Fabulous Buyapowa Beauty Deals!

Buyapowa has took the internet by storm ever since its launch, it consists of people 'group buying' on many popular items (often that have been requested by make-up obsessives, like myself) which means that as more and more people purchase each item, the price gets lower and lower - for ALL buyers.

The site has seen many cult products already, with a steady stream of more coming through almost daily, so whenever I see something that really catches my eye, I will try to let you all know about it as soon as I can - since numbers of these products are usually limited, and the sales of them are for set periods of time.

First up is the GHD Gold Classic Styler for as low as £80, knocking a potential £40 off its usual price. Perect if you've been lusting after one but haven't been able to justify spending £120!

Next is a gorgeous Rose candle from Diptyque, usually costing £38, but available via Buyapowa for a stonking £28 (it looks like it will get to this lowest price too) - perfect for Valentine's day too, a total treat!

Finally there's a chance to get a £50 Escentual.com gift card for £30 - such a brilliant deal, especially as Escentual regularly have already discounted products on there.

I'm actually obsessed with Buyapowa - even when I'm not spending on there, I'm browsing to see what is coming up next... poor bank balance of mine.

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Viktor & Rolf 'Spicebomb' UK Launch!

Last Wednesday on a visit to London, I attended the launch of the new Viktor & Rolf fragrance, Spicebomb. The event started off in the drawing room of the Charlotte Street Hotel, sipping champagne and mingling... and then took a planned, but unexpected turn for those not 'in the know' (most of us) when we were ushered out into the cold by 2 rather lovely suited and booted men, and taken 'school style' (following each other, in one large group - I almost expected us to have to hold hands whilst crossing the road) to an NCP carpark about 5 minutes away.

How many bloggers can you fit into a lift?

Didn't really capture the fuzzy screen or the darkness lol, sorry.

When we reached the carpark, we were huddled into a large lift and up to a dark, unused/empty floor of the carpark, where all that we could see was a television with a fuzzy black and white screen... actually, I instantly thought of poltergeist when I saw it. Once we were all assembled in the dark, a video started playing... a lovely video featuring a shirtless model, to be precise - if I can get hold of this, I'll put it up in its own post but for now, just take a little look below. ;-)

Projector sequence ending.

Confetti

Once that had finished, our attentions were drawn to the right where a projector started playing a sequence spelling out Spicebomb before stopping quite abruptly, just in time for a big explosion followed by a ton of confetti infused with the Spicebomb scent falling over us - squeals were let out by many as the thing went bang but the scent was intoxicating, a lot of ooohing and ahhing ensued and you could just tell that it was an instant hit with all of us.

After the excitement of the explosion and change of venue, cocktails were brought out - gorgeous, pretty cocktails that went down a treat and were followed by various canapés (I particularly loved the risotto balls - my favourite), more champagne and more mingling too. I spent a lot of time chatting with the fabulous Really Ree, and Lee from Grooming Guru and we were later joined by the equally fabulous Debbie from Handpicked Media.

Unfortunately I had to leave the event about half an hour early (although it ended up being 15 minutes later than planned, resulting in a rush to the station in a taxi) to catch my train back oop north, but it was a brilliant evening, and I'm so glad I was able to attend.

Scents have the ability to trigger memories, and from now on this will always remind me of this event - I'd say that this shows the event was a complete success.

Lee (Grooming Guru), Really Ree, and Debbie from Handpicked!

So, what do I think of Spicebomb now I'm home and have had the chance to smell it away from the excitement? Well much the same, I really love it. The fragrance itself is true to it's name, in that it is very spice-orientated in scent, It has heart notes of chilli, saffron, leather, tobacco and vetiver with secondary notes of bergamot, grapefruit, elemi and pink pepper. My nose definitely picks up on the pink pepper, bergamot and leather, predominantly - however this will obviously be different for others as our noses are all different!

It also has a certain sweetness and freshness to it, that really balances it out so that it's not overpoweringly spicy - and this, I think also makes it quite unisex, even though it is being marketed as a men's fragrance. I'd be more than happy to wear it, and in fact, I already have done - and there was lots of wrist sniffing, god help any man wearing this near me - ha!

I'm a big fan of Flowerbomb, and this has not failed to deliver on my high expectations of the Viktor & Rolf brand - I love it. It's available exclusively from Harrods until March 7th, but don't worry if you're dying to get your hands on it sooner and don't live in London, as it's also avaiable on the Harrods website right now for £45 (50ml) and £60 (90ml).


Fragrance was given in a goody bag at the end of the event... my views are unchanged by this.

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Celeb Sunday - Rachel Bilson!

I love Rachel Bilson's faux-bob here, especially with the slightly ombre ends peeking through. Her skin is also looking amazing - so luminous, and with perfect, sparkling make-up finishing off the whole look so beautifully. Love it.

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Lusting After: Christian Dior's Haute Couture Gowns!

I can only dream of having a life glamorous enough to wear these beautiful gowns in - and the body to do them justice. They're from Christian Dior's Spring 2012 Haute Couture collection, just in case any of you are lucky enough to own the life that I desire. ;-)

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Chanel Spring Harmony 2012 - Out Today!

Above is just a little selection of the new spring Chanel collection for 2012 and I love EVERYTHING about it from what I have seen. I can't wait to get my hands on as much of it as I can and I'll be sure to swatch everything I get for you. This collection launches TODAY (go go go), will you be purchasing anything? x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Beth Ditto For MAC - Small Preview!

I will update with more information as I get it, but it looks like this collection could be set for a June release.


This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Models Own Launch Their First Retail 'Bottle' Store!

Ever wished you could go inside a bottle of nail polish? No me neither, but if you're a polish fiend like myself then you might find yourself doing just that in April 2012, when Models Own launch their new Nail Polish Bottle Shop at Westfield, London.

I like the idea, it's quirky and different and shows a bit of creativity, I'll be interested to see how they work it and might even take the time to pop down, should I find myself anywhere near there.

What do you think, good idea or not?

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

How to Plan a Wedding!?

My wedding ring.

Yesterday was my anniversary with my fiancé, 8 years we have been together... engaged for 6 of them, yes that's right, SIX frigging years of being engaged and we still haven't even set a date for the wedding. This is due in part to us buying a house that has subsequently eaten every spare bit of money we have - and by spare, I mean money that isn't allocated already to buying make-up and pretty things (ha)!

So, with the desire to be married before I draw my pension (I'm 31 in less than one month and time is flying by), and without a lottery win to help our cause (it would help if I played it, of course), I've decided that I need to start making plans to finally get married as the house will never stop costing money and not planning anything will get us nowhere.

Now, I don't want my wedding to appear cheap, but it does need to cost as little as possible and without cutting huge corners, so I'll have to get a bit creative. This is why I've decided to blog about these things here and there to help me keep record of everything - and also because I'd love to hear your thoughts on things as and when I post about them.

My ring again.

I have my beautiful, gorgeous wedding ring already, thanks to Goldsmith's and Tesco Clubcard Deals (romantic, I know) so that's one huge expense that I don't have to worry about, but I think that's about it as far as things I can tick off my enormous list goes.

So, if you have any hints, tips or ideas right now, feel free to comment and let me know as it's quite hard to know where to start. x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Wordless Wednesday - Charlize Theron!

How amazing does Charlize Theron look in this photograph? Her make-up is very neutral and lovely looking, but her hair steals the show for me. I adore it. The messy-ish updo is complemented perfectly with a sparkly headband that I *really* need to own (or at least something similar) and I would totally steal the whole look for my wedding day (I might)!

What do you think?

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

ORLY Spring 2012 - Cool Romance!

What do you make of ORLY's spring 2012 collection, Cool Romance? It looks like a nice collection, but I'm a bit worried that the shades don't appear to be that inspiring on the image. I do like the look of the pink, grey, taupe and lavender shades in it (will find out shade names asap) but it's hard to tell if they have anything a bit more special to them, such as the finish etc. Will report back when I find out more.

What do you think about it s far?


This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

The Body Shop Body Butter - Almond!

I recently bought a ton of Body Butters from The Body Shop as I've always been very impressed by them in the past, and also because I noticed that they were on offer. Some were already reduced in the sale, but I also bought a couple that weren't and used the code BUTTER (I'm unsure if this still works or not) for an extra £2 off all Body Butters, including those that were in the sale - total bargain!

I ended up getting the following scents for myself: Almond (2), Brazil Nut, Shea (2), Cherry (2), Cocoa (2), Japanese Cherry Blossom (2), and Cranberry Joy so I should be fully stocked for quite a while, although that won't stop me lusting after even more of them! I also bought a few others as gifts for my mum and sister as I know they like them too.

Anyway, I'll be giving you my thoughts on each scent over the next couple of weeks as I start to use them. The first Body Butter that I just couldn't want to get my hands on was the Almond scented one, I love the smell of sweet almond products and I was hoping that this would be the same.

I have not been disappointed, it's gorgeous... it has a hint of a marzipan-like scent, that soon settles down to more of a sweet, almondy flavour. I adore this, it's strong enough to make you smell lovely but not enough to overpower any perfume you might wear.

The texture is firmer than some of the others in the Body Butter range but soon softens up and applies to the body with ease. I like this as it allows me to use it as a balm too, by taking a light swipe from the tub - very useful for when using on hands.

It's also seriously moisturising, I think this is hugely down to it containing almond oil (and a lot of it, as it's second only to water in the igredients list) and also shea butter, another intensely moisturising ingredient - the tub says it is suitable for normal to dry skin, which is perfect for me. It does leave a bit of a film on the skin after use, but it's not greasy and doesn't make me feel icky in the slightest.

I can't recommend this enough, I'd buy this over and over again. It's also currently on sale for just 5 of your English pounds here which is a complete barrrrrgain!

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

£4 off £40 Spend At Feel Unique Until 15th February!

Thought this might be useful for some of you! :-)

Use the code LOVEBEAUTY in the ‘promotional code box’ at the checkout, when you spend £40 or more to redeem the £4 saving at feelunique.com. Valid between now and the 15th Feb 2012 this code excludes Stila, Gatineau, Phytomer, Mary Cohr and ghd straightners.

The code cannot be used in conjunction with any other voucher code promotion and feelunique.com reserves the right to withdraw this code or amend these terms at any time.

Feel Unique

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Celeb Sunday - Amber Heard!

This photograph of Amber Heard is really eye-catchng, it kind of makes me think of old Hollywood glamour when I look at it, don't you think? I think that her hair is a stunning shade of blonde with the the colour being made to look especially faaaaabulous because of the glamorous curls she's rocking too.

I'd kill to get her perfectly pale skin for myself, and  her make-up is just to die for; with gorgeous neutral champagne and brown hues on her eyes that make her gorgeous pinky-red lips really stand out, and yet still manage to capture my attention too.

Gorgeous.

FashionistA Eyeshadow - Shade 4, Gold Rush!

The packaging does mark fairly easily, but it's of no detriment to the product.

Another FashionistA eyeshadow today, this time it's Shade 4, Gold Rush, a gorgeous golden shade with just a hint of bronze in there too. The finish to this eyeshadow in the pan is different to the ones I've already shown you, in that it has more of a marbled finish, with different shades running through it - and quite honestly, it's partly why I chose to buy it, as I was very interested to see how this would affect the colour.

As you can see below, it's a gorgeous colour and in my opinion you can see both the bronze-y and gold shades coming through in the swatches, and indeed on the eyes.

As usual, with any colour that appears to have different dimensions to it, I have shot the swatch in different lights and without flash too (bottom photograph), just to show how the light affects the hue.

Application is great with little to no fall out, and the pigmentation is good too, although you can build this colour a little more than some of the others in the range, which is great if you're just looking for a light wash of colour over your lids.

Daylight, no flash.

These FashionistA shadows all retail at around the £4 mark and there appears to be offers on the range quite often, meaning that you can often purchase a number of shadows for a lesser cost, or you can buy the shadows and get a free palette etc. I bought mine when there was a 5 for the price of 3 offer on but I know there have been different offers available since the release of the range.

In all fairness though, they're not expensive shadows without an offer, and the quality for the price paid is exceptional. :-)

Visit Superdrug!

Wordless Wednesday - Lea Michele!

I'm loving Lea in these photographs, especially as you never really see her rocking brighter, more noticeable lipsticks and I think this makes such a nice change to her usual look (not that I dislike that, but shaking things up a little every now and then can never hurt)! Her hair looks fabulously thick, shiny and healthy and her skin, radiant as per usual. Gorgeous.

Clinique Happy In Bloom Perfume for 2012!

Every year, Clinique's Happy In Bloom fragrance gets a new look, and this year sees a bold, bright floral pattern adorning the glass bottle that looks lovely. Nothing says spring quite like the reintroduction of bright colours, and the hint of fresh flowers; and Clinique's newly designed packaging for Happy In Bloom 2012 is a fabulous mix of both.

The fragrance is described as a 'fresh, frosty floral fragrance that opens up with notes of yellow plum, a cocktail of frozen fruit, and watery green notes for a crisp introduction. Notes of lily of the valley, white freesia and a mimosa accord from the original Happy, lend a tactile nuance of petals. Transparent amber and white wood provide depth with a natural feminine softness.', and the Limited Edition 30ml spray will be available at Clinique counters from February 1st, priced at £25.

Clinique Quickliner For Eyes Intense - Swatched!

A good eyeliner can make a huge difference in how your eyes look, and in turn how your whole face look too, and these Quickliner Intense eyeliners from Clinique are great. They apply brilliantly, no dragging and no repeat swiping to get the colour to show - the swatches below show just one fairly light swipe across my skin (I did it this way as I wouldn't use a heavy hand around the eye area).

Once on, they stay put, even on the waterline so you don't have to worry about panda eyes mid-way through the night (if panda eyes came in different colours) and I found there was no reapplication needed either - win win.

The bottom swatch is the shade 'Intense Midnight' (if I remember correctly) a beautiful blue with just a hint of dazzle, and the top colour, I'm afraid I can't even partially remember the shade name, this is because I left some of my make-up that I had been wearing over Christmas at a relatives so I can't check it out at the moment, but I'll be sure to update once the post delivers it back to me. Anyway it's a gorgeous green with a sprinkly of sparkle that really enhances eyes, but can still be done in a subtle way if you're not a big fan of bold eyes.

Another plus point to these liners is that they come in twist up packaging, meaning no pencil sharpener is requiredonce you've worn it down - I much prefer my lining products to come like this as I can generally never find my pencil sharpener, and also you end up playing the risky game of sharpener roulette, 'will it sharpen or will it ruin your pencil?' - a game that quite frankly, I am rubbish at. I lose track of the amount of pencils I have in my drawer that I can't face trying to resharpen, or that have already fallen foul of my sharpening errors.

I really love these, and will definitely be repurchasing once I've used these up - they're a complete bargain at £13.50 each too, well worth every penny.

http://www.selfridges.com


PR Samples -  Views are my own!

Celeb Sunday - Paris Hilton!

I am love, love LOVING Paris Hilton as a brunette. She's great as a blonde, but I think she looks even better, and more classy with the darker hue she's currently rocking, I also think her skintone looks better with it too. She reminds me of somebody here but I can't place my finger on who it is, any ideas guys? Totally chic... and I want her hat, glasses and coat too.