Paul and Joe Autumn 2012

Paul and Joe Face Colour - "Inseparables"

Paul and Joe are a brand that I don't hear bloggers talk about enough. They do fantastic products (if a bit pricey) and always have the most amazing packaging. Their eyebrow powder is something I have used in my everyday makeup routine for months now.

Paul and Joe Face Colour - "True Love"

From August, Paul and Joe will be releasing their Autumn face colour collection. It is based on the theme "True Love", and each face colour will be imprinted with adorable love birds. Each "pod" contains two shades, which I think would look great both individually and mixed together. I already own a Paul and Joe face colour similar to "True Love (080)", so I will either be picking up "Inseparables (081)" or "Les Tourtereaux (079).

When released on 1st August, the True Love face colours will retail for £19.95 each and will be available from Harrods. Fenwick, ASOS and beautybay.com will be releasing the products on 1st September.

Will you be picking up any of these?

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Fact or Photoshop?

I realise that I am certainly not the first blogger to post about self image, nor will I be the last. But I feel like it's such an important issue - not just in the blogging community, but everywhere. 

Confidence and self image is something I have struggled with for as long as I can remember. I can distinctly recall being in first school, and a boy who I'd never spoken to in my life called me "fat." Then in high school, where another boy who I had the pleasure of being seated with in almost all of my lessons branded me "fat" pretty much every day. It's not funny. It shouldn't make you feel better about yourself. This is someone's body. A body they have for the entire duration of their lives. A person's body should be appreciated, not disrespected.

One factor I think plays a major part in how society feels towards body image is the media. It doesn't matter where you go, there will be images of photoshopped women (and men!). Magazines, television, movies, billboards, advertisements, catalogues.

The problem is, we're all aware that these images aren't real. Some are edited within an inch of their life. Yet we still put ourselves down and strive to achieve to look like the celebrities or models on the cover of a magazine. Do you know a woman who doesn't have an inch of cellulite on her body? I certainly don't. The media needs to portray women in a more realistic light. Editing out a few spots? Fine by me. However morphing away the shape of a woman's body to make them appear slimmer, more toned, more "ideal?" Not cool. 

Being honest, I'm not 100% happy with my body. I have days (particular in changing rooms when I'm shopping) where I get so fed up and reduce myself to tears over how big I think I look. I know that I shouldn't do that. You shouldn't do that. Shopping for clothes should be enjoyed, not torturous. But yet it still happens. As long as your body functions as it should, you shouldn't have to be told "you need to lose weight," "you need to put on weight," or this, that and the other. 

One thing I love about the blogging community though, is how diverse the people behind the computers are in appearance. There is no one I have encountered thus far in my short blogging life that hasn't been mind-blowingly beautiful. In their own way. You don't have to be Miranda Kerr to be considered beautiful. Because everyone has flaws, but we wouldn't be human without them.

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Neom Organic Hand Cream "Inspiration"

NEOM "Inspiration" Hand Cream - £20/75ml

Unlike the majority of the beauty blogging community, I had never tried a NEOM product before - until last week, that is. I've lusted after their (expensive) products for quite a while now, but haven't been able to justify buying them. £38 for a candle? Psh, no thank you. But, after using this hand cream (free with this month's Harpers Bazaar magazine) I am dying to try more.

Harpers Bazaar has a choice of two NEOM hand creams - "Inspiration," a blend of violet, chamomile and cedarwood, and "Complete Bliss," a blend of rose, black pepper and lime. I picked up the former, because I have a tendency to dislike floral scented products. 

The hand cream contains anti-oxidising extracts, including Acai and Argan oil. When I picked up the magazine, I wasn't particular excited about hand cream, it was more the excitement of trying a NEOM product. But this has fast become my everyday hand cream. It sinks into the skin so fast, and after using my hands feel so ridiculously soft I really can't stop stroking them (truth!). As well as this, something I wasn't sure I'd be keen on is the scent. Fair enough, I don't think it's the nicest smelling thing in the world - but it has a lovely subtle scent that's strangely relaxing and not overpowering in the slightest.

 At £20 for 75ml, it doesn't come cheap, and I can see why - the quality of this explains to me why the company is called "NEOM Luxury Organics."

I'd love to say I would purchase the full 75ml (you get 50ml with the magazine) when mine runs out, but it is  so expensive for a hand cream in my opinion and it would have to be an extra-special treat to myself for me to do it. Before the month end, though, I will definitely be picking up another magazine and taking full advantage of the offer.  

Have you picked up this month's Harpers Bazaar for the NEOM hand cream? What did you think? Can you recommend any more of their products for me to try?

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Models Own "Ibiza Mix"

Models Own "Ibiza Mix" - £5

Hi everyone! If you didn't know, a couple of weeks ago I deleted this blog. At the time I thought I didn't really like blogging and preferred to be more of a spectator. But I've realised that I do actually enjoy it, and although I don't have the time to blog every day, it's definitely something I'd like to keep up.

Anyway, a week ago I decided to jump on the bandwagon and purchase the Models Own "Ibiza Mix" polish. I understand you've probably seen loads of reviews on this, but I couldn't believe how pretty it looked over pretty much any colour and had to have it (shown above over Nails Inc. Cadogan Square). I tend to have a love-hate relationship with glitter polishes, as I think they look gorgeous but I hate how long it takes to remove them - I won't lie, this is no exception to that. What I've found with this though, is that it tends to wear for quite a long time, but when it chips it looks very messy. 

Application is simple enough - one coat is alright, but I like to use two to add more glitter to the nails. I am most likely to be using this over every nail colour of mine in the coming weeks (I wore it over Models Own "Bloo Bloo" last week) and I'll be really disappointed when they stop selling it! 

For £5 you get a massive 14ml bottle, and if you've been eyeing it up I would highly recommend you go out and get it! I've been really impressed with Models Own polishes so far, so there's no doubt I'll be picking up more in future!

Do you own this polish? If you do, what's your favourite colour to use it over?

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Clinique Deep Comfort Body Butter

Clinique Deep Comfort Body Butter - £22/200ml

I really do apologise for not posting more often! I've found that life is so busy and going so fast that I get to writing a new post and it ends up being a week since my last post. I'm trying to make the most of the time I have when I'm not at work, and since my training on the Sage Accounts system begins next Monday I can see my job getting a lot busier!

Today's review is on Clinique's Deep Comfort Body Butter, which I actually received as part of a gift set from work for Christmas - can you believe that was six months ago?! Before then I'd never really tried any Clinique products bar a moisturiser my boyfriend's mam gave me as she wasn't going to use it, so I was quite excited to try this as it prices up pretty dear.

For starters, this product is great for people who react to scented products, as it's 100% fragrance free. I find that it's part of the attraction of the product, as it's nice to slap on in the morning after a shower without the scent getting mixed with whatever perfume I've chosen to wear that day. This time last year I thought of body butters as greasy and slightly cakey on the skin, but this has completely changed my opinion. 

The texture of this really is buttery soft, and a little goes such a long way on your skin. I tend to leave this for days where I feel like I need that added moisture boost, since it targets dryness and dryness-prone spots. It sinks into the skin almost instantly and I'm still silky smooth three days later, a massive bonus in my opinion. 

I love the packaging of the product, it's sturdy and professional looking, which are the two hopes I have for higher end products. Would I purchase this again? I'd find it difficult to part with my money for it, I won't lie. I definitely feel like you get what you pay for, but I'd feel as if I'd get a bit more value for my money if I bought it in a gift set.

Is anyone else a big Clinique fan? Have you ever tried this product?

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Delving Into Jo Malone Fragrances

Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir Cologne - £38/30ml (£76/100ml)

I've heard of Jo Malone products, particularly the candles, for quite some time now. But I've never actually taken that much interest because of the pricing. However, when I was in Newcastle last Sunday, I was pondering about the beauty hall (which I've never actually looked in before, surprisingly!) and spotted the Jo Malone section. I thought it looked ridiculously posh and actually got a bit intimidated and just sort of left it without trying anything, but I went again with my boyfriend and actually had a look around. 

For starters, I really think there's a fragrance for everyone at Jo Malone and love how they categorise their fragrances to make it easier for you to choose something you'd like. I was instantly drawn to the "fruity" category. I love fruity fragrances no end, and much prefer them to more floral fragrances. I was actually testing the Nectarine Blossom and Honey fragrance, but ended up spraying Pomegranate Noir on myself (is i t bad to use the testers on yourself, whoops) and waltzed out thinking it was too expensive and I'd wait for a payday in the next few months. 

After wandering around town for a few hours repeatedly telling my boyfriend how good I smelled, I caved and ended up getting it. I can not praise their customer service enough, the packaging is absolutely stunning and the woman I dealt with was so helpful. 

Now that I've shared my story of actually buying the fragrance, I should probably tell you about it. Pomegranate Noir is described as "the sensuality of a daring red dress. Ruby-rich juices of pomegranate, raspberry and plum are spiked with pink pepper and laced with Casablanca lily and spicy woods. A dark and enigmatic fragrance." Now I don't know about you, but that just sounds like the most gorgeous perfume to me. It honestly smells divine, and not only that, but it lasts the entire day! As it really is on the pricey side, I've told myself I'm saving it for special occasions and so on, but I probably wont stick to that. I told myself the same about my L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil, and I use it everyday! 

I don't think I could pay the whole £76 at one point for the 100ml, because that to me is just too steep. Not going to lie though, I probably would if I were rich! The packaging as you can see is very simplistic, in my opinion I think that's what makes it feel so luxurious. It will definitely be a one to sit pretty on your dressing table, I'll tell you that.

I forgot to mention, the SA at Jo Malone also gave me an invitation for a free hand and arm massage for two ! It doesn't have an expiry date, so I'll be keeping that one!

Have you tried any Jo Malone fragrances? Do you think the price is justified or would you rather buy a cheaper perfume?

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Liz Earle Healthy Glow Powder Blush in Blossom

Liz Earle Healthy Glow Powder Blush in 02 Blossom - £16.50/6g

Hello! I can't believe it's been almost a week since my last post! I have no idea where the time is going so I promise I will try and post more, especially since I have quite a few things to review as of recent. Today's post is a review on the Liz Earle Healthy Glow Powder Blush in the shade "Blossom".

Ever since the new makeup collection was released I have been pining over these blushers. It's weird, since this time last year I didn't even wear blusher at all and now it's at the top of my favourite beauty products. Anyway, all the colours in this collection look completely natural, perfect for everyday wear and will suit most skin tones, which is, in my opinion, what a cosmetics brand should take into consideration when creating products. 

Initially, I swayed towards the shade "Nectar", which is described as a fresh rose-pink. I probably would have bought that one if I hadn't told myself I always pick up similar colours. So my second choice was "Blossom."

"Blossom" is an old rose coloured blusher, which is described as easy to wear and gives an understated blush to most skins from pale to light olive. I find it a very flattering colour, and it's very easily blended onto the skin. The blusher isn't chalky in the slightest, it's nice and soft to the touch and the longevity is very decent, as it's still left on my face after being at work for 8 hours. However, it would look slightly nicer if I topped it up during the day. Another plus of this product is the packaging, I think it looks incredibly high end and very elegant? I can't really think of another word to describe it but there are loads of more expensive brands that just don't do it for me packaging-wise, and I think having nice packaging on an expensive product is important but that might be just me, haha!

As it retails for £16.50, it does seem slightly on the pricier side, but it's totally justifiable in my honest opinion. I know the swatch I've included is rubbish, but none of my cameras pick up swatches very well at all! 

Have you tried any of the Liz Earle blushers? I was tempted to pick this shade up as a cream blusher but chickened out as I'm not too familiar with them!

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Ciaté Jelly Bean

This month's British magazines have some fab freebies inside of them, which I'll list at the bottom of this post. One of them being a choice of 3 Ciaté polishes with Marie Claire. I picked up the colour Jelly Bean, shown above. It is a bright pink polish with a blue shimmer, which doesn't stand out in my picture but you can see it in the bottle. The two others are Bon Bon (taupe creme) and Purple Sherbert (pale purple creme). 

I've never tried Ciaté polish before, so I though this would be the perfect opportunity to do so. Their packaging is absolutely gorgeous, and you get a hefty 13.5ml of product which isn't bad for a retail price of £9. I found that the polish was incredibly easy to apply, and left a pretty opaque finish even after one coat (although I always use two with any polish). The brush isn't fiddly in the slightest which I love, since I am horrendous at applying nail varnish 99% of the time. 

The back of the box the product comes in states a 15% off the Ciaté website, so I think I'll definitely be checking out more of their products, especially since they're so cute!

Other magazines offering freebies this month are:

• Glamour - Choice of 3 Benefit products (Porefessional primer, That Gal primer and Bad Gal mascara).
• Red - Jemma Kidd eyeliner or mascara.
• InStyle - Body Shop products (2 eyeliners or a mascara)

Have you picked up any of this month's freebies?  I walked home in the rain to get my hands on Glamour magazine but my local Morrisons and local paper shop didn't have it, boo! I'm also on Twitter now, follow me at @paintpotted!

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Nails Inc. Porchester Square

Nails Inc. Porchester Square 4ml - Part of the Neon and Nude Collection £22

Since I bought InStyle Magazine with the Nails Inc. Peach Sorbet polish I have been tempted to try out other polishes that they have to offer. But, at £11 a bottle (such an extortionate price in my opinion), rather than buy a full sized polish, I thought I'd invest in a set. Although the polishes you get in the sets are tiny, I would have rather tried out a range of colours for the price of 2 full sized bottles since I've never bought from the brand before.

I was originally eyeing up the full sized Porchester Square, but the SA mentioned that it came in the Neon and Nude collection with five other colours - Notting Hill Gate, Portobello, Westbourne Grove, Jermyn Street and Cadogan Square - and instantly knew this was the set to buy. I will most likely be doing individual reviews on the polishes in the set, because they're all gorgeous colours worth writing about.

Porchester Square is described as a "muted mushroom" colour, and to me it seems like it has a very subtle purple tinge, though this could just be the lighting I'm viewing it in. Either way, the colour is gorgeous and will compliment almost anything. It's not a very "in your face" colour, it looks classy and is a perfect everyday polish. 

Upon applying it, I found it looked incredibly streaky and it had barely covered certain parts of my nails, which admittedly had me hugely disappointed considering I'd just spent £22 on these polishes. However after leaving the nails to dry, the colour seemed to even out and cover my nails pretty opaquely, so much so that I only needed one coat on most nails. 

As I don't use base coats and top coats I'm expecting it to chip very quickly, but I'm sure with these added it would have a far longer lifespan. I still don't think I could spend £11 on one nail polish, considering there are much cheaper brands available of the same/sometimes better quality (China Glaze, Mavala), but I'm looking to buy a bottle from the Sprinkles collection when it's released and might just stick to buying sets as a treat every once in a while.

What do you think of Nails Inc. polishes? Do you think the price is justifiable or am I just being incredibly cheap? 

side note: I was this close to buying Deborah Lippmann's Mermaid's Dream polish in House of Fraser but it was ultimately the £16 price tag that convinced me otherwise! Such a beautiful colour though!

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L'Occitane Pivoine Délicate Collection

L'Occitane Pivoine Délicate Duo Roll-on & Gloss - £16

L'Occitane Pivoine Délicate Lipstick - £12.50

The last time I was in the L'Occitane store I was eyeing these up but I didn't buy, but couldn't resist this time. The Pivoine Délicate collection centres around a fragrance which is described as "blending the silky softness of peony and rose petals with the green transparency of lily of the valley in a luminous floral accord with a soft powdery tail."

I've never been one for floral fragrances. Ever. I prefer my scents to be sweet or fruity. But after being ultimately enticed by the packaging of these products, I picked up the Pivoine Délicate Duo Roll-on and Gloss to have a sniff of the perfume inside of it and I was very pleasantly surprised. The fragrance is not overpowering in the slightest, which is what I find most floral perfumes to be. It's very subtle and feminine, and perfect for the summer. I'm glad that I picked up this instead of the lone lipgloss, as at £16 for both a lipgloss and a perfume it isn't too bad a price, and I can definitely see it becoming a stable in my everyday makeup as it's the perfect travel size. I thought it was my imagination at first, but the lip products are subtly scented with the Pivoine Délicate fragrance which is a nice change from the usual vanilla scented products.

The collection contains three lipsticks, Pivoine Délicate, Corail Charmant and Brun Discret. I picked up Pivoine Délicate, as it's a very natural shade close to my lip colour, making it perfect for everyday wear. My lips aren't in the best of condition at the minute, as I have an awful habit of biting them but the lipstick felt softening and gave them a subtle sheen without making them look caked and cracked. If you're looking for an everyday lipstick, I suggest you pick this up! 

Brun Discret is a golden-beige colour, slightly darker than Pivoine Délicate, and Corail Charmant is described as a veil of coral-pink and golden reflections. I didn't try out Brun Discret in store, but did have a go of Corail Charmant and it's definitely a more natural shade of coral. All three lipsticks would be suitable for wear on a daily basis. 

I don't tend to buy lipgloss because I hate having sticky lips, but the Pivoine Délicate lipgloss, although slightly thick in texture, applies smoothly and actually feels nice to wear! There are also three (four if you include the perfume and gloss duo) glosses in the collection, which compliment the three lipsticks. The lone lipglosses retail at £11.50.

In regards to the packaging, it makes the product feel incredibly luxurious and if you whipped these beauties out in front of anyone I'm sure they'd make a comment! 

Here is a link to the full range of products.

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Bomb Cosmetics Mellow Marshmallow

Bomb Cosmetics Mellow Marshmallow Soap - £2.49

Sweetly scented of warm Marshmallow and with a heart of Ylang Ylang and Magnolia essential oils to relax and sooth, enjoy the luxurious lather upon your skin leaving you silky smooth.

I've seen Bomb Cosmetics products quite a few times, not so much in stores but when I've been browsing around the Amazon website. Their products remind me of Lush products, but slightly more purse friendly, but I'd never actually considered them until a recent trip to town led me into Fenwick, where I ended up spying the products on their own little table. They are very aesthetically pleasing, and you can imagine the work that has gone into creating them when browsing through their entire range. Fenwick Newcastle only offered a few of their soaps and bath creamers, but they were attractive enough to make me stop and investigate. I was initially going to buy a box of their bath creamers, which you could choose and pack accordingly, but I thought the price of the soaps was incredibly reasonable and settled on this one.

They do an incredible range on their website (the Foaming Fudge soap sounds like heaven!) varying from bath products to skin care to candles.

I tend to use soaps more when washing my hands rather than on my body, but this soap lathers really well, and has a very pleasant fragrance. However I have used it on my body, and it left my skin feeling soft and nourished. I'm very tempted to check out some of their other products, they're all cute, colourful, animal friendly, good for your skin and they're all hand made and natural.

They also do some amazing looking gift sets, brilliant if you have any special occasions coming up!

Have you ever tried any Bomb Cosmetics products?

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Magazine Freebies

InStyle Magazine and Glamour Magazine 

Ever since I missed the free Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish with Red Magazine, I've been constantly checking the magazine stands to see if there's any good freebies up for grabs. A few years back I was a complete magazine hoarder. I'm talking hundreds of magazines. But I haven't bought any recently, and these freebies enticed me back in.

With this months (June Issue) InStyle magazine, there is a choice of three different Nails Inc. polishes up for grabs. Bargain, considering they're worth £11. The three colours have been designed exclusively for InStyle magazine, too. I picked up the colour Peach Sorbet, pictured below.

The other two colours available are Power Pink and Bluebell.

Another freebie comes with Glamour magazine. With Glamour, you get a pretty decent sample from L'Occitane. I picked up the 20ml Angelica Hydration Creme, as when I bought my shower oil I received a tiny packet sample which didn't last very long but felt really good on my skin. I'm not sure if I could part with my money for the full size, though. There are again, three choices with Glamour. You can pick up the 20ml Angelica Hydration Cream (worth £14), the 50ml Angelica Cleansing Gel or the 50ml Angelica Face Toner (both worth £10). As I'm sure Glamour is only priced at £2, it's definitely worth picking up!

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Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover (finally!)

When I first seen a review for this, I thought "Ha! Really? A nail varnish remover that scrubs your nails clean in one second?!" and admittedly I scrolled past it because it all sounded a little bit ludicrous. But then review after review popped up and I just couldn't ignore it any longer. 

I've been checking in my local Boots store for the past few weeks, but it doesn't seem like they stock it, and after browsing through the Metrocentre store with unsuccessful results, I thought I'd never get my hands on it. Until I was in Newcastle's Eldon Square store today, when I spotted the last one and snapped it up instantly. Success!

This may just be my own stupidity, but just because the bottle says it smells of berries and vanilla, it doesn't mean stick your nose in the bottle and take a whiff (big mistake!). Anyway, I got myself home with the disappointment that it didn't smell as good as it claimed, and put it to the test. 

I was actually amazed at how quick it was in removing the polish I was wearing! You can easily remove all the polish on both hands within a minute or less. At this point, I was still confused as to where the whole berry scented idea came from, but after having a sniff at my fingers post-polish removing it turns out that that's when the scent comes out (I feel incredibly stupid now). The product contains almond oil, so not only does it take your polish off in seconds and make your hands smell nice, your nails and cuticles actually get some nourishing too.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy this again, it makes the task of removing nail polish so much easier and I think it has inspired me to begin using nail polish more often!

Have you tried this nail polish remover yet? Do you think it has lived up to the hype?

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Everyday Makeup

*Apologies for the less than flattering photo of myself*

MAC Studio Fix Fluid | MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer | Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder

Topshop Blush in Flush | Paul and Joe Eyebrow Powder in Medium | Maybelline 24hr Tattoo in Permanent Taupe

Urban Decay Naked 2 Pallette - Bootycall | MAC All That Glitters | MAC Espresso | Bourjois Liquid Liner

MAC Pro Lash Mascara | L'Oreal Made for Me Naturals Lipstick in Nude

4

L'occitane Almond Shower Oil

L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil - £16.50/250ml

I've wanted to try some form of body oil for a while now. I don't have extremely dry skin, but areas of my body such as my shoulders and back tend to get a little dry from time to time. 

I originally considered purchasing the Supple Skin Oil, but at £29 it really isn't cheap, so I settled on this as it's slightly more wallet friendly. 

My first impression was that it smells divine, and I would happily slap anything on my body that smelled like this! I find that the scent lingers on my skin, so I get to enjoy it that little bit more, and not only does it smell amazing, it actually does the job.

My skin feels super soft after using this, and it cleanses far better than most shower gels I've used. When the oil hits water, it transforms into a milky foam which makes it easy to spread around the body without losing the product down the drain before you can cleanse thoroughly.

The only disappointment with the Almond Shower Oil is that I don't think a little goes along way, which is a shame but it won't put me off purchasing again. However, next time I think I'll buy the 500ml Eco-Refill of the product as it's only £20, making it much better value for money.

This is the first L'Occitane product I've actually tried, so if you have any other recommendations from them please comment and let me know!

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