Illamasqua Androgen cream pigment

Wearing Androgen on my cheeks and lips. A coral cream pigment from Illamasqua
currently in the sale!

Illamasqua's cream pigments are a rare breed of product that can be worn and used practically any way your heart desires. This intense colour pigment is a completely matte, crease and water resistant option for eyes, cheeks, lips and the body and can be worn opaque or sheered out for varying degrees of intensity. Androgen is a gorgeous bright pink coral shade that is equally wonderful when worn as a cream blush or a lip stain. In the pan, the consistency of the cream pigment is quite solid and ungiving and it takes a while and the warmth of your fingers to transform it into a more silky, usable texture.

Blending the colour onto your skin with your fingers is definitely the best technique when using the cream pigment as otherwise it can be quite tough to apply and using a brush can cause it to go a little patchy. As the texture would suggest, the finish is pretty matte, so if you like a more dewy glow you could always layer a cream highlighter over the top - I used Illamasqua's Gleam in Aurora above.

As a lip colour, Androgen is a little trickier to use but gives a lovely result providing your lips are well prepped and you apply the pigment with some balm before or gloss on top. The illamasqua pigments are the epitome of versatility when it comes to a multi-purpose product and are great, dinky little pots to carry around with you if you are on the quest to minimise your makeup bag!

Have you tried any of the Illamasqua pigments?

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NEOM Complete Bliss Organic Body Oil

NEOM Complete Bliss Moroccan Blush Rose Organic Body Oil* £30
available online

I really like body oils. I love the way they make my skin feel insanely soft and nourished and often find they are much nicer to apply than a heavy moisturiser, especially during the hot summer months. Most recently I have been using The Body Shop's Coconut Beautifying Oil which is heavenly to use and smells of pina coladas on the beach. Along with coconut and vanilla, oh and lavender, one of my favourite scents ever is rose so I was really excited to try out one of the new organic body oils from NEOM.

Complete Bliss is a really unique blend of Moroccan Blush Rose, modernised with a hint of lime and black pepper which makes this body oil uplifting and completely indulgent. I like to apply it to nearly-dry skin just after a bath or shower to really pamper and nourish my whole body. The body oil is packed full of goodness like Organic Safflower, Jojoba, vitamins and essential fatty acids which all help with skin repair and overall softness and silkiness. For an everyday treatment this oil is just beautiful (and not at all greasy!) but is also perfect as an instant remedy for dry areas of skin that need a boost of hydration. There are two other scents available so if you aren't head over heels about roses then maybe lavender or sweet basil might float your boat?

Do you enjoy pampering your skin with a body oil?

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Accessorize beauty lipsticks - Infatuated and Head Over Heels

Infatuated and Head Over Heels lipsticks* from Acccessorize
available online and in stores (£5 each)

When Accessorize launched their beauty collection last year there was naturally one particularly range that stood out to me and that was their lipsticks. Not only is the packaging adorably kitsch but the colour range and payoff is brilliant with a purse-friendly price tag to match. Last year I featured two of their finest shades, Obsessed and Passionate, and now I am back with another colourful duo - Infatuated which is a rich, berry-purple and Head Over Heels, a fabulous true red.

The consistency of the Accessorize lipsticks isn't the easiest to work with and are very similar to MAC's Matte lipsticks which need patience and well-prepped lips to apply, but the results are definitely worth it. The finish is vivid and bright and incredibly long-lasting but I do suggest investing in a matching lip pencil or brush to help create a clean line around your lips. Head Over Heels is definitely my favourite out of the two as it is such a classic red shade that would be the perfect shade to accompany a dewy complexion and some feline flicks. Infatuated is a slightly more daring shade but looks gorgeous when layered with a berry lipgloss and bronzed cheeks.

Which is your favourite shade? Have you tried any other products from the Accessorize beauty range?

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MOM jeans and lace

Lace top - Primark

Jeans - Topshop MOM jeans

Necklace - H&M

Heels - Vivienne Westwood Melissa peep toes 

Belt - H&M

Just a quick outfit from the weekend. As you can see, I am still loving my Topshop MOM jeans and their amazing versatility when it comes to dressing an outfit up or down. Half an hour before these photos were taken I was kicking back on the sofa watching Wimbledon in my jeans and converses but after a quick slick of lipstick and a shimmy into my new lace vest, I was good to hit the town! My lace vest from Primark is my favourite recent purchase and for a mere £3.50, I will certainly be picking up some of the brighter colours on offer. The scalloped detailing on the straps and around the neckline is just so pretty and if you think the sheer material is a little too risque for you then you could always wear it under a cardigan or kimono style jacket. And as for my shoes...well they speak for themselves really. They are definitely the kind of item in your wardrobe that instantly makes you smile whenever you wear them. Happy feet!

I hope you all had a lovely weekend and enjoyed the glorious sunshine. :)

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Sweet and Sour MAC lipstick

MAC Sweet and Sour lipstick - £14

available in stores and online

I don't like to play favourites when it comes to my makeup and I especially don't like it when it means deciding on my favourite MAC lipstick. Saint Germain, Hue, Show Orchid and Snob will always hold a place in my heart but ever since I picked up Sweet and Sour from the new All About Orange MAC collection, it has rarely left my lips. A cremesheen pinky-nude with a hint of peach, I knew there was very little chance I wouldn't like this lipstick! It has a beautifully smooth consistency with good pigmentation and a sheeny-glossy finish. It is like Shy Girl with more oomph and is now a firm favourite in my collection. The only downside...it is limited edition and seemingly sold out everywhere! If you can get your paws on this lipstick, I highly suggest you do!

Did you pick up anything from the All About Orange collection?

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Wella Professionals Colour Recharge Cool Blonde conditioner

Wella Professionals Colour Recharge conditioner Cool Blonde £11.85
available from a Wella salon near you!

I use to change my hair colour as often as I changed my lip colour. I was frivolous and slowly made my way through all the shades of the rainbow, from black to red to purple and everything in between, until I landed on blonde. And here is where I have stayed for nearly a whole year which feels like a lifetime by my standards. I love love being blonde but it is impossibly difficult to keep it looking fresh and vibrant, without killing it with bleach every six weeks, and don't even get me started on the roots. To help boost my blonde I have used a plethora of different colour care shampoos, conditioners and hair masques with varying degrees of success and most recently I have been trialling a conditioner from the Wella Professionals Colour Recharge range aimed at refreshing the cool blonde tones in your hair.

The premise of the Colour Recharge range is to help protect hair against fading and keep coloured hair looking vibrant and fresh between salon visits which is exactly what I want for my hair after I've had a fresh batch of highlights. This new collection features products for blondes, brunettes and redheads and gives lightweight nourishment whilst depositing just enough colour where it is needed to keep locks looking and feeling renewed. The Cool Blonde conditioner unsurprisingly is bright violet which helps eliminate any yellowing from the hair and removes the dreaded brassiness which is inevitable for all blondes over time. This particular product was actually used at the SS13 Missoni fashion show in Milan to help prolong a model's bespoke blonde during the multitudes of hair washes and styling sessions encountered throughout Fashion Week.

I am really enjoying using this Wella conditioner and was impressed to see the results as I put together my before and after pictures. The change isn't dramatic but I can see my hair looks a little brighter and fresher since I started using it a few weeks ago and it certainly feels lovely and nourished. I tend to leave it on for a few minutes before washing it off and am pleased that I haven't experienced the dreaded blue-rinse-look that can often occur when using purple shampoos and conditioners which makes this a great new addition to my haircare hoard!

Have you tried this new range from Wella?

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floral peplum

Peplum top - H&M

Jamie jeans - Topshop

Heels - Primark
Lipstick - MAC Saint Germain

So I may be a season too late but I finally bought a peplum-style top, my first ever one, and I really really like it. I wasn't sure if the style would particularly suit me or if I'd find it too frilly and fussy but paired with some simple, skinny jeans it seemed to just work. I love the bright clash of colours of this H&M top, (which I think is now in the sale - go quick!), and where some might have gone for some understated shoes to contrast, I was not going to miss the chance to wear my new Primark beauties. Comfy and colourful, I definitely urge you to pick a pair up if you can still get your paws on them as they are pretty much perfect! Definitely an outfit to bring a bit of colour to an otherwise dismal day.

 Have you partaken in the peplum trend this season?

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