a bit of eye candy

Eye Candy false lashes are certainly very sweet on the eye with their clashing colours and retro imagery. The 50's and 60's inspired packaging heralds all of the fun and flamboyance of this time, and these lashes are certainly reminiscent of all the chic and glamour that these eras are acclaimed for. Eye Candy lashes are handmade from human hair making them as light as a feather to wear and an instant solution to thicker, fuller lashes.

These lashes were easy as pie to apply, as many false lashes are. Each set comes with their own lash adhesive and a tray for storing them if you wish to opt for multiple use. I personally only ever wear lashes once and then discard their tacky, slightly misshapen and mascara-clad state to the bin. I used a pair of tweezers to help position the lashes as close to my lash-line as feasible. I did have to work quite quickly as I found the glue dried rather speedily, so precision was key. Make sure you have checked that the lashes fit perfectly to your eye before applying them. Simply snip to fit if necessary.


 Below I have applied the 002 classic strip lashes.

The above look is solely just with the false lashes applied. I wanted to show you the effect the lashes gave without any mascara added, so you could witness the soft, fluttery look they created. They are really long and luscious, but enhance your lashes in quite a natural way, with a subtle feline-flare towards the outer edge of the eye. 

And now you can see the dramatic difference once one coat of mascara has been layered on (MAC's Zoom Fast Black Lash to be precise) The false lashes merge flawlessly well with your natural lashes, and I think the extra length and volume they offer makes for a really striking, glamorous eye look. 


Added comment:  {I should have mentioned that my eye makeup was achieved by using 17 Eye Dazzle Eyeshadows in Over the Rainbow and Good as Gold}


Eye Candy eyelashes can be purchased from Boots and justbeautifully.co.uk from just £4.49. I personally think this is extremely good value considering the vast array of lashes Eye Candy have to offer, from strips to individuals, and their notable high quality.


Have these lashes caught your eye?

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Bourjois - Effet 3D Lipglosses

For 10 years now, women have been seduced by Bourjois' popular lipgloss effet 3D; so much so that one gloss is sold every 13 seconds worldwide. In February 2011, Bourjois gave these lipglosses a face-lift and relaunched their much-favoured range with the addition of six new shimmering shades and a brand new formula. A whopping 15 iconic shades now grace the shelves, all offering ultra-shine and protective hydration. 

The new formula contains micro-crystalline waxes to add brilliance and dimension to the gloss, whilst added vitamin C and E leaves the lips plump and hydrated.  These glosses are lovely and rich, with a balm-like texture. They really do glide onto the lips like a dream and smell sweetly-fruity, trumpeting a scent of blackberry, raspberry and blackcurrant.
Below are three of the glosses from the new effet 3D range.

The new contouring applicator brush is softer and rounder, meaning the curves of the lips can be sculpted precisely with the gloss. This range consists of gentles pinks, beiges, browns all the way to rich reds and feisty fuchsias. Nine of the original best-selling shades have been joined by six new gorgeous shades, cumulating in a wonderful collection of colours to suit all whims and wishes.


48 - Rose Romantic, a soft rose
04 - Rose Polemic, a light pink with glimmering tints (NEW)
23 - Framboise Magnific, a purple with a light touch of pearly silver

My absolute favourite out of these three glosses is Rose Romantic (top). I love the subtle golden sheen it leaves on the lips and its pretty subtlety. A perfect Summer colour!


Rose Polemic (middle) is a gorgeous light pink with soft metallic tints. It probably wasn't as pigmented as I had hoped it would be, but I believe it would look very sweet over a baby-pink lipstick; MAC's Viva Glam Gaga for example.

Framboise Magnific is a wonderful fuchsia with delicate silver sparkles. This was the trickiest of the three glosses to work with. I felt it definitely needed a base colour underneath it to really capture its vibrance. I think MAC's Violetta would be the perfect match for this lipgloss. 


Bourjois Effet 3D lipglosses can be found in Boots and Superdrug nationwide and retail at £6.99.
Are you a fan of these classic glosses?

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Bourjois - Paris Ballerine

I was invited last week to attend the Bourjois HQ and become acquainted with their new Spring Summer '11 makeup collection. Paris Ballerine is inspired by the gentle softness of ballet, with shimmering peaches and pearlescent pinks. However, delicately flushed cheeks and natural lips are tainted with a more darker eye look and black lacquered nails. It is all the romance and femininity of ballet with a dark, edgy twist.

Cupcakes, champagne and other delectable morsels were strewed across the table when I arrived at Bourjois and it was lovely to meet the team and the other friendly-faced bloggers. The room was sweetly staged with tutus and leotards, paying homage to the new collection. We were treated to a makeup master class, recreating the promotional image above, using a selection of the new products. After this, much consuming, nattering and lusting over the new products ensued.

The Paris Ballerine collection consists of:
* Volume Glamour Mascara
* 3 x effet smoky pencils (ultra black, new wave blue and sand rose)
* 2 x so laque ultra shine (rose satin and bleu asphalte) 
* 2 x little round pot eyeshadows
* Illuminating Touch highlighter (rose essentiel)
* 3 x sweet kiss naturel lipsticks (rose innocence, rose romantique and rose passionne)


Two of my favourite products are the sweet kiss naturel lipstick in 'Rose Innocence' and the effet smoky pencil in 'Sand Rose'.

The lipstick has a wonderful creamy consistency and is a gorgeous delicate antiqued-pink, making it very flattering and easy to wear. I was also very impressed with the smokey eye pencils, which I hadn't ever tried before. The pencil was soft to apply, and highly pigmented. Sand Rose is a unique ashy-mauve colour, which is perfect for lining the eye or smudging, using the brush on the other end, and a little water.


Paris Ballerine will be released mid April 2011.
What are your thoughts on this upcoming collection?

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bun in the oven

This weekend, as many before, a cloud of flour lingered over my kitchen as I donned my floral apron and busied myself with the creation of my latest tasty treats - jam buns. The reason I love baking so much is I have a ridiculously sweet tooth. I constantly need something on hand to satiate my cravings. I do not relish shop-bought cakes and such, I like to know what is in my food and ultimately home-baked confection is a lot more tasty.


The recipe: makes 12-16 buns

8oz self-raising flour

4oz butter, softened

(whizz the flour and butter together until like breadcrumbs)

4oz caster sugar

1 egg

(combine together until into a soft dough)

Once the mixture is combined, take small sections and roll them into a ball between your hands. The next stage is optional but I like to roll the buns in brown sugar and oats. The mixture will be quite sticky so the oats and sugar easily coat the sweet golden globes. Arrange them on a well floured baking tray, leaving ample room between the buns as they will spread, and then indent them with a little hole. I use the end of a wooden spoon, dipped in flour and then twisted into the dough, about half way through. Fill the buns with the fruity conserve of your choice, I opted for raspberry. Place your buns in the oven (180 degrees c) for 10-12 minutes...et voila...

They are not the most delicate of morsels but my word, they are scrumptious! You cannot beat this classic English fare with a cup of tea in the afternoon.

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a bolt of cobalt

On Friday just gone, myself and my dear friend Claire decided to go to London Fashion Weekend at Somerset House. We have attended for the past umpteen seasons, and it is always such a fun day out. I know I was lucky enough to gain access to London Fashion Week, which is the more exclusive offering before it is unveiled to the public, but this did not detract from my excitement and enjoyment of the day.


The day was spent weaving our way around the maze of our grandiose surroundings, marvelling at some gorgeous designer pieces and enjoying a catwalk show parading some wonderful collections, as well as a few questionable garments. More shopping ensued on Oxford Street where I bought this mustard pleated dress which I am really excited about wearing. Undoubtedly this excitement will exude in a future outfit post. The day was scrumptiously topped off with burritos and drinks at Las Iguanas.


This outing and the recent mild weather gave me the perfect excuse to wear my new cobalt blue sheer blouse from New Look. I love this colour so much, and the gold button detailing. My green-splashed jacket is from H&M, which I actually wore to LFW last season...oh what a fashion faux pas! My tube skirt is courtesy of Topshop, gold-plaited belt is from H&M again and my jewellery is from Accessorize. My wonderful, and much complimented, velvet turban is from Crown & Glory, which I have featured previously here.


(15% discount from Crown & Glory until the end of Feb...just enter PEARLS at the checkout)


I hope you have all had wonderful weekends.

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Wonder Woman

Last week saw the new Wonder Woman collection, from M·A·C cosmetics, being released on the Selfridges website. With a pow and a ka-boom, the collection has really caught the eye of many with its bold colours and iconic comic book artwork. The collection will be launched online on the M·A·C site this Thursday 3rd March 2011.

I had convinced myself that I did not need to indulge in this new collection, despite the lure of its colossal sized lip glosses and mammoth mineralised skin finishes. However when I attended the M·A·C event last week at London Fashion Week, we were treated to two items from the new collection which excited me greatly.

The first product is the super-sized MSF in Golden Lariat. The packaging really is amazing; the show-stopping red trimmed with a bold blue and the lids emblazoned with the classic Wonder Woman logo. As I said before, the MSF is huge, such a size it could be a piece of weaponry that an self-proclaimed superhero would be proud of! Golden Lariat is made up of three powders, a gorgeous, lightly shimmery copper, a rich bronzed brown and a wonderful golden highlighter. Either colour could be worn alone, or be swirled together. I love my MSFs and this one is no exception.

The second product is the cheek duo in Amazon Princess, which once again has been super-sized and mirrors the dimensions of a beauty powder more than your average blush. A satin finish powder, you are faced with a bright, magenta pink and a darker berry-pink laced with gold pearl. I would find this powder a lot trickier to wear. The pink is extremely highly pigmented, a truly invincible colour, so a soft application is paramount. I am not such a pinky cheek girl, opting for more corals and peachy colours, but I will certainly be giving this a go. I particularly love the colour of the smaller side of the cheek duo, it is a little less pow!

What are your thoughts on the new Wonder Woman collection?

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Filthy Gorgeous nails

Filthy Gorgeous London - an apothecary and retail emporium offering a unique, sleek and quick head to toe service ranging from eyebrow-shaping, make up lessons and airbrushed tattoos. Situated in Debenhams on London's Oxford Street and Argyle Street, Glasgow, they offer a beauty packed menu for us ladies to enjoy and indulge in. As well as being preened and pampered, Filthy Gorgeous also offer a vast array of nail polishes, stocking over 30 gorgeous shades. The formulation of these varnishes is wonderfully pigmented, with a super glossy, high-impact finish! The below photos are after two coats, but I could quite easy have gotten away with one.

Top: Tu Tu Much - a bright, summery raspbery shade.
Bottom: Minx - a unique cornflower blue with a subtle lilac undertone.


Filthy Gorgeous nail polishes are formulated with a careful balanced blend of film formers, which resist water, and UV absorbers which maintain colour fidelity and durability. I loved applying these colours, and was stunned by the mirror-like glossy finish, and are lasting well, pleasingly chip-free for two days now. 


The Filthy Gorgeous nail range is available here and each polish retails at £9.
Do you like the look of these? Which one is your favourite?

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