Cover FX total cover cream foundation

Cover fx Total Cover Cream Foundation* - £37
available from House of Fraser and Harvey Nichols

"The Authority on Healthy Foundation" just got better!

Before very recently I had never tried any products from Cover FX. In fact, it was a brand I knew very little about at all so I relished the chance to attend a recent press event and get myself colour matched to their newly, reinvented foundation formulations. The new launch of improved products and packaging has been lead by two chief executives from two beauty giants in the market - Laura Mercier and MAC Cosmetics, so if you are a fan of their base products, then it is very likely you will love what Cover FX has to offer. Firstly, all their products are free of parabens, mineral oils and fragrances so they are friendly to even the most sensitive of skin, as well as helping ease redness and inflammation with the addition of Green Tea Extract and Vitamin C.

The Total Cover Cream Foundation SPF30 comes in a staggering 28 shades, categorised very much like MAC's foundations with your cool, neutral and warm tones. This makes it so easy to find your perfect match and the formulation means this foundation is suitable for all skin types. I am typically a NC25-30 in MAC shades and I was matched to the N40 shade from Cover FX. A little bit too dark for my natural colouring but absolutely fine with a tan. The foundation is a rich, creamy consistency that sits in a palette along with a sponge and handy mirror. The sponge is a little redundant in my eyes so I have been applying and buffing in the foundation with my Real Techniques stippling brush. The foundation is quite hard work to begin with and takes a while to completely buff into the skin and become streak-free, but once you have, the results are amazing. It gives your skin a satin finish, covering every blemish and imperfection in sight. The Total Cover Cream Foundation is definitely a mid to heavy coverage, but manages to stay quite light at the same time. I never feel my skin is left cakey or heavy and a little travels a long way, so you just need to be wary not to overload your brush initially. Also, due to its full coverage, it doubles up brilliantly as a concealer too. I don't really need such a full coverage foundation but it is wonderful for days when you yearn for some extra concealment and a real flawless finish. I have been sheering the foundation out a bit my applying MAC's Strobe Liquid over the top, just to just give my skin a little more luminosity and radiance. But all in all, it does exactly what it says on the tin - it is a creamy foundation that gives you total coverage with a wide selection of shades available to suit everybody.

Have you tried any of the Cover FX foundations?

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LUSH haul

Some new LUSH stuff!

I have never been the biggest Lush fan. I don't own every body butter and bath bomb going, and originally never got the fascination and near-on obsession for all their products. How things have changed! I now find myself visiting Lush more and more, lured in by the powdery-sweet smell and the mountains of bath bombs. My latest purchase includes a soap and selection of face and hair masks in the hope to keep my hair nourished and skin blemish-free as the seasons start to shift. I picked up Mask of Magnaminty partly solely because Sammi mentioned it in a recent blog post and it sounded right up my street. It smells minty-fresh and works as a great exfoliator and skin-stimulator to give you fresh, glowing skin in an instant. The other mask I purchased was the H'Suan Wen Hua hair moisturiser and I am just praying it works better than it smells! This seems like a good, all-rounder hair mask that will improve the condition, lustre and shine of your hair. I am particularly excited for my pamper night so I can give this a whirl. And I couldn't leave Lush without picking up a new soap and quickly navigated towards the prettiest pile of soaps in sight - Angel's Delight which is a delicious mix of fruity and sweet scents, not forgetting a sprinkling of sparkle. Well it wouldn't be a Lush product without a little bit of glitter!

More in depth reviews to follow, but tell me if you been loving Lush recently or have tried any of the above products yourself?

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a splash of prints

Top - H&M

Skirt* - Lavish Alice

Boots - New Look
Cardigan - River Island

Necklace - H&M

Skull bracelets* - Elisha Francis

Yesterday was the first day that I officially felt cold, so on went the heating, the 120 denier tights and the woollen layers. I have been loving the maxi-style skirts recently and this tie-dye splash print piece from Lavish Alice is just perfect with chunky boots and even chunkier knitwear. I kept up with the black and white theme with my lovely skull bracelets from Elisha Francis which are a great, subtle nod to the skull trend at the moment. I am not keen on skull prints and jewellery in an overt way (bar my McQueen!) so these delicate gemstone bracelets are perfect if you want to add an understated rock-chic hint to an outfit. My cardigan from River Island is such an old item now but I find myself wheeling it out every Winter as it does such a fine job at keeping me toasty, although it has reminded me that I need to purchase some new knitwear pronto before the chill really kicks in! Brrrr.

I hope you all had good weekends. Did you go out and see any fireworks, or like me - stay in the warm with tea on tap and plenty of films?

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The Body Shop Colourglide Shine Lipstick in Pink Flash

The Body Shop Colourglide Shine Lip Colour*, 03 Pink Flash - £9
(they don't have this shade online at the moment but should be available in stores)

The Body Shop's makeup range has always been an area that I have sidestepped when in store and frantically stocking up on body butters and hemp hand cream. However with the release a few new exciting products and a recent look at their upcoming Christmas collections, my interest has been reignited somewhat. The latest additions to their makeup collection are the Colourglide Shine Lip Colours, combining shimmer, shine and a dewy finish all with a delicious pop of colour. The packaging is particularly smart with the contrasting silver and rose gold, and the lipstick itself is lovely to use.



The consistency of the Colourglide lipsticks is smooth and long-lasting, and because they are enriched with beeswax and marula oil, they are very moisturising and kind to your lips. Despite being described more as a glaze than a full-on lipstick, I think the colour is wonderfully punchy and didn't require layering or reapplying during the day. Pink Flash is a frosty, warm pink with silvery tones and subtle sparkle running through it, making it a perfect party lipstick for all those Christmas gatherings coming up. I would definitely recommend checking out the Colourglide range if you like your lipsticks with a little bit of lustre and shimmer; and I have to say that Rare Coral is particularly beautiful if you are a fan of the peachy-nude lips.

Have you tried anything from The Body Shop makeup range recently?

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Clarins Odyssey face palette

Clarins Odyssey Face Palette* - £35
available online

Well, you certainly cannot deny that this is a rather beautiful palette. Clarins always come up trumps with their decadent, lavish packaging, especially around Christmas time, and their latest festive offerings are no exception. Some may see this palette as a highlighter, some may see it as a foundation powder - but really it is both, depending on how you choose to use it. The over spray, gold detailing on top is completely superficial and slowly fades after a few delicate brush strokes. For this reason alone, the face powder works best as a highlighter to begin with, giving your cheeks a flush of golden radiance. The powder is silky, lightweight and so finely milled it is dreamy to apply and gives you a very natural, warming shimmer.

Once the golden etching have been brushed away, you have more freedom to use this compact liberally on your face. The powder is still laced with very minute specks of gold so I wouldn't suggest layering it all over your face, but it is perfect for the cheeks, nose, forehead and neckline. It evens out your complexion, gives you a matte-finish with an ever so subtle shimmer that is truly beautiful. Not at all chunky or overly-glittery. I am wearing it above mainly on my cheeks, with a slight dusting on my forehead and down my nose.

Pretty expensive yes, but pretty lovely, definitely! I believe this product is limited edition so maybe one for the Christmas wishlist?

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standing in the dark

Skirt - Primark

Top* - Mint Velvet

Belt - Vintage

Scarf - McQueen

Boots - eBay

Lips - Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in Grandest Grape 

Yesterday I treated myself to a day off work which meant I could indulge in a rare lie in before heading to London to attend a few events in the evening. I wore my new velvet tee from Mint Velvet which is incredibly luxe and begs to be stroked, tucked in to the charcoal grey version of that infamous Primark pleated skirt. I am not sure whether I actually like this skirt on me or not to be honest, I find it makes me look a little...wide but I couldn't not buy it when I saw it in store. I fished my McQueen scarf out from hibernation after a long absence which left me contemplating the purchase of a new colour for AW, ideally the dark purple/red one I think. And I continue (and will continue for some time) to swoon over my new eBay boots which have barely left my feet since I got them! They really are perfect, so so comfy and even clink a little when you walk...just like a real cowboy! :)

I hope you have all had great weeks and are looking forward to the weekend - I know I am. 

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The Little Bubble Co. Strawberry Sundae bath & shower gel

The Little Bubble Bubble Co. Strawberry Sundae, a very wild bath & shower gel - £2.99
available from Boots

I'm not going to lie, I may have bought this product based purely on its colour and the promise of a strawberry sundae sensory experience! The fact that it is paraben and cruelty-free was also a big bonus. I first noticed the colourful line up of The Little Bubble Co. products as I was perusing the shelves of Boots a while ago and was drawn in by the cutesy (Philosophy-like) packaging and their sweet, very sweet fragrance. This bath and shower gel is a lovely product to use - it lathers up beautifully, is really moisturising and gentle on the skin and instantly scents the whole bathroom with its sugary aroma. It was a tough choice which product to try out first but considering it is as cheap as chips and a real pleasure to use, I will definitely be venturing back for Coconut Creme and Vanilla Biscuit. Mmmm...

Have you tried this range before?

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