Product Review: LOLA Ultra Shine lipstick

I love a strong lipstick – reds and pinks are my staples, day and night, so I was delighted to see the lovely LOLA sent me a delightful shade of bright pink called Show Stopper!

LOLA make-up by Perse was launched in last month and is designed in London, with their products made in Italy. At the moment, they have 307 (!!!) product on their range, with prices from £8 to £26.

They strive to offer a look for everyone, hence the 307 products in their fashion-forward range; they are set to offer the finest tools to help women of all ages. I found it so cute the bag they sent me came with a label that said “Dani is LOLA x”, it really gives the message that the products are for you and to bring the best of you!

This lippy is part of of Ultra Shine line. It glides beautifully, the colour is very saturated and the finish is beautifully shiny. It has a good durability for a shiny lipstick – held a few hours, faded a bit when I drank coffee and came off when eating breakfast, which I find normal for a lippy with this finish and no other products to fix.

The smell is very discreet and very nice, it doesn’t taste of anything.

I really love this colour, it is versatile and will look fabulous on many skin tones – it complimented mine very well and it can be used day or night.

Take a look At LOLA’s brilliant range, including face, eyes, lips, nails and tools, all available now at M&S. They have a base range and also launch two seasonal mini-ranges a twice year, so keep your eyes peeled!

You will soon be able to purchase on the LOLA Makeup website and you can follow them on Twitter @loveLOLAmakeup and on Instagram @lolamakeup.

This post contains PR samples. This review, however, is based on my own true experience with the products and reflects my honest opinion on them.

Red or Dead x Pamela Mann tights preview

Hands up who’s got cold legs. Yeah, I thought so. With the colder season upon us, we better keep those pins warm – and if we can do that in style, well, much better!

Red or Dead, which already has a great tights range, has teamed up with UK hosiery extraordinaire Pamela Mann to bring us a super funky collection of tights.

red or dead x pamela mann tights preview

The designs range from simpler details and block colours to full wonder slogans and prints, certain to be a head turner.

My fave is definitely the LOVE HATE back seam tights. I have a never-ending affair with back seams, so the extra element or words really adds an edge to it. The block colours are also lovely, the dreamy full leg blue pattern is just beautiful, the tartans are bang on trend and the holographic pattern one is just too shiny not to love !

They will be available to purchase on the Pamela Mann website next month and prices range from £8.99 – £22.99! Better keep an eye out!

What I’ve been wearing – 24/10/2013

Realisation time: summer is really behind us. It actually feels like it’s been ages! I am very thorn between summer and winter wardrobes. Whereas I feel prettier wearing summer clothes, I feel much more elegant during autumn. Winter itself is a bit of a let down in terms of daily style for me, as it is too cold that all you want is to pile up 2000 layers to make sure the wind doesn’t get through.

In the summer, I feel like my skin colour is closer to what it should be (the way it was back in Brazil) and the brighter palette really compliments it. Outfits are often prettier and more feminine.

There is something about autumn that brings out harsher lines, and of course, the darker colours are in. I feel more elegant by adding more elements to a look, layering and rougher textures mixing. A lovely coat really ties it up together!

Anyway… there is no looking back now. Here is how I’ve been welcoming the new season…

Outfit #1

Red leopard print box cropped top from Boohoo, leather effect leggings from H&M, red patent courts from Christian Louboutin, necklace and bracelet from Primark, rings from Sobral, Topshop and New Look.

Outfit #2

Black mohair crop top from New Look, black and white spotty skater skirt from River Island, black and white court shoes from Viviana, necklace from Accessorize, bracelets from Primark, rings from Forever 21, New Look and Topshop.

Outfit #3

Green jumper from H&M, green and blue tartan trousers from Primark, black court heels from Christian Louboutin, necklace from Little Birdie London, bracelet from Primark, rings from Forever 21, New Look and H&M.

Outfit #4

Red V-neck jumper from Zara, grey and black tartan shirt from Primark, grey skater skirt from H&M, black ankle boots from H&M, tartan socks from Primark, bracelet from New Look, rings from Primark, New Look and Disney Couture.

Outfit #5

Grey and pink heart jumper and body-con black skirt from H&M, black ankle boots from H&M, socks and necklace from Primark, rings from Primark and New Look.

Product Review: Hi Brow kit and Smoothing Wax Pencil by La La (Lash Perfect)

The first time I had my eyebrows filled, I found it really, but really odd. Fast forward a few years, and today, I cannot leave the house without them being filled – it is like something is missing in my face. For that, I really welcomed the Hi Brow 24 hour , to make sure my peepers are framed beautifully by defined brows.

Hi-Brow is made by the same company that brought to us by Lash Perfect Professional Eyelash Extensions, as part of their La La Brows range. The kit comes in a little compact; simple, functional with a very smooth latch and a mirror. Inside you will find a brow powder, a highlighter, a double ended brush and three eyebrow stencils.

Check how it enhances my brow, left is with, right is without!

Now both!

The compact powders are very pigmented; I am using the DARK BROWN and found the colour warm and right for me. Application is good, the brush is quite soft; I am used to harder brushes for eyebrows, but this applied very well, no dropping!

The highlighter is beautiful. It has a pink-ish shimmer to it, reflecting light very well, really bringing that brow bone out and creating a lovely contrast with the filled eyebrow.

Personally, I don’t use the stencils as I like my brow shape, but they are a great guide for those who don’t! They are very easy to use, there are guides for correct alignment and they are quite flexible.

Hi Brow by La La - somanylovelythings

To finish off the look, I applied their the super thick Smoothing Wax Pencil, to fix my eyebrows in place. I quite like that one sweep will cover the whole brow and the wax will set the hairs in place, keeping that sharp look for longer.

Hi Brow by La La - somanylovelythings

The wax is smooth and doesn’t feel too waxy, if you know hat I mean! It last well and you don’t have that feeling of hard brows you get with some gels!

Hi Brow by La La - somanylovelythings

The Hi Brow kit , which is available in four colours to suit your complexion (grey, light brown, dark brown and dark charcoal) and the Smoothing Wax Pencil are available from the Lash Perfect website.

This post contains PR samples. This review, however, is based on my own true experience with the products and reflects my honest opinion on them.

Product review: Eyeko Black Magic Mascara

Lately, my mascara life turned a bit odd. Old favourites stop doing the trick and I felt everything made my lashes clump. Luckily for me, in the past month I have encountered a few solutions and the Eyeko Black Magic is one that has given me happy lashes. Drama and curl indeed.

Packaging is very nice – a silver squeezy tube and it has a curved hair bristles brush which feels very soft when applying. The liquid is smooth, not too thick and a shiny, well pigmented black.

This is a true bit of magic – it gives good definition (picking up all little lashes), good volume, length and curl – so ticks all the boxes, which is quite hard to find. Plus, it comes with a cute and functional Eyeko branded plectrum which helps application by protecting your lid – you can really get in there without worrying about smudges!

This mascara sits very well and lasts all day, no flaking or smudging . After spin (my ultimate test!) there was very minimal transfer to the close to the crease (the studio has been extremely hot lately but I’ll spare you the details!)!

It applies extremely well on top of dry mascara (for that all important top-up when you are going out after work), but it makes it waaay more difficult to remove!

With (L) and without (R) mascara: length and volume!

Good length and volume – drama in a bottle!

Now, if the Black is a staple for day or night, wait for this: Midnight Blue. Yes, you heard it. The Black Magic mascara comes in a new shade: blue. So beautiful. It really gives your lashes that je ne sais quoi. I was worried it was going to be too out there but is in fact, very wearable . Overall, it has that blue aura, but you only see it is really blue when it catches the light. And it looks stunning!

This is the kind of mascara that will change your lashes in a way that sometimes I catch a little glimpse of them and think – wow – they are fluttery! So I probably don’t need to spell out that I love it!

Eyeko black magic mascara in midnight blue

You can get this fab mascara from the Eyeko website – and also take a peek at their amazing liquid metal liners, which I reviewed a while ago.

This post contains PR samples. This review, however, is based on my own true experience with the products and reflects my honest opinion on them.

Product review: Salon System Nail Lux Erase Cuticle Remover

I do my own manicures. Since moving to London, it has been a weekly ritual. This week, for the first time, I cnahged a little bit my routine and used the Salon System Nail Lux Erase Cuticle Remover.

I usually use some normal moisturiser around the cuticles, soak the nails in a bowl or put a small bit of cotton wool on each nail, wet it and leave for a few minutes, before pushing the cuticles and cutting them.

This cream contains AHA’s to gently soften and erase unwanted cuticles from the nail plate, is thick in consistency and has a very light lemony smell. It makes the cuticle grooming process a little shorter. I added to all nails, left it for about three minutes and started pushing. The cuticle came off well, with little need to scrape. The nails felt very oily and moisturised afterwards, which is very nice. I washed my hands, as recommended, before continuing with my manicure.

Overall, a good product; saved me a bit of time and seems to hydrate my nails, cuticles and skin around it – it’s being incorporated into my weekly routine!

You can get this cream and many other products online from various stockists listed on the Salon System website.

Nails of the week: Rainbow gradient

It is no news I love a gradient on my talons, so this week I went a bit further – a four colour rainbow gradient.

The last one I did was a long time ago, and this was due. After seeing a rainbow gradient on some Brazilian nail polish Facebook page, I decided that was going to be the next one.

The technique is the very same I used before: sponging, and I found it a bit more challenging with four colours to make sure all nails had about the same amount of each and that the transition was smooth. But it happened in the end!

I used Colorama’s 40 Graus (red), L’Oréal Banana Pop (yellow), Kiko 385 (blue) and 343 (green), applied a stripe of each to a wet make-up sponge and stamped to previously painted white nails. I went round three times! I then added the magical Electric lane holographic topcoat from Nails Inc and a clear topcoat(Seche VIte) to seal it all.

To be honest, before I did it, I thought it was going to be a bit too much. It turns out I love it and don’t want to take it off. At all. Seven days have gone by and it still looks perfect and I am struggling with the idea of removing it and moving on to the next mani…

Rating:

What I’ve been wearing – 14/10/13

Autumn is definitely upon us. Summer already seems a distant memory. although I prefer the warmer climates hands down, I enjoy dressing for autumn; there is an excitement about the new collections and it is not yet so cold you cannot even think!

So here is my latest selection of autumnal outfits. I am loving tartan. Always have, so glad it is out there. Also happy to see leather for another cold season. And animal print (for me, it is always in fashion anyway).