Beauty Review | Tarte Cosmetics

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

If there is one brand that has had heaps of hype this year it’s Tarte Cosmetics and I’m not going to lie when I say I was firmly perched on that bandwagon.

I’ve been itching to get my hands on some of their products and now they’ve launched a select amount in the UK it seemed the perfect time to share them with you lovely lot. 

Tarte were lovely enough to send me a nice little parcel, but the products I’m most excited to try (and that are available for us here in the UK, too) are…

Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush

It’s been one of their most talked about products and from simply opening the packaging I can see why. With highly pigmented shades, packaging to match the colour that’s inside (good thinking, guys!) and a beautifully sized compact mirror they’ve already got me sold. 

Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara
With a cheeky hint from the title, this mascara promises to provide four lash benefits – curling, lengthening, volumising and conditioning. It’s safe to say that it’s going to be the one to reach for on an evening out, when you want to achieve a dramatic, dark eye. It’s also Dermatologist proven to increase volume in the lashes, which is a bit swishy if you ask me. 

Amazonian Clay Volumizing Brow & Hair Powder
Available in a variety of shades, halleluiah! Not only is this little beauty packing a punch with some gorgeous packaging it, like the mascara, gives volumised, fuller brows – perfect for those Cara Delevingne inspired looks. 

Lastly, the Amazonian Butter Lipstick
Containing ingredients such as vitamin A and emollient butters (like cocoa butter) they’re super hydrating, ultra moisturising lipsticks with bold, pigmented application. They have a trio pack available on QVC at the moment that includes Coral Blossom - a golden coral shade, Tulip - a soft rose shade and Creamy Rose. 






I'm really excited to give this brand a whirl!
 
What do you think?

Do you have any Tarte items on your Christmas wishlist?

Toodlepip!
xx 

Zoeva Pink Elements Eye Set & Graphic Eyes Pencils

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

  

Happy Friday! I hope you're looking forward to the weekend, with lots of lovely things planned!

*sings*

Oh yes, wait a minute Mr. Postman! Waaaaaaait Mr Postman. 

*composes self*

Ahem. It’s as if he knew, what with this rainy old weather England is experiencing that I needed a little pick me up. And so, my morning was brightened by a heavenly little parcel from Zoeva.

PINK. 

PINK BRUSHES. 

I mean, I don’t think I need to say any more? (but I will).

Secured safely in a little makeup bag of goodness were 12 brand spanking new Zoeva eye brushes from their Pink Element Eye Set.

142 Concealer Buffer
224 Luxe Defined Crease
226 Smudger
227 Luxe Soft Definer
228 Luxe Crease
230 Luxe Pencil
231 Luxe Petit Crease
234 Luxe Smoky Shader
237 Detail Shader
315 Fine Liner
317 Wing Liner
322 Brow Line

Described by the brand as the brush collection to celebrate women - women who dare to run the world. 

Well, it's certainly got my vote, because who doesn't love a bit of girl power? 

Their new range is all about empowering women to be confident, be bold, be daring. 

And given all the pressure the media puts on us to be perfect? It's quite refreshing to see such a happy and positive approach from a beauty brand.

They are the perfect addition to my (ever growing) stash and have been released just in time for Christmas, too. All 12 brushes – plus the bag – retail at just under £57 which really, for so many staple brushes is pretty darn impressive. 

To go alongside them Zoeva cheekily slipped in a selection of their Graphic Eyes – ultra smooth and waterproof eyeliners. I’m yet to test them out but with glittery, magnetic pigments, bold colours and the promise of staying put? I’m excited. 

On swatching, the formula is incredibly creamy which means it’ll glide on like a dream and now it’s approaching the festive season I’ll be looking for any excuse to get my eyes all bright and snazzy!

L-R: New Jewels, Opulence, Glance, Regency, Cool Factor

You can pick them up for £5.50from Love Makeup, so they’re the perfect little stocking filler to go alongside the brush set. 

What do you think? Has the sight of pink brushes and glittery pencils got you all flustered too?

Toodlepip!
xx

MAC Turquatic Fragrance || Beauty Review

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

Whilst in Covent Garden (London) a few weeks before Christmas, I popped into MAC to buy some false lashes and have them fitted for a party I was attending. As I sat have my eyes fiddled with (weird concept there), I decided on a whim to treat myself to a bottle of perfume that I remembered my friend Zoe ravving about a few years back.

I parted with my pennies and walked out with a brand spanking new bottle of MAC Turquatic and have been delighted with it ever since. The website describes it as, 'featuring anemone, lotus, orris and coriscan blue cedar' and I would describe it as light, feminine and sophisticated. Perfect for being a gal about town or flouncing into meetings with. It's not what I would consider a date night scent as it isn't very flirty but it is definitely going to become a staple piece in my collection. 

Fickle as it may be, I adore the packaging of this perfume too. I have always heard from my Grandma, 'blue and green should never been seen', meaning the two colours fail to compliment each other but I think this sharp little bottle disagrees. 

Turquatic is also stocked in a rollerball which is perfect for bags where space is a premium or for travelling- yay!

If you're a keen bean (which I do hope you are), you can see the day I bought this item in the video about. Skip to 8.06 to see it featured if you don't fancy watching the whole shibang. 

What perfume are you loving at the moment? Anything I should consider? Or, do you not bother with perfume all together and think it's a frivolous waste? Tell me!

Toodlepip!

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Beauty Review | La Petite Robe Noire Eau De Toilette by Guerlain

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

Do you remember back in May when I talked about these beautiful Guerlain products? I said that I would be sure to review more of them as and when I had given them a fair trial and now is that time. Hurrah for standing by promises. 

For the last few weeks I have pushed my other fragrances to one side and have been focusing my efforts on the Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Eau de Toilette and have been thoroughly enjoying it. 

Today I sat down to do some research to see what precisely the scents are within it and what key notes I should tell you about. On visiting the official Guerlain site I found that the fragrance was described as 'floral' and on visiting John Lewis, I learnt that the fragrance was 'fruity'. Quite a difference and quite unhelpful. 

Fortunately Boots came up trumps and told me that this perfume has notes of roses, jasmine, orange blossom, white amber, cherry, blackcurrant and apple. With a mixture of floral and fruit, I can see where Guerlain and John Lewis were heading. 

If I were to describe this myself, I probably wouldn't clearly identify the ingredients (who really does say, 'Mmmm smells just like white amber to me!'??) but I would agree with the fruity-floral hybrid. I find the scent to be elegant, initially fruity and over time fading to floral, not girlish but not something your mother/aunt would wear. Essentially, I would say this scent is perfect for the 20something girl on the go who wants a perfume that will last all day and say, 'I'm a sweet, pretty smelling human, but I'm not a ditz, I know what I'm about'. Yes, fragrances talk now. 

Ranging from £36-£70 depending on size (30ml-£36, 50ml-£50, 100ml-£70) this is not a 'high street' fragrance but I believe it's worth the cost for the quality you are given. I would say this is something you would treat yourself to if you were celebrating (I'm always celebrating things haha) or would make a really lovely present for a friend or relative. I'm actually going to put this on my list for 'Gifts to give the girls when their birthday's come round'. No frantically searching round shopping centres for me!

Aside from the fact that this perfume is an absolute delight to look at (shell pink liquid in the gorgeous dainty bottle seriously floats my boat) and wear, I had another reason to be so excited to use a Guerlain scent. 

An exciting story. 

My Grandma Peggy is in her mid 80's now and grew up in London during the WW2 blitz. She worked as a office girl in Whitehall where she did war administration and paperwork in the Department of Air Ministry. She says she was about 19 at the time.

One day a handsome Air Commander and two Squadron Leaders were seconded to her office. One of them, Stan Hope Joel, was a millionaire and on one of his tour of duty trips to France, he visited Paris and bought my Grandma a huge bottle of Guerlain perfume and smuggled it back to London for her. I'm told it was called 'Liu'. 

Baring in mind this was the blitz and everything from sugar to hem lines was rationed, this would have been an absolutely amazing treat. Grandma says she kept the bottle for years and when Grandad feels up to it he'll have a look and see if it's still in the attic.

I know everyone does, but I love my Grandma so much. I wish she would agree to appear on camera!

I don't know about you but I thought that story was so wonderful it couldn't not be shared. 

As always, what do you think? I would love to see discussions in the comments about whether £36-£70 is a lot for perfume, what you are coveting at the moment and if you have any amazing family stories about beauty products like mine? I'm really lucky on this blog that you are all so active in the comments so I look forward to chatting with you. 

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Toodlepip!

xx

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Guerlain Terracotta Light Sheer Bronzing Powder

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

A few weeks ago the kindly PR people over at Guerlain gifted me with a far too generous goodie bag of gorgeous products to play with. To be clear, I'm not being a smug showy beauty blogger, just an excited like a kid at Christmas one. Hope that's alright with you :)

As any woman would, I have been thoroughly enjoying the luxury of these beauties and thought now is a good enough as any time to share one of them with you.

This last picture was taken slightly spur of the moment whilst I was wearing the bronzing powder. I had applied it about 6 hours prior and as you can see on my cheekbone, it is still going strong. As you can see from my jawbone however, my foundation wasn't! I know this isn't your classic 'beauty shot' but I'm hoping you'll all think, 'Oh how lovely to see the makeup in it's natural on-the-go form', haha. 

So, onto the product. Let's all just stop a moment and rejoice in how b-e-a-utiful it is. When I have this compact in my handbag, I feel like such a lady. It's mature, sophisticated and luxurious, just like me -raise eyebrows here. Also, rather conveniently the palette is complete with a good sized mirror. 

Retailing at £34 per compact (handy link HERE), this is definitely a high end item. With five different shades of tan ranging from dark to coral and luminous pearly particles, this powder leaves a gorgeous subtle bronzed effect with a hint of highlight. There are no glitter flecks, nor are you left orange, it is just a super classic bronzing powder. 

If you were to use a light hand I think you could blend this all over your face to set your foundation and add a slight glow, but I prefer to concentrate it on my cheek bones to give a bit of a tanned flush. I love the pigmentation of this powder (not so crazy that you run the risk of looking muddy, but not so faint that you have to spend years with your brush) and I find it blends easily into my liquid or gel foundation and works well with other powders.

All round I am so positive about this sheer bronzing powder. It is an absolute pleasure to have in my makeup bag and I look forward to making the most of it this Summer. 

What about you? Have you tried this product before? Would you spend £34 on a bronzing powder if it was really lovely? I'm always so interested to hear your thoughts on luxury beauty products!

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Toodlepip!

xx

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Beauty Review || EOS Lip Balm

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

Ever since EOS lip balms burst onto the scene a few years back, I have been wanting to try one. Intrigued by the shape, the amazing claims of super soft lips from the blends of oils, vitamins and butters I was one eager beaver.

Fortunately, I was recently gifted some (by my lovely friend Marie and also by some very kind viewers in America) and have been using them everyday. So, I'm now ready to share my thoughts with you.

I'll keep this short and sweet.

I like EOS Lip Balms. I enjoy the packaging and the shape of the balm pleases me. The scent is pleasant and for the amount of product you get, I think the American prices are superb (I have seen them in Target for $2.99, which I think is about £1.80). However, since they are hard to come by in the United Kingdom, prices are a little crazy. I have seen this particular flavour -Strawberry Sorbet- retail for £13.99 on Amazon. Crazy! I also recall seeing these in the Harvey Nichols Beauty Bazaar in Liverpool but didn't note the price. 

What I will say though is that I have been spoilt by another product, the Balmi. Reviewed last year HERE, I am yet to find a lip moisturiser that I love more. I'll be pretty sad when I run out of my current stash.

So, to sum up, I think the EOS Lip Balm is great, I'm happy and grateful for the ones I have, I will definitely use all of the product. However, if I were in a shop and both the EOS and the Balmi were on the shelf, I think I'd reach for the latter.

What do you think? Have you tried both? What do you do to keep your lips soft and smooshy?

Toodlepip!

xx

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Beauty Review || Soap & Glory Lid Stuff

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

You know when a product surprises you and you feel a bit excited by it? That.

Soap and Glory has always been a brand that I have associated with lovely smelling lotions and potions, not staple makeup products. Until now. 

This matte neutral quad retails for £10 (I bought mine in Boots) and has swiftly become one of my makeup bag essentials. 

With three matte shades and one shimmer, this is the perfect product to create a subtle, easy day look. 'Pink T' (the shadow with the embossed words in it), is brilliant in the crease of your eye and 'Vanilla' (the cream) is fantastic for your inner corners and under the brow bone. 

Mudhoney (bottom left) is also quite nifty for eyebrows too. I do love a bit of multifuntioning. Real word there. 

I'm really pleased with how sturdy this packaging it and enjoy the clear lid that enables you to see what you have floating about your beauty stash.

All in all, this palette has a big thumbs up to me and I feel very confident recommending it to you. 

Go forth and enjoy!!

Have you tried anything like this before? Would you ever switch from shimmers to mattes? I'm glad I did!

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Toodlepip!

xx