Perfume Dupes: YSL and Chanel

Who knew that there were some incredibly good 'smell-a-likes' for our favourite perfumes? Well, until very recently, not us! Purely by accident we stumbled across Next Gold, a dead ringer for YSL Cinema which is one of my all time favourite scents.

Spring Polish Picks

We love it when springtime comes around and we can start to bring those pretty spring shades of nail polish out of hibernation! Of course, there are no laws to say you can only wear pretty pastels in the spring or summer however when winter draws in bright nails are usually banished and the deeper colours come out to play. Once Easter arrived we decided to dust off some of our favourite shades for spring and share them with you all!

My Wedding Day Makeup

One thing I was certain of as soon as we started to plan the wedding was that I did not want to pay someone to do my hair and make up for the big day. I realised quickly that I just wanted to look like me and the best way to achieve that was to be my own makeup artist. Although this is something I felt strongly about I was almost embarrassed when people asked "So who is doing your hair and make up?" (a commonly asked question of a bride to be) and I had to tell them I was doing my own! They all seemed shocked as if there is no way a bride can do her own make up?!?

Our Perfume Collection

We certainly do not consider ourselves to be big collectors of perfume and compared to most our collection is probably quite modest. However as its getting close to Christmas and after purchasing a couple of new fragrances ourselves this year we wanted to write a post about the scents currently in our joint perfume collection and hope you enjoy it!

 

Yves Saint Laurent Cinema

YSL Cinema is considered to be Elle's 'signature scent' with clementine, almond blossom and cyclamen we would describe it as a citrus vanilla-almond perfume. It lasts really well on the skin without being overpowering and it certainly attracts plenty of compliments when it is worn.

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle

Described as oriental-fresh with a floral jasmine-rose accord Coco Mademoiselle is a grapefruity floral scent with jasmine and musk base notes. It is sophisticated, long lasting and beautiful fragrance for special evenings out. It's quite pricey but worth a splurge if you are keeping it for special occasions.  

Jo Malone White Jasmine and Mint

This is our only Jo Malone fragrance and it has a bouquet of jasmine, lily, orange flower and rose with a very subtle hint of wild mint making it fresh, crisp and clean. It is a perfect summer fragrance.





L-R: YSL Cinema, Taylor Swift Wonderstruck, Jo Malone White Jasmine & Mint, Chanel Coco Mademoiselle

Fresh Sugar Lemon

We picked this scent up on a recent trip to the USA and love it! Again, this is a great summer fragrance as it is has a wonderful citrus scent with the mixture of fresh squeezed lemons and the sweetness of sugar.

 

Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black

We bought this Elizabeth and James rollerball in Sephora this past summer and it came in a set with its sister fragrance the Nirvana White. Nirvana Black is a woody fragrance and is somewhat masculine (it was created to be worn by both genders) The fragrance is built around violet, sandalwood and vanilla and it is beautiful when layered with the Nirvana White. 

 

 

Elizabeth and James Nirvana White

The Nirvana White is a more delicate scent with peony, muguet and musk notes making for a lighter more feminine scent than the Nirvana Black. We would definitely recommend layering this with the Black for a totally different experience. The Elizabeth and James brand is part of Mary-Kate and Ashley Ohlsens empire of products!  

Taylor Swift Wonderstruck 

This floral scent with fruity notes makes for a young and fresh perfume. Perfect for teens and twenty's!. Including hibiscus, honeysuckle, apple blossom and raspberry this is a distinctive but light enough scent that it can be worn both day and night. One of four available Taylor Swift perfumes, Taylor can do no wrong in our opinion!

Nest Fragrances Indigo

We had never heard of Nest Fragrances although we had come across their candles in the past. This mini rollerball came as a gift from Sephora as a 100 point perk and it is such a beautiful and unusual scent. The notes are Moroccan tea, Kashmir wood, cardamom and wild fig. 





What are your favourite fragrances? We would love to hear your recommendations!

The Quest For The Perfect Mascara

I have spoken previously about my sad eyelashes (hence the LVL treatment that I have resorted to getting every 6 weeks!) and over the years I have been on a seemingly endless quest to find a mascara that suits my lashes. I have been told by experts that my lashes are a) short b) fair c) fine which is polite talk for the fact that I have poor eyelashes that are beyond redemption!

Having tried many different mascaras with varying degrees of success I really wanted to pass on my experience and recommend some options for anyone with the same stubborn eyelashes as me!

Let me start by saying that some years ago I found my ‘holy grail’ mascara. I purchased the Covergirl Volume Exact Mascara in waterproof and was amazed that, after curling with my beloved Shu Emura eyelash curlers, the mascara went on clump free, held the curl, gave volume and lengthened my tiny lashes. I used this mascara for many a happy year and as it was not available in the UK I stocked up when visiting the USA and purchased from Ebay if the stocks got low.

A couple years back when Mimi was in the USA I asked her to pick me up a fresh supply of my favourite mascaras. She searched high a low and could not put her hands on the Lash Exact anywhere. I did a bit of research and discovered the devastating news that my perfect mascara had been discontinued.....back to the drawing board.

 

In an attempt to find a dupe I purchased what seemed like hundreds of mascaras (some went straight in the trash after one or two uses), both high end and drugstore and some were okay but in the world of mascara okay is just not good enough!

 

I recently found an old Instagram post from when I was trying a TON of mascaras to find one that suited me! Oh dear....



Just a selection of the mascaras I tried!

 

About a year ago, completely by chance, a kind beauty blogger wrote a post in which she explained that Max Factor is to the UK beauty market what Covergirl is to the US market, that is, Max Factor is actually the sister brand of Covergirl! She also explained that many of the products are  the same or similar but with different names.

 

Off I headed to the Max Factor display! The mascara that was said to be the most like the Covergirl Volume Exact was the Max Factor Masterpiece Mascara in waterproof. I picked one up and was excited to give it a whirl! I was delighted to find that it is the perfect dupe for my holy grail Covergirl mascara and does the exact same job! I love the size and shape of the brush as it is the perfect size for my short lashes and the formula is not wet at all. It grabs all of my lashes and hold the curl in place all day. This has now become my must have mascara and I always have a back up in my make up stash just in case!


Max Factor Masterpiece

Shout out to some other mascaras that I tried during my quest and quite liked and also one that is Mimi's favourite;

 

The Chanel Inimitable Waterproof Mascara: is a really good high end mascara with a great size brush that gives good curl and separation. The waterproof version does a great job at holding a curl all day long.

 

Maybelline Lash Sensational Waterproof:  Mimi's favourite drugstore mascara that gives buildable volume and a really great 'false lash' look.



Maybelline Lash Sensational

Max Factor Masterpiece Transform: This is a strange looking brush but don't let that put you off! It works really well to grab all of those small lashes and gives a very defined look. For our friends who are unable to get Max Factor products this is the same as Covergirl The Supersizer available from Ulta and drugstores.


Covergirl The Supersizer

NYX The Skinny Mascara: I discovered this in Ulta while in the USA and it intrigued me! I loved it so much I bought a back up before we left! It is amazing for bottom lashes especially very fine ones like mine.



NYX The Skinny Mascara

Being a mascara junkie I am always interested to see a new mascara hit the market but more often that not I am disappointed with the results as I have such difficult eyelashes to please. If you do have similar lashes to me I can highly recommend the LVL Enhance Lash Treatment that we have reviewed in a previous post as it has really been a life saver for me and along with my Max Factor Masterpiece I can now at least fake the look of somewhat normal lashes!

 

Are you a mascara addict? Have you a favourite that I should try? I'd be delighted to hear your recommendations in the comments below.

Elle x

What's In My Travel Make Up Bag?

The answer is.....probably way too much! Even though we try and prune our collection down to a reasonable size to travel with the truth is we always take too much and things come back unused. We always intend to do some beauty shopping when in Florida (watch this space for our holiday haul!) therefore we try to keep that in mind when eliminating products from our bulging make up bags!

 

Here are our 'must have' products that we simply cannot do without and that we took 4000 miles to Orlando with us.

Elle's Picks

 

The make up bag I took with me is the Sonia Kashuk Completely Organized Make Up Bag that I picked up in Target 2 years ago. I have 2 of these in different sizes and took the larger one with me. This is a nylon bag with so many pockets, zips and pouches you can probably put something in and never find it again! It is roomy and practical and in addition to the products I took in my carry on it fit everything alse I needed for my 3 week holiday:

Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser: When I am in a hot country the last thing I want to be wearing is a heavy, full coverage foundation so I always reach for the old faithful Nars Tinted Moisturiser. It has a reasonable amount of coverage for a tinted moisturiser and evens out my skin tone nicely. It feels light on the skin and gives a natural and glowing finish which is perfect for a holiday look.

 

Nars Creamy Concealer: If I need any additional coverage I much prefer to use a concealer rather than a fuller coverage foundation. This concealer gives excellent coverage of blemishes and any spots that may decide to rear their ugly head!

 

Maybelline Instant Anti-Age The Eraser Eye Concealer: (light) This has been my go to under eye concealer for the past 2 years and I have yet to find something to compete. It has a light coverage and never settles in fine lines around the eyes which is perfect for older skin.

 

Naked Basics Pallet: I am wholly dependent on the Naked Basics pallet to create a natural eye make up look therefore it was a must have to take on this trip. On the plus side it is small and very portable so doesn't take up too much space.  

 

By Terry Ombre Blackstar: I packed two of these as I love them to sweep across the lid, quickly blend with a Sigma E25 and off you go! I am also a big fan of cream products in the summer and that includes a cream eye shadow. I took Misty Rock for a daytime look and Bronze Moon which is darker and gives a more intense evening look. 

 

Charlotte Tilbury Film Star Bronze and Glow (Norman Parkinson Collection): This is a new product purchased especially for the summer and I LOVE it. It is simply gorgeous! I had my eye on this for around 3 months and was determined to get my hands on it for my holiday. It is the only bronzer and highlighter I took with me - all in one beautiful, handy compact.

 

Chanel Cream Blush: (Chamade) I love cream blush in the summer months and in addition to the remnants of my favourite discontinued YSL Crème Blush I packed my Chanel Cream Blush in Chamade. This is quite a bright pink and looks lovely with tanned skin.

 

Bourjois Colour Boost: (Proudly Naked) I am a huge fan of the Bourjois Colour Boost lip crayons and this beautiful natural pink-nude is my latest purchase in the line (I think I may have all of the other colours!) They are creamy and comfortable but long lasting. This one claims to last for 10 hours however as a constant lip product re-applier I have not put these claims to the test!

 

Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner: (East End Snob) I have literally been using this lip liner for years! It seems to be the current blogger fave (and apparently a dupe for the Charlotte Tilbury lip pencil in Pillow Talk) but when this Rimmel pencil is so good I see no need to splurge on something 4 x more expensive.

Mimi's Picks

 

I used my Vera Bradley Hanging Organiser as my travel make up bag this summer. Although this isn't technically a makeup bag it has a lot of different wipe clean, clear compartments so it's really easy to see and find everything. I also like how I can hang this up in the hotel bathroom and everything is ready to use. I used my Mr Bunny travel make up brush set from Sigma to carry my many makeup brushes as there is a lot of room for extra brushes and I like to use it to stand my brushes on the counter top when applying my makeup. 

 

Revlon Eyelash Curlers - I have repurchased these for years! They are cheap, do the job well and I don't get upset if they get a little beaten up. However as we are both had LVL Lash treatment just before our holiday they were never used!

 

Tarte Amazonian Clay BB Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 20 Sunscreen -

This is other product I purchased on whim in Sephora and was not disappointed. It basically does what it says on the tin. It’s a lovely light weight skin evening base. I was running very low on this so I repurchased this trip!

 

Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer - I love this for concealing and highlighting under my eyes it has a lightweight consistency and is very moisturising so it never looks cakey or heavy.　 

Anastasia Brow Wiz - This is my ultimate holy grail product. Need I say more? Heat proof and long lasting!

 

Maybelline Lash Sensational Waterproof - I am so fussy with mascara but this one is unbelievable! It curls and holds my straight lashes like no other mascara.

 

Chanel Bronze Universal - I stole this from Elle and I am obsessed! This is a gorgeous creamy bronzer which is really easy to use. It is very subtle but also buildable.

 

No 7 Pop and Glow Cream Blusher - I have this in both Mango Sorbet and Rose and I love both. The formula of these products is so creamy, smooth and pigmented! I have a big issue with my makeup disappearing throughout the day but these little blush sticks these really hang around. I like them so much I am thinking of purchasing the highlight stick and the bronze stick as well.

 

Naked 3 - This pallet is my go-to for every eyeshadow look. I love the cool toned matte colours for everyday and the high sheen glitters for a fun night-time look. My favourites everyday look is Nooner through the crease, some mascara and I'm ready to face the world.

 

We would love to hear about your favourite holiday make up! Tell us about some of your favourites below!