November Birchbox

Bursting at the seams!

• Spa Find Sculpted Silhouette Intensive Bust Firming Extract Serum- Hmmm I'm glad this states it is for the neck and décolleté too! Lovely little bottle though.

• Weleda Replenishing Oat Shampoo - lovely travel size and for dry hair prone to breakage so perfect for me ( Birchbox do a beauty questionaire so they cater for your needs)

• Laura Mercier Body Butter Ambre Vanille - to be honest they had me at Laura Mercier, but a Body Butter in any scent would do me too! LOVE.

• Pukka Herbs selection of tea - ok the confession is the earl grey was the first thing I used out of this months box - lovely, lovely, lovely. The last tea they sent me (peppermint teapigs) became an addiction so I'd better be careful.

• Chella Highlighter pencil - I have a highlighter powder and stick and cream so it seems sensible really to have a pencil too.

• English Laundry Eau de Parfum ( quince, jamine and musk)- love anything that has the scent of jasmine and these small samples are great for the handbag to freshen up after a day in the classroom!

• Birchbox Pencil Sharpener - I'm always forgetting where I'm putting mine so it'll be good to have a spare. I think my existing one is the only one I've ever had - it must be donkeys (thats all I'm saying) years old.

I'm especially enjoying these boxes at the moment as I am still sticking to my "No New Make Up/Products " rule . I am using up all my existing stash and products until after Christmas. It is amazing what I have found! However, It is lovely to have a box of goodies each month. My only concession is products that run out and have nothing to replace them.

Are you a great tea drinker? 

What is your favourite tea tipple?

Organisation of Make Up

Ikea Godmorgan Box

You will either understand and share my excitement here completely or this post will leave you bemused and blank. 

So for those of you who love make up this is for you....and if you love to be organised too , then you will totally get this!

I posted recently about how I organised my make up in a basket . As you know we are frantically de cluttering and organising our house ready for the builders. On a trip to Ikea my hubby spotted this little beauty and rescued it and brought it home for me to love.

It is a Godmorgan make up organiser which retails at £14. It fits beautifully in the deeper drawers of my Alex drawer unit, also from Ikea.  There are sections for brushes, lipsticks, eye shadows and larger items. The section for brushes lifts up to reveal another section underneath.

I know , I know , small things again, but I love to be organised!

Design ©2012 Another New Day

www.takingachanceinlife.blogspot.uk 2012 - 2013

All personal images are owned by Another New Day

unless stated otherwise.

Images may not be downloaded,manipulated or reproduced without prior written permission. All rights are reserved.

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Nip and Fab CC Cream

Complexion Corrector Cream

I try not to fall for the hype that can surround new products as they get released onto the shelves . You can so often fall into the trap of reading a lot of blogs raving about a product, run out and buy it , only to find it doesn't suit you.

However, I do really like some of the Nip and Fab products and I find the pricing more accessible than some ranges. So when I heard that the new BB on the street was a Complexion Corrector I thought it would be worth a go . I love my Dr. Jarts BB and it would take a lot for me to change this , but I am nearing the end of a tube and this Nip and Fab product retails at over £10 less a tube so worth a look at least. You can buy Nip and Fab products here.

Boots have an offer on where you get the two products cheaper if you purchase them together. The second product is to conceal dark circles and to brighten the eye area.

So my verdict?

I would say that I can tell why it is £10 cheaper than the Dr. Jarts! Dr Jart's premium BB is being sold at Boots for £16 instead of the usual £24 at the moment here.

This range comes in two shades, light and dark. They do not adjust to your skin tone so if you want a darker or lighter shade you are advised to buy both and to mix the products to get the desired colour.

 It is much thicker than a regular BB cream and sits fairly heavily on the skin. I also found it gave an orangey tinge to my skin, even though I opted for the light option. It "sat" on my cheeks where I tend to have drier skin and looked dull and non reflective. 

However, the concealer stick was a different class altogether. I found this a handy tool for covering dark circles and because the product has a thicker texture it does the job of concealing well. However, I have other products like my Mac concealer that also do the job as well if not better. 

I feel a little disappointed in this product , although like all things you will probably find another person raving about it. It is often down to personal preference and skin type. I have combination skin and I don't need a heavy coverage on a daily basis , so for me it was just too much and dried on my skin. 

I shall be remaining loyal to my Dr. Jarts BB for some time yet I feel. However , I do have a Nip and Fab product that I am using that I love and I will be reviewing next Wednesday for you! Amazing if you want something to tighten up a few wrinkles before putting on your make up........

I have also been brave and booked myself a Bobbi Brown make up session later in February to revamp my make up routine . I have been using a fabulous Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner and am interested to experiment with some new colours. I will report back and post a photo before and after if I am brave enough!

Out of The Mouths Of Babes

Comes The Merciless Truth.......

I have been really unwell over the weekend with a throat infection. I have antibiotics now and am beginning to feel a bit more human, but for a few days didn't even put a dash of mascara on, which I realised for me had become something of a rarity...........

 Eldest Son   "Mum , you can tell you are sick cus your eyes look funny"

Me   " No,that's not because I'm sick that's because I've got no make up on."

Eldest Son   " Oh"

Short pause.

Eldest Son   "You should always wear make up - you are prettier with it."

Point Taken.

Design ©2012 Another New Day

www.takingachanceinlife.blogspot.uk 2012 - 2013

All personal images are owned by Another New Day

unless stated otherwise.

Images may not be downloaded,manipulated or reproduced without prior written permission. All rights are reserved.

Commercial or Private use without explicit written consent is prohibited and action will be taken through UK and worldwide copyright laws.

What's in my make up bag?

Another round of  "What's in my....." series. This time under the spotlight is my make up bag! 

I don't keep my everyday make up in a cupboard or boxes as I like to be mobile  in the morning when I am in a rush ( Read manic mother, tearing about house trying to dress three children, getting breakfast, making packed lunches, putting  a load of washing on,  helping with last minute homework, finding last minute homework etc etc) . I try and keep in my make up bags just the products that I am using regularly in case I need to grab my bag and put my make up on whilst multi tasking.  I have also been known to throw them in the car and finish my make up at my destination having dropped the kids off at school wearing only rather large sunglasses as a disguise - you know those kind of mornings. Or is that just me?

I should imagine I am no different from the next person in that the contents of my make up bag change on a fairly regular basis. I keep a selection of unused, part used or unwanted at the moment make up items in a large chest of drawers on our landing which I periodically rummage through if I want something. Ikea dividers are great for keeping things organised in drawer. If I need easy access to anything then I do prefer to have things on show that I enjoy looking at, so I also have a few pretty pots to keep make up brushes, lip glosses etc in . I picked these up from a local garden shop - they fit in with the grey theme of our bedroom! 

So What's in my make up bag ( s) ? These are the two bags I have on the go at the moment:

As you can see I keep them together in a small wicker basket. This is on a painted wooden chest at the end of our bed. The chest is an old blanket box that my Grandmother had seen in a shop window and saved up to buy for £15 many years ago when she was a newly wed. She died a couple of years ago at the grand old age of 102. I love this chest . It was mahoghany , but is white now and is shabby chic at it's best!

The larger of the two bags is a floral oil cloth bag .

This smaller bag was part of a 3 for the price of 2 offer from Boots . I love the square shape of it and it is really convenient for carrying the smaller items of make up.

 I am not big on practicality over style! I like things to look beautiful  ( think-  this is what I aim for, not the reality) . I don't like clutter and a load of boxes containing items piled up in corners of bathrooms for storage does not appeal .It would descend into a complete battle zone with me flinging things randomly out across the room as I searched for something! I like the size of the beauty boxes for storage as these fit nicely into drawers. I do tend to pass things on , use things up and generally de clutter as often as possible to avoid a back log of items. Being ruthless is the only answer. What I do have I like to display attractively or store where it can be got at easily, but it is not seen. 

So in my larger bag I have primers, lipsticks, foundations, tinted moisturisers, concealers, eye liners pencils,mascarsa,brow pencils,  eye drops, lip stains and gloss.

In the smaller bag I have my eye shadows and blushers and a couple of eye creams.

Rather than boring you with a list of everything I have picked out a few products I am loving and I think are real winners at the moment. The Revelon Colorstay range is really lovely. Does what it says - stays put! I have a Soap and Glory eye shadow primer as well to maximise colour and help it last. The Soap and Glory range under eye dark shadow concealer is great too. Apparently it has yellow tones that help neutralise the purple tones in those dark shadows - works well and is creamy and moisturising.

                                    

                                     

If you had to pick only one item from your make up bag to wear today what would it be?

Mine would have to be mascara. My favourite Makeup product of all at the moment is Benefits Bad Gal lash mascara - love this chunky brush lash building mascara - best I've had......And I won't leave the house with a dash of mascara!

Wednesday Beauty Buys

Multi Tasking Make up- the lip stain.

One of the things I am increasingly looking for in my make up products is items that have a dual purpose . Getting make up to multi task is a sure way of saving money and time in the mornings. A lip product that can be used as a blush, an eye pencil to fill in brows,  a lip balm or Vaseline that straightens stray hairs and can be used to highlight. Mascara that can be used as an eye pencil by popping a bit in your hand and applying with an angled brush. Macs cream colour bases that can be used on eyes , lips and cheeks. I could go on...

My go to product for this multitasking is the lip stain, but you have to be careful to get the right one .  The stain that you can use on both your lips and cheeks is perfect to have in your handbag to top up tired make up later in the day. My favourite of all time is this beautiful deep rose lip and cheek stain from the Body Shop. It does not come out as red as it looks like it might from the picture. It costs £10, but check out some of the deals and vouchers available for the Body Shop as you will be likely to get it for less. ( See Recommended Sites in my side panel)

It is not too vibrant , yet gives colour that is lasting and is easy to reapply when needed. It can be simply dotted across the cheeks and quickly blended with your fingers for that gentle glow . A quick slick on the lips quickly soaks in to give colour - if you want a bit of shine then I add a clear gloss on top - ideal. I would suggest practising at home first as a stain is a stain and you don't want a Bridget Jones make up moment! I think this brings back memories of my mum's simple , but effective style of make up , bringing elegance to her outfits with a quick dash of rose to her lips and cheeks and lashings of black mascara . She embodied the 'less is more' principle.


I'd not, until recently, found another product that was really comparable to this Body Shop stain as it is an actual liquid stain and many of the others are more of a solid stain and gloss or balm. However, I've found that Soap and Glory do a similar stain in their make up range in an adorable little tube.

 It comes out a little more of a cherry colour, described as Rosy Glow and the only negative about it is the initial taste - a little sour I would say, but this instantly disappears. It is recommended for use on cheeks and lips. I didn't find it lasted as long as the Body Shop product, but lovely as an alternative. Boots have an offer on this range . If you buy two products you get the second product half price. Ideal. Of course I picked  the Trick and Treatment Under Eye Dark Circle Concealer.

The other stain I enjoy at the moment which is more creamy in texture, is in Revlon's " Just Bitten Kissable" range - a Chubby crayon like lip stain/balm . This comes in a variety of colours which is another bonus. See Boots for a good selection and £2 off.

 Revlon also do a lip stain in this "Just Bitten"range with a separate balm at the other end of the product. I found the stain in this one quite strong. When I first tried it out on my hand it wouldn't come off until I took a wet wipe quite firmly to it! That of course means  it should have staying power, but felt a little too harsh for what I was looking for!  The applicator looks like the tip of a felt pen making it easy to apply to lips - good as you wouldn't want to make a mistake in the application with this !  See here for details. £2 off again at Boots.


One of my other favourites of course has to be a Mac product. They do a range of pro longwear lip colour that has two steps to apply.The first is the colour, the second the gloss. This is not really a stain, but acts like one in that it leaves a long lasting colour on your lips that has a lovely deep pigment. Again , although fabulous as a longlasting lip colour I would be hesitant about using this on my cheeks unless you are very good or professional at applying make up in this way. It doesn't come off too easily if you make a mistake! See here for details.

My Winner!

I think there are many products that now will label themselves a lip stain, but for me few that live up to the simplicity that I would associate a lip stain being. For me it needs purely and simply to be a product that stains , nothing fancy like a gloss or a balm. It becomes a different product then. So, the one that still ticks all the boxes for me is :

The Body Shop Lip and Cheek Stain

What Multi tasking product do you have in your make up bag?

Don't forget with all of your Beauty and Fashion purchases to check out the recommended sites at the side of my blog. These sites offer money off products and latest vouchers to claim. Worth checking out.

Wednesday Beauty Buys

Match Perfection Concealer by Rimmel

This was not the product I had intended to review this week, but I am so pleased with it I have decided to give my opinion on it asap!

I had been looking for a concealer for my seemingly ever increasing black bags under my eyes , mainly caused by lack of sleep from being up night after night with poorly children . This year has been a constant stream of  coughs, colds, pneumonia, chicken pox, chest infections, asthma, sickness bugs - I could go on! I am sure a bout of lovely hot sunshine would kill all these germs off.....

 Anyway , on a whim I picked up a tube of Rimmels Match Perfection 2 in 1 skin tone adapting concealer and highlighter from Boots. It promises to banish signs of fatigue and illuminate the eye area. Yes! It contains an oxygen complex and allows skin to breathe. It almost sounds too good to be true, but as I was feeling in the need for something different I got a tube of it and have tried it for a couple of weeks now. I am still using my Mac long wear foundation and use this around the eye area and any other areas that I feel need a little extra touch! I really do feel that this does what it says - it melts into my skin colour and gently conceals uneven skin tone without dulling it down. I know it works as it is getting carried around in my handbag with me!


I was so impressed I have decided to try their Match Perfection Fix and Perfect Primer also which is on offer at the moment at £4.99 and has some great reviews. I haven't always been a big fan of Rimmels products - I find they can be a little hit and miss, but if I find a good one it usually is very good value and worth stocking up on.

A few days into using this my hairdresser said to me my skin was glowing and if she didn't know any better she would have said I was pregnant as I had that look to my skin! ( You know that "I'm glowing" stage, not the "I'm exhausted" stage!) I like compliments like that as it doesn't happen too often anymore.


My verdict on both these products would be that they are great value for money and do the job as well as any of their more expensive equivalents. They have become part of my daily routine. Well done Rimmel this time!

Definitely a winner for me! 

Wednesday Beauty Buys

Estee Lauder Double Wear ( Stay in Place) Shadow Creme

I was chatting to a friend, who is also a mum of 3 and we were saying how hard it is sometimes to find those moments for yourself, especially when getting ready in the morning! The school run can be such a testing time and yet it is worth carving out a few minutes to put on some make up and do your hair. I find it makes all the difference to me to leave the house presentable - not for anyone else! With this in mind I had been looking for some eye shadow that would last longer during the day and not crease during the warmer months ( if they ever really arrive) and was tempted by a pot of this Estee Lauder Double Wear Shadow Creme in Ivory Lace . 

Estee Lauder Double Wear Eye Shadows

It gives a lovely pale shimmer effect which you can use on your brows, or add a touch to cheekbones to reflect a bit of light . I found it to be the best eye shadow I have had for staying in place and still looking like it should after a day on the run! I was so pleased with it I have since gone back and purchased two other colours: 

Mochachino - a lovely coffee coloured matt shadow and Golden Sands - a shimmer shadow in a soft gold colour - my favourite of the three. 

Golden Sands, Ivory Lace, Mochachino

You can see by the pictures I use them regularily . They were my holiday make up bag staple this year! I tend to mix two at a time to give variety and use the Ivory lace to highlight. I also use the Double wear eye pencil, which is equally as effective and does not leave me with panda eyes by the end of the day - result! I know they are a little on the pricey side, but if you buy from a department store such as Boots or Debenhams there is usually some deal on where you end up with a load of free samples or goodies - and we all love those to try out! 

Even after a whole day painting my daughters bedroom - the eye shadow was untouched. Photos of the finished bedroom coming - just putting the final touches to the room tomorrow - it's looking good! x