All Dolled Up

August 7, 2013

British Beauty Blogger Beauty Box

I was extremely lucky to get my paws on one of only 500 of these epic beauty boxes that went on sale a month ago, and sold out within four hours. If you don’t know of her already, British Beauty Blogger Jane Cunningham is an industry insider who gets the scoop on all the new releases, and posts new blog articles multiple times a day! She gives honest reviews and sneak peeks, and in her own words, “like[s] to showcase products I think are excellent, beautiful, and exciting.” Her carefully edited, limited edition beauty box is a collection of 14…

August 6, 2013

How To: Feline Flick Eye Liner

Sunday afternoon. Warm winter sunshine. Couch. British Vogue. That, ladies, is my version of heaven. Add Kate Moss to the mix and, well, I’m pretty much the happiest girl in the world. My number one girl crush (sorry VB) was featured in this month’s edition looking as gorgeous as ever, complete with retro two-pieces, statement jewelry and animal print. The make-up was very seductive – smokey kitten-flick eyeliner and mussed-up, Brigitte Bardot hair – no one dons either of those looks quite as effortlessly as Miss Moss (or Mrs Hince, rather) – the woman literally smoulders she’s so sexy. I…

August 5, 2013

Nail Polishes You Need

In the same way that every girl should have a capsule wardrobe of versatile classics that can be worn throughout the year, every girl should also have a collection of basic nail polishes for different occassions. Not everyone needs a fridge full of bottles like me (66 of them, to be exact) because a well-edited set of essential colours in good quality formulas will cover all the bases. This means that you can accessorise your more expensive “investment pieces” with cheap polishes in trendy shades when you want to mix things up. Here is my pick of the five best…

August 2, 2013

July Favourites: Camilla

Dior Diorskin Nude BB Creme I have been using this product religiously over the past month and can officially confirm that it’s everything it’s cracked up to be. I love the coverage it gives – it goes on sheer and glowy, yet it still manages to cover mild blemishes and imperfections. I do have to conceal more noticeable spots with my trusty Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer, but I’m so well practiced that it only takes a matter of seconds (read: I have so many spots). As with other BB creams, the longevity isn’t the best, but I find that…

August 1, 2013

July Favourites: Jules

Clarins Hydra-Matte Lotion As you may have gathered by now, I’m on a mission to control the facial oil slick that has become the bane of my life. I didn’t used to have such oily skin, it was more normal-combination (and I’m sure it’s linked to the number of different products I test for the blog) but these days my nose is like a beacon by lunchtime! I’ve tried powders, mattifying primers, setting sprays and blotting papers but none have been as effective as this light daily moisturiser. It hasn’t resolved the issue completely but it has made the most…

July 31, 2013

Review: Stila ‘In The Light’ Palette

I am a big fan of warm, neutral eye shadows, and I had planned on treating myself to the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette when I got to Greece in August. However, when Tori started raving about the Stila ‘In The Light’ palette, I knew my fate was sealed: ten glorious eye shadows and one eyeliner all encased in beautiful champagne-coloured packaging…sign me up!

July 30, 2013

Morning-After Make-up

This past Saturday was my hen party, a Clueless-themed bash of epic proportions, expertly organised by Camilla and the other bridesmaids. It goes without saying that it was a day filled with lots of fun, laughter, good food and plenty of champagne. After 14 solid hours of heavy duty girl time, I was understandably exhausted the next morning when I awoke early to attend my niece’s second birthday party. You can only imagine what state I was in when I stumbled out of the shower and prepared to make myself presentable, and quickly decided that I would need some industrial-strength…

July 29, 2013

Coming Soon: Korres

Last year I went on holiday to Greece with my family, and one of the hotels we stayed at stocked Korres products as the complimentary bathroom goodies. I knew a bit about this Greek pharmacy brand from my London days, but for some reason I never got around to trying them. Well, what I fool I was! After sampling a few of the products in the hotel, a new-found obsession was born: I made a point of visiting every Greek pharmacy I could find to stock up on shampoos, conditioners, body washes, lotions and make-up. We’re off to Greece for…

July 26, 2013

Brand I Wish Was in SA: Soap & Glory

Soap & Glory is a brand that succeeds where so many others have failed, by producing brilliant make-up and cosmetics that are just as effective as their scrumptious bodycare products. I can’t think of another brand that does this (certainly not at this price point), and definitely not with such flair – have you seen the packaging?! They describe themselves as “a fun, fresh, fearless, fantastic British beauty brand created by suds-loving entrepreneur and celebrity facialist Marcia Kilgore.” They also recommend “applying products with happiness and abandon, because while beauty absolutely matters, it doesn’t matter absolutely.” I couldn’t agree more.…

July 25, 2013

The Empties

It’s not often that I finish a product – I usually lose interest half way through and then either leave it lingering on my bathroom shelf, or pawn it off onto one of my friends (thank goodness for Jules and Jes). However, in a rare turn of events, I have managed to finish not one, but EIGHT products simultaneously! Here’s the run down of ‘The Empties’…