Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer | Celestial, Aurora* and Big Bang

I have had the Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers in Celestial and Big Bang since having a little spend in the ASOS 30% off Rimmel sale a few months back. Recently, The Hut** very kindly sent me the shade Aurora* to give a whirl and add to my collection, so I thought it was about time for a good ol' review!

L-R: Rimmel Apocolips Lip Lacquer in Celestial, Aurora* and Big Bang

Aesthetics are usually what draws me towards a product and I love the packaging of the Apocalips. From the little diamond shaped tube tips to the way the shade of the lacquer fades into the black packaging, it all looks pretty damned attractive to me. The applicators themselves are doe foot applicators but with a kind of well in the middle to hold more of the lacquer, which I can't say I've noticed being used on any other lip product! It works really well for application as it holds a nice amount of product, avoiding repetitive dipping. I found that the pointed shape also made creating a nice, neat finish incredibly easier.

The lip lacquers have a much thicker, creamier consistency and incredibly higher pigmentation than a regular lip gloss, but they are not at all sticky. The glossy shine is equally as impressive and the product didn't dry out my lips in the slightest. For me, on the whole the formula is pretty much perfect.

L-R: Celestial, Aurora* and Big Bang

Celestial is the lightest shade of the three; a perfect subtle baby pink colour. Aurora* is a brighter, more coral pink colour. This is the first coral toned lip product I own as I wasn't convinced I would suit it, but it's such a subtle coral that I think few people would struggle with. Last but certainly not least, we have Big Bang; a bright, look-at-me red which is certainly not for the faint hearted. I freakin' love it! My new absolute favourite lip product; the lip swatch really does not do this beauty the justice it deserves.

I did find that as Big Bang is so pigmented, it is better worn with lip liner and blotched with a tissue for a more flawless finish. The first time I wore it without blotching, I was having constant battles with the whole lipstick/teeth appearance...oh how attractive I must have looked. 

Other than that, I have no quips at all with these beauties. The lasting power is pretty damn good to be quite honest; even food and drink has a pretty tough time shifting it, and it doesn't fade unevenly at all. The only complaint I have is that I only own three shades...

The Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers are available here from The Hut for £5.99.

They are also avalailable from £5.99 at Superdrug here, or £6.49 from Boots here.

**I really would recommend taking a peek at The Hut, not only for their range of beauty products (some of which are even cheaper than in Boots) but they also have some gorgeous clothes, and sell all sorts of other bits and bats! 

I have been having a good gander myself and I feel a wishlist coming on... 

   

Which is your favourite shade of the Rimmel Apocalips?

Love, 

Jo xxx

Designer Wishlist

Now admittedly, I am not usually particularly interested in owning anything designer. I prefer to buy loads of cheaper items for the same buck than just one item that I might not necessarily get my moneys worth out of.

Having said that, recently I really don't know what's come over me. Whether it be the influence of the blogosphere or far too much window shopping, I have been seriously lusting after a bunch of designer beauties, so I thought I'd put together a cheeky wishlist so I can drool over them all in one place. Well, most of them anyway. My lust list is pretty much double the length of my arm, so here is just a select few...

1. Michael Kors Saffiano Leather Wallet | £125

This is the item that I am undoubtedly at the most risk of investing in. I have been drooling over the white range of Michael Kors handbags and purses for what seems like forever, so unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on which way you look at it), I think this purse may well be mine in the near future. Ooo, my first ever designer item! Fancy.

2. Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette in The Dolce Vita | £38

I have seen this eyeshadow palette crop up on a number of blogs and my God are these shades beautiful. I have never tried anything by Charlotte Tilbury but, as stunning as this is, I really cannot bring myself to spend just short of £40 on an eyeshadow quad. 

3. Burberry Deerskin Handle Walking Umbrella in Light Mint | £295

£295 for a damned umbrella which (if you live in the UK anyway) will probably get blown away on its first use! But boy would I buy this if I had the money... Last summer I was a little bit obsessed with pastel shades and I'm feeling like this summer will be no different.

4. Hunter Huntress Gloss Wellies in Violet | £89

Do I need these? No. Doesn't mean I can't admire them though, right? I was torn between these and the same ones in Pillar Box Red and I'm still not decided which are my favourite, so I guess it's a good job I'm not buying them! 

5. Burberry London Leather iPhone 5/5s case in Pomegranate Pink | £135

Admittedly I've been drooling over more or less everything on the Burberry website, they have some divine pieces in at the minute. I don't even have a damned iPhone 5, but if I had the money I'd just buy one of these and try my damned best to squish my 4s into it. It's very plain but I think that's a running theme for this wishlist; it's just the beauty of designer items I guess!

6. Agent Provocateur Gloria Floral-Embroidered Tulle Contour Bra | £125  &  

7. Agent Provocateur Gloria Floral-Embroidered Tulle Briefs | £110

This underwear set is beyond sexy, I don't think I even need to explain myself for picking these out. For some reason I seem to struggle to wear matching underwear every day (lazy girl problems), but I'm starting to make a conscious effort to do so. So I'd obviously have to purchase both of these if I had the money. Even if £110 for a pair of knickers is pretty damn extortionate.

8. Michael Kors Jet Set Travel Textured-Leather Tote in Black | £260

'More Michael Kors?!' I hear you cry...well yes, more, and don't moan because I know you want this bag too! The classic Michael Kors tote...I again was lusting after this in white (it's stunning in white) until I realised what a ridiculous idea it would be for me to buy a designer white handbag. I think it would last approximately 3 weeks before I dropped it into a muddy puddle or scraped it against a brick wall or twelve. Not like I'm ever going to own one anyway, but a girl can dream, eh?

I really must win the lottery. 

Love, 

Jo xxx

ModCloth | Uniquely You Prom Outfit Challenge

Last week I was contacted by the lovely Amy at Modcloth and challenged to take part in a little blogger competition to create a prom-themed look based around their Classic Stunner Dress. Not one to shy away from a bit of a challenge, I thought it'd be fun to give it a whirl!

Now I'm not sure about anyone else's experiences but for me, picking a prom outfit was like pulling teeth. After hunting high and low for about a month in total, I ended up panic-buying an average dress about a week before prom. 

Word of advice if you're thinking of leaving it late? Please don't. Especially if you know you're a fussy git like me. 

I can promise you, you will regret it. 

1. Classic Summer Dress in Floral | $99.99

So voila, this is the dress I was challenged to style! One of the things I regret the most about my prom dress was the fact that I chose one that was so prommy (yes, I've decided that's a word) that I would never be able to wear it again. This makes me like the classic style of this dress even more; it is simple and timeless, so you can definitely wear this again and again once prom has been and gone. I love the volume in the skirt too; I can imagine it being flattering on more or less all body shapes.

2. Cool, Clear Night Clutch | $42.99

The dress is very pretty, so teaming it with this clutch bag just gives it that little hint of a sultry edge. I absolutely adore the on-trend transparency and sexy lace pattern of this bag!

3. Cinquain Necklace | $15.99

I chose this just to break up the block beige of the dress, whilst sticking to the colour theme with the gold coloured trim of the necklace.

4. Nine to Jive Jacket | $77.99

Okay, now to give the outfit a bit more of an edge. Leather jackets are the perfect accompaniment for more or less any outfit, they are ridiculously versatile! This one is no different, and I absolutely adore the detail along the hem.

5. Shoe of Hearts Heel | $74.99

Now for a bit of colour! These heels are absolutely adorable, and add that perfect little eye-catching piece to an otherwise relatively understated look. 

Remember that it's your prom, not your wedding day, so don't forget to add a little fun to your outfit!

6. Lime Crime Lipstick in Glamour | $17.99

The whole outfit has a very vintage vibe so sticking with that, I'm definitely thinking a nice bold red lip will bring the look together perfectly...

7. TheBalm Precisely! Liquid Eyeliner | $16.99

...add some winged liquid eyeliner and you're laughing!

8. Duck, Duck, Umbrella in Red | $17.99

If you live in the UK, you'll understand that this is final outfit addition isn't as ridiculous as it might initially look. What good is it getting all glammed up to step one foot outside and end up looking like you swam to prom? Exactly. Take one for goodness sake!

If you're be hunting for a prom dress this year, I wish you the best of luck and like I say, please start looking now! Why not check out the rest of Modcloth's dresses here. They have a nice selection to give you a few ideas!

Love, 

Jo xxx

Bargain Steals Haul!

Steals is one of those shops that is completely hit or miss. You either go in and wade through a load of tosh, or you go in and buy half the store. I wouldn't say I quite bought half the shop, but luckily for me yesterday there was a hell of a lot of goodies in there.

If you don't already know what Steals (or Next2Nowt, as it's know online) is, I did give a brief lowdown in my previous Steals haul here if you're interested.

Anyhow, onto the goodies!

Dress (originally Topshop), £13 |  Playsuit, £15  |  Leather jacket (originally Topshop), £25

Unless you've been hiding under a rock for the past 6 months, you will more than likely recognise the red dress as a Topshop one, except I got mine for a mere £13 (cue smug grin!). The colour isn't represented well in the photo at all; it is actually a bright red colour rather than orange.

I'm not sure where the playsuit is from originally, but it's perfectly tailored, flattering and too versatile to leave behind. I bought the leather jacket to replace my cheap Primark faux leather jacket (which you can have a nosy at in this outfit post)...couldn't go wrong for 25 quid!

Skirt, £6  |  Beaded cami, £10  |  Corduroy shirt, £6

This floral skirt is so cute and flattering. The boyfriend and I are thinking of having a sunny getaway together in March so I thought I'd better invest in some summer clothes (any excuse). The beaded camisole top was simply too cute to leave behind. Usually, the beaded tops in Steals are falling apart at the seams with about three embellishments left, however I got lucky with this one as it looks in pretty perfect nick to me!

The floral corduroy shirt isn't something I'd usually go for, however when I tried it on it was slightly oversized and I liked the laid back look of it. I thought it'd look cute over summer dresses or with a cute cami top and jeans, and for £6 I couldn't really say no!

Boots (originally Miss Selfridge), £6

I've been looking for some more winter boots and again, I love the laid-back vibe of these ones. The fluffy fleece lining is a massive bonus for my permanently-ice-cold toes!

What have you guys been buying recently?

Link me to your hauls if you like, I'd love to have a nosy!!

Love, 

Jo xxx