Daniel Sandler Sculpt And Sim Review

Hiya

You know what... I'm not complaining at what God gave me (I am) but I guess if I'd had a lil more say I would of tweaked my order slightly.

Shinier hair, perfect skin, a bit more of a Victoria's Secret sorta a body oh and definitely some chisel to my cheek bones.

I sound so shallow (I am) but this is a beauty blog so it's a space to indulge yes?

Yes. And today I'm all about the cheekbones. Kate Moss and Keira Knightly have them and Kim, Kourtney and Khloe fake em with shading and highlighting.

Contouring is the technique of the moment and as I'm not blessed with angles I've been on the hunt for the perfect contour kit.

naturally blessed

I've tried a few different kits and even tried DIYing it with bronzer and highlighter... it didn't work, I'm not that skilled so I looked a bit em MUDDY and like I just needed a good wash! 

I have the Benefit Fake Up Concealer sticks that I bought in light and dark as I'd seen a demo where these had been used to contour, so I had go myself and you know what they worked amazingly... but only the first time I tried it! That's probably owing to the fact the first time I did it I had no time constraints and could devote effort and energy into applying and blending . 

HOWEVS

Subsequent attempts have been just that. ATTEMPTS. Generally anything that I have to apply my foundation over ends up discolouring it and I'm left looking less defined, more dopey!

Plus I'm always pushed for time (unbelievably disorganised) and I just don't have the inclination spending anything more that 5 minutes on my face on work mornings.

So when I saw the gorgey Daniel Sandler on QVC talking about his Sculpt and Slim powder compact I had to have it! 

Oh that, and two more water colour blushes and the illuminating face powder... what? they are seriously fabulous, so that makes it totally ok!

The mirrored compact contains two pressed powders. The darker matte shade is used for contouring and lighter shimmery powder for highlighting.

So after the rest of my face is done I just sweep the darker part under my cheekbones (I suck them in... see first picture for example!) then dust the highlighter over my cheekbones, my brow bone and down the centre of my nose.

I love the results and you can see how soft and dewy the highlighter looks here.

And check oot the chisel on this photo, totally thrilled! Just call me Keira or em... Kate? As in Moss NOT as in Kate as in my name. So when you next say Kate think of the supermodel, think of me and think of the Sculpt and Slim :)

You got me?

(It's ok I've confused myself too!)

So to summarise this product is now an absolute staple in my daily routine, it literally takes seconds to apply and blends like a dream. 

It's not faffy in anyway at all, believe me it would of been relegated to spesh occasion status if it had of been... I'm too lazy for words!

So tell me your thoughts? What are we thinking? Have you tried Daniel Sandler before? Do you have any spectacular contouring kits? 

Looking forward to reading your lovely comments and please leave your links as I check out all blogs :)

Love 

kate (?moss)

ps. Nudgey nudge, winky wink... shortlisted for a Cosmo Blog Award, vote me if you want to and I would very much appreciate it :)

Voting closes 30th August so hurry like someone is giving louboutins away!

(Stampede)

Thanks xxx

Pure Pedi Exfoliating Boots Review

Hey people, fancy talking some tootsies today? 

WARNING CONTAINS PICTURES OF THE PEELING PROCESS... ENOUGH TO TURN YOU OFF ANY TYPE OF FOOT FETISH.

I saw these exfoliating boots advertised on QVC and after hearing the sales pitch (total sucker for the hard sell!) and seeing the demonstration and results I thought  I need to get me them magic boots! And after parting with just under £20 they were winging their way to me in 3-5 working days.

In short these boots are an exfoliating treatment with an exclusive formula of alpha and beta hydroxy acids to remove dry and cracked skin build up from your stompers. And better yet it claims they can give you perfectly smooth feet for up to two years. 

They work by causing the dry, dull and dead skin to peel away thus leaving feet soft and super smooth.

The application bit is super easy, simply slip on the boots and reeeeelax (well actually you can walk around  in them but if you're looking for an excuse to put your feet up then this is the kiddie!) for a good 45- 60 minutes.

I'm an instant gratification girl so I knew it was going to be struggle waiting for the big peel... and mind I did some waiting. It was almost two weeks until I began shedding like a snake but BOY OH BOY did I shed! My skin actually peeled off in sheets. I totally became obsessed with it, so satisfying. Like when you get glue on on fingers at school but on a bigger better scale.

VOM

So now the peeling has stopped I'm been a little mortified at how my feet look... yes the soles and heels are soft and smooth but the bridge and sides of my feet are dry and dare I say scaly. 

Apparently some dryness during the process is to be expected but a month has passed now and it's showing no signs of improvement.

You aren't supposed to use moisturiser whilst awaiting the results but I'm thinking it's been just over four weeks now so I've resigned myself to the fact that my feet in their current state are probably as good as their going to get... pass me the peppermint foot cream already!

Did I love? I loved the peeling the skin off my feet

Did I loathe? I loathe the dry dehydrated patches that I remain plagued with!

Would I buy again? Probably not as it's quite pricey for something that is discarded after one use, don't get me wrong if it worked 100% I'd happily pay double but fact is it didn't work it's miracle promises on me.

*sad face*

Have you had better results with this? Or are you tempted to try it?

Don't be shy to leave a comment and your link as I love reading your comments and finding new blogs :)

Love

k xxxxxx

Ps... shortlisted for a Cosmo, VOTE here if you want to :)

thanks xxxx

Barry M Gelly Shine Polish Review

Hey there people, how we all doing?

I have a confession today...

My name is Kate and I'm a complete and utter product snob.

There I've said it. I am one.

Don't be getting me wrong, I'm not someone who refuses to buy highstreet or 'drugstore' (I cringe typing it as I totally type it in an American accent!) but my brain is wired up to automatically assume that something, say a foundation priced £40 will be far superior to one retailing at a tenna. 

I know that is not always strictly the case and since blogging I've been amazed at the hidden cheaper little gems. Plus if there's a blogging bandwagon to leap upon I'll do it... Baby Lips, Pore Effaclar Duo, and of course the Barry M Gelly Shine Polishes.

Before we go any further I should point out that I'm not suggesting Barry M is ' hidden gem' as me and allanabeau had a Barry M catalogue about 15 years ago... waaaay before he was famous and stocked in Super Drug :)

How much I'm making myself 'sound' old here... 

Anyway back to it... as they've gotten so much blog hype I decided I wanted in on the Barry M Gelly Shine Polish party and picked up Lychee and Prickly Pear.

L-R Lychee, Prickly Pear

First of all lets talk application, bearing in mind I was expecting disappointment (SNOB)

I have to say though I hold my painted talons up and accept my misconceptions were indeed that.

 The brush is decent and picks up a good amount of product and consistency of the polish is fabulous, it evens out well on the nails and doesn't bubble up or look lumpy. 

In fact the finish is astoundingly glossy espesh as you don't use a top coat... I know thats the purpose of it but still, I was impressed :)

The major drawback for me was the Prickly Pear colour was a tad translucent... I needed 3 coats of it as you could see the VNL (visible nail line) but this is only an issue if your nails are past your finger tips. The Lychee was far more opaque and two coats gave perf coverage.

Prickly Pear is the most beautiful pretty colour and loads of people mentioned it, I loved wearing it and it screams spring and summer. Oh and it didn't chip or peel for two whole days. I removed it before I could test it any longer.

Lychee I HATED. Not the polish but the colour. I just couldn't carry it off, my hands looked like they belonged to a corpse! Me mam thought it looked nice on me though! (not sure if mam compliments count?)

Anyway it was removed within the hour as I couldn't get away with it personally. 

My clear winner of the two was Prickly Pear and I intend on expanding my Gelly Shine range.

Who'd of thought I'd still be loving Barry 15 years later :)

Do you love the gelly shine range? Any other bargains or bandwagons I should be clambering on?

Looking forward to chatting with you and please leave your links too :)

love

k xxxxx

ps if you love the blog then please vote prettylittleus in cosmo awards, I would be so grateful 

thanks xxx

Highlight Me Gorgeous

Hey Girlies and Boyos today I'm all about the glow, the glimmer, the shimmer and the highlight... Who's with me???

I have a canny little collection of highlighters and whether it's bare minimal makeup, think just a bit concealer, brow pencil and lip balm or a full face of glam there's one product that I cannot (could not, would not, should not) skip or scrimp on... yes it's a highlighter. Be it be a cream, a liquid or a powder I guarantee you it'll be part of the regime.

Today I thought I'd share a few of my favourite creams and lotions.

OOOH look at the pretty arm swatches... :)

Mac Strobe Cream and Hocus Focus are great as they can be worn alone however I find they work amazey as primers as they give a lumious fresh glow underneath your regular base. 

The Make Believe probably works better on you darker skinned lovelies as its quite metallic and doesn't work for me UNLESS I'm embracing some tan in bottle.

Aaaaah Ilamasqua Gleam in Aurora gives a real plasticky perfect effect, almost a mirror shine across your cheekbones. Only thing is I've found that's not so great is you can't wear it if you've applied powder, even the lightest dusting of powder (be it translucent or a bronzer) as it gathers and lies on your face. Not a great look like!

Me and Benefit's High Beam have been besties for years now, she knows how to make me look good and in turn I cherish her by always having her 'in stock'. The pinky pearlescent shimmer makes this little beauty a firm favourite in my make up pile bag. 

Sun Beam is a new acquaintance and I welcome it whenever I've got my tan on. It gives a gorgeous non harsh golden sheen and if I'm daring to bare and rocking I don't know, say a vest (ooh-errr) then I dot this on my collar bone...  ssshhhexy ssshhhexy!

Highlighter should be applied anywhere you want a gaze to linger... This ain't no x rated site so we'll leave it at cheeky cheek bones shall we? 

Although to narrow my generously proportioned nose I have been known to dot it down the centre... y'know to make it appear smaller and less 'generous' :)

DUN DUN DUN... these two little gems get to wear and share  my ultimate favourites tiara.

High Beam is holy grail and the Strobe Cream is ultra versatile. 

Any highlighters you're loving? Any recommendations?

As always I really look forward to reading your comments and thoughts so don't be shy :) Feel free to leave your link too.

Love 

k xxxxxxxx

ps Oh and if you like prettylittleus then I would be so grateful if you could take a little minute to vote for me as Best New Beauty Blog in Cosmo Blog Awards (button under profile pic on home page)

THANK YOU xxx

Neon Animal Print Nails Of The Day

Hey bloggers, how is everyone? I've got a nail posty for you today... So get buckled up and grab yourself a nail art pen  :)

No matter how crazy busy my life gets I never find painting my nails a chore, in fact I actually feel fidgety and a bit lost on a night time if I haven't got a bottle of Leighton or Nails Inc in my hand. (Hoy in pizza and a couple of creme caramels and we can so be friends)

 I  rarely wear the same shade for more than a day or two off the belt and I plan outfits around my nails. I mean if I want to wear a lime green polish then I'll go and source the perfect clothes to compliment it... (I should have shares in topshop, it's ridiculous really!)

SO back to today's nails... I have major love for this mani, I think the neon brights work so well with the animal print. 

And mind once you're equipped with a black nail art pen, the world holds no bounds!!!  Next stop aztec designs :)

I used Leighton Denny's Honeymoon Suite and Nails Inc Baker Street and St James Park (like a proper geordie!) for the base colours. Then I sploshed on Baker Street and St James Park for the spots. I outlined them with Barry M's black nail art pen and BAM good to go.

Oh and the rings adorning my (sausage) fingers are all available from shopdixi

These nails certainly caused quite a stir... me Grandma was aaaaaaaal owa them for a start.

I mean I talk with my hands anyway but because these nails screamed to be noticed I upped the drama and became even more extravagantly camp and flamboyant, think Louis Spence tribute and we're on the same page!

Do these nails get your roar of approval? Love reading your comments and I reply to all and remember you can follow me on twitter as I'm a bit of a chatterbox on there too :)

Love

k xxxxxx

ps If you love prettylittleus then I'd be so grateful if you could take a moment to vote for me in the Cosmo Blog Awards as shortlisted for Best New Beauty Blog. 

Click HERE PLEASE to vote or click button under profile picture on home page.

Thanks again :) xxxx

July Haul

Happy August Amigos!

I've been absent from the blog for way too long so today marks 

my return. I mean like proper return, the sort where I schedule posts and take photos as I go. Rather than... procrastinating like it's going out of fashion!

And mind I really do procrastinate.

Hence my July Haul being posted on 14th AUGUST *shuffles awkwardly and avoids eye contact* so without any further delay (friends is on the telly and my attention span is struggling) lets delve straight in to my rather tame month of buying.

SBC 4 Piece Arnica Cleanse, Calm & Soothe Collection

So this little set was bought from QVC (who do not sponsor me by the way... although perhaps they should seen as all products in this haul were ordered from there unless stated otherwise!) 

I hadn't tried SBC prior to this but the brightly coloured gels have always caught my eye. Yes that's all it takes!

 So three gels with three different promises, Arnica for aches, pains and reducing

 bruising, Propolis for dry chapped areas and Aloe Vera (Hello Vera. sorry!) for calming and soothing.

I'm really liking these and the aaaah feeling when you slap that aloe gel on after waxing, delightful!

The cleanser hasn't had a look in yet as I've already got about four other brands on the go!

Smells nice though.

Decleor 4 Piece Skin Radiance Collection

Right if I had done a 'monthly favourites' post then Decleor's Aroma Confort Gradual Glow Body Milk would so be featuring!

It's a gradual tan that is ultra moisturising and leaves skin silky soft. There's no heavy depositing either so no weird white triangles where you bend your arms (just me? oh!) and the colour is super natural and oozes radiance. Utterly gorgeousness!

What I would say is the pump dispenser is SHITE as it doesn't automatically pump back up so it's a nightmare when you're frantically applying post shower. I guess the fact that I love it so much despite the problems dispensing speaks volumes about how amaze the product is.

The Aromessence Nerolia is an award winning exlixir that is 100% natural, I'm just about to introduce this into my daily routine so I'll let you know the results.

Also contained in the set was Hydra Floral Moisturiser and Hydra Floral Mask which I'm yet to sample... cute lil bottles though!

The Tans 

Eeeee such a tanning floozy me... one can never have to many in the stock cave though.

Leighton Denny Sunbelievable Set, Hightlight Me, Bronze Me, Accelerate Me and Tan Me. You can read and SEE my amazing results with Tan Me HERE

The He-Shi Instant Bronze I actually won from the lovely Grace  in a twitter comp, I adored it so much I obviously ordered more! Ideal for instant non streak colour... haaaaalllow bare legs!

The Toners

So the first half of July I was without a toner would you believe? It would seem I  only stockpile nail varnish, cleansers, make up, moisturiser, tans, conditioner, well pretty much everything other than toner. Not only do I not keep stocks replenished I also systematically forget to buy it each time I'm in boots or where ever!

So,

La Roche-Posay Soothing Toner is something my husband chose upon receiving an "urgent" text from his easy going wife to "go to boots and get a toner, a decent one not cheap" bless him he is often instructed  requested to buy the Pore Effaclar Duo so I guess he stuck to the brand he knew was deemed acceptable by me! 

I have to say it ain't rocking my world, I mean it's OK and my skin hasn't reacted badly but I'm not too sure what it's doing for me other than being 'step 2' of the old routine?

Clarins Exfoliating Toner

I'd heard much love about the Clarins Exfoliating Toner so I thought hey this could be our time to start a new relationship (seen as my boat wasn't floated by the aforementioned toner) So off I trotted to Fenwicks and parted with £25 cute ones for this coveted number. As I was paying, the lovely helpful Clarins girl asked if I knew how to use the product. I was all like "uh-huh course I do" *smiling and thinking OBV it's a toner, ammma beauty blogger y;knaaaa*. 

BUT

what I actually should of said is "no sorry, I'm not too sure" BECAUSE (as you all probably know) unbeknown to me, it ain't no toner, it's a liquid exfoliator that use at night twice weekly. 

I was home by the time I realised therefore missed another opportunity to buy a decent toner. 

All was not lost though and no regrets as my skin looks so much fresher and brighter the mornings after using it.

 AND due to me having little to no self control I've been slapping this on at least five times a week because more is more right? 

Benefit How To Look The Best At Everything

This kit is sweetness personified. I actually have a vision of how I want my bedroom to look which is totally inspired by the Benefit Make Up Counter! Thinking a vintage, retro and kitsch sort of feel, I'll let you know when I get round to doing it! (Judging by the rate I churn out blog posts I wouldn't be holding your breath)

Upon opening this little book you find all the potions and powdery magic to create a poreless flawless complexion. 

Ooh and a mini They're Real too!

Laura Geller Magic Of Colour Collection 

I bought this from QVC (who'd of guessed) and I was well hyped for this collection airing. I was sharp off the mark with ordering too, and I tapped the app at like a minute past midnight (it launched at zero hundred hours) and it was a good a job I did as Porcelain had sold out by 10.30am!

I'd never tried Laura Geller make up but she comes highly recommended and I've heard it said her baked products rival Mac's. GAUNTLET DOWN.

Ooh and I also ordered her Spackle which is her lingo for primer, I actually meant to order the champagne shade but in my haste I ended up with bronze. It's worked out well as on good skins days I use it alone with a touch of highlight... good to go!

(the champagne shade has since been ordered too... oopsie!)

Leighton Denny 8 Piece Colour Collection

How lushy are these colours though?  My favourites are most definitely Paparazzi which is the ultimate red, Femme Fatal which is a deep glossy khaki green and Get Your Cote which is the most beeeeeeowdifal blue from the Riviera Collection.

These lil babes also came complete a wrap around leather pouch, which to my bitter disappointment wasn't a belt I could wear around my waist! Think I'd envisioned striding around like a celebrity hairdresser or make up artist 'on set'.

Such delusions of grandeur me.

L-R paparazzi, honey trap, femme fatal, little thief, get your cote, bubblegum, angel dust, sophisticated

Barry M

I'm a bit of a nail snob and I likey my brands and willingly pay the price for things that are quality and work for me... think leighton, nails inc and opi and we are on the same page.

BUT the Barry M Gelly Paints have continually called my name so hey I obliged... I bought Prickly Pear and Lychee from Superdrug and I must say I have mixed reviews and intend on blogging all about it!

Oh and Nail Art Pen, because it was 3 for 2 and pink was the only colour left.

lychee and prickly pear

Tangle Teezer

I am TEAM TANGLE TEEZER! 

I can't love this enough, I have long long long wavy/curly hair that tats easily when wet and this just fixes it!

 I also have two sons that have rock star hair and this makes my life easier and theirs less painful!

I've ordered two more as can't be dealing with the world ending stress when it goes AWOL... "CIARAN WHERE'S THE TANGLE TEEZER" can be heard in my house each evening at approximately 6pm!

I've ordered it in blue for the boys and in zebra print for spares because I'm em... ?classy! (ha)

So there we have it! July done and dusted. Not a huge lot in comparison to other monthlies BUT my August pile is already looking terrifying!

Any thoughts? Anything you love or loathe? Or fancy trying? Ooh and any toner recommendations?

Look forward to reading your comments, lots of love

love 

k xxxxxx

ps shortlisted for a cosmo... best new beauty blog, button to vote under profile pic :) thank yoooou xxx