Tom Ford Spring 2014

The Tom Ford Spring Collection has just recently hit the stores, this years offerings are a collection of 8 Sheer Lipsticks and 4 Nail Colours. The packaging has reverted back to the original white and gold style.

Tom Ford Lip Colour Sheer
Brand Description - Harmonising sensuous shades of shimmering nudes and hot, vivid colours, the limited edition Lip Colour Sheer Collection delivers an irresistible effect that compliments sun-kissed, summer skin. A decadent mix of vitamins C and E and Shea Butter helps lavish the lips with saturated moisture. The distinct, bevelled Lip Colour Sheer bullet is packaged in a retro-chic, ivory and gold coloured Tom Ford case.

Bittersweet

Firecracker

Incorrigible

In The Buff

Paradiso

Pink Dune

Summer Fling

Sweet Spot

Tom Ford Nail Lacquer
Brand Description - To Tom Ford every detail counts. This extra-amplified, gloss and shine Nail Lacquer, in a wardrobe of shades from alluring brights to chic neutrals, lets you express your mood to compete your look. Its groundbreaking, high-performance formula with bendable coating delivers high coverage and shine white staying colour true throughout wear.

Coral Beach

Incandescent

Indiscretion

Sugar Dune

Nars Narsissist Eye Palette

Nars Narsissist Eye Palette

Brand Description - Nars introduces the Narsissist Eye Palette, named for and inspired by the brand's devoted fans and cult followers, this inaugural palette will set the stage for future Narsissist products to come.

The limited-edition palette features 15 of the Narsissist community's most beloved and inspiring shades in one compact, ready-to-wear every day, every way.

Wear one shade on its own for captivating colour or play with the possibilities by layering different shades for an unlimited range of effects. -  £55

Now where do i start? I haven't been this excited about a new product since, well never to be honest. There have been a lot of releases of neutral palates over the last few years but there isn't one that i have genuinely counted down the days until it's release. Nars have made most of my go to eye shadows for the last few years, the colour selection and the ease of use whether it's how easy they are to blend or how pigmented the darker shades can be, making it really easy to achieve a full eye look with minimal products. Which makes this palette something very special, having 15 wearable shades (shade details were given in this post) to carry about is really going to shake up my everyday makeup routine and i can't wait to see if I am still loving this as much in a few months time. So far I'm especially loving the 5 cooler shades on the bottom row but i can honestly see myself getting a lot of use out of them all. If you can get your hands on one of these then go for it, you won't regret it. You can register at John Lewis here to be notified when it comes back into stock and the bonus is they are selling it for £5 cheaper!

All About Eve #1, Madrague #2, Fez

Bali, Coconut Grove, Madrague #1

Nepal, Ashes to Ashes, Brousse #2

Mekong, Bellissima #1, Lhasa

Bad Behaviour, Dogon #2, Pandora #2

Click images for full sized versions

Molton Brown Rhubarb & Rose Hand Cream

Molton Brown Rhubarb & Rose Hand Cream

Brand Description - London via The Pantry: A crimson summer tart. Freshly picked roses. Bowls of sugar, spice and all things nice.

The way we blend it: A luxury hand cream with white truffle extract for exquisitely soft hands, rhubarb extract and moisturising rose extract.

Why you'll love it: This intensive hand cream is an instantly absorbed daily treat for delectably soft and luxuriously moisturised hands with temptingly sweet aromas. - £10

I'm not one to get excited over a hand cream but for some reason with this one it was love at first sight, well love at first smell i suppose. I'm not even normally a fan of very sweet fragrances but there is just something irresistible about this one. The scent aside it is a really lovely, quality hand cream that isn't greasy in the slightest and sinks into the skin effortlessly. It is the perfect size to carry about in your bag and use whenever your hands feel a bit dry or if you get a craving for rhubarb and custard sweets. So that's why i like it so much.

For the truly addicted the scent also comes in a 300ml hand wash for £16 and hand lotion for £20 or you can pick up all three for £40. At the moment you can buy it from either Molton Brown or John Lewis.

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Fatal vs Illusoire

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre 837 Fatal vs 83 Illusoire

The Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Eye shadows have been around for a while now so it's getting to the stage that when there is a new collection some of the shades are very similar to previous releases. I'm sure most make up addicts have the problem of being drawn to certain specific colours and probably own at least five shades of the same nude lipstick so it pays to do some research before parting with any hard earned cash. This was the case for me with the shade 837 Fatal from the Chanel Autumn/Winter 2013 collection. In swatches it looked somewhere in between Illusoire and Ebloui so i wasn't sure whether it was worth picking up.

In the end i decided to go for it instead of Ebloui because it looks like an easier shade to pull off and it is limited edition and we all know how annoying make up regrets are. The formula makes it a bit of a marmite product, you will either love the amount of glitter (which can lead to a bit of fall out) or you are going to hate it but they are extremely buildable and long lasting with a primer. It is a product that is definitely worth checking out because it can look incredible glam especially for how easy they are to apply, even with just your fingers.

(Left to Right) 837 Fatal, 83 Illusoire

(Left to Right) 837 Fatal, 83 Illusoire

Nars Narsissist Eyeshadow Palette

Every so often there will be a collection or a specific product that is announced that you just can't get out of your head. (This can happen with fashion too but the price normally makes it an unobtainable dream!) This is definitely one of those products that i am going to be dreaming about until i can get my hands on it. 

The subject of these dreams is the Nars Narsissist Eye Palette and it looks like a beauty. I love Nars eyeshadow, they have been the main staples of my everyday make up routine for the past few years and i have been using the And God Created the Woman Palette (reviewed here) pretty much every day since i got it.

So far I've read that the quality and pigmentation of the shadows do not compare to the individual shadows but for the amount of choice you get this doesn't put me off and they all look like great neutral shades that you would get a lot of use out of.

Product Reviewed Here

The 15 shades in the palette are as follows;

• All About Eve #1 - Flesh-toned neutral (part of a permanent duo)
• Madrague #2 - Matte Caramel (part of a permanent duo)
• Fez - Velvety Cocoa (permanent)
• Bali - Neutral (permanent)
• Coconut Grove - Deep brown infused with reflective particles (permanent) 
• Madrague #1 - Matte Cream (part of a permanent duo)
• Nepal - Soft, sheer rose (permanent)
• Ashes to Ashes - Shimmery violet-based brown (permanent)
• Brousse #2 - Black Violet (part of a permanent duo)
• Mekong - Espresso infused with gold (permanent) 
• Bellissima #1 - Shimmering beige with subtle glitter (part of a permanent duo)
• Lhasa - Lavender Grey (permanent)
• Bad Behaviour - Deep pewter (limited edition from the Guy Bourdin holiday collection)
• Drogon #2 - Charcoal (part of a permanent duo)
• Pandora #2 - Matte Black (part of a permanent duo)

So far it looks like it will be launched in the UK on 20th January, no word yet if anyone has an exclusive on it but hopefully they will be producing more than the One Night Stand blush palette! The US price is $79 so let's see how much we get overcharged here in the UK.

Bumble & Bumble - Surf Travel Set Review

Bumble & Bumble - Surf Travel Set

Brand Description - Surf Foam Wash Shampoo 50ml - A clean-rising formula wipes out impurities and makes way for buoyant body and soft, seabreezy texture.
Surf Creme Rinse Conditioner 50ml - This lightweight conditioning rinse imparts airy softness and texture.
Surf Spray 50ml - Sexy, salty, sun-dried, windswept styles - whenever, wherever. - £18


Review

Bumble & Bumble have got some of the best styling products on the market, Surf Spray being one of them but i have never been completely bowled over by the shampoos and conditions except for the Thickening Shampoo which is excellent.
This shampoo really intrigued me as i have never been able to do the whole effortless beachy wave style which has been in fashion for the past couple of years and this one promises body, texture and enhanced natural waves for all hair types. It is gentle enough to use daily and is just lathered through the hair and rinsed thoroughly as usual. I followed this with the matching lightweight conditioner through the ends of my hair, left for about a minute and then rinsed. I towel dried my hair, sprayed Bumble & Bumble Tonic from roots to ends and then followed with Surf Spray. It suggests leaving your hair to air dry or blow dry with a diffuser but i am far too lazy for that so i just hand dried it with a hair dryer and still managed to get a really good texture. You can also use Surf Spray on dry hair for detailing and adding lift at the roots. I was really impressed with the end results, my hair looked full and it was really easy to work worth, i worked it into a side plait. The following day my hair had a nice wave to it thanks to the products and the plait and looked great in a messy ponytail.
Overall i think this is the perfect shampoo and conditioner when you want to have a messy textured, slept in hairstyle and if you are already one of the many fans of Surf Spray then you are going to love the shampoo and conditioner too.

Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow - Moon River 07 Review

Chanel - Stylo Eyeshadow

Brand Description - A smooth-gliding pen applicator delivers a new lightweight, long-wear shadow that highlights eyes with gleaming colour. A cooling, water infused Formula creates a shimmering veil on lids- or precisely lines the eyes with perfect definition. Price - £23

Review

As a huge fan of the Illusion D'ombre eyeshadows I was really excited when it was announced Chanel would be releasing their eyeshadow pens. I was a little disappointed with the colour selection, compared to the Illusion D'ombre shades i feel they aren't as wearable but if you are looking for something a bit more exciting than the usual neutrals then Cool Gold, Jade Shore and Blue Bay are definitely worth checking out. I decided to go for Moon River which is a gorgeous platinum colour perfect for a bit of everyday glamour. When you first apply the product you are treated to a relaxing, cooling sensation which quickly fades but is certainly an interesting feature. The product applies very smoothly and the colour is extremely easy to build. This is a long lasting product and looks as amazing applied straight on to the lid as it does over a powder shadow for a beautiful shimmering finish. Overall I was extremely impressed and the colour Black Stream is definitely on my shopping list!