Illamasqua Virgin Lipstick

The very British makeup brand, Illamasqua, have taken to the skies with the very British airways company, Virgin Atlantic, to bring us a sensationally sophisticated new red lipstick in their beautiful, satin rich Glamore finish. To celebrate Virgin Atlantic's 30th birthday and the recent redesign of their infamous scarlet uniforms, Illamasqua has been welcomed on board and are now the proud makeup brand for the cabin crew, enhancing the renowned glamour and style that Virgin Atlantic so effortlessly exudes.

Illamasqua have created Virgin lipstick (£18.50)* in their new Glamore formula which gives you a long-lasting, satin finish with an intense shock of colour. I love, love this creamy formula and am so happy to see a bright injection of colour to the range following on from the gorgeous collection of Glamore Nude lipsticks launched earlier this year. Virgin lipstick has been created to perfectly match the stylish, pantone red image that Virgin Atlantic is so widely recognised for and paired with softly defined eyes and brows with subtle contouring, it gives the staff their truly iconic hot-red lip look. This shade of red is just the right side of cherry-red with blue undertones meaning it will compliment all skin tones and make your teeth look beautifully white and gleaming. The consistency is smooth and comfortable to wear and won't dry on your lips or become patchy which is ideal for Virgin Atlantic cabin crew and staff who are too busy serving G&Ts at 10,000 feet to check their makeup every five minutes! This classy red is seriously lovely and oozes elegance and sophistication so I couldn't think of a better brand partnership that with Virgin Atlantic to celebrate their big three-O. I will definitely be sporting this lipstick a lot over the imminent party season but think I will need to invest in the perfect complimentary lip liner to get that polished finish - Illamasqua recommend using their lip pencil in Lust.

Also, if you are a big fan of Illamasqua and love watching the magic of makeup in motion then this weekend is the Illamasqua Distinction in Makeup Artistry Awards which will see professionals, students and amateurs alike showcasing their skills on stage in front of a formidable judging panel - Alex Box, Julian Kynaston and Spob O'Brien. It sounds like an amazing experience and I just wish I could make it but if you fancy popping along then you can read more about it on the Illamasqua website and purchase your tickets here.

What do you think of the new Illamasqua Virgin lipstick?

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Clinique Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balms

Imagine glowing, rosy cheeks with the swipe of a stick. Well Clinique has got it sorted with their new Chubby Stick Cheer Colour Balm, all the prettiness and ease of a cream blush in a convenient, portable stick-crayon form. Clinique have really mastered makeup on the go for women everywhere with their Chubby Stick Moisturising Lip Colour Balms and the Chubby Stick Eye Shadow Tints for Eyes, all perfect for quick, fuss-free makeup on the move with no mirror required. With the eyes and lips covered Clinique has turned their attention to the cheeks and launched four new chunky cheek colour balms which offer a sheer, creamy shade to give you a perfectly rosy look for all skin tones.

Clinique's Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balm (£19)* are 100% fragrance free, allergy tested and are the ultimate blush without the brush. The dome-shaped design glides smoothly and effortlessly onto the apples of your cheeks, depositing a long-wearing formula with a glowing but not sticky finish. The consistency is silky and fairly sheer on the skin but is easily built up to an intense and gives a lovely finish without being too drying or cakey at all. A combination of Lecithin, Squalane and a healthy dose of vitamin E gives the formula its non-drying properties whilst keeping it water, sweat and humidity-resistant. Available in four shades; 01. Amp'd Up Apple, 02. Robust Rhubarb, 03. Roly Poly Rosy and 04. Plumped Up Peony, these colour sticks are easily swivelled up and blended out onto the cheeks either with a beauty sponge, foundation brush or simply the warmth of your fingertips (my preferred way to apply these balms). My favourite shade has to be Robust Rhubarb which is the prettiest coral-pink shade but I think Plumped Up Peony will be the perfect Autumn Winter cheek colour paired with some berry lips and smokey eyes.

Have you tried these new cheek balms? Which is your favourite shade?

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Zoella Beauty Launch

Possibly one of the most hotly anticipated beauty launches of the year is finally here and I am really excited to share with you all the details from this new range and all the fun and frivolities from the beauty launch itself. I challenge anyone not to be aware of our little Zoe. I hear girls all the time confessing that she was their inspiration to start writing a beauty blog or giving YouTube a go and I have to admit that I am no exception. Zoella was my introduction into this crazy beauty blogging world. Whilst mindlessly googling beauty reviews one day Zoe's online world popped up in front of me and the rest, they say, is history. From Zoe's blog I continued to discover more and more inspirational sites and it was there and then that I knew this was something I wanted to do too. Five years on, nearly a 1,000 posts down and lots of lovely readers later I am so thankful that I stubbled upon Zoe's blog and have watched her grow over the years with such happiness and interest. She now may be an internet sensation but she is still very much the same girl that I met at an Eyeko event for the first time nearly five years ago, unchanged and completely lovely, and it is for that reason that I know so many people admire her and this new launch will undoubtedly be a huge success.

So onto the launch party which was a fabulous night and had Zoella written all over it with a pastel-studded sweets table, a ceiling of pink balloons, a tin bath tub filled to the brim with rose petals and huge art deco mirrors and shabby chic dressers in every corner. I felt I was entering Zoe's own bedroom! We danced, we ate too many macarons and had a good nosey at all the new products that make up this new Zoella Beauty range and I think there will be something that everyone will love.

Zoe's debut beauty collection focuses on a fun and relaxing bath time experience to help you unwind and drift away from life's stresses and strains and indulge in a little me-time. As a sufferer of anxiety, Zoe was very keen to develop a range that would help aid the mind as well as the body and take users to a paradise of serenity and relaxation. I didn't know what to expect from the new Zoella Beauty range but I think this is such a perfect idea and suits Zoe perfectly. The collection consists of a fragranced candle smelling sweetly of creamy vanilla, soft florals and white wood accents, a creamy body lotion enriched with shea butter and vitamin E for an indulgent treat for the skin, a fizz bar to add a bubbly, fragrant splash to your bath time, a bath soak & shower cream laced with aloe extracts to soften and ease your skin and worries, a fragranced body mist enriched with wild strawberry and grapefruit for a fresh, feminine spritz and two gorgeous makeup bags/pencil cases which are just adorable and have already been added to my handbag with all my daily makeup essentials. I adore the soft, spotty packaging, so fun and girlie, and the price points means most girls can go out and treat themselves to one or two items without breaking the bank. I have no doubt that this is just the beginning of the Zoella Beauty story and wish our Zoe every ounce of luck with it all.

You can get your hands on the Zoella Beauty collection online at Feel Unique and also online and in Superdrug stores as of tomorrow!

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Revlon ColorBurst Crayon Matte Balms

Earlier this year Revlon launched a new, reinvented version of their highly popular Revlon Just Bitten Kissable balm stains containing ten new shades with a creamy-matte texture and satin finish. I always favour matte lips over uber glossy lips every time so I was really excited to try these crayons when they first came out and have recently received a few more to add to my collection! The Revlon Colorbourst Matte Balms have a velvety formula with an intense shot of colour whilst giving your lips a dose of hydration and moisturisation. These matte balms are infused with a Triple Butter Complex which means you get the best of both worlds - a gorgeous slick of bold colour as well as a balm-like feel on the lips which makes them extremely comfortable and flattering to wear. Matte yet not drying at all. They are fragranced with a pretty peppermint scent and have a handy little twist up section at the bottom of the crayon so there is no need for a sharpener with these lip pencils.

The Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm (£5.99) line up features a rainbow of shades from your natural nudes, fancy fuchsias, show-stopping reds and sultry purples so there is bound to be a shade to suit everyone. I have been trying out two of their crayons recently and love the near-matte finish and creamy consistency. Firstly I have 230. Complex which is a gorgeous mix of peach and brown giving you a unique nude that is very complimentary and not too light or concealer-like on your lips. The second shade is 235. Mischievous is a really fun orange shade and one that I fell completely in love with. It is bright and punchy and a great colour if you want to try something a little different from your classic pinks and reds. I love the ease and convenience of these Matte Balms and feel the colour lasts well of your lips and never dries them out. They are currently available from Superdrug in their 3 for 2 offer so it is the perfect excuse to stock up. Which shade do you fancy trying?

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Clinique Chubby Stick Baby Tint Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm

First came the Clinique Chubby Stick giving you a bold slick of colour and a glossy pout with a hydrating and moisturising finish for the perfect on-trend lip treatment. After that came a wave of various chunky crayon-style lip products all in various shades and finishes. Now Clinique has released four new Chubby Sticks to make up their newly introduced Baby Tint range which gives you a teeny bit of colour with a hefty helping of moisture. This exciting thing about these new lip colours that they are customised to your skin to give you a unique and personalised colour to help bring out your lips' natural tone. The new Chubby Stick Baby Tint Moisturizing Lip Colour Balms (£17) work with a woman's natural chemistry and blossoms once on the lips to give a revitalised look with a sheer wash of colour that will appear differently on everyone.

These Chubby Stick Baby Tints* are so fun and playful and give you the most full, fresh pout with a pretty glossy finish which doesn't feel sticky or heavy at all. Each product is infused with Vitamin C, Shea butter, mango seed butter and Jojoba seed oil which deliver a gorgeous surge of moisture to the lips, keeping them soft and supple throughout the day. The packaging is sweet and perfect for on the go with a crayon-like applicator to transfer the colour neatly onto your lips and with a little twist up at the bottom of the barrel for when you start to run low. I think if you are after a new lip balm that will give you a very natural, soft wash of colour with a hefty helping of lip-loving moisturisation then these are definitely worth checking out. My personal favourite shade is 03. Budding Blossom. Which do you like the look of?

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Michael Kors White Eau De Parfum

"White...a timeless hue. Always chic. Always luxurious. Always Michael Kors. Tuberose, sweet freesia and musk combine to create the ultimate expression of sheer glamour all year round."

As we slowly enter into the crisp season of Autumn surrounded by golden leaves and smokey bonfires, it is time to switch up my perfume and reach for something a little deeper, a little warmer on the senses. Michael Kors' newest release, White Eau de Parfum, ticks all the right boxes and is the perfect transitional scent from Summer to Winter encased in a luxe, white bottle with the familiar golden writing. Michael Kors White is a gorgeous mixture of freesia, tuberose and musk giving it a delicate floral scent laced with a musky, comforting tone. I am not usually a massive fan of musky fragrances, finding them too heavy and overpowering, but with this one it is subtle enough to remain wearable day or night and instantly gives you a warm, powdery aroma. It is really quite beautiful and cocoons you in a cosy scent which would be perfect to accompany you on crisp, chilly Autumn walks, snuggled up in chunky knitwear and sweet mittens.

Have you had a sniff of this new fragrance from Michael Kors?

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Claudia Louch jojoba moisturiser and mineral mud mask

Ever since I tried the Claudia Louch eye makeup remover a few months ago I became really intrigued with this fairly new-ish skincare brand on the block. The price tag might not be the most purse-firendly but you cannot deny that the quality of these products are really rather wonderful and you can be assured that each lotion, potion, cream and mask has been masterfully created with the knowledge and expertise of Claudia Louch at the forefront. Claudia Louch is a Harvey Street skin specialist and has become internationally-renowned for her cutting edge natural approach to skincare combined with skin science to tailor the individual's needs.

There are two new additions to my skincare regime which I have been currently loving from the Claudia Louch range - firstly the protective jojoba day moisturiser (£52.50) and secondly the mineral mud mask (£52.50), both suitable for all skin types. The jojoba moisturiser contains a powerhouse of high-performance natural ingredients including avocado and grape seed oils as well as shea butter, vitamin A and the antioxidant vitamin E.  The jojoba oil acts as an anti-inflammatory on the skin and helps dissolve excess sebum that can clog pores and cause those unfavourable skin breakouts. I love using this moisturiser in the morning and is light and silky enough on the skin to apply before your makeup routine. It leaves my skin feeling loved - completely hydrated, clear and nourished from only the smallest amount of cream dispensed from the ever so sleek, black glossy packaging.

Next up is the Claudia Louch Mineral Mud Mask and boy do I love a good face mask (and this one is seriously lush!) This mineral mud mask contains a rich mix of pure arctic mineral mud with grape and jojoba seed oil, avocado oil and shea butter for an unique toning effect whilst the skin is detoxified, impurities removed and pores minimised. Like the jojoba moisturiser, this mud mask is packed full of skin-loving elements, is 94% natural, hypoallergenic and free from SLS and parabens. I really like to use this mask once a week (usually on a pampering Sunday evening along with a bubble bath and a hair mask), slathering it on and leaving it for around 20-25 minutes. Once washed off with warm water my skin feels incredibly soft, clean and firm without feeling stripped, tight or dry whatsoever. Whenever I feel my skin is looking a bit dull and needs a nourishing boost then I will definitely be reaching for this mask time and time again.

Have you tried anything from the Claudia Louch skincare range?

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DKNY Be Delicious Sparkling Apple Collection

There is something very special and very iconic about DKNY's apple-shaped fragrance which has become a beauty table staple over the years and a scent that I am sure most people have had in their collection at some point. The classic and the original Be Delicious fragrance has always been one of my favourite, fresh-fruity scents and I remember purchasing my first green-tinted bottle whilst I was actually in the Big Apple over ten years ago. Over the years DKNY have reinvented and given this well-known perfume collection a fun twist including the botanically-inspired City Blossom collection launched earlier this year and the skin hydrating Be Delicious Skin which is the ultimate fragrance with skin-loving benefits.

This season the DKNY Be Delicious collection* has had another makeover and it is a rather sparkling one at that. DKNY introduces a new limited edition fragrance collection - Be Delicious Sparkling Apple, inspired by the glitz and glamour of brilliant festivities. This glittery trio features pink, orange and green tinted juices bottled in the iconic apple with the prettiest, sparkling cap. DKNY Be Delicious Sparkling Apple with its unmistakable green hue is a spirited new fragrance comprising of top notes of green apple, red currants and watermelon. The middle notes include frozen rose drops and violet leaves and then the scent is rounded off by the deeper, warmer notes of sandalwood and amber pearls. The Golden Delicious scent is a playful yet sensual scent with a mixture of grapefruit and juicy cassis laced with a spicy ginger root giving the overall fragrance a crisp and memorable zing. It has the perfect balance of sweet, juicy fruitiness followed by a muskiness of sandalwood and warm amber which creates a gorgeous, almost Autumnal scent. Finally, the pretty pink bottle houses the Be Delicious Fresh Blossom scent which is a festive blend of sparkling neroli infused with crisp apple, tangerine and succulent pear. The gardenia petals give this perfume a delicate floral accent whilst the background notes of warm white woods and musk make this fragrance completely intriguing and a lot richer than the other two, so perfect for an evening time spritz.

The DKNY Be Delicious Sparkling Apple Collection (£37) is limited edition and available now exclusively from The Fragrance Shop. Glitter, gorgeous scents and pretty pastel perfumes - who wouldn't want a bottle or two adorning their vanity tables?! Will you be having a spray and a sniff next time you are in The Fragrance Shop?

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YSL Baby Doll Kiss & Blush lips and cheeks soft matte colours

Is it a blush, is it a lipstick or is it a gloss? In fact, it is all three - introducing Yves Saint Laurent's new, multipurpose products in all their pretty, golden packaged glory. YSL Baby Doll Kiss & Blush Lips and Cheeks stains are the ultimate double player for your lips and cheeks with an incredibly light, air-whipped formula allowing easy application to kiss your cheeks and blush your lips with the prettiest of colours. Available in a range of 12 playful shades, everyone is bound to find a colour to suit them, available on counters and online from YSL Beauty (£27 each).

I have recently been testing out two of the new YSL Baby Doll Kiss & Blush stains, 01. Fuchsia Desinvolte (left) and 03. Rose Libre (right) which give you a lovely bright fuchsia pink or a softer, rose pink tint to your cheeks and lips. These products have a really clever formula which makes them so perfect as both a lip and cheek stain with a gorgeous velvet texture that dries to a semi-matte finish on your lips yet remains luminous and long-wearing on the cheeks. The consistency on the lips reminds me a little of Bourjois' Rouge Edition Velvet lipsticks. Initially the colour looks a little scary when applied to the cheeks but with just a few dots and some delicate blending you can sheer out or build up the intensity as much as you like. And the patented 'hidden pearl' applicator is pretty fab at making the cream formula glide neatly onto your lips with overloading them with too much product. For those of you who love a good 2-in-1, multifunctional product for easy, on the go makeup then these Kiss & Blush lips and cheeks stains are absolutely perfect - I already have my eye on a few other shades for my collection,  Coral Affranchi and Pink Hedoniste in particular!

Have you tried these?

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Kérastase Discipline Hair Range

If you excuse the shocking root growth which urgently needs some attention and the ratty ends that need a good chop, my hair is actually feeling in really good condition at the moment and I have a few key products to thank for this. I have recently been using a new range from Kérastase - the Discipline collection which promises to create fluidity and shine, protect the hair from humidity whilst also strengthening and nourishing your locks from root to tip. For my hair which is always prone to a Monica-in-Barbados frizz reaction whenever faced with the tiniest bit of humidity, this range sounded absolutely perfect and I was excited to give it a go.

The Kérastase Discipline range* comprises of a Bain Fluidealiste (shampoo £17), Fondant Fluidealiste (conditioner £20) and a Maskeratine (luxurious hair masque £27.50) all available from Rush online and local Rush salons. After using this range for a few days I did instantly notice how much more controllable and tame my unruly mane was, making it easier to comb through after my shower and the way it lay flatter and felt softer after I had blow-dried it. The conditioner and hair masque are definitely the star products here and I love treating my hair to an overnight treatment with the masque once a week for deep down nourishment and damage repair thanks to the high concentration of nourishing lipid agents in the conditioner. The masque works superbly well on thick, unruly, chemical treated hair by texturising your hair fibres and adding a huge dose of unprecedented suppleness whilst smelling particularly lovely! Sometimes once I have blow-dried and straightened my hair it feels incredibly dry and lacks some shine or lustre but I think this range has really helped restore some of that shine and radiance that is sometimes so hard to achieve with blonde hair. I would definitely recommend the Kérastase Discipline range if your locks are after a bit of love and nourishment and in need of some help to fight the frizz!

Have you tried this new range? What haircare products are you loving at the moment?

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YSL Couture 5-Color Eyeshadow Palette in 7. Parisienne

Oh Yves Saint Laurent, you have done it again! The lure of the pretty golden packaging has struck again with the release of a selection of new eyeshadow palettes, all containing five unique and flattering colours inspired by a different fashion collection from the House of Yves Saint Laurent. With eleven new palettes in an array of fun and subtle shades, they are the perfect one-stop product for an instant, glamorous smokey eye - comprising of a base colour, highlight colour and then three complimentary shades to colour and contour the eye. All new Couture palettes are available online and on counters (£39.50 each).

I have been testing out Palette No.7 Parisienne* which is one of my favourite selection of shades from the whole collection. The texture of these shadows is silky and long-wearing, nicely pigmented with a pearly finish without being too sparkly. The new formula of these YSL palettes has been developed to be crease-proof and easy to blend whilst feeling lightweight yet stable on the lids. Parisienne is a lovely selection of hues including a pearly white highlight shade, a golden-taupe base colour and then three plummy-pink shadows which look so pretty blended into the crease or brush lightly along the lower lash line. The intensity of these shadows are not ultra pigmented but do offer a medium colour-payoff and do feel incredibly soft and comfortable on application. I am a big fan of shimmery eyes so I love the luxe finish of these eyeshadows and love the fact you have an array of shades to highlight and sculpt as well as taking your look easily from day to night.

Have you tried any of these new Couture palettes from YSL?

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