NOTD- L.A. Girl Rockstar Nail Polish in Addict & more

So in my recent Cherry Culture haul I also got 3 L.A. Girl polishes from their 'Rockstar' collection. I've never been a big glitter girl if I'm honest. It's a pain to get off, and it can make you look like a 6 year old if you aren't careful, and honestly it's a bit too girly girly for me.

However recently I've been eyeing up some glitter polishes, like the Deborah Lippmann ones, and they look so gorgeous! When I saw these, I thought I've give them a go (they only cost me $2.80 each).

First we have Groupie.

This is my least favourite. It's a pretty shimmery purple with a little duochrome going on. I want to like this (it is really pretty) but I just didn't take to it. If you love a good blue purple this is lovely though.

Secondly we have Rock Star, a black with a fine glitter which looks pink and yellow.

This wasn't as exciting as I'd hoped as the lovely sparkle in the bottle isn't massively obvious when you get it on the nails, but is probably the closest thing you can get to a work friendly sparkle (maybe).

Thirdly, and my absolute favourite!

 This is GORGEOUS. It's called Addict, and it's a cranberry red with chunks of gold glitter.

 These are really probably not work friendly (depends how liberal your work is I suppose) but what they are, are big sexy rockstar nails. I want to pair these with loads of eyeliner, lots of bright lipstick and swooshy hair. Formula wise it's not mindblowing, kind of average. This was 3 coats, it dried relatively unsmudged (I did give it a while). No major chips after 5 days, but lots of tip wear.

You want big sexy nails? This may be your answer. I want to go buy all the others now!

From Cherry Culture.

Love B xxx

Beauty LAT: Big Haul, Part 2

So this is part 2! These are things I acquired on my work experience trip, a 24H Tesco two minutes walk away proved quite fatal for my bank account!

 

Avene Light Hydrating Cream SPF 20

La Roche-Posay Fluide Extreme SPF50+ Anthelios XL

Tesco Clear Skin Mattifying Moisturiser. I also got the Clear Skin Cream Wash.

Barbara Daly for Tesco Foundation Brush

(l-r) Barbara Daly for Tesco Oil-Free Foundation, Face Lift Foundation and Moisture Foundation, all in Ivory. I also got one in Porcelain, but it's a weird colour to my eyes.

Barbara Daly for Tesco Lipsticks in Icon and Begonia

Barbara Daly for Tesco Flawless Primer

That about covers it I think! I went a bit Barbara Daly heavy, but I've never seen her range instore before and I was a bit overexcited :) Again, anything you really want reviewing, let me know! 

Love B xxx

Beauty LAT: Big Haul, Part 1

Have I got a haul post and a half for you!

Firstly, this wasn't all bought in one go (it really wasn't. Promise.) I had a fair few things ordered from Asia and America, so they took ages to turn up! This post focuses on those things, part 2 is on a few goodies I bought when I was away on work experience. So here we go....

Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream, in shade 13, the palest one.

From Sigma 2 brushes, the 1st is the F82, a round top kabuki brush, and the 2nd is the F50, a duo fibre. I also got a mini eyeshadow blending brush free!

From Cherry Culture (there was a lovely big sale on, as there is now!)

 

Nyx Matte Lipcreams in Antwerp and Monte Carlo

 Nyx Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk

Nyx HD Studio Primer in 01

I also got 3 nail polishes from L.A. Girl, but will feature them in a few days as I've been wearing one of them this week!

Some cheap nail art wheels I got off ebay.

So that's part 1! Let me know if there are any particular products you are keen for reviews on :)

Love B xxx

The Big Watch #2: In The Loop

“It’ll be easy peasy lemon squeezy.” “No it’ll be difficult, difficult, lemon difficult.”

Onto our second film review!

Next, I am reviewing the film ‘In The Loop’. This is a political satire, based on a BBC series called ‘The Thick Of It’, both of which come from the mind of writer Armando Iannucci. This is something of an odd beast for those of us familiar with the TV show, which focused around British MPs in both the Labour and Conservative parties, and the advisers surrounding them. Here, oddly, we have a few of those old characters, but we also have actors who were in the TV series who are playing different characters in the movie. Obviously this is a boon for those not familiar with the TV series, but it is a tad disorientating to those expecting to be in exactly the same world with the same characters as before.

The film instead focuses on the relationship between the people within the British and American governments and whether a war will soon be started by them in the Middle East. It particularly focuses on an MP called Simon Foster, played by Tom Hollander, who is thrown from a relatively low position in the British government right into the centre of this debate.

What Iannucci is so good at creating in his direction are absolutely surreal moments in this serious political world. A particularly brilliant moment is when an American General and politician meet at a house party and sneak off to discuss the war: they end up sitting in a child’s bedroom, working out troop numbers on a child’s calculator which sings out the numbers. These sublimely surreal moments brighten what can be a tough genre to work with.

What political satire can be particularly good at is wordplay and mockery. ‘Yes Minister’, an 80s TV series, was particularly brilliant at this, full of tongue twisters and ridiculous red tape. ‘The Thick Of It’ did have a similar vein to it, although the main star has to be the character Malcolm Tucker, played by Peter Capaldi, who takes swearing and insults to new levels! The film suffers a bit here. Although Malcolm Tucker returns in the film, the dialogue doesn’t always quite have the same snap and fizz as the TV series does. I think the problem here is the sheer amount of characters- in a series it isn’t a problem, because you have more time to give to each person, but here it sometimes feels like we have to focus on the plot and whole ensemble and so lose time with each character.

This is not a cheery film by any stretch (by which I mean there are no fake happy endings). The bad people don’t lose and the good people don’t win, but that is in the film’s favour rather than a negative point.

To summarise, this is a very good film (although as with the series, not one for those who don’t like swearing. Seriously.) I do think on balance if this is your style of comedy and you have more time to spend, I think the TV series is better. However this gives you a good taste of Iannucci’s world and provides a very funny glimpse into the murky backstabbing world of politics.

7/10

Random Days: Hellooooooooooooo

Hello my lovelies!

Sorry I've been a little absent recently, I've been off doing work experience for about 10 days and had no internet for the whole time (it was traumatic I won't lie). I had an amazing time, but was very very tired and bruised when I returned! Am hoping to get back to normal soon.

On another note, a blog sale is up on this page, with mostly foundations, featuring products from Clarins, Gosh, Nyx, Loreal and more! Please have a look and pass it on to anyone who might be interested :)

Hope you're all well,
Love B xxx

Beauty LAT: Botanics Conditioning Clay Mask Review

I got this a while back because I needed a new mask, as my Body Shop one had sadly dried up.

This is a very runny mask compared to the one I'd been using before, it's very thin which does mean it dries fairly quickly.

The catch with this seems to be the time needed: the recommended time on the bottle is 10-20 minutes. In my opinion you kinda need this: what it seems to do is dry, and then as time passes you can see the oil and gunk coming out of your pores.

This works particularly well on my oily nose with lots of blackheads, as it clears them out really well. On the rest of my face, it's a bit blah. It doesn't seem to help spots much or brighten that much. Being thin, it does rinse off really easily, which can be a pain with mud masks.

It's a nice enough mask, pretty gentle and good for a light clear out. If you want something to really deep clean your skin though, you'd be better off looking elsewhere.

7/10.

You can buy this at Boots for £4.98 or online here.

Beauty LAT: elf Complexion Perfection powder review

I thought I ought to do a quick review of this powder, as it has appeared in every FOTD I've done!

I LOVE this powder. I was worried about the colours, because it looked a bit odd on the website pics! But when you use a brush over it, it all sheers out into this beautiful pale sheer powder.

It's perfect for setting foundation, and the mirror is great for those of us who never remember to take one with us anywhere (I seem to use the back of my Ipod a lot instead. Fail.) You can even see the pan. This never happens with me!

In short, this is cheap and works brilliantly. My HG powder!

10/10, I adore it.

This retails for £3.50 on the elf website.

Beauty LAT: Sleek Pout Paint Review

I thought it fitting, just after reviewing the elf Liquid Lipsticks, to show a new product that has no problem with a lack of colour!

I spotted these on my shopping trip this week: the Sleek Pout Paints (as distinct from the Pout Polish lipbalms).

I hadn't even heard about these being brought out, and they've only been out a week or so. The line that hooked me was the promise of it being a 'highly pigmented lip stain'. I'm a sucker for a good lipstain!

I got: (l-r) Port, Pin Up and Peek-a-bloo.

Port is nice, but has a little too much fuchsia for my liking. I do love Pin Up, it's a gorgeous red. Peek-a-bloo I actually really like! It's a shame that it's sky blue, because it's a bit crazy for day wear, but for dressing up it would be amazing.

The first claim, the 'high pigmentation'- they really aren't joking. This really is a liquid version of a lipstick. They say on the tube 'a little goes a long way', and I completely agree with that. You need to put these on carefully with a lip brush if you don't want to look like a kid playing with your mum's make-up.

Pin Up applied with lip brush.

 The second claim of being a 'lip stain'... it is. Sort of. It's more like a long lasting lipstick than a lipstain per se. A lipstain to me dries instantly, whereas this is a liquid and can smudge off if you aren't careful (blotting after applying helps a bit). It does last for ages though, even a full meal didn't get much of it off.

A warning though: this does stain, to its credit. But it stains everywhere, lips and fingers and whatever you get it on. It's a bit of a nightmare to remove (I still had some on the back of my hands after I'd washed up). It also means getting the application right first time is pretty crucial. I'd recommend lots of baby wipes and cotton balls to get it all off!

I am now multicoloured.

In short, if you treat this as a liquid, long-lasting lipstick, you'll love this. Great colours, cheap price and lasts ages. For those looking for a low maintenance lipstain, you'd be better looking elsewhere!

8/10, as it's a bit more high maintenance than I'd ideally like.

These are priced at £4.99 from Superdrug, and I got these on a 3 for 2 offer.

Beauty LAT: elf Liquid Lipsticks Review

This, for me, is an example of how not to name a product.

When I ordered these, the idea of them being 'liquid lipsticks' gave me a certain level of expectation, particularly about how pigmented they would be. Which is annoying. Because they're a bit lacking in the pigmentation department.

It comes in a twist up tube- I like the idea, but it took so so long when I first bought it to get the colour up, I think I twisted for about half an hour!

It's a shame because these are perfectly nice products- like a lip balm or non-sticky gloss, they give a nice sheer wash of colour. Here is Ruby Slipper (I have 2 but I've no idea where the other one has gone. Also sorry for my hideous non-made up skin!).

You can just see it on my lips- lovely sheer hint of colour.

As a light lip balm then, this is a lovely product. As a lipstick though, this fails for me. The colour payoff is nowhere near high enough, and doesn't particularly last that long.

5/10, good for a sheer colour and for the price.

This retails for £1.50 on the elf website.

NOTD- GOSH Special Edition Polish in Lavender Love

Wellllll you've all seen this before! My HG polish, on both hands this time :)

My one one tiny thing I don't like about this- it does make my hands look a little bit red, but that's just my little paranoia!

This was Limited Edition, I'm going to be so sad when it eventually runs out!

Love B xxx

Random Thoughts: Rioting. Not cool.

Seeing the news on the riots in London and in other cities across the UK... it's actually unbelievable.

I'm not an insanely patriotic person, but it is bizarre thinking back, that 70 years ago we were in WW2, and people were pulling together to defend their country and their cities in the face of destruction.

And today, we are seeing this destruction at the hands of our own people. Heartbreaking.

I desperately hope that all of you and your loved ones are safe and haven't been affected by this wilful and pointless violence. I hope it ends soon, the perpetrators get caught and that people can go outside on the streets again without being afraid.

There is a lot of trouble in the world at the moment- disasters, war, economic difficulty. How is making the world worse going to solve anything?

Love & prayers to you all,
Bex xxxx

The Big Watch #1: The Tree of Life

The Big Watch is very similar to my other project, The Big Read. By December 2012 I will have watched and reviewed 50 films or TV shows on here (if it's a TV show, it must be a full season of a show), again to encourage me to watch the things I never get round to seeing. So kicking it off, 'The Tree of Life'...

I was desperate to see 'The Tree of Life' because of the trailer. It looked mindblowing. I thought it might have some similarities to my favourite film of all time, 'The Fountain'. The film aimed to "chronicle the origins and meaning of life by way of a middle-aged man's childhood memories of his family living in 1950s Texas, interspersed with imagery of the origins of the universe and the inception of life on Earth."

I wasn't sure what I thought of this really. As a piece of art, it was unbelievable. Every shot could have been framed as a wall print, it was so sumptuous. There were some interesting ideas in there, mainly the idea of 'the way of nature vs the way of grace' which came from the differing parenting styles of the characters played by Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain. The title played the two ideas off against each other, being the tree from the Garden of Eden (the way of grace) and simultaneously the tree representing the evolutionary chain (the way of nature), which I found really interesting, as I sometimes struggle to balance my views as a Christian with my beliefs in science and evolution. The central section, following the family growing up, was lovely, filled with those tiny moments that slip us by too quickly, like the children chasing each other round the garden at dusk.

The main problem was the story. The closest I could get to the overall idea was that it was similar to the end of 'American Beauty', where the main character's life flashes before him just before he dies. That was the only way I could connect the elements of the story of the universe, the grown up main character (Sean Penn) and his memories of his family growing up. It all felt a bit lost at some points though, and I could hear people in the audience with me saying afterwards that they didn't really get it. It was also too long; at 138 minutes, it could have easily lost half an hour without suffering.

For producing a piece of art, I worship Terrence Malick's directorial eye. But unlike with 'The Fountain', I didn't fall in love with this. I came out loving moments, but found that as an overall film it was too fragmented and unclear, and that the story needed tightening up. It would be interesting to see it again to see whether it becomes clearer on a second viewing though.

10/10 for beauty, 6/10 for story. 7.5/10 overall.

I believe this has now finished showing at most cinemas, but will be out on DVD at some point.

The Big Read #1: QI Book Of The Dead

As much as I love beauty, I wanted this blog to be a mischmasch of everything: beauty, literature, TV, etc. So I'm starting The Big Read. The aim is to read (and review) 50 books from now until December 2012. They can be any genre (but don't worry no trashy celebrity novels or autobiographies will appear at any point!) The main reason for this is I'm a big reader, but terribly at actually finishing a book (I tend to go off and read something else halfway through) so hopefully this will encourage me to finish reading books in future! Running cocurrently to this will be The Big Watch, which the same thing but with films and TV shows. So, onwards!

So Book #1: QI Book of the Dead

I love QI until the ends of the earth, not only because I adore Stephen Fry, but because I love learning about completely random topics, even if they aren't exactly 'useful'. This book is one of the offshoots of the series. I think I acquired this from a pound shop for a bargain £1, but frankly I would have happily paid a lot more for this!

Essentially this is a series of mini biographies of interesting people from history, from obvious people like Florence Nightingale (did you know she spent 50 years of her life in bed?) to more obscure people like Nikola Tesla (apparently invented the internet, email and texting... in 1900. A hundred years early. What a guy!). The chapters are formed under somewhat random themes like lovers, passionately driven people, ... er.... monkey owners... but do allow the writers Lloyd and Mitchenson to cover people you have probably never heard of. The biographies form bite sized chunks that make them easy to devour; it's very easy to read a couple here and there if you don't have a lot of time. It's a decent sized book at 407 pages, but is the sort of thing you could pick up and abandon and come back to months later without suffering as you would with a novel because you have forgotten what happens previously.

Overall this is a great, interesting book that has led me to want to research some of those featured inside, because those bite sized chunks just don't seem enough!

9/10, because the title and idea of the book could have been a little clearer than it is.

You can buy it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/QI-Book-Dead-John-Lloyd/dp/0571244912/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1311597093&sr=8-2