A Wishlist

I have a few things on my wishlist at the moment - given that I'm leaving the country in about a month I can't really afford to load myself down with more bulk. However duty free shopping is a beautiful thing. Most of these are either bits I'll aim to pick-up after I've gone through customs or when I'm in the UK and can spread out a bit.

Lately I've been trying the Nip+Fab Dragons Blood skincare range (more on that in a future post). After creeping through their website and other skincare ranges I'm rather keen on the Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix range. My skin is still quite breakout prone despite the fact that I'm 23 (what the hell is this delayed puberty?) and the Glycolic Fix range is designed to clear away dead skin, brighten your complexion and clean out your pores. I'm especially interested in the pads, the mask (who doesn't love a good mask?) and the serum. Lets just say once I get to England getting a Boots rewards card will be as high a priority as an Oyster card.

Next on the list is a beautiful perfume I've yet to purchase but have tried in store several times. I already own the EDP extreme version but next on the list is Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb EDP. It's a sweet fragrance with slightly fruitier notes that will be lovely for spring, it has an almost honey like quality on my skin once it's settled. Suffice to say I know what I'll be using my duty free vouchers on...

Another duty free item I'm planning on purchasing is a bottle of Cointreau - it's deliciously refreshing on ice after a long day at work and it pairs with Baileys beautifully as well. If you've not tried it it's an orange flavoured triple-sec, quite strong on the alcohol content but is a very versatile drink to have in your cabinet.

Finally I just found this little beauty on instagram the other day - Bali Body Tanning Oil. Now that I'll be heading back into summer in England (timed that one well didn't I?) I can bring out the summer shorts and fake tan. This sounds like a lovely natural skincare addition and I think it'll be a pay-day purchase next week.


Have you tried any of these?

Claire x

Autumnal Lips and Tips

It's officially the end of summer here in New Zealand and I must say I'm always excited by autumn. Warm days but cooler nights, I can wear my much loved skinny Levis again and of course the makeup trends get darker along with the weather. I've got a few stunners I love for the cooler months because who doesn't adore dark berry shades?

My personal favourites if I want something a little on the dark side are a bold MAC lip. Vino lip liner stops the lipstick from bleeding (which you especially don't want with darker lip shades). As the name suggests it's a gorgeous wine shade with a burgundy kind of tone - somewhere between a red and a purple. It's absolutely stunning and looks different depending on your skin tone too. I find more olive tones make it look more red whereas when you're a little pasty face like myself the purple tones are more dominant.

I top that off with Darkside by MAC, it's an amplified formulation which is one of my favourite varieties. Super pigmented with a semi-matte finish it complements the Vino liner perfectly. It casts a little red in the photos (I spent an hour and a half on these photos and I still feel like I didn't *quite* capture everything just right) but like the liner it shows differently depending on your skin tone. It's a very deep berry/plum shade on me which is lovely.

To pair with I love Lincoln Park After Dark by OPI, it's been a constant on my nails for several winters now and I don't think it's going away any time soon. It's definitely a purple toned polish but in certain lights looks more black. It's very flattering on shorter nails with a squoval (square/oval) shape.

What are your winter must-have shades?

Claire x

I'm Moving to London!

I've been waiting to write/publish this post for months now and I'm sitting here just about bouncing off my seat, frothing with excitement. This has been in the back of my mind since late last year and only really came together in the last few months. I had to sort a passport, a visa and book a one way ticket (I think the ticket was the most intimidating thing about the whole ordeal!).

One of my best friends in London just so happened to have a room opening up in her flat in early July. I was intending on going over for a long holiday anyway. After certain events last year and the fact that living in London for longer than a few weeks is too good an opportunity to pass up I decided to move. Expect a lot more personal and lifestyle posts in the coming months - I've got six weeks until I leave (actually less than that now!) and only four and a half weeks left at my current job.

Almost can't believe it's actually happening but once I bought my British pounds and my five year visa came in the post it all fell into place. I'll be seeing a friend I've not seen in two and a half years, I'll be there for the ruby world cup (*cue excited heavy breathing*) and get another summer in. Best ideas I've had really isn't it? Already have my book for the plane sorted (struggling to not read it now...) and a London guide book to get me started.

Just a few of the things I'm looking forward to:

• Seeing this angel face.
• Getting a Boots loyalty card (for real I am so excited about Boots). 
• Visiting the Natural History Museum. 
• The rugby world cup - live and in the country I'm living in (I feel a trend coming on - might need to follow the world cup around from now on?)
• Going to the Lush Day Spa - this has been on my bucket list since they opened the first one and now I can finally go. 

Claire x

First Impressions: Colourpop Cosmetics

Having read numerous reviews,  viewed swatch videos on YouTube and pouring over the Colourpop website I made myself a list to order for a birthday present to myself. I've been wearing these non stop since they arrived, I've swatched everything and will highlight a few of my favourite shades too. Everything from Colourpop is cruelty free, only $5 USD (except the blushes) and they are all amazingly pigmented. 

I haven't yet tried their blushes and highlighters but will definitely be making another order soon to stock up on my favourite limited edition Spring collection bits. 

Describing the consistency of these eyeshadows is a little difficult – they’re sort of a cross between a mousse like texture and a MAC paint pot. They’re not sticky to wear at all and feel very light on the skin. I’m not sure why but they don’t seem to really stick to/apply to your lid with brushes that well, though applying with your finger gives amazing colour pay off. They recommend tapping the colour directly onto the lid with your fingertips and I've definitely found this the best way to apply them myself.

I try to concentrate the colour strictly on the lid then blend out towards the crease with a dense brush. The effect is beautiful, they blend a dream and layer up really nicely too if you want to use more than one shade. To do a crease colour I just place colour on the outer corner and use windscreen wiper movements to blend across. To be honest the duo-chrome type colours like mooning mean you could use one colour alone for a smokey eye and look like you've used three. 

In terms of the colours themselves – if you've been following me for a while you’ll know I love colours that compliment blue eyes. Three of the shades are very coppery and gold tones while the other four are red/purple based. It’s hard to pick a favourite but I think Bandit and Desert are the ones I like most. They’re both very wearable day to day and have a beautiful almost pearl finish while still being quite matte and of course look stunning together too. 

The other more intense shades are stunning too – Mooning is indescribable, it’s sort of a black base but with a red and rose gold shimmer through it. I've also found Drift to be a great dupe for Cranberry by MAC and Game Face a dupe for Coppering. 

As for the lipsticks I think I’ve found a new favourite. Tootsi is a part of the Spring collection, I’m not sure if that means it’s limited edition but I’ll definitely be buying a few more very soon to bolster my collection. It’s the most gorgeous mauve/grey/beige nude. I was a bit worried it might wash me out a bit but the first day I wore it I got a lot of compliments at work. It’s a shade that makes you look like you’ve put the effort into your lips without being as ostentatious as one of the reds. The matte finish is very flattering, not drying at all and incredibly long wearing as well. I only needed to touch this one up after lunch and I’d been wearing it for six hours. Definitely recommend getting the matching lip pencil too for longer wear and more intense colour pay off.

Both red shades I bought are great colour pay off as well. Bossy is a very “true” red – neither very blue nor orange toned it sits in the middle of the road. I would use this as more of a day-time red than the Bichette but can definitely transition into night time wear too. I find to get the real colour of this one you do need the lip pencil on underneath otherwise it seemed to cast a bit pink on me.

Bichette on my skin tone I feel is best kept for the evening, it’s a very intense blue-red. It's very eye-catching and almost a little bit vampy red (but then perhaps that's just because I'm so pale). Both Bichette and Bossy are very creamy and pigmented to apply like a dream. Again, both are matte shades and lasted a decent long while and neither bled (I put this down to lip pencil use again). I'm gradually getting myself more used to using bold colours like this, Colourpop is a great way to go as with a five dollar lipstick if you find you rarely wear it, you haven't lost a lot of money. However that said I've loved wearing both the eyeshadows and lipsticks and will certainly be trying more in the future. 

Claire x

Read, Eat, Listen, Do #5

Read - The Incarnations.
It's a book I'd seen in Whitcoulls recently and quite fancied the sound of. The main character, Wang, is a taxi driver during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His soul mate if you will from previous life times has found him and starts writing him letters about their past lives together. I'm only a few chapters in but it's quite addictive reading so far - again it's very different from the kinds of books I normally read but the beautiful cover and references to ancient and recent history really intrigued me.

I've also recently picked up Remix magazine - if you're less of a book person and more of a beauty, fashion and celebrity kind of person this magazine is beautifully presented and has something for everyone. I read it from cover to cover this weekend just gone. Not to mention Kylie Jenner is on the cover - I feel like I should keep her on display. How beautiful is her makeup in this?

Eat - Hummus.
Man I have been getting through masses of this stuff lately. I put it with every snack and lunch time meal - on rice crackers, in sandwiches with chicken and tomato, whatever is a flat surface that can carry a copious amount of this delicious chick pea spread. I love the plain variety with just garlic and lemon - it's also pretty filling and is great for days I'm going to the gym. I love it with olive pitas, shredded chicken and baby tomatoes.

Listen - The Black Keys.
I've only really discovered these guys in the past few months but I'm hooked now. Unfortunately they're no longer coming to New Zealand but they're definitely on my "to see" list. I especially love Brothers out of all their albums - song favourites include She's Long Gone, The Only One and Fever.

Do - Planning.
I can't say exactly for what just yet but it's something that had been in the works for a while and I'm incredibly excited about it. I'll be able to say officially in a few weeks.Something incredibly exciting is on the cards - the biggest change my life will have ever had. I'll definitely be doing a lot of blog posts on this in the weeks to come.

Claire x

Monthly Favourites: March 2015

I've not written a monthly favourites post in a while and the last few weeks I've found a few new things I really love. It's a lot less beauty oriented this month but I always love seeing miscellaneous bits people enjoy too. I'm expecting the next couple of months will be pretty hectic (I can disclose why in a few weeks) so if I go MIA for a while you'll all know why. I'll do a full disclosure closer to the time - long story short some very exciting things are in the works. Anyway, as always I ramble too long so I'll shut up and get on with the important stuff.

Anastasia Beverley Hills Brow Wiz in Taupe
If you've been following me a while you'll know I've been a fan of the Anastasia brow products a while. You can see my first impressions of the dip-brow here. I've been using the brow wiz for a while now and it's gradually taken over my brow territory fromy its waxy brother. The little spoolie at one end is great for getting brows into shape then the wind up nib at the other end is very fine meaning you can get a great looking shape and create very natural "hair like" strokes rather than a general washboard colour like the pomade provides. I've just bought it in a darker shade as well because I always love a more intense brow in the cooler months.

LUSH Mask of Magnaminty
This mask in short is heaven for problematic and high maintenance skin. This is the self preserving version and it's absolutely gorgeous. I've just about finished the large tub and have got about 10 full (very generous) masks out of it. The mint is very cooling and refreshing, the honey is calming and antiseptic for spotty skin in a very gentle way. The smell is super fresh and even though it's quite scrubby it's mild enough to use frequently. My skin hasn't looked so clear in years and I put at least part of it down to this mask. I'll definitely be repurchasing.

Samsung Tab S - 10.5 inch 32gig
This is my new baby, I'm writing this very post on it right now. I wanted something small and portable that was good for editing photos on in a basic way on the run as well. A few if my favourite features include the photo editing program, super easy to follow and it saves a copy of each edit you do in case you change your mind. The Playlist generating software is amazing too - there's little grid keypad that you swipe over to decide your mood and it creates a Playlist for you just from that. The image quality is amazing and of course it's very light and user friendly. I'll need a laptop again in the future but in the mean time this is more than adequate - in the very least I can keep up with my blog posts much more easily.

Panasonic RP-DJS200 headphones
I love listening to music, it's on when I'm in the car, going to sleep,  in the office - just all the time really. Because of that and listening to it with ear buds that sit right in your ears which in the long run isn't fantastic. Years ago I had some great Sony headphones similar to these so thought it was about time I replaced them. Short of spending 500 bucks on some Beats by Dre (my budget is not oriented that way...) these were a great alternative.

Meadowlark Hexagon Cocktail Ring
I'd had my eye on this ring for a while and finally purchased it about a month ago. The rose quartz is so muted but beautiful and is quite understated for such a bold design. I had to order it especially due to my tiny fingers and it was well worth the wait. Meadowlark is hands down my favourite jewelery brand and this is one of my most loved pieces by them.

Claire x

NailHür Nails - Try Ons and Review

Up until recently I had always been dubious about sticking acrylic nails to my fingers. I knew the glue and removal process could sometimes be quite damaging and given my propensity to be a bit *ahem* rough I thought it was also quite likely I'd end up snapping my nail off and taking my real nail with it. I had heard Samantha from Batalash mention she had done a collaboration to get a set of acrylics of her signature style made.  Naturally I investigated that because who doesn't want some black Sam talons? I bought my first two sets on sale - yes you need to pay for shipping but even to New Zealand it's pretty minimal and the nail sets claim to be reusable - for $15 ND I thought even if I only got one use it was still cheaper than getting a set done here.aside from that shipping was super quick too.

For my first order I bought the Samantha and the Glamazon sets - both are stiletto nail styles and each set comes with 24 nails in various sizes. I was a little worried given my miniscule pinky finger they might not fit but there are extras inside each box for stupidly small fingers if you're like me too. They also come with glue, instructions and a nail file to shape your nails after you've applied them.

In terms of the nails themselves I loved them - I repurchased again before I'd even removed my first set. I've since also tried the Cosmo Chic set but found they didn't wear as well as the stiletto counterparts did. They're incredibly easy to apply - I just picked out which nail was going where, lined them all up in a row and then glued them on. The instructions tell you to apply a drop and then stick them on, I found if I spread the glue out a little more they applied better, we're less prone to popping off and the edges didn't peel or separate as quickly.

Both sets wore fantastcically but I especially liked the Samantha set, they were easier to file, felt like real nails and are quite flexible meaning they sit on top of your natural nail quite nicely.  The Glamazon was great too though a little harder to shape and the matte pink nails were showing a bit of wear around the edges after a week. However from normal nail observation distance (do you all get what I mean by that...?) they still got plenty of compliments.

In terms if removal it's very easy to get them off - I would recommend not being too heavy handed with the glue though as its better to have to reapply sooner rather than having to rip the nail off because it's growing out. All you need to do is soak your hands in hot water for a minute or two and gently pry the nail off with a cuticle stick. I usually did this after a week of wear, often the top of my natural nail was a little rougher than usual but again this really depends on how I aplied the glue and how long I'd been using acrylics for already. After about 5 weeks of continual use my nails are a bit weaker but all I needed to do was buff the top layer gently to get rid if any rough bits. I don't think I would recommend these to people with very brittle nails but if you are keen for acrylics I'd say these gems are the way to go. On the odd occasion that I did knock a nail about it usually just popped off leaving no real damage to my natural nail at all for those of you as clumsy as me.

I've got two sets of these nails waiting for me now - all up they create a very strong statement and are super fun to wear (who needs a tea spoon to get my tea bag out of my tea when I essential have tweezers on the end of my hands?!).

Would you try these? (For more photos of these nails check my instagram)

Claire x