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

Christmas Wish List 2013

It honestly just gets harder and harder every time I sit down to write a Christmas wish list. Anyway, these are the things I'm lusting after this year! Clothes wise, I'd rather just have vouchers and pick things out for myself, so it's a bit of a boring list to be honest, but a list all the same.

1. Coated jeggings | River Island

I spotted Jess from Copper Garden sporting a similar pair of jeans about a week ago, and have been lusting after some since then. Just jeans, yes, but with a bit of added interest.

2. Dirty Works Banish the Bags Eye Cream | Sainsburys

Starting dodgy shifts at my new job has played absolute havoc with my poor dark circles. I've read mixed reviews about this eye cream, but with such a tiny price tag I am more than willing to give it a whirl.

3. Dior Nail Glow | Selfridges

Okay, so this is a pricey one at £18 a pop, but again, my poor hands are really starting to suffer from all the hand washing at work. This stuff just looks amazing; like a french manicure in a bottle. I'm dying to give it a try! 

4. Faux fur headband | eBay

When walking the dog in the cold weather, my ears get so cold they give me headache! This headband is cute and practical. Yes please!

5. Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

This won't be released until mid December, but it is so freakin' beautiful. Enough said.

6. Dollar Vintage Wellies | Topshop

Yes, you probably think these are extremely garish but I think they're cute, okay?

7. Sleek Face Contour Kit in Medium | Superdrug

I am yet to try any products from Sleek so I think it's about time I did. My chubby cheeks need all the contouring they can get.

8. Real Techniques Blush Brush | Boots

Since receiving the Starter Set for my birthday, I am head-over-heels with Real Techniques. This blush brush has been on my wishlist for long enough.

9. Oversize chunky knit jumper | eBay

I have been in serious need of a plain jumper just to throw over my dresses for day-to-day wear. All my jumpers are patterned and clash with my dresses (not in a good way either...in a really, really bad way), so I really need this addition to my wardrobe!

What's on your Christmas wishlist? I'd love to know! 

Love, 

Jo xx

30% Off Rimmel Products at ASOS

Just a wee quickie to let you know about the 30% off Rimmel products at ASOS!

From left: 

Rimmel Apocalips | (L-R): Big Bang and Celestial | £6 £4 each

Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick | (L-R) 05 and 08 | £5.49 £3.50 each

In standard Joanne style, I decided to take advantage and ordered myself a few goodies.

I've been hankering after trying the Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers ever since they hit the shelves, so I got two in the shades Big Bang (which is the most stunning bright red I've ever seen), and Celestial. 

I also treated myself to a couple of the Kate Moss lipsticks, in shades 05 and 08. I'll pop up some reviews soon if you like, just let me know in the comments! 

Altogether these four products came to just £15, rather than the RRP of £22.98.

Bit of a bargain if you ask me.

Go on, what are you waiting for? Get spending ladies! 

The discount page can be found here.

Love, 

Jo xx

L'Oreal Paris Nude Magique BB Blush

I have to admit this is one product that really did excite me when I first saw it. 

L'Oreal claims their Nude Magique BB Blush to be a unique gel which 

"goes on clear and transforms on contact with the skin, self-adjusting to the skins pH level to deliver a natural glow specific to your skin tone".

That all sounds very scientific, so instead of expanding on that quote and pretending I know what the hell I'm on about, I'm just gonna chat about my opinion instead. I can manage that.

The packaging of the BB Blush is so clean and simple and in my opinion, you really cannot beat it. 

Sure, I do love the pretty, eye-catching packaging by brands such as Benefit and Soap and Glory, but sometimes all I want is something simple and uncomplicated, and L'Oreal really hits the nail on the head in that sense.

The product does indeed dispense as a gel-like consistency as claimed. 

However, do be warned that you have to be quick when applying the product after it has been dispensed. It doesn't take long before it starts to stain your skin to the garish colour (garish for a blusher, anyway) shown in the picture above. 

Trust me, the first time I applied this it was not a pretty sight. I looked like i'd been slapped with a belt on both cheeks. But, as long as you blend it onto your cheeks relatively quickly (I use my fingers rather than a brush and it seems to blend well enough) and don't just leave it all blotchy for a few seconds, it provides a beautiful, natural rosy glow to your cheeks.

I'm not actually sure if the colour differs for different skin tones, as obviously I only have my own skin tone to go by, but the colour really did compliment my tanned skin. I was surprised at this due to the shocking pink pigmentation I could see on the tube nozzle, but once blended it became much more subtle and natural.

One thing I would say about the blush is to apply it in a dabbing rather than a rubbing motion. When I tried to rub it in, it left very little pigment on my cheeks. It was only when I dabbed that I could begin to build up the colour nicely. 

However, even using the dabbing motion, I did find that I needed to apply a good 2 or 3 layers of the product before I achieved my desired look. I believe this could be purely down to my deeper, more olive skin tone. I think the blusher would be much easier to work with on pale-skinned girls, where the pigment can really stand out and quickly give a healthy pink flush.

Bottom: dispensed product | Top: blended product

I was expecting to be left with quite a dewy finish seeing as the product is a gel, however this wasn't the case. Once applied, my skin felt silky soft to the touch and I was left with a finish that was probably more on the matte side; a really natural, muted glow.

It also seemed to last well on my cheeks; I'm usually not a massive fan of the more liquid-based cheek products purely because I find that they tend to disappear relatively quickly on my combination skin. However, this one stuck around pretty much all day with no unsightly blotching or uneven fading.

Overall, I really do like this product and have started using it on a pretty regular basis, purely due to how healthy and hydrated it makes my skin look. Once you get the hang of applying it evenly, the finish it gives is pretty much flawless.

L'Oreal Paris Nude Magique BB Blush can be purchased from Boots for £7.99 here.

Having read a couple of reviews on this blush before, I know that not everyone has been as impressed with it as I have so I'd really love to know your thoughts!

Have you tried out the Nude Magique BB Blush?

What do you think?

Love, 

Jo xx

Collective Haul | Including Primark, Zara, Boots and Charity Shops

First up; my apologies for being a bit absent of late! I had my graduation on Tuesday which was absolutely amazing (if you want I can do an OOTD? Let me know in the comments), the weather was beautiful as it has been recently and we had a lovely meal out afterwards.

Anyhow, today I'm going to do a little collective haul for you. Admittedly, although I tried to take pictures of things as and when I bought them, I forgot to take a lot of things and now can't remember what I bought (bad blogger), but here are just a few of the things I have been buying recently.

Blazer | £15 £11 | Primark

 Chain and fabric necklace | £3 | Primark
T-shirt*| £19.99  £12.99  £9.99 | Zara

I have been to Primark twice within the last week and have tried my best to be seriously restrained. My friends and I are going to be booking a holiday soon, which obviously means I will need to go holiday shopping beforehand so I am trying not to buy too much stuff until I know where we'll be jetting off to!

My old navy blazer is getting a bit tatty so for £11 I couldn't really resist this one, which actually feels a lot better quality than my old Primark one too. They had a few other colours available too; I'll be keeping my eye out for the nude one next time I pop in store.

I had £10 left on a Zara voucher I won a while back so I thought I'd get this simple t-shirt.
Admittedly I'm not actually sure what 'Nouvelle Belle' means, but it was oversized and perfect for wearing with my disco pants for a laid-back look.

Denim skater skirt | £8 | Primark

Dusky pink batwing shirt | £25 £7 | Republic

This gorgeous weather has made me realise how few skirts and dresses I have for wearing in such hot weather, so after seeing one of my bestests wearing this one I decided to get it too.

We all know that sadly Republic will be bidding us a fond farewell soon, so I decided to pop in for a peek at the sales and found this simple, staple shirt for a mere 7 quid. Bargain.

Shoes | £5 | Primark

I needed some blue flat shoes to go with my interview dress (note emphasis on the word 'flat', as heels would almost definitely end in disaster), so I grabbed these for a fiver

Stripy skirt | £2.50 | Charity Shop
High waist denim shorts | around £2 | Next via Charity Shop

Both bargains which I unfortunately failed to resist. My vintage levis are slightly on the small side for me, so I thought these denim shorts could act as my comfier version and I've worn them to death already. The skirt needs taking in a little and although I can't wait to wear it, it's a really thick, woolly material so I'm definitely not going to be risking it in this heat.

Loreal Elnett Satin Extra Strength Hairspray | £4 | Boots

Seventeen Sculpting Brow Pencil in Natural Brown | £2.89 | Boots

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Medium | £4.19 | Boots

Collection Hot Look Nails in Bongo Beat | £1.99 free! | Boots

These are mostly essentials; my old eyebrow pencil wasn't the right shade and whilst my Maybelline Dream Touch Lumi Concealer is good for under my eyes, it's not so great at concealing my spots so it was time to try out the much loved Lasting Perfection Concealer. To my delight, I discovered that spending £4 or more on Collection products would qualify me for a free Hot Looks nail varnish, so I chose the shade Bongo Beat; a lot greener in colour than the image suggests.

 Derma V10 Rejuvenating Night Cream | £0.99 | Bodycare
Derma V10 Coconut Body Butter | £0.99 | Bodycare
Lacura Lip Balms in (clockwise from top left) Classic, Summer and Sensitive | £1.50 for 3 | Aldi

The Night Cream was a bit of an unnecessary purchase but I was interested to see what the quality would be like for the price. I also wanted to try out the Derma V10 Body Butter to see if I can get away with using it in place of my trusty Body Shop Body Butter, as that could save me a hefty sum of money in the long run!
I've heard a lot of good things about the Aldi cosmetics brand Lacura, and so my mum and I decided to give these lip balms a whirl. They are so cheap, selling at just £1.50 for 3 so we decided to get three different packets and split them between my mum, my sister and I.

So there we have it, my most recent purchases!

Have you done any haul posts lately? I'd love you to link me in the comments!

Love,
Jo xx

Giveaway | Sephora Buxom The Headliners Collection

I am excited to announce that from tomorrow (Tuesday 18th June), Isabelle from Le Chateau Des Fleurs will be running a giveaway which I am co-hosting, along with many other amazing bloggers!
For a chance to win the Sephora Buxom set shown below, simply follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

The following is the official competition post from Isabelle, so have a flick through before you enter.

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As one of my makeup favs this summer it is time to give away Sephora Buxom The Headliners Collection. You can admit it, you love it and want it like me. Here it is:

This set contains:
- 0.22 oz Amplified Lash Mascara in Loud Black
- 0.03 oz Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Stick in Sydney
- 0.01 oz Insider Eyeliner in Onyx
- 0.15 oz Buxom Big & Healthy™ Lip Polish in Dani
- 0.12 oz Stay-There™ Eyeshadow in Pug


This fantastic giveaway Hosted by Le Chateau Des Fleurs and is sponsored by these amazing apps:

Fun Clock - Fun Clock is an interactive educational game that will teach you kid to tell time.

Get Fun Clock on iTunes: http://goo.gl/rNrBB

Get Fun Clock on Google Play: http://goo.gl/F8msr

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Kids Animal Piano - Kids Animal Piano includes many popular children songs and funny animal sounds like cat, dog, rubber ducky and many more!

Get Kids Animal Piano on iTunes: http://goo.gl/eFdPL

Learn to Talk More Words - Preschool, Kindergarten Flash Cards - Learn to Talk More Words is an innovative audio flash card application that facilitates early language development in 1 to 3 year-old children.

Get Learn to Talk More Words on iTunes: http://goo.gl/1Lzx2

Hidden Objects Quest 3: Touch of Zen - Hidden Objects Quest 3 features gorgeous zen gardens and ancient monasteries of meditation providing hours of entertainment for the entire family - young and old.

Get Hidden Objects Quest 3: Touch of Zen here: http://goo.gl/Fp5XK


Available for USA and International entries.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

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So there we are, simply follow me on bloglovin' and hunt me down on the Rafflecopter form for an entry. Why not give the other co-hosts a peek too?

You never know, you might find your new second favourite blog! (after Painted Glitter, obviously)

Good luck guys, how great would it be if one of us lot won?!

Take one for the team (you know you want to)

Enjoy,

Jo xx