Yes, diamonds are still a girl's best friend (take note, gentlemen) but we're getting better acquainted with the deep, jewel tones that are so hot this season. Rich, luxurious make up shades such as amethyst, emerald and ruby are seriously catching my eye in my local Boots Store and are perfect for creating stunning smoky eyes and statement lips, this autumn and winter. I've selected a few of my favourites to share with you...



Eyes:
Use deep purple shades for a modern twist on the classic smoky eye - Bourjois Smoky Eyes Eye Shadow (£7.99) in Violet Romantic is perfect. Start by applying the medium shade across your whole eyelid before dabbing the lightest shade into the corners. Finish off the look by sweeping the darkest shade outwards, towards the temples and into crease of your eyelid.


Lips:
A strong red lip never goes out of style and I just can't get enough of the gorgeous claret shades that are currently sweeping the fashion nation. This season brings a vampish edge to the look, reminiscent of rubies and garnets - think vintage Hollywood meets gothic glam! Lancome Rouge Absolue 154 (£19.50) is bang on trend as well as being super-moisturising and long-lasting, for a decadent finish.


Nails:
I'm still loving magnetic nail polishes - a sleek, sophisticated nail art look that's easy to achieve? Yes please! Barry M have just added a new emerald shade to their magnetic polish range, it's flecked with sparkles for nails that are just like precious gems - perfect! (Available in store at £4.99).


So with all that said, maybe it is time to get gemmed up?

xoxo,
Angelique ;-)

Chubby lip balms from Balmi

Good morning shiny stars!

This month, we welcome Balmi to our shores. This collection of lip balms is right up my street - one, because lip balm is one of my top beauty essentials and two, because look at them! How adorably tubby are they? Their rotund design makes a welcome change to the usual twist-up sticks and lip balm pots, which can get a little messy.














There's a few to choose from (or you could go all out and collect them all - I'm not one to judge!): Strawberry, raspberry, coconut and mint. My favourite has to be mint - I love the refreshing tingliness of it; it feels like it's really working its magic.


You might be wondering about the dome. At first glance I thought it was some sort of roller-ball but it's actually a solid ball of balm, which makes it a cinch to hydrate lips without getting your hands messy - I just bounce it on to my lips to keep them soft throughout the day. The range comes with sun protection, too - so it's a great all-rounder! Balmi Lip Balms are available now and retails at £4.99.

Which one is your favourite?  I'm getting all of them!

xoxo,
Angelique

Balance Me Lip Salve

Good morning beautiful shining stars!

I'm so excited that it is the weekend, and can't wait to get through with work today!  Not only is there loads of Olympic action going on this weekend, but I'm also hoping to visit the cinema, go shopping with my husband and so much more!

Let me know what you'll be up to...

Some exciting posts will be coming up over the next week, so please stay tuned!  :-)

Back to my post though - and it is all about Balance Me Rose Otto Intensive Lip Salve.  I received my little 10ml sample in the August 2012 issue of Glamour Magazine.  I've been using it for a few days now, and to be fair, I really really like it.



August 2012 Glamour Magazine costing only £2




Balance Me Treatments Rose Otto Intensive Lip Salve




The consistency of the lip salve

 Balance Me says of their product:  "Discover our new, petroleum-free, 100% natural ultra-moisturising intensive lip salve. A daily beauty-must for salve addicts to plump, protect and smooth away dry patches on lips and leave them kiss-ably soft.

We’ve blended super hydrating 100% natural hyaluronic acid and highly emollient and protective pharma grade lanolin to plump and smooth; our trio of organic shea, mango and cocoa butters to soften and protect against the elements; vitamin and essential fatty acid-laden rosehip, jojoba and virgin coconut oils to soothe and hydrate with rose otto, rose geranium and palma rosa to calm and balance.

Balance Me uses the latest hi-tech natural ingredients and exquisite active aromas to create super natural anti-ageing skincare that delivers amazing results and brings your skin back into balance."


My Verdict So Far:  When I first put this lipsalve onto my lips it didn't strike me as much different to any other bog standard lip balm.  The actual salve is yellow in colour with no opaqueness and smells very gently like roses.  The smell is by no means overpowering or crass. 

It smooths easily onto the lips and instantly feels hydrating.  After using it overnight (that is to say putting lots on before bed), I found my lips to be very soft and hydrating this morning. 

Overall I'm very impressed with the results so far, with the only negative for me being that the lipsalve tastes like roses too, which is not a very pleasant taste.  I know I shouldn't taste the salve (but sometimes it gets into your mouth!) *hahah*

The Balance Me Treatment Rose Otto Intensive Lip Salve is available at various supermarkets and drug stores as well as online, and retails for anything between £8-£11.  OR you could still get your bums over to a supermarket and get yourself the full sized (10ml tube) and the latest edition of Glamour Magazine for a very tiny price of £2.  Well worth it!

Hope you have an amazing weekend whatever you do!

xoxo,
Angelique

Ombre lips: Yay or Nay?

Are you all about ombre nails and/or ombre hair at the moment?  Well listen up, then.  There's a new ombre concept about to hit the beauty scene:  ombre lips.

The following pics are of new ombre lip appliques from the brand Violent Lips, which designs all kinds of flashy, over-the-top lip looks (think leopard print, or American-flag patterned).  See how the colour starts off dark at the outer edges of the lips and fades to pale in the centre?  It reminds me of the way some girls like to wear dark lip liner with lighter lipstick -- I guess they were way ahead of the whole ombre thing!

Clearly the last two are for daring makeup wearers only--but maybe the first look could be wearable?  You'll be seeing the new Violent Lips Glitterati Mix Collection at stores like Urban Outfitters starting the second week of May. 

Will any of you be trying these on, or do you think the ombre trend should not be applied to lips?