some of the other girls, we were handed our Aussome goody bags from the Aussie team (which quite honestly are the nicest PR team I have ever dealt with, both on Blogger and through work).

After having the mousse used in my hair at the Aussie to the Rescue event, I was so glad to see it nestled among the other products. Those being, the Texturising & Conditioning Gel Spray, a Max Factor Glide & Define liner (which has yet to fail me, unlike every other felt tip liner I've ever used) a gorgeous angel wing esque ring and a headband to recreate the 60s feel of the night.

Of course, it goes without saying that it was another great Aussie night, giving me the chance to meet some new people and experience a night out in Manchester!


Thanks to the Aussie team for pulling together another unique event.


Carla - the sweetheart.
Girl With The Golden Touch

Jo
Beautylicious Love

Briony
As Miss Golightly was saying.....

Sinead
Ditzymake-up

Sinead
Dainty Dollymix

Lauren
Little Saint Bride

Jen
A Little Bird Told Me

Daisy
Pretty Green Tea

Caroline
Wow & Flutter

Jennifer
All That Glitters And Sparkles

Sarah
Makeup Is My Boyfriend


Photos courtesy of 1000 Heads & my good self.

Twitter -- Bloglovin' -- Facebook

Eyeko Nails

After the much noticed posts of Eyeko nail varnish clogging up my feed over recent months, I finally dove in & made a purchase.
While I was initially attracted to 'Posh Polish', when making my purchase, it just didn't seem necessary once I got to the point of checkout. Instead, I opted for the brand new 'Rain Polish' which attracted me from the very first post I read, and 'Cosmic Polish' drawing from my love of 'My Private Jet' by OPI.

It's kind of sad I haven't used Eyeko polishes before, as they are a dream to apply. A thick coat of 'Rain Polish' sufficed most of the nails, a really light, creamy consistency, with a little going a long way.
'Cosmic Polish' needed a definite two coats, if only to build up the glitter.

Unlike 'My Private Jet', 'Cosmic Polish' has a multitude of different coloured glitters running through it, which, instead of creating a magnificent shimmer, is just a glitter nail varnish. It's not like anything I have, a heavy black broken up by the glitter, however don't expect it to dupe 'My Private Jet'.

My attempt to capture the glitter.

'Rain Polish' is far from a flat blue. The best thing I have to describe it, is a teal infused baby blue, perhaps along with some grey undertones, with a subtle shimmer running through to avoid a boring block colour.

I love the consistency and application of Eyeko polishes & can't wait for another to catch my eye!

What are your favourite Eyeko colours?

Twitter -- Bloglovin' -- Facebook

NOTD & a Dabbling in Nail Art

First up, the nails on the whole, on since Sunday and still not showing any chips (except the index fingers, which were peeled off then re applied after work).

Essie 'Lilacism'

Just another to add to my love of pastel lilacs. There is a minute hint of grey to this, but not on the same level as OPI 'Done Out in Deco' which can be seen here. This is lighter than the other lilacs I have, applied well but I opted for three light coats so it had block coverage.

The nail art;
After seeing Toy Story 3 yesterday - FYI, a must watch for pretty much anyone, but obviously TS fans will love, it was brilliant and witty and a very soppy ending, didn't even ruin it. - I went to Tumblr to begin spamming my followers with anything Toy Story related. But, I was distracted, this caught my eye, so obviously I had to recreate it myself.

A Toy Story alien kind of nail. You have no idea how long it took me to get a picture where you could see the damn alien. This is where I wish I had a better range of green nail colours, but I worked with what I had.
Obviously I'm not yet up to this standard, but I like to give myself a little challenge in some kind of outlet every now and then.

The multitude of colours I used to create;

• OPI 'What's With The Cattitude?' as the sky.
• Rimmel 'Nail Tip Whitener' for the clouds & eyes.
• Barry M 'Mint Green' for the alien, would have preferred a subdued fluoro colour.
• Revlon black, for the pupils & the mouth.
• OPI 'Dating a Royal' for the spaceman suit.
• Bourjouis 'Dangerusement Rouge' for the collar.

Opinions? Please don't slate it too much!

Have you seen Toy Story 3 yet?

Twitter -- Bloglovin' -- Facebook

Mario Badescu

Mario Badescu is a hero in my books, this little bottle of goodness does wonders for those of whose who suffer the odd - but equally awful - breakout every now and then. For me, the dreaded breakout comes once a month, specifically on my chin, the place that is impossible to cover with hair or other methods - I'm not willing to try facial hair, and it's too warm for a scarf.

A few months back, I saw one of my favourite YouTubers DulceCandy87 using Mario Badescu's Drying Lotion, after listening to her rave about it, I naively assumed it was a US exclusive.
Time passed and I moved on, then Nicola began tweeting about her use of it, so I immediately questioned her as to where she got it - Beauty Bay. A UK online store had answered my prayers.

For those of you unlucky enough to have missed the 'memo' on this product. It is a lotion to be applied, as often as desired, to spots. It works on drying the blemish, but doesn't affect the skin around the area, unlike other spot treatments I've used, such as Freederm, which do help in clearing up the blemish, but also give very dry skin to the surrounding area. This was the plus of this product, the blemish reduces in size and eventually dries out, without ever needing to compensate in rich moisturisers.

It is split into two layers, a thin liquid, on top of a pink sediment at the bottom of the bottle.

As stated on the bottle, you mustn't shake this! It's not meant to be used as a mixture, which is why I recommend you having it stand instead of laying it in a drawer (where the rest of my cosmetics are housed). All you need to do is take a clean cotton bud, and dip it into the pink part of the bottle, then bring it out.

This is then applied directly to the blemish, and left to sit. I usually apply this just before bed, then take it off either by washing my face, or just with a make up wipe in the morning. This is for use when you're not going to be seeing anyone. Don't make the mistake I did, applying in the middle of the day, forgetting about it, then sitting in the garden before being asked by my brother if I had flour on my face... Saying that, it is currently set to work at 3pm!

So, onto the results. I have to admit, that for me, if used too often, it loses the miracle effect. When I first began using it, spots were gone within a couple of days, completely gone, no marks, no under the skin dwellings, I was substantially impressed.
However, seeing these results I got a little carried away, and it was applied at every opportunity to any semblance of a blemish on my skin. This is when the miracles stopped. It stopped the pain that sometimes comes with some spots, but the clearing up process wasn't anything to write about.

I've found you need to apply this maybe every other day at most, to see good results once it's part of your routine. That way, you can still see the results happening and be impressed by the product.

The slight downside is the price, for a tiny 29ml bottle, you pay £13.95 - after my lusting I had no problem paying this, and there is no regrets either! It lasts a long time, and to me is worth every penny, however if you're not familiar with it, I'm sure you could be put off by this price.

BeautyBay currently has an offer, when buying 3 Mario Badescu products, you'll receive the Drying Lotion free, however, with all products around the £10 mark, I'm assuming this will only appeal to certified Badescu fans.

Whether you're familiar with it or not, if you're someone who manages to escape breakouts, but gets obsessed with clearing them as soon as one might appear, this product is a must. It's a certified part of my skin care routine now and as it's suitable for all skin types, there's not much that needs questioning about it.

Twitter -- Bloglovin' -- Facebook

A General Overview

Just a quick 'Look of the day' from yesterday!

On my nails;

China Glaze 'Strawberry Fields'

I didn't know this had gold shimmer running through it until I owned it, before it arrived, I saw what I assumed would be a perfect 'dupe' - minus the shimmer - in Per Una at M&S, so I need to go back and compare.

Ma face;

Revlon ColourStay - I'm not sure I'm liking this. I recently got it off a blog sale, so not too much wasted. It's just too thick! It dries too fast, is hard to blend, covers all of your natural beauty (I like to see some freckles not caked in make up!) and makes you look slightly doll like, which for me is not a good look...
My HG blush, Too Faced, The Quickie Chronicles, 'Party Girl' - I have a feeling it's very similar to NARS 'Orgasm' but that's another story.
Benefit Moonbeam
Lips, MAC 'Creme Cup' & MAC 'Goldyrocks' dazzleglass

The eyes;
Inspiration came from MakeupbyTiffanyD's recent Kim Kardashian smokey eye look.

Sleek original, gold, all over the lid.
Rimmel smokey quartz in the crease.
MAC carbon smudged into upper lash line.
Sleek original, bronze, along lower lash line.
L'Oreal Carbon Gloss liner.
Elite Stage Permananent liner on water & tight line.
Lashings of Maybelline Lash Stiletto mascara.
and a beautiful brush hair hanging onto my nose.

The hair;

Excuse the fringe, I'm not loving it at the moment.
After a month of playing with the Remington Pearl Wand curler, I've finally achieved the curls I want! For such a basic curler, it's quite amazing how many different styles of curls can come from it.
The tip is to keep it on a low heat, I believe it ranges from 170degrees, to 210, I kept it on 180 for this and it's just what I want! Too high will give you full on ringlets, that don't drop even in mine, the thinnest of hair.
I think I'll slip a full review of that curler into a post soon - it's a spun out success story.

Yesterday also saw me complete one of two new posts for the Superdrug Blog using Bourjois makeup, i'd really appreciate a rating or a comment!
I'm not even slying this in, which might hint on how much i'd appreciate it?!

Click here to have a read :)

As well, as I was on a blogging mission apparently, I added to my second blog, which is overly neglected. It generally features film, music, book reviews, would love to hear your recommendations and thoughts on my most recent post, go to;

Another Failed Spinoff

Thanks! x

Twitter -- Bloglovin' -- Facebook

The Rate Increases

The eagle eye followers among you may have noticed my attempts at posting more, I've recently had a massive blog cull, reducing the ones I followed from almost 300, to the mid 100s, meaning I read pretty much every single post that comes up in my feed.

By reading every post, I mean it! When I followed loads of blogs, the general task was clicking on the ones that interested me, skim reading & looking at the photos, now I read every single word of the ones that interest me & I've discovered a lot by doing so! Having posts I like to read really inspires me to write more, I have loads of ideas milling around in my head, which is a definite change to the writers block of the last couple of months.

The influx of inspiration also comes from Superdrug.
As some of you may know, last summer I won their 'Summer Insiders' competition. Throughout the summer me and the other Superdrug Loves blogger's had weekly challenges, centred around products that Superdrug sent out for trial.
They asked me to take part again this summer, and the products have been received in their hoards, leading me to discover some real gems I want to share with you.
It's easy to subscribe to that blog as well, simply copy the URL - http://superdrugloves.com/ - and paste it in the 'add' section below the 'Blogs I Follow' section on Blogger's dashboard.
They have added a few other girls into the 'insider' mix this summer as well - so it's been great to read more opinions on the same products.

I've been stunted at the same amount of followers for a while, and while I openly admit a pang of envy to those in the thousands, I realise that the majority of those numbers aren't actively involved in every single blog they follow.
Basically, to all those who constantly comment and appreciate what I'm writing, I appreciate you right back! I take time to comment on the posts I read now, because while I appreciate anyone who even stops by to read, the feedback I get really does make my day and inspires me to keep posting.

Thank you to those involved!

A very random post, but I'm hoping that this marks the point of return! Hopefully more posts will be here soon, watch this space!
I'd really appreciate your feedback on the Superdrug blog as well - as would the other girls involved, so be sure to head over there!

Thanks for reading,

Phoebe x

Twitter -- Bloglovin' -- Facebook

Aussie to the Rescue - Leeds Edition

I can't begin to say how grateful I am to the Aussie people; they have put on some of the best events I have been to! I always manage to meet some great people (and some lovely old faces as well!) and with my glass never being empty... Well, there isn't much to complain about really is there?!


Wednesday witnessed the Aussie clan coming up to Leeds, putting on their 'Tour of England' event, Aussie to the Rescue. The basic concept being to offer as much help to their angels as possible. On hand was a hair stylist, make up artist and stylist - to assist us with any problems we had & to tart us up in any way we desired.

It was held in The Chambers' Penthouse, you know those apartments you see on the riverside while rolling into Leeds train station, the ones you wish you owned? I got to spend an awesome night in one!

I was the first to do the rounds, and began at the hair station. After asking for massive curls, the styling team decided I was going to get 'Cheryl Coled' or should that be Tweedyed? for the night. My hair was curled, then left to set as I finished off the rest of the stations.

Carla obviously envious of my do!

Some of us were a little braver, and Sinead allowed the hair stylist to play with her new crimper!

The make up artist chose to go with a goldy brown smokey eye, which is the exact look I opt for a lot of the time. I like that the stylists went for something I might not be able to perfectly recreate, but something that was me & didn't just go crazy with any colour they could throw on my face!

The finished look;

Yes, it's really me. I know you thought Cheryl was blogging for a minute.
Ahem..

The hair stylist talked me through the 'do step by step, so I might at least have a chance of recreating it. I love how much volume they managed to achieve on my fine fine hair!
If you'd like a tutorial of sorts, the stylist even suggested her own write up of a step by step guide to how to do it.. If you're interested!
Maybe I'll see if I can do it first...

The clothes portion of the night was one of the many highlights, although I was wearing both that night, I generally have trouble styling both my brogue shoes & my 'super suspender' House of Holland tights. The stylist gave me some great tips and talked me through some other styles he thought would suit me, needless to say I jumped on his advice and trawled the ASOS sale the morning after in a hope of finding any of his recommendations.

Another amazing night from Aussie, which has only made me more excited for the Aussome Volume event in Manchester on the 22nd - who's attending?! I managed to weasel my way in after being absent for my Colour Tribe party!
We ended on a tipsy high, goody bag in hand, counting down the days until the next event!

Well.. Maybe not the highest of highs, with getting locked in the apartment compound;
..And then Briony missing her train, calling for a boyfriend rescue.

Particularly looking forward to the volume + gloss spray. Smells delish and was used in my success of a volume mission.

Thank you Aussie, I'll add this to the list of great events!


Pictures courtesy of the Aussie camera & my good self.

Twitter -- Bloglovin' -- Facebook

NOTD and Then Some

My order from Enchanted Beauty Spot came in today, so of course I went straight in and applied.

O.P.I - 'What's With The Cattitude?'
From the Shrek Forever After collection.

While I absolutely love the colour, I was a little disappointed with the consistency. This is 3 coats of colour with seche vite top coat. It came out really streaky and there's still a few spots that haven't been covered well. I've never experienced that with an OPI polish, but the beautiful baby blue colour makes up for that.

I only ordered three polishes, worried that otherwise I'd have the dreaded customs charges. It's more the hassle of sorting it out than the extra cost.

China Glaze 'Strawberry Fields' (£2.60)
Essie 'Lilacism' (£2.96)
OPI 'What's With The Cattitude?' (£3.78)

I just wanted to say how nice the people at Enchanted Beauty Spot were. I accidentally paid separately for all three, instead of waiting for combined shipping. The amount of effort they put in to refund them all, re list some that had gone out of stock in the time gap, then put in the combined shipping kind of amazed me. So, big love to them - I would definitely buy from again.
Can't wait to try out the others, thank you to those who recommended the first two on Twitter!

Twitter -- Bloglovin' -- Facebook

A Lily Allen Kind of Eye

I feel like I haven't posted an eye look for a while.. I'm in a bit of a rut. Plus, I'm experimenting with different blushes & lip colours, the eyes have been put on the back burner.

Anyway, as my ELLE subscribers edition landed in my porch, I fell in love with the eye make up on the cover girl, Lily Allen. Just my kind of style and definitely something I can recreate.

I love the wet look of the liner, I opted for matte, just using eyeshadow, instead of what I'm assuming is liquid eyeliner. Liquid eyeliner and my lower lash line do not agree with each other.

Here is what I pulled together;


Yes it's simple and not entirely exciting, but this is exactly the kind of look I like to wear.

Products used;

• UDPP primer potion
• MAC 'Electra' all over the lid
• Clinique 'Victorian Pink' on the inner corners
• MAC 'Carbon' along lower lash line, upper lash line, and smudged out in the outer corners.
• Elite 'Stage Permanent Eyeliner' on water line & tight line
• Maybelline Lash Stiletto, lashings of the stuff.

On a parting note, for those of you who subscribe to Elle (I'm not sure what the general cover will look like), do you notice the very noticeable airbrushing under Lily Allen's eyes? They've left all her pores visible over her cheeks but smoothed the heck out of under her eyes... It interested me.

Twitter -- Bloglovin' -- Facebook

NOTD

Asides from the fact that my camera now hates me, so refuses to take 'quality' pictures. I'm sharing with you a somewhat blurred NOTD.
My 'thing' of recent is having one nail a different colour - adds a bit extra, and allows me to use more pretty colours!

This is using OPI's 'Done Out In Deco', with the index finger sporting Models Own 'Disco Mix' with a healthy dose of Seche Vite top coat.
I'm surprised at its staying power. Only a bit of wear around the edges after 3 shifts at work... Maybe I'm not working hard enough.

Twitter -- Bloglovin' -- Facebook