Monday 16 December 2013

Kate Spade - New York, Concrete jungle where dreams are made of..

Hello Chickies,

I have a new love in my life - no the boy hasn't chucked me!
I have fallen head over heels for Kate Spade. Whilst I was in Florida the boy and I did a spot of shopping.
 I decided way before my holiday that I was going to treat myself to a new designer bag out there, I knew there was a Michael Kors outlet in Orlando, now I will admit that I haven't looked into Michael Kors so I didn't know what to expect, but from what I heard I wasn't excited like a kid on Christmas morning. I know a lot of people love Michael Kors so I was looking forward to seeing what all the hype was about - however as soon as I walked past Kate Spade I knew Michael Kors was a distant memory.

I have heard a few of my favourite youtubers/bloggers talking about Kate Spade, I have been admiring the collections from afar (across the pond). When I came across the Kate Spade store in the Premium Outlets in Orlando, I was in such a state of excitement I was almost inconsolable, to further my excitement there was 70 - that's right 70% off! Understandably I couldn't just buy one bag I had to buy two along with the matching bus pass holder..

Since being back I have had a sort of love affair with my bags, they are my most prized possessions, and my Kate Spades take the crown!

I have recently found out that Kate Spade can now be found in Selfridges in London, 5 minutes from where I work *cue excitement*!
I have picked out a few of my favorite items to share with you, sharing the Kate Spade love tell me what you think...

Tuesday 10 December 2013

Orlando FL 2013 in Pictures

Hey Chickies,

Following my last post about my American Addictions in terms of make up (I also have an addiction to american food, theme parks, and bars), I have decided to share my holiday in snippets from my trip! I took far too many pictures, I literally took pictures of everything I could to saver the moments in every which way possible, and also so I could share the memories with my family and friends and of course you lovely chickies as well. 


I had such an amazing holiday, I would recommend Orlando to anyone who is a giant kid like me and they boy are! I am already badgering the boy to book again, I could happily go twice, three times a year for the next ten years and still be complete content with everything there!
I am going to be sharing a few of my favourite pictures from my trip - warning this post may be slightly picture heavy!
Our first day was the most magical, we went to Disney Magic Kingdom to kick start our trip, I love this photo because the first Disney character we saw was Minnie Mouse, and if you know me then you will know I am basically a real life Minnie Mouse, I love her - as you can tell by my expression on my face!




I just love Minnie Mouse!




AMAZING Wishes fireworks, our bus was picking us up at 9 so we had to dash back to Epcot so we didn't get to see the whole show but what we did see was amazing, they also had a colour magic show before where they projects scenes and images from various Disney films onto the castle
- Now that was amazing!

I was over whelmed with size of everything in America, I was amused for at least ten minutes marveling at how big this glasses of coca cola was! This was on our second day, our shopping day at Premium outlets and the Mall of Millenia and ... Walmart!
Whilst the boy was shopping practically, buying Levi jeans, Adidas trainers and all things that are typically cheaper in America then in the UK, and then there was me filling up on sweets!

  
This was all in one shopping trip, ever so slightly greedy?


We just had to get pictures in front of the famous Epcot 'golf ball' otherwise known as Spaceship earth!

Back into the Disney swing of things, we had a day at Epcot (the educational park) and Hollywood Studios (my fave!) 


The Hollywood Studios water tower, this picture holds a special place in my heart because this was taken straight after I volunteered me and the boy to be in the Backlot Tour show in front of an audience of amused Disney go-ers, little did I know that the boy would get absolutely soaked, much to my amusement however! I am kicking myself for not asking anyone to take a picture of us in the show!
Along with shows, Hollywood Studios has some on the best rides, one being the Rock N Roller coaster, it was simply amazing, I don't want to ruin it for any potential Orlando go-ers so I will leave it at that. It also has The Tower of Terror which could well be my favourite ride!


That's right - I hugged Pluto!!


Our 'adventures' in Universal were out of this world, as an avid Harry Potter fan, we a made a be line to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the rumors are true its is incredible!



In Universal we became the biggest kids of all!

After a long day around the parks.. one last stop MOES in The Simpsons land!



and what trip would be complete without a selfie?



Hope you enjoyed that little sneak peak into my trip, if you would like to know more about orlando please leave a comment! 

Until Next Time,
Jess 

xxx


Wednesday 23 October 2013

American Addiction

Hey Chickies,

As you may or may not know, I have recently been to US of A, to the most magical place on the earth Disneyworld! The boy took me to Orlando Florida as a present for my 21st birthday - I know he is a keeper right!?

Since being back from Florida, I have become slightly addicted to all things American, my make up bag is filled to the brim with things from across the pond, completely overtaking all my old products from good old Blighty!



The second day I was over there was a day we solely allocated to one of my favorite past times shopping! We started off in the premium outlets on I-Drive (international drive for those of you who are not as obsessed as me ha), I was really excited  about this mall as they have a Cosmetics Company Outlet (CCO), a shop full on discounted Estee Lauder brands including Bobbi Brown, MAC, Clinque, Origins, and of course Estee Lauder themselves. Surprisingly I only picked out one thing from the CCO, shocking I know!
I picked up the Estee Lauder Illuminating Powder Gelee in 01 Shimmering Sands, so far I have loved it, I have been sporting it everyday since I have been back! It is a gorgeous dusty rose/bronze colour with very small subtle glitter flex and a beautiful wave of golden shimmer running through. Its the perfect colour all year round, giving the sought after look of a healthy glow, its fairly similar to my well loved Mac Sunbasque blusher, however the Estee Lauder blush has a longer staying power and it is more shimmery and less glittery than Mac Sunbasque.

After the premium outlets we hightailed over to the Mall of Millenia. After having a HUGE lunch at The Cheesecake Factory, we began our mammoth shop.
What happened to be the first shop I saw? Well to my surprise it was Sephora.. The mothership was calling me home! Due to my extensive planning I had already looked at the Mall of Millenia shop directory and it didn't have Sephora on it, so you can imagine a delight when I saw it there in all its glory! The artist in there told me it had only opened 5 days prior to me getting there, must have known I was coming.
My poor boyfriend had to follow me around for about 45 minutes, maybe an hour! Bless him however he had obviously taken note when I was rambling on about what make up I cant get in the UK because he was pointing things out to me like Make-Up Forever and suggesting different products to me, he's a good egg!

I ended up getting 6 things and all 6 have made it into my everyday make up bag! All things that I have chosen are products I can't get or is really hard to get in the UK. I was in the there for well over 45 minutes - I can hear you all saying poor poor boy!

The first thing in the firing line was the Anastasia stand, I wanted so much from Anastasia, as I have heard such good things about it on the blogosophere and youtube world! After frantic swatching I decided on the Anastasia Brow Wiz in Brunette, I have been using it but it is taking me a while to get used to it as I am so used to wearing powder in my eyebrows.

Next up was Make Up Forever, I knew I wanted the Smokey Lash Mascara but I debating on the HD foundation but after searching I couldn't find it in my shade. I asked the artist working there, who was lovely I may add, suggested that I get colour matched so I agreed, however he colour matched me like I had never been colour matched me before, he used this little machine called the Colour IQ Pantone machine. Pantone is all the different shades of every colour, it goes into the depths of each shade of every colour - very technical. He took 3 snapshots on the Colour IQ Pantone one from my neck, one from my cheek and one from my fore head, he also entered my skin type and my coverage preference (medium if you would like to know), he matched me to all different foundations around the store, we came to a mutual decision to try the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hr Foundation, it is a matte full/medium coverage foundation, as soon as I looked in the mirror it looked like perfection, my recent breakout/nightmare was completely covered without looking like a have a cake face, so that went straight in my basket, I was feeling slightly impulsive you know being in Florida and all that sun must have gone to my head. I am using it at the moment, I have to have I love it I am going to get another foundations because I want keep my Tarte one for special occasions I love it that much! Shortly after my foundation frenzy I went a bit nude lips crazy and another three products made it into my basket, all nude lip themed!
Beside the Tarte stand I spotted an array of Korres products, including the infamous lip butters, I be lined for the Jazmine flavour, I haven't looked back since its is simply gorgeous!
At this point my baskets was brimming, whilst I strolled around the shop, I was trying to think back at the numerous American youtubers that I watch. I then picked up a Buxom plumping lipgloss in the shade White Russian, to accompany this I bought a Sephora lip liner in 02 Cute Caramel, I bought this for 2 reasons, 1 because it would go perfectly with my Buxom White Russian Lipgloss and 2 because I wanted something from the Sephora line!



Whats on your make up wishlist?

Until next time,
Jess xx  

Friday 30 August 2013

The One & Only Tag..

Hello Chickies! 

So there is another tag roaming around the blogosphere and that is The One & Only Tag if you read my blog regularly you will know that I am partial to a tag or two, so when I saw this one I just jumped on the comp to get answering the questions! 

The One & Only tag is simple choose you favourite product from each category.. 

Life is just a party | aliolita: kaylee-xox: ♡ ROSY BLOG CHECKING OUT... | via Tumblr


If you could only have one ______ what would it be? And, in a few words, why?

Lets get it started.. 


Primer - I really enjoy using the Laura Mercier Oil Free its very soft and really works at keeping your make up in place. However I am trying out the Urban decay setting spray and so far it's amazing!

Base product - Without a shadow of a doubt my favourite base product is the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation. It is a step up from a tinted moisturiser, so it is very light weight but it still manages to give a flawless base with just enough coverage without looking cakey. 

Concealer - I love a good MAC concealer, my favourite has to be the MAC Pro Longwear concealer, it has an anti crease technology in it and it is super duper long lasting. One down side is that is tends to oxidase slightly after a short while.

Powder - I have love/hate relationships with a lot of powders, the one I am using at the moment is the Chanel Les Beige Treatment powderso far I am really liking it however that could change, I'll keep you posted!

Blush - This one is easy for me, it has to be MAC Sunbasque blusher, it is the perfect way to a healthy flush, its a red/brown shade, sounds horrendous however it works, it also has the smallest amount of shimmer to brighten up my face. 

Bronzer - My Bobbi Brown Golden Light Bronzer is my holy grail and I have been through 2 pots of it already, I just cant get enough. 

Highlighter - Benefit High Beam is the only highlighter for me, I love it because it blends so easily and is very subtle. Although I am dying to try the blogger fave Dior Amber Diamond! 

Make up brush - Real Techniques Multitask Brush, because it is so multitasking! 

Eyebrow - Benefit Brows a go go, its a combination of brow perfection. 

Eyeshadow - MAC Rule is the best eye shadow for me, its a matte orange yes a very odd choice, although I cant use it for every eye look and it is not the most practical, it just has a special place in my heart :) 

Eyeliner- Rimmel Scandeleyes Waterproof eyeliner in black, it is the blackest black and its waterproof what more can you ask for?

Mascara- I really like the Clinque High Impact Mascara its a fast track to full, long and fluttering lashes! 

Lipstick, lipgloss, Lip Satin - My Rimmel Lipstick in Spotlight beige is m favourite lipstick. However this lipstick has been discontinued *que crying face* it is the best nude I have ever owned and it has a typical lipstick smell that is so nostalgic for me, it reminds me of the days when I used to rumage through my mums and my nans make up bags! 

Lip liner -  I dont really wear lip liner but it is on my list of things I need to get into!

Lip balm - The Body Shops get lippy lip balms, all different fruity flavours, they were my first ever make up purchase. 

Nail polish - I am a Shellac White Tip kinda girl!
This was easier than I thought, I really do have my favourites! 


Until Next Time,
Jess
xx

Wednesday 21 August 2013

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Tuesday 16 July 2013

MAC Tag!

Hey Chickies, 

I have realised what a daunting prospect of going into MAC can be, there are so many colours and formulas and all the different shade systems. I get a lot of questions from friend about MAC and all the colours and products. When I came across this Tag on the lovely Zoellas blog (link here) I just had to have a crack at it.

Hopefully this can help some of you and give you some sort of insight into what I would high rate and products that I could go without!


How long have you been using Mac?
I started getting into MAC about 2 years ago when I was 19 and I started working in Soho and venturing out to MAC on my lunch breaks.
What was your first Mac product?
MAC Lipstick in So Chaud (an orange/red matte lippy)
What's your all time favourite Mac product?
I would have to say MAC Rule Eyeshadow it really compliments my eye colour J
What's your least favourite Mac product?
An eye shadow duo I got in a Christmas collection, I gave it away such a long time ago I can’t even remember the name! It had absolutely no pigment.
Do you own a Pro Card?
Nope L
Your Mac foundation shade:
NW20 – NW25
Your favourite Mac-Foundation:
Face and Body Foundation, it has the most gorgeous finish.
Eyeshadow:
Rule
Lipstick:
I love all of my MAC lipsticks but if I really must chose it would be So Chaud or Rebel
Lipgloss:
I haven’t really dabbled into their Lipglosses
Liner:
I adore Coffee eyeliner, so much so I have done a post just on this eyeliner!
Brush:
The 266 brush for brows and gel liners, just beaut!
Nail Lacquer:
I do not own any mac nail polishes, crazy I know!
Pro Product:
I own MAC face and body I am not sure if that is a product but its bloody good!

Comment on the following Mac product; Have you used them? If so, give feedback.

Prep + Prime Skin:
Never used this before.
Full Coverage Foundation:
Never used this before. I can imagine it being very heavy from trying it in the shop.
Studio Sculpt Foundation:
I bought from a recommendation from a friend who has fantastic skin thanks to this foundation, but unfortunately with my combination/oily sensitive skin type this foundation just broke me out, however it does look gorgeous on dry skin.
Face + Body Foundation:
AMAZING! Almost zero coverage but it is buildable; it has the most beautiful finish and looks so natural.
Mineralize Satin Finish:
Never used this before.
Studio Fix Fluid:
I have used numerous samples of this foundation and I really like it for a night out as it is a very heavy foundation – heard its perfect for oily skin but not great of dry skin.
Studio Tech Foundation:
Never used this before.
Studio Fix Powder:
I like this powder for a night out as it is very full coverage if applied over a foundation, however if I am just sporting a bit of concealer this is perfect for small dusting over the face.
Beauty Powder:
Never used this before – I have always wanted to try one but never taken the plunge!
Sculpting Powder:
Never used this before.
Loose Blot Powder:
Never used this before.
Pressed Blot Powder:
Never used this before.
Mineralize Skinfinish Natural:
I adore this powder, use this with the face and body foundation and bit of concealer and yours on to a winner!
Mineralize Skinfinsh:
I have two of these, I can’t say I gravitate towards them a lot but when I do I really like them.
Bronzing Powder:
Surprisingly I have never even looked at a mac bronzer before, I haven’t heard great things about them so I have never thought to check them out – let me know if you know otherwise!? J
Powder Blush:
I have about 6 Mac blushers and I love them all, I think Mac blushers my just be my favourite blushers, I have been wearing Sunbasqued for around 2 months now so at the moment this is my favourite of them all!
Blushcreme:
I own Ladyblush and I love it for that subtle pop of colour.
Mineralize Blush:
Never used this before.
Gel Blush:
Never used this before.
Cream Color Base:
I have Shell and I really like it but I do have a problem with it sticking to areas of my face after a few hours wear.
Studio Sculpt Concealer:
Never used this before.
Select Cover Up Concealer:
Really like this concealer, but with my combination/oily complexion it doesn’t stick around for to long!
Select Moisture cover Concealer:
Lovely for undereyes but bad for blemishes!
Studio Finish Concealer:
I love this for blemishes and redness as it completely full coverage. It is drying to it would be a nightmare under the eyes, but I love it neither the less.
Pro Long Wear Concealer:
Best concealer for under the eyes, it banishes those pesky bags and stays all day! Sometimes I even use it as an eye shadow base as it has a super staying power technology.
Lip Erase:
Never used this before – I have seen this used and as the name suggest once applied your lips will look non existant!
Tinted Lip Conditioner:
Never used this before. SHOCK!
Lipstick:
Best lipsticks EVER!
Lip Pencil:
I really like these! They are so soft and don’t bleed into fine lines. Brilliant for that super polished lip look.
Nail Lacquer:
Never used this before.
Paint:
Never used this before – I imagine this to be more of a theatrical make up product.
Paint Pots:
LOVE LOVE LOVE These! I use these as eye shadows bases or simply on their own for a wash of colour! I have three and plan to get many more.
Eye Shadow:
These bad boys are top of my list taking over my beloved urban decay palettes, I gradually building my collection, I almost have enough to fill my palette! (I cannot tell you how excited I am about this!)
Pigments:
I have a list of pigments I want to try but I haven’t taken the plunge yet.. Maybe when I go to Florida I can pick up a one or a few..
Glitter:
Never used this before – Again I imagine this to be for the theatrical makeup artists among us.
Eye Kohl:
I have smoulder but I wasn’t the biggest fan, they are a tad to slip slidey for me.
Fluidline:
I use Bobbi Brown or Maybeline.
Lustre Drops:
Never used this before, I will have to try these though, I love a good liquid high lighter.
False Lashes:
I have had a few pairs of these and I really enjoyed them, they are soft and natural but still give that drama to the eyes.
ProLash Mascara,Zoom Lash Mascara,Plush Lash Mascara, Dazzle Lash Mascara:
I tried Zoom Lash and liked it but I prefer my Maxfactor Flash Lash Effect or Lancome Hypnose.
What has been your favourite Mac collection to date?
I haven’t been overly fused with any collection to be honest, I like particular products not so much collections, saying that I did love the Archie’s Girls Collection it was very cute kitch!
Which Mac collection, in your opinion, do you think was disappointing, if any?
I wasn’t over the moon with the Marilyn Monroe Collection, although I saw one of the nail polishes and had to buy it for my best friend – I hope she like it.
What products do you think Mac are missing?
A good medium coverage foundation for oily skin and a permanent liquid highlighter – they do have most bases covered.

I hope this post wasnt to long and boring, but I love MAC and I have been using it for a while and still have only just come to terms with how to choose carefully!

Hope this helps!

Until Next Time,
Jess 
xx


Thursday 20 June 2013

What do I wear in bed? Why, Chanel No. 5, of course.

Hey Chickies,

A bit of an unusual, some may say racy title, but no you haven't suddenly been transferred over to an online copy of Fifty Shades of Grey; I have chosen his title for this blog post because it simply inspired me
- How you might say?
Well over the past couple of weeks I have been on this health/beauty/positive thinking kick, all triggered by this quote. 

I am fed up of walking to the station in a rush or not being about to find my leggings because my room is so disorganised or looking at others and think wow your lovely looking I wish I looked like that, well not anymore I am going to try and a feel as good as that quote. So with this new philosophy in place I set out, as always the beauty comes from within..

I have been trying my hardest to eat as clean as possible, to cleanse my body of all toxins i.e. Havana Club Rub and Cokes, or Terry's chocolate oranges. I bought lots of healthy options for me to snack on like granary pittas with low fat dairy lee triangles or dark chocolate edamene beans but I still eat the same dinners of a night time unless it is a take away of course then I or the boy will russle up something like greek chicken pasta or Chicken Stir Fry whilst the rest of my clan tuck into a take away - I am slowly beginning to come to terms with it..  

I followed my healthy pattern by making sure that my bare face looked as good as it does even when I plough on the make up. It only made sense to me to follow with skin care because nothing makes me feel more confident than wearing no make up and still feeling gorgeous. I have always been a fan of Clarins skincare but being the old lazy me I was never faithful to my skin care routine and let it slip, this is now a thing of the past. I love going home giving my face a good old scrub with my Clarins Gentle foaming cleanser with Cottenseed £18 followed by Clarins Cleansing milk for oily/combination skin £18 which I rub of with Clarins Toning lotion with Iris £18 and then I finish it with Lancomes Hydragel Moisturizer £38 and this new routine although it has a hefty price tag it has done my skin the world of good, my skin although is still not perfect it comes pretty close to it if I do say so myself, well its the best it has ever been anyways. I highly recommend the Lancome HydraGel moisturiser, it gives an instant fresh clean feeling and I wake with my skin feeling like a babies bottom, it makes me feel a million dollars!

Next on the list was my nails, hair and feet. Along with getting my fortnightly Shellac French Manicure (featured in my current faves post) and monthly spa pedicure at my faveourite salon - Polished to Perfection, I decided to change up my hair style/colour. I have had the same hair colour ever since I was born pretty much, so I decided to bite the bullet and change the colour, I got very subtle light brown/caramel highlights. I decided to try a new hairdresser ever since my hair dresser left to become Tinkerbell on the Disney cruise line I haven't found one I liked, however I am pleased to say that I have found my new hair dresser. I like my new hair dresser so much I have even made future appointments for July (I never do that), I come away loving my hair and actually noticing a difference in my hair. New hair new Jess! 

I also went a fair few shopping sprees in the first week of getting paid, good for my new philosophy but bad for my bank balance, my poor cash card was almost burning by the time I'd finished with it. I bought myself some new clothes and some beaut new boots. I will do a separate post on these otherwise I'd be here forever!

I feel soo good about this new found philosophy I even organised my room and I get the earlier train to work, I think it might be the clean/healthy eating that makes for good way of life.





What make you feel confident? 

What product make you feel a million dollars?

So all in all I am feeling great and loving life! (CHEEESYYYY!)

Thursday 13 June 2013

Pop of Colour!

Hello Chickies

One of my life questions is "How can I make my blues eyes stand out or pop?"
I know a lot of people want to make their eye colour stand out, I definitely have been searching for the answer, I have fairly small eyes that are hooded and a lot of people tend to say to me "Oh I have never noticed that you have blue eyes".
Some might say its simple - its the rules of the colour wheel.
Whatever colours are opposite are the ones that will compliment and contrast each other. If you look at the colour wheel below you can see which colours are opposites.
If have blue eyes like me then oranges, reds, golds and browns are the best colours to use to make your eye colour really stand out. Brown eyes on the other hand would be best to sport blues, or greens, or purples, where as green/hazel eyes will pop when wearing purples, red or violets.

With this in mind I set out to find my perfect shades. I ventured out into different colours than I normally would I even bought a Orange eyeshadow from MAC called Rule, I am still trying to figure out how to make it work, but I'll keep you informed. 

My best tips for Blue/Green eyes:
  • Use golds and browns with a slight reddish/orange warm undertone for a more subtle look, if you don't want to pull out the big guns and wear full blown oranges or red. 
  • Wear Black/Brown mascara and brown eyeliner instead of black, the brown in the mascara or eyeliner will contrast with the blue in your eyes.
  • Use a warm/peachy toned high light shade for the inner tear duct and brow bone.
  • If you have blue/green eyes and want to accentuate both the blue and the green in your eyes, try doing a brown/gold warmed toned smokey eye, but add a subtle purple smokey shadow to the bottom lash line, the purple will hint at the green and the warmth from the upper lid will hint at the blue. 
  • Some say that wearing peachy coloured blush/highlighter or even warmed toned lipsticks will help make your blue eyes pop! 
  • MAC Cranberry is a fab colour for anyone who has slightly green eyes as it works for both green and blue eyes.
Eyeshadows I have found that make my blue eyes seem just that little bit more blue;
 - The Urban Decay Naked palette is a great palette for blue eyes. 
 - MAC Eyeshadows in Swiss Chocolate, Texture, Rule (for the brave - it's a bright Orange!), Amber                Lights, Soft Brown and one of my all time favourties Cranberry.

My best tips for Brown/Hazel eyes: 
  • Use a mascara with a hint of blue or purple in for subtle pop, my favourites are the Benefit Bad Gal lash mascaras in plum or navy. 
  • Use a dark blue eyeliner (or bright blue if your brave enough) to contrast the brown in yours eye, it will also make your eyes look brighter and whiter - Bonus! 
  • If you have hazel eyes and want to bring out the green them use green eyeshadows. 
  • Use plum eye shadow as it can be more subtle than blues or bright purples but will have the same effect.
Eyeshadows I have found to work wonders on Brown/Hazel eyes:
- MAC Eyeshadows in Sketch, Shadowy Lady, Sumptuous Olive, Cub, Knight divine, Contrast. 
- The Smashbox Palette called Brown Eyes
  
Whats your top tips for making your eye colours pop? 

Until Next Time, 
Jess 
xx 












Monday 20 May 2013

Back in the GAME!

Hello Chickies!

Its been a while, hasn't it..

Sincn I have been M.I.A for the past month and a bit, I thought what better way to get myself back into the blogging game than a current favourites and update on The Prophecy of Loveliness.

I have not been feeling my myself over the past few weeks, I think it might be due to the lack of sleep I have had along with all the eating out and junk food I have been consuming making me super lazy (what a bad excuse I know), but summers coming and the new beauty collections are out getting me all excited for summer and summer beauty, so lets get back into the swing of it. I have been trying out a lot of new things recently and am yet to make my mind up on most of it therefore this list is relatively small, so without further a do my current fave over the past month and a half...

1. MAC Warm Toned Eye-shadows

Texture, Swiss Chocolate, Rule, Sketch....

The only way I can start this off  would be to mention my current YouTube Obsession. Mrs Jaclyn Hill, following my never ending wishlist post (click here to see it) which goes into detail about my love for Jaclyn's videos and the wish list that just kept on growing. I have slowly swindled that wishlist down by purchasing a few items under her recommendation, and so far this month that have been complete staples in my make up bag.
I have bought a hell of a lot of eye-shadows from mac including Texture, Swiss Chocolate, Rule, Sketch, and Cranberry and on pay day I plan to buy club, shroom, red brick and soft brown, I honestly can not get enough of MAC eye-shadows at the moment - hence why they are my number one faveourite of the month!  



2. Lush Big Shampoo 

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- Picture sourced from WeHeartit.com

OMG I love this Shampoo - I am an unfortunate victim of extremely fine, heavy, flat hair therefore I am on a constant search for the best volumising shampoos on the market and hold fire I think I may have found my holy grail shampoo.
Lush big shampoo has been my hair savior. I have already been through two pots of the stuff. Its £11.25 for a 330g tub so its not the cheapest of shampoos but it is full up with sea salts for the volume, coconut for softness, seaweed which coats the hair making it silky smooth, finished off with a hint of lemon and lime for shine. 
All these ingredients make a shampoo that not only smells divine but cleans my hair like no other, I use this every other wash to avoid build up, every time I use it my hair feels so clean and cleansed like it has had a good scrubbing, I could even go as far as saying it is squeaky clean afterwards. It was a bit odd at first because of the strange texture, the big blobs of sea salt are slightly terrifying also it is not creamy at all, this had me wondering if the blobs of sea salt could damage my hair, or if it would lather well or dry out my hair? I was so wrong, the sea salt gives hair volume and the va va voom it needs, along with shine, softness and gorgeous scent that last through out the day. It lathered up perfectly and washed out like a dream. 

The only thing I would say about this shampoo is that your definitely going need a good conditioner to follow up with afterwards as the shampoo can tangle the hair slightly. 

3. Shellac Gel Manicure

I am constantly sporting a gel french manicure now a days - I never thought I'd see the day when I ditched my polishes but for the past two to three months I have had nothing on my nail apart from a Shellac french manicure. I have left the colours to my toes.
I get my Shellac manicures done for £25 at my favourite salon where they know my name, always bring me tea, chat to me non stop which I love and most importantly they know how big I want the white tip to be on my nails because I always without fail opt for French Manicure even though is a huge variety of Shellac colours to choose from, I feel so pampered and comfortable when I visit my salon that I refuse to go anywhere else.

So whats is Shellac?
Shellac Gel Polish lasts round 2 -3 weeks, my current set has been on for almost 3 weeks and they are still going strong. Most people can get Shellac Gel Polish confused with Acrylics or Fake Gel extensions however they are completely different. For starters Shellac give no form of nail extension, it is just a strong polish. Shellac power polish as it is known is simply a UV hard non chip nail polish that promises to keep its shine for the weeks that it is on. Unlike Acrylics and Fake Gels, Shellac does not harm the natural nail, in fact it makes the nails stronger and helps them grow. My nails are in such good condition at the moment and the only thing I have to maintain is putting cuticle oil on to my cuticle beds, it couldn't be simpler. No fuss and no drying time, they dry instantly - BONUS!
Only bad thing about Shellac is if you go for a colour or french manicure you could get bored but your stuck with it for at least two weeks. 


4. Garnier summer body gradual tan 

Summer month's are looming and the tanning season is upon us. I am not a huge fan of fake tanning purely because I am lazy and to me it is a tedious chore, so when I come across the Garnier Summer Body Gradual Tanning Lotion I was in tanning heaven.
I use the deep tan shade, I use at night time as an alternative to my body lotion when leading up to a night out or occasion. After a few days of using it daily, it gives a gorgeous golden sun-kissed colour to the skin, it's not too brown nor too orange it's just perfection tan in a bottle, only going around two shades darker than my natural skin colour it keeps it natural and not like you have been dragged through a tango factory head first. Although it has a slight after scent of fake tan/biscuit smells it is not so pungent that is unbearable  because of the apricot extract in it that gives off an apricot scent. It's a steal at £4.35 from Boots or Superdrug.
All my love for it aside, I have heard around the blogosphere about some people coming up in a red rash or going slightly patchy after using it and now really loathe this product but wit that said I have had no problems at all and absolutely love it. Summer tan here I come!

That's it chickies, my current favourites for the past month and a bit. As I mentioned earlier on I have been trying out a lot of different products recently, so next month my favourites list will surely be triple the size.

Until Next Time,
Jess 
xx


Monday 8 April 2013

Party Beauty Kit!

Hello Chickies!

I have a fair few beauty faves at the moment that over my birthday week (yes a week as I had soo much to do) I could not live without, celebrating my birthday meant night out went into overdrive, hot nightclubs, lot of dancing, and a lot less sleep than I am used to, equals dismal make up longevity, so these lovely little gems came in very handy. I think this little bunch of beauties have earned a mention here on The Prophecy Of Loveliness.

About three weeks ago my boyfriends mum and sister went to the big U S of A, stopping at Chicago and lots of other places. Whilst they were living it up and sight seeing in America, back home in drizzly old London town I celebrated my 21st birthday but they didn't forget me because as a present they brought me back a well sort after beauty product that is so extremely difficult to get here in the UK. I finally got my hands on the amazeballs Make Up Forever HD Foundation it arrived just in time for the final stretch of my birthday celebrations. Ever since I got it I have tried my hardest not to wear it everyday because I absolutely love it, it stays in my make up collection and only rears its head on the very special occasions. Honestly, I would be gutted if it run out. So on the occasions when I have worn this my make up takes on a new look, and that look is FLAWLESS!

The foundation feels so light and effortless that you would think it had no coverage at all but it does, in fact it is a good medium coverage with the ability to be built into full coverage without looking cakey or like I have smeared gravy all over my face. I think it must be the Micro-pigments and the HD Technology  that makes this foundation so unique, earning major make up brownie points with me.


Another product I have been loving is false eyelashes - I have used these before but only on very very special occasions because buying them at £5 a pop (I love the Cheryl Cole Eyelure Lashes) and usually loosing them after that very special occasions is just not something I am prepared to invest in. However I have found a cheaper alternative and in my opinion a slightly better alternative, I buy the £1 lashes from none other than Primark, I opt for the natural look lashes. I have started wearing falsies on a few more occasions like my thirsty Thursdays at my local bar or Friday night cocktails with the girls, I really like the way they make my eyes look a little less hooded and gives them that extra smokey boost, and at £1 a apir I don't mind buying them just to get me through this falsies phase that knowing me I will be over and done with shortly. 

A Birthday Night out with my HD foundation on and sporting a pair of the false lashes.
And yes that is a Harry Styles Sticker I am kissing.. Guilty Pleasure!

Until Next Time,
Jess 

xx




Thursday 14 March 2013

Spring 2013 Make-Up Trends!

Hey Chickies! 

As it is March Spring should be sprung, alas as I am sitting here typing this post at my desk and gaze out of the window expecting to see flowers, sunshine and blue skies, but that is not the case for this Monday evening, because I am look out onto snow flurries or should I say blizzard along with grey skies unfortunately. The odd weather conditions could be partnered with the oddly wonderful make up trends this spring 2013. 

I was browsing the wonderful Harpers Bazar website and discovered a page on the Spring Make-Up trends for 2013, I must say they are surprising but ever so interesting! 

Lets start with Lips, when I think of Spring lips I think of pale pinks, lilacs, and pale nudes you know all the colours of mini eggs, to be honest I am not a huge fan of the pale lips as I am very self aware of my teeth and pale colours are notorious for making our pearl whites not so white, but this spring there seems to be a spanner in the works, in the form of the Red Lip. The Spring Red Lip hit the make up scene with a bang, Burberry taking the bullet, having their models sporting a gorgeous scarlett red, then from there all other shades of beautiful red started appearing all over the catwalks. Oscar del a renta and Missoni using the pretty playful red/pink side of the red lip, then on the other hand we have the powerful classic mad men red all the way up to what I like to call the twilight red (dark vampy red). Proof of the true powder of a simple red lip all year round. Get those pouts out girlies! 

Harpers Bazer

Another trend hitting the Catwalks this spring is the demure eyeliner flick. The trend properly came about last year and ever since then it has become a make up must do. The devilishly defined look, has always been acosiated with dark dramatic looks that have previously been for the make-up daring however with making its appearance in such shows as the Chanel Spring 2013 collection it has now become fabulously on trend, I have been sporting this look recently, a huge jump from my usual look, I must admit a feel very much on trend, and fiercely fabulous. As I have said before I have never been a huge fan of winged liner until the other day, literally. I was browsing at a MAC store near work when one of the sales people came up to me and asked have I ever worn winged liner, and I replied saying how hooded my eyes are and how I can never do it right for my eye shape, then she pulled out a MAC 266 brush and showed me how to do the perfect liner for my eye shape and ever since then I have been sporting this look.

Harpers Bazer 

What do you think of the Spring 2013 trends? Will you be sporting any of these surprising looks?

Until Next Time,
Jsss xx






Tuesday 12 March 2013

Silp, Sliding all over the place!



Hey Chickies! 

I thought it was about time to address a very important issue, slip sliding make-up. It happens to the best of us, well it certainly happens to me, therefore I am a firm believer in Primers and coming round to idea of setting powders!

I have a savior for all you gorgeous people out there with the same pesky problem as me, that is PRIME, PRIME, PRIME.
I have a few tip top primers that I use in rotation with one another. Primer is something you add before your make-up to prep the face and give the make-up a little something, something to grab on to instead of just sinking into the skin, or sliding right off the face, whilst creating a base so the make up doesnt effect the natural oils in the skin.

The three primers that are my holy grail are Laura Mercier Oil Free Foundation Primer £28, Benefit POREfessional £22.50 and Clarins Beauty Flash Balm £29. I use the Laura Mercier Primer on an everyday basis, it is very light weight and easy wearing throughout the day and doesn't feel like another plastered on layer. I use the benefit POREfessional for day when I am feeling extra oily, the wonder primer (porefessional) mattifies my skin and keeps the make up from going patchy with all excess oil, whilst maintaining a smooth silky surface, I have heard of a good cheaper substitute in the form of the L'Oreal Lumi Magique Primer £9.99. Last but by no means least the Clarins Beauty Flash balm is for when I go out on a night out or for a special occasion as it is my favorite primer. The Beauty Flash Balm really does ensure the longevity of my make up throughout the day or night, it keeps my make up perfectly in tact, keeps my oil at bay and doesn't feel heavy at all, why do you not use this everyday I hear you ask? Well I do not want my skin to get used to me using this and in the process stop working for me, this means I only treat my self to a bit of beauty flash balm loving every so often.

I have been using primers for long time but only recently have I found the perfect way to apply a primer, and that is to smooth it on my face using my hands, being very careful not to rub the product in, that way it creates a kind of film that the make-up can cling to, keeping my make up from slip sliding all over the place, as an added bonus primers improve the lasting power of my make-up, in all areas as you can get primers for almost any part of the face, including eyelashes (talking of eye lashes primers I would highly recommend the Dior Show Lash Enhancing Serum).

A little side note -to have that extra protection against slip sliding by adding a setting powder or translucent powder over the top of the make-up to set the foundation, I regularly do this as well.


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This is how I feel when I wear primer :D



Until next time,
Jess xx 



Monday 11 March 2013

The never ending wishlist..

Hello Chickies! 

Over the past few weeks blogging not often enough, my beauty needs have been ever so slightly neglected therefore my lust for more and more products just kept on growing to keep my inner beauty junkie satisfied.

The time has come to share my new beauty crush and the reason why my mac wishlist is so long! The list was helped along by a beauty YouTube guru that I have a recently discovered called Jaclyn Hill her YouTube channel is JaclynHill1, she has quickly become one of my favorite YouTubers to watch, I blame her for all my beauty splurges at the moment, but I also thank her for introducing me to new and exciting beauty looks that I just couldn't wait to try. My wish list for MAC eye shadows is nearly as long as my arm, I am hoping to get Soft Brown, Red brick, Texture, Brown Script, Shroom and sooo so many more under Jaclyns recommendations.



I have found myself lusting after all the red/orange eye shadows or purple eye shadows and other colours that I would never dream of trying usually. I am such a neutral lover, it is all about the golds, browns, and nudes, however recently I am loving the oranges, purples and even reds. I don't know whether I have had a spurge of inspiration from watching YouTube or I am just bored of being stuck in the neutral rut!

I have been loving a certain mac colour, accompanied with two Illamasqua shades that I just had to mention because I have been wearing this certain eye combination everyday for the past month. Those special shadows are Rule from Mac along with Vernau and Wolf from Illamasqua, they are all Matte shades and create the most defined eye, I have been rocking this eye combination everyday because I love it so much, also I get compliments every time I wear them, who doesn't love getting the odd compliment.

This is what I do..

To prep my eye lid I use a base, such as Benefit cream shadow in RSVP, then I go in with Illamasqua Vernau on a fluffy blending brush applying that lightly in the crease, next I take MAC Rule on a different blending brush and apply that on top of the Vernau to build the colour creating those extra dimensions, finally I take Illamasquas Wolf and apply that to outer V and 3/4 into the crease to give it that extra va va voom and smokey look. I also take wolf under the eye along the bottom lash line with a small pencil brush blending it in with rule. If I am feeling really brave, I will put Urban decay eye shadow in Baked as a gold/orange base just after the cream shadows to va va voom it even more.

I also am a great a believer in making your eye colour pop. Orange is the opposite colour to blue on the colour wheel therefore making blues stand out BONUS!

A Slightly toned down work version of my fave eye look of the moment! 

What eye looks are you rocking at the moment? 

Until Next Time,
Jess xx 





Thursday 21 February 2013

In need of Summer



Hey Chickies. 

I have been rather absent this week, it is all down to settling in to a new job and all that jazz, as I was sitting  looking out the window of my new offices, (we have huge windows here) the sun was beaming in, all I could think about was summer!
I have set myself the task of creating a beauty tag to get me excited for summer even more than I am now. Without further a do.. LETS GET EXCITED FOR SUMMER! (so excited I had to use capitals!)


1. Whats is your favorite make-up product for the summer time?

My fave make up product for the summer has to be Benefit high-beam, for one reason and one reason only it looks amazing with a tan. High-Beam is my favorite highlighter anyways and looks gorgeous any time of the year but especially in the summer time with that beautiful summer glow. In the summer when I am slightly more tanned I like just putting concealer on, with a slight dusting of translucent powder to set the concealer, just mascara and a slathering of high-beam, it really accentuates the tan that I would have been waiting for all through this cold and dreary winter!
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weheartit.com
2. What is your favorite product for you hair during the summer? 

My favorite hair product for the summer is the Tony and Guy Sea Salt Spray, I have done a full review on this right here on The Prophecy of Loveliness check it out if you are interested. It is like the Bumble and Bumble sea salt spray but a fraction of the price!
In the summer I seem to think I am some sort of surfer chick, constantly sporting the tousled waves look, this product just helps me along creating lovely bouncy beach waves with a reasonable hold for the day during my crazy surfer chick months. It must be all the sun going to my head, but I very much enjoy embracing my inner surfer chick. 

3. What Summer 2013 beauty collection are you most looking forward to getting your hands on? 

I always look forward to the Chanel Summer Collection it is always so bronzed, beautiful and luxurious. I love purchasing something from the collection at the airport when I go on my summer holiday, that's when my holiday starts for me!
This summer 2013 collection looks amazing, I cant wait to get my hands on the new Glossimer lipgloss in the shade Zephyr and the new Stylo Eye-shadows! 

4. What is your Summer must have accessory? 

I literally live in my Topshop rose gold aviators in the summer time, I love rose gold and I love aviators it is a match made is heaven for me. 

Me and The Boy last summer

5. What is your summer fashion staple? 

As you can see ever so slightly in the picture above, I am wearing a sleeveless denim jacket this is definitely my fashion staple in the summer time, it has been going for around two summers now with many more  to come as well, I am planning on wearing them more than ever this summer even into October when I jet off to Florida on my 21st birthday present from The Boy!
 I am such a girly girl I love nothing more than little summer dresses, or pretty maxi dresses and the sleeveless denim jacket goes perfectly, tying almost every outfit together with no effort needed. Got to love effortless fashion! 

6. Where is your favorite summer time place? 

I am in love with Brighton, especially in the summer time. Brighton just tips the rest of the lovely British sea sides because of the famous Brighton Lanes and the sea front bars. The cute long, winding, shopping lanes are amazing just to walk around in the Summer time. The cobbled lanes are filled with little gems where I always grab my self an ice cream whilst I roam around the many little boutique shops.
I always love to stop by the MAC pro store in Brighton as it is my favorite MAC shop, the make up artists working there are absolutely lovely compared to some mac shops here in London town! 
The night life in Brighton particularly special with the bars right on the sea front, there is nothing I enjoy more than sipping on Pimms and lemonade on the sea front with the best summer tunes blaring out, with my Rose gold aviators on and my little denim jacket! 

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This has got me even more excited for summer. I just want to scream SUMMER HURRY UP! 
I tag you all to do this tag, I would love to know all about your summers!

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Until Next Time,
Jess 
xx










Thursday 7 February 2013

My Alter Ego Experience!

Hey Chickies,

Recently I have been trying out some new make looks and techniques, turning over a new make up leaf if you will, or in the words of Illamasqua finding the Make-Up for my Alter Ego! 



I have been in love with Illamasqua recently, finding new products and new ways to use my make up through the innovative brand. My love affair started with a visit to the Beak Street Boutique in the Londons West End where I had a make over with the lovely Tanya. She previously did my friends make up for her 21st, I loved it so much I had to go and get the exact same but a little less dramatic as I was only going Nandos in Soho not to Mayfair for Clubbing like my friends was. 

I can now safely say that my two favourite eyeshadows of the moment are from Illamasqua, along with my favourite brow product and to top it all off I am in love with their new brush from their spring collection the blush up brush! A lot of Illamasqua loving going on at the moment here on The Prophecy of Loveliness. 

To continue my Alter Ego Journey, I was kindly invited to the Launch of Illamasquas new spring collection. I loved every minute of it, this was my first bloggers event and sure to always be my favourite, not just because it was my first but the collection and the atmosphere was just so Illamasqua and so cool. Even the girl on the door Louise who is the social media intern was wearing their new Green Lipgloss in Shoot, she made it look amazing, I couldn't wait to try it, couldn't wait to try green lipgloss - there is something I'd never thought I'd say! 


Their new collection is called IMPerfection, its all about embracing your imperfections and as a result saying I'm Perfection, clever play on words! 



The collection consists of 3 blush duos, a lipstick in Immodest, a lipgloss in Shoot (the green one), The Blush Up Brush, A precision ink in Abyss and finally the 5 speckled nail polished that have already taken over the Bloggersphere! 
The launch was at the fabulous Soho Gallery, there was all sorts of beauty bits going on, from manicures to demonstrations along with the collection presentations. Being me I had to sample all of it, actually I was the first one in and the first one to have one of the amazing speckled manicures. The collection itself has 5 speckled colours, Freckle, Scarce, Fragile, Speckle and Mottle check them out on the Illamasqua website here . For My manicure colour I went for Mottle the minty green colour. I can see this speckled being a really big trend this year. 


Along with the Imperfection theme in the collection, I also noticed the theme of eggs, birds and speckles occurring throughout. This collection is the Spring 2013 collection obviously in spring easter celebrations are going on with easter eggs and the birds in springtime, along with cute pastel colours in the collection  certainly gives me my spring make up fix! 

I didn't just stop at getting the manicure I had to give the feathered eyeliner look a go as well. I have very hooded eye lids, I wasn't sure how this was going to work on me as all eye make seems to hide behind my hoods. David Horne the product development director sat me down and told me to use my hooded eye lids as my imperfection, genius! He then went on to demonstrate how us girls with 'the hoods' could make feathered/speckled eyeliner work for us. This is what he came up with, instead of doing the speckled eyeliner on the lid he is did it under my eye, to bring the out and widened it. 


I really enjoyed my evening and think the team at Illamasqua did a fantastic job. The collection is also gorgeous, now I have a new favourite brush! 

Obviously I didn't get enough of Illamasqua at the launch, I also took my friend Jade to the Beak Street Store for a make over for our 70's themed night out, there will be a post coming on up on this shortly. 

This is Jade getting her make up done - by the lovely Tanya 

Have you found your make up for your Alter Ego? 

Until Next Time,
Jess 

xx