M.I.A

so, you may have been wondering where I've been for the last 6 weeks... well, unfortunately I haven't won the lottery or been away in Miami (*sigh*). My lovely old Granda passed away at the start of March and I've been keeping my head down since. 

Although I haven't been online much, I will be back soon. I'm going to take some time to re-evaluate what the blog is about and the direction it's going before I launch back. If you have any favourite type posts then let me know. 

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy

I am so, so late to this particular party, that I've practically turned into a pumpkin! The Chanel Rouge Coco Shine 'Lipshines' hit the shelves about a year ago; I remember seeing this vid from Ruth at A Model Recommends and thinking 'nah, not for me' but for some reason, they always lingered in the back of my mind.

I finally had the opportunity to try some out last week, when I nipped into Boots about 10 mins before they were closing (tip, always go to makeup counters last thing as the SAs are balancing the books, cashing tills & wont bother you!). I thought I would go for something pinkier, but when I tried out 'Boy' I loved the taupe/flesh tones & snapped one up.

What Chanel say...

ROUGE COCO SHINE makes an irresistible desire for lightness flit over your makeup. With its mischievous touch, it glides over lips with all the charm and freshness of a snapshot.

As melt-away as a balm, its lip-embracing texture becomes fluid on contact with the lips and provides a stunning gloss effect with natural shine. Deliciously fresh and soft, it delivers an unforgettable sensation of well-being.

Lips are enveloped in the incomparable comfort of continuous 8-hour-long hydration thanks to the Hydratender complex, the secret behind the softness of the ROUGE COCO range.

These lovely little lipshines are indeed 'melty', blending into the lip like a lovely light lipbalm with a high shine. Like Ruth, I've been wearing mine instead of a lipbalm & my lips have been feeling super soft. Incredibly, I've noticed that they don't slip off after 1/2 hr and do manage a good 2-3hrs wear; given how light they are, I think this is excellent.

My lips are often the last thing I think about when I'm doing my makeup & I never wear lipstick unless it's the feature of my look for that night. I usually find them drying & can never be bothered with the lunchtime trip to the ladies to 'freshen' my makeup. I normally rely on lipbalms to polish my lips up, but this is a firm favourite replacement. I love that the colour just evens out the tone of my lips without colouring them too much & shine finishes the look off nicely. The biggest bonus about these is that the glossy finish is not in the least bit sticky, meaning I can wear my hair down AND wear a lip colour without fear of my hair getting gloopy.

If you fancy getting your mitts on one of these lovelies, but don't like the £23 price tag, head on over to Buyapowa where they have a co-buy coming up for Rouge Coco Shine in 'Chance'. Knowing how good the deals are, I'm hoping this will be down to about £15-£16! You can enter your email address so you're notified as soon as it goes live, which I hope is soon!

Clarins Ever Matte Foundation & Powder

The 'Ever Matte' foundation is a new offering from Clarins and I quite simply love it. I got sent a tube (? bottle? I'm not sure what to call this packaging?) a few weeks ago, around the same time I discovered Chanel Perfection Lumier. I discarded this to the 'test later' drawer in favour of my new discovery from Chanel & didn't really give it a second thought. I eventually pulled it out & gave it a go. I was blown away by how lovely it is and I've used it every day since. I've actually been & purchased 2 other bottles/tubes so I have a nice range of shades.

Here's what Clarins say...

The perfect shine-control, balancing foundation for women looking for matte skin in any circumstance. Its plant-based "Skin Detox" complex regulates production of sebum and tightens pores. The fluid, lightweight texture perfectly melts into the skin, allowing it to breathe without any drying effect. The complexion is enhanced with an imperceptible matte veil which remains flawless from morning to night.

As usual, there's guff about tightening pores & other science-bothering info, but for once I agree with most of what's said. It is oil-free, but is not powdery or drying & therefore would be suitable for almost any skin. If your skin is nearing the extreme dry end of the scale, I'd suggest giving it a miss, but anything else - this will give you a lovely, medium-full coverage, that still manages to look like skin.

The other amazing 'plus' is the fact it does last from morning to night. In fact, I tweeted the other day...

"had such a good hair & makeup day today. love when that happens. plus Clarins' Ever Matte foundation is the SH*T"

The other product pictured is the Mineral Powder Compact, which is delightful. It has a sublime fresh scent; like sweet cucumbers. I suck at describing things. But trust me, these products are seriously worth checking out, even if your skin is normal. Do. It.

Artificial Light Natural Light

The foundation is available at counters for £24 and the powder is available for £25

Kate Spade Kindle Cover

*rant warning*

*If you're not a Kindle owner, this will be boring as fuc..*

If you follow me on Twitter, you will have undoubtedly seen me complaining long & hard about the serious lack of good Kindle covers. I'm not talking about quality - I know I could've had a pink one from Tesco or a sturdy one from Amazon blah blah blah... I'm talking about CHOICE!! From Amazon to Tesco to Curry's Digital - there's about 4 different options, in the same insipid colours and they are BORING!!!!

Now, if I had an iPad, I could have had 5111 choices from Zazzle, or this Valentino case, this Jimmy Choo case or an animal friendly case from Stella McCartney (I could go on and on...) but I DON'T have an iPad! I bought my Kindle just before I went to the states & decided to lay-off buying a case until I got there, expecting to find a plethora of choices. But I didn't. It was mighty disappointing!! I started searching on Amazon and I quickly stumbled across a fab selection from Kate Spade and DVF, but actual FFS. They only ship to the sodding US. grrrrrrr

I was ready to give up my search and settle for this coral offering from Belkin (my mum has this one & it's fine, but the flip catch thing would have driven me CRAZY!), when an angel from Houston stepped in (she's actually my Husband's friend from Uni) and was happy to order one for me & it arrived today!! HURRAH!! So, I went for the Pebbled Leather in Pink (note - my pics are about gazillion times more colour accurate than Amazon's). It's buttery soft and I adore the colour. Even though it's a completely different colour to the one I was expecting, I'm really pleased it's a more vibrant fuschia than the pastel pink shown. I was slightly worried that in the pics on Amazon, the elastic sections looked a bit 'loose' but I am really impressed with how strong & tight the corners are gripping my Kindle in place. I shook it about a bit & my Kindle didn't quiver one bit. Overall, the quality is awesome & I'm glad I stuck to my guns and ordered one. Now, all you Kindle geeks, feast your eyes below...

Clarins Instant Light Blush 'Vitamin Pink'

A few weeks ago, I blogged about the latest Clarins SS12 collection - Spring Breeze. Immediately, I knew the cream blushes were the stand-out & I've worn 'Vitamin Pink' every day since. A few pics below showing it on my face!