L'occitane Flash Sale

Offering excellent quality and a little bit of French luxe, L’occitane products make lovely gifts. They’ve just announced a flash sale, so until midnight tonight you can get some genuine bargains. With Mother’s Day fast approaching, it may be worth stocking up.

Here are my sale picks:

So evocative of time spent in Provence last summer, this Lavender handwash would make a fine addition to any bathroom. It’s reduced from £15.00 to £6.00.

Moisturising without being greasy, L’occitane hand creams are just gorgeous. This Cherry Princess one is reduced from £8.00 to £4.80.

I’m in the market for a new body lotion and with my love for all things rose scented, it seems that me and this Radiant Body Milk were meant to be. It was £20.00, it’s now £12.00.

Wrapped up prettily in a little package with string, anyone would love to receive these rose and lavender soaps. A steal at £2.70 each. They were £4.50.

£4.50 - £2.70

£4.50 - £2.70

A Lavender based cologne, this Eau de Toillette has got summer written all over it. It’s reduced from £42.00 to just £12.60. 

Will you be making any purchases?

Clinique Foundation Five Day Sample

I’m a big fan of foundation samples. Not only does shop lighting make it nigh on impossible to get an accurate colour match, there’s just nothing like trying something for yourself at home before handing over your hard earned cash. Whereas you may slap foundation on with your fingers of a morning, an in-store beauty advisor can happily while away fifteen minutes blending it in beautifully with an expensive brush. Not that the latter method is necessarily better, but you will get a different effect. 

Having made many, many horrible choices in the past (see my foundation graveyard for evidence) I now refuse to buy foundation without trying a sample at home first. 

To coincide with the launch of their online Foundation Finder, Clinique are currently offering a free five day sample from any of their counters. 

Clinique was one of the first brands I got into when I was younger so I’ve tried their foundations before. I like that they have a good colour range and can accommodate my pale skin. Whereas back in the day, Superbalanced fitted the bill, nowadays I prefer slightly more coverage. After a quick chat with their advisor at Boots, I was prescribed Even Better Makeup in Alabaster (incidentally I just did the online Foundation Finder and got the same result). I was seriously impressed with the amount they are offering in their samples. There’s enough to enable me to try it out a few times - with a brush, with fingers, during the day and at night. I’ve used it once so far - a two minute rush job before work - and first impressions are good.

If you’re passing a Clinique counter this weekend, it’s definitely worth taking advantage of this offer. If you do, I’d love to know how you get on.

Mojito Loves | Max Factor Masterpiece Max Mascara

I'm a bit of a make up tart. Forever in search of the holy grail of foundation, body lotion, lipstick, whatevs, I rarely repurchase the same thing twice. So when I do, it has to be good. 

Before: Wanna play 'Hunt the lashes?' After: Ah-ha, there they are!

With poker straight albino lashes, mascara is an absolute non-negotiable daily essential for me and Max Factor Masterpiece Max is the one I plump for time and time again. 

Max Factor Masterpiece Max Mascara

It adds bulk as well as curl. There are no midday smudges or flakes. It never clumps. It's fairly priced (I get through a lot of the stuff and I have a mortgage to pay). The semi-flexible rubber brush is easy to manoeuvre and gets into the fine lashes at the inner and outer corners without fear of eye-stabbage. And it gives good depth of colour to disguise the aforementioned white lashes.

 I currently have two on the go - black/brown for day and black for night. If you'd like to bag yourself a tube, there's currently an offer to get two Max Factor products for £14.00 at Boots. Can't say fairer than that. 

So that's my favourite mascara and the first in the Mojito Loves series. But tell me, what's YOUR favourite mascara and why?

x

Today's Face

With a little more time to spare than I have midweek coupled with a desire to keep things simple for the weekend, today's look is a glowy affair. Light reflecting foundation, highlighted cheeks and golden eyes are just the ticket for perking up a tired face the morning after the night before.

Face

No.7 Instant Radiance Foundation, Cool Vanilla

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer, Cool Sand

Cheeks

Nars Blusher, Deep Throat from the 'At First Sight' palette

Jemma Kidd Dewy All Over Radiance Cream, Rose Gold (Discontinued - boooo)

Eyes

Bare Minerals Eye Shadow, Stay Golden (Limited Edition)

No. 7 Stay Precise Liquid Eyeliner, Black

Max Factor Masterpiece Max Mascara, Black

Brows

Nars Eyeshadow, Bellisima from the 'At First Sight' palette

Lips

Lanolips Lip Ointment, Rose

So that's me for today. 
What's your favourite weekend look?

x

On Trend: Lilac

Evoking traumatic memories of my lilac gingham school dress circa 1989, I can’t say this is a trend I’ll be rocking head to toe. I fear my pale skin and featureless face (hello albino eyebrows!) could leave me looking like a week old bruise if I venture too far down the lilac line. But it’s one of the hot colours for spring and there’s nothing like a good pastel shade to put a bit of a spring in one’s step (geddit?).

Here are my favourite picks which give a nod to the lilac trend without looking too try hard.

Paper straws | Ginger Ray at Not On The High Street | £2.99

Use these to sip pink lemonade out of a pretty frosted glass. Or cider out of a pint. Whatevs, they’ll make anything taste better I reckon.

Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow in Lilac | Bobbi Brown | £17.00

It is with a certain amount of trepidation that I’ve included lilac make up in this list. Done well, it can look soft and pretty. Done badly, it can emphasise under eye bags and have a bit too much of an 80s vibe for my liking. This shadow is a little pot of shimmery gorgeousness though. Just have plenty of concealer on standby to disguise those pesky bags.

Desert Boots in Lilac | Clarks Originals | £85.00

Managing to be both hard and girly at the same time, and with more than a whiff of the 90s about them, these lilac desert boots are made to be paired with a floral dress or a cheeky playsuit. Ridiculously comfortable, they’re perfect for summer wanderings without the merest hint of achiness at the end of a long day.

Nail Varnish in Enchanting | Revlon | £6.49

At the more affordable end of the spectrum, a pop of parma violet on the tips of your fingers is the perfect way to gently ease yourself into this trend. Glossy and long lasting, Revlon nail varnishes are a trusty favourite of mine. A good buy. 

Fat Quarters in Lilac | John Lewis | £16.00

With a distinctly vintage feel, I love the idea of turning these pretty fabrics into something usable. From a mini apron to a cute cosmetic bag, there’s lots of lilacy loveliness that crafty types can create. For inspiration, here are 25 things you could do with your fat quarters.

So there we have it, five little bits of lilac for you as we eagerly bid adieu to winter and say hola to spring. 

Will you be sporting or avoiding the lilac trend?

Review | Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Effect Foundation

Sleep is one of my favourite things, so the promise of capturing a perfectly rested face in a £10 bottle of base was too good to resist. The question is though, was it too good to be true?

Bourjois say...

“Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Effect Foundation comes to the rescue when concealing signs of fatigue like dark circles, imperfections in skin tone, and a dull complexion. It is enriched with a high concentration of vitamins and minerals, for revitalised and energised skin.”

Mojito says...

Works well for: This is a great foundation for those who prefer a natural looking, light, dewy base. Matte textures can be very aging, so the light coverage and dewy finish make it ideal for both young and mature skin alike. It works best for normal to dry skin types.

Avoid if: Avoid this foundation if you have oily skin. Same goes for open pores or pock marks - it will only emphasise them. It’s not for you if you prefer a fuller coverage either.

Pre-application, things are looking tired and blotchy. Oh and let's not forget that perfectly placed pimple on the bridge of my nose. 

Packaging: Lightweight and easily transportable, this peachy bottle gets a thumbs up from me. The hygienic pump applicator offers easy control so there’s no wastage. Me likes.

Shades: With a measly five, mainly Caucasian shades to choose from, it's not going to suit everyone. The lightest offering, 71 Abricoté Clair, is the perfect colour match for my pale, neutral skin tone though. A pleasing find.

SPF: For what I consider to be a daytime foundation, it's surprising that it doesn't contain any SPF.

Applying with the Real Techniques Buffing Brush gives more coverage than applying with fingers.

Scent: Despite my preference for unscented facial skincare and make up, I like the floral rose scent. It didn’t aggravate my sensitive skin which is sometimes a problem with fragranced products. 

Texture: Flowing freely out of the pump applicator with a rather runny texture, this is a true liquid foundation. It’s so liquid in fact, that more than one pump has a tendency to run all over my hand as I’m applying it. I now apply one pump at a time and add another as and when I need it.  

Post-foundation, but pre-concealer, powder and blush. Two pumps have given a light, natural looking, dewy finish. Things are looking more even, less blotchy. The pimple is disguised, but alas, not eradicated.

Coverage: Offering a light, natural coverage, the 10 Hour Sleep Effect Foundation can be built up slightly, but it’s never going to mask any major flaws or imperfections. Using the Real Techniques Buffing Brush to apply gives a slightly higher level of coverage than when applied with fingers, and that’s been my preferred option.

Finish: Given that this is designed as a fatigue busting base, it’s no surprise that the 10 Hour Sleep Effect Foundation results in a dewy, plump finish. There’s a subtle brightening effect, which I’ve welcomed during these winter months when my skin looks a little lacklustre. 

Longevity: On my combination skin (normal overall, with dryness around my eyes and oiliness on my nose), it lasts around 4 hours before things start to get very shiny. Not great. A primer underneath improved things slightly, but it’s not a particularly long-lasting product. However, the small and light packaging means a mid-day touch-up isn’t too problematic if you're so inclined.

Value for money: At £9.99, this is a well priced foundation. Its lack of staying power reduces its VFM for me a little, but not so much that I wouldn't consider repurchasing it.

Concealer, a light dusting of powder and a pop of blush finish off the look and showcase the glow-giving benefits of the 10 Hour Sleep Effect Foundation. The pimple has been well disguised by my trusty Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer.

Verdict: Offering a little more coverage than a tinted moisturiser and with the added bonus of skin care benefits, the 10 Hour Sleep Effect Foundation is a good choice for people who don’t usually like wearing foundation. Its light formulation is easy to apply without ever looking cakey, and the dewy finish is youthful and glow-giving. Things can get a little TOO glowy around the nose, chin and forehead though, so I’d recommend a dusting of loose powder to minimise shine and set the base, even on dryer skin. Overall, it did a reasonable job of evening out my blotchiness but it loses points for its short wear time. Whilst I can’t say it left me looking as if I’d indulged in ten hours of sleep, it can't be expected to work miracles, can it? 

Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Effect Foundation |£9.99 | Widely available

Mojito and Toast

Tonight, I am one happy Mojito.

Just a few short weeks since the launch of The Beauty Scriptures, I'm ridiculously thrilled to announce that I will be joining Toast magazine as their new beauty and fashion columnist. 

Does this mean I'll be hanging out with Huey?

Expect the usual beauty news, plus my favourite picks from Sheffield's many wonderful artisans and indie stores. I can't wait to get started. 

The first column will hit the mean streets of the steel city on 1st March. Yes.