New fragrance: Rise EDP by Beyonce...

Beyonce launches her new perfume Rise in February of 2014. The concept that lies behind the creation of this fragrance was inspired by Beyonce’s on-stage persona, as well as by “female empowerment and finding the inner strength that makes women so beautiful".

The fragrance is more intimate and more natural than the previous ones, inspired by the works of singer's favourite poet Maya Angelou.

The composition is announced as an intoxicating, addictive and luminous floral.  The opening notes of the fragrance include apricot, Italian bergamot and iced basil sorbet. The main note of the perfume is Golden Symphony orchid, mixed with freesia and Sambac jasmine flowers. The base of the composition includes autumn woods, cashmere, musk and vetiver.

The fragrance is available as 15, 30 and 50 ml Eau de Parfum with an accompanying collection for body care.

Merry Chistmas xx

Hoping that everyone has a very merry Christmas and a fantastic 2014 xx

Review; Ciate Mini Mani Month 2013...

Ciaté: Mini Mani Month

Change your polish every day of the month with this rainbow of color and texture sensations. This holiday calendar countdown includes a playful mix of mini Paint Pots, glitter sprinkles, caviar pearls, salon quality treatments, cute nail gifts, and some hidden surprises along the way. With 17 of Ciate’s favorite creme shades and seven textured manicure toppers, you’ll be entertained all season long. 

[Please note: I bought my MMC in America, so the set contents vary from those you'd find in the UK edition. But, to be honest, the UK edition does sound better. I didn't realise the editions would be different, otherwise I just would have just bought the calendar in Selfridges, rather then try to save a bit of money]...

This is a fabulously cute product; it is an advent calendar that, instead of chocolate, is filled with eighteen of Ciate's bestselling mini Paint Pots [one clear glitter for layering, and seventeen creme, shimmer, and chrome finished polishes], and six textured manicure toppers [Caviar pearls, glitter, and Sequins].

As a whole I think that this a great buy, that is very reasonably priced for the range and quality of the products that you are getting. Obviously I like some shades here more then others, but none of the shades in this collection were 'eww' for me and all of them are very wearable. The polish formulas I've tried are smooth to apply and dry pretty quickly. True; they aren't as hard wearing as my preferred OPI, but as I become bored quickly and am likely to change my polish a few times a week it isn't a major issue. Plus it is nice to get to try the Sequins and Caviar Pearls - I wouldn't buy any of the full-sized sets as I wouldn't use them often, so the bottles of these toppers make a fun addition to this collection.


However I do have two niggles, but one of them is probably more down to personal taste. My main issue is that a few of the Paint Pots are close in colour - particularly the nude, the orange, and the grey shades. The grey polishes are actually two of my personal favourite shades in this collection, but there is no real need to use similar shades at the end of the day - Ciate have hundreds of pretty polish shades, so I'd rather have something different instead. My second gripe is that this collection has four bottles of the Caviar Pearls in it; I'll try them out once or twice, but they aren't an everyday product. Give me the choice between a pretty polish or messing around applying the pearls & clearing them back up, and I'd pick polish without a doubt. Plus in my opinion four bottles is too excessive for a product that most people will only use once or twice.

So overall I would recommend buying this set in the sales, as you can always use the bottles you don't want for yourself as stoking stuffers next xmas :)



Mini Mani Month contents:

18 x 0.17 oz Paint Pots Nail Polish in Snow Globe, Boudoir, Hoopla, Hopscotch, Sugar Plum, Fit For A Queen, Candy Floss, Amazing Gracie, Pepperminty, Encore!, Starlet, Chinchilla, Members Only, Play Date, Ivory Queen, Main Stage, Pillow Fight, Tweed and Tails
2 x 0.17 oz Caviar Luxe in Metallic Pearls Smoulder (silver), Metallic Pearls Lustre (gold)
2 x 0.17 oz Caviar Pearls in Cupids Arrow, Midnight in Manhattan
1 x 0.17 oz Glitter in Twinkle Toes
1 x 0.17 oz Sequins in Dallas Dolly
Funnel

NOTD: Flurry Up topcoat by OPI For Sephora, over All I Want For Christmas (Is OPI) by OPI...

All I Want For Christmas (Is OPI) is part of OPI's Mariah Carey Holiday 2013 Christmas collection, and is one of the red shades.

It is a rich maroon colour, with a lovely, shiny creme finish - I'd forgotten how nice and sophisticated uncomplicated creme shades are. I'm normally not fond of red shades but this shade is blue based so it's not RED red, meaning I'm enjoying wearing it immensely, and have already worn it twice within a fortnight even though I have a ton of untrieds to go through...

So pretty, but stil quite bad: Deborah Lippmann Boom Boom pow...

 

Boom Boom Pow is a mix of gold glitter and actual gold flecks in a clear base. I use it for layering over dark polishes - either all over the nail, over half of the nail, or as a gradient. It looks stunning with any dark coloured polishes, but it's especially gorgeous over blue or plum.

I really do want to tick yes for 'would you buy it again', but I have to be honest and admit that I wouldn't. Simply put; this polish is slow to dry and remains soft for hours after applying it, no matter which quick drying topcoat I use. It is so much slower to dry then any other glitter based polish that I own, that I have found myself using it less and less, in favour of other glitters in my collection.

with OPI Can't Let Go.

with China Glaze Sugar Plums

NOTD: Wondrous Star by OPI...

Wondrous Star is part of OPI's Mariah Carey Holiday 2013 collection and is one of the three golden micro-glitters in the collection. This is the glitter one that stands out, and is more unique, from the other two as the festive shade is given a bit of an edge by there being a few scattered flecks of circular black glitter in between all of the golden ones. Gold glitter sounds kinda tacky, but the shade isn't too yellow and the particles are so finely textured in this polish that it looks more like a foil-finish formula.

The formula for OPI is unrivalled; so smooth, streak and bubble free, fast to dry, and long lasting. Being a glitter bomb means that this polish does take a little bit more effort to remove, but it seems easier than a lot of my other glitter polishes.

Fit for a snow queen; Live Platinum edp by Jennifer Lopez...

Spoiler alert: I think that LIVE PLATINUM has the edge over the original Live fragrance, as - though it is quite similar to it - this is less harsh and is easier to wear. I still really like the spiciness of the original, but the contrasts in this wintery cool edition appeals to me more...

It's a shame this is a limited edition and didn't seem to get a regular Uk release; I wish I'd bought more bottles for backups when I saw it in the US a few years ago, as it has already become very hard to find, so I save my bottle for special occasions. I'll have to haunt Ebay for it in the not-too-distant future...

I think we've reached the grave now: Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet (Charley Davidson #4) by Darynda Jones...

Welcome to the world of grim reaper extraordinaire, Charley Davidson. Try as she might, there's no avoiding her destiny.

☠☠/☠☠☠☠☠

Sometimes being the grim reaper really is, well, "grim." And since Charley's last case went so awry, she has taken a couple of months off to wallow in the wonders of self-pity. But when a woman shows up on her doorstep convinced someone is trying to kill her, Charley has to force herself to rise above . . . or at least get dressed. It becomes clear something is amiss when everyone the woman knows swears she's insane. But the more they refute the woman's story, the more Charley believes it.

In the meantime, the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, is out of prison and out of Charley's life, as per her wishes and several perfectly timed death threats. But his absence has put a serious crimp in her sex life. While there are other things to consider, like the fact that the city of Albuquerque has been taken hostage by an arsonist, Charley is having a difficult time staying away. Especially when it looks like Reyes may be involved...

No need to draw the line: Liner Effect mascara by Bourjois...

Just one coat of this wonder mascara gives you volume, a strong colour & two coats gives you that full on, false eyelash look. Perfect for making a statement.

DVD review; Bait...

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the seafood section...

☂☂☂☂/☂☂☂☂☂

Bait follows former lifeguard Josh as he arrives to his present-day job at a supermarket, where he soon comes face to face with his ex Tina and her new boyfriend. Also having a less than great day is Josh's co-worker Ryan, who is fired after his girlfriend Jaime is caught shoplifting - oh, and the police officer called to the scene happens to be Jamie's father.

An awkward day gets more dramatic when criminal Doyle and his accomplice hold up the supermarket, wrongly believing that the manager keeps the previous day takings in the office safe. The two gun-wielding robbers are soon locked in a standoff with the pissed-off officer and there is no resolution in sight...

At which point the coastal community is hit by a tsunami, which completely floods the supermarket. The handful of survivors - including Josh, Doyle, Jamie and her father - gather on top of the shelves to take stock [eyeroll] of the situation, and soon notice that the water level is still slowly rising and inching closer to the now exposed electrical cables. So should everyone simply swim to safety? That option quickly loses it's appeal when he unlucky group realise that they are sharing the flooded and crumbling building with a 12 foot great white shark. So the question becomes whether to stay out of the water and be electrocuted or crushed before eventual help comes, or go into the water and risk getting munched on?


Meanwhile... The supermarket has an attached underground carpark, which is where Ryan was when the tsunami hit. Climbing onto a pile of overturned cars to look for a possible exit, he comes across a young couple who also escaped injury or death and spies a unflooded stairwell. However there is no easy ride for these survivors either, as there turns out to be another shark present - right between the second unlucky group and said stairwell, so they are also left with the same choice as the group in the supermarket.

Spooky yum-yum: Spooky fragranced candle by Lily flame...

Lily-Flame SPOOK candle is a new release, and is described as using scent notes of fudge, toffee apples and tray bakes. To me it smells like vanilla cupcake, with a rich caramel overtone. The vanilla cupcake/cookie note is strong enough to carry whilst the candle is unlit. The blend is comforting and sweet, but it's not too sweet or sickly. I love the fragrance, and it is something that I'll use all year round, not just during the Halloween run-up.



The entirety of the candle wax is perfumed, so the fragrance lasts as long as the candle does, and I can also catch occasional wafts of the perfume whilst the candle is unlit.

If I had to give a negative comment to the makers of SPOOK, it would be that SPOOK is not, umm, spooky. I'd expected some seasonal blooms or patchouli in the mix, to give the fragrance a seasonal air. So, yeah, even though I do love this candle and will buy it again, I was a tad disappointed too.

You can buy SPOOK from Amazon for £8.99

Primark: The Christmas jumpers have landed...

I won't mess round and get right to the point; Primark clothing stores have stated to sell a variety of Christmas jumpers and sweaters for both men and women.

The design above is a sweatshirt material, and cost just £8. There were also around half a dozen different styles in wool jumpers, which came in at £10.


Yes; Christmas jumpers are cheesy, but they are also cheerful and fun. And at such low prices, why not get at least one?

NOTD: Bat My Eyes by China Glaze...

Bat My Eyes is one of the five new shades for the Halloween 2013 [Monsters Ball] range, and is the shade that I think has the most glitter packed in.

The shade is a black jelly, that is crammed full of gold hex glitters and some gold bar glitter. In some lighting the gold has a greenish cast to it, due to the black base. There is so much glitter here that two coats will give you a solid look.

 

 

Despite the heavy amounts of glitter this polish is easy to apply, leaving no bubbles or streaks and I was impressed with the drying time. Being a glitter bomb it does take a little bit more effort to remove, but it seems easier then my other glitter-heavy polishes.

NOTD: Howl You Doin' by China Glaze...

 

Howl You Doin' is one of the five new shades for the Halloween 2013 [Monsters Ball] range, and is one of the four glitter shades. The shade has a dark purple jelly base, and is crammed full of blurple and fuchsia micro-glitter, and some scattered orange glitter is in the mix too.

The glitter shreds don't photograph well, but the jelly base is so packed with them that two coats of polish will give you a solid look. The orange glitter makes this fit in with the Halloween theme, but the combination of blurple and pink means that you can wear this shade the whole year round too.

Despite the heavy amounts of glitter this polish is easy to apply, leaving no bubbles or streaks and I was impressed with the drying time. Being a glitter bomb it does take a little bit more effort to remove, but it seems easier than my other glitter-heavy polishes.

Aiding breast cancer research with OPI: Pink of Hearts 2013 nail polish duo...

Pink of Hearts 2013 includes two shades sold in one pack - the soft pink Pink-ing of You crème polish, and the vibrant More than a Glimmer glitter polish.

 

Each bottle also features a special pink ribbon cap wrap in support of breast cancer awareness, and every set offers 10 each decorative pink ribbon and crystal decals.

This sparkly lacquer is packed with both micro and macro matte glitters in a rainbow of colours and should be worn without a top coat.

[Credit: Polish Infatuated]

 

 

[Credit: Swatch & Learn]

Buy the set for £16.99 [free p+p] from Amazon here.

A coffee break with Yankee: Vanilla Chai candles...

As you can see, the fragrance of the new for autumn 2013 Vanilla Chai candle is described as "the perfect accompaniment to "me" time - a supremely satisfyingly rich and spicy recipe of ginger, cinnamon and vanilla." There's nothing that I can add to that - thee fragrance fits the description exactly.

NOTD: Bump In The Night by China Glaze...

 

Bump In The Night is one of the five new shades for the Halloween 2013 [Monsters Ball] range, and is the sole texture polish in the collection. A plain black texture polish. Wow, right? Well this polish is a bit different to the rest - it dries to a wet look finish, that looks as though I've just dribbled tar over my nails. All of my other texture polishes are matt, so Bump In The Night stands out for me.

 

It does take a little bit longer to dry than China Glaze's regular polishes, but it is hard wearing, so protective top coats aren't necessary. I use a self-powered wheelchair, so I'm thrilled by how well it holds up - this polish is more resistant to chipping than their regular polishes on me, so this is something that I'll happily wear all year round.

 

OPI's Mariah Carey Holiday 2013 @ Amazon UK: All I Want For Christmas Is...the full range.

There's not much to say here, other than buy, buy, buy. The formula for OPI is unrivalled; so smooth, streak and bubble free, fast to dry, and long lasting. This set in particular is ridiculously good value; OPI polishes have a RRP of £11.50 each, so you are buying two and getting another two free here. With the price in mind, I did suspect that Faith Cosmetics would be bundling four of the least appealing colours together and selling them, but as the festive is fast approaching and I don't own any red creme polishes, I decided to risk the purchase in the hope of getting at least one wearable shade...

NOTD: China Glaze Fang-tastic, over OPI Candlelight...

Fang-tastic is one of the five new shades for the Halloween 2013 [Monsters Ball] range, and is one of the four glitter shades. It is one of the two scattered polishes in a clear base, so is made for layering over other polishes.

 

Fang-tastic is filled with small green, pink and purple hex glitters and some larger blue hex glitters. I've worn this shade when I had every finger painted a different colour, and think that all of the 'Halloweeny' colour combinations I wore Fang-tastic over [black, dark grey, navy, blood red and orange] looked great. Beige or pastel blues, pinks, yellows and greens also made for pretty combinations, so I think that you can wear this shade the whole year round too.

 

Despite the glitter this polish is easy to apply, leaving no bubbles or streaks and I was impressed with the drying time. Being a glitter polish means that it does take a little bit more effort to remove, but it seems easier than my other glitter polishes.

 

I got my mini bottle of Candlelight in OPI's  Halloween 2012 So So Skullicious polish set, and think that it was a repackaged version of the OPI Brights shade Need Sunglasses?, but I don't own that shade so can't be sure.

I have found this polish to be the most disappointing OPI shade I've used, as the formula is so streaky and watery. After three coats of it and a topcoat that is good for erasing steaks and bumps in polish [China Glaze Fast Forward], it's about passable for wearing underneath a glitter or crackle, but I'd never wear this polish alone as it just looks messy.