Megan Fox Copy Cat Shoes!?

I saw this picture of the stunning Megan Fox over on The Huffington Post, looking amazing after giving birth a short time ago. I instantly found myself looking at her feet, well her shoes, actually and admiring how lovely they were. So, I set off to find something similar, and these heels from Dorothy Perkins are what I found:

They're not identical, they're peep toe for a start, but I quite like the cooler toned nude shade, and I'm a sucker for any kind of sparkle which make these shoes ideal for me; taking just about enough inspiration from the Megan Fox heels to keep me satisfied.

Unfortunately stock is limited on the Dorothy Perkins website, with only 2 sizes available. However, I've seen these aplenty in stores I've been into lately, if you fancy getting yourself a pair; and frankly their delivery service and online customer service is shocking, so it's probably a blessing in disguise.

What do you think, ladies?

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Beauty Blog Link Love!

Looking for a luxurious shower gel for winter? Read all about this fabulous one from L'Occitane over at Makeup, Beauty and More!

Read Audrey Dao's review of Urban Decay's Naked Basics Palette, and see Naked Basics compared to the previous Naked palettes!

Gifts of fragrance always fit! Prime Beauty shows you four of her favorite scents for gifting!

Do you love the luxe gold holiday aesthetic? Then don't miss the gorgeous limited-edition Clarins palette featured this week on theNotice!

Pammy Blogs Beauty wants you to get gorgeous this Holiday season with Laura Mericer's Art Deco Muse Collection.

Phyrra shares her gift ideas for beauty lovers, from novice to expert!

Find out which cute video game mascots Angela created with LUSH FUN, plus many other uses for this multi-purpose moldable soap.

See what products Beauty Reflections uses when it's bitterly cold outside!

Jenny finds beauty inspiration on the Giorgio Armani S/S 2013 runways, and creates a silvery blue, grey eye makeup look on My Funny Valentine.

Addicted to Beauty discovers a museum dedicated to hair. Cool or creepy?

Smashinbeauty shows you how to conceal acne with a drugstore product.

Read on as Krasey Beauty dishes on her gym bag beauty staples!

It wouldn't be Christmas without beautiful products from Lush. Yule love this box of bubble bars -- Beauty Info Zone sure does.

Love neutrals and drama? Kim Porter thinks the IT Cosmetics Luxe Eyeshadow Palette would be perfect for you. Find out why.

Keep your skin hydrated this winter by using Lulu's Timebomb Youth Juice. See Sophie's review on Makeup Wonderland here!

Struggle with winged liner? Need a few extra tips? Midnight Violets has put together an informative post with everything you ever wanted to know!

Are these the perfect eyeshadows for the holidays? Anita seems to think so! Check out her review of the new limited edition Laura Mercier Illuminating Eye Colours over at Pleasureflush!
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Beauty Crazed is giving away eos Lip Balms and want you to have enough for yourself, your best friend and someone random to brighten their day - enter to win and pay it forward!

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Window Shopping at John Lewis!

I've just found myself on the John Lewis website, window shopping and adding lots of lovely things into my basket that I haven't the hope of being able to afford at the moment (I've got Christmas, House and Wedding things all fighting for my pennies, so I'm desiring the champagne lifestyle but on a Tesco Value lemonade budget haha)... but a girl can dream, eh?! Do any of you lovely people do this kind of torture to yourselves when you're broke?

I'm a sucker for a candle, and just look at all the candles that I am desperate to add to my cart (and into my life) - and this is me being very reserved:

Neom Inspiration Violet, Chamomile & Cedarwood Scented Candle, 3 Wick (£39.50)
Neom Refresh Sicilian Lemon & Fresh Basil Scented Candle, 3 Wick (£39.50)
Diptyque Violette Scented Candle, 190g (£38)
Diptyque White Freesia Scented Candle, 190g (£38)
Jo Malone™ Pomegranate Noir Luxury Candle, 2.5kg (£260, eek... or failing that I'd settle for the £38 200g version)
Jo Malone™ Blackberry & Bay Home Candle, 200g (£38)


They also have some amazing decorations that I am lusting after, and am on the brink of purchasing as some have been reduced, just look at a few of them:

John Lewis Bullion Bauble Pack, Black/Gold, x12 (£8)
John Lewis Heart Glass Decoration Pack, Brown/Gold, x6 (£2.50)

John Lewis Stripe Teardrop Glass Decoration, Copper  (£1.50)
John Lewis Amber Stripe Glass Bauble (£1.75)
John Lewis Theatre Shatterproof Decorations Pack, x20 (£5)
John Lewis Amber Check Glass Bauble  (£1.75)
John Lewis Antique Glass Heart Decoration, Champagne (£3.50)

Aren't they lovely? I can't wait for Christmas now, even though I am not at all ready, or organised for it - haven't even got the tree out of the loft yet. Are you all more organised than I?

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Boot Star Gift of the Week - Soap & Glory 'The Best of All' Set!

It's here! The Soap and Glory 'Boots Star Gift of the Week' has finally come around, which to me means Christmas is just around the corner, and that I had better get my skates on and buy the rest of my Christmas presents for my family... eek!

Contains:

• The Righteous Butter™ Body Butter (300ml)
• Hand Food™ Hand Cream (125ml)
• Sugar Crush™ Body Scrub (300ml
• Smoothie Star™ Body Milk (500ml)
• Clean On Me™ Shower Gel (500ml)
• Heel Genius™ Smoothing Foot Mask (125ml)
• Peaches & Clean™ Cleansing Milk (200ml)
• Super-Colour Sexy Mother Pucker™ Lip Plumper (3ml)
• Thick & Fast™ Mascara (10ml)

Will you be purchasing? These ALWAYS sell out, so be quick if you want one!

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Anna Sui Limited Edition Dress Shaped Holiday/Christmas Nail Polish!

I saw these on Facebook and got all excited as they look fabulous, only to find that the only place I could find them to buy online was Urban Outfitters ($15 each) in the USA, and for USA shipment only. :-(

I'm gutted, as I would have probably bought all of the shades... not least because they'd look great on my dressing table. Aren't they fab?

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Models Own 'Show Stopper' Nail Polish, Exclusive for Clothes Show Live 2012.

There’s good news for all you lovers of sparkly nail polish who are heading to the Clothes Show Live this year (7th-11th December, Birmingham NEC), as Models Own have created this exclusive polish, aptly named 'Show Stopper' that will only be available to buy from their stand (PK116) at the show, for £5.

The polish is inspired by this year's Clothes Show Live ambassador, Daisy Lowe and is a stunning multi-tonal, holographic fine glitter containing 'gorgeous twinkling greys, blues, silver and purples'. I received one in the post this morning, and will get swatches up for you ASAP!

Are you going to the show, and if so, will you be purchasing this lovely polish?

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Wordless (ish) Wednesday!

So, it seems the Duchess fancied a change, and has had a fringe cut into her hair. It's not a massive change, there's no crazy fashion statement(s) being made, but a change to this particular lady's iconic hair was always going to attract attention.

What do you think, do you love the new look, or prefer the old one?

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

My £60 Party Preparation Package Challenge!

Christmas parties and nights out can often end up costing a fortune in pre-party preparations alone, with salon appointments for beauty treatments and other general pampering often taking up a large chunk of your budget. In fact, the Most Wanted team at VoucherCodes did some research and found out that 18-24 year olds are spending an average of £110 on their party season beauty bits!

So, they approached me and set me the challenge of reducing that outlay to just £60!! Yes girls, you did just read that right, 60 English pounds for a party package to last throughout all the festivities! And so this week, I’ve been getting creative and finding my favourite, fabulous products for you to reach for, instead of spending all your drinking money on salon treatments that could be avoided, leaving you enough money to buy some perfect presents for your nearest and dearest.

Tanning is an important one for a lot of people, and professional spray tans can be costly, but with a fab selection of ‘at home’ products widely available, there is money to be saved here.

Fake Bake ‘Perfection’ Instant Fake Tan & Mitt (£10.98) has been one of my staple products over the last year or so, it’s incredibly easy to use because the colour is instant, no development time is needed – just apply, and then get dressed (especially good for people like me, who never leave enough time to apply and then let a tan develop before they go out),  and the colour is great, not in the least bit orange… plus it smells beautiful; vanilla, girls, no biscuits!!

I generally just apply to the areas that will be ‘on show’ because there’s not much point in doing a full body application (unless your full body will be on show, of course) and also it lasts longer, giving you more applications this way too.

Pre-tan preparation is important if you want a nice, even colour - even when using an instant/wash off formula. Now, I could tell you to go and buy an expensive exfoliator from one of the tanning brands, but you really don't need to do that. You can achieve the same result, using a normal body wash with a pair of scrubby, exfoliating gloves for a fraction of the price. The pair in the image above from Boots, (£2.69) do the trick nicely, although if you go to local pound shops/discount stores, I reckon you'd get a pair for £1 or less.

Hair appointments are also quite costly to factor into your beauty budget when getting ready for a night out. I’m talking styling and conditioning treatments, rather than your regular cut/colour appointments (but if you want to find a way of cutting down those costs – pun intended, this post may be useful for you), so I’m not factoring that into the budget, since I expect those would come from your regular maintenance funds.

When your hair is in good condition, it is generally easier to style, so a conditioning treatment/mask is my first recommendation. I love Wella's System Professional hair masks (£12.71), they’re used by hairdressers and professionals in the salon I go to and in my book, if they’re good enough for them, then they’re good enough for me. Obviously you’ll be choosing the perfect mask for your hair condition and texture, but I love the Volumize on my hair, as it conditions without weighing it down!

To get the true salon feel of a head massage, I really recommend using the Denman BeBop Massage Brush (£2.87)  (also available from boots for about £3.80) to massage the conditioning treatment into your hair, and also to use when shampooing to make sure your scalp is squeaky clean - just don't massage too vigorously at this stage if your hair is longer than your chin, as it could make your hair a bit knotty.

For almost effortless styling, rollers are your friend as once in, they do the work for you! I'd love to to suggest some heated rollers here as there are some fabulous sets available these days, but this would completely bust the budget, so instead I’ll recommend 'Velcro Sleep-In Rollers' (£17.95) as my favourite non-heated variety instead as they're a cheaper option but without too much of a compromise in results!

I’m not including this in the budget as many of you will probably already have styling products, but I really rate Aussie’s 'Aussome Volume Conditioning Mousse' when I want a bit of oomph in my hair as it gives volume without being sticky and horrible – just remember to blow dry your hair when using it, it doesn’t work quite so well if you leave it to air dry. If you did fancy trying it, it’s available from Boots for £4.89. 

This, along with a spritz of hairspray (which I’m also assuming you’ll already have, but I swear by Elnett Very Volume available from boots for £6.49 for 400ml) will keep your hair looking great throughout the evening.

Finishing Touches & Handy Tips!

A manicure might be the next thing on your list, and whilst it's lovely to have your nails done for you, it's not impossible to do them yourself for less of a financial outlay - especially if you get a friend to do yours, in return for you doing theirs (which certainly makes your weaker hand application better - you know this dilemma, don't you?!). I love nail polish, from a whole host of brands, but I'm recommending ORLY Nail Lacquer (£7.50), as I've never had a bad polish from them and they also have some beautiful colours out right now that are perfect for party season - the polishes shown in the image above is their 'Naughty or Nice' collection. They're also currently on offer at Beauty Bay for £7.13 each.

If you're a fan of false lashes, you could pay around £15 having them applied at a salon... or you could spend just £3.20 (by using code SCOOP-20) plus £1 delivery for orders under £15 on a fab set of lashes from LoveLashes at Lashizzle (more styles being added on a regular basis)! This discount code is exclusively for readers of The Beauty Scoop, and will be valid at least until the end of December 2012.

Fancy a facial? Give yourself an exfoliating facial on the cheap by using your everyday skincare products and putting in a bit more effort. Massage your cleanser into dry/damp skin (depending on the texture of the products you're using), and then use a hot flannel to exfoliate the cleanser off, before massaging your serums and moisturisers in afterwards (if you have a face mask already, you could also use this in-between washing and moisturising). It's simple, but effective, and what's even better is that you can get yourself a flannel for less than £1, with the flannel in the image above, from Tesco costing just 75p(!), although you can get them from about 20p each from cheap shops like home bargains etc.


So there you have it, my budget saving products all in one handy post; and in total, these products come to a very reasonable £58.28 (excluding any postage costs), leaving you just under £2 to splurge on whatever you like, maybe a £1 product from the MUA range at Superdrug?

What do you think? Do you think you'd swap your salon treatments to save money? Maybe you have a few budget beauty tips of your own?!

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Wordless Wednesday - Ciaté Sequin Manicure!

Lots of lovely things coming from Ciaté!

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Ciaté 'Treasured Possessions' Collection!

Just noticed a sneak peak of an upcoming 'Treasured Possessions' collection on the Ciaté Facebook page, I think I spy some of the shades from this post last month - how exciting!

I'm definitely going to need to get my hands on them all, they look right up my street (ie, they're full of glitter and shimmer) but are also perfect for Christmas and party season for those who don't normally bother with glitter (even if only on the tips of the nails), don't you think?

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

My Pre-Party Season Sale Picks From Dune!

I got an email, informing me of the Dune sale yesterday, which was like a red rag to a bull as I have no self control when it comes to spending. I actually need a lottery win as I've seen at least £10,000 worth of things I want to own, over a number of websites... and that is me being conservative with my online window shopping, as I have this fantastic ability to go onto a website, and see that minutes later, I have put over £1,000 worth of products in my basket. Madness.

Anyway, in a bid to save a bit of money (well, not really as I never actually save anything, I just buy more) I decided to treat myself to a few of the sale items in preparation for the (hopefully) many Christmas parties and nights out I'll be attending. So I'm showing you what I bought, and also linking to some of the items I didn't buy, even though I desperately wanted to.

You'll notice that there's a running theme with these shoes, that I only really noticed after sending my order, and that is that most of the shoes that have stolen my heart, are all full of sparkle and glitter - even the flat ones. What is wrong with me, and how much glitter and shit can I actually get away with at the age of 31 and up? Ha.

So without further ado, here's the booty info:

Dance-Tear Peep Platform Court, £38 - I actually bought these last year for about £90 after lusting after them for a couple of months before they were released. However when they arrived, they were faulty as they had been made too small and I ended up feeling like one of the ugly sisters in Cinderella trying on the glass slipper. They they just did not fit, and even if I could have shoehorned myself into them, there's no way I could have walked in them. I was gutted to find out that there were no replacements available, and thus I was given a refund whilst my heart slightly broke. So imagine my joy when I saw them available for this bargain price, needless to say, I snapped them up! I bought them in 2 sizes this year, just in case.  Unfortunately, there are only 5's and 6's available and I expect that stock is low*.

Macie Fold Up Sequin Ballerina, £16 - I bought these for that inevitable time in the night that I need to change from heels to flats (which these days is usually after about 10 minutes, once everybody has seen the pretty heels, as a gesture). I thought I might be able to fool people into thinking I still had the heels on, since they're quite similar in texture. Available in all sizes bar size 6*.

Octave D Round Toe Platform Court, £22 - I've wanted some nude-y shoes, purely because I just don't own that many pairs and with all the glitter, I felt I had to be a little bit more grown up with at least one of the pairs I bought. Plus, they're a total bargain! Available in all sizes, bar 2, 7 and 9*!

Mazzy Fold Up Glitter Ballerina, £16 - Another pair of shoes to try to disguise the fact that I've shrunk, and my legs are looking dumpier due to ditching the heels mid-evening. More glitter, but what would you expect by now?! Available in all sizes*.


And now here are just a few pairs of the shoes I also wanted to buy!

Babbington Platform Glitter Court Shoe, £64.

Dragonby Low Platfrom Peep Toe Court Shoe, £64.

BO Concealed Platform Glitter Court Shoe, £68 (shown here in Pewter, but I also had my eye on Champagne and Silver too).

And just as a final note, does anybody else think the shoes below look like they're fresh from the Wizard of Oz? I kind of want them too 'There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home' but I don't know why, it's probably because of the glitter. ;-)

Blaire Flared Heel Almond Toe Court Shoe, £42 (shown in Red Glitter).


*All stock levels correct at time of writing. However, if the ones you want do sell out in your size, then you could check over at John Lewis as they're price matching the sale items (seemingly not the cheaper, seemingly clearance items), so some of them are available over there too. x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

QVC Today's Special Value - Fab Philosophy Amazing/Pure Grace Fragrance Sets!

You may remember that I reviewed the Philosophy amazing Grace Body lotion last year, and if so, you may also remember that I absolutely LOVED it!! Well, I've just noticed a Philosophy Today's Special Value on QVC, right now; and, never the one to let a bargain I see go unreported, I thought it was only fair that I shared it with you!

The set looks fantastic, but it's also great value at £39.96 (plus £5.95 postage), especially considering the retail prices of each product, just take a look:

Spray Fragrance included is usually around £32, then there's the Bath, Shampoo and Shower Gel that retails around £19, Body Butter £30, Hand Cream £14, and the Purse Spray Fragrance for which I can't find a proper price for, but judging on it being 25% of the volume of the spray, I'm going to say £8. So a whopping £103 worth of product, for £45.91, which is amazing (grace)!

Not only do you have the actual value of the set, it's made even more affordable by being available on 2 easy payments, which means you can spread the payment over this month (initial payment plus postage taken straight away - £25.93) and pay off the rest (£19.98) next month, with no credit, no interest and no hassle. I love when things are made available on Easy Pay!

I might have to treat myself to the Amazing Grace set, although I'm tempted by both, but have never smelled Pure Grace and my bank balance is already under pressure with my recent spending. :-( x


"Contains:

• 1 x Perfumed Bath, Shampoo and Shower Gel (480ml) - this award-winning, multi-tasking formula gently cleanses and conditions your hair and body leaving them feeling silky soft and beautifully cleansed
• 1 x Perfumed Body Butter (150ml) - this luxurious formula melts onto skin to help moisturise and soften the skin and leave it feeling super soft and smooth. Enriched with shea, mango and cocoa butters
• 1 x Perfumed Hand Cream (120ml) – this ultra-rich hand cream is formulated with an amazingly clean, beautifully feminine scent and melts into the skin leaving no sticky residue. Enriched with shea, mango and cocoa butters
• 1 x Spray Fragrance (60ml) - this eau de toilette formula is light, delicate and fresh, ideal for everyday use
• 1 x Purse Spray Fragrance (15ml) - this handy purse-sized spray perfume is perfect for reapplying your favourite scent on the go
• 1 x gift box

Fragrance options:
 

• Pure Grace is a light veil of fresh, soap and water notes with a crisp finish. It’s the perfect fragrance if you long to feel fresh, clean and refreshed
• Amazing Grace is an irresistible blend of clean, complex florals. It is soft and feminine, the perfect fragrance if you long to feel pretty, feminine, lady-like, classic and beautiful"

 
Take me to the booty!

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Boots Star Gift of the Week - Gok Bag of Indulgence!

This week's Boots 'Star Gift of the Week' is 'Goks Bag of Indulgence' from his popular bath and body range. The bag is actually a lovely looking vanity case, and I'm very tempted by this offer, just for that alone haha! That being said, the bag is stuffed full of fabulous sounding products containing various oils that you just know are going to be good for your skin, especially the argan and almond oil varieties.

Contains:

• Body wash with rose oil (200ml),
• Body lotion with rose oil (200ml),
• Bath essence (200ml),
• Body butter with Argan oil (180ml),
• Body polish with Almond oil (180ml),
• Gold coloured body puff.

 Have you used products from the Gok range before? Does this tempt you? x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Ola Jordan's Halloween Make-Up on Strictly Come Dancing... Illamasqua Inspired?

Anybody else think that Ola Jordan's makeup on Strictly Come Dancing last night was a bit similar to the make-up from Illamasqua's Toxic Nature collection in the eye department?

I've grabbed some of these images from the internet, but they're not as clear as they could be and they don't show the make-up that well, so I've just took a couple of screen shots on my phone, which I think show the look better.

Whaddya think? Also, isn't she beautiful? I have a massive girl crush on her.

My screen captures.

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Ciaté Nail Polish Before Being Bottled!

I saw this photograph on the Ciaté Facebook page and fell in love with the glitter and sparkle, it's beautiful! I know at 31 I should be growing out of glittery/sparkly things, but I am just too much of a magpie for that to happen - my mum is 65 and she's exactly the same, so I expect there's no hope for me haha.

Just imagine having these big jars of nail polish! Do you think you could ever get through that amount of the stuff? I think I'd be tempted to paint my walls with it! ;-)

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Another Boots.com Discount Code!

Just a quickie, but here's a couple more discount codes for use on Premium Beauty orders at Boots.com - these are great if you wanted to save money on your beauty buys, but weren't planning on spending more than £100 to use the code in this post.

 Offer: Save £5 when you spend £50 or more on selected premium beauty products
Code: PREMIUM5
End Date: 13th November

Offer: Save £10 when you spend £75 or more on selected premium beauty products
Code: PREMIUM10
End Date: 13th November

Enjoy. x

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Xen-Tan 'Fake Tan Friday' Spray Tan Offer With Saks Salons!

With winter getting ever closer, and the nights getting darker, you may be thinking about covering up with lots of layers... especially as the temperature is already plummeting - not that it was that warm to begin with. It's all too easy to let things slip when you're covered up to keep warm, and I know this from experience!

I regularly forget to paint my toenails in winter, unless I'm going out and remember they'll be on display, which is mostly because I don't see them as much when they're covered with tights and/or boots; and before at home laser hair removal products came about (which I'll be covering in the near future), my legs may have been known (to myself) to be sporting a little more stubble than I'd normally allow... again, because I'd usually be wearing trousers/jeans or tights, and what you can't see, can't hurt, right?!

So maybe you're also thinking about sporting a paler complexion to complement that look? Right again, I mean I'm pale and interesting at the best of times, so why would that change in winter? Well one reason to change would be this fab 'Fake Tan Friday' offer from Xen-Tan and Saks Salons, as they're offering a spray or hand applied fake tan for just £15 (RRP £25) every Friday until the end of November, with the last day being on Friday 30th - not bad, eh?!

This is perfect for weekend partying, and even more so for people like me, who never seem to leave enough time to apply a tan and let it develop - especially as they say you can have your spray tan and then go 'straight out on a night on the town'. I now have no excuses to be pasty when I'm off out for the next month or so.

All you need to do, is fill in some details here, print off your voucher and then take it with you to your appointment. Simple.


Fake Tan Friday Terms & Conditions:

Selected salons only, please contact your local salon to find out, and mention the offer at the time of booking.
Not valid on homecare.
Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.
Services may vary from salon to salon and are subject to availability.
Only one redemption per person, per week.
No cash alternatives offered.



Psssst, there's also a competition to win the ENTIRE Xen-Tan range here!!

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Boots 10% off £100 Spend Code!

This is just a quickie post as I've just had an email come through telling me about this fab little offer. I like to post about these offers when they come through as I know that money saved at this time of year is always helpful (well, it is at any time of year, but in the run up to Christmas, it is especially so)!  I can easily spend £100 at Boots... Chanel/Dior etc, anybody(?!), so this is perfect for me.

You could even use it if you have their Star Gift of the Week offer in your order (or at least it doesn't say that you can't in any T's&C's) when it comes back in stock - should it be within the next week, meaning you have even more of a saving on that! Not bad, eh!

Save 10% when you spend £100 or more

• Code: PWOS10
• Ends: 30/10/2012

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Space NK Online: Free £200 Goodie Bag Offer!

Whether you're looking to stock up on your regular products, treat yourself to new ones, or start your Christmas gift shopping at Space NK, this great little offer could mean that now is one of the best times to do it.

It's a perfect way to get to try new products, or even to use as lots of little stocking fillers for Christmas gifting, don't you think?!

Space NK!

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

My Xen Tan Spray Tan!

Back in July, I attended a Xen-Tan event and I've been wanting to blog about it ever since, but due to internet/email/laptop issues, have been unable to do so, until now. The event was focused around the Xen-Tan brand, the products within it and celebrity fans of the brand, which you can also view here.

At the event, I met lots of lovely people, got pampered with a Jessica manicure and a Xen-Tan spray tan, and came out of it actually looking alive, rather than the almost deathly pale shade that I usually sport.

Having my nails done.

More nails being done.

Nails again!

I chose the darker shade of tan and was really, really pleased with it. It wasn't too dark, and it wasn't orange in the slightest. I could see the colour difference straight away when I moved the string of the oh so flattering (and not at all embarrassing to wear) paper knickers to another position and I already felt better for having a 'healthy' colour.

Chatting with lovely bloggers and PR ladies.

And again. I love how my tan looks here, especially on my legs haha.

Over the course of the evening, my tan developed into a lovely, even shade - bar my hands which were noticeably paler than the rest of my body. I think the girl who did my spray tan was a bit too cautious with them, and so this was the result of possibly over-moisturising them and just doing the one coat of tan as opposed to the 2 she used on the rest of my body.

My tan shortly after having it done, note the pale hands, especially my right hand. Nail polish used in my manicure, which is just about showing was 'Venus Was Her Name' by Jessica.

That being said, I was still pleased with the tan in every other way, it lasted about 11 ish days before I felt it had faded noticeably, but evenly, and would happily go back for another... just without the pale hands lol.

Apologies that the only images I have are ones taken at the event by Xen-Tan and the PR team - my images of my tan etc were on my old laptop that I no longer have access to. Also, apologies for the way I look in the image above, no make-up (bar tinted lip balm), flushed cheeks and my hair just scraped back off my face coupled with extreme awkwardness in front of the camera is not a good look for me haha.

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Boots Star Gift of the Week - 17 Ultimate Collection!

With another week, comes another offer from Boots in their annual Star Gift of the Week event. This week we have a set from 17 cosmetics that looks great and is a snip at £17, down from £35.

The set even has some make-up brushes included too. Ok, so they may not be MAC quality (although I haven't seen/felt/used the set in any way, so you never know), but I'm betting they'll be fine for starting off/taking on your travels etc. The colours look lovely too, universally flattering, and easy to wear, don't you think?!

In the picture, the set has a Frontcover gift set feel about it, with the book format... this is both good and bad, as it's nice to have all the things you might use together in one set and is clearly a great gift option, but it's not all that practical in terms of taking it away with you due to the extra, quite unnecessary bulk - in my opinion, of course.

Contains:

    5 x Lip Gloss Godets (6.4g total),
    5 x Pressed Powder Eye Shadows (6.4g total),
    8 x Baked Powder Eye Shadows (5.7g total),
    Blusher,
    Bronzer Trio in Limited Edition Colours (8.2g total),
    Pot of Eye Liner in Black,
    Compact with Metallic Cream for Eyes, Lips and Cheeks,
    Limited Edition Mascara in Black,
    2 x Eye Pencils in Coffee and Black,
    17 Photo Flawless Skin Primer,
    Lash Curler,
    Pencil Sharpener,
    5 Piece Brush Kit,
    Hints and Tips from Makeup Artist Vanessa Guallar.

Not bad, eh?!

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month - Fabulous Products for a Worthy Cause!

October is not only known for the start of the cold weather, and the run up to Christmas, but also for being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a month dedicated to raising both money, and awareness for breast cancer charities.

Breast cancer affects so many lives, with almost 50,000 people being diagnosed every year in the UK alone, which equates to 1 person every 10 minutes. Just over 12,000 of those people die from the disease. Thankfully, survival rates are improving, thanks to early detection and improved treatment; but we’re not there yet, and a lot more research needs to be done, to further improve survival rates, and also to look into ways of preventing breast cancer developing in the first place.

This is why it’s so important to carry on raising money and awareness, and why I always like to blog about the fantastic products available throughout October that are donating money to the cause. As a consumer, it’s a win-win since not only do you get something to wear/use/keep; you’re also donating to a worthy cause at the same time. Guilt-free spending.

So without further ado, here are some of the goodies that you can get your hands on, right now!

1. Ciaté Duo Nail Varnish Set, RRP £18.00 - 20% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer

Available from Ciate.co.uk, Selfridges.com and Qvcuk.com

2. Debenhams Pink Sequins Giftcard - Any amount can be put on. Part of Debenhams’ Think Pink range with a 10% charity donation, which will be split 45% to Breakthrough Breast Cancer, 45% to Breast Cancer Campaign and 10% to Pink Ribbon Foundation

Available in Debenhams stores nationwide and online at www.debenhams.com

3. ghd Pink Cherry Blossom Limited Edition Styler, RRP £129.00 - £10 donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

Available in the selected salons nationwide and at www.ghdhair.com

4. ghd Pink Cherry Blossom Limited Edition air Hairdryer, RRP £99.00 - £10 donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

Available in selected salons nationwide and at www.ghdhair.com

5. Elemis Think Pink Beauty Kit, £32.50 (includes £70.50 worth of Elemis products) - Designed exclusively for Breast Cancer Awareness month this October, Elemis continues its support of Breast Cancer Care by creating the Think Pink Beauty Kit and pledging £10,000 to help continue their incredible work that offers support and information to anyone who is affected by breast cancer.

Available from Time To Spa

6. Fake Bake Breast Cancer Awareness Gift Set, RRP £26.95 - £1 from each sale will go to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. 3 Fake Bake products: Flawless self-tan, tinted body glow, lip gloss, application mitt and application gloves

Available at www.fakebake.co.uk

7. Clinique Pink with a Purpose Set (including chubby stick in limited edition shade ‘plumped up pink’), RRP £16 – £2 will go to THE BREAST CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION® (£1 from Clinique and £1 Boots/ Selfridges) from every purchase of this limited edition set sold in the UK. €4 will go to THE CANCER CLINICAL RESEARCH TRUST (€2 from Clinique and €2 from Boots / Brown Thomas) from every purchase of this limited edition set sold in the Republic of Ireland.

Donation during October 2012 from Clinique counters at Selfridges, Brown Thomas and Boots nationwide and www.clinique.co.uk while stocks last

8. Avon 2012 Magenta pin, RRP £1.50 - 100% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer

Available from your local Independent Avon Representative or online at www.avonshop.co.uk

9. Avon Nail File, RRP £1.50 - 25% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer

Available from your local Independent Avon Representative or online at www.avonshop.co.uk

1. Marks & Spencer Limited Collection Bow Satin Wrap, RRP £17.50 - 10% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

Available at Marks & Spencer stores nationwide and www.marksandspencer.com
Stockist Information 0845 609 0200

2. Marks & Spencer Limited Collection Pink and Black Bra, Padded RRP £17.50/DD+ not padded RRP £17.50/Post surgery RRP £17.50- 10% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

Available at Marks & Spencer stores nationwide and www.marksandspencer.com
Stockist Information 0845 609 0200

Marks & Spencer Limited Collection Pink and Black Brief, RRP £7.50 - 10% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

Available at Marks & Spencer stores nationwide and www.marksandspencer.com
Stockist Information 0845 609 0200

Marks & Spencer Limited Collection Pink and Black Thong, RRP £7.50 - 10% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

Available at Marks & Spencer stores nationwide and www.marksandspencer.com
Stockist Information 0845 609 0200

3. Marks & Spencer Woman High Impact Zip Fronted Bra, RRP £22.50 - 10% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

Available at Marks & Spencer stores nationwide and www.marksandspencer.com
Stockist Information 0845 609 0200

4. Evans Bed Socks – 2 pairs, RRP £6.00 - 10% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

Available at Evans stores

5. adidas Pink Ribbon Fleece - pink, RRP £40.00 - 10% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

Available in JJB and Littlewoods stores and online at www.jjbsports.com, www.littlewoods.com, www.very.co.uk, www.sweatshop.co.uk

6. adidas Pink Ribbon Women’s Track Pants, RRP £40.00 - 10% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

Available in JJB and Littlewoods stores and online at www.jjbsports.com, www.littlewoods.com, www.very.co.uk, www.sweatshop.co.uk

7. Marks & Spencer Breast Cancer Awareness Bracelet, RRP £19.50 - 10% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

Available at Marks & Spencer stores nationwide and www.marksandspencer.com
Stockist Information 0845 609 0200

8. Stella & Dot Hope bracelet in rose gold, RRP £25.00 - Net proceeds from the sale of this Hope bracelet will go to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

For more information please see www.stelladot.co.uk or speak to a Stella & Dot stylist

9. Stella & Dot Luna wrap bracelet in rose gold, RRP £95.00 - Net proceeds from the sale of this Luna wrap bracelet will go to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

For more information please see www.stelladot.co.uk or speak to a Stella & Dot stylist

10. PANDORA Murano glass pink ribbon charm, RRP £30.00 - 20% donation up to £100,000.

Available in all PANDORA stores

11. Debenhams Red Herring Curly Rose Fur Mittens, RRP £12.00 - Part of Debenhams’ Think Pink range with a 10% charity donation, which will be split 45% to Breakthrough Breast Cancer, 45% to Breast Cancer Campaign and 10% to Pink Ribbon Foundation.

Available in Debenhams stores nationwide and online at www.debenhams.com

12. Debenhams Red Herring Curly Rose Fur Cossack, RRP £18.00 - Part of Debenhams’ Think Pink range with a 10% charity donation, which will be split 45% to Breakthrough Breast Cancer, 45% to Breast Cancer Campaign and 10% to Pink Ribbon Foundation.

Available in Debenhams stores nationwide and online at www.debenhams.com

13. Debenhams Red Herring Curly Rose Fur Earmuff, RRP £10.00 - Part of Debenhams’ Think Pink range with a 10% charity donation, which will be split 45% to Breakthrough Breast Cancer, 45% to Breast Cancer Campaign and 10% to Pink Ribbon Foundation.

Available in Debenhams stores nationwide and online at www.debenhams.com

14. Coast Siara dress, RRP £135.00 - 10% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

Available from all Coast stores.

Annnnnd, if you're not into any of the beauty/fashion offerings, you can always eat/drink your donation to the cause:

Left - PROPERCORN Fiery Worcester Sauce & Sun Dried Tomato (other flavours available), RRP 95p - 10% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

Available at all good food stores, including Waitrose, Whole Foods Market and Harvey Nichols

Right - bottlepink Pomegranate & Elderflower cordial, RRP £3.15 - 10% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

Available in food and drink stores nationwide.


Finally, whilst the campaign is heavily signified by the colour pink, we should not forget that breast cancer also affects men, although rare (approximately 300+ men per year), so I'm going to be actively encouraging Mr Beauty Scoop to get involved in the cause... by buying me a few of the goodies available. ;-)

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Boots Star Gift of the Week - Fearne's Favourites Hatbox!

Hello my lovelies, are we all well? Apologies for the late posting with this, I had fully intended to post it when it went live, but I was rushed off my feet getting ready to go and visit family over the weekend.

Fearne’s Favourites Hatbox is this week's star Gift Offer, down from £35 to £17, which seems like a decent enough price; and whilst I haven't used any of the products in this range (so can't comment on how well they perform etc), it does look like a cute gift to give somebody for Christmas/a birthday! And I am totally coveting that hatbox.


Contains:

Keepsake hatbox,
Eye Shadow Compact with 6 shades,
Black mascara,
Body Wash (200ml),
Body Lotion (200ml),
Body polish (200ml),
Body Spritzer (75ml),
Hand Lotion (50ml),
Body polisher,
Drawstring bag.

Offer ends Thursday 18th October, or until stocks last!

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

£10 Off Your First Order Over £40 at Cult Beauty!

If you've only ever window shopped over at Cult Beauty, then this is a fabulous offer just for you, £10 off your first order of over £40. All you need to do is enter promo code FIRST at the checkout - easy!


Will you be taking advantage of this offer?

Offer excludes Escentric Molecules & Philips. Ends Sat 20th Oct 2012.

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Boots Star Gift of the Week - Extra 10% Off TODAY ONLY!

In my Boots post the other day, I told you about the new Boots Star Gift of the Week offer, and today is its last day before it changes! Not only is today the last day, it's also the ONLY day where you can save an EXTRA 10% off the sale price, making it an even better £26.

To get the extra discount, enter the code BOSS10 at checkout.

This extra discount means that you're saving you a whopping £34.00 on the original price of £60.. so if you've been lusting after it, maybe this could be the final thing to sway your decision?!


Boots.com

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

I'm a Huffington Post Blogger!

I was asked some time ago if I'd like to blog for The Huffington Post, and I accepted as it's a great opportunity. However, as you know, I had a lot of technical/internet issues this year, so I've only just been able to get going, with my first post going up on Monday (it's an edited version of a very old post from here). Hopefully there's lots more to come, so long as my internet and laptop continue to work!

Feel free to head over and have a read. Hope you like it.

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Boots Star Offer of the Week - Boss Orange Evening Essentials Gift Set!

In my Boots post the other day, I said I was looking forward to seeing what offers they had in store for us in the run up to Christmas. Well, as scary as it feels, that run up apparently begins now, as they've unveiled their first star gift of the week for 2012!

The Boss Orange Evening Essentials gift set is now £29.50 until Thursday 11th October, saving you a whopping £30.50 on the original price of £60.

I love this fragrance, it's beautiful... I'm a little bit gutted though, because I already own a brand new bottle of it. So, I have a dilemma, do I buy a back up (even though I have a huge amount of perfume to get through), or should I restrain myself and save my money for something else?

It's a tough call for me, but this is still a great offer and would be perfect as a Christmas gift for one of your loved ones, or even as a little gift to yourself (if they/you haven't already got one, of course).

Boots.com

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk

Models Own Wonderland Collection!

How amazing does this collection look? I need them all! For me, Models Own are truly on form with the collections they've been releasing lately. I find their nail polish to be easy to apply and generally quite long lasting too - plus they're super affordable, which is always a bonus!

This description is from their Facebook page:

"Five magical polishes ranging in gradients of subtle to dense glitter for a sophisticated grown-up glimmer. For a manicured finish use the iridescent shades to give an accent of glitter, or be brave and layer up the polish until it's opaque! Each polish gives a different nail finish from frosty to full on snowstorm: 

• Jack Frost, a wash of iridescent soft sparkle in a translucent cloudy base; 
• Snowflake, a mesmerising transparent mix of white gold flakes; 
• Southern Lights, an opaque holographic multi-tonal glitter in a lilac finish; 
• Northern Lights, a fine holographic multi-tonal glitter in a pink finish; 
• Blizzard, a dense mix of hand cut glitters to give a silver day-night sparkle!"

They're apparently available in Boots stores and the Models Own Bottleshop (Westfield, London) right now, but I'm trying to get more details as to if it will be available online any time soon too.

What do you think, are these calling to you?

This post originated at www.thebeautyscoop.co.uk