30.6.14

The Blow Bar At French Connection

The Blow Bar At French Connection
The Blow Bar At French Connection
The Blow Bar At French Connection
The Blow Bar At French Connection The Blow Bar At French Connection
The Blow Bar At French Connection
The Blow Bar At French Connection

Shopping, and beautifying all under one roof?! Yes, that’s right earlier this year the Islington based salon named the Blow Bar, teamed up with Regent Streets French connection in London. Genius. Blow Bars are a thing of the norm over in NYC; if theres a Starbucks theres bound to be a a blow bar close by! But  they haven’t really made a stamp on the UK as of yet. But I think we can all agree that a bit of mid-retail therapy pampering is much appreciated! So when I received an email inviting me down to the Blow Bar at French Connection, I couldn’t say no.

You can pop in, or book online for a speedy, somewhat luxurious treatment. There is an easy blow dry menu with all the blow dries listed. There are 8 signature blow dries to choose from, for just £25 (30mins), ranging from your classic big round brush blow, to a braided bun. Or, you can make your own "bespoke” do, for only £40 (45mins). They even offer mini makeovers with Lord and Berry makeup for £20 (20mins) and a manicures for £15 (15mins). Or, if your feeling very self indulgent, you can have all three services, for a very reasonable price of £50. It’s also worth mentioning that they also offer pre taped hair extensions. You can see the full menu here

The Blow Bar At French Connection
The Blow Bar At French Connection

After doing a spot of shopping I found my way to French Connection on Regent Street. In all honesty I didn’t know what to expect, maybe the sound of multiple hair dryers and moody stylists (I haven’t had the best experience in Salons), but I was totally surprised when I arrived at the Blow Bar. I was greeted by two friendly stylists Aieasha and Miffy and loved the look and feel of the Blow Bar, it was clean, white, bright and really pretty and I instantly felt welcomed. Oh, and how funky is the massive hair dryer in the window!? 

Aieasha got straight to washing my hair and the shampoo, conditioner and treatment she used smelt lush! I felt so relaxed and I must also mention that I received possibly one of the nicest head massages ever, whilst she wash my hair. It was bliss, I didn’t want her to stop! Once my hair was wrapped up in a head towel (I looked ever so attractive!) we headed over to the bar and I opted for the ‘Total Beach Babe' blow dry, which is described as a laid-back wavy look. I initially thought this blow dry would involve the use of a big round brush, but what do I know! Aiesha blow dried my hair and then curled my it with a styling wand, finishing with some hair spray. I really liked the finish and my hair felt light, soft and bouncy and it smelt amazing - although I could have done with a little more volume on the top (this is where my CW texturing spray would of come in handy!). 

Whilst I sat back and had my hair done and my sister snapped away on my camera (thank you Rachel!), Miffy gave me a manicure and I was overwhelmed with the choice of nail polish, all of which was by OPI. But after being a little indecisive, I went for an orange from the new OPI Brazil collection and it was called 'Where did Suzi’s Man-go?’ - you’ve got to love a good nail polish name! Whilst having both my hair and nails done Myself, Miffy, Aiesha and Rachel chatted, oh and lets not forget the complimentary glass of prosecco! I was offered loose tea, but the champagne won me over.

The Blow Bar At French Connection

The Blow Bar At French Connection
The Blow Bar At French Connection
The Blow Bar At French Connection The Blow Bar At French Connection The Blow Bar At French Connection
The Blow Bar At French Connection
The finished look (I do have a neck, but apparently not in this picture!)

My verdict? A simple concept. But a brilliant one, whether your on a lunch break, hen do, night out, shopping spree, or as a birthday treat, I really recommend popping in for a bit of TLC! I will certainly be heading back and taking a few of my friends along! It was a great experience and a much needed one, as I have been extremely busy recently, so it was nice to take some time out for myself. And I just want to thank all the girls once again for inviting me down, making me feel so welcome and doing such a fab job! You can book a Blow Bar appointment here.

Have you visited the Blow Bar at French Connection yet? 
Emily
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18.6.14

The Sewlomax Makeup Bag

The Sewlomax Makeup Bag

The contents of any makeup bag is very important. But, I think we can all agree that there is also nothing better, than a brand new, downright pretty makeup bag! I have got through a handful of makeup bags (haven’t we all!?), one of which I won at some form of a makeup party, which I loved for years along with my much loved Ted Baker makeup bag and then, along came the Sewlomax makeup bag.

Funnily enough I had be eyeing up these makeup bags online and dithering about which one I would like and during my online shopping crave, I entered a giveaway over on Hayley’s blog, a.k.a The London Beauty Queen. I’m not normally one to enter giveaways, but she was giving away 5 Sewlomax makeup bags, so I didn’t hesitate to enter. And I’m sure you know what I’m going to say next? Yep, that’s right, I only went and won one - it must have been my lucky day.

Sewlomax was Created by Emma Lomax back in 2011. She creates crafty, ethical, fun, stylish, wash bags, tablet cases, phone cases, glass cases and pencil cases! Each product is lovingly handmade and hand embodied. What’s not to love?

The Sewlomax Makeup Bag
The Sewlomax Makeup Bag
The Sewlomax Makeup Bag

The makeup bag I won came beautifully wrapped in a box and tissue paper and is simply a beautifully designed canvas bag, which has been ethically sourced and treated with Scotchguard™ to protect it from stains, which  means you can wipe clean your Sewlomax bag. I think this is great, as the majority of makeup bags I have used, have ended up covered in all sorts and this finish means it will last even longer! The bright raspberry pink makeup bag, has a gold zip, with the added touch of a little gold sewing thread reel and I love it! These makeup bags are a must have for any beauty addict like myself and are also a fab gift idea! 

The Sewlomax Makeup Bag

Emma adds new styles regularly, so I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next! And get this, you can design your own bespoke makeup bag! A feature I have just found whilst browsing online... I must admit I’m tempted! I also really like the lipstick pouch in cream which you can find here. Once again thank you to both Hayley and Emma! Im very much looking forward to filling it with all my favourite makeup products.

What’s your favourite makeup bag?
Emily
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15.6.14

Victoria Secrets Coconut Passion Fragrance Mist // Review

Victoria Secrets Coconut Passion Fragrance Mist // Review

I dread to think how much money I have spent on perfume in my lifetime. I may only be 21, but don’t under estimate my love for perfume. I have gone through bottles of the stuff. I love it! And today, I’m going to share with you a new favourite of mine, which doesn't come in a glass bottle and hasn’t cost me over £40, but is funnily enough the one fragrance I receive the most compliments on, when I wear it! And that my dears, is Victoria Secrets Coconut Passion Fragrance Mist.

Victoria Secrets Coconut Passion Fragrance Mist // Review

If you like coconut and vanilla, this body mist should go straight to the top your beauty wishlist! I would say this body mist smells primarily of vanilla, but it does have undertones of coconut. It smells delicious! It is a summery, sweet scent which is relatively long lasting for a mist, but I like to carry it with me and spray it on everything and everyone! Another thing I love about this fragrance as mentioned above, is how everyone else always comments and asks what it is when I wear it (I actually wanted to keep this body mist to myself, but it was worthy of a review!)

It’s unfortunate you can’t smell things though the internet (well in this case anyway!) as it honestly smells divine! I'm a big fan of Victoria Secrets body mists, I own 7 in total and I must say they all smell pretty good! However this one is without a doubt my favourite. I think, (correct me if I’m wrong) that they retail for £9-£11 each, but you can buy three bottles for £24, which I must say, all things considered, is a right bargain! It’s hard to find online, but amazon have a selection here, or you can find your nearest VS store here

Whats your most complimentary perfume?
Emily
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11.6.14

British Beauty Addict’s 1st Blog-Versary!

British Beauty Addict’s 1st Blog-Versary!
That’s right, British Beauty Addict is 1 today [insert celebratory sound effects here]! In the space of 365 days, I have written 73 blog posts, had over 99,225 page views, read over 2,000 comments and gained over 700 readers... wow. 

But for me it has never been about the numbers, I never set up my blog with the intention of 10 people reading it, let alone over 700! I set up British Beauty Addict a year ago after reading numerous beauty blogs and thinking 'I could do that!'. My blog has been a place for me to gush about my latest beauty finds and favourites, to people who are just as beauty obsessive as I am (rather than to all my friends, family and my boyfriend, who I’m sure really isn’t all that interested!). For me, my blog has been a massive learning curve; although I must admit, I still haven’t learnt how to use my DSLR properly, I have recently been having a case of ‘Oh that’s what that button does'! But yes, I have found something, which I thoroughly enjoy, that has helped me to develop my writing skills and been a place where I can be creative. 

And in terms of what is to come here at British Beauty Addict, I’m excited to finally put my all into my blog, especially as I have recently finished my University degree. Question, what type of content do you guys like to read? 

Well, this post has felt a little self indulgent, so I think I’ll wrap it up here! But thank you to everyone who regularly reads my posts and leave comments. I must also mention that I have met some lovely people (well, virtually!) and tapped into a community, which I wish I had known about sooner! And lastly, I just want to say a quick mention to my friends, who have all been really supportive and take the time to read my posts (you know who you are!). 

Cheers to a year of non-stop beauty.
Love your resident British Beauty Addict,
Emily
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9.6.14

Recent Purchases #3

Recent Purchases #3
Payday arrived and i’ll be honest in the words of Amelia Liana I was #feelingspendy! It’s not hard to pick up a basket in Boots, fill it within seconds and leave the store with both a large bag with the contents adding up to over £50 and your hands covered in lipstick swatches! So today, I’m going to quickly share with you the contents of my Boots bag.

Imperial Leather Foamburst Luxurious Body Wash £3.15
After smelling every body wash from Soap & Glory and being disappointed with the scent of their new Orangeasm range, I decided to pick up a couple of the new Imperial leather foamburst body washes. No doubt I was very curious about these body washes, which claim to 'smooth gel into an abundance of rich, creamy lather that glides across your skin like silk and they have both been in my shower since and I must admit they are pretty nice! Will have a full review for you soon. 

Charles Worthington Style Setter Dry Shampoo £5.99
I have become a little lazy recently in terms of hair care and have been slacking on the old hair washing routine. Although I do like Batiste Dry Shampoo, my scalp doesn’t, so I wanted to try something else. As a huge fan of CW Hair Care, I thought I would try their dry shampoo and once again like the majority of their products, it smells good! I have used this product a couple of times and I quite like it.

Recent Purchases #3

Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Mascara £4.99
I bought this brow gel recently and really enjoyed using it and then the next thing I knew I had lost it (how does one loose makeup?!). Maybelline had a 3 for 2 promotion and I couldn’t resist  and had to repurchase it. I bought the shade medium brown and love using it on lazy days, where I simply cannot be asked to fill my brows in properly, with a wax and powder. It’s basically a mascara for your brows with a ball brush. Its quick, long lasting and gives a natural finish - although FYI if you apply too much, it can go a little crispy.

Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer Light £7.99
I have been watching a of a lot of youTube recently (maybe a tad too much!) and this concealer keeps cropping up everywhere and was one of the products I actually went into Boots with the intention of buying! This concealer claims to ‘erase dark circles, puffiness and fine lines instantly’ all whilst caring for the eye area as it’s enriched with Goji Berry. Im not 100% keen on the sponge applicator, but hopefully the product will be so good I can look past that.

Recent Purchases #3

SEVENTEEN Doll’d Up Mascara £6.29 
This mascara is a cult favourite of mine and as my current one was looking a little worse for wear, it went without saying that I needed to pick up a new one. You can read my review on this mascara here

Recent Purchases #3

Soap & Glory Solar Powder Bronzer £11.00
This wasn’t an intentional purchase (but then again where any of these products?!). After watching a recent youTube video where Lilly Pebbles said this was her favourite bronzer, I couldn’t not pick it up especially as Boots are currently offering buy 1 get 1 half price on Soap & Glory products. This bronzer is a 'Multi-Shade Shimmering Bronzer / Highlighter Brick for beautifully luminous skin’ and I’m looking forward to giving it a go. 

Soap & Glory One Heck Of A Blot £12.00
With summer slowly creeping up on us, I decided I was in need of a new translucent setting powder as recently my nose has been looking a little shiny. This powder compact (claims to) 'offer world-class shine control and oil-absorption’ whilst being 'ultra-light, and give the skin a traceless, smooth, velvety finish’. Im looking forward to giving it a go, especially after hearing so much about it. The powder comes with a little round sponge applicator, but I doubt I will use it. I was thinking instead about purchasing one of the new Real Techniques retractable brushes so I can use it on the go, watcha think?

Recent Purchases #3

Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner Pen Black £8.99
I rarely go a day without wearing a feline flick and I have been loving experimenting with new eyeliners, so when I spotted this eyeliner hiding in the Maybelline display, I was very curious about the silicon-tip applicator and the fact it is gel, so I had to pop it into my basket. It claims to give intense colour in just one click and last for 48hrs and it can only be removed with waterproof makeup remover (which is a little frustrating, but we will see). 

Charles WorthingtonCharles Worthington Volume & Bounce Texturising Spray £6.99
Another repurchase. My favourite hair styling product ever. If your on the hunt for big hair without the dreaded backcomb this product is da bomb, Read my full review here
I will have to report back to you all with some full product reviews. 
But in the meantime, what have you bought recently? 
Emily
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5.6.14

Kiko Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow // Review

(07) Golden Beige / (05) Rosy Brown

There has been a lot of hype recently in the beauty blogging world about the By Terry Ombre Blackstar Cream Shadow Sticks and although Im sure we would all love to own one, (or maybe two...), we can’t all afford to pay £28 for a shadow stick! So, today I’m going to share with you all a product from KIKO Make Up Milano, which is very similar and more affordable at just £6.90.

Firstly before we get onto the review, I thought I would tell you a little bit about KIKO. KIKO is an Italian drugstore brand that was voted as the 'Brand to Watch award' by beauty bloggers back in 2013 at the Cosmo Beauty Awards. KIKO sells makeup and skincare products such as face masks, cleansing milk and even sun protection and all the products are very reasonably priced and of a high quality.


(07) Golden Beige / (05) Rosy Brown
(07) Golden Beige / (05) Rosy Brown

Now onto the review. Let’s start with the packaging; the packaging is simple, sleek and practical with the colour shown at the end of the stick. The product itself is in a stick form and the end is rounded.  They apply smoothly onto the lid without tugging and the formula doesn't feel heavy like other cream shadows, or sticks I have tried. The finish is one of my favourite things about this product; it looks a bit wet and has a beautiful sheen (I will have to show you on a possible FOTD post?). Oh, and did I mention there is 32 shades to choose from.

Both of these shades I have are sparkly (not glittery) neutrals and the pigmentation is pretty darn good! Rosy Brown (05), is rose-tinted taupe (LOVE IT!) and (07) Golden Beige, is a champagne colour. Golden Beige is perfect in the inner corner as a highlight and Rosy Brown in my opinion isn’t all that brown (the swatch doesn’t do it justice!) and is without a doubt my favourite of the two and looks b-e-a-utiful when worn all over the lid. 

I personally don’t need to use a primer with this product and initially I liked to apply this product straight from the stick and then blend using my finger, but the colour wasn’t as intense as I would have liked (although this is perfect for everyday wear). I then realised you can build the intensity by applying a layer, letting it set and applying another and so on. I then like to blend out any harsh edges with a blending brush. Be warned though, although this product is blendable, it does set after a minute or so! It also looks really nice smudged under the lower lash line; I personally like to do this with the shade Rosy Brown for a grungy look. 

(07) Golden Beige / (05) Rosy Brown
Left To Right: (07) Golden Beige / (05) Rosy Brown

The formula is fab, they are super smooth and the pigmentation is great. They dont crease, in fact the pigmentation is pretty flawless all day and the colour doesn’t budge at all and on top of all that there is no colour transfer onto the top of the lid - once its on, its on! KIKO claims that these shadow sticks are waterproof and although I cant say much on the matter, I can say that if  you rub your lids once its set, it doesn't budge, but the product does remove perfectly well with my Garnier micellar water. 

Unfortunately there aren’t that many KIKO stores here in the UK. Their flagship store is in Regent Street, London and they also have a store at Westfield Stratford. My one pet peeve about this brand is if you shop online, to qualify for delivery you have to spend a minimum of £25! And even then you donqualify for free delivery (annoying!). However when you sign up to KIKO you get free delivery on your first order. But saying that, it isn’t hard to spend £25 and I defiantly want to pick up a few more shades and try out some other products like their eyeshadow quads.

Have you tried anything from Kiko cosmetics? 
Emily
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1.6.14

Obessed With #4: Kiehl's Micro Blur Skin Perfector

Obessed With #4: Kiehl's Micro Blur Skin Perfector

Say hello to my latest obsession, Kiehls Micro Blur Skin Perfector! This latest release from Kiehls, is a "lightweight skin smoother, to instantly refine skin texture and minimize the appearance of pores, whilst improving skins quality over time” and let me tell y'all now, this stuff is like Photoshop in a bottle.

Although this product is somewhat a hybrid (skincare and makeup in one), it is foremost a primer for me and I like to apply this as the last step in my skincare routine, before I apply my makeup. On application this flesh toned, skin perfector glides over my skin and is surprisingly creamy in texture considering it contains silicone. It’s not thick, or heavy like other primers I have tried. Its very lightweight and your skin still feels as though it can breathe (it’s also non-commedogenic, so don’t be worried about it clogging up your pores!). After application iimmediately reduces pores making them less obvious, but then they somewhat disappear when I apply my foundation over the top. 

Obessed With #4: Kiehl's Micro Blur Skin Perfector

Another great thing about this product is the soft focus effect it gives, meaning that it diffuses the light, so your skin appears both smoother and less flawed than it really is (hello instant Instagram filter!). And although I have an irregular skin tone, I have found this product has worked really well at diffusing any redness and my complexion appears a lot more even after application. And for those of us with dry skin, this primer isn't drying in the slightest, in fact it smooths over any dry patches. In terms of the finish, it isn’t quite matte, but I like that as my base appears more natural.
 
Out of all the primers I own this is by far the best! My makeup lasts forever when I use this, in fact my makeup looks just as good at the end of the day, as it did when I first applied it! The only downside is I have to use far more makeup remover! But then again, Im starting to wear less makeup as a result of using this product and thats down to the three main ingredients; Lipohydroxy Acid, a gentle exfoliation ingredient that leaves skin looking more radiant and smoother. Lentil Extract, which is found to help strengthen and tighten pores and Bark Extract, which helps to smooth the texture of skin. 

If you are going to buy one thing this month it has to be this! And don’t be put off by the price, its actually £1.50 cheaper than Benefits best selling POREfessional and you get an extra 8ml of product - not to mention the added skincare benefits! Overall, this product gets a big thumbs up from me and lets all take a minute to give Kiehls a round of applause, for creating yet again another fab product that does exactly what it says on the tin.

Tempted? 
Emily
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