Happy 2013!

Hello guys!

I've been negligent on the blog front - work has been busy due to the nature of the season and I've been too tired.

However, not too tired to do some naughty spending! We did a Secret Santa with myself and my in-laws this year (and I bought little things for my own family) so I could afford to pick up some little goodies. I also had a side agenda to the majority of my latest spending - I was SO close to becoming a VIB (Very Important Beauty Insider) at Sephora which is a step-up from their typical Beauty Insider program with lots of potential deals and events and little perks! And with my mini post-Xmas haul I managed to get in there for 2013! You actually only need to spend around $29 dollars per month to qualify as a VIB (that's $350 spread out monthly over the year) and for all the upsides of being one I think personally it's totally worth it. I'll also include my Christmas present from my husband and some other random stuff I've collected over the past few weeks.

Lady Gaga, FAME

 This is Lady Gaga's debut fragrance, FAME. I firstly love the packaging - so true to her as a performer and the dedication to her fans "little monsters" as she calls them, is apparent in the lid of the bottle. As you can see, I've already used a wee bit of it since opening it on Christmas Day! I was surprised at how much I love this - for a celebrity scent, it's definitely got to be one of the best I've tried.

Although it's probably officially more floral what with the majority of its key ingredients being derivative of those found in flowers and plants (Belladonna, Incense, Honey Drops, Tiger Orchidea and Jasmin Sambac) I can definitely detect the apricot in there when I wear it, so I'd say it's a little bit fruity also. I wear this all day and into the night, however I would say it's a better day fragrance for our current Autumn/Winter season rather than in Spring/Summer, where it'd likely heavy to wear in the day time. I highly recommend this scent for those who like those addictive kind of perfumes and who aren't afraid of standing out.

Sephora Colourful Blush, $17. Shade Icy Fuchsia 11.

I made these pictures slightly smaller so that you could see the packaging and also the consistency of the product, so apologies if anybody is struggling slightly with those, I can make them bigger!


This is Sephora's own Colorful Blush in shade Icy Fuchsia 11. A lovely cool pink shade, it's perfect for my pale skintone and brings a nice pink flush to the apples of my cheeks. As you can see by the picture I took with the flash (the shimmer was impossible to see otherwise with my rubbish camera) the product has a lovely shimmer to it that comes out wonderfully on cheeks and not too much although in the pan it looks super-sparkly and kind of Barbie-esque, which I do admittedly love but others may find a bit gaudy.

Pro Foundation Brush no.47, Sephora. $34.

This is another of Sephora's own products, the Pro Foundation Brush no.47. I bought this because my Quo brush I'd bought a few months ago (Shoppers brand, Canadian pharmacy/drug store - for any UK readers, think Boots equivalent) had all clogged up and got nasty even though I'd tried without fail to clean it up using techniques I found on zee intranetz.The bristles on this were so soft, I honestly stroked my whole face with it when I opened it before I even had make up on...it is so so so lovely to the touch. It's made for liquid foundation usage, which is perfect for me as (so far) they're really the only type I use. I really liked the look I had after using this brush (with my new L'OREAL True Match LUMI liquid foundation) and I'd recommend this brush to others. It cost me around $34, which for a brush as nice as this yet not a professional brand is a total steal (it works out, for anybody reading from the UK, to be around £21).

Daily Brush Cleaner, Sephora. $8.

I threw this little thing in, because I bought it with the Sephora foundation brush and it will totally solve the problem I had with my last (admittedly less quality) brush! This is a daily brush cleaner - you literally spritz your brush 3 or 4 times to ensure it's fully covered and then wipe the make-up it dissolves off on to a tissue. Guaranteed to extend the life of your brushes, and it's so easy to do after use.

Aveeno Pure Renewal Dry Shampoo. Shoppers Drug mart, on offer for $6.49.

 I bought this a couple of days ago and used it for the first time today. It's Aveeno, and it's their "pure renewal" dry shampoo. The product is sulfate-free, nice news for your scalp - and it is also suitable for colour-treated locks. I LOVE this dry shampoo. Love, love, love it. It smells delicious, goes on lightly and does exactly what it says it will due with no hard-to-shift gray residue. Simply spray on to your roots, leave for 1-2 minutes, brush through, and rub any excess in with your fingertips. I didn't need to though. It also gave my hair fantastic volume, so any ladies who want a product that is either a freshener for inbetween washes OR to create body and volume, look no further! Not 100% sure about the UK stockists but I'm fairly certain it's available there, this bottle I bought in Shoppers on special offer - $6.49 this time and normally $10. Either way, a bargain! And a lovely one too. I'd definitely buy this again.

17 Fast Finish Nail Polish in "Potion"

This polish is from Boots own brand, 17. It's a gorgeous goldy pure Christmassy colour and I adore it. It looks goldy green in the bottle but it goes on like gold paint, it's the best. I got lots of compliments wearing it! I'd probably in future put on a top coat of clear polish (I am so lazy and never do that, I don't even think I own one - gasp!) because it did come off a bit little easily but then I do a lot of dishes these days (went from a home with a dishwasher to a home where the dishwasher is called Hannah) and nails are pretty much ruined as soon as I've done a good 2-3 days worth of dishes. My husband does do housework, but the dishes is kind of my thing in exchange for him doing the laundry. What an exciting life we lead eh...

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in "Watermelon"

This one is a teal shade, a "Gelly Hi Shine" forumla from Barry M. Again, a British cosmetics company that are renowned for their large collection of nail polishes in a variety of different shades. I really like Barry M nail polishes and wish I could get my hands on them more easily. This too was sent to me by a friend of mine, and I put it on today and I love it! I'd take a picture but my nails aren't the neatest...maybe when I've cleaned 'em up! Gorgeous shiney teal colour that only needed one application. Looks like a manicure for much less $/£!

Bulls Eye Lash Applicator, Sephora. $14.

Last but not least is this interesting contraption from Sephora, again (I love that place, what can I say). It's called a Bull's Eye lash applicator, and it is for clumsy impatient people like me who love falsh eyelashes but cannot get them right for the life of them. I'll be trying this out in a week or so, so I'll let you know how it goes. I have high hopes for these babies! Solve my mysteriously shakey cack-hands!

I hope you all had a great Christmas, got everything you wanted and spent quality time with those you love. I hope you all also got incredibly smashed last night and snogged a total babe.

Will post again soon!

Hannah
xo