Bare Escentuals Get Started Kit

I think it's about time for another review of one of my favey foundations at the moment.

This time it's Bare Minerals Foundation in medium beige, which I purchased as part of the Bare Minerals Medium Get Started Kit back in March.



It is designed for anyone new to Bare Minerals and retails at £45.00. The idea with these products is that you can "Swirl, Tap and Buff" your way to the skin you were born with i.e. beautiful radiant skin.

The kit contains:-
•2 X Foundation Shades
•Mineral Veil or Tinted Mineral Veil
•Warmth
•Full Flawless Face Brush
•Flawless Application Face Brush
•Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush or Light Stroke Brush
•Bisque Multi-Tasking Concealer
•Get Started DVD

I also got a sample of the Bare Vitamins primer I have previously reviewed here .

Before I purchased this kit I had a consultation with one of the MUA's who showed me how to apply their products. This is the routine I now follow:-

Firstly I apply a layer of the foundation, then bisque multi tasking concealer under eyes and over any other imperfections (e.g. corners of nose), then another layer of foundation, then mineral veil followed by warmth followed by dusting of mineral veil.
I swirl tap and buff and they suggest which is super easy and quick and here is the result...


The coverage can be sheer, but is also buildable. Its evens out my skin tone and I find it perfect for summer, as it is of course lighter on the skin than any liquid foundation.

This is my most used foundation by far. I use it during the day and on nights out following the routine.

I love it so much is because it looks like my skin.

All my holiday pic's from NYC look like I don't have foundation on but still have good skin. I knew it was good when people said that I looked really "healthy and fresh" on my pictures because I was shattered due to the jet lag!

For me, that's what a foundation should do. I mean don't get me wrong I like a fuller coverage but this foundation introduced me to the power of letting my skin shine through.

Just so you can see what it looks in more natural settings here are a couple of random (not the best!) pics of me out and about wearing the above products...

Clear, radiant, natural looking skin. Mineral makeup, for me, is the way forward.

Oh and the Mineral Veil should be in every woman's beauty collection no matter what - I wear it over EVERY foundation I ever use or try as it provides an amazingly luminous finish.

Anyone else a bare minerals fan??

Back Again Lovelies...

Hey there beauties !

Firstly, I would like to say thank you for the lovely birthday comments you left me last week when I was M.I.A. They were lovely xxxx

As you can see I'm now back after having the most amazing birthday weekend. I truly have the best boyfy, friends and family. I was utterly spoilt and can't believe how lucky I am!!

So what did I do? Firstly I finished work early on Thursday and got new hair...

Then I went home and had drinkies with the fam. Very civilised so it was drinking champers with caviar outside in our back lawn in the sun!! Yummy!

Then on my actual birthday on Friday the boyfy and I took a little trip to Liverpool and stayed in a lovely boutique hotel. It was fandabbydosie!! The weather was divine so we did a little shopping, culture improving tate gallery viewing and sun sun appreciating al fresco dining and cocktail drinking on the docks.

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Then in the evening we had an amazing slap up meal that probably left me a stone heavier afterwards and truly full up!! Hehe, we still had room for one or two further drinkies in the dark at the docks!!

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Then on the Saturday like any girlie girl I went out for drinks with my girlies and sipped cocktails and free champagne whilst camera posing all night!! Fun times!

And my gorgeous girlie Amy had done this for me on her chalkboard at her house for when we all went to hers before going out too!

Also, going back in time before my birthday on Wednesday I had tea with a couple of my goregous friends and the little lovelies had got me a cake and sang happy birthday to me when I went round for tea last week. Soooooooo cute!! HUUUUUGE birthday cake times!!!

" geekin'ell!"

Oooo and tonight I got ANOTHER cake from the fam with candles and singing because they had not been able to give me it with me being such a busy birthday girlie!

So I think at this stage, all that remains to be said is that I am such a lucky girlie to have such wonderful caring and thoughtful people in my life :D xxx

Enjoy Your Weekend

See you soon girlies...

It's my birthday tomorrow so I'll be away from my laptop now for a couple of days as I've got lots of plans for the next few days (hopefully lots of cake eating and present opening hehe).

Have a lovely weekend and I will write again soonie

xxx

Estee Lauder Pure Colour Collection

Hey ladies, I'm feeling pretty excited this morning for two reasons.

1. It's my birthday this weekend, and
2. I am ♥LOVING♥ the look of the new Pure Colour Collection from Estee Lauder

Trying to do a bit a research it would seem that the general consensus is that this is going to be available from August 2010, however some ladies in blogland have said July in Selfridges so I will be keeping my eyes peeled *_*

Tom Pecheux has come up with two mini collections called

Surreal Violet

and Blue Dahlia

♥♥♥Mucho excitedness!!!!♥♥♥

♥Me loves it!♥

My favey is the Surreal Violet eyeshadow palette. It's sooooo pretty but I literally want ALL of the lip colours and the two eyeshadows to the left of the Blue Dahlia palette!!

How about you ladies, which are your favourites? Will you be buying anything out of this collection?

I can't wait until it arrives in the stores so I can mix and match!

Illamasqua Intense Lip Gloss

As you know we love our Intense Lipglosses from Illamasqua on this this blog so I had to share my recent purchase with you in shade "Move"

I love this colour, it's very wearable. The only thing I would say is that it is described as a deep purple and looks deep purple on their website. It's just not like that at all on me and it was a similar colour to the above on the MUA too!! Weird.


It's not as intense as some of the other colours I have tried but I like that I can wear this everyday and save the more vibrant ones for weekends and partying!

L'oreal High Definition Smoothing Foundation Studio Secrets

As promised time for another foundation review girlies!!

This time it's L'oreal High Definition Smoothing Foundation, part of the Studio Secrets Range.

This foundation is designed to capture the light and deliver a flawless satin-soft result. Because of the high precision brush it should smooth foundation into the skin, resulting in perfectly even coverage.

The inspiration for this foundation is Linda Evangelista, and let's face it she would be pretty much anyones inspiration with skin like this!** Divine**

However, as new foundations usually let me down I didn't try this for a while but Superdrug reduced if from £15.99 to £11.99 last week so I thought "go on then!".

I was super excited to try it when I got home! It's amazing the rollercoaster ride of trying a new foundation. You have the up of the hope and promise of amazing skin, followed often by the down of it not providing the results!

There were no instructions on application with the product. I know we all know how to apply foundation but I still found some on their website because of the brush attachment...

1- Shake well.
2- Load the brush with foundation.
3- Dab the foundation onto the five key areas of the face (around the eyes, on the sides of the nostrils, the chin, the forehead and the cheeks).
4- Work in with the brush, smoothing out from the centre of the face towards the temples.
5- Work into the contours (eyes and jaw) for a perfect result.

I don't follow this exactly completing steps 1 -3 with a little of 4 but then blending the rest with my fingers. I then added Clinque Blended Face Powder all over the top. (Normally I would use Bare Minerals Mineral Veil but I have literally just run out and can't buy until Friday! The result is then in between the two pic's below).

The below pictures are of the foundation alone and then with the powder on top.

Not quite Linda Evangelista eh!!

The coverage is much sheerer than they describe. The finish on the first picture is very "dewy". It is supposed to be luminous, radiant and glowing. But it's one step away from looking like I've spent the day sweating at the beach.

Despite this I still really like it!

I am really embracing my skin at the moment, so without the powder, this is a new look for me. It gives a youthful effect to my skin making it look smoother and fresher. It's also great for when my skin is feeling a little dry skin because the forumla is so moist.

If you have problems with your skin such as acne this perhaps wouldn't be ideal. Firstly, because of the highlighting effect it could draw attention to problem areas and secondly, its not the most hygenic of ideas with the brush being attached!

What is fab about this foundation is that you can pop in your bag and touch up your makeup without the need for moisturiser or a foundation brush! It lasts pretty much all day and smooths my skin wonderfully.

NOTD - No7 Stay Perfect Nail Polish - Milan

I rediscovered this nail polish last week and was shocked at how pretty it was!!

I don't wear many sheeny/glittery ones but I will be wearing this A LOT now. It's just too gorgeous! Plus I think I will be buying more No7 nail polishes as it has barely chipped after 5 days! Impressive!



You likey??????

Cherry on Top Award

Yay to my first blog award!!! This was a pleasant suprise from the lovely KelliKelso!!


Rules of this award are:

1. Thank the person who gave this award to you.

2.Copy the award and put it on your blog.

3.List 3 things which you love about your self.

4.Post a picture you love.

5.Tag 5 people you wish to pass this award on to.

So firstly, thank you Kelli you lovely girlie!! I am really happy to have received this award from you! I love your blog and the lovely comments you leave me!!!♥♥

The 3 things I love about me are...

1. I have a dry sense of humour. This allows me to make light of most situations and keeps me feeling upbeat.

2. I am very positive. I have learnt to deal with and approach situations, particularly those outside of my control, in a positive way so I treat each day as a learning experience and if things don't go to plan I make a note of what I can learn from it.

3. I am as Giddy as a bed bug!! Hence my blogger name!! I love being a giddy person it means I get to laugh all the time, be silly and childlike! I could not be any other way and whilst I remain professional in my work environment (for the most part) those who know me know that I am happy, silly and a little bit naughty!

Here's a piccie that I ♥!

It's soooooo geeky but I love it because me and the boyfy were going to the top of the Empire State Building. I was giddy and scared but super happy too, which is why I love it.

Here are the lovely bloggers I pass the award onto. I love these girlies blogs!

Tonia - Allaboutbeauty

Kim - Dance as if No Ones Watching

Smaira - DollyMix Fits

Roshni - Lil Miss. Rosh

Dollface - Dollface_24

Hope you like the award as much as I do!

Summer Essentials ♥♥♥

Good afternoon my sparkling lovelies ☺

Today is Summer Solstice and the sun is shining accordingly!! Yay!

It is now officially summer. Sunnytimes ahead??? I would like to think so. See when I think of summer I think of this...

However,usually it ends up like this...


And given that it is Glastonbury Festival this weekend you can almost guarantee rain. Even if the weather forecast says sunny!

I still prefer to think of my summer as full of sun, beaches, golden skin and coral lipstick and so here are my top essential products for the summer...

♥ Sure Natural Minerals Pure Deodorant
♥ Primarni Sunglasses (ok so these are RayBans but mine are £1 primark versions of...)

♥ Kirby Grips and Hair Scrunchies.
Yes I know Scrunchies are totally uncool - but so is avoidable broken and distressed hair from normal hairbands.

♥ Monoi Oil - for shiny hydrated skin, or mixing with instand tanning products
♥ Razors - for OBVIOUS reasons!
♥ False Tan so I don't look pastey when baring the legs!


♥ Barry M Nail Paint in Pastelly colours - it's so summery!
♥ Black Maxi Dress for when I want to be relaxed in the sun.
♥ Blister Plasters because I always get a blister somewhere!
♥ Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Skin Protectant Cream - to get rid of the blisters and double up as lipbalm!
♥ Eyedrops - to sooth my dried out air con abused eyes *_*
♥ Bare Minerals Foundation so that my skin is covered without being unable to breathe.

What would your summer essentials be??

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay In Place Makeup

Good evening my giddy girlies!!!

Like any other girl out there I dream of having perfect skin...

Of course this isn't something I am naturally blessed with. Particularly because I had bad skin at a teenager and have bad pores as a result. In addition, I have issues with my makeup becoming patchy from below my cheeks to my jaw. NOT.A.GOOD.LOOK.

However, after searching and searching high and low I have found a couple of foundations I am pretty happy with!! I know some girlies find that all the time but for me it has actually taken years!

So, the first one I wanted to share with you is Estee Lauders Double Wear Stay in Place Makeup SPF10. It retails at £24.50 and provides a buildable medium coverage. The finish is described at natural, semi-matte. Personally, I find it matte on my skin, which is why in the below picture I have mixed it with Double Wear Light Stay in Place Makeup SPF10 also £24.50. The coverage is sheer to medium with a natural finish. Mixed together it seems to cover my imperfections without looking to heavy or cakey. As you can see...

I am pretty happy with this finish. I like that my skin doesn't look like I am wearing a mask and you can still see my skin through the foundation. This is something I am really keen on these days as I think that heavier foundations are making my skin look dull and tired.

I was given the Light foundation by a friend who prefers MAC so it was the perfect opportunity to try it.

Alone I found it to be too sheer and that it didn't last as long on my skin as the standard Double Wear foundation. However, mixed together I really like the look on my skin for summer. Come winter I will just use the standard foundation alone and wouldn't purchase the lighter formulation because it is just too sheer.

I have heard of girls suffering from dry skin as a result of the standard Double Wear foundation. I must say that in winter I did find my skin to be a little flaky when wearing this, but I believe this to be down to not having found a good primer at the time and walking 3 miles to work in the FREEZING winter we had every day!!

All in all I do love this foundation because it makes my skin look smooth and flawless - particularly in photos. I don't think that for a good foundation that lasts £24.50 is expensive and it lasts me around 6 months, so I certainly don't need to buy it too often!! These days it will last me longer as I have other go to foundations too, whereas this used to be the only one I would use.

I will review all the recent ones I have tried with more pics for comparison soonie too so you can see all my faves!

50 Followers Appreciation Giveaway - ***CLOSED***

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Hey lovelies!!

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As you know, I was very giddy to reach 50 followers on my blog this week!! It's a great little milestone and I love that you are interested enough to follow and support my blog.

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So, as promised, here are my 50 Followers Appreciation Giveaway goodies!!

Yaaaaaaay!!!

The prizes are Soap & Glory Flake Away, The Righteous Butter and Hand Food, a lovely notepad to scribble down all your blogging thoughts and inspiration (I have one I use all the time!), Percy Pigs, Boots 17 Nautical But Nice Makeup Collection, Barry M Dazzle Dust, Model Co Illuminosity Bronzing Cream, Body Shop Cleansing Pads and Lip Butter, and finally L'oreal Double Extension Mascara in Carbon Black.

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As you can see there is lots to be won so I won't delay in telling you the rules!! :D

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1. You must be a follower of my blog (I will check)
2. If you are under 18 you must have parental permission to enter.
3. For one entry - comment below with "enter me" and tell me the one beauty product you would recommend.
4. For two entries - comment below and post my giveaway on your blog with the link (again I will check!). This can be either a blog post or link to giveaway with picture on sidebar.
5. For three entries - both of the above as well as following me and posting the giveaway link on twitter.com. You must include @GiddyPrincess within your twitter post so that I can check!

The giveaway will be open until 5.00pm GMT on 9 July 2010.

Please don't spam and attempt to enter numerous times - you are only allowed to enter as per the rules above.

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Finally, please leave your email address on your comment so that I can contact you if you are the winner!

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If you have any queries don't hesitate to contact me.

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Giddy Princess xxx

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Rose & Co Apothecary's Formula Eyebright Eye Gel

If you have been following my blog for a little while you will know that I took a trip to Leeds with the boyfy a couple of weeks ago.

Whilst we were there I found a lovely boutique called Rose & Co. It had a lovely retro feeling to it and one of the ladies there was styled like a pin up girl and looked totally DIVINE! They sell cosmetics, but there was also some kitsch jewellery in the store. Their website is super cute and can be found here.

During my little peek around the shop I a little tub of eye gel. I had been used to using Soap and Glory's eye gel but I had none left so I purchased this one.

What do I think of this product?
I found it to be quite basic. Yes it went on cool and did seem to make my eyes feel a little more refreshed but I didn't notice the same reduction in puffiness that I get with Soap and Glory's.

Also, I noticed that it dried onto my skin a bit strangely. It felt like I had to blink loads and keep opening my eyes wide so the skin sorrounding my actual eyeball was not tacky. Like the feeling you get in the palm of your hands if you are using gel and forget to wash it off your hands after.

Would I repurchase?
Honestly, I probably wouldn't.
There is nothing wrong with this product at all. However, there is nothing that makes it exciting. It doesn't smell divine, it doesn't provide me with amazing results and the packaging is pretty boring. So it doesn't really tick any boxes for me.
Yeah I only paid around £5.00 for it but I don't feel like it makes any difference to the skin around my eyes.

I think the best way for me to describe my feelings towards this gel is indifferent. I don't dislike it but I don't love it either. I think in terms of eye gels I will stick to Soap and Glory's for now.