Summer 2013 | The Bold Edit

With summer nearly upon us (ha ha) it's time to whack out those lipsticks that really pack a punch. The season cries out for fuchsia, coral and orange shades a like and I've ploughed through my overflowing collection of lipsticks and picked my eight most summer worthy shades (most of them coral...).  Starting from the top and working round clockwise we have:

Jemma Kidd Hi-Shine Hydrating Glosstick in Hibiscus; £13.00 - I've had this product for almost a year and I use it time and time again during the spring and summer months.  It does what it says on the tin with a creamy, highly pigmented, moisturising formulation that leaves a gloss like finish on the lips without any of the stickiness.  You can use this as a sheer wash of colour or pile it on for a real pop of coral, plus it has a gorgeous vanilla scent.  As it's a glossy product, touch ups throughout the day are required, but for such a beautiful product its no chore. 

Bourjois Rouge Edition Lipstick in 17; £7.99 - More true to form when it comes to lipstick formulations, the latest lip products from Bourjois are easy to apply with a creamy and highly pigmented finish. Number 17 is a gorgeous coral which is slightly darker than Jemma Kidd and less glossy. These last a while on the lips but touch ups are needed after food and drink or perhaps after a few hours.  

MAC Viva Glam Nicki; £14.00 - Another gorgeous coral shade (are you noticing a pattern?) that leans towards the barbie pink rather than blood orange of the previous products.  Viva Glam Nicki is thick and highly pigmented and really adds a pop of vibrant colour to any look.  I like to describe this as "highlighter for your lips" as it really is very bright.  The thick formulation makes for long lasting colour, and a great colour to have on you to take a look from day to night.  

Maybelline Colour Sensation The Vivids in Shocking Coral; £7.19 - I only bought this last week but it's a definite must for any who love a bold pinky coral lip.  The product is cream, extremely pigmented and applies like a treat, with a slightly sheeny finish.  Use sparingly and rub into the lips for a more toned down look or go all the way to give your pout a lil something, something.  

Topshop Lipstick in Legend; £10.00 - Unfortunately, this was a limited edition shade but I just had to include it. Legend is a true blue-toned fuchsia in the typical Topshop formulation.  Pigmented, smooth to apply and with that gorgeous berry smell, this is one of my favourite summer shades.  It lasts a while, but touch ups are needed throughout the day.  It feels comfortable on the lips and the blue tones help to make teeth look whiter.  A good alternative would be something like Sleek's True Colour lippy in Fuchsia.  

L'Oreal Rouge Caresse in Rebel Red; £8.19 - Something for the faint hearted.  If you're not confident going (p)out and proud with a bold lip, these balm type lipsticks are great for a slick wash of glossy, moisturising colour.  Rebel Red is great for lazy days as you can apply and go, without having to use a lip brush or faffing about.  Needless to say, the staying power is minimal but its so easy to use that touch ups are not  a problem.  

Rimmel Apocalips in Stella; £4.99 - These need no introduction as they swept the beauty blogosphere back at the beginning of the year but they are fab for blod lip days. Stella in particular is for the brave. A bright red-pink colour that leaves a gorgeous glossy lacquer to the lips, I absolutely love these products. These are beyond super pigmented, the colour pay off is incredible and they sit comfortably on the lips.  The only problem is they don't as long as I'd like and they are a nightmare in the wind (hair + lip lacquer = no go). Apply one coat, blot and apply a second for maximum impact and staying power.  

L'Oreal GlamShine Stain Splash; £7.99 - This is a lip lacquer and stain in one.  It applies like a lacquer, creamy and pigmented and sticks like a stain.  If you're going on holiday, these are great as once in place, they just don't budge.  They can be slightly sticky to begin with but once they dry, they leave behind a gorgeous glossy (almost wet looking) stain to the lips.  These do have great lasting power but I find I need a touch up around 4-5 hours into the day/night.  Like the Apocalips, apply one coat, blog and apply a second to make the most out of this product.  

So those are my favourite lip products for summer, but what are yours? 

Inside: Travel Make Up Bag

When I'm out and about, like most girls, I like to have the daily face essentials on hand, ready to combat any oily sheen or lipstick malfunction.  I try not to carry around too much with me, just the bare necessities.  Powder is always the first thing to be thrown into the pouch and right now I'm between two powders, MAC's MSF Natural in Light and Rimmel's Stay Matte in Translucent.  This is to help keep my make up in place for longer, without threat of slipping as the day wears on.  I've been using the Real Techniques Contour Brush for powder, as I like to apply it where it's needed, rather than slather it on all over the place.  The next thing to make the cut is concealer and of course it's Collection Lasting Perfection - I think I'm on my fifth or sixth tube of the stuff but it really is as good as they say.  As it's quite a heavy coverage its great for on the go foundation touch ups as well as concealing.  I bring along the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush for this job, it's great at creating a seamless finish no matter the heavy duty product.  

I also carry a rather grubby looking Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in Nude, for times when my peepers need to look more awake.  The gel like formula means that this liner hardly budges but sometimes it's nice to have it with you, for touch up peace of mind.  My mascara of the day also comes along for the ride, as I find that sometimes it can end up under the eyes leaving you looking like a panda - never a good look no matter how cute they are.  I try to keep both a nude and a bright lipstick on me at all times so that I have options for whatever occasion might pop up during the day.  When I'm in a rush however, only the lipstick I'm wearing will get slung into the mix.  With the warmer weather finally arriving, I've been reaching for the Jemma Kidd Hi-Shine Hydrating Gloss Stick in Hibiscus, which as the name suggests is moisturising, glossy and pigmented as hell.  The perfect coral lipstick? I think so.  Other necessities that make the cut are a compact mirror - for on the go touch ups, lip balm as well as a hair tie and bobby pin, because you never know in this country whether rain will frazzle your 'do' or not.  

What are your travel essentials?

Top 12 Beauty Products for 2012

Without trying to sound cliched, I can't believe another year has been and gone. I caught the beauty bug quite severely this year and I'm not sorry, although my debit card is.  I've tried out a lot of different products and I think it's safe to say this years list looks a lot different to last years.  I've divided my favourite products into three sections, skincare, haircare and make up.  This is a hefty post so I suggest you make a cup of tea and take a break from your New Years Eve beauty prep. 

SKINCARE 

Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution - A beauty blogger phenomenon and for good reason, Bioderma really is worth the hype. I use this to take off stubborn eye make up by soaking a cotton pad and resting on my eye for around 30 seconds before wiping clean. It's also good for an easy morning cleanse if you don't have time to faff with a cream cleanser.  

Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentrate - At the beginning of the year, I was sworn on a complete Liz Earle skincare routine and that has since changed.  Embryolisse is a french skincare brand and this moisturiser is one that comes model recommended.  It's a simple formula which leaves the skin hydrated but not greasy and my skin really enjoys it. 

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish - An old favourite that does the job. I use this when my skin is behaving to take off my make up in the evening.  It's creamy and soothing on the skin and the muslin cloth gives a light exfoliation as you rinse of the product - an added bonus.  

Origins Out of Trouble Mask - Whenever I'm having a bad skin day or moment, I turn to this face mask.  Not only does it dramatically reduce skins redness, it helps soak up excess oil and banish breakouts.  

HAIRCARE

L'Oreal Paris Hair Expertise EverPure Colour Care & Moisture Shampoo - The next three products have made it into my top 12 because they are amazing products both together and alone.  The shampoo cleans the hair thoroughly whilst leaving hair feeling like it has been conditioned too.  It contains rosemary and juniper, giving it a gorgeous herbal scent which lingers in the hair long after you've washed it.  The range itself doesn't contain sulphates, a chemical that is known to being quite harsh on hair.  

L'Oreal Paris Hair Expertise EverPure Colour Care & Moisture Conditioner - I can't get away with just shampooing my hair, thanks to years of bleaching and using heat on my hair, so I always follow up with conditioner.  This leaves my hair silky to the touch and easy to detangle.  Unlike the shampoo, this has mint rather than juniper so can feel quite cool on the hair too.  

L'Oreal Hair Expertise EverPure Reinforcing Intense Mask - Once a week, I like to give my hair a treat, in the form of a hair mask.  When you use heat or chemicals such as hair dye on your locks, it's important to put back in the moisture that they have striped out. It has a thick, paste like consistency which you're advised to leave on for 10 minutes, although I find it works better by leaving in for an hour.  Once you wash it out, you're left with smooth, frizz free, moisturised locks.

Ojon Instant Restorative Hair Serum - 2012 has been the year of the hair oils and although I discovered this product at the tail end of the year, I wont ever look back.  I run it through the mid lengths and ends of my hair, which helps reduce drying time and give a gorgeous shine as well as helping to restore the goodness into my locks.  I've seen a dramatic improvement in the condition of my hair since using, as has my hair stylist.  

MAKE UP

Liz Earle Signature Foundation* - This year I found my holy grail foundation thanks to Liz Earle.  While I've found formulations I've loved, the shades have never gone pale enough to fit my Snow White complexion.  This product is the perfect shade and has a medium, natural, long lasting finish.  If you're not a fan of the dewy look, a dusting of powder works a treat to set the foundation and make it more matte looking.  

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - Another one of those beauty blogger phenomenons but possibly one of the best concealers I've ever used. I've recently repurchased my fourth tube of this product and choose it over any high end concealer.  It's got great coverage as well as great staying powder, concealing blemishes perfectly.  I go through phases of using this under the eye, sometimes I find it to be too cakey but for blemishes it does the trick (and it's only £4.19).  

NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base - I think this product could be my overall favourite for 2012, it's that good. I never got on with the infamous Urban Decay Primer Potion, it made my eyeshadow slide off rather than stay on. The NARS primer however keeps shadow in place for hours without smudging (hence the title) or sliding.  If there's one product I recommend you try, it's this one.  

Jemma Kidd Hi-Shine Hydrating Gloss Stick in Hibiscus - My favourite lip product came down to two contenders but ultimately, Jemma Kidd won.  The Hi-Shine Hydrating Gloss Stick forumla is beautiful, smooth, silky, pigmented and easy to apply - not to mention it also smells amazing.  Hibiscus is a coral shade which can be built up depending on preference and is easy to maintain throughout the day.  

What products have made it into your 2012 favourites? 

Product reviews: Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentrate; Origins Out of Trouble Mask; L'Oreal EverPure Colour Care & Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner; L'Oreal Paris Hair Expertise EverPure Reinforcing Intense Mask; Ojon Instant Restorative Hair Serum; Liz Earle Signature Foundation; Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer; NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base; Jemma Kidd Hi-Shine Hydrating Gloss Stick in Hibiscus

August 2012 Favourites

It's that time again and without sounding cliched - just where has this year gone?! Not long to go until I start my third and final (eek) year of university but that's a whole other post.  I don't religiously blog about my favourite products as some months I can't come up with an amount I deem suitable.  This month, as the weather got warmer, I kept tabs on just what I was using so much.  The majority of products I have reviewed in depth and I will leave links for those at the end of the post.  

When I've worn make up this month, I've kept it fairly simple and natural.  I've re-discovered my love for Bourjois' Healthy Mix Serum foundation, which is my cheaper equivalent of Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua.  Under the eyes and along the bridge of my nose, I've been loving YSL's infamous Touche Eclat.  Another Bourjois favourite is my Little Round Pot blusher in #16 which both smells and looks amazing on my cheeks.  When it comes to lips it's either been Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream and a lip balm or one of the two pictured above.  Topshop's Innocent is a lovely rose colour which looks good both straight on or patted into the lip - if I fancied an injection of colour I reached for Jemma Kidd's Hi-Shine Hydrating Glosstick in #4 Hibiscus (bit of a mouthful).  On my nails, I've been loving Essie's Watermelon - a gorgeous hot pinky red shade which looks equally amazing on toes.  

My two skincare standouts have both been from Origins. After having a horrible time with my skin at the beginning of the month I started using the Out of Trouble face mask which has helped clear up active breakouts and reduce the amount of oil, especially around my T-Zone.  When I bought the face mask I was also given two samples.  I've really been enjoying using Modern Friction (which I keep calling Micro Friction - #fail) which has helped get rid of any redness or scarring that breakouts have left behind. Definitely thinking about a full size purchase! 

L'Oreal's Ever Pure hair care range has really stuck out for me, for at least six weeks now.  I use the Colour Care and Moisture system which leaves my hair feeling like silk - plus they smell heavenly.  Once a week I will slather on the Reinforcing Intense Mask and leave in my locks for about an hour before washing out.  As I have bleach blonde hair, it can be quite porous and it's important to give it a good soak to help better its condition.  I've come back to my Moroccan Oil Light, which is nearly all gone (sob).  I prefer the light formulation as it doesn't weight my hair down but still does the job.  

What have been your favourite products this month?

Full product reviews: Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation; Bourjois Little Round Pot Blush; Essie Nail Polish; Jemma Kidd Hi-Shine Hydrating Glosstick in #4 Hibiscus; L'Oreal Ever Pure Colour Care and Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner; L'Oreal Ever Pure Reinforcing Intense Mask; Origins Out of Trouble Face Mask

Beauty Lust List #3

The September issues are out which means one thing - the turn of the new season.  I love the autumn and winter seasons for beauty because you can go a bit darker and more dramatic with your make up.  On the catwalks designers such as Christopher Kane, Erdem and Roberto Cavalli replaced summer's pastel lilac shades, in favour for plummier and more vibrant, electric tones.  Lips no longer reign supreme, it's all about the eyes (or eyebrows if you're Chanel) and how bold you dare to go.  After flicking through the September issues and perusing the new collections on the web, I've definitely created a large lust list when it comes to A/W - apologies debit card!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

1. NARS Eyeliner Stylo; £18.50 - NARS have finally launched their first eyeliner pen in four shades.  I've always found applying eyeliner with a felt tip nib easiest so I'm excited to see if the 'stylo' will live up to the success of L'Oreal's Super Liner Perfect Slim.   

2. Le Prisme Yeux Quatuor in #72 Midnight; £34 - There have been some gorgeous eyeshadow palettes and colours released for the new season. Givenchy have added some new quads into their collection, although I'm still lusting after their #72 Midnight palette.  

3. Jemma Kidd Hi-Shine Hydrating Glosstick in #06 Turtle Bay; £13 - As lips are taking a backseat it's time to invest in some new nude colours.  In my last post I reviewed the Jemma Kidd Hi-Shine Hydrating Glosstick in #04 Hibiscus (read here) and I've been wanting to add more to my collection since.  I'll also be using my beloved MAC lipsticks in Hue and Myth.  

4. NARS Eyeshadow Trio in High Society; £33 - NARS released some great colours this year, including the rather outrageous New Wave palette.  I'm not quite so brave to wear such bold colours, so the muted tones in the High Society trio are right up my street.  I wish this came in a duo with the green and purple shades! 

5. Louise Gray for Topshop Make Up - I'm excited for the Louise Gray collaboration with Topshop to launch. Although the seasons focus will be more on eyes, there are some really beautiful lipstick shades being launched with the collection.  

Have any of the new collections caught your eye? I'm looking forward to seeing what the high street brands have to offer! 

Jemma Kidd Hi-Shine Hydrating Glosstick in #04 Hibiscus

Jemma Kidd is a brand I've heard so much about and always wanted to try, but unfortunately where I live, we severely lack in JK concessions. You can then imagine my joy when I was allowed to rummage through More! magazine's beauty cupboard. It was full of every brand you could possibly imagine including the Jemma Kidd Hi-Shine Hydrating Glosstick in #04 Hibiscus.  When I first looked at it, I thought it was quite a daring shade and one that would wash me out but it remained at the front of my mind when rummaging and before I knew it, it was on my lips.  

All I can say is wow. For starters, the packaging is a sleek matte black case with a floral shiny pattern on top.  You click the bottom of the case and out pops the Glosstick. It smells incredible, after conferring with my Mum we quickly decided it smelt like marshmallows.  What really stands out about this product is, well the product itself.  I was expecting a sticky consistency with the name having 'gloss' in it but it's far from it.  It's a very creamy feeling formula, think MAC's cremesheen and it glides onto the lips leaving behind a highly pigmented coral colour.  The smell transfers to taste and although it's not the be all and end all of a product, it's an added extra. At £13.00 a pop on Feelunique.com they are slightly more expensive than a highstreet lipstick but are definitely worth the extra pennies.  

I've been wearing this product in two different ways.  For an added pop of colour, I go all out with a vibrant coral lip but for something more muted I lightly pat the colour onto my lip for a slightly more subtle look.  

Which Jemma Kidd products do you love?

My More! Magazine Experience

As most of you will know, I've recently completed a two week placement with my favourite weekly, More! magazine.  While I am sworn to secrecy when it comes to upcoming features and photoshoots, I thought I'd share my experience and the kind of things I got up to.  The most prominent lesson I learnt was that timing is everything - you've got to be in the right place at the right time.  

The first day was nerve-racking - although I was more nervous about the commute rather than actually walking into the More! magazine office. More! magazine is part of Bauer Media and is based along Shaftesbury Avenue in Endeavour House.  I started at 11am alongside two other girls and we joined a further two interns who'd been there for a week already, in the fashion workies corner.  We were told that our only job really was to return clothing to PR companies, something I expected.  The first couple of days were slow as the fashion cupboards were empty, awaiting call in's from PR's for the next shoots.  We sifted through the 'unknown' boxes, looking out for any jewellery we recognised so that we could send it back to the appropriate places. We also got to shortlist some bloggers we liked for the website, which was fun - It meant I got to catch up on some of my favourite blogs whilst at work.  

On the second day, myself and two of the others headed out at lunch to Hummingbird Bakery - a first for me - where we picked up a sweet treat before heading back to the office to devour it.  I chose a Red Velvet cupcake which was delicious.  One of my favourite things to do in London, if I'm not rushing around, is to walk around and see the sights.  We wandered past the Palace Theatre where Singin' in the Rain is currently running.  I thought the umbrella's were a good idea, seeing as we were experiencing a glorious summer of rain, rain and more rain.  

On Thursday, I was sitting with another intern surfing Fashion Monitor for returns addresses when the editors assistant came up and asked us if we'd be able to help out her intern on a little project.  We needed to go out and get some vox pops, asking 20 hot men that week's big question, which turned out to be 'Would you wear bum-enhancing pants?'  Of course, we jumped at the chance and set off for Carnaby Street and the surrounding area, where we weren't short of a few hot guys.  When we got back, we had an hour for lunch before returning to the rest of the fashion workies and telling them all the gossip.  Thursday was definitely a good day, as later on I got asked to write a solution to one of the 'Friendship Fixer' page problems.  As a budding journalist, I was thrilled to be given this opportunity, even if it was only a 70 word piece.  I was given a computer over with some of the other writers of More! and given a deadline - I felt like a professional.  It has yet to be published in the magazine, I think it was next week's issue they were closing, so I will Instagram (@NickiShepShep) as soon as I see it!

Friday came and went far too quickly and just like that, my first week was over.  As usual, Monday came round far too quickly and it was time to get up and go again for another week.  We didn't have much to do as we waited for another new intern to start at 11am.  After a while we were asked to come up with some ideas for the fashion pages, which was fun. Throughout the majority of the week we had various returns and odd jobs to do which kept us busy.  

On Wednesday, one of the beauty team asked if I'd like to help out with something they needed for a new page.  She took me into the beauty cupboard - a beauty bloggers heaven, there were rows upon rows of products ranging from foundation to cleansers to eyeshadows and nail polishes. I had literally died and gone to a glittery heaven.  I picked out this Jemma Kidd Hi-Shine Hydrating Glosstick (review coming tomorrow) and to my surprise I was allowed to keep it!  Whilst I was in the cupboard, I expressed my interest in the beauty team and was offered two weeks work experience there and then (in exchange for my CV).  I'm ecstatic and can't wait to start in January as I've become a lot more interested in writing for a magazines beauty team rather than fashion.  

My last day came round like so quickly and to finish the two weeks off, I was given a horrific task of trying to find three items of unidentified jewellery and get their credits.  I flicked through every single docket I could find and in the end only found one of the items.  It was quite a stressful task as the fashion had a deadline for the shoots and in the end no one could find where the items were from.  After a stressful last day, we were given a goody bag from the beauty cupboard which included MAC, Bourjois, Ciate and more.  

I am so glad I got to work at More! magazine as it really opened my eyes up to how much I wanted to work on a magazine, more so than PR which I dabbled in last year.  I'm definitely going to hunt around for some more experience before I return to More! in January, to get my CV looking good before I graduate next summer (eeek!) I'd really recommend More! magazine's fashion placement as I learnt a hell of a lot.  Plus, seeing your name in the masthead makes all your hard work, worth it.  

Travel Essentials

I'm back after a short break as I've been interning in London for the past two weeks (more about that later in the week). Travelling to and from London everyday, spending around 12-14 hours out of the house, I quickly perfected my travel essentials.  

I kept my make up minimal whilst working so that getting ready didn't take too long in the morning.  For touch ups during the day, I packed the essentials. For concealer I've been using the Make Up For Ever 'Full Cover', which is extremely high coverage, even able to cover scars and tattoo's if needs be.  My skin has been a bit all over the place over the last week thanks to mother nature and I feel like I've had Mount Everest growing upon my chin, so this has been a godsend at hiding the redness. The weather has been gorgeous this week, but alas it meant sweaty looking skin - not a good look when surrounded by groomed-to-perfection fashion and beauty journos.  To mattify my skin I took my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural and used the Real Techniques Contour Brush to apply the product. Although it's meant for contouring and highlighting, the brush wasn't bulky like the Powder Brush and allowed me a more precise product application.  I also popped in a sample size of Make Up For Ever's Smoky Lash mascara incase my lashes needed a pick me up and the lipstick of the day.  I've been loving this Jemma Kidd Hi-Shine Hydrating Glosstick in #04 Hibiscus, which admittedly I was given whilst at More! magazine after doing a favour for the beauty team.  It's a gorgeous product, creamy and highly pigmented and not at all sticky like a lipgloss.  

I always try to remember my perfume as it's always nice to freshen up at lunchtime or after stepping off the tube on your way home, with a spritz of your favourite scent. My go to everyday perfume is Stella McCartney 'Stella'.  I bought the Phil Smith Tame the Frizz serum a while ago as it's a handy travel size product and used it to manage any fly aways or hot weather frizz.  I never go anywhere without Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream now. It's a great lip balm, hand cream, cuticle cream and it's even good if you manage to cut yourself.  

On my first day I picked up some mints.  You've all been there, when someone's had something garlicky for their lunch and it's all you can smell whilst they are speaking to you.  Definitely not the embarrassing situation I wanted to get myself into.  Blister plasters, or plasters in general are always a must - there's nothing worse than limping around the office because your shoes are rubbing.  Paracetamols a given, no need to endure a headache when you've got plenty of work to be getting on with.  Hot weather + hair = frizzball, or at least it does for me anyway. I always carry around a hairband on my wrist or in my handbag for such occasions, or just to get my hair up off my face.  

Do you have any travel must haves?