Product review: MAC Extended Play Gigablack Lash mascara

MAC EXTENDED PLAY GIGABLACK MASCARA

For me, a good mascara is a definition mascara. Yes, I love volume, but I prefer that all of my lashes are separated and coated – and that is why I liked MAC’s Extended Play mascara.

Its brush has tough short bristles, and they pick each individual lash, creating a nice fan effect. If you build up three layers, it will also give you some volume, but this baby’s business is definition.  Also, it is a lovely super black, which I favour.

MAC EXTENDED PLAY GIGABLACK MASCARA

However, what I really love about this is the staying power. When they say extended play, they weren’t kidding: it lasts. I don;t like waterproof mascara, it dries my lashes too much. But I used this on the beach and it lasted.

And it doesn’t smudge or flakes. It does comes off with warm water, in flakes, so there is no panda eye mess when washing your face. An eye make-up remover, although always used by me, it barely necessary after washing. For this reason alone, this mascara is well worth its price of £14!

MAC extended play mascara

With (L) and without (R) mascara – I enjoyed the definition it gives my lashes

MAC extended play mascara

From this angle, I noticed my lashes are not only defined, but also lengthened

Fact:  have been put off MAC mascaras for a very long time, and never though anything good of them – and never though I’d buy another one (think the last was about seven years ago!). This product certainly changed my mind.

Shoes I won’t dare fall in love with

House of Borgezie Cleopatra stilettos

Platinum Cleopatra (image: .borgezie.com)

If you think the headline is odd to say the least, rest assured – you read it right. No, I am not ill. Carry on…

At £70,000 (again, you DID read it right) for a pair, I can safely state the House of Borgenzie platinum Cleopatra stilettos will never be the object of my desire.

As described on the site, “The Borgezie Platinum Cleopatra Stiletto is a worlds first solid platinum stiletto. Like the entire Borgezie range nothing like this has been achieved, or indeed possible before. Due to the extremely high temperatures required to work with Platinum, it proved to be one of Christophers greatest challenges. The Platinum stiletto took over four years of development. Finally the most noble of all metals was formed into the perfect stiletto.”

For a metal shoe, I wonder how comfortable it can actually be?!

House of Borgezie Cleopatra stilettos

Does it fit? (image: .borgezie.com)

Having said that, the shape is pretty, although I really don’t like that BORGEZIE is written across the heel and strap (which is much more visible on the gold version).

This is what I think Cinderella’s crystal slippers could’ve looked like if they were sandals (minus the letters – maybe have it to spell CINDERS?), although I much prefer Christian Louboutin’s version of  said slippers! 

The House of Borgezie is also behind the Eternal Borgezie Diamond Stiletto. And wait for it – encrusted with an astounding  2,200 diamonds, with a total weight of 30.00 (!!!) carats.

If the £70K platinum price tag is a bit too much, go for the more affordable white or yellow gold versions of the handcrafted, custom-made Cleopatra, at £60,000 (gasp! again).

House of Borgezie Cleopatra stilettos

Gold-stepper (image: .borgezie.com)

And there was poor me thinking my very small (but perfectly formed) collection of classic Loubis was something else…

If you want to take a peek, head over to The House of Borgezie website.

Rush Blogger Meet at the House of Rush

House of Rush

The House of Rush is a gorgeous flagship Rush hair salon located near Piccadilly circus in London. But this is no ordinary hair salon – it is a locks and beauty haven offering treatments for your mind and body, and of course, great hair services. From the outside, it is unassuming; enter, and you are in for a luxurious treat over two floors.

Through the partnership with the  Epson Skin Clinics, they also offer medical treatments including botox, dermal fillers, radio frequency, permanent hair reduction, vein and pigmentation removal,  microdermabrasion and peels, amongst others. Varied beauty treatments are available: face and body using Kéraskin, Rodial and Elemis, lashes, massages, waxing, tanning, manicures and pedicures. Hair cuts, colouring, treatments and extensions are also available, as well as male grooming! So much!!!

At the event, we watched a botox demonstration by the capable hands of Dr Gillian Carver, and had all of our questions answered. You’d be surprised how natural looking a botox-treated face can be – no need to be totally overworked and expression-less!

I also had a demonstration of oxygen blast, where 100% oxygen in mist form is applied to your face. It can be done over the make-up without spoiling it, and it is great to help skin retain hydration. I found particularly nice over my eyes, as I suffer from really dry eyes and it helped to alleviate it. It takes 10-15 minutes and costs £20 – a great lunchtime treat!

The manicure queue was long – most ladies left with beautifully painted talons using Essie and OPI polishes! The autumnal berry shades were by far more popular with the ladies, from what I could see.

Everyone was lovely, and I met loads of amazing bloggers including Sophia from Beauty in my mind, Zoe from Face value beauty blog, Rachel from Beauty Queen UK, Olivia from Beauty from the Fjord, Sheen from Golden and Sheen, Lisa from Lisahh-Jayne.com, Becky from Lipgloss and Lashes, Kimberley from Kimberley’s beauty blog, Alice from Tea Party with Alice, Kat from Tales of a Pale Face amongst other lovelies.

It was a fun night and even better, you can get  20% off any beauty services or 50% off microdermabrasion! All you need to do is to quote the code BLOG20 and/or MICRO50 when booking. The discount is valid at House of Rush only, until 31 October 2013. It makes a great autumn treat!!!

Finally, I’d like to thank Rush, Laura from Alison Jameson PR and Becky from Lipgloss and Lashes for the invitation! 🙂

You can check out the House of Rush website for more information on all treatments and to book – remembering there are over 60 Rush salons across London and the South.

You can also follow @RushHairBeauty on Twitter to be in for great information and promotions!

Nails of the week: colourful leopard print

colourful leopard print nails - somanylovelythings

You probably know by now I obsess about things. After loving last week’s leopard print soooooo much, I decided to do another one, of course. I went for a lovely white/gold base and my leopard spots were very colourful!

First, I am going to say how much I love the OPI Ski Slope Sweetie, which I picked up at Olympia Beauty. It is part of OPI’s winter collection and the colour is just amazing – a metallic white base with some colour shifting from a shimmery gold with a tiny little spark of green and red sometimes to a colder white, almost silver. Stunning. Seriously, rarely do I fall in love with a light coloured polish, but this got me. I sense it being used more – it is and amazing base for art: non intrusive but so not boring! It applies alright, there were no bush marks – the OPI brush is great, but this polish is a bit on the thick side.

20131005-211114.jpg

After applying two coats of SSS and letting it dry for about 15 minutes, I drew the spots with a fine nail brush and normal nail polish – I first did all blue (Kiko 385) spots, then purple (L’Oréal Flashing Lilac), green (L’Oréal Wasabi Hint), yellow (L’Oréal Banana Pop) and pink (L’Oréal Acid Watermelon),  making sure they were well distributed and no nail had the exactly same pattern!

20131005-211041.jpgAfter that, I used Barry M’s Nail art pen (seriously, how did I have this at home for soooo long and never used? Love this thing!) to add the irregular black outlines and random flecks to the spots.

I finished it off with a topcoat (Seche Vite) and I am absolutely in love with it. Sooo pretty!!!

colourful leopard print nails - somanylovelythings

Rating:

5_star

Product review: L’Oréal Paris Skin Perfection Advanced Correcting Serum

L'Oréal Paris Skin Perfection Advanced Correcting Serum

Boy, do I love a good serum. Because of my problematic skin history, I avoid very rich nice moisturisers. To make sure I give my skin the hydration it needs, I top it up with a lovely serum. And the serum du jour here at So Many Lovely Things is the L’Oréal Paris Skin Perfection Advanced Correcting Serum.

First, I am gonna give you the facts: this beauty is aimed at people in their 20’s and 30’s and contains LR 2412 which is derived from Jasmonic Acid and already being used in high-end products from the L’Oréal family for more mature skin, in higher concentrations.

This ingredient is combined with Perline-P, which is composed by a plant derived sugar (which is said to reduced the appearance of pores), a potent but gentle on the skin exfoliant (HEPES) and a bark extract, which helps to soothe the skin and reduce redness. This combination of LR 2412 and Perline-P should tackle pores size, uneven skin tone and texture, showing visible improvements.

L'Oréal Paris Skin Perfection Advanced Correcting Serum

The shot didn’t capture how pretty the pink in this serum is!

Now, I tried Lancôme Visionnaire for 2 weeks and really loved it. The Skin Perfection serum has a very similar effect on my skin – I also felt it on the first application. Applied at night, I wake up with suppler, plumped skin, looking rested, brighter.

Two weeks on, I noticed the general aspect of my skin is better, make-up sits much better, even my scars seem less visible. It is worth noting that Visionnaire contains the L’Oréal patented exclusive ingredient LR 2412 at a 4% concentration, so double the Skin Perfection concentration.

The products colour is the very same – a pearly milky white with a gorgeous translucent shimmery pink when you smooth it over. It smells lush too. The skin feel very satiny after application.

My skin is loving it. I am also using others product from the range, the day moisturiser (which I will review soon) and the toner.

To make all this even better, Superdrug has an amazing promotion on the range at the moment, the serum was only £11.32, but even at full price, this is a bargain (RRP £19.99, full price listed at Superdrug is £16.99). You can also find it in Boots and other retailers nationwide.

Obviously, I will keep using this, and will certainly re-purchase. With such a problematic skin, you really need to hang on to what it likes!

For more information on the Advanced Correcting Serum, visit the L’Oréal Paris 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.

What I’ve been wearing – 03/10/2013

I haven’t posted one of these for a while – a month to be precise, so have a huge backlog of outfits crying to be published…. going back in time, I can still spot a few hints of summer in my outfits. Now, my wardrobe has completely morphed into autumn…

Outfit #1

Cherry dress - somanylovelythings

Cherry dress from Louche at Joy, white cardigan from Primark, black and white court shoes from Viviana shoes.

Outfit #2

Dark denim dungaree dress dress - somanylovelythings

Dark denim skirt dungarees from Primark, blue and grey leopard print top from H&M, ankle boots from New Look, necklace from H&M, rings from Primark, H&M, Topshop and Forever21.

Outfit #3

Pink, white and black panel top - somanylovelythings

Pink, white and black leather look panels top from Primark, black leggings from American Apparel, black court shoes from Christian Louboutin, necklace from New Look, rings from Accessorize (big grey stone), H&M, Disney Couture and Forever21.

Outfit #4

Yellow and cream dress - somanylovelythings

Pretty yellow with cream dots dress from Primark, nude peep toes from Jimmy Choo, rings from H&M and Forever21.

Outfit #5

tartan skirt - somanylovelythings

Holiday clubbing look! Yay! Black off the shoulder crop top from Miss Selfridge, red and black tartan skirt from H&M, black strappy sandals from New Look, black clutch from H&M, neckalce and bracelet from New Look,  rings from H&M, Topshop, New Look (but you can’t see them!)

Product review: Naked Brunette Radiance Shampoo and Conditioner

Naked Brunette Radiance shampoo and conditioner

As I love discovering new brands and products, I was thrilled to be sent the Naked Brunette Radiance shampoo and conditioner to try – I cannot believe I had not come across the Naked brand before!

Naked products are 97% natural, made with botanical products – which is great – and they have an extensive range of caring beauty and hygiene products, not only haircare.

The shampoo is light brown in colour, has elderberry and sage to give brunette hair that extra boost. The bottle is made with 50% recycled materials and recyclable, of course!

Naked Brunette Radiance shampoo and conditioner

The smell is very mild and nice, plant-like, very fresh. It lathers alright (I wasn’t expecting it to – it is actually very good for a sulphate-free shampoo) and the second application is even better. It feels a tiny bit tingly, like mint, which I like! My hair felt very clean, my scalp refreshed.

The conditioner is white with a creamy consistency and smells plant-y too! I applied on my hair and left it for a couple minutes before rinsing. It feels very fresh, and the hair felt soft. The tube is 100% recyclable!

My hair dried very soft, shiny and light – I am very pleased with this duo!

Packaging is simple and functional. I like their logo and the text on the back of the products. Both shampoo and conditioner contains no parabens,sulphates, phthalates or petrochemicals; are not tested on animals, are suitable for vegetarians and vegans and made in the UK.Naked Brunette Radiance shampoo and conditioner

At the moment, the new Naked Brunette Radiance shampoo and conditioner are on special offer for only £2.66 each (normal price £3.99 for 250ml) on the Naked website, where can find these two and many other products, including bath, body, shower, kids and baby ranges!

Product review: Lancôme Hypnôse Drama Eyes smoky eyes palette by Alber Elbaz

lancome by Alber Elbaz smoky eyes palette

There is no way of resisting this palette for a lover of all things pretty. Although the colours are not new for Lancôme, the pretty dotty packaging created by Alber Elbaz for this five-colour Hypnôse Drama Eyes smoky eye palette is. And yes – I am a sucker for packaging.

More than a that, I am an ultra-sucker for black eye shadow. A black smokey eye is my favourite look. I would wear it everyday. You read it right. DAY. Plus, as a wearer of red lipstick, black is pretty much the only smokey I can get away with. There you have it.

lancome by Alber Elbaz smoky eyes palette This palette comes with five very wearable shades: a very pearly pink, a light silver grey, a metallic charcoal, a very dark charcoal with silver particles and a satin pure black. What a selection!

I created this look using all but the pink colour in the palette. It was an “Ibiza clubbing eye make”, hence the over the top crystals.

Black smokey eyes with crystals -somanylovelythingsApplication was alright, the colours are super pigmented and look great when applied. You can also use them wet for extra impact. Dry they are extremely blendable. The only problem I found with it is that the darker colours drop an awful lot when applying, so if going bold, do eyes first then skin. Or hang tight to tissue under the eye. Once it drops, it really sticks.

Black smokey eyes with crystals -somanylovelythings

Not only it looked fantastic but it also lasted well, so this is a palette which will be accompanying me in many nights out!

Love it.

Olympia Beauty 2013

olympia beauty 2013 - somanylovelythings

This was my second time at Olympia Beauty. Just the idea of  over 520 beauty exhibitors under one roof is enough to make me forget how much I have walking around in crowds!

The show is free for professionals and I registered as press. On the day tickets for the general public can be bought on the day for £15.

This year the show didn’t disappoint. I was particularly impressed with their Press and Social Media Hubs – much bigger and better than last year’s, with more brands showcasing products – OPI, Dermalogica, Elemis, Lash Perfect/Hi Brow, Sienna X amongst others and a spacious area with refreshments (including cute Marc Jacobs Diet Coke bottles!)

The stands were fantastic! This year, a lot of gel manicures again, but also for domestic use and teeth whitening I think were the bigger presence for consumer products. Lashes and brows were also quite predominant!

Exhibitors were great – from huge brands for consumer (OPI, Elemis, Dermalogica, Ardell, Color Club, Essie, Fake Bake, Minx nail foils, NYX and many others!) offering discounted products to salon equipment and therapies machines to the professionals, and lots of and sample therapies going on.

I was very happy to se a bit more make up – Inglot and Illamasqua making an appearance. Although I was disappointed with Illamasqua – they were not selling products!

As usual, they held competitions – Nailympics – the international nail competition, The Art of Make-up and The Art of Body Painting.

The educational part of the show was even bigger too and was divided in “Business of Beauty”, “The Creativity of Nails”, “The Art of Make-up”, Make-up Artist Guest Stage” and “Aesthetic Beauty”, covering an amazing amount of topics around beauty and therapies.

As a blogger, it is great to get direct contact with brands. As a consumer, it is fantastic to pick up lots of great products at a very good price. As a beauty lover, and amazing opportunity to see what is going on in the market. It’s an overall win!

Needless to say, I came home with  bunch of products that will soon be gracing the blog – fun times!!!Always a pleasure to go, and I will for sure be there in 2014!

Product review: Stargazer Sexy Eyes temporary eye tattoo

stargazer temporary eye tattoo lace and bows - somanylovelythings

It is no secret I love my eyes BIG. The bigger and blacker, the better. Recently, I even attempted a crystal look (which I will come to in due time!) but today I tried Stargazer’s temporary eye tattoo Sexy Eyes in Rose and Bows.

stargazer temporary eye tattoo lace and bows - somanylovelythings

Should’ve stopped the cutting there, but nooooo…

And sexy they are. I really loved it. Application was dead easy. I must confess I did mess one up, but not applying – cutting! It will make sense soon, I promise!

You probably applied a temporary tattoo on yourself or somebody else; applying this is exactly the same – simply remove the transparent film and put that side you just removed the film from on to clean skin. Make sure you position it in the right place and gently dab a water-soaked cloth over the paper – make sure you don’t miss any bits. After the whole area is wet, wait 10 second and gently peel the white paper. Voilá. Gently dab the damp cloth over the design again.

stargazer temporary eye tattoo lace and bows - somanylovelythingsIt dries pretty quickly and feels great on the skin. I was worried it was going to pull after it dried, but it didn’t; I couldn’t even notice it was there. I filled the gap between my lash line and the tattoo with black and gold liner to complement the look.

Now, with Halloween just around the corner, if you are thinking about an amazing eye design that is very easy to achieve, look no further. This product is fantastic to complement pretty much any costume and they have many designs for you to choose from – all eyes here on Flame!!!stargazer temporary eye tattoo lace and bows - somanylovelythings

It is also a great alternative to masks for a masquerade ball – dare to be different and still very sexy, without having to carry the extra weight on your face (and hands once you get bored, the mask starts itching, you are fed up of not having peripheral vision… and the list goes on!).

You can add more details or extend the design using liquid eyeliner to create an even more intricate design.

Apart from that, this is also great for occasions when you want to go all out. I would probably cut it up smaller for a night out, but would definitely use it (I actually have another set – it is waiting for the right moment!)

And a little secret: this tattoos are very versatile – you can cut them up in at least three different places to create a more discreet effect. You can use it only on the lid or with a slim or large flick. Great!!!

stargazer temporary eye tattoo lace and bows - somanylovelythings

A few ways of cutting it for a great effect!

Removal was much easier than I thought – I used an oily make-up remover (Lancôme Bi Facil) and it came out with no vigorous rubbing. Thumbs up.

The best of all (yes, there is something almost better than all that): it only costs you £4. Yes. Four British pounds per set. Do not wait.

You can get these lovelies at the Stargazer website – do check all the designs, they are beautiful!

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.