Ciate Nail Polish in Vintage - Photos and Swatches

Hi Guys & Dolls! :)

I'm a big fan of Ciate nail products - you can see some previous posts here - they're a British nail brand who are "3 Free" meaning you won't find any nasties in your Nail Polish such as Dibutyl Phthalate, Formaldehyde  or Toluene in them, yay!

Today I'm going to be showing you the shade "Vintage".

Vintage is a described as a "Rich, deep and majestic grey." - however I definitely spy some green undertones in there somewhere - I would describe it as an intense, deep forest green grey.

The polish comes in adorable packaging -  a slim curved bottle with an elongated cap, nicely finished with decorative bow.

The long cap means that it's a very nice brush to hold - the brush itself is flat and well shaped, designed to coat your nails in almost one stroke.

I found the coverage to be excellent with this nail polish - you can get away with just one coat if you wish - that's how opaque and rich it is!

Vintage is a beautiful, understated green/grey - this would look fantastic with a matte coat on top for a sophisticated look.

With flash:

You can purchase Ciate Nail Polishes from http://www.ciate.co.uk

Vintage is a Creme polish coming in at a generous 13.5mls for just £9.

Or if you're in Ireland you can get your paws on it from:

http://www.ciate.ie

for just €10.50 - 

how nice to see a company not charging us extortionate sterling-euro rates! 

Nice job Ciate Ireland! :)

Have you ever tried Ciate products before? Got any favs?

Belle xXx

New BB Creams!

Hi everyone! :)

In continuing with my BB Cream Craze (see my last review on Ginvera Green Tea Nude Cover BB Cream here, I have a quick sneek peek of some more goodies to show you all.

In order to try out a few more BB Creams which I can report back to you all on, I got the following BB Creams from TreatYourSkin.com

Skin79 VIP Gold  BB Cream

Skin79 Super+ BB Cream Pink Label

Maybelline Dream Fresh 8-in-1 BB Cream

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream - Oil Free, Matte version

Quite a haul, eh?! I'm really looking forward to putting each of these BB Creams through their paces and comparing them with each other to see how they fare out.

Have you jumped on the BB Cream Craze Bandwagon yet?

If you're a fan of BB Creams I'd love to know which are your favourites and what brands you've tried.

You can purchase BB Creams from a wide selection at http://www.treatyourskin.com

You can even avail of a fantastic 10% discount by using code: "tysbella" when you place your order there.

Marvellous Marvel Gel by Ginvera

Hi Guys!

In my quest for the perfect and flawless, "airbrushed" complexion I've been trying out lots of new skincare products and one which I have been really impressed by so far is Ginvera's Marvel Gel.

Ginvera is a brand from Singapore which was established in 1985. I've recently been trying out some products from their Green Tea Whitening series - you can check out a previous review of the Ginvera BB Cream here.

The Ginvera Marvel Gel has been hailed as a "hero product" which claims "zero blackheads in one step" - sounds great doesn't it? I was however, as always, skeptical of such amazing claims.

Now for the science bit (I've always wanted to say that!)

Ginvera Green Tea Whitening series, as the name suggests, contains Green Tea extract as its main ingredient. Green Tea extract is a strong anti-oxidant that delays the skin’s ageing process and also reduces the damage from sun’s rays. Besides the new packaging, the new and improved Ginvera Green Tea Whitening series is also now enriched with Korean soybean for enhanced whitening of the skin. This unique Korean soybean is fermented with Bacillus Subtilis which will produce Cellplus+ (a soft liquid product that consist plenty of amino acids) which has strong moisturizing and whitening properties. With Green Tea extract and Korean soybean, the newly formulated Ginvera Green Tea Whitening series serves to restore skin’s clarity with its natural ingredients. 


Ginseng　 
Enhances cell renewal process while providing hydration and nourishment to brighten dull skin.　 

Pomelo Extract　 
Richer in Vitamin C content than other fruits, Pomelo Extract provides superior protection from free radical damage and enhanced whitening effect. 

Pearl Power 
Well known for its whitening and nourishing properties. Pearl powder helps to lighten dark spots and blemishes, renew skin cells and correct damages to skin by UV rays. It also leaves a sheer, radiant glow on skin. 

Biogel　 
Biogel enhances absorption of skincare nutrients into skin cells. 

Marvel Gel:

The Marvel Gel is a chemical exfoliator - which means it doesn't contain the coarse beads / grit that you're probably used to with regular exfoliators on the market. The gel itself is silky smooth and doesn't have the rough texture that you may be expecting when you hear the word "exfoliator" so it's non-abrasive.

Ginvera Green Tea Marvel Gel works by specifically targeting the cornified skin layer, dissolving and removing the dead skin cells on the top most epidermis layer. This gentle yet effective exfoliating action zeros-out blackheads thoroughly and painlessly and helps remove deep layers of dead skin. When the dead skin barrier is removed, the new skin underneath is revealed, allowing your skin’s healthy radiance to glow from within. It helps prevent pimples and controls oil secretion to help you stay shine-free the whole day!

As a gal with seriously dry skin which can be on the sensitive side I was delighted to come across this smooth, gentle and silky gel - no more scrubbing my skin to within an inch of it's life leaving it red, sore and unsightly in my bid to rid it of all it's flakiness. Hurrah!

Packaging:

The Marvel Gel comes in a handy squeezable green tube at a very generous size of 60ml.

To compare the Marvel Gel with the BB Cream also by Ginvera which comes in at 25ml.

I've been using this Marvel Gel for over a week now and I've already noticed a good reduction in the appearance of blackheads around my nose. The gel is very cooling and refreshing on the skin and it creates a gentle foaming / lathering action when you rub it into your skin.

I love the fact that this is such a gentle exfoliator - there's no scrubbing required and it won't leave your skin irritated after assaulting it with rough grains and granules.

After rubbing the gel into your skin you can see the dead cells simply "flaking" off before your very eyes - you can see the dead skin flakes once you're finished.

I've found that my skin feels lovely and refreshed after using it, it just feels "really clean"

It leaves my skin glowing and silky soft and smooth, making a great base before applying your foundation.

Ingredients:

Deionised Water, Carbomer, Angelica Archangelica Extract, Ginseng Extract, Lycium (Goji Berry) Extract, Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone, Green Tea Extract, Fragrance, Aloe Vera Extract, Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA), Methyl Paraben, Menthol, Organic Geranium.

I've been using the Marvel Gel in conjunction with the Ginvera Green Tea Nude Cover BB Cream and i've found that the two products work flawlessy together to give you a natural "your skin but better" look. The two products really do work together to deliver a flawless finish.

You can purchase the two products together at a discount from Janiro.co.uk where I got my Ginvera products from for just £36 - that's a saving of £6 if you were to buy them separately.

If you're thinking of investing in a BB Cream, I would highly recommend the Green Tea BB Cream by Ginvera and the Marvel Gel alongside it. You only need a small amount of product from each to get results, so I imagine they will last a long time.

You can also purchase Ginvera products from Harvey Nichols at:

http://www.harveynichols.com/

Or alternatively get them direct from Janiro the official European stockists for Ginvera at:

http://janiro.co.uk

You can also find Janiro on Facebook here;

https://www.facebook.com/ginverauk

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/JaniroLtd

Have you tried any Ginvera products before? If so I'd love to hear how you got on, let me know in the comments section what products you've tried and how they worked for you.

Belle xXx

Inglot Sneek Peek of New Autumn Colours

Hi guys and dolls!

As most of you know by now, I'm a HUGE fan of Inglot - i'm totally hooked on their amazing Freedom system - nothing pleases me more than getting new Inglot eyeshadows to add to my ever increasing collection! :D

I'm delighted to be able to bring you a sneek peek of their new Autumn Colours collection which has just launched in their six stores nationwide.

Autumn colours 2012 feature metallics, bronzes, browns, pinks, copper and purple.

First up is this gorgeous rich chocolate brown Nail Polish which will be priced at €10

Next is a 5 Square Freedom System Palette which comes in at a bargaintastic €36.

You can see it has a varied range of colours from muted purples, brown with grey undertones and peachy shades to give a sophisticated, understated look. I'm definitely eyeing up this palette for myself, I'm normally a "bold" colours girl myself - the louder and brighter the better, but I'm loving the nude-ness of this selection of colours, I think they'd be lovely for the autumn.

Inglot Lip Paint in 62 for €14

The collection will feature:

Lips and nails - In brown and deep pink.

Nail Enamels - €10

Five Square Freedom Palettes - €36

The Copper Collection

Lip Paint - €14

Lip Sleeks - €12

Lipsticks - €13

Five Square Freedom Palettes - €36

Liquid Eyeliner - €12

Inglot now has 6 stores in Ireland - including the Dublin flagship store in Blanchardstown Shopping Centre, in Dundrum Town Centre, Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, and the Jervis Shopping Centre in the city; as well as the Crescent Shopping Centre in Limerick, and the all-new Belfast INGLOT outlet in the fabulous Victoria Square Shopping Centre.

You can also check out Inglot's website here; http://inglot.ie/

I'm really loving the look of these new fall colours from Inglot, what do you think of them? Spy anything nice that you think you might wanna try out?

Belle xXx

Emjoi MICRO Pedi Review with Photos

Hi guys!

What with the beautiful bout of weather we've been getting the past week, it was time that I got my feet in tip, top shape for what's left of our summer and get them preened to perfection to be presentable for wearing sandals and flip-flops again - well I may as well make the most of the scorching sun and glorious weather before it's gone! So it was just perfect timing that I recently got rhe Emjoi MICRO Pedi fron Lifes2Good.

The MICRO Pedi claims: "The Emjoi MICRO Pedi is a safe, smooth and professional-at-home pedicure system which works on all areas of your feet removing the dead skin cells safely and quickly leaving your feet feeling soft and looking like you just stepped out of a spa.  "

So what exactly is the MICRO Pedi and what do you get for your money?

The set includes your MICRO Pedi battery-operated pedicure device with a coarse (pink) and extra coarse (blue) interchangeable micro-mineral rollers. You also get an instruction booklet and a cleaning brush.

The device itself is rather like a large electric razor. It's ergonomically designed so it fits nicely in your hand and is shaped to gently glide all over the contoured parts of your feet.

Now I'm naturally dubious regarding any wonderful claims a manufacturer promises of their product - well, it would be in their best interests to sing it's praises, regardless of performance, right? And i'll admit that I was very curious to see how the MICRO Pedi would live up to these claims...

I'm delighted to inform you that the MICRO Pedi really does in fact "do what it says on the tin".

The device gently buffs away any dry, hard or rough patches on your skin - I found it to be particularly effective on my heels. Literally before my very eyes I could see the dead skin vanishing, leaving behind soft, smooth and silky skin.

After just one use my feet were left looking shiny and new and as though I had just stepped out from having  a 60 euro pedicure done. The best part about this, aside from the results of course - the whole process literally only took about one minute per foot - so in theory, you could MICRO Pedi your feet and have them done whilst the ads are on in between your favourite soap / tv show!

The device also features a handy plastic guard so you can ensure that the micro-mineral roller doesn't get damaged between uses.

The MICRO Pedi comes with 2 Micro-Mineral rollers - you start off with the blue one as it's the coarser of the two and works great on very hard, dry, rough patches - and once you've been using the MICRO Pedi for awhile and notice your feet becoming silky soft and smooth, you can then graduate to the pink roller as it's of a finer grit than the blue one, so will be good for touch ups to keep your feet in the great same, soft, healthy condition that you've become accustomed to after using the MICRO Pedi.

I've fallen in love with my MICRO Pedi - I don't think my feet have ever felt so soft and silky smooth before. I've been finishing off my MICRO Pedi with Avon Foot Works Sugar Lime Mojito Cooling Lotion and then the Sugar Lime Mojito Refreshing Spray and let me tell you, it's like as though I were walking on Cloud 9 afterwards! ;)

I'll definitely be bringing my MICRO Pedi with me next time I'm on holidays to make sure my tootsies are in tip top shape for the beach and wearing my flip-flops - I may never need to have another pricey salon pedicure again before I jet off!

The MICRO Pedi is available from Boots for €49.95 or alternatively you can order one direct from Lifes2Good for just €34.95 - which is a saving of €14.95 off the RRP here; http://www.lifes2good.ie/

Have you ever tried the Emjoi MICRO Pedi? If so, I'd love to hear how you got on with it, please let me know in the comments! :)

Belle xXx

I LOVE Ginvera Green Tea Nude Cover BB Cream

Hello everyone!

I've recently been trying out a BB Cream by Ginvera. To give the product it's full name it's the Ginvera Green Tea Nude Cover BB Cream - phew, quite the mouthful! Keep reading to find out my thoughts on this product.

I'll admit that this is the first BB Cream I've thoroughly tested. Like everyone else i'd heard about the moisturising properties, the brightening aspects, built in SPF protection and of course the glowing reviews. I was sceptical. Very sceptical. How could these so-called miracle "BB Creams" have been under the radar til now if they're so wonderful? Are they really all that, or is it just some very clever marketing hype? And so, I convinced myself that BB Creams were just another fad in the beauty world and I delayed trying them, until now that is, and boy am I kicking myself for not trying this sooner!

What is a BB Cream?

"BB cream, also known as Blemish Balm, Blemish Base or Beauty Balm is a cosmetic base sold mainly in East and Southeast Asia, although larger beauty brands are increasingly introducing BB creams to Western markets as well. Originally formulated in Germany by dermatologist Dr. Christine Schrammek in the 1950s,  the cream was initially used to protect skin after laser procedures and surgery, while also providing light coverage. Introduced to South Korea and Japan in the 1980s, BB cream has been named "the secret of Korean actresses" and has been heavily endorsed by Korean celebrities, which gained it large exposure in these Asian markets"

Sounds impressive, huh?

Now a bit about my skin - I have dry skin, at times it can get a bit on the flaky side - and no amount of exfoliation, moisturising or scrubbing has ever truly gotten rid of it. Now, as a makeup artist I LOVE makeup, trying out new brands, testing new formulas and the best thing to have when playing around with colourful looks is to have a blank canvas, or in other words a flawless base. However, I have searched for years high up and low down to find the "holy grail" of foundations. I got close a few times, but they were never quite right - the shade wasn't right, it was too cakey, it clung to dry patches, it didn't wear well, they were drying on the skin etc... You name it, I had the problem! So after years spent trying high end brands in my never ending search for a perfect base, I'll admit that I had my doubts about this BB Cream. I'm very fussy when it comes to a skin base, could this REALLY live up to expectations?

YOU BET'CHA!! I think I just may have found the ever elusive Holy Grail in skin bases. When I first tested the product it looked quite dark. "Oh no, yet another failure, this one is far too dark for my porcelain hues" I bemoaned when I saw the shade, however when I blended in the product into my skin something magical happened - it vanished! Right before my very eyes - no longer could I see the dark brown fluid which at first glance was completely the wrong shade for me, the cream had adapted to my own skintone and blended flawlessy with my own skin. Wow. 

Heavily Swatched:

Blended out:

(You can't even see it's there!)

Ok, but now for the important test - "is it going to cling to dry patches and go flaky" which is a huge no-no with me. When I first applied it the one thing which caught me off guard was how fabulously dewy and radiant it looked. My skin was left glowing and luminous - not a dry, cakey or flakey patch in sight. If you're looking for a matte look, this probably isn't the product for you, however if you want to look as though you're glowing from the inside with luminosity, then this most definitely is right up your alley!

I think that this is the product I've been looking all my life for and now at last we are re-united! As soon as a friend met me after I had applied the Ginvera Nude Cover BB Cream she instantly commented on how good my skin looked - it didn't look like I was wearing makeup at all, it was my skin, but better!

The formula is quite runny and liquidy and I found that it gives a beautiful sheer glow - you can of course build this coverage up with thin layers if you want medium-heavy coverage in order to cover blemishes etc... It really evened out my skintone and gave me a clear complexion - all whilst keeping my skin super hydrated all day long thanks to the addition of Hyaluronic acid.

I also love the fact that this product has an SPF of 30. I'm forever telling people to wear sunscreen however I know I should wear it more often myself. Normally I dislike facial products containing an SPF as I find them heavy and greasy on my skin and sometimes they can give your skintone an ashy cast which does not photograph well, however I'm pleased to say that I did not experience any of these issues with the Ginvera BB Cream. It photographed beautifully, instantly adapted to my own skintone and felt light and refreshing all day long, and the best part - after a long day spent in the sun on a beach - still no dryness or flaky patches, YAY!!!!

Ginvera Green Tea Nude Cover BB Cream gets a HUGE thumbs up from me! A+

You can purchase this from Harvey Nichols in the UK and Ireland for just £20 here;

http://www.harveynichols.com/factfinder/search/result/?q=ginvera

Or if you're not near a Harvey Nichols you can buy it direct from Janiro UK for the same price of just £20 here;

http://www.janiro.co.uk/

Have you tried this product? If so I would love to hear your thoughts on it and see if you loved it as much as I did.

Belle xXx

NOTD - Iced Latte - OPI dupe

So, I decided I wanted to go for a nude "Mannequin hands" look, and I just happened to pick up Essence's nail polish in Iced Latte from the Nude Glam collection the other day - so what better time to try it out!

Iced Latte is a lovely opaque, very creamy taupe beige with pink undertones. It took just 2 coats to get a nice, even and glossy coverage.

 Whilst browsing in town yesterday, I noticed that Iced Latte is a great dupe for OPI's Barre My Soul from the Ballet Collection.

What's your favourite nude-look polish?

Belle xXx