Best of the beauty sales

Feel unique:

1) Real techniques Sam's picks collection from £29.99 to £20.99:

- Multi-Task Brush: for effortless application of powder, blush and bronzer
- Buffing Brush: ideal for full coverage application of powder and mineral foundation
- Essential Crease Brush: soft, tapered design for effortless contouring
- Setting Brush: complete any look with a controlled dusting of powder or highlighter
- Pointed Foundation brush: use with liquid foundation to build custom coverage
- Fine Liner Brush: ultimate tool for precision application of liquid or cream eyeliner

2) Glamglow mud mask from £49.99 to £37.49

3) Emma hardie Amazing face balm from £34.00 to £28.90

4)Tigi bed head party girl from £29.99 to £22.46

5) GHD IV styler from £99.99 to £79.20

6) L'oreal professional repairing shampoo 750ml from £50.49 to £15.14

Space NK:

1) Body and bath ambre vanilla Laura Mercier from £60 to £30

2) Terrybly or Rose from £72 to £36

3) Diptyque l'eau de lierre £68 to £24

Christmas gift guide: For Her

Loverdose tattoo eau de parfum:
New release from diesel, the perfect "sexy" scent. Buy 50ml for £39 (here).

Oqibo Christmas candle:
The perfect spicy "christmas" scent. Lasts for ages, burns evenly without gathering soot. Smooth texture and scent lasts for days in whichever room it is lit. Buy for £22.25 (here).

ARK reed diffuser:

Luxury room scent kit, only needs to be in for an hour to make it's surroundings smell lovely. Buy for £38 (here).

Charbonnel velvet box:
A chocoholics heaven on earth. *Swoon*. Buy for £55 (here).

Naked palette:
My go to eyeshadow palette, the colours are extremely soft and easy to work with. All colours highly pigmented. Buy for £31 (here).

Aromatherapy associates oil set:
Anyone who loves pampering themselves ought to get their hands on this. Buy for £35 (here).

Pandora leather bracelet and charms:
Classic yet girly. Perfect for late teens/people in their early 20s. Buy for £40 (here).

Tiffany&Co earrings:

Timeless classic. Buy for £105 (here).

Tiffany&Co charm bracelet:
Luxury twist on a classic. Buy for £490 (here).

Links of London Black Friendship bracelet:
Effortlessly cool. Buy for £140 (here).

Latest in Beauty #WhatsInYourStocking?

This year Latest in Beauty are giving the general public the chance to create their perfect stocking. Each week they will be launching their top 5 products for you to try out, plus if you spend £10 or more on Luxury Samples you'll get a free christmas stocking.  I opted for:

L'Occitane Repairing Shampoo and Conditioner for Dry & Damaged Hair: I love how big the samples were for this product, it let me have a good trial period which i loved. It left my hair feeling really moisturised, soft and silky, definite repurchase. Buy for £3 (here).

Eve Lom Rescue Mask: During the winter my skin gets exremely spotty and the spots make my skin greasy. I used this and not only did it get rid of my face grease (yuck) it helped my spots. You have to shake this product well before use or your just get liquid coming out which isn't ideal. No longer available on the website. Buy full size version (here) for £55.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream: I have a soft spot for collagen products, i love the look of them on my skin and how it leaves my skin feeling. This product was great, it left my skin really smooth and looking plump and refreshed. It carries a light classic "fresh" scent. Buy for £8 (here). 

Aromatherapy Associates Revive Morning Bath & Shower Oil: I've heard lots about aromatherapy associates but had never got around to trying one of their oils. This product leaves your skin moisturised but not greasy with a subtle citrus scent. Buy for £1.50 (here).

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum:  I got a teeeeny sample of this a month or two ago with my Space NK order so was delighted to see this in the luxury samples set. The serum instantly brightens your skin and gives it that "airbrushed" look the day after. We get a massive sample worth £15 pounds for a third of the price. Buy for £5 (here).

This year they will be adding their top 5 products to a fantastic prize fund worth hundereds of pounds- to win, all you have to do is share a picture of your LiB Christmas Stocking on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the tag #WhatsInYourStocking?

Now all that's left to decide is... #WhatsInYourStocking?
http://latestinbeauty.com/whatsinyourstocking/

Christmas Gift Guide: For Him

Mulberry clipper holder bag: Buy for £1,350 (here).

B&0 Play h6 headphones: Buy for £330 (here).

Lomography fish eye camera: Buy for £69 (here).

ASOS touch screen gloves: Buy for £10 (here).

Chanel Bleu de Chanel: Buy 50ml for £50 (here).

Ted Baker sock trio: Buy for £30 (here).

Christmas Gift Guide: Stocking Fillers- £25 and under

Illamasqua "Cameo" nail polish:

Full review (here). The most beautiful blue winter shade. Buy for $17 (HERE) US readers and for £14.50 (here) UK readers. 

Rubiks Cube USB Speaker:

COOLEST PRESENT EVER. One for everyone, although it's a little pricey at £ it's big so will fill up a lot of the stocking! Buy for £16.99 (here)

Juice cube:

The handiest little invention ever. Holds 100% worth of charge and has lots of different adaptors so it can work with many electronics. Buy for £24.95 (here).

Little Things inital necklace:

My best friend got me this for my birthday and I absolutely adore it. So subtle and pretty. Buy for £10.13 (here).

 Frosted Willow Music Note bangle:

Another gift from a good friend, again for my birthday, there are different designs to suit everyone. Made of sterling silver and comes with a handy polisher. Buy for £10.73 (here).

L'occitane hand cream and lipbalm set:

Gorgeous scent and products that keep me hydrated all day. Buy for £16 (here).

Balance me Rose Otto Oil:

Perfect for the colder months, leaves your skin feeling hydrated and with a lovely glow. The bottle is massive so will last you all winter. Buy for £24.50 (here).

Lindt Advent Calendar:

THE BEST ADVENT CALENDAR AVAILABLE. EVERYONE SHOULD GET ONE. None of that synthetic chocolate taste, just gooey goodness. Buy for £6.99 (here).

Dr.Lipp 'nipple' balm:

My favourite lipbalm during the colder months. Clear upon application and although it is sticky at first when it has sunk it your lips are hydrated all day and no need for reapplication. Buy for £11.50 (here).

Burts bees Lemon cuticle butter:

Full review (here). Another essential for the colder months. An absolute must have if you love having hydrated nails. Buy for £5.50 (here).

Lanolips Banana Balm:

Another great lip balm, need for reapplication but it feels so luxurious to use it's completely worth it. But for £8.99 (here).

Lush "Whoosh" Shower Jelly:

Refreshing soap, who doesn't want to play with jelly?! Buy for £3.50 (here).

MOA green balm:

Full review (here). The only moisturiser i ever use on my face. I'm prone to breakouts on my forehead when using moisturisers but this has tea tree oil in it which targets the spots instead of causing them whilst moisturising. Win win. Buy for £9 (here).

Lily flame "Party Time"candle:

This candle holds the exact same scent as Taylor Swift's "Wonderstruck" which i absolutely adore. Buy for £8.50 (here).

Birchbox UK november 2013

Birchbox, you've done it again.

Laura Mercier Fresh Fig Body Butter:
Hands down my favourite product in the box. How lucky are we to get another Laura Mercier product! The products smells strongly of, as the name suggests, fresh fig. The smell lingered for 3-4 hours on my skin, personally i loved the scent but, if you don't like strongly scented products i would steer clear of this. The product sank in almost immediately leaving my skin soft and silky smooth. You only need a tiny bit so the sample should last for 1-2 weeks depending on how much i use it. The butter retails for £26 and is worth every penny. Buy (here).

Weleda replenishing oat shampoo:
First up: the scent. Oh, the scent. This product holds the "typical" Weleda smell. Fresh and uplifting. The most prominent scent, to me, is the jojoba oil which i love. My hair was left soft and my scalp nourished- will be reaching for this all winter to keep the dandruff at bay! Buy for a very reasonable £8.95 (here).

Chella highlighting pencil:
I've never been sold on highlighting pencils, they're fiddly and most of the time they are far too pink, *cough* Benefit Eye Bright *cough*, but i was completely taken aback by this one. In the pencil the product looks as if it has a pink undertone but when swatched on the skin the product glides on leaving a creamy flesh toned colour. I applied it to both the inner and outer corner of my eyes to look more awake and had compliments on how energised i look all day! Buy for £15.95 (here).


Spa Find sculpted silhouette intensive bust firming extract serum:
This is the sort of product i would never buy for myself but turns out to be blooming amazing when you try! The extract isn't sticky and leaves your, ahem, breasts feeling refreshed. I use 5 drops per breast and I still have a lot of product left which will allow for a good trial period. Incredibly interesting product that I am delighted to have received. I will keep you updated on whether it does actually "firm". Buy for £26 (here).

English Laundry signature for her eau de parfum:
Classic "clean" smell. It reminds me of Yankee Candle's "Clean cotton" candle. Buy for £16 (here).

Pukka herbs selection of teas:
I received three teas:
- "Three cinnamon"- the smell is the typical 'cinnamon' smell but the taste is not at all like normal cinnamon. Whilst there are hints of cinnamon it's mainly sweet with a bit of spice. Perfect for christmas. Buy for £2.29 (here).
-"Earl grey"- classic earl grey taste. Buy for £2.29 (here).
-"Elderberry and echinacea"- my favourite of the bunch, i ordered it as soon as i tried it. Spicy, yet fruity. Truly intriguing and like nothing i've ever tasted before. Buy for £2.29 (here).

Birchbox pencil sharpener: 
Super handy, it can sharpen large pencil highlighter we received in the box. Nice touch, Birchbox. Buy for £3.00 (here).

To get the box PLUS AN EXTRA SAMPLE TRIO just pop "BBXTalisa" into the promo code box when you checkout! Subscribe for £10 + £2.95 p&p here: http://birchbox.co.uk/?raf=8120

I popped over to tescos to pick up my new favourite tea, Pukka's Elderberry & Echinacea, and i just had to post a photo of the beautiful box the sachets come in. Kudos to 'Pukka' who satisfy all of their customers needs!

Chapstick Lipsations Shimmer in Berry and Tropical

You can never have to many lip balms, so when the new Chapstick Lipsations* popped through my letter box i couldn't wait to try them. They come in two shades: Berry and Tropical. Berry is a shimmery pink and tropical is clear with subtle shimmer.

I find if i put a thick layer on the shimmer builds up a little too much and can occasionally make me look a little washed out with Tropical. I recommend wearing them under/over lipstick to avoid this.

Tropical, to me, smells like the hubba bubba tape which i personally really like. It also has hints of coconut. Berry smells, as the name suggests, like berries. They aren't sticky, hugely moisturising and really affordable at £1.99 each. Available at all good drug stores.

Illamaqua "Cameo"

I've been in search of this colour my whole life. Periwinkle blue is such a gorgeous shade that is so, unbelievably, hard to track down. I literally jumped for joy when i saw this in sephora.

The polish goes on easily and is opaque with 2 coats. I found the wear time was around 5-6 days with a top coat.

Buy for £14.50 (here).

Birchbox october 2013

This is THE best beauty box i have ever received to date.

Dr.Lipp original nipple balm for lips: I had heard lots about this throughout the bloggersphere but had never gotten round to trying it despite really wanting to, so when i saw this in my box it was the first product i tried. The product is really hard to get out of the tube, it is incredibly thick. Once out it melts on your lips and you need a very small amount to cover all of your lips. It looks great, it's a clear balm that gives a nice shine on the lips but i find it leaves my lips feeling a bit sticky. After an hour that feeling fades and the product keeps your lips moisturised and looking great all day. Although the initial sticky feeling is irritating the overall outcome is totally worth it. The tube we were given will can be used 10-15 times. Thumbs up from me and will definitely repurchase this. Buy for £11.50 (here). See photo below of it over "stainiac".

The Balm Stainiac: This product gives your lips a lovely flushed look. It is a pink stain that dries quickly and lasts for around 2 hours. The product is not sticky at all and is really flattering to all skin tones. Buy for £10 (here).

Egyptian magic all purpose skin cream: Haven't used these yet but they are really handy to pop in your handbag, especially in the colder months. Buy for £34.90 (here).

Akane Mask cocoon nocturne: This was the only product in the box i was disappointed by. The mask felt sticky and peeled off during the night. It didn't do much for my skin. Buy for £18 (here).

UltraDex toothpaste: Delicious. I haven't seen a difference yet but will continue using and then report back. Buy for £8.15 (here).

KMS California Curl up: Helps define curls. We were given a big sample which will last a while and it smells divine. Wouldn't recommend to people with straight hair as it doesn't add curls, only helps to define them. Buy for £15 (here).

Laura mercier tinted moisturiser in "nude": This. Is. AMAZING. My skin looked flawless and i'm flabbergasted that i've never tried this before. A definite repurchase. Totally worth the hype. Buy for £33 (here).

Overall, i was extremely pleased with the range of products and the amazing quality of all of them. I've never seen a beauty box with so many well known renowned products in it; except for 'specials' boxes. If you would like to sign up for birchbox you can do so through this link: here.

Also, FREE SHIPPING on everything in this box in the e-shop- i'm going to buy everything!

It's a 10!

Whilst in NYC this summer i managed to pick up "It's a 10!", a "miracle leave-in product" which claims to do 10 things. Now, i'm not sure if it really does do all 10 but i do know that it leaves my hair very happy.

I use this as a hair detangler and frizz tamer. I apply around 5 squirts to my palms and work through my hair after towel drying it. It has some heat defence properties but i tend to use my tresemme heat protectant (buy here) alongside it for safe measure.

I've spotted a noticeable difference in the quality of my hair since using this. My hair has become more silky, smooth, less tangled and stronger. The product is very lightly scented with a fresh smell.

I highly recommend this product but it's not easy to come across in the UK, US readers can pick it up in duane reade. Alternatively you can pick it up online, "It's a 10!" retails for £20 on Ebay buy (here).

Balance me wonder eye cream

Anyone that knows me is aware that i am prone to dark puffy bags under my eyes; lucky me.

I'm a massive fan of balance me and have been dying to try their eye cream for a while so when i saw a whole load of really great reviews recently I jumped straight onto their website and bought one.

The packaging is really sleek and simple yet not plain. The product is easy to dispense with a pump, with a cover, at the top of the product.

This product brightens my under eyes whilst moisturising and cooling the eye area to decrease puffiness. I mix it in with my concealer 2000 lasting perfection concealer (here) to cancel out the cakey-effect the concealer can sometimes give.

Highly recommend this product, it does exactly what it says on the tin. Buy for £20 (here) with free shipping worldwide- YAY.

MOA the green balm

The cold weather is starting to set in, yay. This means more dry patches, EVERYWHERE. Today i felt that i needed to share my all time favourite balm with you guys just in case you are suffering from gross little dry patches like me.

I love the textures of balms, i always feel like they're doing something because the texture is so thick and luxurious. I usually find with moisturisers that are really hydrating comes spots dotted around my forehead- not with this miracle balm! It has some tea tree in it which hydrates whilst fighting spots.

It's a multi-use product, some of the ways i use it:

• To soften/hydrate my cuticles
• On spots- the tea tree reduces the redness
• On your feet (tip: slather on the soles of your feet and pop some socks on before you go to bed and wake up with smooth feet)
• As a cleanser (Use like the Emma Hardie cleaning balm (here) and just rub into palm until an oil is formed, rub onto face then wipe off with hot flannel)

I know what you're thinking. An amazing product which has amazing effects? I bet it has an amazingly high price tag to go with it... NOPE! It retails for £4.50-£9 which compared to most face balms/cleansing balms is an absolute bargain. I cannot fault this product or recommend it enough! Buy 50ml for £9 (here) or the 15ml for £4.50 (here)

Birchbox UK september 2013

It's my favourite time of the month- BIRCHBOX TIME!!

First impression: W.O.W

Aromatherapy Associates Revive Body Gel: This gel is extremely refreshing and i like to use it when i've had a long day. The smell is divine and lingers on the skin without being overpowering. Buy for £31 (here).

Molton brown Ylang-Ylang nourishing body lotion: We got a Ylang Ylang shower gel in the previous box so this will be nice to pair up with it. It has the same refreshing woody smell. Buy for £18 (here).

Reverence de Bastien nail polish: A lovely burgundy colour for autumn. Glossy finish and long lasting. Buy for £16 (here).

Bioderma H20: I have 2 big bottles of this and adore it. It leaves my skin looking refreshed and glowing whilst being able to remove heavy duty make-up. Buy for £9.99 (here).

Green & Black's White chocolate: One word: YUM. Buy for £2.29 (here).

ModelCo. Party proof lipstick: A moisturising pinky-nude colour. Very easy to wear and lasts around an hour before it needs to be reapplied. Buy for £15.50 (here). Alternatively there is a bright set for £15.50 (here).

Sign up for birchbox for £10 a month (here). What are your thoughts on this box?

Wet'n'Wild cherry picking 695

A few weeks ago my family and I went to New York for a family trip for a week. Whilst there i managed to pick up some amazing products, some available worldwide and others more readily available in the US.

I am a big big big fan of FleurDeForce so when i saw her blog post on wet'n'wild cherry picking (695) I put it on my "MUST PICK UP" list for NYC.

The colour payoff is unbelivable. The photo above just has the lipstick applied with just one coat. I find the more coats the brighter the fuchsia colour created so if you prefer slightly darker pinks just layer it up. As the lipstick is flat to precisely apply it (unlike the photo above haha!) tilt the lipstick on its side and use the edge. Alternatively you could use a lipstick brush.

The product is extremely moisturising but i do find that the colour wears off in around an hour so needs to be reapplied. The product is cased in a lip bullet which makes it really handy to pop in your bag as it doesn't take up much space. The lipstick comes at a whopping...wait for it... $1.99. $1.99 FOR AN AMAZING LIPSTICK?!?!?! Bargain. Buy (here) if you are in the US.

If anybody finds a link to where people can buy this in the UK please pop it in the comments and i'll link it in this post!

WEN peppermint cleansing conditioner

I have incredibly dry hay-like hair so use really heavy duty moisturising products. Occasionally some of these products really hydrate my hair but make my roots more oily. When my roots get oily the root of the hairs at the front come up leaving white residue in my hair which is pretty much impossible to get rid of. I had tried everything. Fine tooth combs, cleansing shampoos, switching products but nothing worked.  I picked this conditioner up on a whim and was amazed by the results. The white residue disappeared and my roots left feeling cleansed but not stripped.

The product is labelled "sweet almond mint", personally, I can't smell any almond and the mint scent is far more prominent.  The container advises you to use 10-15 PUMPS! 10-15! What a waste. I used about 3-4 pumps and it worked really really well. The container holds a whopping 480ml so this should last me a few months. It is a little pricy at $32 but as the bottle contains so much product the price per use works out to be quite fair. It is available from Sephora (here).

Birchbox UK August 2013

Montibel.lo gold oil essence:
The smell. I have never smelt anything so beautiful in my life. I can't describe the scent it's so complex and gorgeous. I kind of don't want to use it so i can keep it and sniff it forever. My hair was left feeling soft and looking shiny. 100% recommend this product. Buy for £22.50 (here).

Gerda Spillmann hydro pearls:
This is a really light cream which sinks in in a few minutes and leaves a semi-airbrushed look when it has been absorbed. It has a very subtle fresh smell and is designed to be a make up primer. It allows your foundation to glide on smoothly and leaves your skin looking flawless. I think it'd be just as good worn alone as it puts a mute on your flaws. Great for both oily and dry skin. Buy for £30 (here).

Bluemandarines SkinLife energetic cellular cream:

Smooth lightweight moisturiser. Leaves skin soft. The scent is a bit too prominent for me. Buy for £35 (here).

LAQA & Co. lip pencil in Wolfman:
I've never owned a lip pencil so was really interested to try this. The pencil has a lovely mint scent which has a slight cooling effect on the lips which i really like. My pencil is a sheer light pink shade which is very wearable when swatched but didn't suit me when applied on my lips. I find that like most sheer lipsticks you have to apply it very often. I re-applied mine every hour or so. The product wasn't drying on my lips. Buy for  £14 (here).

Molton Brown Ylang-Ylang body wash:
Usually i'm not a fan of shower gels in beauty boxes but i'm a big fan of Molton Brown so i'll let this one slide. The body wash has a relaxing quality as a result of having mainly Ylang-Ylang in the wash. The wash doesn't strip your skin of any moisture and feels really luxurious. Buy for £18 (here).

Propercorn Fiery Worcester sauce & sundried tomato:
I AM IN LOVE. I saw the title and was like.... yum (ew). I tried it and take it back. It tastes a bit like monster munch with a bit of added spice. Delicious!! Not only does it taste great but a big bag is only 100 CALORIES!! I will never stop eating these. Buy for £0.90 (here).

Birchbox gel mask:
I love these sorts of lifestyle extras. They're things you can use but wouldn't think about buying yourself and turn out really great! I'm really enjoying using mine and have found that when i put it in the fridge overnight and wear it for 5 minutes in the morning my eyes are less puffy and look more alert. Buy for £10 (here).

Really really really happy with this box. Sign up for birchbox for £10 a month (here). What are your thoughts on this box?

I've just seen on the website you get FREE SHIPPING on all items included in this box and a free eyelash curler & mirror. Go and buy now- the eyelash curlers are AMAZING and worth £10 alone!

Balance me moisture-rich face cream

I'm in constant conflict when it comes to face creams. My face is extremely dry so needs heavy duty moisturisers which do the job well. Whilst there are plenty of face creams that do this i hadn't been able to find one that didn't break me out concurrently. When the lovely people at balance me sent me this cream i was a little worried because of my previous experiences with face creams. I've been using this for a few weeks now and i think i may be in love.

From the moment i applied the moisture-rich face cream* my skin appeared brighter and more hydrated. As a result my skin looks much healthier. My favourite part about this cream is whilst it is a heavy duty cream, it doesn't feel like it at all. The cream is thick upon application but sinks in almost immediately and leave no greasy residue.

The product itself has a gorgeous subtle scent created through a mix of shea butter with essential oils such as rosehip and kukui oils.

Overall, i can't recommend this product enough. Both for people with dry skin and oily. As the product sinks in immediately it shouldn't cause any problems for people with oily skin. It is available for £24 with free delivery worldwide on look fantastic (here).

Free Jo Malone sample for UK Talisa talks beauty readers!

Hiya guys!

Jo Malone are releasing a new fragrance called "Peony and blush suede" and giving you guys a chance to test it before the official release!

All you have to do is design a peony pin (here) and send it to a friend. You are then given the option to receive a sample of "Peony and blush suede"; simples! Enjoy!

Best spot treatment- Panoxyl aquagel

After posting my review on Rimmel's Wake Me Up Foundation I received a lot of tweets asking me how I keep my skin so clear so I thought i'd share my little secret.

I find that a lot of the high street options are cheap but not effective and the effective ones tend to be priced at £20+ which, to me, is a little steep for a spot treatment. So when i discovered PanOxyl i was thrilled.

It's intended for use on acne but i've found it works a treat on little breakouts, painful red spots, pussy spots (yuck!) and even the tiny little ones.

You can get different strengths. For people who only really get little spots i would recommend 2.5, for people who get a mix of big and small spots get 5 and those who have regular breakouts get 10. As i don't have acne I use Aquagel 5. It's a lightweight formula that lies somewhere between a gel and a cream. As the product is essentially drying the spots out it can make your skin very dry if you overuse it. On a small spot put a tiny amount on and apply it as if you were applying a moisturiser. On big spots put a little dollop on top of the spot and don't rub it in, the first time you use it on that particular spot. Then start treating it as if it was a small spot. I advise you not to use it more than once a day as it is incredibly drying. After letting it sink in for a few hours I always apply cream to my face for little spots and with big spots I put moisturiser everywhere avoiding the big spot.

It retails for around £3 and lasted more than half a year for me. I've just found out this has been discontinued but i bought a new one the other day at the chemists. It's always worth asking your local chemist/boots/pharmacy if they sell this product because it works wonders. If they only sell panoxyl 10 then just apply it every other day for those who don't have acne/ regular breakouts.

NUXE Reve de Miel Baume Levres Ultra-Nourrissant Ultra-Nourishing Lip Balm

When i first purchased this  i didn't see why it was raved about so much. I pushed it to the side and completely forgot about it. When i ran out of lip balm i turned to it and boy, have my views changed! I slathered it on my cracked lips before i went to bed and woke up with... hydrated lips! I was flabbergasted to say the least. Ever since i haven't been able to stop using it, it's quite a thick balm so i put it on before bed to let it sink in. The photo online is quite deceptive, it makes it look like it would have a creamy/balmy texture but it has more of a classic lip balm feel. 

The packaging is quite luxurious. The tub is made out of heavy glass and the lid is made of sturdy plastic. It's one of the products you leave on your vanity when guests come over to make it look pretty.
It retails for £9.50, which is a little more pricy than most lip care products but it is worth every penny! Buy it (here)

Ciate Chalkboard Nails, hit or miss?

Something that has been floating around the bloggersphere a lot recently is Ciate's chalboard nail set. The set features a matte, black Ciaté Paint Pot and liquid Chalk Pens. The idea is that you put the matte paint pot on and then when it's dried you draw on them with the liquid chalk pens.

I really liked the idea of chalkboard nails. I am most definitely not an artist so found it particularly hard using the pens to draw a design or a pattern. Every time i tried a design it just looked tacky and messy. For me, this product was a total waste of money. Unless you are extremely talented at nail art I wouldn't recommend this. Hell, even if you're amazing at nail art i'm not sure you can work with this... If you do manage to get it to work for you feel free to tweet me at @Talisa_Lauren_T with a photo- i'd love to see your design!

It retails for £25, buy (here).

What are your thoughts on Chalkboard nails? Hit or miss?

Daniel wellington "Classy collection" in Bristol

I've noticed that my jewellery post (here) was rather well recieved so have decided to carry on posting jewellery.

Daniel wellington have recently released a new collection called "the classy collection". The watches are classic yet luxurious. I opted for Bristol and have been getting compliments all week for it, it adds a touch of glamour to any outfit whilst not being OTT. It is available from daniel wellington for £98 (here). I've managed to get my readers a little discount, if you enter "TALISA" at the checkout you get 15% off until July 20th! Enjoy!

Xen tan dark lotion

I love tanning, all of my body tans really well... apart from my legs. They are whiter than white when the rest of my body is golden; great! The only way i can avoid this is by using fake tan- easy, right? WRONG. Finding the right fake tan is a long and tiring process. Most of the tans i've tried have had something wrong with them whether it be that they make a certain part of my body look awful whilst the other look great (cough Palmers "gradual" tan cough) or streaky. I've been wanting to try Xen tan for a while so when i got sent a bottle i was delighted.

The product has a strong marzipan scent which personally I love but could be a problem for others. The product dried after 2 minutes and developed over 2 hours to create the natural tanned look that can be seen below:

Before

After

I used one pump for the bottom half of my leg and another for the top half, making this 2 pumps per leg. The bottle comes with a large amount of product so will last me a while. I found the product to be really hydrating and make my skin feel really soft.

I would advise you invest in a tanning mitt, i used (this) one, as the product stains your skin if you apply a dollop to a certain part of your body.

Make sure that you exfoliate before to make sure no tan gets stuck around/on the dry skin making it obvious you're wearing fake tan.

Xen tan dark lotion* retails for £23.95 (here). Tan land is my new favourite place to buy fake tan from, they sell high quality fake tan at a lower price than the RRP AND they have free delivery. Win win!