My All Time Favourite Skincare Products

  This blog post is dedicated to all the wonderful skincare products that I have used over the last 4 years, and absolutely loved.  I wouldn't hesitate to repurchase any of these products.

So here they are separated into 3 categories: Drugstore, Mid range, and high end.

Drugstore/Chemist Products  

($1-$19) 

      

Aveeno Daily Cleansing Pads

Garnier BB Cream

**I do have a confession.  I have not really tried a lot of low end/chemist products. 

So I can't recommend a lot of them, but I really did find that these products were just as good as their higher priced competitors.

Mid Range Products

($20-$49)

 

IQQU Jasmine Rice Bran Scrub

Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief   

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion

 

High End Products

($50+) 

CAUDALIE Vinoperfect Day Cream SPF 15

Chanel Rinse-off Foaming Cleanser

Dior Hydra Life Moisturizer

I am in love with all these products because:

1. Lovely clean and fresh scents

2. Light and moisturizing texture

3. and the diminished presence of blemishes during its' use

I have combination skin with slight redness, discoloration and acne prone.  All these products really worked well with my skin and I saw a decreased amount of blemishes during the duration of usage.

So these are my favourites.

Now I want to know which ones you love :)

Peter Thomas Roth Instant Firm Temporary Face Tightener Mask Review

Whoa that was a long title! GOOD MORNING lovelies xx

Tuesday morning here in sunny old England *cough*.  Yeah it's a bit grey, but the thought of my 5 day Caribbean cruise this weekend is bringing the sunshine in my life that I need right about now.

So in preparation for my bon voyage, I wanted to give myself a facial.  I recently got a large deluxe sample/travel size of this Peter Thomas Roth firming mask.  Let me tell you what I thought about this product.

 

Well first here are some facts about this product:

* Retail $48 for 3.4 fl oz bottle

I don't know of anywhere in the UK that sells this.  

But a quick google search brought me prices around £27-£31 

(If anyone knows where this can be bought in the UK, please drop me a comment or email xx)

* The product claims the following:

"Temporarily tighten your skin and rewind the clock - instantly Revolutionary rinse-off formula means that the white residue is rinsed away, while active firming agents remain behind. These agents work beneath the skin’s surface to help tighten, firm & smooth the appearance of fine lines, deep wrinkles & pores. Instantly look younger while minimizing crow’s feet, under eye bags, nose-to- mouth lines, forehead creases, etc."

 

* Gel-like substance that dries instantly upon application, leaving a sheer white film on face.  

Think -  colour of krazy glue when it dries on your skin

 

 

I really do like this product as it truly does deliver what it is claiming.  The gel dries almost immediately, and your face feels very tight.  I sometimes imagine if this is what Botox must feel like.  Now I'm only 31, so fortunately botox is not needed, but ask me again at 40 and I may say something different lol!

Sorry tangent time - Actually as I was waiting for this to dry, I was inspired to do a post on some of my favourite skincare products that I have used in the last 5 years.

 

So back to the mask...the only complaint that I have about this product is the strength of it.  I left this on for 5-10 minutes longer than I was suppose too, because I got distracted, and my face felt very sore and red afterwards.  It's a strong mask ladies!  I'm not kidding.  They recommend leaving it on from 3-7 minutes, so just be careful.  If you feel an uncomfortable tightness, then wash it off.  But I'm not joking when I say that this mask will make it almost impossible for you to move your face.  Talking is not really going to happen when you apply this lol.

So other than that, I have no complaints about this mask; however, I don't know if I would purchase the full size bottle as it is a bit pricey.  If there was a peel away mask version, I would definitely buy it without a doubt.

What's your favourite Mask?  

My awesome new bracelet

I just had to show you all my new bracelet that the fabulous Ashley from Buttonboxx sent over to me recently.  She soooo knows my taste in jewelery :) ....big, chunky, and black & gold.  A little bit of 80's and slightly art deco in my eyes. Super awesome. Thanks Ashley xx

 

I'm also hosting a Christmas blog giveaway, so pop on over and enter xx

The details can be found to the right =======>>>>>>>

or up by the header :)

Clinique Acne Solutions Post Blemish Formula Review

The Clinique Post Blemish Formula is a twist pen that has a tiny hole at the top where the cream formula comes out of.  For $14/£11, this is that that much more expensive then a lot of the acne products out there, but it isn't cheap either in my book.

This is quite handy for travel and to keep in your purse, but you definitely don't get a lot of product either.  Sometimes I think that if the product is small, then the product must be potent and so you don't need a lot, but truthfully, it could just be that the product is expensive because they know people will buy it if they are desperate enough.

I thought my prayers have been answered! A product that claims it fades away scaring? That's great! Sign me up! I do suffer from scars, because I have such little self control and pick when I'm not suppose too.  I know I'm not alone out there lol!  So I have a lot of discoloration and scaring.  

I followed the directions and applied this day and night under makeup. There were some days that I didn't wear any foundation at all to give my skin some time to rest.

A friend was nice enough to give this to me to try, so I didn't pay the $14/£11, but if this product worked, I was all ready to buy a stock pile of it!  I'm sad to say that, I did not see any diminishing of my scars, nor did I see any improvements.  I didn't want to jump the gun and review it after a week, but I have used it as directed and used the entire product and I still didn't see any results. Disappointed really.

Do you suffer from acne scarring? What do you use?

Christmas Blog Giveaway Extravaganza

There is no better time then Christmas to show your appreciation, so....

WELCOME TO MY 

CHRISTMAS BLOG GIVEAWAY!!!!

The rules are going to be simple, as I made the previous one a bit complicated and screwed up on the logistics of it.  So no screw ups this time.  Everyone gets one entry and the rules are dirt easy.

BLOG GIVEAWAY RULES

Must follow my blog via google friend connect, and must comment below and tell me what's your #1 wanted Christmas item is.

Easy right?? :)

Timeline:

The giveaway starts Today and ends on December 15th, winners will be chosen on the 15th at 10pm. Please make sure you leave your email so that I know where to email you to get your address, as I have to post everything out by Dec 17th (royal mail's deadline for packages to arrive by Christmas).

Who's Eligible?:

I'm sorry that this giveaway will only be for UK followers, it doesn't mean I don't appreciate my international readers, it's just impossible to get a package out to you guys in time for Christmas, especially as I will be away for most of December.  So due to the lateness of this giveaway, it will only be open within the UK.

I will be opening up another giveaway after the holidays for my international peoples, which will feature some UK only products, to make up for the timing issue that caused this Christmas giveaway to be UK only.  Just want to show my love to everyone, that's all xx

*******************************************************************************

Now that I went over the boring crap, what's the prizes right?

Well.....this is where the fun begins!

There will be 3 winners this time and not just one!

To make sure that all 3 prizes are equal so nobody feels like they lost out by not winning a certain specific prize, I have made 3 mystery goody bags full of products.  Each bag will be different, but equal in terms of quality and products to the best of my ability.

 

Thank you all my old and new followers!

I wish you all a great holiday season :) 

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream Review

It's really fun to do swaps with people, because you always get to try something new.  I have so many new products that I will be reviewing in the upcoming months as I did another swap with Ashley over at Buttonboxx.  You can check out her blog at www.the-button-box.com.  Big shout to Ashley xx

She gave me an Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream.  I'm all about skincare as I now am over 30 **yikes***.  So this one was one of the first things that I tried.  I have read reviews on this product, and nothing about it really struck out to me as a must have item, but after trying this, I can now see why there are many mixed reviews on this product. 

 

I'm one of those odd people who hate to have anything thick on my face. Whether it's moisturizer or foundation.  I just feel like my skin can't breathe.  So my initial feeling about this product was that it was way too thick for me.  It also have a medicinal scent to it as well as a orange like gel like substance.  It slightly reminded me of the famous Tiger Balm that every Asian family has lol.

 

Having said that, this isn't a bad product at all.  Just because it doesn't match my personal preference of texture, doesn't mean it doesn't work.  That's the part of reviewing a product that is essential.  You have to remove your own personal likes and dislikes from reviewing a product and review it based on the merits of what the product states it's suppose to do.  Easier said than done of course. This product delivers exactly as it said it would.  If you have chapped dry skin, this is going to be the product that you want to grab.  I have combination skin, so clearly it's too thick for me, but if I ever do get anything chapped (even lips) this is going to go straight on it.   I have this horrible dry patch of skin right on my left wrist.  It seriously just popped up in the last couple of months, so I slathered some of this on my dry patch of skin and within an hour, I could see how this heeled it.  It's pretty amazing, as I have used every lotion in my house and it didn't do anything to help it.  That's how I know this product works, and it works fast too.  This is definitely sticking close by me during these upcoming winter months. 

So what do you use to fix dry patches on your skin? Would love to hear what others do.

Guest Bloggers Needed

A follower recently made an excellent recommendation to me about having guest bloggers on my site.  I was moaning away (what I'm so good at lol) about how I am running out of ideas lately.  I think my brain is just scattered all over the place these days.  So I think this is a brillant idea! I'm a new blog, so I'm not even sure if anyone would be interested, BUT...

If you would like to be a guest blogger, PLEASE shoot me an email at

Tokkiandoliver@gmail.com

I am looking for Fashion or Beauty topics, but if you want to do something Christmas oriented that's fine too since the holidays are just around the corner.

So come on ladies, shoot me an email! I would love to have other bloggers featured on here xx

Talk later lovelies!

Latest in Beauty Perfume Sample Box Reveal

My sample perfume box arrived today! and I love it.  For only £4.95 posted, I think that this was quite a bargain.  It's not a monthly subscription, it's just a one off that I knew I had to have.

I know that samples are free, but one of the items in the box is actually an item that is sold at SpaceNK for £18.  Plus I never tried any of their perfumes, so this is was the cheapest way for me to try it.

So onto the reveal....

 

The box contents were:

SpaceNk Laughter

L'Occitane Pivoine Flora

Liz Earle Botanical Essence No 1

Elie Saab

Yardley Royal English Daisy

The two that interested me the most was obviously SpaceNK and L'occitane

 

The generous sample size was alluring.

Laughter is just a bit too citrusy/house lemon cleaner smell.  I love citrus fragrances, but there is just something about this that seems one dimensional and flat. I swear I had an air freshener once that smelled like this.

But the L'occitane fragrance is so lovely. It's light and floral, and I may even buy the full size bottle one day.  It's really delicate, soft, and clean floral scent.

Now out of these small spray samples, I thought I wouldn't like any of them.

They just don't seem to fit the demographics for me; however, the Yardley is actually quite nice.  If you want a simple fresh and floral scent, this is a cheap alternative.

The Elie Saab perfume was a big shocker too.  I actually hated the top note, but after 5 minutes on my skin, I really liked how the sweetness arose.  This is actually a good perfume that shifts very fast once you spray it on you.

The Liz Earle perfume is just a little too "green" scented for me.  Once again, I feel like I've had an air freshener that smelled like this too.

 

Perfume taste is so subjective, so I don't want to go on and on about it, since perfumes smell different to everyone, but this post is to show you just what a wonderful deal that I got from Latest in Beauty.

Be sure to check them out at

http://www.latestinbeauty.com/

Oh and Happy Thanksgiving weekend to all my US crew xx

Hope you're eating tons of turkey and enjoying quality time with family :)

Another rambling post

Yet another post with really no true direction.  I'm just in a rutt ladies.  I don't want to keep jabberling on about nail polish, but I don't know what to really write about these days...you ever go through this?

So instead of having any real direction, I'm just going to start writing and see what nonsense comes out :)  I guess this is how it would be if I was in front of you and we were having a real live conversation.

So first thing. I'll talk about the nations #1 topic...the weather!  I have seen the sun now for a week, so I'm feeling much better.  Those 3-4 days of the sun going down around 2:45pm was just absolutely ridiculous.

Ok so now that I got that out of the way, let's see....

what's going on in my life.  Well, Christmas is just around the corner and that brings happiness and joy, but only followed by anxiety.  I'm pretty much done shopping for my in laws, and still hunting for a gift for DH (yikes!) - he's a toughy, because he is very high maintenance.  I'm sure he would say the same thing about me.  Shopping on a budget is quite difficult, but it also makes gifts more personal as well, in my humble opinion.   I am a big nerd, because I already wrapped up my gifts to myself for Christmas.  I will definitely be unveiling them on Christmas on my blog, so make sure you check back.

The other thing that I've been toying with is having a Christmas blog giveaway.  I just don't know what to give away - any suggestions?  Unfortunately, it will have to be UK only.  It's just too late now for me to be able to ship internationally and have it arrive by Christmas.  December 9th is the deadline for all international mail, and I will be away then, so big apologies for that!

Also, this blog is going to be very idle for about 11 days in December, as I'll be traveling.  So I really want to post a lot before I go, but I just can't think of anything to post about...ugh!

I'll have to think about it hard tonight.

Oh! and I can't believe I forgot, but I wanted to show you all the cute Harrod's recyclable carry on bag that my friend gave me a few weeks ago when I met up with her for coffee.

 

It's so adorable! I love this one and the red double decker bus one as well.

So that was super sweet of her! Thank you L!

On another topic, today's NOTD is:

Sephora by OPI - Not Enough Shoes (base)

with 

Cult Nails Capitvated on top

slightly halloween like, but I still like it.

 

So I'm off to have a long think about what I am going to leave you guys with before I depart on my long travel, and also think about this Christmas blog giveaway.

Nordstrom Designer Sale Lookbook for Fall 2011

After speaking to my SA over at Nordstroms in America, I was allowed to post this lookbook up for all my readers to view.  Now this is probably only going to interest those in America, because I'm not 100% sure if my SA ships internationally, but if the price is good, it maybe worth it to just ask.

I highly recommend you take a peek.  I looked and had to shut it very quickly because the sales are just really really good, and my wallet can't handle it.

Also, I have to disclose that I do not benefit in terms of referral fees, or commission or anything by referring anyone.  I just thought I'd put this out here, because he is just so professional and wonderful and he is on point when it comes to emailing me about sales.  He does what every SA should do when it comes to high end designer products.

So If anything interest you, just email my SA, Sterling Edwards at
sterling.s.edwards (at) nordstrom (dot)com
and let him know that I recommended you, so he at least knows how you got his information.
He's fabulous, and I hope someone takes advantage of these fabulous bargains.

He also ships for free within the US.  Can't beat that!

Sale Lookbook Fall Designer 2011

Julep Nail Polish in Gayle and Vanessa

A nice surprise package arrived to my doorstep all the way from America :).

Inside contained two polishes that I was not able to get here in the UK.  So I was really excited to open to package to see Julep's Gayle and Julep's Vanessa inside.

Julep is a small niche nail polish salon/nail polish brand based out of Seattle.I have been lucky to try a few polishes from Julep, and they are quality products.

However, Julep's Gayle is by far the best in terms of formula from this line.  It is a beautiful Hermes Raisin purple creme, and I know I'm going to sound bias for going on and on about this polish (I'll tell you why later on in the post), but it really is a one coat wonder and beautiful creme shiny finish. 

 

Vanessa is your quintessential glittery topcoat.  It consists of orange, blue, purple, gold, and silver micro glitters.  If you love multi-glitter topcoat, then this one will have you drooling.

The formula is not as good as Gayle as it is on the thicker side, but you get tons of glitter placement per stroke, so it's not that difficult to work with.

I placed it on my ring finger as an accent.

It goes very well with Gayle.

Julep's Vanessa over Gosh's Lavender Love

Don't you just love their tall, slender and streamlined bottles?

Now..onto why I am going to sound bias lol.
The polish Gayle is named after a woman that I have had the privilege to meet and come to know. So this lovely polish is just a small representation of how lovely my friend Gayle is.  She has taught me to be forgiving, self-less, and has taught me a lot about beauty (interior and external).  So I'm so happy that there is a polish named after her.  If you love rich purple cremes, then I urge you to go out and buy this polish - it's just that fabulous, and the woman behind it is just that fabulous too.  Trust me :)

NARS Nail Polish in Bad Influence

NARS Bad Influence is a familiar colour to many other polishes in my collection, but I have to say that the formula is superior, almost as good as Chanel's Particuliere.

 

Super grateful to my girl in the states that sent this over to me :) It's one of those colours that I wanted, but felt guilty about buying because I had similar shades already.  It's so worth it.

Gosh Nail Polish in Lavender Love

I'm so annoyed with ebay.  There is something about rude people on ebay that just drives me up the wall.  I refuse to be the type of person to have an argument over a lipgloss that went missing in the mail.  Thank god I sent it recorded.  Now my perfect 100% feedback will probably be ruined by some irrational crazy woman who blames me that royal mail lost her package. Wow, some people have nothing better to do than to annoy ebay sellers. UGH........

So I choose something a bit happy and airy today because I was just annoyed (common theme this week it seems lol).

Gosh's Lavender Love is the perfect periwinkle pastel.  It was a one coat wonder with great application and formula.  I like it, because it's not a pretty liliac, it has a bit of attitude.

 

Really happy with this polish.

Yes I'm a nerd, I like to wear happy polish to perk me up.

For all you Illamasqua Freaks - Free UK & International Shipping

Ok, if you love Illamasqua as much as I do, then you will be happy to know about their free shipping...especially all the international people who want some products that you can't get over there at Sephora!

"To redeem your free UK standard delivery, simply enter the promotional code ‘FREEUK11’ when you reach the checkout page of the Illamasqua Shop.

To redeem your free international delivery, simply enter the promotional code ‘INTERNATIONAL50’ at the checkout – when you spend £50 or more.

Offer ends Midnight GMT Friday 25th November 2011"

Hemlock is calling my name :)

Mine as well be free alert - Latest in Beauty Perfume Box

Yes it mine as well be free, because it's just that cheap. For £4.95 (postage included), you are getting a box posted to you with perfume samples and minis. 

 

http://www.latestinbeauty.com

Now I'm going to be honest, because there is one thing that worries me.

I am going to take a gamble and still purchase this, because I really just want it for the SpaceNK laughter perfume, which alone cost £20, but it does say in tiny print on the bottom that:

"items may vary per box".

Now if I don't get the SpaceNk perfume, I'm going to be annoyed, but that is the risk you take sometimes with these types of companies that offer something at such a cheap bargain. 

So it's up to you guys, but I still wanted to blog about this offer, because it is a good way of sampling perfumes :)

NOTD and AOTD plus other ramblings

Do you have one of those days when you wish you never woke up? Today is THAT day for me.  So I'm attempting to blog and get my mind off of things.  I'm so happy that I have this blog to just vent, rant, and ramble on and on about god knows what.  I really am thankful to have this outlet.

So yeah, things just kept piling on and on, and I have been doing my best to keep my cool.  So far so good!  Here's to hoping that tomorrow is a better day :)

This post is a compilation of several things: Nail of The Day, Accessory of the Day, and some small hauls.

First...remember a few days ago I blogged about getting some free pigments from Coke rewards program? Well can you believe they arrived today? Talk about fast dispatch. WOW!

 

They are pretty, just not sure if it's colours I will use.  But the size of the pot is pretty generous, and I can see these being really great side gifts.

So next up, I was not feeling so great, so I picked this polish that's a tad vampy, murky, and matte.  I guess that's my mood today???? lol

George's Troll is the polish, and I wanted to show you all my awesome awesome awesome duster ring that I got from Topman for £2 on sale.  I'm in LOVE with topman jewellery these days, especially the rings.  There is something just very sterile, edgy, and modern about their rings.

 

LOVE IT!

Did I tell you I love it? haha!

So yes, something so simple as a ring is making my mood slightly better.

I think it's time for a cocktail tonight - yes I told you it's just one of those days.

Tonight's cocktail will be vodka, apple juice, and some Cinnamon to top it off with.  If I write something crazy after this, you know not to hold it against me :p

Goodnight lovelies xx

Freebie Alert - Clarins Vital Light Day Cream 30ml worth £34

I thought this was definitely worth posting. Buy the December issue of Woman & Home and take page 129 to the Clarins counter at your nearest department store and you'll receive a personalised skincare consultation and free super travel size of Vital Light Day SPF 15, worth £34. Offer available until 30 November 2011.

Now I don't think that I would like this magazine, and not to make a general assumption, but I don't think most of my readers are either, but maybe you can give the magazine to someone that might read it afterwards? Just a thought. I'll definitely be grabbing mine, because I love Clarins products.

**Info taken from offeroasis.co.uk**

Boots 17 BB Cream

Boots is now following Garnier and releasing their own version of the BB Cream.  Brought in from Asia, the BB Cream is suppose to have all the answers to your skin's need in 1 product.  Now, there are a million reviews about whether that is true or not, but at least this is a good tinted moisturizer.

So I went and saw the Boots 17 version, which is currently on offer for £5.99.  It will go up to £6.99 in December ladies, so if you are interested get it now.  Also, at the back of the new Boots magazine, there is a voucher for an extra 100 points with any Boots 17 purchase.  Then go to the advantage machine and print out your voucher for a free Concealer pen with any Boots 17 purchase as well.  

So the BB cream comes in 2 shades, light and dark.  

 

Simple packaging, a tad cheap, but then again 17 is aimed at teens apparently and the packaging is slightly on the cheap side.  Can't really complain about it since they are very affordable.

I blended the Light bb cream onto my hands, and instantly I saw that this would make a great tinted moisturizer.  It evened out my skin and I thought it was a good product, up until I smelled it.  I'm very sensitive with scent, so I may be very picky and critical on certain products. This is one of those times.  The Garnier smells very fresh and nice, the Boots 17 has no scent; however, I think it's been sitting in the lighted area in the display for a long time, and that heat might have distorted the scent.  It smelled plastic and cheap.  Do you know what I mean? When a product smells like it's about to go off and starts smelling really synethic? Either way, I gagged a tiny bit and put the product down.  I don't think I'll be buying this.  I will stick to my Garnier and my other BB Creams for now.  Too bad this was a fail for me, because I was quite excited for this.

Techies Needed

It has come to that point in my blog where I am feeling unhappy with my photos.  I really strive to provide clear and accurate photos for you all, because frankly that's what I love to see when I'm blog hopping.  So I have decided after Christmas that I am going on a ban on all makeup until I raise money for a new camera.  My Cannon PowerShot A560 has a broken battery latch, so lately I've been using my iphone.  Just not good enough.

So I need your input on which camera you think I should purchase.  Please keep in mind my budget is not big, but I need an affordable camera that provides great macro shots.  I'm so NOT a techy, in fact..look at camera really hurts my eyes, because there are just so many.

So if you have a camera that you use and love, please let me know.

THANK YOU LOVELIES!!!

Benefit Sugarbomb

Benefit is a quirky makeup line that just oozes girly fun.  I haven't met one person who hasn't wanted something from their line because of their cute packaging.  Someone who use to work for Benefit gave this to me (not the company) as a thank you gift, and I was really happy.  I think years ago I tried the Thrrob blusher and found it to be way too baby pink and matte on my skin so I ended up swapping it out.  Sugarbomb is very different in the sense that it contains a slight shimmer to give your face that healthy glow.  I'm all for that healthy glow now since I live in the country of no sun (I'm kidding........sort of :) ).

The wonderful aspects about this blusher are:

* Smells sweet but fresh, not overpowering at all

* Comes in a very adorable packaging

 

I will say that the paper construction of the box seems like a green initiative; however, don't get this wet because it is cardboard and it will shrivel up and get ruined.

* There are 4 colours:  peach, soft plum, shimmering pink, and rose

* When you swirl all the colours together, you get this a healthy soft rose/pink colour like this...

 

The other good part about this blusher is that it has some staying power. So that's very good for those who can't constantly reapply their makeup.

My only minor issues were the brush and the actual feel of the blusher.  The brush used up a lot of product, but didn't place as my on my cheeks. I also don't like powders that crumble on your skin when you apply it, it doesn't happen so much when you apply it with a brush, but when I used my finger to get the swatch for this post, I had to smear the crumbled powder onto my arm to get an even application.  Very odd.

After trying Sugarbomb, I am very interested in getting Coralista from Benefit.

This can be purchased for £23.50 at Boots, Debenhams, and anywhere else there is a Benefit concession, and of course online.

 

Do you like Benefit Blushers? Which one is your favourite?

Burberry Sheer Eye Shadow No 02 Trench Swatch and Review

I remember feeling how the Burberry plaid pattern was being hammered over in the states.  I remember seeing plaid everywhere, especially among all my Korean friends.  I never thought plaid suited me, so luckily I never craved for anything Burberry (unless it was from that small creative outburst of a collection of studded and spiked jewellery from this normally traditional and conservative fashion house).  So when I heard that Burberry was coming out with a makeup line, I really wasn't too bothered last year.  Well a very nice SA over in the states gave this to me after he made a little mistake with one of my orders.  It's almost a year later and I remembered that I had this and wanted to swatch it for you all.  

Unfortunately, the move across the Atlantic Ocean, on top of the fact that I dropped a load of makeup recently while cleaning (don't ask I'm clumsy like that) has resulted in my only Burberry eyeshadow to crack.  I tried to press it back into shape, but sadly the gorgeous plaid hetchmarks on the eyeshadow is all screwed up now.  Way to go Sue!

So let me talk about the packaging.  I think a huge part of the allure of this line is the packaging.  It is made of this shiny and mirror like dark steel packaging with the traditional plaid marked all over it.  They are taking brand identity to a whole new level.  It is in your face, you will not mistake this for any other brand out there.  As you know, I am a lover of packaging.  Even if the product is sh*t, I will still buy it if I find the packaging is gorgeous.  This is just that type of situation.

 

 

 

The aftermath

How sad! But you can still see some remnants of the plaid hetchmarks

 

No 02 Trench is a nude matte eyeshadow

Soft to the feel, but not pigmented at all. I guess that's why they call it a sheer eyeshadow.

I personally don't like that it isn't very pigmented, but I guess it works with their whole line and fashion collection: conservative, natural, and traditional. This is for those who like nude, natural makeup.  I tried to take a photo of the swatch on my arm, but it literally blended into my skin like a foundation powder.  I may even try put this on top my BB Cream to see what it looks like on my face later.

Burberry eye shadows can be purchased for £23 from Harrods.

I don't think that I would purchase this eyeshadow, because it is just too sheer for my liking; however, I think Burberry makeup would make an excellent gift to someone special. 

It is just a well made product line, simple yet elegant, and just overall a little bit of luxury in a box.

Well worth giving as a gift in my opinion.

So I'll be spending my day checking all my makeup now to see what other casualties I can find from my clumsy mistake :(  yes, I'm a bit sad over my broken makeup right now...sigh...I know how sad right? but if you love these little bundles of colour like I do, you are feeling my pain right now lol.