Coralicious lips

Afternoon lovelies,

And what a lovely sunny afternoon it is...I probably should write this outside, but I then can't see the screen of the laptop!

As promised some lippie based product reviews for you. Today we will be looking at Rimmels Moisture Renew lipstick in 'Coral Queen' and Collection 2000s Lock N Hold lipgloss in 'Break Dance'.

I had been looking for a good coral lipstick for a while, and although I was tempted by a couple that Mac had on offer I knew that I had to be sensible and so off I went to my local Superdrug (not realising at the time that Boots had just started their 3 for 2 offer across make-up...darn it!) to see what I could find. 

I have been a fan of Rimmel lipsticks for a good few years now, and although there have been a few flirtations with other brands, I still tend to head to the Rimmel stand for a lipstick (or nail varnish!) as I can normal guarantee that there will be a shade that I'm looking for at a reasonable price. When I am no longer a student I'm sure I shall be fulfilling my dreams of having a make up bag full of Benefit and Mac lippies, but for the moment, I am more than happy with my Rimmel ones for only £4.79.

So, first up, Coral Queen.

 It is quite a pinky coral...I think deep down I had wanted to be brave and try something a bit more orange based...but I am really happy with this colour. It is so lovely and bright and summery. It is not as bright as some pure pinks that I have, and is just the right colour to be worn as a statement colour on it's own with minimal make up elsewhere, as well as with slightly heavier eye/cheek make up.

The lipstick goes on easily and you get a good amount of pigment with a brush application which can be built up to get a bolder shade if you wanted to. I find these lipsticks to have a really nice feel to them and they don't dry out your lips at all, as should be the case given that it is a Moisture Renew lipstick. Here is the blurb from the website:

Innovative formula with 3 Super Moisturisers - Collagen, Polypeptides & Hyaluronic Acid deeply hydrates lips and improves their condition instantly and over time. Lips look and feel up to 70% more hydrated and up to 60% smoother - colour is maximised, all day long.



Now, Break Dance.

I don't know about you but I find that a random name for a make up product. I know it's quite common for brands to just pick random names, but I quite like it when there is some relevance to the colour!

This lipgloss is a lovely pale coral colour with a good balance of pink and orange tones to it. The website claims:

- Locks in sheer colour for up to six hours

- Six on-trend shades

- Super non-sticky formula

- Unique wand shape means no nonsense easy application, for girls on the go!

- Long lasting glossy shine will guarantee your luscious lips are locked in for longer

I didn't actually know any of this the first few times I wore it, but looking at the information now, I find myself nodding in agreement. I think that 6 hours is a bit of a stretch, especially for a gloss, but it does still last a good few hours without the colour, or the shine, fading. I think this is actually quite impressive for a product that only costs a couple of pounds...it is £2.99 to be exact.

I was really happy with the colour on my lips, it is not exactly subtle, but at the same time is not a big statement colour. I will happily wear this during the day for lunch or shopping with friends. 

And for big nights out I have been combining the two!

Sorry, the photo is not great, but the two products together gives a great bright glossy look that is perfect for the summer and with a bit of a tan. I am hoping that I will still be able to pull this off when I am a bit paler...I think it is a colour that will suite when tanned but also in the spring/autumn months when most of us feel a bit pale!

What do you think? Have any of you joined in with the coral revolution?

OOTD: Let's pretend it's already summer

Hi there.

I have been incredibly neglective of my blog of late *slaps wrist*. Having started back at uni after the holidays and beginning the new part of my course, the work load and information that my brain has had to process has taken up most of my time and attention. Any free time I have had has been spent on pre-arranged social events or enjoying having to use no brain cells watching mindless trash on TV (we love it!)

Anyway, I am aiming to make a conscious effort to get back in to this. I shall just make the time! I've even been organised and made a note of a few posts to tide me over for a little while (a little tip I picked up from the lovely Roz @ Primps and Preens)

Last weekend it was a friends birthday so we went for a few drinks. Perfect opportunity for the first outing of my lovely new dress that I picked up in Windsor over the last bank holiday.

Here is my outfit for the evening:

Patterned Dress: Topshop

Navy Shoes: Primark

Bangles: Accesorize

Bracelet: Accessorize

Earrings: Accessorize

I am completely in love with my new dress and can't wait for it to be warmer so that I can wear this ALL THE TIME! It is so versatile, great for nights out (as shown) but also with sandals and a cardi during the day. I've also tried it with a white short sleeved shirt underneath and with black tights and leggings, they all offer great ways to wear the dress when it is slightly cooler or when I need to look a bit more covered up (school!) I will mostly likely post a future OOTD featuring this dress but worn in a slightly different way. 

The little blue flowers were also a perfect match for my lovely new Rimmel Aqua Cool nail varnish.

And here is a little picture of my make up for the evening...although pleased bare in mind that I took this when I get home at midnight and after being caught in a rain storm...shame, as I was really please with how my hair had turned out when I first did it at about 6pm!

Base: Olay complete care touch of foundation (Medium)

Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer (02 Light Medium)

YSL Touche Eclat (No.2)

Bronzer: Rimmel Sun Shimmer Bronzing Compact Powder (Medium Matte)

Blusher: Laura Paige Blusher (Opal Frost)

Maybelline Dream Mouse Blush (Mauve Magique)

Eyeshadow: Benefit Big Beautiful Eyes contour kit

Eyeliner: Barry M Intense Black Eyeliner Pen

Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid Liner (Black)

Mascara: Max Factor False Lash Effect Fusion (Black)

Lips: Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick (Coral Queen)

Collection 2000 Lock N Hold Lipgloss (Break Dance)

The photo has come out a bit funny looking, but I think you get the idea! The mascara, lipstick and lipgloss were all new purchases and reviews will follow shortly!

Have you got a favourite outfit for summer in mind?

NOTD: LYCRA® PRO Colour Memory Nail Polish Aqua Cool

I saw an advert for the new shades of Rimmels Lycra Pro when I came back from my holiday and was very excited to see a great selection of my favourite pastel shades. I have been looking for sometime for the perfect pale blue and I think I may have found it!

Rimmel have updated their Lycra Pro range to now include an Anti-Fade Colour System that is meant to keep your nails looking bright and beautiful as well as chip free for up to 10 days. I have had it on for 2 days now and apart from a tiny chip on my thumb where I caught it yesterday it still looks as good as it did on first application.

Here is the blurb from the Rimmel website:

KEEP COLOUR FRESH AND VIBRANT FOR UP TO 10 DAYS

Summer 2011 promises to be a festival of colour. Tangerine, violet, crimson, hot pink and aquamarine all dazzled on runways from New York to London, Paris to Milan and thanks to Rimmel, they’ll be dazzling soon on a beauty counter near you. The new, better-than-ever formulation of the iconic LYCRA Pro nail polish now with Pro Colour Memory incorporates an Anti-Fade Colour System to keep colour fresh and vibrant for up to 10 days.

Take colour to a new level – promising fresh-out-of-the-bottle-look with long-lasting shine, it’s super durable, ultra-flexible giving you a chip-proof finish. And the exclusive LYCRA Pro maxi Brush delivers a professional, mistake-free look. Colour perfection is literally at your fingertips

I have been a fan of the Rimmel Lycra Pro varnishes for a while as I find them to be long lasting and incredibly easy to apply. The large brush really does allow for easy, almost mistake free, application.

Please excuse the state of my cuticles...one day I am sure I will stop biting! I think the colour in the photo is fairly true to real life, although this makes it look slightly more blue than it really is. I'd say it is actually slightly paler with almost a very faint lilac tone too it. I would call it a real cornflower blue. I think the name of the varnish is slightly off, in my mind Aqua Cool would be slightly more green/turquoise. 

I am in love with this shade though, it is ideal for the summer and I shall be sporting it all over the weekend as it goes perfectly my new dress that I shall be wearing on saturday night! 

A Right Royal Weekend

Ok, so I am a little late for my bank holiday review, but I spent yesterday frantically trying to get my Uni work done for today that I hadn't had time to fit in to my lovely weekend, as you will see shortly.

As I was on holiday I didn't get to take advantage of the double long weekends with my friends, so this last one was jam packed of fun things. I was also very happy that we managed to have glorious weather on all 4 days.

Friday


Along with most of the nation I spent Friday feeling very British. I spent Thursday evening doing some baking for a Royal Wedding BBQ I was going to at a friends house.

My patriotic cupcakes. Vanilla base with white chocolate icing

Oreo Brownies...these did not last long, a favourite with the boys!

 I arrived at 10.30 just in time to see the Bride make her entrance and to open the first of many bottle of champagne. Wow! She looked Beautiful (with a capital B!)

I want a tiara this pretty!

 I had expected her to be quite demure and elegant in her choice of dress, due to her new role and also getting married in such a prestigious religious venue it was unlikely that she would be flaunting cleavage or such like. I thought that the dress was stunning, perfect for a future Queen. She also looked unbelievably happy, they both did. I felt like a lot of the focus was on her, poor Wills, he was getting married too! Although it seems that little Pippa stole a lot of the show in her McQueen number. I've not spoken to a single male I know, including my boyfriend, who isn't now lusting after the youngest Middleton.

The Bride and her sister

I was also impressed that Kate was reported to have done her own make up. A brave choice for any Bride, let alone one getting married in front of billions of people. She looked natural, even with a slightly heavier hand on her eye make up than normal and had the perfect bridal 'glow'. I am lusting after her colour of lippie, I did, however, find myself getting distracted by her eyebrows...

Saturday


Saturday day was spent lazing around town and in the sun. My friend Louise wanted to do some shopping and did very well picking up 2 pairs of chinos in H&M and 2 skirts in Zara. She then decided to do a reorganise of her wardrobe so I did a little lounging in the garden to try and top up my rapidly disappearing tan. It was then time for my second wedding of the weekend! It was our friend Beccas, little sister this time. We were only evening guests and by the time we arrived everyone was well on the way to wedding drunkeness. Becca was maid of honour and looked lovely in a full length royal blue strapless gown, the girl is blonde and minute and looks good in everything, cow! The bride looked really happy and was sporting a simple strapless sweetheart dress with a full skirt with gathering details.

The Bridal Party

It was also the first outing for my French Connection dress! Unfortunately I forget to get a full outfit shot and the only full length picture is of me in the background and it's not a great shot! Here is the top half though...

Sunday

On Sunday I had a family BBQ and made a rather yummy marinaded chicken. We stayed outside for as long as possible before the wind forced us inside. 

In the evening I went out in Reading for one of the boyfriends friends birthdays. Having started drinking at the BBQ at 3pm it was quite a merry affair. It was nice to see all of the boyfriends friends as it had been a while with holidays and various other things going on. Even though it was a bank holiday things were pretty quiet, but that did not stop us having lots of fun.

Monday

As it was another lovely sunny day on Sunday I wanted to make the most of it. The boyfriend and I went to Windsor for the day. We had lunch at the Cattle Grid, he had a burger and I had a lovely grilled steak caesar salad. We then decided to go to the Long Walk and ended up walking along the whole thing. It is a straight road lined with trees that runs from Windsor Castle to a big bronze statue of King George III.

 

View from the statue...Windsor Castle is down the end somewhere...

There it is!

It is 2.6 miles in length, so doing that and back, plus a look around the shops, we walked about 6 miles. The walk was lovely though, when you get to the hill with the statue you can see for miles on a clear sunny day, we saw Slough, Heathrow, Wembley and a little bit of London. 

The Bronze Horse

Having a rest before walking back

On the way back we stopped at a lovely little old pub for a well deserved drink. 

Lovely little pub

I may have also treated myself to a new dress from Topshop and a basic jumper from Zara, blogs to follow! I hope you all had equally lovely weekends and enjoyed the good weather.

What is your favourite way to spend a sunny bank holiday?

xx