Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream review

Hi guys and girlies,

Firstly, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!! Secondly, Sorry my last post was over a week ago. Life has well and truly got in the way of blogging this week. I have a few posts up my sleeve but all are half finished and need lots of tweaking before I inflict them on the blogging community!!

I've wanted to write about the wonders of Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream since I started my blog. I've lived with sensitive skin since puberty and although I'm now 27 years old I'm still waiting for the moment my skin finally realises that I'm not in my teens anymore!
You name it and I've tried it in order to control my problem skin. More often than not I've got it horribly wrong and caused even more irritation (the less said about my short lived dalliance with Proactiv Solution the better!)
What suits one person's skin will be a nightmare for someone else's so this review is just about how my skin reacted to Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream.

I first heard about this cream when my hairdresser recommended it to me. She swore by its healing powers and told me that on her days off she smuthered her face in it. It not only rehydrates tired looking skin but also soothes irritation, chapped skin, sunburn and cracked lips.
So for the last two years Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Skin Protectant has been a regular beauty treat for me. I love everything about it, even the smell which some people aren't too keen on. It soothes my red, irritated, environmentally stroppy skin, softens patches of eczema that flare up when I'm stressed and makes my skin feel and look great.

Whilst trawling through all sorts of goodies on Lookfantastic.com I noticed that Elizabeth Arden also do an Eight Hour Daily Moisturizer with SPF which I assumed would be just as good as the Skin Protectant. At £26 for a 50ml tube it's an expensive product to add to my beauty regime but if it helps my skin then I'm happy to try it.
I'd started to notice that my usual daily moisturiser, Dermalogica's Skin Smoothing Cream, wasn't quite doing the trick for my skin anymore. I needed something a bit heavier to moisturise my dry areas whilst being light enough to wear under foundation and not clog my skin and cause breakouts. With this in mind I ordered the Eight Hour Intensive Daily Moisturiser along with my old faithful Skin Protectant.

When I first applied the product I noticed the fresh almost citrusy smell. I usually go for odourless creams so as not to irritate my skin but seeing as the Skin Protectant has quite a strong odour and is incredibly soothing I thought it'd be mild enough to use. Within seconds of applying the cream I felt my sensitive areas start to tingle, around my eyes and nose. This is usually a sign that a cream isn't right for my skin but as I really liked the smell and texture I wanted to give it a whirl to see if my skin would get used to it.
Unfortunately it hasn't. It still irritates my sensitive areas although it hasn't caused my skin to breakout which usually happens when there's a change in my skincare routine. I think that the fragrance is too much for my skin which is a shame because I really wanted to like it seeing as the Lizzie Arden Skin Protectant had improved my skin so much.

I wouldn't recommend this product if you have very sensitive skin like me but I think if your skin is much more forgiving of fragrances in products then the smell is really refreshing and the texture of the cream is definitely light enough to wear under makeup during the day plus any moisturiser with an added SPF protection is a must. I think I'm still on the lookout for my perfect moisturising cream though.

On a happier note, seeing as I bought two Elizabeth Arden products from the Look Fantastic website I received a free gift. A stunning red lipstick and gel eyeliner with brush which I can't wait to use!



Glamour Classics Duo.




Elizabeth Arden's Colour Intrigue Effects Lipstick in Go Go Red.

 Hope you've all had a fantastic Halloween weekend. I'm off to eat all the sweets I bought that are left over from trick or treating!

Bye for now

xxx

My Christmas Wishlist

"Dear Father Christmas,

It's that time again and I'd just like to report that I've been a really good girl this year, well for most of the time anyway! Enough to feel I deserve a plethora of gifts! I'm sure the recession is hitting you and Mrs Christmas hard like the rest of us but you're the only one that can put a smile on everybodys face at this time of year what with budget cuts and job losses a plenty so I think you need to go all out for this one!

Look forward to seeing you (Don't forget the presents!)

Love from Victoria xxx"

My Unrealistic Christmas Wishlist!!!

I'm pretty sure I won't be hearing from him but it's worth a try!

Well I've spent most of my Saturday playing about on sites like Picnik and Polyvore creating funny pictures and wishlists like the one above. As you can tell I'm a greedy little thing and didn't think anything of adding a new car to my Christmas list along with makeup, Topshop goodies and even a pug puppy (I'd be perfectly happy with just the pug pup!)

They are both really good sites if you're feeling particularly creative. Picnik allows you to edit any picture and add certain effects to it all for FREE. I'm a bit obsessed with giving all my photos a 1960's feel which is just one of many effects available on Picnik. Polyvore is also free to use and allows you to create wishlists and collections from pretty much any label or brand that it recognises! Mucho fun and obviously handy for sending off visual hints to Father Christmas! You can also look at collections other people have created and maybe get a bit of inspiration for putting outfits together and see how one item can be reworked into several different looks!

Hope you're all having a great Saturday!

xxx

Rimmel Londons Pro Matte Topcoat review.

Hi ladies and gents,

As you may know I am currently fully encouraging a serious nail polish addiction. It's been an obsession of mine for so long that when my nails are bare I feel like there's something missing in my life! Like when you forget to put on that item of jewellery you ALWAYS wear!

I'm quite happy to stick to my favourites day in day out but then that wouldn't be very interesting to write about!

I've heard a few bloggers mention a matifying topcoat that's been doing the rounds so I thought I'd give it a whirl to see if it's as good as everyone says it is!
So with my last few pennies in hand I marched into Boots and bought Rimmel Londons Pro Matte Finish Topcoat which was recommended to me by Gem Fatale. I did have a look around at the other makeup stands but Rimmel seemed to be the only brand doing a matte topcoat! Surely that can't be?!
Luckily for me Boots are in the middle of a discount frenzy (3 for 2, buy one get the 2nd half price, savings galore!) so I managed to bag it for £3.49 instead of £4.49!





I used it on three of my favourite polishes. Barry M's Nail Paints in Grey and Mushroom and also Models Own Purple Grey which was the colour I was most excited about trying the matte finish on!

I didn't apply a base coat as I was being impatient and just wanted to get the colour slapped on so I could see this magical topcoat do it's thing but a base coat always helps the colour go on smoother and protects your nails from staining. I'd recommend two coats of your chosen shade as the coverage and overall look is better than with just the one and once both coats are completely dry you can start applying the matifying topcoat!

The Matte Finish brush isn't like a normal nail polish brush. Its much bigger with harder bristles but it's so easy to apply and with just two strokes I had covered the whole nail and within seconds you notice the matte effect appearing.

Here are the results!

Left - without matte finish, Right - with matte finish.



Without matte finish



With matte finish

The Matte effect gives each shade a velveteen appearance. I especially love how the Purple Grey shade looks, it really shows up the greyish hue of the colour and reminds me a little of the frosty effect you get on Christmas baubles. It actually gave my Barry M's shade in Grey more of a denim-ie hue than grey which was unexpected but I really liked the effect.

I applied it this morning and noticed throughout the day that any scuffs that appeared on the topcoat can be buffed away with your finger!

I was curious to see how the matte effect would alter a more sparkly shade like Models Own Gold Digger and these are the results shown on two giant fingers!!!!



Without matte finish.



With matte finish.


Not that I would probably ever use it over the top of a shimmery colour like gold, it definitley looks better with certain colours but you can see that is has completely taken the sheen and sparkle away from the shade and given it a subtle frosty look.
I've only tried this effect on a couple of my favourites but I'm quite excited to see how certain colours like black, hot pink or ruby red will look once they've been matified!

If you are contemplating trying the matte effect look on your nails then I'd highly recommend Rimmel London's Pro Matte Finish for the job as it's reasonably priced and gives nails a new look without spending lots of money like you would on products like Minx or Konad nails.

Bye for now

xxx

The best kids telly of the 80's & 90's!

Being a big kid who still remembers what it was like to spend hours playing on my Skip-it whilst listening to the likes of Rick Astley and Aswad on my Walkman!!....I hate to admit it but I am three years off 30 and should probably think about acting more my age but who wants to be a mature adult ay?! Not me! I had a bloody fantastic childhood and was privy to some of the best kids telly ever created. Not like that patronising little cow Dora the Explorer! This post is dedicated to the best kid's TV shows of the 80's and 90's.
Every baby of the 80's will have their own personal favourites and these are mine so I hope you'll enjoy this trip down memory lane with me. Please feel free to make a comment at the end of the post if I have or haven't mentioned one of your favourites. They certainly don't make them like they used to!

Button Moon (1980-88)

You'd have to have been living under a rock during the 80's not to have heard of Button Moon! Not only was I a huge fan of the show I also bought the record!!! The show was about the adventures of Mr. Spoon and his family which included Mrs. Spoon, Tina Tea Spoon, her friend Eggbert and a host of other characters. The show was hugely popular and still has a massive cult following to this day.

Sharky & George (1991-98)

If you watched as much telly as I did during the 90's then you're bound to be singing that little jingle in your head...."Sharky and George, the crime busters of the sea......." It was set in the underground city of Seacago and was about two private detectives (Sharky & George) who together foiled the evil plans of a number of Villains trying to terrorize the good folk of Seacago, these baddies included Dr. Jelly and Colonel Claw!

Raggy Dolls (1986-1994)

The Raggy Dolls was about a group of toys who were flawed during the manufacturing process in a toy factory and were subsequently thrown into the reject bin! With names like Sad Sack, Back to front, Dotty and many more I loved the characters and the adventures they had together. I even had the Raggy Dolls theme tune as my ringtone for years, an ode to how much I loved this show!

Family Ness (1984-85)
Family Ness was about a family of Loch Ness Monsters who befriended the MacTout family, imparticularly Elspeth and Angus who were brother and sister. The children could call upon the 'Nessies' in the loch simply by blowing on their "thistle whistles".

What I remember the most about Family Ness is that it had THE best theme tune called "You'll never find a Nessie in the Zoo!"

The Poddington Peas (1989)
The Poddington Peas were a community of peas who lived at the bottom of the garden. The characters all had pea related names like Sweet-pea, Hap-pea, Creep-pea and would you believe it Black Eyed-pea (no joke!) I wonder if that's where they got the name from! Only one series of The Poddington Peas was ever made! Boooooo!

My Little Pony(1984-1987)

The first My Little Pony cartoon was aired in 1984 and although the brand has evolved over the last three decades it was during the mid to late 80's where it was at it's best.The little ponies live in Dream Valley along with their human friend Megan, their dragon friend Spike and a number of other magical creatures. My favourite episode was Escape from Katrina with the cute  little Bushwoolies!
Remember the likes of Applejack, Posey, Lickety Split and Cherries Jubilee?!

Dangermouse (1981-1992)

Dangermouse was a secret agent voiced by Del boy himself, David Jason! He together with his trusty companion Penfold are given assignments by the man in charge, Colonel K, Each episode sees them saving the world from a number of villains, the most notorious being Baron Silas Greenback (a big green Toad!) Although Dangermouse was the main character it was Penfold who I favoured, recognisable by his black rimmed glasses and blue suit and tie, he usually ended up in trouble and had to be saved by his pal Danger mouse.

Fraggle Rock (1983-1987)
Fraggle Rock was a magical and musical spectacular created by the man behind The Muppets, Jim Henson. It's about a community of creatures who live in a system of caves known as Fraggle Rock! Within the caves were portals to other worlds where the characters would often visit. There were hundreds of Fraggles but the main characters were Red, Gobo, Boober, Wembley and Mokey. The series had a variety of different creations from, The Doozers and The Gorgs to Majory the Trash Heap!

Moon Dreamers (1986)

 The Moon Dreamers were a group of celestial children who lived amongst the stars. It was their job to make sure the children of Earth had pleasant dreams. Their enemy, Queen Scowlene, along with her many minions including her daughter Scowlette, would try to disrupt the Moon Dreamers. The characters included Crystal, Bucky, Whimzee, Sparky, Celeste, best friends Bitsy and Blinky and Dream Gazer.

This was a short lived series but I loved it and even collected the dolls which came with their very own dream crystal necklace.

Muppet Babies (1984-1991)

The Muppet Babies was another of Jim Henson's creations which followed the antics of The Muppets as they were babies growing up together in a nursery. Each episode saw the babies embarking on adventures into imaginary worlds but they always returned back to reality and the nursery at the end of the day. They were looked after by a lady called "Nanny" although you never saw her face. All that was shown was the bottom of her pink skirt and her stripy socks.

Thundercats (1985-1990)

The Thundercats were a group of cat-like heroes. Lion-O, Cheetara, Panthro, Tygra, WileyKit, WileyKat and the adorable Snarf! Lion-O is the lord of the Thundercats and keeper of the Sword of Omens which holds the Eye of Thundera. The Thundercats had many enemies but Mumm-Ra features more than any other during the series.

I bloody loved the Thundercats and remember arguing with friends at school about who got to be Cheetara although we would all take it in turns to shout at the top of our lungs "THUNDER, THUNDER, THUNDER, THUNDERCATS HOOOOOOOOO!!"

Jem (1985-1988)

The original female rockstar, her hair was fierce as was her makeup, wardrobe and attitude. Jem is the lead singer of Jem and the Holograms and the alter ego of Jerrica Benton, a music company owner who tries to keep her true identity a secret. By means of a holographic machine created by her late father and her magic earrings, Jerrica is able to transform into Jem. The rebel rockers The Misfits are Jem and The Holograms rivals and are equally as stylish!
I had the Jem doll and I loved dressing her up in all her vibrant 80's outfits although the doll seemed much more.....erm......curvy compared to Barbie or Sindy! Jem was a real woman!

Hang on....I need a tissue for this one! This might not be considered as kids TV but I loved this show when I was a wee nipper and had to include it!

The Littlest Hobo (1979-1985)

The Littlest Hobo was a series about a stray dog who went from town to town helping people in need. It first aired in 1968 although it was when it was revived for a second run that me and my sister would sit and watch the adventures of this little stray dog. God knows why my mum let us watch it as we usually ended up in tears when "Hobo" would leave on his own at the end of every show. I couldn't understand why he didn't want to stay with the friends he made and all my mum would say was that he liked being on his own! Again, it had a great theme tune "Maybe tomorrow" which also brings a huge smile to my face and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! Check out the theme tune here

Now for a mushy moment, look away if you're of a delicate nature.........

I'll always look back on this time in my life as my happiest and remembering all the little details about these shows that I grew up with has bought a huge smile to my face and on occasion a tear to my eye. Great shows, fantastic theme tunes and some very happy memories!

There were so many fantastic kids TV shows to choose from, if I didn't list one of your favourites then please feel free to reminisce with me in the comments below.

Bye for now

xxx

A little treat for the cold nights!

Hi dudes and dudettes,

If, like me, you hate that the nights are getting darker, colder and damper and you can't wait to get indoors of an evening and snuggle up with a nice hot drink then I must share this delightful treat with you! If you follow me on twitter you may have noticed me rabbiting on about how delicious white hot chocolate is, well......it is!

My cousin recently introduced me to Whittard of Chelsea's White Hot Chocolate! I know there are a couple of different brands out there that do their own version of this flavour but personally I believe that you won't taste better than the Whittard of Chelsea version. It's so fluffy, creamy and of course delicious, it reminds me of a mug full of melted milky bars!

White Hot Chocolate 400g - £5

My local Whittard of Chelsea in Bluewater closed down over a year ago and I haven't seen a new one pop up so other than hopping on a train to one of their many shops in Central London I thought it'd be easier to order online.

If you want to find your nearest Whittard of Chelsea you can do so on the website via a store search but if, like me, you don't have a local shop, fear not as they will bring it straight to your door!

Currently on the website there's an offer of 3 for 2 on all Hot Chocolates and Instant Teas. There are alot of different flavours to choose from and as one description sounds as good as the next I found it quite hard to decide on just three! In the end I went for three hot chocolates but if you're feeling particularly wild you could always mix it up a bit and have instant teas and hot chocolates!

Here are my choices!

My picks; White hot chocolate, Cinnamon hot chocolate and Coconut hot chocolate.

At £5 each for a 400g tub and taking the 3 for 2 offer into account I got three delicious flavours for just £10! Although the postage and packaging was £4.50 and bumped up the total quite a bit in the end!

I will definitely be buying more White Hot Chocolate, not sure about the Coconut flavour and I haven't tried the Cinnamon yet but it smells gorgeous! With my next order I might even treat myself to a bag of mini marshmallows to sprinkle on the top which are only £3.50! Yum!

Here are a few more Whittard of Chelsea goodies you can find on the website.

Strawberry flavour White Hot Chocolate 400g!

Mini Marshmallows £3.50

Strawberry & Blueberry Instant Green Tea 250g - £5 (included in the 3 for 2 offer)

Traditional Irish Cream Ground Coffee 120g - £4

I hope you've found something here that will tickle your taste buds! If you'd like to see what other tasty treats Whittard of Chelsea do then simply click here to visit the website!

Leatherprince @ Etsy

I'm so excited to be writing this post about a fantastic shop I came across on Etsy called Leatherprince which sells a range of accessories all beautifully handmade from real leather and each embellished with a cute and colourful character.
Leatherprince are a husband and wife team also known as Beon and Candy who currently reside in Taiwan. Between them they design, handcut, hand stitch and handmake every item they sell. Not only are they amazingly talented but since I was lucky enough to chat to them via Etsy, they are also the sweetest couple!

Being obsessed with Pugs I was first tempted by their handmade Bobby the Pug keyring which I received yesterday! The intricate handstitching and quality of the design stand out a mile in the pictures but once your character of choice arrives you'll be amazed by the attention to detail that goes into each and every stitch.

Here are some of the other cute characters you can find at Leatherprince!



Sakura the Geisha Doll

 

Bobby the Bee



Winny the Turtle



Ronnie the Raccoon



There are so many designs to choose from and some like Laura the Elephant, Sakura the Geisha Doll and Taka the Ninja come in a variety of colours so if you're anything like me the only trouble you'll have is trying to pick your favourite!
They also do custom work too! For example, if I wanted a larger version of Bobby the Pug then I'd just have to contact the couple via their website or Etsy shop and pay the extra charge that would apply for having a BIG Bobby!
Their prices are very reasonable and keyrings range from approximately £10 to £12 with larger designs coming in at just over £17.

Here are a few other accessories in their range;



Kelvin the Monkey coin purse in blue



Bobby the Pug purse in Red



Huggo the Hippo iPhone case in pink



If you'd like to visit Leatherprince's Etsy shop click here

My personal favourite arrived yesterday. It took 7 days to get here from my order date which was quicker than I expected as you should always allow for anything up to 14 days for something that's coming from the other side of the world. I mean I waited 30 days for my h&m order and that was only coming from the other side of London!! Anyway......The packaging was simple and cute with a personal message stamped on the back of the envelope saying "Thank you for your support" which bought a smile to my face. I also received a free ballchain with my purchase incase I wanted to use Bobby as a bag charm instead of a keyring which is a fantastic idea! I also did the 'sniff test' and I can confirm that it is definitely top quality Real Leather (any excuse to partake in my very strange habit of smelling real leather! I love it :o) I paid £11.60 for Bobby the Pug and  £2.27 for shipping from Taiwan to here in merry old England which is fantastic value for money!

I have fallen hook, line and sinker for these cute little characters but not only them, it's lovely when you find people that obviously love what they do, put so much time, effort and thought into their work and are also the nicest people you could ever hope to come across and Beon and Candy of Leatherprince deserve every success!

I'll definitely be back for more as my mum, sister and I all have our own personal favourites which will make perfect little prezzies for birthdays or Christmas!

You can also check out the Leatherprince blog here (keep an eye out for their VERY cute cream Dachshund called Mao Bao!)


Awwwwwww!!!


Also, you can click here to read a feature on Beon and Candy in 'Quit your day job' by The Storque, Etsy's handmade blog which tells you about how they met, what made them decide to join forces in business and their hopes and dreams for Leatherprince.

I heart Leatherprince!!!!!

xxx

Models Own goodies.

I'm always the last person to catch onto any up and coming trends or new brands doing the rounds (not a good start for someone attempting to be a fashion and beauty blogger!) but I do get there eventually!
I'd noticed Models Own products mentioned on a number of beauty blogs but last week was the first time I got to try some of their products myself.
If you follow me on twitter you'll probably know I was having a nightmare trying to stay connected to the Models Own website via my computer and even did a late night dash to my sisters house to see if I would have better luck with her internet connection but alas, no connection so no online shopping! Booooo!
I was determined to get my paws on the purple grey polish and take advantage of the deal that was available on the website, which I believe is still going strong if you fancy taking a peek at the website then simply click here
Buy any 3 polishes and you'll save £3 and if you buy 5 you save £7. All polishes are £5 so if you buy 3 ,as I did, you'll only pay £12 instead of £15. That's a good saving, better than a slap in the face as my nan would say!
If I'd been quicker off the mark I could've taken advantage of the HUGE 50% off discount that was on only a couple of weeks previous! Grrrrrr!!! Gutted I missed that!
Finally ,with bum cheeks clenched, I was able to stay connected to the website and order 3 nail polishes (purple grey, nude beige and gold digger), an eyeshadow brush set which was £7 and I received a free black kohl eye pencil with my order which would've cost £5. With all discounts taken into account, the grand total of my order came to £19 with free postage and packaging.
I waited about 5 days for it to be delivered and once I had my greedy mits on it I was amazed at how beautifully it was packaged.
Packed into a black box were the 3 nail polishes, each wrapped in little bubble wrap pockets, along with my eyeshadow brush set and black eyeliner, all of which were surrounded by bright pink tissue paper whilst my invoice was neatly tucked inside a very stylish black envelope (which my mum has kept!)

Here's a little picture of the cute packaging!

Models Own goodies

I was a little disappointed to find that the eyeshadow brush set was missing the blending brush but after a quick email to the Models Own Customer Service team I was sent one a couple of days later.

I'd been looking for a decent eyeshadow brush set for ages as most of mine were cheap and falling to bits so how happy was I to come across this professional looking and affordable set by Models Own!

For £7 you get an angled brush made with firm but smooth sable hair, a shading brush made from super soft pony hair and the allusive blending brush also made from pony hair. That's a fair bit of pony hair! I hope there aren't any bald ponys trotting around just so I can have a snazzy brush set!

L-R Angled brush, blending brush and shading brush.

I've used all 3 of the nail polishes and I am seriously in love with purple grey! I only have a shiny topcoat at the moment but I am dying to get a matte finish topcoat which I think will give the shade a completely different look.
I've also been hunting for some months now for a gold polish which looked as good as the gold Minx nail foils and although I dont think i've found the exact match just yet I'm really impressed with gold digger. When you apply it it looks like how I imagine melted gold would look. Really stunning!

I'm now looking for a gold shade that's a bit more glittery what with the Christmas party season coming up! My friends and family are all too aware that I must have festive nails at Christmas time!
The only shade I wasn't overly impressed with was nude beige. It's a nice enough colour but I prefer deeper nude shades like Barry M's polish in Mushroom or Eyekos Posh polish whereas nude beige is much more subtle.

L-R Purple grey, nude beige and gold digger.



Purple grey. From this picture you can't really appreciate the grey aspect of purple grey but there's a very noticeable misty grey hue to this shade. My new favourite!



Gold digger

The only thing I haven't tried yet is the black kohl eye pencil but that's only because I haven't had a decent night out in ages and I don't wear eyeliner during the day.
It's a double ended pencil with the eyeliner at one end and smudger on the other to perfect your look and as an extra little surprize, on the lid there's a built in sharper so really it's 3 products in one and well worth the £5 I would've paid if I hadn't got it for free!
All in all, I LOVE my Models Own goodies and I'll definately add this brand to my trustworthy regulars! I even find the nail polishes easier to apply than my Nail Inc. ones and they also seem to stay on longer and chip less than some of the slightly more expensive brands. The one and only down side is that they do have a super chemically whiff to them, more so than other polishes but thats only a small gripe with an otherwise fantastic bunch of polishes. Models Own.....I'll be back for more!

Bye for now

xxx