It's finally here................

Hopefully all the hustle and bustle is finished and all is peaceful and calm. Or like us you are still battling coughs, colds, sore throats or worse. However this finds you, I'd really like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas! xx

My Sparklz are missing................

Sorry folks, every time I think I'm getting more regular with my postings, something comes along to get in the way. Last weeks severe Internet issues, have today been replaced by a need to hibernate, till the face and earache goes away. Actually I was probably coming down with it last week or I might have managed to get something posted between downtimes. Off to lie down in a dark corner. x

Alex Box returns for IMATS London 2011

And in case you haven't yet booked, the discount price appears to have been extended, slightly!

Edit: Go here  for the post on Alex's performance:)

China Glaze - Midnight Mission NOTD

Midnight Mission gave everything I expected from my first application of a China Glaze varnish. Almost a one coater, this went on smoothly and looks a dream on. My only issue was that this one seemed to have a very dud brush, hairs with kind of frizzly ends and the odd hair springing out alarmingly. I might need to steal a brush from one of the other Vintage Vixens next time I use this beautiful dark blue. 

I apologise for any pink tinges in the pics - virtually all the pics had reflected my dressing gown!! 

Base coat Sally Hansen Miracle Nails, Top Coat Mavala Color Fix

The Beauty Secret of the Stars!

I was on Twitter a few weeks back, and I was fascinated to see a pillowcase being talked about as a beauty secret. Well I couldn't help but look into SilkPerfect, the Beauty Secret of the Stars, a bit further:

The remarkable pillowcase that brings you three irresistible beauty benefits:

Wake up without bed head

Minimises sleep creases & smooths skin

Hypoallergenic and repels dust mites

I was particularly struck by these pics:

Effect of a Cotton pillowcase

SilkPerfect's effect on your hair

  

Well they'd won me over with the Hypoallergenic and the thought of minimising bed head, if it protected my face even a little bit that would be a bonus. And it's machine washable on a Silk cycle. I'd already mentally added it to my wish list when I returned to Twitter, to discover I'd been offered the chance to try one out.

Here's what SilkPerfect have to say about the origins of their product:

SilkPerfect is perhaps the most intensively researched product on the marketplace - both in terms of the science behind silk, and the 15 different variations before settling on the exact SilkPerfect pillowcases made available to consumers.

We do not believe in running-down competitors as all silk pillowcases will bring you benefits to varying degrees.

The concept for SilkPerfect emerged many years ago whilst the owner lived in Malaysia working for a fashion and lifestyle magazine. Many of the older Chinese women would use silk wraps or pillowcases for their hair, and some of the younger models turned up for photo shoots wearing them. When asked what they were for, they espoused the huge advantages for their hair and skin and couldn't understand why more in the West didn't use them.

Upon returning to the UK, the founder's silk pillowcases needed replacing after many years' good use, but he couldn't find any non-shiny ones readily available. Thus many manufacturers were met with in China, the home of silk, and more than 15 different silk styles, softness and thicknesses were extensively tested before the current unique formulation was settled upon.

One of the thickest silk pillowcases on the market, yet still incredibly soft SilkPerfect pride themselves on quality and comfort. Avoiding harsh chemicals to ensure the purest result, SilkPerfect pillowcases are available in their natural ivory colour. Blending seamlessly into your home décor - you needn't compromise on style to feel the benefits.

Today SilkPerfect pillowcases are bought across Europe, America, Africa, the Antipodes - and are even sold to China where the ancient concept originated!



Although there is one person I might just force myself to lend it to. Someone so sceptical that it would be the only way of winning him over. You see another benefit of Silk is that it keeps your head cooler at night - Which might just help the insomniac Husband.

The SilkPerfect Púr that I recieved is 75cm X 50cm with a Charmeuse, Gloss Finish. The Silk is on the top side only with a cotton underside to ensure the pillowcase doesn't slip when you rest your head on it. I guess it also makes it more affordable than the other 2 pillowcases in the range. Priced at £20, it is currently on 2 for the price of one whilst stocks last. Postage is a flat £3.50 anywhere in the world. Amazingly they also have a 110% money-back offer if you don't feel a difference in your hair or skin!

There is so much more information available on the theory behind this product's claims, I'd highly recommend checking it out.I love my 400 thread count Egyptian cotton pillowcases and sheets, they feel so smooth in comparison to anything else I've tried. Yet the feel of this pillowcase simply blew them out of the water. In all honesty, I'm usually in too much of a rush in the mornings to notice any facial creases or the state of my hair. There are hungry hoards beating at my door demanding to be fed, and packed lunches to be made before I get anywhere near a mirror. However, what I will Tell you is that every night it is a new pleasure to lay my head on something so smooth, and that wild horses wouldn't drag it away from me.

I fell in love with the feel of this product which was sent to me free of charge for review purposes.

Melvita Eco Store - Covent Garden

After hitting the Illamasqua Store in search of Reindogs, I set out in search of the new Melvita Store in Covent Garden.

All I remembered from twitter, was that the new development had St Martin's in the name, so I headed in the general direction of St Martin-in-the-Fields - don't do that! I eventually phoned Mr Sparklz for a telephone consultation and ascertained that St Martin's Courtyard is in fact at 19 Slingsby Place just off Long Acre. Never mind, I'd already fitted in my first visit to Charles Fox before I'd admitted defeat and phoned a friend. I do like a challenge:)

After the hustle and bustle of a December Saturday afternoon, St Martin's Courtyard is an oasis of peace. And the Melvita store was a genuine pleasure to visit. I was beginning to flag when I arrived, as the slightly convoluted walk from Selfridges was beginning to hit home. But I was greeted by friendly and very knowledgeable staff, and offered a cup of lemon and nettle tea. Which I very gratefully accepted. I have nettle at home and the extra hint of lemon was lovely.

This is, French Organic Brand Melvita's first stand alone store in the UK, and they have gone out of their way to create a store that reflects their eco credentials. Environmentally friendly materials are used throughout whilst two Living Walls and a Sky Ceiling feature bring nature and harmony into the heart of the city.

I first heard about Melvita from Sarah at I heart Cosmetics' reviews of Rosehip and Argan oils, and these were what I wanted to check out. I was surprised to find both these oils had very little scent that I could detect. This is a real bonus with the Rosehip as the one I've used before was quite off putting. However on seeing the amazing selection, I decided to ask the staff for a recommendation. I came away with Nigella Oil which was recommended for my spot prone skin. I'd also really like to try the Camellia Oil and this Dry Scented Oil, which I just noticed whilst making the links. Sounds gorgeous! I'll definitely be going back!

Illamasqua's Reindogs and Reinrabbits!

I couldn't help but run down to the Illamasqua store in Beak Street after the Alex Box Master Class on Saturday (More on that in a later post), to get a look at these:

They were created by Kat Sykes, winner of Illamasqua's first Graduate Internship and her team, who working under Alex Box were told to go really kitsch, with lots of glitter and colour. If you want to see a bit more about there creation, take a look at The Official Illamasqua Blog.

If you can't make it into London to see these handsome beasts and don't have an Illamasqua counter near you, check out the online store, where delivery is currently free in the UK, until midnight Friday. Enter the promotional code ' PARTY ' on the basket page.

Love it!

Revlon Wild Orchid FOTD

This is a version of the look I've been wearing for the last few days. I picked up the Wild Orchid Lippie as part of the 3 for 2 offer in Superdrug when I went to acquire the latest sleek i-Divine offering. I have a big love affair with this kind of hot blue pink whether it's nail varnish or lipstick. It's the first Revlon Lipstick I've tried and so far I'm impressed.

I might try for a better swatch photo later as the light was pretty bad when I took this pic last week, oh how I miss the long bright days.......

Full face details:

Illamasqua Matt Primer

Make Up Forever HD Foundation - 110

Blinc Mascara in Black

Illamasqua Shadows in Heroine and Stealth -Eyes and contour

Illamasqua Gleam Cream - Brow Bone and Cheek Bone Highlight

Illamasqua Medium Pencil in Definitive (I really want to get Titivate) - Lip Base

Revlon Lipstick Wild Orchid 475

NOTD BB Couture Redwood Forest and Deborah Lippmann Across the Universe

Bit of a mouthful that title! So, surveying my booty, I thought these two might work well together. I'm much happier layering glitter over another colour and these looked a good match.

First up BB Couture, Redwood Forest. I found this really quite hard to apply. It's quite runny and the clean up on just two layers took me an age. I've just been checking the brand out online and it has some impressive claims. These will probably give this polish a second chance with me, that, and the gorgeous colour. The photos weren't great, I never like to do only flash pics, but this mani had to be done and finished on Friday night.

You can see how the flash really shows up just how much of a three coater this is. It looked passable to the naked eye, OK maybe I need a better light, the one in my dining room just doesn't cut it.

Then on with Deborah Lippmann's Across the Universe. I wasn't really sure how I felt about the random effect this creates, but very soon I was loving it. Mr Sparklz caught me admiring my hands on more than one occasion over the weekend! I used Mavala ColorFix over the top and the whole combination lasted somewhat longer than my average mani.

Hard to photograph this one, I've included a couple of out of focus pics as they capture a little more of what I love about this combo. 

The question for me is, would I pay £14 for the Deborah Lippmann? Hmm not sure.....probably not on my current bank balance. Do I love it? Oh Yes! It would make a gorgeous present, the bottle is delicious, so pretty to have sitting on a dressing table.

However, everywhere I've looked says Deborah Lippmann will be available from House of Fraser, but can I find it on there? Has it been and gone already? Edit :WooHoo Finally goes on line on or before the 17th January 2011 and instores nationwide.

Base: Sally Hansen Miracle Nail Thickener

I honestly can't thank Sara at Daily Polish enough for the opportunity to play with brands I've never tried before.

Christmas came early!

The snow has rather messed with my blog this week, having the kids off and somewhat couped up in the house has not made for getting a lot done.

Today however cannot go past un-noted. It has been exciting for me on 2 fronts. This morning I had the opportunity to help a friend who doesn't wear makeup, put together a look for a do she is going to tomorrow night. Although I was a tad nervous it was so exciting to work on someone else for a change. She has such lovely skin and a great bone structure as well. I really enjoyed the challenge of using someone else's makeup to put together something they could recreate themselves. I did one eye and then assisted with the second eye where necessary. I hope she has a fab time tomorrow :)

This evening, well what can I say, it was like Christmas, except I never had a Christmas like it!

Yep, my parcel from the lovely Sara at Daily Polish had arrived. I was utterly Gobsmacked the other Saturday to discover that I had won her one year anniversary giveaway.  The last time I won anything of consequence was a Doll when I was 7!!! To discover that I had won this rather amazing giveaway.......well!

I was ever so slightly beside myself, unpacking this lot! So many blues and greens :) So many glitters :) So very many brands I've never tried :) :) Two long time lemmings in Manglaze and OPI Absolutely Alice!

An astonishing feast for the eyes:

Only the 2 Barry M polishes are missing from this pic, as these are dupes for me and will be finding a new home shortly.

Where to start? I'm fairly certain it will be the Manglaze which I am currently sporting on my thumb.....watch this space!

In the meantime I'm off to wash the henna off my head, in the excitement I completely forgot I had a batch mixed up and waiting to be used.