50 Facts About Me

Hey guys,

I've really enjoyed reading some of your 'Facts About Me' posts, they're doing the rounds at the moment so I thought I'd join in and do one of my own :) so without further ado...

1. I do acrylic and soak off gel nails but just as a hobby for friends, family and myself. I feel naked without them on!

2. I love musicals! The one I'm currently obsessed with is Rock of Ages.

3. I have a pedigree black Labrador called Zeus and I love him with all my heart :)

4. It's my Birthday in 2 days (9th Feb) and I'm so damn excited :) Let the cocktails commence!

5. I don't feel right on a night out without my fake lashes on!

6. Australia is the most amazing place I've ever been and I'd love to go back someday.

7. I'm an avid coffee drinker but I hate tea.

8. I'm going to see The Lion King the musical in March and Rihanna in July.... Excitables!

9. My favourite animals are tigers and owls.

10. I'm named after an angel (NOT a teenage mutant ninja turtle!)

11. I love drinking cocktails on a night out, they're so yummy and make me feel very sophisticated :)

12. I work for Benefit cosmetics and am so happy I've found a job that I love and am good at.

13. I got engaged at New Year and still can't stop looking at my ring *cue cheesy grin*

14. My dad died when I was 8 years old and I think about him every single day.

15. I am so close to my mam and always will be, she's my rock and I love her to bits.

16. I'm a geek for superhero films, they're my guilty pleasure.

17. My favourite food is Korma (trust my body to prefer the most fatty food there is!)

18. Walt Disney is the greatest man of all time and I have so much respect for him.

19. I'm obsessed with making lists, I make lists for pretty much everything.

20. I did my first online Asda shop the other day, it worried me how excited I was for my shopping to arrive. Easily pleased...

21. I love tulips, the'yre my favourite flower.

22. I give up something for lent every year, I have done for as long as I can remember. This year I'm giving up crisps, chocolate and takeaways.

23. Since getting my own house I've grown to love candles, I think they make a room look really homely and smell amazing.

24. Although Christmas is my absolute favourite time of year, I really do like Easter. There's something so uplifting about the start of Spring and the celebration of new life. And of course we can't forget the chocolate Easter eggs - yum!

25. I used to be really good at art and would love to start drawing against a hobby one day.

26. Shoes = obsessed.

27. I love meeting new people but I'm quite shy and reserved when I do. Then the more I get to know someone the more my personality comes out.

28. I enjoy baking cakes, but I don't do it very often as I end up eating all the bloody things. *fatty*.

29. Every time I put the lottery on, I am absolutely convinced I'm going to win it, needless to say I never do.

30. I would love to go to New York and Las Vegas.

31. I played the recorder at primary school. Hardcore.

32. Theme parks excite me :D I'm a complete adrenalin junkie when it comes to big rides.

33. I'm naff at saving money. If its in my bank/purse it gets spent.

34. I hate how materialistic I am, if I could change something about myself that would be it.

35. I would do anything for my family and friends.

36. I believe everything happens for a reason.

37. I like singing and dancing. I did musical theatre/ performing arts at college and got triple Distinction at the end of my course.

38. I'm going to Kendal Calling this year and it'll be my first ever festival (apart from Radio 1's big weekend in Carlisle last year). I'm a bit apprehensive as I HATE portaloos lol.

39. I'm sooo emotional. I cry at films all the time.

40. I like mayo but I detest salad cream! Yak.

41. I love the word platypus. I'm laughing just typing it...

42. I'd really love to be good at ice skating. I'm actually shite.

43. When I was younger I was obsessed with Polly Pockets, I had hundreds of the things. And when they changed Polly Pocket to be a bit bigger and she had stretchy clothes I became even more obsessed.

44. I love Glee. Don't judge me.

45. I always get mistaken for wearing hair extensions because my hair's so long.

46. I broke my leg a year ago as I fell over pissed up in heels. Has it stopped me? Absolutely not.

47. I prefer Summer to Winter (with the exception of Christmas). I'm looking forward to warm Summers evenings with an ice cold fruity cider sat in a beer garden with friends :)

48. I'm a great aunty... at nearly 23 years of age... I'm too young to feel old :(

49. I love watching films, there's nothing better than curling up of an evening in front of the fire with a brew, some munch and a good film!

50. I'm a people pleaser. I care far too much about what people think of me and I wish I didn't.

xxx

The YOU Beauty Advent Calendar - worth the money?

Hey guys!

I've decided to share my thoughts on the 'YOU Beauty Advent Calendar' that came out for the Christmas period last year. I'm sure most of you will have heard about it, and also maybe even lucky enough to receive it yourself (if so I'd love to know what you thought about it!) but I thought I'd do a review, so that if they launched another one at Christmas, you'll have an idea if it's worth getting and the value for money. My fiancé was an absolute gem and bought me this as an advent present. He'd also bought me the Selfridges 'All I Want For Christmas' advent calendar the previous year and I have to say I preferred this one by far, mainly because the products seemed aimed at a wider age group whereas the Selfridges calendar included a lot of anti ageing products and serums, oh and this one was £20 cheaper! (This calender retailed at £59.95 and the Selfridges calendar retailed at £80 - pricey huh?!) Don't get me wrong the Selfridges one was awesome, and I preferred the fact it included miniature perfumes, but the 'YOU Beauty Advent Calendar' pipped it at the post. 

It includes:

Jo Hansford Intensive Masque (40ml)Nicky Clarke Instant Calmer (30ml)Bioeffect EGF Serum (3ml)Balm Balm Organic Lip Balm (7ml)Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation (7.5ml)Philosophy 3-in-1 Cleanser (30ml) or Daily Facial Wash (30ml)The Vintage Cosmetic Company Eyelash CurlerSteamcream Moisturiser (75g; designs vary)Aromatherapy Associates Revive Bath & Shower Oil (3ml)Eve Lom Rescue Mask (15ml)Balance Me Radiance Face Oil (10ml)St. Tropez Instant Glow Body Lotion (50ml)Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+ (2.5ml)Espa Lift & Firm Moisturiser (7ml) and Lift & Firm Intensive Eye Serum (3ml) Yardley Refreshing Body Spray (75ml – fragrances vary)Mavala Rouge Rubis Nail Varnish (5ml)Benefit They’re Real! Mascara (3g)L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream (10ml)Richard Ward Volumiser Root Booster (50ml)Dermalogica Favourites Pack (7ml, 7ml, sachet, 5ml)Bellápierre Eye Shadow (2.35g)Mirenesse Lip Lift Moisture Shine (1.5g)Mont Bleu Crystal Nail File (90mm)AS London Candle

My favourite products from the calendar are the 'Balm Balm organic lip balm' (because it smells of turkish delight!), the 'Bellapierre eye shadow' (it's a loose powder in the most gorgeous shimmery copper shade), the 'Richard Ward Volumiser Root Booster' (anything that gives my hair added volume gets a thumbs up from me!), the 'Benefit They're Real Mascara' (I've gone through 3 full size versions of this and this miniature will be handy to pop in my handbag) and the 'St Tropez Instant Glow Body Lotion' (gives me a nice bronzed tan in a matter of minutes). The only two I wasn't too keen on were the AS London Candle, because I hated the smell (think old school medicinal nastiness!) and the Yardley Refreshing Body Spray, because I hated the smell of this too (think pot pourri/old people).

Apparently the products are worth over £210; I wouldn't pay that in a million years - but definitely think it's worth the £59.95 price tag. Although If you like the look of the products you can still buy the calendar here and it's half price at £29.95! BARGAINOUS!!

 Hope you've enjoyed this post

Raphaelle x

Urban Decay 'Naked Nails' nail polish set

(L-R) Naked, Sidecar, Toasted, Smog, Hustle, Creep

Hello Lovelies,

I'm so excited to share these nail varnishes with you all :) I'm aware most of you will have heard of the 'Naked' nail varnish set by Urban Decay but I'll give you my thoughts anyway :) 

I ordered this set along with the Naked Basics eye shadow palette off the Debenhams website, it was £21 which I thought was very reasonable indeed (The Naked Basics palette retails at £20) and I was so looking forward for these beauties to arrive on my doorstep. Needless to say I ended up having to collect them at my local post office as there was no one in when the post man arrived (how annoying?!). I must admit, as much as I was looking forward to receiving my Basics palette, I cast it aside straight away and focused solely on this set at first, it is packaged beautifully and I almost didn't want to prise the bottles out of their snug little homes...almost...

Upon first glance I couldn't help but notice that the bottles were quite a bit smaller than I imagined (each bottle contains 5ml) but then I thought it was pretty silly of me to expect 6 15ml bottles of beautiful Urban Decay nail varnish for £21 (wishful thinking, no?). As I took them out of the packaging and really scrutinising the colours, I was really impressed that I have never seen colours like this before, they truly are unique. I was so excited to test them out I thought I'd swatch them on one of my nail wheels, as seen above. All these varnishes are done with 2 coats and give a pretty opaque finish, Toasted and Creep are slightly more watery than the other 4 but still cover well with 2 coats (You may need 3 if you're a true perfectionist!). I must say each and everyone of these shades are absolutely beautiful and no 2 are similar. They are named after 6 of the shades out of the original naked palette and I think the polishes match their shadow counterparts really well (as much as a shadow can match a polish...). My personal favourites, (purely because it wouldn't be helpful for me to declare that I love them all equally!), are Sidecar, because I love glittery polishes and this one is just devine, Smog and Hustle, because I love deep rich colours.

Overall I think this set is great value for money, the colours are just superb and I have a feeling these will be the colours I'll be reaching for the most in the weeks to come :) Does anyone else own this set?? What are your thoughts?

Raphaelle x

Benefit 'Feelin Dandy' Lip and Cheek Kit - Review and Tips & Tricks

That is actually a mirror but thanks to the reflection of my pants it looks like a black hole!

Swatches - Posietint, High Beam, Dandelion Blusher, Dandelion Plush Gloss

Swatches - Blended

 Hey lovelies,

Today I'll be reviewing Benefit's 'Feelin Dandy' Lip and Cheek Kit. There's actually 3 in this range; 'Feelin Dandy' (Posietint, High Beam, Dandelion blusher and Dandelion gloss) 'Sugarlicious' (Benetint, High Beam, Sugarbomb blusher and Sugarbomb gloss), and 'Go Tropicoral' (Cha Cha Tint, High Beam, Coralista blusher and Coralista gloss). They're all very pleasing on the eye and are packaged beautifully, but I do prefer this one in terms of appearance, the pink and green packaging is just so pretty. I got given this one off work to try when they were first launched, but never really got round to opening and using it, probably because I know Dandelion is a little too light for me. Having said that I love Posietint, High Beam and the Dandelion gloss so I decided to start putting it to good use... on my face, obviously...

The best thing about these palettes is that everything is mixable, so even though you effectively get 4 products included in this kit, there's a great deal amount of different looks that can be created. So as well as using each product individually, some other effects you can create are:

- Apply Posietint to your lips and then add a slick of Dandelion gloss to create a shimmering flush of colour.
- Sweep Dandelion blusher on cheeks. Mix Posietint and High Beam together and gently pat on top up towards the temples to lift the face and add a subtle luminosity.
- If you prefer a little more colour on your lips, scrape a little of the dandelion blusher and mix it in with a little gloss then apply to lips, this gives a little more of an opaque finish on the lips as well as a glossy sheen.
- Apply Dandelion gloss to lips, then apply a very slight amount of High Beam at the centre to create the illusion of a fuller lip.
-Dab High Beam onto cheeks before Sweeping Dandelion blusher over the top, this will add a pop of colour with a subtle sheen, (these can also be applied vice versa, in which case the shimmer from the High Beam will be more prominent)

As you can see there's a lot more you can do with this kit as opposed to just applying each product individually; there is a couple of tips & tricks sheets included as shown in one of the pictures above (these are attached to the mirror and unfold but can be removed if desired). The Products all compliment each other beautifully and are a dream to apply, there's even a mini blusher brush included - cute!

Do you own any of the Benefit Lip & Cheek kits? What are your thoughts?

Raphaelle x

YSL Golden Glosses

Top picture from left to right - #51, #53, #47

Hello lovelies,

Ok so today I thought I'd share with you some of my favourite lip products - YSL Golden Glosses. Now I'm very much a lip gloss girl, especially glittery glitzy glosses with lots of shimmer and shine, and these are right up my street! 

First of all, like with all YSL products, the packaging is so elegant. I love reapplying these on a night out, they make me feel so classy :) I have to say YSL are one of my favourite brands as far as visuals go, the gold design they always use on their products is really eye catching, I think we all need a bit of luxury in our handbag ;)

The consistency is quite thick but by no means sticky, and considering how glittery they are there's no rough, grainy feel on the lips caused by the glitter. The colour pay off on the lips is quite sheer but so so shimmery/glittery. I think the only downside for me is the smell of the glosses, they smell quite melony and I'm not a big fan of melon, but they look so nice on the lips it's something I'm willing to overlook :) They're wearable over lipsticks but they also look beautiful on their own, I wear them both ways depending what look I want to go for. The purple one is stunning over a fuchsia lipstick! I intend to add a few more of these beauties to my collection but at £22 a pop it'll only be when I can afford to treat myself.

What are your thoughts on YSL Golden Glosses? Do you own any?

take care beauties

Raphaelle x

FOTD - Cinema Date

Hello lovelies!

I went to the cinema this afternoon with some friends to watch Les Miserables (I'm warning you now if you go to watch it make sure you wear waterproof mascara and take plenty of tissues!) and I thought I'd share with you what I wore make up wise. I do apologise for the crappy quality of the photos my camera lead's broke and I'm having to make do with my iphone/ipad in the meantime. I know you can't see the colours very well but you get an idea!

Face - Benefit 'Porefessional' Primer

Urban Decay Naked Foundation

Elizabeth Arden Pure Finish Mineral Powder

Benefit 'Bella Bamba' Blusher

Mac MSF in 'Gold Deposit'

Brows - Benefit 'Browzings'

Eyes - Clarins Eye Quartet Mineral Eye Pallette in 'Rosewood'

Mac Fluidline Gel Liner

Benefit 'The're Real' Mascara

Lips - Revlon Lip Butter in 'Lollipop'

If anyone would like any reviews on these products at any time please let me know and I'll be happy to oblige (with better photos aswell!)

Take care lovelies!

Raphaelle x

Need these in my life...

Hello Lovelies!

So I wanted to share with you some things I'm lusting after this month, and also seeing as though it's my Birthday coming up, I thought this would be a good opportunity to create a wishlist and email my fiancé the link! Cheeky! 

New Look Structure Platform Courts - £25 - asos.com: I think every girl owns a pair (or 2) of trusty black heels. I did... until my black lab decided to add them to his chew toy collection (I cried). Anyway I'm looking to invest in some more and I really fancy a suede pair, I'm loving suede courts at the moment, they're really classy and a black pair will literally go with EVERYTHING. These beauties from asos would be just the ticket!

River Island Beige Textured Cap Sleeve Peplum Dress - £35 - riverisland.com: I've had my eye on this dress a week or two now and it would be perfect for my engagement party coming up in march, the style is super flattering (a peplum hides a multitude of sins!) and the colour is timeless, you could colour block it with bright accessories or keep it elegant with a black clutch and some courts. I would get a lot of wear out of this dress.

River Island Black Deco Metalwork Clutch Bag - £28 - riverisland.com: As I was looking through the River Island website for a bag to go with the dress I chose, I was really drawn to this clutch. I love the metal detail on the front, you'd only have to keep the jewellery minimal if using this clutch as there is more than enough detail to catch the eye. If I need a black back to go out with at the moment I grab my trusty Nica bag with the long shoulder strap; don't get me wrong I do love my Nica, but there's something about a clutch that makes you feel so dressed up and this would go lovely with my dress (I think my engagement party outfit's shaping up quite nicely!)

OPI Nail Lacquer in Pompeii Purple - £7.25 - amazon.com: When it comes to nail varnishes I do believe that OPI are second to none, their colour range is uh-mazing and they have a wide range of finishes from glossy to matte to suede. I know they're a little pricey but if you shop around you can find some right bargains! Like this one for only £7.25 on amazon; compared to their usual £10-£15 price tag I'd say this was a proper little penny saver! I love this shade 'Pompeii Purple' (the names are great too right??) and I think it would complete my outfit just nicely by adding that little pop of colour :)

YSLTouche Eclat Foundation - £28 - debenhams.com: I've been curious about this foundation ever since it was launched but I got the impression it would be too sheer for me (don't know where I got that from, maybe because the original Touche Eclat is quite a light formula, who knows?) but I decided to swatch it on my hand today at work and oh boy was I impressed! It was just the right consistency for me; not to watery but not too thick. I like it when, if you pump a small amount out onto your hand, it keeps it's little ball form and melts slowly as opposed to running down your hand. Anyways when I buffed it into my skin the finish was lovely, it has a really good coverage but is dewy and gives a subtle glow (it's not in anyway shimmery though). So I asked for a sample and am awaiting trial, although I have a feeling I'll have the full size in my possession before you can say 'pay day'!

DIOR Backstage Full Coverage Fluid Foundation Brush - £36 - debenhams.com: I know what you're thinking... 'Who in their right mind would pay that much for a foundation brush?!' BUT, my friends if you witnessed the smooth, velvety texture this brush beholds, then I swear you'd change your mind! I swear it's unlike any MAC, Sigma, Real Techniques brush you've ever tried! I really do think you would get what you pay for with this brush. I keep knicking it from the DIOR counter at work and playing with it it's that soft, and I've buffed some foundation onto my hand with it and it seems to blend like an absolute dream. It's been on my wishlist for aaages now as I've never had the spare cash to spend on something I really don't need... that much... But as a birthday present! Now that I can completely justify :D

Real Techniques 'Your Eyes' Enhanced Starter Set - £21.99 - boots.com: Now that's more like it... a price that doesn't hurt my eyes! Whether you're on a budget or not I really can't recommend these brushes enough, I have the Core Collection already and I think they're brilliant, they're soft, well made, and retain their shape really well. 

YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick in #10 'Provocative Pink' - £23.50: I really reaaaally want this shade so bad! It's the most beautiful lip colour ever! A bright fuchsia with blue undertones. I already have this lipstick in #2 'Sensual Silk' and it has to be my favourite lipstick by far, I love how smooth my lips feel when I apply it and the colour pay off is just wow! It also stays on surprisingly well, especially seeing as though it has such a creamy finish, it's usually matte lipsticks that have the best staying power. Another thing that makes this product so attractive is the luxurious packaging, it's so pretty I wish I could whack it outta my handbag more often!

Clinique 3 Step Skin Care - debenhams.com: This routine includes Clinique's cult skincare products; Liquid Facial Soap (cleanser), Clarifying Lotion (exfoliator/toner) and Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion (moisturiser). I really want to try this as I need to get my arse into gear with my skincare routine as I'm becoming slightly lazy with it. Apparently you have to use all three of these products in conjunction with each other for maximum effect so it will encourage me to cleanse, tone and moisturise every day. There's a large set on Sale in Debenhams at the moment for around £47 that includes a full size version of all three as well as a travel size, also of all three. Considering the moisturising lotion retails at £29.50 on it's own I'd say it was a bit of a bargain myself.

So there we have it, the things currently chart topping my wish list. I aim to have them all in my possession asap (Might take a while as I'm slightly skint!) Sorry for the long post, I tend to blab when I get excited about what I'm talking/writing about. What's topping your wishlist right now? 

Lots of love 

Raphaelle x