Nars Turkish Delight Lipgloss, not so delightful?

I’m prepared for some serious backlash when I say this… but I’m starting to think that Nars products are seriously over rated!!?!? I thought this after I bought the Laguna Bronzer (and it crumbled to bits after two minutes), I especially thought it when I got their world famous ORGASM blusher and now I’ve branched out to their lip glosses, I KNOW IT! I’m not saying that they aren’t good, I’m just saying they’re hyped to hell and don’t live up to my expectations.

Like the Laguna Bronzer and Orgasm blusher, Turkish Delight lipgloss is another of their “It” products with a celeb and cult following – Apparently a favourite of Kim Kardashian. Like Kim I LOVE pretty pink and nude lips, so I expected this to tick all the boxes.

The colour I love. It’s a milky, baby pink – more like candy floss than Turkish delight.

It’s well pigmented but it’s semi-sheer, meaning you have to apply quite a lot if you want to achieve the bottle colour. I think it’s best teamed with a pale lipstick like Mac’s Angel.  It’s very comfortable to wear, not at all sticky, but my main gripe with this product is its lack of staying power. It lasts two minutes – you find yourself having to reapply frequently. Oh and it doesn’t smell too good.

I know it sounds like I’m complaining for the sake of it, I do like the lipgloss – it’s a great colour, but at this price point (UK retail price £18) it could do better, correction SHOULD do better. I’ll enjoy wearing it, but there’ll be no repeat purchase.

I find it’s quite similar to Revlon’s Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Peach Petal which I love. It has a similar creamy texute and milky finish, but lasts longer and is a snip at £6.99.

Beauty Crushes from Glamour Awards 2011

With lots of lovely ladies on show at last nights’ glamour awards, it’s tough choosing the top “totty”.

Stealing the show in a figure hugging black dress, Kim Kardashian smouldered sexy appeal. Ok, the eyelashes look a bit too spidery but other than that I give the make up top marks. Flawless and natural… no sign of jet lag. I love the pale lips and matching cheeks, and applaud her for not overdoing the bronzer. She’s apparently a big fan of Nars’ Turkish delight lipgloss, which I suspect she’s wearing here.

 

Biggest transformation of the night award goes to Jessie J, who ditched the grunge look for a feminine one. Out with the black bob and neon make up and in with wavy extensions and false lashes. The strong eyebrows and big lashes were balanced perfectly with nude lips and soft cheeks. Love the new look Jessie… don’t do it like a dude!

 

Girl of the moment and my new beauty crush Rosie Huntington-Whiteley looked nothing less than HOT! Looking stunning in a satin Stella McCartney gown, she opted for a slique, bronzed look. Soft dewy skin, golden smokey eyes and bare lips… let’s face it, with those lips she doesn’t need anything else!

Bargain Boots Treats… Revlon, Ruby and Millie and No7

“I’m just popping to Boots”, fateful words if ever I heard them. I pop in for some shampoo and emerge an hour later… two bags heavier and twenty quid lighter. But, my conscience and my purse love it when there’s a good deal or two to be had.

Starting with a Ruby and Millie Duo Shadow. There’s currently a whopping 75% off all Ruby and Mille cosmetics and this smokey eye shadow in purple cost just £3.00. I’ve been looking for the perfect purple shadow for a while and this could be it. The duo consists of two halves: a cream blue base and a metallic purple powder. It’s a nice break from my usual grey smokey eye and works perfectly with green, hazel and blue eyes. The powder shadow has a velvety texture with an almost two-tone metallic finish, looks great when the light catches it.

I’m really loving Revlon right now. I think their lipglosses and nail polishes are top class, but that’s as far as I’ve ventured… until now. This Bronzer caught my eye because it had a giant £2 off sticker (£7.99 down to £5.99) but when I picked it up for further inspection I was very impressed by the colour and consistency. I’d describe it as a medium warm bronzer infused with subtle golden shimmer, for a luminous finish. The powder is fine and unlike other bronzers around that price point, it’s not too powdery and doesn’t leave a residue all over the compact, or your face.

I would compare it to cult classic Nars Laguna Bronzing powder, which I really like but is too prone to braking and crumbling…

Heavily swatched on my arm, Nars right, Revlon left.

A little lighter than laguna, but similar nonetheless. The compact is really handy too for popping in your bag, it includes a mirror and useless little brush (which will do in the pub toilets for that quick top up).

And for my last treat… After buying the shadow and bronzer I got one of those £5 off No7 vouchers, which I immediately redeemed against a cute nail polish I’ve had my eye on. Still feeling the Purple vibe, I plumped for a stay perfect nail polish in Vivid Violet. A glossy colour with a metallic finish, very 70s chic! This is what it looks like with two quick coats, when I do my full hand I think it will need three.

£2.00 with the voucher, normally £7.

Not bad, huh? My mini haul set me back just £10.99.

HOT DEAL: Half price Nails Inc set

This Deal’s too good not to share…

Right now at Debenhams bag 6 Smokin Hot Nails Inc polishes for just £25, that’s just over £4 per bottle. The set includes 6 full size, gorgeous and on trend colours – both BRIGHT and NEUTRAL. Great as a gift, but even better to keep for yourself.

I’m not sure how long this offer is valid for so be quick, before I buy them all up 🙂

Possibly the best bronzer in the World… Guerlain Terracotta Four Seasons Bronzer

Rid your winter complexion and step into Spring with the award winning Guerlain Terracotta Four Seasons Bronzer.If like me you’ve contemplated buying this bronzer, but were put off by the price tag, I’m here to tell you it’s worth it, and so are you!

For the first time ever Terracotta from Guerlain, the hero of bronzers, give us not one but four bronzing powders.  I delayed buying this product; for £45 I thought to myself, I can buy two bronzers and have some change! So I bought a Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder, which was too sparkly, then the Nars Laguna Bronzer, which cracked and crumbled within weeks. They say if you buy cheap, you buy twice – I sure learnt that the hard way…. Not that Blobbi Brown and Nars are cheap, but there’s a reason Gerlain’s Terracotta has such a cult following.

My first impression is that it’s a very substantial product. The compact is quite heavy and the powder sufficiently packed in, no danger of this one crumbling. It also comes with an instructions leaflet and a suede pouch…. although for £45 it should come with some suede shoes.

Available in two colour ways –  Blonde and Brunette (this one is the Brunette version). The colour is amazingly intense. The caramel hues are so far away from the orange shades we’re used to. It’s very strongly pigmented so a little goes a long way. The finely milled powder applies like a dream, so smooth and flawless. There’s no glitter or sparkle, yet it’s not too matte, more of a satin finish I’d say. Furthermore, the 4 powders allow you to easily create the colour that suits your complexion and the season.

This product is an instant lift – I looked sunkissed every time I use it. Yes it’s pricey, but I’ve been using this one for 6 months now and it’s barely gone down.

Go on ladies, treat yourself… you won’t be disappointed!

THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED ON MY NEW BLOG SEE IT HERE http://beautyandlechicblog.blogspot.com/

£2K a year on Make Up?

Any woman worth her Chanel lipstick will tell you that looking good don’t come cheap. A study this week reveals that British women spend over £133K in their lifetime on beauty products and treatments…. Averaging out at £2K a year, that’s some lotions and potions.

So, in the words of Carrie Bradshaw… “I got to thinking” do I spend that much? More? Less? Is it really worth it?

One hour, a couple broken nails and a lot of mess later, I discovered that I’m well on my way….

And this is just make up, I could fill another dining table with creams, toiletries and nail varnishes.

I must admit, I didn’t realise how much I had. Seeing it piled up like that, it does look very indulgent. In these tough times people may call it wasteful, even selfish, but Make Up is my only vice! Shoes, hair, nights out, nothing else floats my boat like cosmetics. I love trying it, buying it, applying it, merchandising it and now, writing about it.

So for now, I won’t be guilted out of it. Make up can empower you, make you look and feel a million dollars. On an “I’m feeling bad about myself” day a couple clicks of touch eclat and a dusting of four seasons, and suddenly the World’s a better place. Plus, in my mind sharing it with you makes it an investment!

And if that’s not enough, in the words of L‘Oreal … Because we’re worth it!