GlossyBox - Valentine's Edition

After what seems like an eternity since the Christmas GlossyBox the January edition has finally arrived...whooo!

With the tag line "pink is the new red" this box has been marketed as a Valentine's special. The box is a fabulous shade of fuschia finished off with a cute heart sticker --- ah I do love the little touches.

Right enough of the outside, let's dig inside the tissue paper............

My box contained:

• Clarins Extra Firming Day Cream
• Clarins Extra Firming Night Cream
• Murad Hybrids Skin Perfecting Primer
• FAB body moisturiser
• Eyeko skinny eyeliner   

Clarins Extra Firming Night Cream

Clarins isn't one of my go to brands; I know that it has a good reputation, but I tend to associate their skincare range with an older clientele.  However I am always open and excited to try new products and I wasn't disappointed with this cream. 

It had a good consistency, not too thick or too watery.  You don't need to use much for a full face and neck coverage (which is just as well as it is only a 15ml tube!)

The scent was light, I think apricot maybe.   I am prone to an oily t-zone so I try to avoid using thick, greasy night creams as they only worsen this.  This cream worked well on my skin as it was a happy medium in terms of thickness and it absorbed into my skin quickly. 

After using this, I would now consider Clarins products in my skincare regime.

Clarins Extra Firming Day Cream

I wasn't particularly bowled over by the day cream.  As far as I could see on the label it doesn't contain SPF, which is usually a given with day creams, especially those at the higher end of the price bracket.

It had a light consistency and absorbed into my skin on application.  Nothing really to complain about, but equally nothing really to shout home about.  And when you are spending £20 plus on a face cream, I like to feel like I am getting something special / extra for my money - either a luxurious feel on the skin, or added ingredients - otherwise I'd rather spend £8 on an Olay cream.

Murad Hybrids Skin Perfecting Primer

I know some of you reading this probably think primers are just a beauty marketers way of getting us to spend more money on products.  But trust me, find a good primer and you'll never look back.

The job of a primer is to set the base for your makeup, give your skin a smooth and even head start before applying foundation, powder, bronzer etc.

For me, the most important area to apply primer is to your eyelids.  This helps to keep your eyeshadow in place all day, and not slide into the creases of your eyelids. 

I usually go for a thick primer and apply a light coverage.  My personal favourite is - L'Oreal Studio Secrets Smoothing Resurfacing Primer.

This cream is a lot thinner and looks more like a tinted moisturiser.  It goes into the skin quickly meaning that you can crack on apply the rest of your makeup straight away, whereas the thicker primers require you to wait a few minutes first.  (I apply my primer when I get out the shower, this gives it ten minutes to settle into my skin as I dry my hair before applying makeup).

I was pleased with the results; it gave a smooth matt look which is exactly what I want from a primer.  however this one sells itself on giving a dewy finish - which to me, it didn't do.  But this was a bonus, as my skin is oily, so a dewy finish would have only made my skin look worse rather than better.

Remember this cream is tinted, so apply well around your jaw and hairline.

Enjoyed using this and will continue to use and finish the bottle - however it has not made me want to leave my allegience to the L'Oreal primer.

FAB body moisturiser

I was excited to see this brand  as I loved the face wash in last month's box, so I was looking forward to trying this moisturiser.

First impressions - badly designed bottle.  This is a seriously thick body cream and the bottle had a small squeezy hole, there was no way the cream was coming out of there.  So I unscrewed the lid and squeezed, still nothing.  Next attempt - the tomato ketchup approach: banging on the bottom, still nothing - then suddenly a massive splodge! 

The cream has a very light scent, I can only describe it as sort of botanical / plant like.  Which for many people would be a good thing, as they don't like their body creams to be too fragrant or over powering.  However I do love a strong fruity / vanilla body cream - but that's just my preference.

The cream itself glided on and gave an instant sheen and smooth appearence to my skin.  It absorbed quickly - not like body butters that sit on the surface for ages meaning you can't get dressed for at least half an hour after application (which can be v annoying!)

Overall I was pleased with the cream itself but disappointed with the dispenser.  It would definitely add minutes onto your morning beauty routine battling to get the cream out of the bottle.  And we all know how precious every minute is in a morning!

Eyeko skinny eyeliner

I love the shape of this eyeliner - looks so sexy and spaceage.  More interesting than your bog standard pencil.  I was pleased that I received the black one (I believe there are several other colours appearing in people's boxes) as black liner would definitely be one of my couldn't live without makeup products.

I feel naked without my eyeliner on!  I'm a liquid liner girl on top and a pencil on the bottom.  I like to apply a pencil on the inner rim of my lower lash line.  This pencil went on easily and left a good depth of colour that is showing no signs of budging.  I'm really impressed with this product and it has made a happy addition to my makeup box.

(please excuse the bags - it was 5.30am when I took this photo)

I have been reading comments on the GlossyBox Facebook page, and I have to chuckle to myself.  Some people just love moaning and complaing don't they!  Complaints included - "I was disappointed with my box as I received the boy moisturiser.  I don't use moisturiser so it's no good to me."  I'm sorry but if you don't use body creams, that what the heck are you doing subscribing to GlossyBox?? - it's for beauty product junkies...and every beauty product lover worth their salt slathers themself in lotion morning and evening!

I thought the point of GlossyBox was to try new things; some you'll like, some you won't.  But rather than spending a fortune on full size bottle of everything and wasting them; with this we get a little taste test of things and can then decide which to invest in and which not to.

Overall I am really happy with my January GlossyBox - infact I've yet to be disappointed by one; keep up the good work folks.



Anna Wintour as you've never seen her before!

This illustration is by the multicultural designer and artist aleXsandro Palombo.  To see more of his ecclectic work which lies somewhere between fantasy and irony visit his website - http://www.alexsandropalombo.com/

Midweek Must Have

I laugh in the face of those that say glitter should only be worn at Christmas.  Glitter can turn many an outfit from drab to fab.  And these gorgeous heels from Zara are a perfect example of this. 

Think black cigarette pants, cream blouse, delicate chain necklace and then add these shoes into the mix and you have the prefect Valentine's Day date night outfit!

 
 Zara Glitter Sandal £59.99

Beautiful Skin

Tomorrow sees the launch of No7's new skincare range - Beautiful Skin.  It is a quick and simple two step programme consisting of a cleanser and moisturiser.  They have skin type specific ones:

• dry / very dry
• normal / oily
• normal / dry

The range is aimed at "busy women" - those of you out there thats beauty regime consists of a quick cleanse with a baby wipe before bed (tut, tut!). 

Cleansing and moisturising is soooooo important for the long term care of your skin.   I totally understand that not everyone has time each evening to cleanse, tone, apply a face mask, moisturise, dab on eye cream etc 

But we can all find 2-3 minutes to wash our face, cleanse and slap on a layer of moisturiser before bruhsing our teeth.  I promise if you do this religiously every day for two weeks, you and your skin will thank me. 

I thought I'd bring this new No7 range to your attention because any of you that have shopped in Boots over the past few weeks will have been given a £5 off No7 voucher at the tills.  These are vaild until the 29th of January; four days after the Beautiful Skin range is launched - so why not use this as an opportunity to treat yourself to a new skin care routine.  

Get your face looking all cleansed, smooth and radiant.....just in time for Valentine's day :-) 

Vegas + Chanel = fashion party paradise

Oh to be friends with Chanel!  The brand flew seven private plane loads of their fashionable friends to Las Vegas to celebrate the opening of an eight day pop up museum at the Wynn hotel complex.   

The no holds barred festivities began on Friday with the opening of “Numeros Privees: A Journey Through the World of Chanel ” 10 rooms dedicated to the world of Chanel, including –

©      A Doll’s House Room filled with dolls dressed in miniature Chanel jackets

 

©      A quilted leather walled room paying homage to the 2.55 quilted, chain handled handbags.  This featured television screens showing details of how each bag is cut, stitched and assembled by the master craftsmen. 

 

©      A re-creation of Coco Chanel’s Paris apartment  at 31 Rue Cambon – complete with fresh camellia flowers.  An iconic symbol of the fashion house, a tradition started by Coco herself.

©      My personal favourite room featured the ultimate arcade games, where guests could try their luck at the classic claw machine but rather than Sponge Bob Square Pants toys(!) it was filled with Chanel bracelets, makeup and perfume.  Oh to spend 10 minutes playing on that game!!

Guests included Jessica Alba, Poppy Delevigne, Diane Kruger, Rachel Zoe and Lily Collins – all dressed in Chanel’s finest party outfits.  Alexa Chung deejayed as the guests dined on a Chinese New Year themed meal of dim sum.

 

 

The exhibition runs until January 28^th (sadly it is viewable by invite only).

The photos have inspired me to consider pearl curtains in my dressing room - how amazeballs would that be!

Golden Globes 2012 - bringing sexy back

I'm sure you will have all seen the pics from last night's Golden Globes awards and picked your best and worst dressed.  

I've taken a slightly different take on it all and picked out my favourite ladies in their finest gladrags based on how they look from......behind! 

So very often us girls get it wrong because we only check out our front in the mirror - it is so important to check every angle. No one wants to see your spanx hoisted up and peeping above your backless dress or to discover that you've missed a patch of fake tan on your shoulders!

In my humble opinion these four ladies looked amazeballs from every angle last night .....

1) Nicole Richie
Love the futuristic pony tail that sets of this metallic dress to perfection.  The peekaboo back has a hint of cheekiness without being in your face.

 2) Lea Michelle
Rachel (Lea's Glee character) would be blushing at the very thought of wearing such an outfit.
This Marchesa dress is a work of art - the sequins, the patterns, the mesh, the fishtail; there is a lot going on but all the elements marry together to make a sexy seductress look that screams -  take me seriously as a woman, not a girl.

3) Sofia Vergara
The lady has curves in all the right places and this Vera Wang creation shows them off to perfection. 
Jessica Rabbit eat your heart out!

 4) Heidi Klum
Loving the simplicity of the cut and colour or this column dress that highlight Heidi's sporty figure, pared with a gorgeous turquoise necklace a healthy tan, au natural hair and lashings of confidence that comes with having twenty plus years of modelling under your belt.

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My leading lady of the night was Charlize Theron in Dior Couture.  The whole look was so romantic and natural.  I love every element - the peachy pink shade of the dress, the plunging neckline, the (just on the right side of high) thigh high split, the flowing train, the waist and brooch and of course the oversized bow detail (regular Made-Ons will be well aware of my obsession with all things bow!)

Aside from the dress her accessories are spot on in my opinion - side swept soft curls with a diamond hair band, simple diamond studs, sparkly clutch bag and cream sandals. 

The look is finished off with aplomb thanks to Charlize's fabulous skin - perfectly shaped brows,  lightly dusted peachy gold eyeshadow, lashings of mascara and a matt, light pink lip colour.  Proving that less is most definitely more makeup wise when you're rocking Dior Couture.

Bargain Alert!!

OMG my favourite dress from last summer is on sale at H&M for just £2.99!!!

I know summer feels like an awfully long way away right now, but this is a bargain not to miss out on.  And we all need something to look forward to in these bleak "limbo" weeks between Christmas and Spring.

http://www.hm.com/gb/product/84341?article=84341-B

I wore this dress in the Maldives and Spain last year and it is sooo comfy and light weight but what I loved most about it was the colours; the pink and beige make it quite unusual and it really brings out your tan.   It is sheer, so you can either throw it over a bikini in the day time or with a nude slip under to wear for an evening meal or cocktail.

So go on grab yourself a summer bargain...in January!

P.S I loved this dress so much, I bought it in black too!



Latest in Beauty News - Blemish Balms

If you go into your local Boots, Superdrug or department store you are sure to see the letters BB emblazoned all over the beauty counters.  It is the new buzz word and product, BB stands for Blemish Balm; a cosmetic/skincare hybrid.

The latest trend in the beauty world is minimising.  Rather than using ten different products each morning and evening, people want to have a couple of products that do the same job as ten - cutting down on time spent infront of the mirror, but more importantly in these frugal times, cutting down on our spending.   Rather than buying three products at £6 each, why not buy one at £15.  Makes sense really doesn't it!

Blemish Balms are filled with multi tasking promises (they are extremely popular with South Korean women)

• brighten skin like a primer
• even out complexion like a lightweight foundation
• cover blemishes like a concealer
• hydrate like a moisturiser
• sooth skin like an anti-inflammatory
• contain UV protection

Brands at both ends of the price spectrum have Blemish Balms out there for you to try

Garnier £9.99

No 17 £6.99 (currently on offer for £4.99)

No7 £15.50

Estee Lauder £26

Dior £36.50

MAC £22.10

I have personally tested the No17 and the MAC versions and I really loved both of them.  

For me, MAC can do no wrong in terms of quality, which explains why every makeup asrtist worth their salt has at least a handful of MAC items in their cosmetics box.  The cream glides on and you only need to use a pea size amount.  It has an SPF of 35 - an added bonus of this cream.  I don't think it will necessarily help to clear blemishes but it certainly does a good job of covering them up, and is brilliant for evening out skin tones, to give a smooth finish across the face and neck.

The No17 cream is a real bargain at £4.99.  I was sceptical at first as I'm a believer in splurging on foundations - without a good base layer, your make up will never look great.  But this cream was a surprise find.  It gave a light coverage, so my skin felt like it could still breathe and wasn't caked in product.  I would wear this on it's own in summer but in the winter months I still wear a layer of foundation over the top.  I definitely noticed a difference after the first application, my skin looked smooth and even and for less than a fiver I couldn't really ask for more.

So if you treat yourself to one new product this month I'd say try out a Blemish Balm and see what you think for yourself.

My New Coat

How chuffed was I on Christmas morning to open a parcel to find the coat that I had been lusting after for weeks.  Turns out Mr ETM does actually read my blog :-)

I posted about this Miss Selfridge coat in November and have been yearning after it ever since. 
http://emmataylormade.blogspot.com/2011/11/wednesdays-must-have-item.html

I am a sucker for fur (faux of course!) and this coat ticks all the boxes for me: fur, gold buttons,  nipped in waist and casual belt tie.  Let's hope the weather doesn't warm up too quickly so I can get plenty of wear out of this beauty :-)

That Bikini Body Beckons.........

Goodbye lumps and bumps - hello abs and definition!

It's that time of year when we all stand in front of the mirror and realise - whoah! who is that fat lass?? ..... oh wait, it's just me after too many mince pies, quality streets, cheese boards, canapes, and glasses of vino!

Make 2012 your fit and fabulous year.  Get out there and join an exercise class / walk to work / cut out the 3pm chocolate bar - just do something and stick to it.  Life's too short to feel unhappy in your body.  Make the best of what God gave you and work it girls!

Here's some bikini thinspiration for you .............

Olivia Palermo



Rosie Huntington Whiteley

Rosie Huntington Whiteley

Jessica Alba (post pregnancy body - wow!)

Myleene Klass

Myleene Klass (just months after giving birth to her second daughter, Hero)

My style girl crush - Olivia Palermo

Cameron Diaz

Victoria's Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio

Audrina Patridge

Leanne Rimes

Rhianna

Mother of Four - Heidi Klum

Julianne Hough and Ashley Tisdale

Petra Eccleston - Formula 1 Heiress

World's Highest Paid Supermodel - Gisele

Megan Fox

New York socialite -Tinsley Mortimer

Coleen Rooney

Kate Bosworth

I've saved the best til last........

My absolute body crush and inspiration has got to be fitness guru Jennifer Nicole Lee; this lady has guns and bums of steel! 
If you want to get fit and fab this year then I urge you to sign up to Jennifer's newsletters for motiviation, diet and fitness tips.

www.jennifernicolelee.com

Jennifer didn't always look this mighty fine - she was a regular 30 something house wife and mother with a very average, soft figure.  She lost 80lbs, toned up and was crowned Miss Bikini America.

(Before)

Each time you think of skipping the gym or heading to the cupboard for a chocolate biscuit - stop and look back at the pictures below - they show you that with dedication and determination physical perfection can be achieved.  Come on girls, it's time to feel great about our bodies and treat them with some love and respect - and a damn good daily exercise thrashing (no pain no gain)!!!

(After)

“It’s my goal and passion to increase the quality of your lifestyle.”

 

I love all her slogan tees!!