New Hair: Warm Auburn with Caramel Highlights

For those long and faithful followers of Pearls and Poodles will know that I like to mix up and change my hair colour quite a bit and I think I have debuted pretty much every hair shade on here over the past five years! Back in November I took my long blonde locks in for a makeover and went for a shorter, blunter, dark do (see here). Since then I have gone a little bit shorter and dabbled with a few new colours - most recently this medley of golden, honey and caramel highlights on a warm auburn base. I wanted to keep a really warm, and still relatively light, over all look but add dimension, texture and contrast with the apricot-blonde highlights running through. I always enjoy a reddish tone to my hair as I feel it warms up my complexion and complements the type of makeup I tend to go for so was really happy with how this latest transformation turned out. By the way I am wearing MAC's Brave lipstick above which is my current number one favourite lip shade - it really is as gorgeous as everyone says it is!

What do you think of my new do?

Twitter . Facebook . Bloglovin'

View Post

Tea and Treats

Last week was a week of treats following a rather productive visit to London, most specifically Selfridges and all the beautiful things it has to offer. As Rob and I are departing to New York City next Friday for our little (and somewhat belated) mini moon, I really wanted to get a new passport cover to flash as we fly through security. I had been eyeing up a few on the Aspinal of London website so when I stumbled into the stationery section in Selfridges and saw this pretty soft aqua-blue cover with contrasting pink ribbon marker I couldn't resist picking it up. I also love the fact that Aspinals offer the personalised embossing so of course gave it a personal touch with some silver letterings in the bottom corner.

Just a few steps away, whilst perusing the Mothers Day cards, I was distracted by the little Kate Spade stand offering a whole host of their adorable accessories and fun, slogan items. I am such a hot drink junkie and love a good cup of Earl Grey for an instant wave of comfort and relaxation so couldn't say no to this travel mug to make those morning walks to work or trips to the city a little bit more bearable and warm. Plus I always have chilly fingers so this one was particularly apt!

Finally a little tea box of treats arrived for me this week from Bluebird Tea Co. - my one stop shop for the finest array of fun and deliciously-blended teas. If you are a tea lover like me then you have to check Bluebird Tea Co. out whether shopping online or if you are passing through Brighton any time soon. As part of their seasonal launch they have brewed up a selection of Easter-inspired treats to tempt us to put the kettle on - Hot Cross Bun is a rooibos tea infused with the aroma of currants, cinnamon and freshly baked buns and is utterly divine. An eggs-cellent tea time treat! :)

Twitter . Facebook . Bloglovin'

View Post

Real Techniques Bold Metals Brush Collection

When the Real Techniques makeup brushes were first launched onto the beauty scene a few years ago they really were the game changers in terms of affordable yet fantastic brushes for your eyes, face and lips. The beautiful Pixiwoo girls, Sam and Nic Chapman, had really found that perfect balance between affordability and quality and finally we had a great range of brushes we could all easily pick up after pay day from our local Boots store. I was in love from the very moment I got my first set of foundation and contour brushes and one of my all time favourite brushes, like ever, is the Real Techniques Stippling Brush. It buffs your base product in like a dream!

Having pretty much amassed most of the current collection of Real Techniques brushes over the last few years I was seriously excited to hear that the girls had been hard at work cultivating a brand new, slightly more premium line entitled the Bold Metals Collection* - a beautiful array of modern-looking brushes with the flashiest of silver, gold and rose gold handles. Pretty and practical, the angular handles have been cut specifically so they sit on your makeup table without rolling off - brilliant! They are slightly weighted so they feel comfortable and controlled in your hand and help you apply your makeup like a pro and the hand-cut, shed-resistant bristles are synthetic yet feel so so soft on your skin when you apply your product.

The new collection consists of seven new brushes - two for your base (gold), three for your eyes (silver) and two for your finishing products (rose gold). I have the Tapered Brush (no.300) which feels very luxe and is great for sculpting and highlighting, applying that final flourish of blusher or delicately layering highlighting powder onto the high points of your face. The Arched Powder Brush (no.100) is perfectly domed and sweeps softly across the face to apply pressed or loose powders for a flawless finish. Finally the Angled Liner (no.202) is a firm brush with a slanted head that fits close to the lash line for a smooth, even application of gel or powdered eye liner. This is a great brush to use to apply Bobbi Brown's gel eyeliner for perfect feline flicks.

This luxury line within the Real Techniques range is a great option if you are still after something affordable yet slightly more superior to treat yourself to. Available from Boots and ranging from £10 to £25, these metallic beauties are definitely worth checking out next time you are perusing the aisles of Boots and I would recommend the heading straight for the Tapered or Arched Powder Brush first!

Twitter . Facebook . Bloglovin'

View Post

Tom Ford Vanilla Suede Lipstick

When I acquired Tom Ford's Nude Vanille lipstick a few years ago I didn't think there was any room in my collection for a lipstick much paler than this. I was wrong. Tom Ford has given us a shade that is even cooler, even paler and a tad frosty for the ultimate nude lip. A pale beige with an ethereal, luminous quality.

Tom Ford's Vanilla Suede lip colour, available from Selfridges (£37), is possibly one of the palest lipsticks I own and it is only down to its sheer, light finish on the lips that saves it from being a total no no and a one way ticket to washed-out, ghost lips. Beige-tinged with a slight golden-pink shimmer, it is actually a very wearable colour whether you choose to lightly patted it on bare lips or to layered it over a brighter, matte shade to give your lipstick a luminous finish. As opposed to the majority of Tom Ford lipsticks which have a creamy, satin formula, Vanilla Suede contains micro-shimmer which brightens up your complexion and adds a radiant, glowing dimension to the lips. Despite the shimmer the consistency still has that notable smoothness that make TF lipsticks so attractive and glides on beautifully without pulling or dragging the skin. It won't be everyone's cup of tea but for a cool-toned nude lipstick that delivers a soft wash of colour then this is perfect. Plus you cannot deny the beauty of that alluring Tom Ford packaging!

Twitter . Facebook . Bloglovin'

View Post

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation

When it comes to makeup I would like to think that foundation is my forte! Base products get me excited and I love sampling new foundations on the eternal mission to find that absolute must-have to give me skin like a perfectly-filtered instagram photo. I always have quite a stash on the go at the same time; the light, dewy option for a simple day time look, the higher end, higher coverage one for those 'bad skin days' and those faithful foundations that I can pick up and feel assured will perform time after time. Another day I think I will need to share with you my top five ten foundations of the moment...but for the time being I just want to focus on my latest base product purchase that has certainly lived up to all the hype and my own expectations.

I purchased the much-raved about Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation (£35) from Space NK a few months ago and knew it was going to be something special from the moment I got colour matched in store. This foundation smooth, creamy and quite a thick consistency but doesn't feel heavy or 'mask like' on the skin. It blends in beautifully, either with your fingers or a buffing brush, and instantly makes any imperfections, red marks, fine lines or uneven squinting instantly disappear. It is highly pigmented so you only need a little bit to cover your whole complexion and will give you a medium to full coverage look whilst still feeling fresh on the skin. As the name would suggest the formula is wonderfully silky and practically melts into your skin as you start to apply it. It is a great foundation to lightly apply and wear everyday with the assurance it will last from morning to night or to keep it aside as a special foundation for fancy nights out to give you the most flawless base. The finish is soft and satin-like with a natural effect - it isn't dewy or even that luminous but gives you a very delicate glow which sets it apart from other high-coverage foundations that can seem a bit heavy, cakey or flat on your face. The finish is matte enough that you hardly need any powder on top to set it - in fact I either leave my makeup bare and un-powdered or just give it a light dusting along my t-zone.

Laura Mercier's Silk Creme is seriously a beautiful foundation and has lived up to all my hopes and dreams! If you are after a new base product then I would definitely recommend giving this a whirl.

Twitter . Facebook . Bloglovin'

View Post

Clarins Garden Escape Eye Palette

Wearing Benefit's Roller Lash mascara (boy, this stuff is good!) and Tom Ford's Vanilla Suede lipstick

Well hello March! Where did those last few months go? It feels like only yesterday I was counting down the days until Christmas and we were enjoying cosy nights in by the fire and long, wintery walks. Now everything is feeling fresher, lighter and more Spring-like. This is one of my favourite times of the years, firstly because of the shift of seasons and secondly because of all the Spring-Summer beauty collections that start to launch. I always look forward to seeing what Clarins bring out for their Summer release as you can always guarantee a pretty range of lip colours and a beautiful, soft eyeshadow palette and I am happy to report that this year they haven't disappointed.

The Garden Escape Spring 6-colour Eye Palette* (£32) is a limited edition palette inspired by the colours of a radiant garden and the scent of unique flowers. It reflects blossoming, luscious greens, petal pinks, snowdrop whites and woody browns. All the shadow shades are fresh and luminous and work in perfect harmony to brighten and complement a delicate complexion. This 6 shade palette, decorated with floral designs, has a mixture of smooth satin and pearly-shimmer powders giving you the option to wear the day or night with a varying intensity. The colours are so sophisticated and pretty and even the pink shades, which seemed a little daunting to begin with, are so lovely to place all over the lid to brighten the eyes and give a natural look. The powders can be used dry for a soft, subtle finish or slightly dampened for a more intense flash of colour for a night out maybe. I used the lighter pink and white shades all over my lids and in the corners before blending in the gorgeous taupe shadow through the crease. I lined my lower lash line with both leafy green hues layered on top of each other and finished with lashings of my favourite mascara at the moment!

Has the new Clarins Summer launch given you a spring in your step? Do you love the look of this eye palette as much as I do?

Twitter . Facebook . Bloglovin'

View Post

Philosophy Fresh Cream Range

If sweet, saccharine scents are your cup of tea then this new Fresh Cream Collection from Philosophy will give you all the enjoyment of a freshly whipped dessert without the guilty calories. The Fresh Cream range has expanded and has welcomed an indulgent shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath all-in-one product as well as a spray fragrance housed in a delicate glass bottle to delight your senses.

The unique 3-in-1 formula of the shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath* (£19.50) provides a rich, foaming lather to cleanse and condition skin and hair leaving everything feeling silky smooth and soft with the whiff of creamy vanilla. I am not such a fan of this as a shampoo (I am quite fussy when it comes to my haircare) but as a special bath time treat poured under the running water it is a wonderful addition especially if you chuck in a lush bath bomb as well. As a shower gel it is really lovely too and lathers up a treat leaving your skin feeling and smelly sweet and beautifully conditioned.

The Fresh Cream spray fragrance* (£34) is a scent laced with all the essence of whipped cream enhanced by soft floral notes of almond blossom and vanilla milk to keep it from being too sickly sweet. It is delicate and lightly scents the skin without being too overwhelming but you do really have to like creamy sweet scents in order to get on with this one. I always love the clean simple packaging of Philosophy and love having this bottle sitting prettily on my dressing table.

The Fresh Cream Range is out now and is available from John Lewis. Will you be giving it a spritz and a sniff?

Twitter . Facebook . Bloglovin'

View Post