indian ocean

Models Own - Indian Ocean £5

I love Models Own nail polishes. They always seem to come up trumps with their new collections, and Indian Ocean from the recently released Beetlejuice collection is no exception. It is a mesmerising mix of an icy turquoise-blue base with fine reflexes of pink, green and silver running through it. The colour is ever-changing with every different light and angle, and is beautiful worn alone or layered over a stronger base.

Less like the Indian Ocean, and more like the multi-tonal mermaid tail in the Indian Ocean, capturing the beauty of this polish was an impossible challenge. One moment it is mysterious sea-green blue varnish shimmering brightly with pink glitter, the next it is an alluring aqua with a metallic silver shine. Either way - it is a gorgeous colour. The consistency is not at all gritty, and although sheer, the photos demonstrate the finish after three coats. It has an even more intense, oceanic appearance when layered over the top of turquoise or jade green nail polish.

Indian Ocean is definitely making waves in the beauty world and is a firm favourite of mine. Have you tried any of the new Beetlejuice polishes from Models Own?

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Win! Illamasqua's Eurydice lipstick

Recognise the lips?!

You may remember this post where I revealed the hot new lipstick from Illamasqua, brought to fruition as the second wave of the Human Fundamentalism collection is unleashed. Nestled amongst four rainbow-bright eyeshadows and a rich scarlet lipstick, I believe Eurydice will be the lipstick that arouses everyone's alter ego. Proudly pigmented and unashamedly long-lasting, this is the hot pink lipstick that I think everyone needs in their collection. So much so that Illamasqua and myself have collaborated to offer ten of my readers the chance to win this striking lipstick and make a statement this Summer.

To enter, I ask you to be a follower of Pearls & Poodles and then simply follow the link and answer the not-so-challenging question! This competition is open until Tuesday 8th May 2012 when 10 lucky winners will be chosen at random and announced.

So if you are enticed with Euydice, click here to get entering. Good luck everyone :)

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ohh la la

Topshop lipstick - Ohh La La £8

Whilst out on my lunchtime circuits of the high street, I find myself drawn more and more to the makeup in my local Topshop. At first I was dismissive but now I am left pondering over the vast array of dinky nail varnishes and lovely assortment of lip products. From lip crayons, markers, liners and lipsticks - there is definitely a colour to suit everyone and at £8 a pop, I think I will be investing in quite a few of them. 

I bought Pillow Talk last year which is still one of my most favoured pink lipsticks; a lipstick I plan to savour as Topshop have now viciously discontinued it. The consistency and colour pay off of Ohh La La is equally as pleasing and I think it is a perfect summer colour. It has a lovely velvety texture and leaves a glossy sheen on the lips. Described as coral blush, it is the perfect mix of coral, pink and peach - not too bright for the faint-hearted but bold enough to give your lips a beautiful bolt of colour. I have decided Ohh La La is a little like MAC's Costa Chic, but without the frostiness.

What are you favourite Topshop lipsticks? Any recommendations? I have my eye on Inhibition next, which looks like it could be Toshop's answer to MAC's Rebel lipstick.

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Neom Sensuous collection

Neom Sensuous Organic Body Lotion* £23.50 & Neom Sensuous Organic Body Wash* £16

available online

It is true that my heart has recently been won over by Neom candles which are truly irresistible and gorgeously fragranced. I love Neom's ethos of making "organic products modern, luxurious and highly effective in the most innovative way possible." Everything from their candles, home fragrances and body care scream luxury and introduce us to a whole new range of exciting and sumptuous scents. Neom's new Sensuous collection includes a body lotion, body wash, hand wash and hand lotion, all laced with the unique aroma of Ylang Ylang, Frankincense and Patchouli to help ease anxiety and tension whilst leaving skin lingering with its sensuous scent.

The Neom Sensuous Body Lotion is a decadent moisturiser which gives your skin a luxurious boost of moisture and nourishment, topped off by a rich blend of vitamins, Shea butter, Macadamia nut and rosemary leaf. It is extremely rich with a wonderfully silky consistency, so a little goes a long way. It is suitable for everyday use but due to its heady fragrance of Ylang Ylang and Frankincense, it seems too special and fancy to slather on daily. The aroma is spicy and warming which can help ease tension and anxiety, and this product is perfect for men and women alike. I found this body lotion a real treat for my skin, leaving it silky soft and smooth, well hydrated and lingering with the sumptuous scent all day.

The Neom Sensuous Body Wash is an indulgent mix of Aloe Leaf, Chamomile flower and apricot fruit extract which has a really fresh, zingy scent to it and leaves your skin feeling thoroughly cleansed. Much like the body lotion, the aroma is extremely warming and with the addition of steam in your shower, you will find yourself immersed in a heady yet calming fog of rich aromas. Close your eyes and you could be in a steam room at a fancy spa. The scent is powerful and lingering, and might not be for those who prefer a more subtle smell from their bath products, but for me it just adds to the luxurious experience that Neom products bring.

Have you tried any Neom products? Does the new sensuous range appeal to you?

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all that glitters

Top - Topshop

Skirt - vintage

Collar - Dolly Bow Bow*

Lipstick - MAC viva glam gaga

Words cannot express how much I am smitten with my glitter collar from Dolly Bow Bow. It is pink, it is twinkly and jazzes up any outfit when worn with a basic tee or dress - what is there not to love?! There is also a teal and a multi-glittered one available which look stunning, so if you are a fan of the collar trend I would definitely suggest you taking a peek. I wore it with my new lilac tee from Topshop which comes in a variety of colours. I always like the basic ranges that Topshop do and can definitely see myself picking up a few more of these tank tops in the near future.

I hope you are all having lovely weekends. I am currently watching the London Marathon on television and reminiscing that this time three years ago, I was preparing to embark on my little 26.2 mile run. Good luck to anyone running today - it really will be the most extraordinary experience of your life!

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body shopping

The Body Shop's Wild Rose Hand Cream, 

Satsuma and Strawberry Shower Gel, Sweet Lemon Lip Butter

Chocomania Soap

It isn't often I find myself shopping in The Body Shop but every now and again I find myself drawn in by the lure of their body butters and colourful array of shower gels. In hindsight I tend to venture in for the sensory experience more than anything - it is a visual pleasure with the rows of bright bottles brimming full of colourful concoctions and then you become flooded with the sweet aroma of the room sprays and their infamous white musk! And it is not uncommon to find me loitering around the banana shampoo sniffing profusely at its incredible (love-it-or-hate-it) scent.

I am a big fan of The Body Shop's hemp hand cream, with it probably being my most repurchased hand cream to date, so I was excited to see a new Wild Rose hand cream from The Body Shop. I also couldn't resist picking up two new shower gels which are sweet delights if you are a fan of fruity-fragranced products. They smell truly delicious and are really bubbly which I like. I needed a new lip balm so navigated towards the luscious line-up of lip butters and was won over by the zesty loveliness of the sweet lemon one. As for the soaps, I don't feel I need much justification here...they are heart shaped and smell of chocolate. It's a win win situation!  

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parading out in prints

Dress - Oasis*

Socks - Topshop

Shoes - Faith

Bag - Louis Vuitton Speedy 35

Sunglasses - Ray Bans

Prints are big news this season and Oasis certainly haven't shied away from this top trend as they launch their new Print Collection, combing a mixture of fresh tropical designs and sweet floral patterns with a vintage twist. My bird pleated dress from the Sweet Dreams range is just so soft and pretty - it stood out to me the moment I viewed the collection online. It is very me! I love the cutout design around the shoulders and the delicate keyhole detail at the front, making this dress really special and perfect for summer picnics or a day at the races! I was a tad worried that it would be a bit long on me, as some of Oasis's other pieces have been, but it fitted a treat. To compliment the sugary tones in the dress I whipped out my pastel green, lace-trimmed ankle socks and unearthed my near-vintage mary-janes from Faith purchased many moons ago.

Totally Tropical is another collection of exotic prints that really caught my eye. It is a clashing cocktail of bright and bold shades that just scream Summer! I am in love with this jacket and shorts combo.

If you are pining for prints this season then Oasis have a treat for all my readers if you fancy a little online shopping...

Get free standard delivery within the UK with discount code: FREEDELPEARLS

Get 10% off all full priced items online with discount code: PEARLS10

Will you be parading out in prints this season?

Sponsored post

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illamasqua Eurydice lipstick

Illamasqua Eurydice lipstick* £15.50

available online from Tuesday 17th April...

Last month, Illamasqua unleashed an explosion of shades and textures on the makeup world with their new Spring Summer '12 collection - Human Fundamentalism. We were catapulted into a chaos of colours and unconformity with a teal lipstick and bold yet contrasting eyeshadow palettes heading up the eclectic range. A month on and just as we begin to lapse into a calm and muted state, Illamasqua have triggered the second evolution as six new lines are added to the Human Fundamentalism collection. This aftershock brings us two new super-bright lipsticks (Eurydice and Liable - a rich scarlet/orange) and a rainbow of four daring eyeshadows (Fledging - bright green, Hype - bold yellow, Inception - rich violet, Vapour - tangerine orange).



Eurydice is described as a bright pink lipstick, pure and simple. It is staggering fluorescent in the tube, with evident blue-ish undertones which makes it a treat for the whiteness of your teeth. The pigmentation is bold and unfaltering, really staining the lips throughout the day and long after you have removed it. The finish is extremely matte and is very unforgiving if you have the slightest of dry lips. There is so much I love about this lipstick such as the intense colour, matte finish and amazing lasting-power (it really won't fade!), but one things that disappoints me is the consistency. I like my lipsticks like I like my chocolate - smooth and creamy, but with Eurydice it is quite hard work when it comes to the application. I would definitely advised priming your lips first with a bit of balm before applying Eurydice, so that it smoothes on easier without pulling or tugging the skin. If only the texture was a little bit softer, it would make this beauty of a lipstick even more beautiful.

Are you enticed by Eurydice?

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Bourjois Colorissimo lip palette

Bourjois Colorissimo lip palettes* £8.99

launches June 2012 - available from Boots and Superdrug

Bourjois have taken their classic round palette, more familiar with their smokey eyes trio, and filled it full of this season's hottest new lip colour combinations. The Colorissimo palette comes in four different harmonies inspired by catwalk colours and are all perfectly pocket-sized and practical, encased in chic black packaging with a delicious vanilla scent to boot. The formulation of these lipsticks is really creamy and moisturising, as well as being surprisingly pigmented. Within the palettes, each lipstick is designed to compliment one another so can be worn alone or blended together to create a brand new shade. I wasn't much of a fan of the sponge applicator that features in the Colorissimo palettes so I cast that aside in favour of my finger or a lip brush. The colour of each lipstick is really rich and long-lasting, bright and punchy, despite having quite a buttery-balm like quality and appearance. The finish on the lips is very pretty with a pearly shine and lustre.

02. Roses Muses - The Romantic

Top, Rose Nacre - a blush pink

Middle, Rose Neon, a sensational fuchsia

Bottom, Rose Class - a dark, rocky yet chic rosewood

The Roses Muses palette houses three easy-to-wear pinks, ranging from a soft blush to a vivid fuchsia completed by a deep cherry pink. This is definitely my favourite palette out of the two I have tried, with the stunning Rose Neon being the standout colour for me.

04. Nudes Dandy - The Preppy Look

Top, Brun Rose - a pinkish beige

Middle, Brun Brique - an electric peach

Bottom, Chocolat - a true brown

The Nudes Dandy palette brings us the bare necessities with three sophisticated nudes beginning with a muted beige followed by a truly perfect peach, all finished off with a rich, chocolatey brown. The brown shade doesn't really float my boat but the peach lipstick is just gorgeous and a definite summertime shade.

I think the Colorissimo lip palettes are another fabulous addition to Bourjois' bulging beauty range. I like the fact you have three complimenting shades all in one place, and they are easy enough to smooth on with you finger without the need for a mirror or careful application. 

Will you be checking out the new Colorissimo collection?

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Korres Vanilla, Freesia & Lychee

Korres Eau de Toilette - Vanilla Freesia Lychee* £24

available from House of Fraser

This delicious mix of vanilla, freesia and lychee is possibly one of my favourite scents of the moment and is the perfect perfume for Summer, so light and fresh. Korres have created a breezy combination of my three favourite things to find in a fragrance - the sweet seducing aroma of vanilla pod mixed with the distinct, floral notes of the blossoming freesia all laced with the delicate fruitiness of lychee. The scent is unique and luxurious, yet soft enough to wear day and night. It finds the perfect happy medium between fruity and floral without being overpoweringly sugary. The fragrance revels in the exotic blend of ripened lychee and the awakening scent of vanilla to give a oriental concoction that smells a lot more expensive that the price tag would suggest!

Korres boasts six different scents from their Eau de Toilette repertoire, all of them deliciously sounding and ridiculously tempting. All Korres perfumes are parabens and silicones free, as well as being dermatologically tested. Paeonia, vanilla and amber pear is top of my lust list at the moment, it just sounds heavenly.

Have you tried any of Korres' fragrances? What perfumes are you loving at the moment?

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and it was all yellow

Dress - Lavish Alice*
Blazer - New Look

Hair - freshly bleached

I felt this gorgeous dress from Lavish Alice was very Easter appropriate with its sweet, lemon sherbet hue and floaty, sheer finish. I love the lace detail and cinched waist, and the fact it works perfectly as a picnic-in-the-park type attire as well as an evening outfit. I went for the latter and wore this out on Saturday night for drinks in town with my hockey friends. I was bringing sunshine to Essex even if the weather didn't want to play ball!

I hope you are all enjoying the Bank Holiday weekend and feel rested and sufficiently full of all things egg-shaped and chocolate-based. Sadly I've been nursing a horrid stomach bug all weekend so I haven't even been able to crack into my Easter eggs yet (sob) despite their deliciousness taunting me from the kitchen. Eat me, eat me! Fingers crossed I can indulge in them soon...

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Sleek GLO

Sleek GLO Face & Body Highlighter, Peach Shimmer* £6.49

available online

Ready, set, GLO!

With the imminent arrival of Summer and the prospect of more flesh on display than ever, I definitely find myself reaching for highlighters more and more to illuminate and glisten the face and body with a fresh radiance and sculpted definition. Sleek Makeup's new Glo Face and Body Highlighter is the perfect little package to fulfil all your sun-kissed dreams this season, coming in three different shades to suit all skin tones and moods. 

Peach Shimmer is definitely my favourite upon seeing the other two on offer, purely because I love anything peachy-toned and it suited my skin perfectly. The other two powders, Bronze Baby and Gold Digga, are both a lot darker than Peach Shimmer, and I would probably find myself using them more as a bronzer than highlighter. The powder is lightweight, irritant-free and packed with light reflecting mica pigments that illuminate the skin and provide a long lasting glow.

I have read a few reviews likening Peach Shimmer to Dior Amber Diamond highlighter, but having not tried the latter product, I can't really comment. But for a staggering fraction of the price, it offer a similar series of shades and gorgeous frosty-shimmery finish. The thing I love about these types of highlighters is that you can swirl different sections together each time to achieve completely new colours each time. I particularly love the middle, darker part when contouring, yet use the outer panels when I want to highlight my cheekbones, cupid bow or brow bone. You can also take a large powder brush or kabuki and sweep the powder onto your shoulders and across your collar bone to extend the radiance down and create a pretty, luminous finish for when the weather allows you to bare all. The only criticism I have of this product is its pigmentation, or should I say lack of. You have to work quite hard to build up a noticeable colour, which does work in your favour if you are quite fair and definitely allows you to maintain a natural finish. All in all however, I am very impressed with this new highlighter from Sleek and am certain it will become a seasonal essential.

Have you tried this product? What do you use to give yourself a summertime glow?

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Bourjois 123 Perfect Foundation

Bourjois 123 Perfect Foundation* £10.99

UK launch - mid April available from Boots and Superdrug

There are many makeup items I take to the drugstore for, but sadly foundation has never been one of them. I have always favoured the quality I seem to get by going high-end and would never really peruse the aisles of Boots to find my next must-have foundation, unless it was the aisle that led to the double C counter! Last year it was hard to dodge the fact that every blogger and their mum was raving about the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel foundation, but after trying it myself, I was left a little underwhelmed. I was far more excited however about their brand new 123 Perfect Foundation which is a new generation liquid foundation containing 3 colour concealing pigments for an even complexion.

1. Bid farewell to dark circles with the specific yellow concealing pigments for a rested complexion

2. Bye bye dullness with mauve radiance-booasting pigments to light up your complexion

3. Au revoir redness with the green anti-redness pigments to eradicate high colour and even the tone

The consistency is medium to heavy and melts into the skin so easily - buffed in flawlessly as always with my Real Techniques stippling brush. The coverage is medium, possibly leaning towards the heavy side, but surprisingly feels really light on the skin. The formula has 24 hour hydrating benefits, letting the skin breathe, and also contains SPF10 to shield the skin from UV rays. The results of the 123 Perfect Foundation boast an even, flawless and anti-shine complexion, and I would nod in agreement to all these points, as it leaves your skin with a soft matte finish. I liked the idea of the three colour concealing pigments and definitely think they helped in creating a more even skin tone without having to laden more product onto those troublesome areas. I felt I needed less under eye concealer and it eradicated any redness in my cheeks, but I would worry that if you used too much of this product, it might leave your complexion looking a little flat and monotone. Less is definitely more. 

The downsides to this foundation are as follows...it is only available in a disappointing five shades which is a shame and culls a wide spectrum of possible customers. I luckily found my ideal match amongst the five shades on offer, and can say that 53 Beige Clair is definitely one of the best colour matches I have ever found in a foundation. Another slight criticism is a little scoff at the claim that it will leave you with unseen perfection for up to 16 hours. I felt after a full working day it was beginning to cling to dry patches around my nose and chin, so for me it was near on 9 hours rather than 16 hours - still very impressive and a fair performance for any foundation really.

I have pretty much worn this foundation every day for the past two weeks so if you skim through any of my recent outfit posts, it is most definitely the Bourjois 123 Perfect foundation in shot. At £10.99, it is probably the higher end of the drugstore elite but it really is a good, reliable foundation that helps give you an even and unfaltering matte finish, with a delicate sensation of lightness on the skin.

Are you tempted to try this new Bourjois beauty? Do you shop high end or high street when it comes to foundation?

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