NARS Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Goddess

When it comes to eyeshadow I always find myself gravitating towards bronze/golden shimmery shades. I never like to wear anything too heavy on my eyes in favour for a brighter lip so I find myself reaching for my Naked palettes and MAC shades such as All that Glitters and Mythology time and time again. I have a plethora of different powder shadows but when it comes to eye shadow pencils, my collection is a little depleted. I love the ease and precision of using a pencil to shade the eyelids and since I picked up and loved the By Terry Ombre Blackstar eye crayon, I decided I needed to add a few more pencils to my collection.
The NARS Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Goddess is a beautiful pink-champagne shade that is smooth and creamy to apply without any pulling or tugging of the eye area. It glides on nicely but does need some blending in with a soft brush or your finger to avoid major creasing which I found a bit disappointing. The crayons are a great portable additional to your makeup bag for easy touchups during the day and can be used to line, shade or simply highlight the eye by placing this shimmery colour in the corner of your eye to give them a soft glow. Due to their tendencies to crease I prefer to use this crayon to either highlight, line my lower lash line or as a base for another shadow over the top - MAC's All That Glitters for example works perfectly and creates a gorgeous, golden shimmer.

Have you tried any of the NARS soft touch shadow pencils?

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Jo Malone Tuberose Angelica Limited Edition Cologne

I have sniffed and sampled my fair share of Jo Malone fragrance over the past few years of beauty blogging and never fail to be inspired and excited by each and every new scent and limited edition bottle they release. Whether it be floral, wood, fruity or just a bit curious (Earl Grey and Cucumber, I'm looking at you!) there is rarely a scent or candle that I don't really like from this exquisitely British brand. That said, I think their latest limited edition release - Tuberose Angelica, might be more of an acquired taste with its heady concoction of the voluptuous tuberose, the green spice of Angelica and the sumptuous warmth of amberwood. It is rich, decadent and powerful - a far cry from my usual floral or fruity fancies.

The tuberose, a sensual flower that only blooms at night, is extremely intoxicating and takes the lead in this scent, giving the overall fragrance a dark, captivating allure that would be best suited for an evening time spritz in preparation for an intimate soiree with your lover perhaps! Despite this scent not being my favourite, you cannot deny the limited edition packaging is beautiful, presented in a precious bottle inspired by the delicate, intricate fretwork of Jali screens. The fragrance also lends itself perfectly to be combined with a softer, fresher fragrance from the Jo Malone family to give the scent a whole new dimension. Paired with English Pear and Freesia the fragrance becomes a lot lighter with a feminine kick of white florals and fruitiness.

Jo Malone's limited edition Tuberose Angelica cologne is available online and in stores. Does this intense fragrance appeal to you?

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Scalloped sleeves

This weekend the sun shone and it was blissful. I decided to wear my new playsuit* from Warehouse and take a stroll along the country lanes and fields with Rob and admire the beautiful surroundings where our wedding will take place in just under four weeks time! I adore this new Warehouse white scalloped playsuit with its light woven material, culotte style shorts and pretty scalloped sleeves and mid section. it is lovely and loose and wonderfully flattering whether worn with wedges or heels for a night out or sandals and a floral crown for the upcoming festival season. I opted for my aqua blue wedges from New Look and an old statement necklace from Accessorize and loved how the pops of colour worked against the neutral piece. And the greatest thing about this playsuit is that the top section is a separate part so can be removed and paired with skinny jeans or cute denim shorts for a whole new look! Perfect.

Have you been enjoying the sunshine this weekend? Have you bought anything recently from Warehouse?

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Clinique Moisture Surge CC cream compact

Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream Compact Hydrating Colour Corrector SPF25* £30
available on counters and online

Everywhere you look these days there is a new BB or CC cream cropping up and this whole new realm of base products can be a little overwhelming. I have discovered a few new BB ands CC creams that have slowly made their way into my daily makeup routine but nothing that has particularly wowed me. The latest CC release I've been trialling comes from Clinique whose base and foundation products I have always liked so I had high hopes for this new launch.

The new Moisture Surge CC cream compact is particularly exciting as it is one of the first BB/CC products that is presented in a handy, portable compact rather than a liquid/tube format. This treatment product promises to give you natural, glowing skin in one easy step whilst hydrating, protecting and perfecting all at once. It is rich in moisturising agents that comfort dry and thirsty skin upon application giving dull skin an instant radiance. The colour correcting properties also help achieve a flawless, even coverage by cancelling out any ashy, sallow or red tones in your skin to give a perfected finish all over. Finally this CC cream incorporates a blend of sunscreens for UVA protection and contains a SPF25 so creates a barrier for the skin to keep it as healthy as possible especially during the summer months.

The formula of this CC cream is ultra-smooth and silky and blends effortlessly into the skin. I didn't really rate the sponge so opted for my usual Real Techniques buffing brush which helped create a flawless finish. The coverage is a lot heavier than many of the other CC creams I have used but still felt light and fresh on the skin but covered any blemishes or flaws really well. The shade range isn't particularly extensive with only six different shades available at the moment but this is definitely worth checking out if you are after a multi-functional formula that is a little lighter than your normal foundation and want a boost of hydration if you suffer from dry or thirsty skin.

Have you tried this new launch? What is your favourite CC cream of the moment?

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Thierry Mugler Angel Eau Sucrée

Thierry Mugler Angel Eau Sucrée* £41.50
A Summer 2014 limited edition ode to indulgence

With its candy-striped packaging and sugar-coated bottle, this new fragrance from Thierry Mugler is certainly any sweet lovers' dream.  This Summer sees the iconic Angel scent being transformed into a desirable and mouth-watering limited edition perfume that takes you on a delicious journey through a French patisserie inspired by the wide-eyed innocence of childhood and old fashion confectionery. First stop is the mountain of sugary sweet caramelised meringues giving the scent a tempting accord followed by a scoop of red berry sorbet which keeps the fragrance fresh and tantalising. Finally Angel Eau Sucrée is finished off with the softness of vanilla and slight woodiness of patchouli which gives the scent that recognisable Angel accord.

I personally love this scent. Yes it is sweet but the fresh burst of the tangy red berries keeps it from being too sugary and overwhelming once spritzed on the skin. Once the fruitiness has subsided you are left with the sweet, chewy remnants of a crumbled meringue which lingers beautifully on the skin and would be the perfect fragrance to choose for a summer picnic or some al fresco dining. Definitely worth a sniff next time you are passing through the perfume aisle.

Have you tried this new limited edition scent from Thierry Mugler?

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Illamasqua Matte Lip Liquid

Illamasqua Matte Effect Lip Liquid* £18.50 in Exotic (vivid orange) and Surrender (warm peach)
available on counters and online

Is it a gloss? Is it a lipstick? No, it is the new matte lip liquid from Illamasqua and boy are they good! Coming in three exciting shades the matte lip liquid come with an innovative formula which allows easy precise application - letting it glide on like a gloss but within seconds drying to an intense finish with a strikingly vibrant colour. The shade is long lasting and completely water-resistant once on the lips and will literally last for hours, through tea breaks, warm walks to work and more. Literally no feathering, transfer or budging. It really did take some elbow grease and a lot of Bioderma to take the colour off at the end of the day!

The packaging is new and improved from Illamasqua's previous lipgloss tube and doe-foot applicator. The 4ml gloss is housed in a chunky cylinder tube with a flexible brush applicator which makes it easy to fill your lips in precisely and build up the colour to an intense pop of colour. The texture is thick so a little goes a long way and you do have to work quite quickly before the lip liquid dries to a completely matte finish. I like wearing matte lipsticks so the feel on the lips was quite comfortable for me but if you are more of a lip gloss and balm kind of girl then the new matte effect lip liquid might take some getting use to. I think these are awesome, absolutely perfect for an easy, long-lasting lip option for the upcoming summer festivals and I am excited to perhaps treat myself to the third shade in this trio, Forbidden - a sensual, lavender pink colour.

Have you tried these new matte lip liquid from Illamasqua?

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Our Engagement Shoot

Despite being together for over twelve years Rob and I have never had a formal photo shoot done together. Forced awkward stances in front of a white screen has never taken my fancy and I honestly didn't even think the idea of doing an engagement shoot would ever appeal to me. That was until I was introduced to Katherine Ashdown, wedding photographer and all round lovely lady, through my bride-to-be blogging pal Jen. As part of Katherine's wedding package she offers couples a chance to have an engagement shoot with her a few months prior to their special day to help you feel at ease in front of the camera, practice those important angles and most importantly have fun and take away some images to cherish forever.

Booking our wedding photographer was my number one priority after Rob and I got engaged last March. Due to my love and passion for blogging and enjoyment of sharing images on many of my social media channels, I knew how important it was to us to have the most beautiful of imagery to capture our wedding day and once I had seen but a few of Katherine's recent shoots I knew she was the perfect match. Katherine's style compliments our personal style down to a tee. Her work is natural, whimsical, light and fun. She effortlessly seems to capture that endearing moment between a bride and her father at the first moment he sees his daughter in her wedding dress, the apprehensive glances from the groom peering up the aisle waiting for his bride's arrival and those jubilant giggles over a glass of champagne as the bridesmaids excitedly get ready. We headed to the North Norfolk coast and for over two hours completely lost ourselves in the magic of the shoot. Any initial fears and worries were quickly dispelled once we had pumped the balloons up and chosen our favourite pastel beach hut to sip our drinks on. I think it is so crucial to completely gel with your wedding photographer and I can honestly say that Katherine is a dream to work with (plus she loves cats and all things florals!). I think she could make anyone and any location look utterly beautiful - it's just astonishing. I am so excited to have Katherine with us on our wedding day in just five weeks time and know that she will capture all those little details from the day that we have lovingly crafted and created over the past year and have become so special to us and no doubt I will be back soon sharing some more snaps from our special day!

If you are saying your "I dos" soon or simply want to capture some happy moments with you and your family then I cannot recommend Katherine Ashdown enough and plenty more photographs of sweet, loved up couples and some dreamy wedding dresses can be found on her website and Facebook page if you fancy swooning some more.

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