Beak & Claws: New Year, New Lipstick

I shan’t be venturing out on NYE, but if I was I would be wearing either, or both, of these purse friendly gorgeous lip products. The are both made by Essence cosmetics and are under £3 each.

The Colour Boost Mad About Matte liquid lipstick is £2.80 at Wilkos and £2.54 at Parfumdreams.co.uk. I got mine in shade 5 Dangerously Yours which is dark pink with purplish undertones. It has a doe foot applicator which hugs the contours of the lips, leaving a crisp finish. This liquid lipstick dries down quite quickly to a powdery matte finish. The colour is vibrant and not at all patchy. It doesn’t feel drying and didn’t give me “butt hole” lips.  It feels very lightweight and didn’t crack as it dries. It didn’t transfer and It remained a vibrant pink throughout the day. I only needed one layer for an opaque finish.

The Melted Chrome Liquid Lipstick is also £2.80 at Wilkos.  This liquid lipstick has a foil like, metallic matte finish. I chose shade 04 Iron Heart which is a vibrant red  shade as I though it complimented the liquid lipstick. It is water and transfer proof. I didn’t find this liquid lipstick to be as light weight as the traditional one that I tried. I was more aware that it was on my lips and it didn’t feel particularly lightweight. I like the colour as it is more of a foil than a full on traditional metallic shade so didn’t cling and highlight the cracks in my lips. It has a doe foot applicator which fits nicely in to the contours of the lips, sling the Cupid’s bow easy to define.  It was long wearing and didn’t fade. It applied smoothly, no patchiness and one swipe gave an opaque finish.

I combined the two lipsticks for this look. I thought that it gave my lips more dimension and made them look fuller. I used Dangerously as the base lipstick and applied it all over my lips, waited until it was fully dry and then applied Iron Heart to the centre of the lips.





I purchased these items myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own.

Book Review: A Marriage Deal With The Viscount by Bronwyn Scott

A Marriage Deal With The Viscount is written by Bronwyn Scott and is the first in her Mills & Boon Historical mini series - Allied at the Altar.   Set in the 1850s Sofia Northcott,  Marchesa Di Cremona is only recently divorced which is seen as scandalous in itself and is living in London. Little does anyone know that she divorced her husband, II Marchese Giancarlo Di Cremona in order to escape a busy marriage and now she is on the run, as he wants her back as the King of Piedmont (where he lives,  does not approve of divorce) and wants Giancarlo to reclaim his wife and thus regain the favour of the Royal court. Sofia knows that if Giancarlo finds her he will drag her back to Italy by force and then inflict acts of extreme cruelty upon her. He has already branded his initial on her a punishment for trying to run away.   Conall Everard has just been as invested as the Ciscount of Taunton. He is looking for financial backers for his alpaca farm. Sofia is desperate to escape London before she can be found and is intrigued about the alpaca venture which Conall has already established must not use child labour or exploit their workers. Sofia feels that escaping down to Somerset will be a great hiding place for a few weeks and the farm is a great investment opportunity for her.  

She is determined not to marry ever again but is enjoying a relationship with Conall when she realises Gianfranco is actively looking for her. Conall and Sofia enter into a marriage of convenience- he needs financial backing for his farm whilst if she is remarried Giancarlo cannot reclaim her and force her back to Piedmont. Unfortunately Giancarlo finds them, holds both Sofia, Conall and his family at gun point and drags her back to Bristol where they will catch a boat back to Italy. Will Conall find her in tome?

I enjoyed this book immensely. There seemed to be something almost humorous and incongruous - the heroine is escaping an abusive marriage whist the hero is establishing an alpaca farm. The author touches on issues that would have been seen as scandalous during the Victorian period - divorce meant you were shunned in bhigh society whilst abuse within marriage would never be mentioned. I read this book in one sitting and look forward to reading the rest in the series. 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley

Available from:
Amazon UK

Mills & Boon

Her Brooding Scottish Heir by Ella Hayes

Ella Hayes won the 2017 Prima Loves to Write Competition run in conjunction with Mills and Boon. The book,  Her Brooding Scottish Heir, is published today, 27 December 2018. The novel is published as part of the True Love series.

Her Brooding Scottish Heir is set in the Scottish Highlands in the grounds of Calcarron House. Camilla O’Brian is a struggling student artist who has just split with Dan, her fiancé. She needs to finish her final degree portfolio and her tutor suggests an isolated artists retreat in the grounds of Calcarron House.  Unfortunately for her as she makes her way there her car gets a puncture and she encounters the grumpy, brooding Cormac Buchanan. He has just left the military and is struggling to come to terms with the loss of his childhood friend as he couldn’t save him when they were out in Afghanistan.

Neither of them find Calcarron House to be the peaceful sanctuary that they need. Cormac’s sister, Rosie, is holding her high society wedding there and left face it if you have just broken up with your fiancé you don’t want to be in the midst of someone else’s wedding whilst Cirmac cannot find the peace and quiet that he needs to come to terms with his friend’s  death. Despite the conflict that arose during their original meeting, there is chemistry and attraction between the pair that develops into a relationship. Will they be able to overcome there pasts and have there HEA?


I can see why she won the competition: she is a wedding photographer with an eye and understanding of romance and how to translates it into a a photograph or in this case a novel. Ella lives in Scotland and you can tell from reading the detailed describe scenes that she knows and loves the Scottish countryside, they aren’t merely cut and paste that descriptive scenes  generic descriptions.  It is a lighthearted, enjoyable read.  It isn’t as polished as some f the more established M&B authors but that comes with Rome and practice.  The plot could have been paced more evenly: the end appeared rushed and resolved within a few pages and character development was lacking. The author linked them through romance but didn’t build upon hopes, aspirations and their respective back stories.  The style of writing was contemporary and enjoyable to read. Overall I enjoyed the book and look forward to seeing how this author develops her writing style etc.

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley. 

Available from: 
Amazon UK 

Mills & Boon

A Nurse To Heal His Heart by Louise George (M&B Medical).

A Nurse to Heal His Heart is written by Louise George and published by Mills & Boon Medical.  This book combines drama, romance, angst, a little girl, secrets, love and heartache in this will they/ won’t they storyline.  Dr Joe Thompson is a grumpy GP in Oakdale, a village in the Lake District. He is nursing a broken heart after his wife died unexpectedly 5 years ago. He is bringing up his little daughter, Katie, alone and doesn’t feel as though he will ever love again. Rose McIntyre is a locum nurse who has travelled up to the Lake District to fill in at his practice for a few weeks. She is trying to break away from her overbearing mother who has hovered over her since her heart transplant 5 years ago and to recover from a breakup with her first love. Despite all this emotional baggage and a will they or won’t they storyline they slowly develop a loving relationship.  This embryonic relationship, however, may be destroyed forever by revelations about what happened 5 years ago.

I find sometimes medical romances can become disjointed or cluttered by trying to combine romance and medical drama. This book combines the two perfectly so neither overpowers or takes away from the the other element. Both sides seamlessly work together to create an enjoyable read.

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley

Available: 
Amazon UK

Mills & Boon

Book Review: The Spaniard’s Untouched Bride by Maisey Yates.

The spaniard’s Untouched by Maisey Yates is the first in the Innocent Brides mini series. Camilla Alvarez is determined to stay with her beloved horses when Matias Navarro acquires her families renowned rancho. Mattias does not employ women, so Camilla disguises herself as a boy to get a job as a stable hand. Her plan works until she is thrown from a horse and her ruse is discovered. To her surprise Mattias offers her a new job as his wife! Mattias needs a wife ASAP to fulfil the terms of his father’s will or his brother will. 

I enjoyed this book. Maisey Yates always manages to combine humour and romance whilst creating a  strong well fought out storyline.  There is clearly chemistry between the two main characters. Both of them are determined individuals so sparks fly. I enjoyed the epilogue featuring their two children. 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley. 

Paul & Joe Advent Part 2

I couldn’t add any more photos to my Paul & Joe Advent  Part 1 blog post so this is part 2.

Day 11: a cute little flowery patterned credit card holder. Has three slots, the Paul & Joe tag and metal logo. Useful and adorable. 

Day 13: LE 002 face powder. This is a cool tone brown shade perfect for eyes, contouring or bronzing. The little eyeshadow disc has a cat stamped into the shadow. The disc will be great for travel as it is multi use and is completely flat so will fit anywhere. 

Day 16: mini LE lip gloss (6.4ml) in 006. A clear glittery gloss. Would look good as a lip topper or used on its own. Cute packaging. 

Day 19: Limited Edition hand cream (14ml). Cute packaging, travel friendly and a fresh subtle scent. Non greasy formula. Great size for travel. 

Day 21: face colour in LE 004 which is a sparkly silver shade. The eyeshadow is printed onto the card and a cat is stamped on to it. Just like the other two face colour cards it is travel friendly and it is a multi use powder.

Day 23: pale blue/ cat print refillable lipstick case. I already have a P&J hankie in the same print so very pleased with this!

Day 24: sadly the last door is now open and it’s a LE lippie in 004. This is a great Christmassy/ holiday time reddish orange colour with a satin finish that will suit everyone. It will look great popped in the refillable case I got yesterday.

I loved opening this advent and trying out the items behind each door. I loved the cat artwork and will get the calendar framed to go with the one I purchased 2 years ago. I do think, however, as this advent celebrated the 12 days of Christmas there should have just been 12 numbers/ doors as it was a little disappointing to have fake doors. Overall though the items made up for this and it was well worth the money.

This is the final look I did using as many of the items as possible. The only item I didn’t use was the lip gloss but that could be used as a lip topper over the lipstick. 

Anna Sui: Treatment Coffret Peacock Collection

The Anna Sui Cosmetics Treatment Coffret Peacock Collection (£24) consists of three item. A gorgeous peacock embossed tin which contains a lip balm and hand cream with the same motif.



The tin measures 15(H)x14(W)cm.   I intend to use mine to store minis and freebies and keep it in pride of place on my dressing table.


 The hand cream (40g) has a slight tea rose scent, moisturises and brightens the skin, preventing dark spots. It contains a vitamin C derivative which brightens skin whilst preventing  freckles and dark spots.    I love the way it dispenses the hand cream in the shape of little icing sugar flowers. I decorated my hand with them before rubbing it in!



 The lip balm(5g) also has a subtle tea rose scent, In the pot the balm looks like it is a lovely sheer deep red that would add just a hint of colour to the lips whilst also ensuring that they remain moisturised.  I did find it very moisturising but only got a slight colour payoff.  The balm just made my lips very glossy rather than the reddish gloss that I was expecting.






This is a lovely set. I will probably give the hand cream away as I just do not use it. I will use the tin and lip balm as they are both lovely items.


I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own.
The bauble is a clear turquoise peacock glass Christmas bauble by Gisela Graham (£6.75) here.

Anna Sui Stardust Night Makeup Coffret

Anna Sui Cosmetics Holiday/Christmas Collection is a makeup coffret available in two colourways.  Each coffret includes a chained pouch bag which holds 2 multi purpose star dust powers, glitters which can be used on the face body and hair and a lip balm.

The coffrets cost £34 each. The Rockin Night option contains a red bag, silver and pink star dust and a lip balm. The Stardust Night option (which I went for as I wanted the bag) has a purple chain bag, lavender and black star dust powders and a lip balm. 

The bag is a tiny little metallic purple faux leather bag with a short chain. It fastens with a magnetic popper and has a satchel print. It is very light and can just about fit my phone and purse in for a night out. The bag measures 16x5x10.9cm. 

The stardust lip gloss (200) is 15g.  The gloss reacts with moisture on the lips and turns pink according to your PH.  I found it to be very moisturising and glossy. There was a bit of glitter- there is some suspended in the balm and it does have a subtle tea rose scent. I love the container. As I cannot look down I find it difficult to find items quickly in my bag. As the container is so unusual and multidimensional with the little spikes I it is instantly identifiable as I scrabble through my bag. 

The two colour powders are 010 and 202. There is 1.4g of powder contained in each glass bottle with a rose shaped lid.  The powders are multi purpose and can be applied anywhere you want to sparkle.  The black would make a great smokey eye as it is very dramatic and sparkly and the pinky/ lavender sparkly one makes a great highlighter/ eyeshadow. 

I like these sets and Anna Sui Cosmetics generally as her aesthetic is cohesive, items from all her collections fit together.  The black gothic rose of last years makeup box fits with the glass bottles and lip balm container in this years collwction.  

I purchased the item myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own.

Available from: BeautyBay

Sass & Belle Christmas Decorations and Blog Props

I wanted some tiny/small Christmassy blog props that I could also use as Christmas decorations. I went and looked on Amazon and eBay UK and searched Sass & Belle as I can always find something that I love that is also reasonable priced. I found a mini Christmas tree (now out of stock), Snowy stag forest bauble and a snowy house Christmas bauble (bought from my local gift shop and cannot find it online).


The stag bauble (£4) looks like a mini snow globe. Measuring 6x 6cm. it is part of their Winter collection. It looks very icy and winter, the snow and white trees provide the perfect backdrop for the stag.  The globe is glass,  the cut out trees etc are made from plywood the snow is made from polyester fibre.

This tree is no longer in stock but I found a set of 3 mini Christmas trees for £6.95 here. they are 3 natural brush plain Christmas trees which are 10cm tall and would look great as blog props, table decorations or as part of craft displays, inside mason jars etc as prt of a Christmas scene.








This Christmas House bauble measures 6x6cm and despite being tiny it is still very detailed. The globe is glass and the trees etc are made from plywood and sisal silk. I couldn’t find this item online (I purchased mine from a local gift shop) but I did find these Magical glitter houses (£4) from the Dream Away Collection. The houses are covered in pink or gold glitter, look very Christmassy, one looks like a rustic Church. They are set in a globe and measure 6x6cm.

I purchased these items myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own.

The Snowman Collectors Edition Soft Toy

The Snowman Collectors Edition Soft Toy (Raymond Briggs) (£28.87) released for his 40th Anniversary is a plush version of The Snowman in a collectors box.

The Collector Snowman is super soft and tactile as he is made from soft premium quality plush and he is suitable for any age from birth.  He stands L16xW21xH21.5cm and the box measures 26.8x19.6x16.2cm.  The hat and scarf are knitted and in The Snowman green and The Snowman is embroidered on the scarf. His face also features delicate embroidery.  The box itself is cardboard and very sturdy. It would make a great keepsake box. The inside is covered in The Snowman illustrations.  He is gorgeous and will make a great present for anyone who collects The Snowman memorabilia. 

I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own. 

Harrods/The Snowman 40th Anniversary Items

As my mum is a huge Raymond Briggs/ The Snowman fan, all her Christmas presents this year are The Snowman 40th Anniversary items. Harrods have produced some lovely items suitable for a variety of ages. 

The Snowman Harrods Tray (£8 now £5) is a melamine tray depicting the Snowman and James flying over the iconic Harrods building with other London landmarks in the background. The tray measures L39x18cm and it is dishwasher but not microwave safe. 

The Harrods Snowman plush Toy  (originally £15 now £9) is very soft and tactile. He has really soft fur and is wearing a hat and scarf in the instantly recognisable Harrods green hue. He also has Harrods embroidered on his foot. He stands 26 inches and is hand wash only.

The Music Box Snowman Musical Christmas Card (£14) play walking in the Air whilst the cut out of Snowman and James spins/ flys round. The card comes flat backed and the cut out attaches to the card with a magnet on the base of it. The card measures H12xW17xD15 cm.

                                        


The Snowman Glass Bauble  (oringinally £10 now £6) measures 5cm in diameter and has Harrods printed on one side and the iconic flying scene on the other. It is fragile but very sparkly and pretty.

The Snowman Mini Globe  (£10) has mini Snowman doffing his cap. It is a tiny globe measuring 7cm in height but there is lots of swirling snow when it is shaken and will make a great table decoration. 

This Snowman decoration has sold out online - I got mine inside. It is the Snowman doffing his gat. The gat and sxarfvare the traditional Garrods green, ge has a H on his chest and there is a 40th Anniversary gold metal tag attached to the ribbon. 

I purchased these items myself and the views expressed in this blog post are my own.

Disneyland Paris Fantasyland Decorations

Disneyland Paris have a Fantasyland Collection which is exclusive to Shop Disney and DLP. I chose the Sleeping Beauty Castle and the Cheshire Cat baubles as they are not particularly Christmassy and I can leave them out all year.

The  Cheshire Cat Glass Globe Bauble (£12.99) has the Cheshire Cat sitting inside a frosted glass globe.  The bauble is inspired by the DLP Alice’s Curious Labyrinth attraction. There are lots of snowy and glittery accents and detailing. The globe can either sit on its base or hang from a pink chiffon ribbon. It measures 10x9x9cm and it is made from resin and glass. 

The Disneyland Paris Sleeping Beauty Castle Glass Bauble  (£12.99) is a magical glittery pink Castle  in a teardrop/ droplet shaped glass bauble. The attention to detail when creating the castle is amazing, it looks so like the real one. Tinkerbell is sitting on top of the castle spire holding a sparkly silver star.   The bauble can either be hung by its chiffon loop or sat on its own flat base. The bauble measures 13x8x8cm and is made from resin and glass.

I purchased these items myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own.  These can be purchased at Shop Disney and at DLP.

 

Review: Fenwick 40th Anniversary The Snowman Tree Decoration & Mug

It’s hard to believe The Snowman is 40 years young. First shown in 1978, Fenwick have produced some 40th Anniversary gifts suitable for any age. I chose the mug (£13) and the tree decoration (£16). I purchased these items for my mum, as she is a retired teacher. When she was still teaching Christmas was her favourite time of year as she loved introducing her charges to the delights of Raymond Briggs’ Snowman. By the end of the term they all knew both The Snowman storyline off by heart and could sing the theme tune word perfectly (but not necessarily in tune!). She still loves the Snowman, and now the Snowman and the Snowdog, and Christmas has to stand still whilst she watches it on Channel 4. She has it on video, DVD and downloaded it to her tablet but it isn’t the same thing as watching it then!

The Snowman Tree Decoration is £16 and is a perfect miniature replica of the “real” one. He has been made exclusively  for Fenwick and he is a hand blown bauble (and very fragile). He is 11cm(h)x5.5(w) and arrived safety packaged in a branded box. He will be treasured for many years to come. 

The Snowman mug is £13. It is 100% bone china and is made in the UK. It has the two most well known scenes printed on either side of the mug and the 40 Anniversary logo printed on the bottom of the mug. Just like the tree decoration it came securely packaged in a branded box and will make a lovely gift. 

I purchased these items myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own.

  

Disneyland Paris: Remy & Mickey and Minnie Christmas Decorations

I always used to buy a Disneyland Paris decoration from the Christmas shop in the castle when I was well enough to go to DLP. I then continued purchasing them through the now defunct concierge service. Now you can purchase select items through Shop Disney. As the second part of my DLP decoration haul I chose one light up decoration and Remy. 

 The Mickey and Minnie light up bauble  is £15.99. The bauble is fragile as it is made of resin and glass. The sleeping beauty castle switches on at the base, lights up and changes colour. Mickey and Minnie are adorable. The bauble measures H13xW8xD6cm. There are glittery accents and powdery snow inside the bauble. It has Joyeux Noel and the Disneyland Paris logo on the base. The item came well packaged. This is not a toy and due to small parts, glass etc is not suitable for children under 36 months.


                                      

The Remy candy cane hanging Christmas ornament is £7.99 and is made from resin with a chiffon hanging loop. He is made from resin, there are glittery accents and he measures 8x2x2 cm.  He is adorable but he is not a toy and due to small parts not suitable for children under 36 months. 

I purchased these items myself and they are available at Disneyland Paris and ShopDisney.

 

Review & Competition: Alex Monroe Sample Sale and Win a Bumble Bee Pendant

                  

Alex Monroe recently held his third Sample Sale at the Foundation Coffee Shop morning in Manchester.  Until relatively recently the majority of such sales were held in his London studios in Clerkenwell so I was unable to go. I reviewed the experience of going to the first Manchester Sample Sale here. I purchased a squirrel ring, squirrel earrings and a bird ring all of which were well under the RRP. I also purchased a Bumble Bee Pendant to use as the last competition prize of 2018. It does have S stamped on the tag as it is seconds but the bee itself looks perfect.

Competition:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Rules:
Prize is one Alex Monroe gold plated Bumble Bee necklace, the one featured in the photos.
Entrants must complete the mandatory Rafflecopter requirement.
Open Internationally
The contest opens on the 06/12/18 and closes on 01/01/19 12 am GMT.
The contest is not associated in any way with Alex Monroe. If you have any queries or questions relating to the competition please contact me directly via the contact button.