I should admit this picture was taken a few months back on my mum's birthday but I just stumbled across the picture and LOVE my lipstick shade.

It is 'Strawberry Suede' by Revlon, the wonderful make-up artist Lisa Eldridge posted a picture of it and I knew I would love it. Sometimes red lips can be hard to carry off if they are too glossy, I always feel like a bit of a....hooker wearing it!! :) not a look I want so this being a matte finish makes it very easy to wear...plus the orangey (is that a word?!?!) toned red worked surprisingly well on my skin.

After seeing this picture I will definitely be getting this colour out again soon....my highlighter is 'Silver Dusk' from MAC, love it too!

Emma X
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Location:Lipstick of the day!

Hero product of July!

Hi guys, I decided I would do a monthly 'hero' product, something that I have reached for daily and would recommend to you to buy.
My July hero product is Elizabeth Arden's Pure Finish Highlighter in 'Rose Illumination'...this has replaced my MAC 'Silver Dusk'....for the time being. It is a soft pinky rose shade that gives just the right amount of highlight without making me look like a disco ball. Most definitely can be used during the day, it just 'lifts' my skin in the right places and leaves my skin looking glowy and fresh.


I do love how it is in a rose gold compact, looks beautiful but also practical....nice to whip it out and not worry about it going everywhere which is the case with loose powders.

Have to admit this is my one and only Elizabeth Arden products, I guess I discriminated against it as a 'mature ladies' range but this highlighter is far from that. It is very current, on trend but has also opened my eyes to the range...I will definitely be checking out their counter next time I am near one.

I found the best price with free delivery was £19.55 from www.feelunique.com, not cheap but the powder is finely milled which makes for a smooth application and with 10g of product it is not going to run out anytime soon.
You can see the beautiful 'glow' in the picture below.

Emma X
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Baking up a storm!

I started a new chapter in my life this week and started to live alone, but I have been far from lonely. It is lovely to please yourself, leave something down and come back to it without it being moved and also I can bake at 11pm if the mood takes me...and it did!!

Baking is a huge passion of mine so really got stuck in this week, I posted a couple of pictures on twitter of my chocolate cupcakes. I don't eat sweet
things myself for dietary reasons but my family enjoyed them and as there are none left I must have done something right.

I love to change up the colour of the buttercream icing, Monday was a purple day and Tuesday was a pink one...just adds some personality to them.







I am cooking a Roast beef dinner as we speak, as a vegetarian I don't mind preparing meat but it makes me anxious as I obviously can't taste it to check if it is ready. have put my faith into Jamie Oliver's 'perfect roast'...he better not let me down!!

They are having roasted carrots, onion and parsnip with thyme, baby potatoes tossed in butter along with garlic mushrooms. As I am typing this I have remembered the yorkshire puddings!!!!! They won't take long to make anyway but would have been annoyed had they my guests arrived and I had no yorkshires made!



For desert I have a tall glass filled with layers of custard, cream, raspberries and brownie crumble that I baked yesterday...looks good if I do say so myself!






Tuesday night I made pizza for the family, so easy to make from scratch and totally worth the effort of making your own dough. A loaf of white bread and potato bread round up my week of baking...everyone who visits jokes they leave having gained weight, I can't help it I love looking after people. My dream is to be a domestic Goddess!

Right, better go, I have batter to make!

Have a lovely Weekend!
Emma X


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NOTD - OPI 'Red My Fortune Cookie'

OPI polish is top of my list, I own so many of them and I have never been disappointed...the names alone make me chuckle!
'Red My Fortune Cookie', see it's a funny name, is not a classic blood red but a coral red which looks fabulous on my toes as well, especially when I have a tan.
As with most OPI colours the formula is spot-on, not gloopy or streaky and at a push one coat is enough for me. Everyone should have at least one OPI polish in their stash as they never fail to impress me.
EMMA X
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NOTD - ORLY 'Retro Red'

Today called for a cheerful colour on my nails so I picked 'retro red' from ORLY but I strongly question the name as neither in the bottle or on my nails does it look like it belongs in the red family. To me, it is much more a dark coral/orange but I admit in many online swatches it appears very red...perhaps it is a batch issue but whatever it is I LOVE the shade I have.

This hails from the ORLY 'Plastix' collection from all the way back in 2010, I was very lucky to receive it as a gift from my great American friend Brandi (@brandis72), as ORLY is not stocked in any of my local shops.
It was part of the new 'satin matte' formula ORLY launched, matte is too flat for me but this is spot-on. One coat is enough for me as the texture is nice and thick but not claggy, it glides on and dries very quick.
This colour is a regular on my fingers in the warmer months, it just screams 'Summer'.....even if it is raining as I type this!! ha!
EMMA X
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Location:NOTD - ORLY 'retro red'

In need of a change!

My hair has been every colour under the sun, blonde, black, red, brown............the list goes on. I go from having it professionally done to doing it myself which can lead to a bad build-up of many different colours.
Last year my hair took a big hit when I lost a lot of it, it was in a terrible condition and I could not get the colour right at all so back to a salon I went. I was very happy with it, it was a brown shade with red tones through it which suited my skin perfectly. I continued this for the last 9 months but on my last visit it seemed to be very dark, almost black which is way too harsh for me....what annoyed me more was the fact it was coloured too dark a few days before I was a bridesmaid.
5 weeks on it is a wishy washy brown but in certain lights still looks too dark. I have flirted with the idea of having ombre done but with lots going on in my life I cant bare to part with big money right now when I have important things to buy. How mature of me!! lol

Off to Boots I went this afternoon, I tried to get a semi-permanent colour but they only seemed to have 'nice n'easy' and not much of a selection of
colours at that. After dragging my mum up and down the aisle I settled for a 'L'oreal' Casting Creme Gloss in 'Blackcurrant (262)'. It looks rich, glossy and with a hint should suit my colouring...I say should as most times the colour on the box is nothing like how it turns out!
Will put the colour in tonight and report back with pictures...wish me luck!

UPDATED**** I put the colour in and I am very happy with it, not too in your face but gave me the 'lift' I needed!



Emma X
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Review: ESSIE Nail Polish

No matter how hard I try I just can't fall in love with Essie nail polish, I desperately want too but the formula and me do not get on at all.
'VAN D'GO' was the first colour I tried, I came across some gorgeous blog pictures of it and thought it was definitely a 'me' colour. Most people would describe it as a creamy pink with a hint of peach but on my nails it looks predominately a weird peachy colour that does nothing for my finger nails at all! I have tried a couple thin coats, one thick coat and it still streaks like mad.






During my quest for the perfect nude shade I picked up 'TOPLESS & BAREFOOT', in the bottle it reminds me of hazelnut yoghurt but on my finger it is another story all together. It just looks 'blah', I have tried it when wearing faux tan as first time around I thought it was my pale skin washing the colour of the polish out but tan did not help. It reminded me of the consistency of tipex...not a good look!
I love the Essie bottle, very feminine and cute, also I see so many swatches online that look amazing but the formula is bad...it streaks no matter how I apply it. Also I find the slightest touch of a drying nail and the colour is off, you can see in the picture 5 minutes after I applied it I accidentally touched the nail with my finger and off it came. I even found when I went over the colour with 'seche-vite' it streaked even more.



Perhaps Essie darker shades are better? I am wary of buying another bottle but cant seem to stop looking at the range whenever I am in Boots and 'PENNY TALK' has really gotten into my head...perhaps I should test it out in the shop and see what the consistency is like, see there I go talking myself into another ESSIE polish!!
Emma <3 X
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REVIEW - Sleep-In Rollers

Last night I decided to get my latest purchase out and give them a go, you may have spotted these pink velcro rollers in various ladies from'The Only Way Is Essex' locks.

As the name suggests they can be worn overnight, not going to get into the science but according to their website they are 'designed to flatten like a sponge when you lay down, letting you sleep in comfort and wake-up to hair with body and bounce!'

Well, thats the theory anyway!!!

My experience was very different, I put them in at 7.30pm last night and tried to sleep from 10.30pm but it was just not happening. The velcro roller was digging into my scalp and my neck was sore from all the adjusting of my head I was doing to get myself comfortable. I had had enough,11.30pm came and they were out...I know women will suffer for their beauty but this was just too much!

I have seen so many reviews and comments saying they were very comfortable, and I would have a high pain threshold but this was too much for me.

When I took them out my hair had height but not bouncy curls, to give a true review I have to say my natural hair is poker straight so I did not expect luscious curls in the first place.

This morning when I woke up my hair was just back to being flat again...a waste of 4 hours one of which drove me crazy!

PROS:

* A packet of 20 sleep-in rollers cost £17.95, on Boots.com 6 generic extra large rollers cost £4.99....so in terms of price they are on par IF you need 20 rollers. If you have short hair then I would just buy a few packets of the Boots rollers.


* They are pink! Sad but this bright, girly colour pleased me!

CONS:

* They hurt like a biatch! * Unless I have delicate scalp my experience was they hurt...not screaming in agony hurt but just a uncomftorable, nagging feeling that did not produce any amazing results.

SUMMARY:

They are a fun accessory to have, if you like to keep up with the likes of Amy Childs then why not get them...you might be jammy enough that your hair takes a curl well and you don't have to keep them in overnight...a few hours may be enough for you if you are a lucky so-and-so. If you have the money I would say go for them but don't be fooled by the name or description...comfortable sponges these are not!

Watch my video review at http://www.youtube.com/user/JustAGirlWrites/videos

I purchased a bag of 20 rollers online at http://www.velcrosleeprollers.com

Have a great Friday night!
Emma X

Daniel Sandler Cosmetics

I thought I should share my love for Daniel Sandler cosmetics.....recently Pixiwoo on youtube have featured this range but my first purchase was over 3 years ago.

Daniel was the make-up artist at Jade Goody's wedding, it was a very joyous but sad occasion as in her mid 20's Jade had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. On her wedding day she was glowing, Daniel did fantastic make-up on her...she looked very pretty but not 'trying too hard'. Given that she had no hair and was very sick it would have been easy for Daniel to plaster her face in make-up but he certainly showed his skill that day.

I purchased a few eyeshadows back then, a soft pink and a deep purple....unfortunately the numbers have rubbed off but I don't think they are available now anyway.

My next item was purchased from QVCUK.com, 'Line N' Lacquer' in 'Strawberry'. It is very much my Summer shade, it is just the perfect shade of raspberry pink for me. The gloss is not at all tacky and has great staying power...it is the shade on my Twitter picture which I have received many questions and compliments about.

The 'Jumbo Jet' mascara came in a beauty box, I do like the formula but I found the brush too awkward to use, having deep set eyes I found it was just too big a wand. I have seen a smaller version which I would be interested in trying when I have used up my endless supply of mascaras!!

Earlier in the year I saw a tweet from Sarah Brock (@BridalBeautyBuz) showing a bridal cover she had been the make-up artist for. It was just the look I love so I took a note of which Daniel Sandler products she had used. I popped onto www.DanielSandler.com and ordered 5 products, they have since become every day favourites.

The 'Retexturizing Primer' (£20.50) is very much like the Smashbox primer, it feels like silk..an extra bonus is it has a SPF20. The tube looked small to me in the beginning but you only need the smallest amount to get a great foundation base.

The creme bronzer in 'Riviera' (£15.50) took a little getting used too, on my first attempt of using it my skin looked muddy BUT with the correct brush and application it gives a beautiful bronze hue.

'Hot Pink' creme blusher (£15.50) gives your face the perfect 'POP'..it looks a little scary in the compact but once applied you just have a healthy flush. When I want to go for a more reserved look I use the blusher in 'Soft Peach', as the name suggests it gives a soft look that is very wearable, peach tones can look very orange on me which is not this case with this one.

My last Daniel Sandler product is 'Billion Dollar' Body Shimmer....I was sold on the name alone!! It's a baked powder that gives your skin instant colour but dimension too. Body shimmers can be tacky if they have too much glitter....this has 'golden highlights' that catch the light and just make you look healthy. I have used this on my shoulders, chest, back, arms and legs, it was brilliant during my recent bridesmaid duties....I just applied it where I felt my faux tan was not looking great.


This is a brilliant range of cosmetics, I think the prices are very good for the quality, amount and colour payoff you get in return...it will not be the last time I buy from the range.




Emma X

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Face of the day

So today I went for lunch with my mum and sister, this is the make-up I wore -

FACE
* Oilatum Natural Repair Face Cream
* Daniel Sandler Retexturizing Face Prime
* Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer
* NARS Sheer Glow Foundation 'Fiji'
* Chanel Natural Finish Loose Powder

CHEEKS
* Kevyn Aucoin 'The Celestrial Bronzing Veil'
* Elizabeth Arden 'Rose Illumination'
* Daniel Sandler 'Soft Peach' creme blusher


EYEBROWS
* Anastasia Brow Wiz 'Medium Ash'
* Anastasia Clear Brow Gel

EYES
* MAC eyeshadows in 'Naked Lunch' and 'Trax' in the crease
* Eyeko 'Skinny Brush' mascara

LIPS
* AVON Glimmerstick Lip Liner 'Mystery Mauve'
* MAC lipstick 'Hot Gossip'





Emma X

NOTD Leighton Denny

I figure if I paint my nails and see how pretty they can look it might be helpful during the growing process. Today I chose a colour I am fairly new too, Leighton Denny's 'Zero Gravity'.

For years I have went for red, pink, natural and purple shades but saw a QVC presenter wearing this and fell in love. Leighton Denny and OPI would be my favourite nail brands and I find one coat of this is perfect and last a few days before I notice chipping.

I would describe it as a milky grey shade with a slight purple undertone...it definitely sits on the light grey side...not at all harsh and perfect day or night.

Review - Elizabeth Arden Pure Finish Highlighter (Rose illumination)

When Michele (@MicheleBell21) mentioned a rose gold highlighter on Instagram last week I was sold, sign me up to anything related to the shade rose gold. I do have a slight addiction to highlighters anyway so I did not have to be too persuaded to induldge in this Elizabeth Arden product.

After a quick google search the best price I could find was £19.55 with free delivery from www.feelunique.com It arrived a few days later and I have not been disapointed with my purchase.

In a beautiful rose gold round compact the powder is a joy to put on, very easy to apply...no harsh streaks and no glitter. Staying power was great too, it kept a consistent shade on my cheekbones and did not go patchy which seems to happen with many powder highlighters I use.

At first I thought this might be the powder sister to Jemma Kidds cream highlighter in 'Rose Gold'(left) but as you can see below they are quite different...pink tones are definitely more evident in the Elizabeth Arden product (right).

I will get much use out of the hightlighter too...it worked lovely as a eyeshadow, on my cupids bow but also on my decolletage. Looking forward to wearing this throughout the Summer but as it is not in-your-face highlighter wearing it in the Autumn and Winter will be a must.

Have A Great Weekend!
Emma xoxo