Hallujah: The L'Oreal and No 7 mascara combo!

Ok, I know, I am sounding like a broken record but it is back to the L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic mascara again. . . 

You'll remember (see this post), that despite the length it gave my lashes, I was so disappointed by it and sad as it may be, I've had real issues with the 'Great Telescopic Crisis' ever since. I couldn't just go out and buy a new mascara and forget it. It bothered me. I think, it has something to do with the fact that L'Oreal, Volume Million is just so darn good. There just had to be a way to make this L'Oreal offering work too.

Well, maybe there is, after all.

The first light bulb went off above my head when I was watching Louise's, Mascara Madness vlog and I almost had a heart attack when she revealed, this fiend of mind False Lash Telescopic, to be one of her top mascaras. Honestly, I had to rewind a little. I was thinking, 'but it seems to do so little for me . . .'

Once I had got over my initial shock, I took time to actually listen to what Louise was saying and it seems she was revealing a little trick. When she uses the False Lash Telescopic, she twists the wand as she applies and ta dah, she gets fab lashes that look longer and thicker.

Well, I just had to have a go. I grabbed the False Lash Telescopic from the dark corner that I had banished it to and wow, in a matter of seconds, what a difference. Doing the twist really does make a difference and seems of utmost importance when using the False Lash Telescopic. My lashes instantly looked healthier and seemed to curl in a more flattering manner. My lashes looked more and they were much more polished and uniform then they ever had been when coated in this mascara previously.

However and this might just be my rubbish lash line, there still seemed to be a lot of gaps in the final look and it still wasn't quite up there with some of my favourite final lash looks so I watched the rest of Louise's video and saw how both she and Zoe rate the No 7, Exquisite Curl mascara (and we all know how I like Lash Adapt) so I decided to have a play. I grabbed one of my No 7 till vouchers and an Exquisite Curl in Brown was purchased, I then layered it on my lashes to give them some curl and shape before brushing over the Telescopic for definition and this is how I'm now using the L'Oreal mascara daily which has finally given me the healthy (and yes, quite heavy) lash look I've been missing. I've got to thank Laura  for her comment on my earlier mascara review, I'm not sure I would have considered playing with two mascaras if she hadn't suggested it.

Naked lashes

Lashes after applying Exquisite Curl

Lashes after applying Exquisite Curl and False Lash Telescopic

After a week or so dabbling in eyeliner and smoky looks, I'm back on a more simplistic eye look. Colour blocking one shadow tends to be my style (obviously given how cack handed and lazy, I am) and my top three at the moment are Urban Decay Naked, All That Glitters (MAC) and Modellette (LEdn MAC) when I can scratch some final morsels from the pan. Does anybody know of a dupe for Naked from Urban Decay? I'm not far from pan and am reluctant to buy another palette for just one shadow but I'm not sure I'll be able to live without it. It is a shade I use several times a week. Also, any Modellette dupes are welcome. I'm learning to live without it but eye make up is a whole lot easier when it's in my life.

Right, so much for my short posts but now I'll finally go. I think, it is time for a little reading in the sun and then maybe a little post about the book that I'm indulging in. It is fantastic and one I'd recommend to you all.

FYI: I would like to do a mascara review on the Exquisite Curl but I mistakenly picked up the brown so feel unable to. I'm happy to wear brown mascara as a base but I would never wear a brown shade alone unless I ever find the guts and go blonde . . ! 
As a brunette, brown mascara just doesn't do enough for me. Anyways, I feel unable to fully review EC  in brown when I've only used it as a base product.  From what I can see, the Exquisite Curl Mascara does seem to give the lashes some length, great shape and a good curl.
No 7 seem to do decent mascaras and I'm interested to try more (including Exquisite Curl in Black) but for now, fully recommend the Lash Adapt if you want to try a No 7 mascara. You can see some of my thoughts here.

I should also say, I don't really see the point in buying two ok mascaras to achieve a look which could otherwise be created by another amazing mascara alone (wow!). However like I said, I already had the L'Oreal Telescopic and a No 7 voucher . . . and if you are in the same position or already have the two mascaras (or other combos) then it might be worth a play.

What's your current eye make up look? Any favourite products? I need some recommendations before I give in and splurge on some Burberry. Love, love, love the current make up look they have going on.

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Credit to No 7 and a skincare update!

For the first time in a while (fingers crossed), I think I can declare that, my skin is in pretty good condition at the moment.
These are my current skincare products:

No 7 Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser; Lush Tea Tree Water; No 7 Protect and Perfect Beauty Serum; Oilatum Natural Repair Face Cream

I actually think that I will stick with this routine for the time being. It just seems to work for me. Here is a little more about what I think of each product.

No 7 Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser
I have been in to hot cloth cleansers ever since I first used the Liz Earle one. They really seem to do the job and there is something about the whole regime that really leaves your skin feeling refreshed and yes, polished. I've also used the Soap and Glory one and the Botanics Balm. I have heard that the No 7 one is inferior to Liz Earle. I'm not so sure. I have nothing to complain about as far as the No7 version is concerned and it is so accessible, if you can find a Boots.

Tea Tree Water
This toner is billed to tone and detoxify oily skin with Tea Tree, grapefuit and juniper. Now, I'd say my skin is prone to dryness but I still use this product on cotton wool twice a day in a bid to keep any blemishes away. I also use it if my skin feels a little tingly just in case there is a nasty spot on the way. I just spray it straight on to the tingle and it seems to work. Still (fingers crossed again please) blemish free.

No 7 Protect and Perfect Beauty Serum
I have been wanting to incorporate a serum in to my skincare routine for a while. Serums no longer seem to be deemed as a luxury extra. They have actually secured a step all of their own in the ideal skincare routine. This one has always being on my radar. Who doesn't remember the headlines when it was first released in 2007 and proven to deliver its claims?!
This product claims to reduce 'the appearance of pores and smoothing lines and wrinkles in just 4 weeks' so I'm hoping it is doing some work on my forehead lines (the work the Frownies shirked) but I haven't really noticed that yet or giving the issue too much attention as the main reason, I brought this product was for the resurfacing. Although I've got rid of those horrible blemishes that blighted me a year or so ago, sometimes my skin still looks a little harassed but this serum promises to 'Reveal younger looking, beautifully refined skin with this powerful blend of protecting and renewing ingredients' and yes, I think my pores look smaller and my skin looks smoother and more refined. Yay!

Oilatum Natural Repair Face Cream
This cream seems to be keeping my skin soft without annoying it. I use it twice a day and very occasionally, I feel a little dry around my forehead but that is soon solved with a fix of the Avene Soothing Moisture Mask. There are three big reasons why I like this moisturiser:
1/ It seems to do what a moisturiser is meant to in that it moisturises and keeps the skin soft
2/ It does its work without irritating my skin.
3/ This cream is so easy to use. It sinks in to the skin quickly meaning the face is ready to be made up quickly in the morning and there is no sticky residue on the pillow at night.
Hardly ground-breaking results but I can tell you it is fricking hard to find a moisturiser that delivers in such a manner.

I honestly think that the key to this whole routine is that it seems quite gentle. These products focus more on soothing and gently smoothing rather then attacking and scrubbing. My new routine and its products may seem a bit too simple, compared to some regimes and higher end products but all I can say is look back through my blog, I overlooked gentility and simplicity for a long time. I've used a lot of different skincare products and regimes and I do wonder if some sent my skin in to overdrive.

And also . . .
I really want to give the Boots No7 brand some credit. I have never really took much notice of No 7 before and have mostly only purchased make up brushes or nail polish from them when I've had one of the £5 till vouchers but recently, I've added more of their products to my daily routine and they have really stepped up to the mark.

I have already talked about the cleanser and the serum in this post but I should also give a shoutout to the Lash Adapt Mascara (see earlier post), I'm still loving it! Sometimes, I slap mascara on in the mornings without thinking about it and it is only when I'm taking pictures for this blog that I realise how fantastic this mascara is. It really opens the eye up and adds length. The only but is that as it has aged, I have noticed that this mascara does not behave quite as well as I believed (unlike Max Factor Lash Extension). In the rain, this mascara will smudge and layered up, it does sometimes clump a little on my lashes(contrary to its no clumps marketing claims). However, I'm not one to worry about a clump or two. The final look is more often then not what I mainly rate a mascara on and the wide eyed look produced by this mascara is up there with the best of them.

So at the moment, No 7 definitely falls on the right side of me and next time I need a new beauty product, of whatever nature, I will consider the offerings from No7.

What skincare products are you enjoying? What mascara should I try next? Ha, you know it is going to happen. I never stay loyal to a mascara for long.
Before I go, expect a post soon about my new dress. (This one! Click here!!) I have fallen for this one big time. I keep opening the wardrobe just to look at it!

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Etc!

So today I had a post all planned about my beloved leather jacket but no way! I'm not going to be the one to jinx this amazin' weather so instead I thought, I'll just babble on a little bit about the things I'm liking or looking forward to right now etc.


And the first one is wearing this top.

I brought this TopShop tasseled top earlier in the year and was looking forward to adorning it in the summer sun. Well, sadly, due to the wind and cloud we got instead, this top has resided in the back of my wardrobe since purchase. Hopefully, I will finally have a chance to flaunt it this weekend.

I don't think it will be the easiest of tops to wear. Those tassels are hardly practical and even from bag to wardrobe, tangles have appeared. However, this is one of those tops where the extra care required is outweighed by the number of things I really like.

1/ I love the tassels. They make me happy and sort of makes me want to dance. I love the fact that people will be taken back to see me wearing such an interesting top. Normally, I'm block colours and simple shapes all the way. This is almost 'out there' for me.

2/ I love the contrast. This top really seems to balance itself out. There is the tassels contrasted with the sweet bow detail on the straps. And then there is also the whole colour versus the tassels factor. I think this lovely colour is a great choice to tone down the tassels and along with the choice of the fabric stops the top from being 'cheap'.

3/ I love the colour in itself. The photos don't do it justice. It is just a beautiful warm pink which seems to liven up my green eyes a little.

4/ I love the fabric. Although the tassels seem to lend the top a summery and slightly, Hawaiian feel. The fabric (polyester and viscose mix) gives the top a bit more substance and makes it more then beachwear (to be honest, this top wouldn't last two minutes on a beach with me. Shingles, tassels and me wouldn't mix) and possibly an item that could be styled to be worn all year round.

5/ I love the fact that this top ain't gonna need an iron. Ironing is the bane of my life!

In other news...

- Make-up wise, this week has been all about Maybelline's Ambre Rose. I absolutely love this lipstick at the moment and that Lash Adapt (also pictured above), is on Ambre Rose's tail as make up item of the week.

- Now the sun is here, I've stepped up on my body care routine a bit. The combo of Ocean Salt and the Dream wash (both from Lush) is doing wonders for smoothing out and softening my skin. They leave me smelling pretty good too.

- I have finally finished When God Was A Rabbit and I've got to say, by the time I had finished (it took me about two weeks, a very long time for me), this novel had won me over. The style of narration actually makes a bit more sense as the plot finally reveals itself. I eventually enjoyed this book (quite a lot). I would recommend it but I think you have to enjoy reading to have the patience for this novel. I'm not sure it is one to buy if reading is a bit of a fad for you and you're looking for your one book to read this year.

For me, that is another book down.

I'm now a chapter or so in to Maggie O'Farrells, After You'd Gone. Published in the year 2000 and with rave reviews, I've had my eye on this book for a long time. The blurb suggests it about a lady, Alice, in a coma and how she uses the conversations she hears while she is in a coma to find out about her life and how she ended up there. I'm really looking forward to this one.

So I've got to work, read and wear that top this weekend but I'm also hoping to put together a current perfume collection post so look out for that. Until then, I hope are all well. Enjoy the sunshine and tell me in the comments, what are you enjoying or looking forward to at the moment?

X

Ps The fastening on my Accessorise bracelet has already broken :(

The Lash Adapt Mascara and the Smoky Rose Quad!

Just a quick post really. You see, I need to confess . . !

The thing is earlier this week, I purchased the new No 7 Lash Adapt Mascara just to get this free 'Smoky Rose' quad.

I know!

And it is not, as if I need any more eyeshadows but look, even excusing the bad shot, what pretty colours!

I would like to try and do a proper eye of the day in the future with these- am I clutching at straws or would that make the purchase just a tad more justifiable?!- however, for now, here are some quick swatches on my arm of the four colours.

No 7 say that they are, 'Beautiful, wearable smoky warm metallic tones to take your look easily from day to night'.

Well firstly, I was surprised when swatching how soft and smooth these shadows felt and that last colour, a metallic light brown with hints of pink is standout for me. The picture doesn't do it justice. Like the first pinky peach colour, it swatches very vibrant and there is a definite twinkling shimmer adding to the whole pretty factor. Disappointingly though vibrant, the dark purple colour came across a lot closer to black then I expected and that is a shame as I feel that I'm lacking a real vibrant true purple in my collection.

Now to the Lash Adapt mascara.

Well, I did need a new mascara but to be honest, Lash Adapt was not at the top of my list (the new L'Oreal Illuminator was but it was out of stock, boo). I just was not convinced by that whole six layers promotional stuff. To be honest, I thought how bad must the mascara be if you need to layer it six times?!

However, I think I got it all wrong and basically should have took No 7 to be suggesting that Lash Adapt is a buildable mascara and therefore the one mascara to give you all the lash looks you might want. The description on the mascara actually says 'A smooth, glide-on mascara that builds layers to create multiple lash looks'. So, it seems, it is all in the layering!

Now, again, I can't give you a proper review as I just brushed Lash Adapt on very quickly this morning but straight away, the roots looked a little bulkier and volumised but what really struck me was the extra length and lift this mascara gave (despite my very careless application) AND it hasn't budged or disappeared in 8 hours.

So for now, I think, it is a tentative thumbs up for Lash Adapt!

I can't give a full or definite review of these products yet because I have not had a proper play but I wanted to get this post up in case you weren't aware of the offer, as I'm not sure how long it will last. The mascara costs £12.50. I think in store you can use those No 7 £5 off vouchers too, which would make the price much more reasonable, At the time of writing, this Smoky Rose offer is available online but I don't think you can use your vouchers there.

Have you used Lash Adapt (or the quad) and what about the new L'oreal Illuminator? I've got to say that one sounds amazing. Very tempting! A bit like the 212 VIP perfume I smelt today, it smells just like the lady I want to be. Dead cert for the Christmas list this year!! ;)


Have a great day! I'm off to play with hangers, just how inspiring was Muhsine's post?!

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