Birthday beauty haul

Not only did I get married this month, I also had a birthday. My present haul post is later than usual but I know you'll forgive me. I've been kind of busy. As always, I did very well on the beauty present front.

From my sister, I received the most perfect shower gel from Bliss. Blood Orange and White Pepper. Sounds bizarre but is very refreshing and gorgeous. As Bliss products always are.

My besties surpassed themselves and win 'most attentive to my blog' award. They bought me products I mentioned on this very blog in February 2009. That is what I call listening.

They got me the Sisley radiance mask and MAC lipstick in Ruby Woo. Now, I confess to not having had time to try the mask so I will be reporting back. And the MAC lipstick? Well, they ordered it on the internet as they are busy people. And it came in a ridiculously large box. Almost shoe-box size for one little lippie. I opened it with much excitement, undid the lipstick (as one always does with a new lippie) and the whole lipstick bit rolled off and onto the floor with a mighty thump! It was all dried out and broken. So I need to return it. Which I tried to do today but there was queue to get into the MAC store which so enraged me, I left. I may be swapping it for something else though as I don't think it's a red that suits me. Sorry girls if you are reading! But I loved the thought and that you are reading through my back catalogue.  Am not loving MAC however.

My husband (forgive me, it's still a novelty) bought me vouchers for my local beauty salon. Which I did ask for but it doesn't make it any less appreciated. And of course I got the nail varnishes I mentioned in my last post.

Excellent haulage.

Today's nail colour

Summer is here and so is the Essie Resort Collection. A lovely friend bought this for me for my birthday and it was the perfect present for a nail-obsessed person such as me. The colours are lovely. So lovely, the lilac was almost my wedding colour but was pipped to the post by Bermuda Shorts.

I think my favourite one is Splash of Grenadine, the lilac one however they are all very yum. I am currently sporting the pale blue one: Lapis of Luxury. Perfect name too.

Bobbi Brown wedding makeover

So after my £750 SpaceNK makeover (I'm still not quite over that one and won't be for some time), I went to Bobbi Brown in Peter Jones on Kings Rd. AKA my personal mothership.

I had no appointment but I must have looked panicked two days before my wedding asking for help and I got very lucky with the lovely Vickie. Who became my best friend over the course of the next hour. I really cannot recommend highly enough how good this makeover was. She listened to me. She didn't try and sell me anything, saying things like, if you have powder at home, that's fine, use that, no need to buy Bobbi Brown powder, and she did the make up in a way I could replicate easily.

I bought:
Tinted moisturiser
Bronzer
Blusher (of joy - I love it - powder pink shade)
3 eye shadows (and a cute little palette to put them in)
Concealer stick
A corrector
Concealer brush

Although there was quite a bit of make up involved, I didn't feel overly made up and fake. I felt like me. Only smoother!

The revelation was the corrector she used. You have to apply it with a brush (and yes, you really do, fingers are far too clumsy) and it just magically erases any dark circles. Not that I have any of those you understand...

Well, I think I know what you are all going to ask, so to preempt you, here is a photo of me in said make-up. Very easy to do myself. 10/10 Bobbi Brown!

THE wedding nail varnish

How have you all managed to sleep? I know you've been on the edge of your seats waiting to hear what nail varnish I was going to pick.

Well, I am delighted to tell you that I went for Essie's Bermuda Shorts. It's a perfect purple with a bit of 80s fluro in it and I love it. Today is the big day and I had my fingers and toes done yesterday in preparation.

I also had a Bobbi Brown makeover this week that didn't cost £750 but I shall tell you about that another time as I have to go and have my wedding bath now. I'll be back as Mrs Cover Girl...

Kérastase Micro-Voile Protecteur

The sun is shining and nobody loves the sunshine more than me. I love it. I love heat and I love summer.

But, it is a bit of a nightmare for the coloured hair. My hair seems to leach colour with one glance at the sun. But a year or so ago my hairdresser recommended this product and it is excellent. It's not necessarily something you'd use everyday (unless you were on holiday and sitting in the sun all day) but it's great for when you do plan to spend a lot of time outdoors.

You spray it in and leave it. It acts like an SPF for your hair. And it does make a difference. This is what the website says about it:

"Kérastase Micro-Voile Protecteur is an anti-photo degradation sun care treatment for coloured hair with low sensitivity. This transparent, non greasy spray protects hair exposed to the sun, sea and chlorinated water, leaving it soft and supple."

Coloured hair with low sensitivity? Crazy talk. However, it works. You can buy it here.