Christmas Haul and Swap Reveal Photos

Happy 2014 everyone!  I am officially on holiday so I'm sitting here in my PJ's in total hibernation mode.  I finally gathered up all my haul and swap items in December and can now do a proper post about all the things that I purchased or swapped for.

I've been working on downsizing my stash and swapping for items that I will use, so I'm very proud that I managed to get all my beauty stash into my makeup unit on my vanity and an IKEA Helmer :)

**Warning: Long post :) and apologies for the iphone pics, my camera is broke**

Let's start with my favourite purchase of the season!
Acne Comet Boots (purchased from Harrods)
I recently posted about this, but they are finally here. I wore them to work for 2 days and they were so comfortable and I received so many compliments ::blush::
My only grievance is that the box is pretty standard and flimsy. For boots that originally cost over £400, I expected a little bit more.

 

Do you see that bright bag in the background? I also treated myself to the 

Vivienne Westwood vs. Cambridge Satchel Company bag  

(purchased from The Cambridge Satchel Company in Covent Garden)

These bags are so sturdy and well constructed. I just fell in love with the energy and vibrancy of this design.  My friend who bought this for me told me to go for this one instead of the brown one that I was initially going to go for.

Continuing with the Vivienne Westwood theme...

Lush x Vivienne Westwood Scarves 

 (purchased from my local Lush shop)

These were very limited and I'm happy to have secured both.

Guerlain Terra Nerolia Highlighter 

(purchased from Debenhams)

I was shocked to see this at 50% off as usually these limited edition products sell out before they can even go on sale.  I love the Guerlain palettes so much. They smell so fresh and fruity and the craftsmanship is so stunning.

 

A few more purchases for the New Years

I didn't want to pay the money for a Louis Vuitton refill in my agenda, so I headed to TK Maxx in hopes to find the Taschen Calendar Diary and Viola! there were tons. Many years ago at Uni, I purchased a Dali one and I loved it. The pages are filled with a lot of graphics and the paper is high gloss and sturdy.  It will last all year and it's worth the £5.99 price tag as well.

Also included in this photo are Muji pens. A co-worker gave these to me and I accepted with a huge smile on my face :)

 

The next item was a bargain find on ebay for only 99p. 

The Ninja Bunny Drawstring bag is very kawaii! I currently use it as my makeup bag.  

The last of my purchases before I move onto my swap reveal...

Lush Shower Gels: Ponche, Rose Jam, and Snow Fairy

My favourite of the three has always been Snow Fairy, but I had to get Rose Jam and Ponche for their unique scents.  Ponche is fresh orange juice and tequila and Rose Jam is a modern take on the traditional Rose smell.  Both are full of zest, freshness, and I love using them!  I had to stock up so I ended up buying 3 large bottles after I bought the travel sizes.

They are indeed limited edition, you can try your luck at your local Lush shop.

 

Ok ladies & gents, onto the swap reveals....

TheFACEShop Fruit Face Mask from Korea

I haven't tried them yet so can't comment, but these are actual cotton mask you put onto your face. They look a bit creepy, but fun ha!

 

(From L-R)

Caudalie Huile Divine OIl

I have only used their moisturisers before, but the oil smells "divine" for real!

 

Lucy Annabella Organics - Argan & Bergamot oil

I never heard of this brand, but the scent is fresh and I'm looking forward to using this on my legs tonight

S5 Purity Serum

This is another brand that I haven't heard of. I'm in love with oils and serums lately, so happy to give this one a try

The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit hand cleanser

Anyone who knows me that I don't support the Body shop since they were recently bought out by L'oreal.  I will say though that this hand sanitizer leaves an orange scent on your hand for a long time.

Escada Cherry In The Air (gift)

If you like sweet and uncomplicated perfumes that borderline body sprays, then this one is for you.

Ren Neroli & Grapefruit body cream 

I love Neroli so much! It is actually moisturising as well. I know Ren had a huge marketing presence when they first launched so I'm excited to finally try this before investing in money

Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation (only £2.99 from fragrancedirect.com)

I couldn't believe how inexpensive this was on fragrancedirect as Boots and Superdrugs is selling it far more.  I actually love using this foundation on days where I'm just running to the supermarket.

Clarins Santal Face Treatment Oil 

This was a free tester from my friend at the Clarins counter. The oil is so pure and rich. I put this on my face but wasn't so keen on the heaviest of it, so I will be using this in my hair.

Fresh Mangosteen Soap (gift)

I am happy to see that Fresh is still up and running. It's very difficult to get Fresh here in the UK, so a friend sent this to me as a gift. I currently have so much soap that I'm not sure when I'm going to use this one, but soon for sure.

Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin perfume (gift)

Jo Malone is one of those brands that keeps growing. I'm not sure if they are growing too fast or not as their scents are becoming far too predictable; however, this one is very different and unique.  Just my kind of perfume.

MAC muscle tone nail polish (gift)

I always forget about MAC products, especially MAC nail polish.  This one takes 4 coats to make opaque

Perfume Guide from Luca Turin and Tanya Sanchez
I swapped for this book and I'm so happy to have it. The book goes over both high street and niche perfumes with humour, great insight, and knowledge. I've enjoyed reading this and feel very inspired to grow my perfume collection

MAC 217 Blending Brush was a gift. It's such a great blending brush. It's soft and blends shadow without striping the colour.

Bare Minerals Original Foundation in Medium Beige 

I swapped for this as it's one of my HG foundations.  I love using this on it's own in the summer or on top of my liquid foundation during the winter.  This is honestly an amazing foundation that highlights skin that is maturing (aka my skin now :(  )

Well that's all folks! These are the products that I will be working through along with my stash.  I'm really making an effort not to purchase too much but purchase quality products that I can enjoy using all year. 

I'd love to know what your fav purchase was in 2013? and Happy New Years to new and old readers.  May 2014 be filled with lovely products and happiness x

My Holiday Haul with Chanel & Guerlain

Hello lovely people!
It has only been a week later since my last post, but I feel like a completely different person.  Gibraltar was sunny and beautiful. Other than the jellyfish infestation, I managed to get a good amount of beach time in.  Going up the rock was an amazing (and slightly scary) feeling and being so close to the monkeys was an amazing experience in itself.  I could see Africa so vividly as well! The pillars of Hercules is now my new home away from home. I can't wait to return.

I have to admit once again how scared I was driving up this rock and being so high up lol.
The other great part about Gibraltar happens to be the cosmetic & perfumes shops on Main street.  What a great place for an avid beauty collector like myself :)

So onto the bounty! I went a little Chanel crazy, and in my defense if it wasn't 20% off with an additional 10% off on top, I probably wouldn't have splurged like this. But I'm pretty happy with my stash.

Guerlain - "Sun In The City" golden highlighter (on sale for £37)
Chanel - illusions d'ombress in mirifique & epatant (£17.50 each)
Chanel - nail colour in coco blue, beige, pearl drop and mat top coat (£13.05 each)

  I'm going to go a little pic heavy on the Guerlain highlighter, because it DESERVES it. It is a massive highlighter.  Just as they have done in the past, Guerlain really puts a lot of attention and detail into the hetch marks.  I hope my photos will show you the ripples within the compact. I have yet to see anyone do a highlighter like this, and despite hesitating at the £37 price tag, I am so happy to have this in my collection.  Oh and it doesn't hurt that pigmentation on this is absolutely amazing.
  
 
 

  

You guys all know my deep love for these Chanel cream shadows. The illusions d'ombress are all amazing.  I bought Mirifique after seeing someone wear it as an eyeliner.  This has kicked MAC's blacktrack's butt and has taken it's place in my heart. The shimmer of this cream shadow really gives a unique look to the plain black gel eyeliner.  I absolutely love this, and I plan on re-purchasing this over and over again. Please Chanel, do not discontinue this!

I was given Epatant previously by a friend, but for some reason the product was defected. I'm not sure what it was but the scent was off, so I ended up just swatching it for the blog and that was it. I knew I had to replace this as it really is an amazing colour for the fall.  The shimmery army green/pewter shade is the type of unique shade that Chanel produces.   

Other than the Mat top coat, these three are nearly impossible for me to get, so you could imagine how quickly I snatched these up when I saw them. You will all definitely see a NOTD with these soon.

 

Really didn't expect to see a pink shimmer to Beige, what a pleasant surprise

And the most exciting purchase from my holiday was actually a complete splurge. I guess this is what I was saving my money for the last 3 months :)

Love the silver & black enamel frame and big lenses.  I suffer from a low (non existent) nose bridge, so buying sunglasses is always a struggle ( just like buying jeans). So, when I find a pair that fits me and actually looks good, I have to buy it. DH wonders why it has to be so expensive however lol Men....they just don't get it, do they?

 

I don't normally like flowers, but I don't mind the Chanel flower at all lol

So yes, that is my haul. Slightly broke, but at least I have some amazing goodies that will keep me busy for a while.  I actually came back from my holiday and jumped on ebay and purchased a load of topshop earrings. I don't know what it is about their earrings, but I just love them. So fun and funky fresh!


I know the next time I go back to Gibraltar, I will be bringing back perfumes as well. I think I found my beauty mecca :)

Guerlain Rose Aux Joues Blush Duos 02 Chic Pink

Fall collections....it's the time of the year where I am extremely broke, because I have zero will power to resist nabbing each one.

I personally do not own any blush duos, so I had a fun time playing with this.  I'll be honest, I spent most of the time sniffing the actual blush.  There is something about Guerlain's makeup that smells so good, and helps me drift away to a happier place.  It is a gorgeous blend of fresh, floral scent that is classic and luxurious.  I think that I am paying for this scent.  If Guerlain could bottle up their scent that is in their makeup, I will be the first in line to purchase it.

Meet the Rose aux joues blush duo in chic pink from the Autumn 2012 collection.

As much as I love the velvet cases, I hate how much dust they capture and how it shows up so easily

The brush is a bit worthless, but better than most that come in these types of compacts

Overall, I am very happy with this blush. The warm subtle and feminine pink hue is a great everyday look.  As mentioned before, I love the scent and of course I have to comment about the packaging.  Nobody puts as much care and attention to packaging then Guerlain.

Retail: £32.50

Searching for Guerlain's Cruel Gardenia

Attention beauty addicts.

If you have a Cruel Gardenia by Guerlain highlighter, and would like to sell it, please shoot me an email at tokkiandoliver(at)gmail(dot)com.  I'm desperately looking for it :)

UPDATE:  I found one on ebay for below retail :) So happy to have this coming to me :)

A London Story

I am so sorry that I have been away.  Life just got so busy all of a sudden, and next thing I know I haven't blogged in almost 2 days.  That's really the longest and it won't ever happen again (or at least I hope not) :).  So I have another long post full of reveals, and just chitter chatter...

So last minute I hopped on the train to head to London for work and some play.  I absolutely enjoyed my short 1.5 days in that fabulous city.  Got to get my a$$ closer there in the future (god willing on how my business goes).  So not only was it really educational, but it was loads of fun.

Here's the nails that I rocked while I was there:

Chanel Graphite with Chanel black velvet on the ring fingers topped off with Rococo's Gold Leaf. Rococo (as stunning as it is) was a very difficult polish to use.  The clear polish is so thick that the Gold Leaf pieces just seem to slide off.  It took a long time to get 2 fingers done.  The overall effect is gorgeous, and I'm so blessed to have been given this polish, but it takes a skilled and patient type of person to use this polish.

 

Here's me on the train.

I pushed my way to get a great seat with a table.

Meet my Louis Vuitton damier musette tango.

This bag is so handy when I need to be hands free.

 

 

So my friend that I met up with is a such a fantastic person.

It's rare to meet people like this.

So well rounded, decent, down to earth and just someone that I look up!

So when she started busting out her awesome goodies, I just had to snap up pictures.

I mean look at this?

WHAT?! A highly limited edition Chanel piece.

 

 

 

 

You can mix and the pigments to be used for lips, cheeks, eyes...

It is a beauty addicts dream come true.

I joked with her about how I was going to steal this from her :p

 Then she knocked me off my feet, when she showed me her Vintage Chanel earrings!

Just look at the craftsmanship on this baby.  Such a stunner!

 

Then she decided to be even more awesome by giving me this!!!

An entire Nails Inc nail care set!!!!

 

Talk about a welcome present! 

I guess my love for nail polish is THAT obvious haha!

 We had a good pow wow, and a fun trip down to Oxford Street.  I didn't splurge, and just bought something that I felt was a necessity.  Selfridges is just a beautiful place for any beauty addict. The building, the lighting, the merchandise is just beyond anything that I have ever seen.  Nothing in the states comes close, not even the best of the best of the Neiman Marcus or Saks.  Selfridges really knows how present products, and really just create an amazing beauty hall like no other!

I have been wanting the Suqqu eyebrow pen forever.  It had to be mine! and now it is.  I immediately used it while I was there, and I will now retire my Dior eyebrow pen.  I will never cheat on Suqqu with anyone...it is just THAT good.

 I know, I know, just one product seems like such a restraint for someone like me, but times are tough, so I did treat myself to just this one thing.  I am very proud of myself.

So only 4 hours of sleep and many hours on the go, I have been exhausted, but not exhausted enough to rip open my packages when I arrived.  Here are my new goodies.

Actually, before I show this...I do want to mention something.  I know that I have been revealing a lot of gifts from people over the last few posts.  I do this for many reasons.  First, because I'm so excited to have these items, and I thought I could share that enthusiasm with my readers.  Second, because it is my way of thanking my friend(s) for giving them to me.  Yet, my intentions have been misunderstood by someone out there in cyber land.  I got a comment that I had to reject recently that stated "Stop showing off".  Trust me, it's not showing off.  In fact, compared to many bloggers, my shopping habits is very very modest and minimal.  When I blog reveals it is merely to show how grateful I am of the generosity that has been bestowed upon me.  However...I'm not writing this rebuttal to say that I don't listen to my readers.  I understand that in today's tough economy, showing a huge package of products given to me can make someone jealous or even bitter.  So out of courtesy and true respect for my readers, I will no longer be doing reveals of gifts.  I will just continue doing reviews of products.  

Ok sorry about that huge tangent! 

Now onto some new products that were waiting for me today.

First bunch came from a makeupalley swap recently.

 

 

Christian Dior retractable lipbrush and

Fresh Creme Ancienne sample

I already tried the sample, and it feels so nice on my skin.

The Dior brush is very handy, and you get a lot of brush for fast and even coverage.

Next are two items that I have been really wanting to try for a long time!

Guerlain's Jasminora mini perfume, and

Illamasqua Kink.

 

Isn't that bottle just beautiful?

I love the fragrance, and I believe I am going to purchase a full size bottle sometime in the future.

Watch out for the NOTD of the Illamasqua Kink tomorrow!

How is everyone spending their fall?

The weather has definitely changed here, and it is now time for jackets & boots.

Until next time,

take it ez!

AND.....

Don't forget to enter my giveaway if you haven't already!

Favourite Products of August 2011

Despite having tried and liking a lot of products, I wanted to show you the 4 products that I reached for everyday.  These are my favourite for last month.

Guerlain Meteorites Powder in Mythic 01

I actually have had this for almost 2 years now, and it continues to smell just absolutely amazing.  I love it. It's along the same lines of Physicians Formula Happy Booster powder, but 100x better.  It just puts me in a good mood.  I love the sheer matte coverage it gives me, and it sets my makeup without making it look too cakey.  Absolutely love this.

Laura Mercier Pink Suede Lip Palette

Well Laura Mercier and I do not get along. I just don't like how that company tries to pass off their expired makeup every year during their "friends and family" sale, and I decided to not purchase from them again. Well I didn't purchase this for per say, it came inside that huge makeup lot that I keep talking about.

I will however give credit where credit is due.  This is one of the best lip palettes that I have tried in a long time.  The palette offers 3 different colours, but because they all compliment each other, you can wear one, or mix two or mix all 3 together (which is what I do).  It gives me a perfect nude pink for day time.  So despite not liking this company, I have to say that this product is actually quite good.  I'm going to miss this once I'm done with it, but I will stick to my "boycott" and not repurchase this.

YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch in 1

I had some mixed feelings about this product when I first got it, but after using it all month long, I really have noticed that it helps a lot with making my face look brighter. I kept this in my bag with me along with the Laura Mercier lip palette. 

Last but definitely not least...

Christian Dior Forever Extreme Wear foundation in 022

This is a god set product for me, especially during my break out periods.  I love the coverage and love how it's the only liquid product that hasn't broken me out either.  It does say extreme wear and it is quite a heavy coverage, but I don't apply it all over during the day.  It's covers up 99% of my blemishes, and I love it very much.

I've definitely been obsessed with having flawless skin these days, so I'm always seeking out products that help me achieve that. I'm quite happy with my Dior extreme wear foundation. I'll be trying the Chanel Pro lumiere soon, and I hope to compare how those two worked for me.

So that's my favourite products of last month.

On other news, I finally finished my 6th product for my project 10 pan.

Goodbye MUFE duo mat powder

3 more to go!!

Thanks for visiting me today xx

and just a quick reminder that there is less than a week left on my

50 Follower Blog Giveaway!!                                                       

http://tokkiandoliver.blogspot.com/2011/08/what-time-is-it-its-giveaway-time.html