Paul & Joe 2012 Spring Creation: Meow!

The Paul & Joe release for spring is definitely a bit different, in celebrating their 10th anniversary, they have gone all out and then some, of having a cat themed collection.

The spring collection is released in two parts, first you have Collection Sparkles, which consists of lipsticks and face & eye trios and at the end of the month you will get the kitten collection, of which cat head shaped blusher sticks and a pressed powder with a cat silhouette and its very own paw print sponge are likely to be the stand outs.

The lipsticks come in cardboard packaging featuring prints from Paul & Joe’s fashion collections and each lipstick is embossed with little paw prints.
There are 3 lipstick in the collection (£16 each): #75 Sex Kitten (beige nude with a bit of warmth, this swatches a lot more warm compared to how it goes on my lips so I wouldn't disregard this if you are cool toned like me)
#76 Meow! (cloudy pink) #77 Catwalk (coral pink)
All shades are reasonably sheer, colours are soft and natural, the finish is satin. The lipsticks feel very smooth, moisturising and comfortable, yet I did notice these can highlight dry bits, so its best to check lips are smooth before application. I wouldn't say these are long lasting but nor are they fleeting like Chanel Coco Shines.

Swatches L-R:Sex Kitten, Meow! and Catwalk

Ingredients:

Though I tend towards the more sleek looking brands, there is something very fun, fresh and young about the Paul & Joe seasonal releases so I couldn't resist this unashamedly cute collection and yes I am contemplating the cat head blush sticks when they launch.

I bought these from asos.com

Beauty Spotlight Roundup 07/01/12

Happy 2012 everyone. Are you making any resolutions? The Beauty Spotlight Team has made a resolution to do our very best to keep you all informed of the latest & greatest or the tried & true in this new year. And we keep our resolutions!

Tired of constantly reapplying your lipstick? Then a lip stain may be your new best friend! Check out what Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed thinks are the top picks!

It's a brand new year and time to make resolutions. One beauty resolution that some of us need to make is to keep our brows well groomed. Beauty Info Zone has the answer with Youngblood Brow Artiste. Start your brows off right for 2012.

At Everyday Beauty, Zuzu's Petals opined about the sweaty side of beauty.

Are you suffering from the dreaded "winter hands syndrome"? Shannon at Lipstick Musings was...until she discovered a cult favorite from Dior that gave her "just-manicured" hands every day!

London Makeup Girl reviews Chantecaille Violetta Lip Chic and compares it to another sheer berry lipstick in her stash. Which does she prefer? Find out here: London Makeup Girl Chantecaille Violetta.

This week Modesty Brown shares her thoughts on beauty awards perennial favourite, YSL Touche Éclat. It's a product that divides opinion, which side are you on?

Paula, from Older Girl Beauty, shows us Maybelline's latest eyeshadows, the "Color Tattoo 24hr Cream Eyeshadow" that comes out this month in the US.

Don't ya'll just love all these new 2012 product releases! Pammy Blogs Beautysure does as she tests out Laura Geller's new 2012 release: The Inkwell Waterproof Gel Liner Duo. Find out what she thought!



Perilously Pale shows us why she thinks the Horizon de Chanel Blush from the Spring 2012 collection is worth the hype and compares it to other pink blushes in her stash.

In true "year confusion" manner, Styrch at Pretty in Dayton posted about what she'll remember most about 2011, only she called it "2012" at the time. Don't worry. She's been corrected.

You HAVE to check out Prime Beauty's Top 10 Beauty Products for 2011--these aren't just favorites, they are game-changers!

As we look towards spring, Visionary Beauty shows us some wearable lip colours from the By Terry shimmer fantasy collection, just right for the coming season.

A Slight Change

Hello,
I just wanted to let you know I will be reducing my posting. I didn't want to just stop so have decided to no longer post on a Friday and see how that goes, though I'll continue to post on a Wednesday and Sunday (and do the beauty spotlight post on Saturday).
Thanks for reading x

By Terry Blush Terrybly: Torrid Peach

For the shimmer fantasy holiday collection, By Terry added two shades to their blush terrybly range, #100 Torrid Peach and #101 Sexy Plum (£51 each), this time the blushers have a shimmer finish.
Before I go on I wanted to mention a disappointment. The blush pan was completely loose in the compact and actually fell out when I opened it (luckily it did not break). As the SpaceNK policy says it can take a maximum of 30 working days for a replacement, I decided I didn't want to wait that long nor ask my mother to dig out the order forms (this was a Christmas present). On hindsight I probably should have gone with a replacement as its extremely annoying as it rattles around and does not lay flat unless I press it down.
I have one other terrybly blush and thats fine so I am not sure if its something wrong with the production of this particular shade or whether its a problem with how this was stored, but whatever the reason its not what I would expect from a luxury brand.
This comes in a heavy sleek silver compact with mirror. The texture is soft and silky and it lasts well.The colour is a peach with a pink hue and shimmer that registers as a glow. I think this is one of my favourite cheek shades I have ever come across, its just so delicately pretty and adds a healthy flush to enliven the complexion.
However, I do feel that the pigment of these blushers is quite sheer, and you can tell that the powder is packed down really firmly. Though that's not a problem for me as I only need two swipes due to my paleness, it might be something to consider for those darker skinned.
Swatched below: Torrid Peach on left and my other By Terry blush, Cheek to Cheek Rose, on the right

After I bought my first blush terrybly I had said that I wouldn't pay the high price again, but after trying Torrid Peach I would happily lay down the money for the other shimmer shade Sexy Plum, the only thing stopping me is the worry that I might get it arriving faulty like Torrid Peach.

Ingredients:

My Mother bought this from spacenk.co.uk

Hourglass: Veil Mineral Primer SPF15

When people speak of Hourglass, the one product that is consistently mentioned as their "must have" is their mineral primer, which for many seems to be the best primer out there.
I bought this in the travel size version (£15 for 10ml). This has quite a lightweight feel and I didn't notice it sitting on the skin. It applies very smooth but does have that noticeable silicone feel about it. It makes the skin feel smooth and soft and feels reasonably hydrating on my dry skin. It softens the appearance of my pores, though is not as good as covering them as my Rouge Bunny Rouge primer. It definitely makes make-up last and I felt that my foundation looked almost the same at the end of the day as it had at the beginning.
The one thing that makes me somewhat hesitant over this is that every time I wear it my skin is congested the next day, it maybe a coincidence but I don't feel that I can say that this doesn't cause my acne prone skin problems.
Ingredients:
I think for those with dryer skin that don't have a lot of oil breakout, this is easily one of the better primers out there. Personally for me the eye shadows remain the "must have" from the Hourglass range.

I bought this from zuneta.com

Laura Mercier Day To Night Neutrals Colour & Brush Collection

I had to get this post up as this set is still currently on sale on spacenk.co.uk for £37.50 (original price is £75) and I really think its worth snapping up.
It comes with a mini Foundation Primer (30ml), a refillable palette containing two eye shadow duos and a blusher, a Kohl Eye Pencil, Full Blown Volume Lash Building Mascara, Lip Glacé and a mini cheek colour brush and mini double ended ponytail/crease brush. All are full size apart from the brushes and primer.
The palette contains eyeshadows in sparkling dew (cream with a hint of pink) paired with celestial (smoky blue grey)
Sheer topaz (mink brown) paired with primrose (peachy/pink sand)
The cheek colour is petal pink (bright peachy pink)
The shadows feel smooth, blend well, pigmentation is average. Though some of the shades look like they contain micro glitter in the pan, they apply with a flattering gentle shimmer. The cheek colour I find very pigmented so I only apply a whisper, it has a glow rather than a noticeable shimmer finish.
Swatches L-R: petal pink, primrose, sheer topaz, celestial and sparkling dew
You also get the Kohl Eye Pencil in stormy grey (charcoal grey) and Lip Glacé in mystic mauve (mauve rose with subtle golden micro glitter).
I really like LM Kohls, they are creamy, pigmented and long wearing. The Lip glaces, whilst I really like the colour selection, feel a bit too tacky to make them a favourite.
The brushes that come with the collection are really good quality and feel very soft on the skin.
Finally you have the Full Blown Volume Lash Building Mascara in Black and the mini primer

I think the colours and finished look is extremely wearable and pretty. At this bargain price even if you don't feel drawn to all the items (for me the mascara is ok and I'm not a fan of the primer) I still think this is a great buy.

Ingredients:

I bought this from spacenk.co.uk

By Terry Rouge Terrybly Shimmer lipsticks

Part of the shimmer fantasy holiday collection, the Rouge Terrybly Shimmer Age Defense Lipstick (£31) are a shimmery version of the Rouge Terrybly, which I am a fan of due to the rich pigment, smooth coverage and long wear. The shimmer version possess these same attributes.
Out of the 5 shades I got No.802 Love Me Tender (apricot)
and No. 803 Love Affair (very cool toned pink).
The shimmer in both shades has a very pretty luminous quality,the colours are vibrant.
Whilst I do not find these that moisturising; the pigment, colours and wear is exceptional.
Ingredients:

My mother bought me these from spacenk.co.uk