New In: Chanel Eclats Du Soir Christmas 2012

Chanel Eclats Du Soir Collection - Le Vernis in Malice 637 £18 &  Rouge Allure Velvet in L'Impatient £25

Chanel's latest collection, Eclats Du Soir is absolutely stunning, as we've come to expect from Chanel. The collection includes beautifully embossed eyeshadow quads, shimmering tones and deep plums, all perfect for the festive season. Out of all Chanel's Christmas offerings I've been giving the Rouge Allure Velvet Lipstick in L'Impatient and Le Vernis Nail Colour in 637 Malice a little road test. 

As Chanel's Rouge Coco Shines are one of my favourite lipsticks (post here) I was intrigued to see how the Rouge Allure Velvet would compare. The shade L'Impatient looks rather scary in the bullet, but is much more wearable than expected. The stick is pigmented enough for an easy full coverage lip, or just patted on to create a berry stain. I'm pleased to report the formula isn't drying, is buttery soft and in fact hardly feels like you're wearing lipstick at all. 

Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in L'Impatient

In my eyes Chanel is the queen of the polish world, their shades are always on trend, bringing out the most unique colours every season and they have not let me down this Christmas.  The shade Holiday from their Summer collection, Summertime De Chanel (post here) was by far my most worn polish this Summer and no doubt Malice will be the most worn this Winter. 

Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in 637 Malice

It's unlike any other shade I own or have seen, at first glance it looks like a deep plum but has a gorgeous ruby shimmer running through it. I absolutely love the colours ability to appear different in different lighting, in some almost wine coloured and in others very ruby. Despite not lasting particularly long on the nails there's no shade like it! Its even got the dads seal of approval       

Wearing Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in L'Impatient

The Chanel Eclat Du Soir Collection is available here. Has anything caught your eye from the collection?

Shiseido Laquer Rouge...The Best Lip Formula Around?

Shiseido Laquer Rouge £23 House Of Fraser

Shiseido's latest release, Laquer Rouge quickly creeped its way up my list of favourite lip products (which is an extremely long one). It's one of those halfway in between gloss and stick hybrids - moisturising, long lasting and extremely pigmented. Sounds amazing no? Yep, it's got it all.

On the lips it looks like the perfect balance of glossy and matte. The formula isn't drying at all and is kind to the lips. I find that matte formulas of dark lipsticks can close up the lips, making them look smaller, whereas shiny glossy formulas make lips appear larger, so the glossy finish Laquer Rouge gives is perfect for wearing a coloured lip. 

The shade I fell in love with was RD607, a rich red, which isn't a shade I would normally wear but would be perfect for the upcoming party season. After heading to Shiseido to pick up another shade I was disappointed with the selection, only 8 shades and no peachy pink! I settled on a pinky nude, RD203 which I love none the less. 

Shiseido Lacquer Rouge in RD203 (left) and RD607 (right)

I'm really pleased with my first venture into Shiseido, if everything is this good I'l be in for a treat! 

Anything to recommend?

My Makeup: Dark Lips With Aveda Rare Orchid

After dipping my feet in the dark lip pool my eyes became magnets to any dark lipstick so when I set my eyes on Aveda Smoothing Lip Colour in Rare Orchid it was only a matter of time before it ended up on my lips. Makeup Artist Adam De Cruz kindly took me through wearing a dark lip as it's something new to me, his advice was to... wear a neutral wash of colour on my lid, tons of mascara on my upper lashes, leave the bottom bare and apply some bronzer, which is exactly what I did. 

As far as lipstick formulas go it's fantastic, especially for a dark lip. Not too creamy that it will end up anywhere but your lips (in other words my chin) and is more on the waxy side of formulations which makes it long lasting too. Coverage wise it's the perfect balance of pigmentation, easy to achieve a stain or build up to a full coverage look. The shade Rare Orchid is part of the Passion Flower collection, which features two other lipsticks amongst eyeshadows, lip glazes and lip liners. 

Skin

- My newest base of choice, Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion with a sweeping of Sleek Face Contour Kit

Eyes

- Aveda Petal Essence Single Eye Colour in Callalily and Clinique High Impact Mascara with L'Oreal Carbon Black Voluminous Mascara

Wearing Aveda Nourish-Mine Smoothing Lip Colour in Rare Orchid £12.50 Aveda

Lips

- I started off applying a base, Aveda Nourish-Mint Lip Liner in Foxglove followed by Aveda Nourish-Mint Smoothing Lip Colour in Rare Orchid.

New In: Burberry Lip Velvet

Burberry Lip Velvet in Pink Apricot No.301 £23 Harrods

Along with Burberry's Lip Mists and Lip Covers come newly launched Lip Velvet. 12 shades to choose from that are described as a velvety matte radiance but as opposed to highlighting dry lips the matte formula actually feels moistursing. In fact, one of the few matte lipsticks I have found that don't dry out my lips!

The texture is an absolute dream, really smooth, silky and looks almost second skin like. Easily the most comfortable lipstick I've ever worn. In terms of lasting power is where it really beats its other competitors like Tom Ford as it's around a couple of hours with decent fading. 

The matte packaging has that heft that makes high-end feel like high-end and the magnetic closure stays in place even when rattling around the depts of my handbag.  Lets not forget that gorgeous scent all Burberry products have, that outburst of scent as soon as you open the lid makes the Lip Velvet even more of a dream to apply. 

When it comes to choosing a lipstick there are a few elements I keep in mind, longevity, texture & colour...all of which Burberry Lip Velvet excels in, providing a creamy matte sophisticated result thats moisturising but pigmented at the same time!

Wearing Burberry Lip Velvet in No.301  Pink Apricot

Couture

Hey darlings! I hope you are all having a lovely weekend so far? 

I've realised that I hardly ever blog at the weekends, so I thought I'd say hello today to make a change. I'm not sure if I'll end up doing a photo diary this week, it's been a hectic weekend where we didn't really take photos. Friday night we went to the new gastro pub in Clapham called 'The Jam Tree'. There's one in Chelsea too, they do little cocktails that come with jars of jam that you add to sweeten them up, how cute? Yesterday involved taking my dog to the groomers, and we did and Ikea trip too, (I finally tried these meatballs everyone goes on about) so you see, nothing overly exciting to photograph I'm afraid!

I filmed my tanning routine video today, possibly the most awkward video I've made yet (and that's saying something).  I'm looking forward to speaking to some of you tonight in the #bbloggers chat, come say hi if you like, I'm at @HannahMaggs22.

Anyhoo, shall we talk lipstick? Meet my new favourite autumnal shade, Couture by Dainty doll.

If you follow my blog, you might remember I reviewed another Dainty Doll lipstick shade 
here. I really rate these lipsticks, I know at £12.50 a pop each they do fall under the more expensive high street brand, but they are simply gorgeous and definitely worth it. 
When I first applied this, I was a little bit like 'wooooah, it's dark'. I thought it looked a bit gothy. But the longer I had it on, the more it grew on me. Yes, it's a little dramatic, but it's such a beautiful rich shade. I think I'll even be wearing it to the office at some point this week. I just think it's a really gorgeous colour for Autumn and Winter wardrobes. If you can't quite make out the colour, I'm wearing it in the video I've just filmed.

The pigmentation is yet again, incredible. The staying power is awesome, even after you've been eating or drinking. It doesn't stain your lips after removal like some darker shades of lipstick tend to do. As I said before, Dainty Doll are my favourite formula when it comes to lipsticks, they are just so creamy and intensely moisturising. I know Dainty Doll isn't a brand many of you are familiar with, but I'd definitely recommend trying them.

Do you like dark dramatic lipstick shades, or are you too scared to wear them? What's your favourite Autumn lipstick?

Currently Loving: Clinique Chubby Sticks

Clinique Chubby Sticks £16

The balms that started the lip pencil trend - Clinique Chubby Sticks. The perfect combination between a balm and a lipgloss providing a glossy sheen to the lips. These have been floating around my handbag for quite some time as they don't require a mirror hence are perfect for applying on the go. Being twist up pencils make them extremely easy to use too!

The formula of these gets a huge thumbs up from me, smooth texture, very moisturising and not sticky. In terms of lasting power it's around a couple of hours so not the longest lasting formula out there but I'll forgive that due to the incredibly hydrating balm. 

Graped Up, Woppin' Watermelon, Mighty Mimosa, Voluptuous Violet (left to right)

Clinique Chubby Stick in Mighty Mimosa

There are 16 shades to choose from but the four that grace my lips are Woppin' Watermelon, Mighty Mimosa, Voluptuous Violet and Graped Up. My most loved shade, as you can probably tell is Woppin' Watermelon but Mighty Mimosa is knocking it off the top spot at the moment as it's a lovely peachy pink with a golden shimmer running through it. The darker shades look a tad scary in the bullet but on the lips provide a beautiful hint of colour that's really soft on the lips - perfect for natural lip lovers. 

Woppin' Watermelon, Mighty Mimosa, Voluptuous Violet, Graped Up (from left to right)

Clinique Chubby Sticks are £16 and available here

My Makeup: Colour Therapy

During some colour therapy I went a bit mad for the Topshop lipsticks as their formula is one that I favour - really strongly pigmented, long lasting and not too drying on the lips. Think Mac Matte but much more creamy and less clingy on dry patches. 

I picked up the shade Ohh La La which I've been pairing with a clean base, a tiny touch of blush, some eyeliner and mascara. The Orangey peach shade isn't one I would normally go for so being a little out of my comfort zone I kept the rest of my makeup pretty simple. Like all the Topshop Lipsticks, it can be applied quite sheerly all the way up to a pretty opaque colour and I like to land somewhere in the middle. 

Skin

- For a covering yet luminous base I went for YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat foundation (post here) followed by By Terry Touche Veloutee Concealer (post here)
- To add some dimention and colour to my face I dusted a touch of Mac Well Dressed blush on to my cheeks

Eyes

- After dusting the lightest shade from the Make Up Academy Undressed Palette (post here) all over my lid I lined my eyelids with L'Oreal Super Liner (post here) and coated my lashes in Avon SuperShock Max Mascara. 

Topshop Lips in Ohh La La £8 here

Lips

- Topshop Lipstick in Ooh La La 

What are some of your favourite bright lip colours?

Don't you know people write songs, about girls like you?

Hey darlings, I'm feeling a little fragile today. Amarretto sour cocktails on an empty tummy last night, I'll never learn. Are any of you going to the Vogue Fashion Night Out in London tonight? I'm skipping it, I don't think I can deal with the crowds of people who are going to be in town. Although its a school night, I'm heading to the opening of a bubble bar in South London. I know it sounds pretty weird, but there are free cocktails, it would be rude not too.

Today it's another one of my YSL beauties here for you, Rouge Volupte in 'Peach Passion 13'.

Unfortunately this one is a little too loved to show you the actual lipstick, it's in an embarrassing state to say the least. I'm literally getting every last scrap of lipstick out if it, that's how much I love it.

So instead, I've swatched it for you, and you can see what it looks like on my lips too.
For all of you who are a little afraid of brighter lipsticks, don't be, this is actually more of a gentle coral peachy shade than an orange. The pigmentation, as with all YSL lipsticks, is fabulous. It's so soft and easy to apply, and really compliments a tan. I find that it really brightens up my face, especially if I'm wearing minimal make up.
It's a great shade for the office to help brighten up the uniform too.
I've been wearing this lipstick all week, with Carmex mint lipbalm underneath, which I absolutely adore too, it's one of those that makes your lips feel a bit tingly and numb. These two are perfect in combination, they come together like lovers :)

The only downsides for this lipstick I'll mention are, it that it doesn't have the best staying power, you'll definitely need to re-apply throughout the day. It doesn't have the name of the shade on the bottom like most lipsticks, this is kind of annoying if you're looking to repurchase. Some people find the lipstick settles into the creases in your lips, it does tend to do this, but I find when teamed with Carmex it looks a billion times better, as it's being applied to a smoother surface.

If you're a regular reader of my blog, you'll know that I really love YSL lipsticks, I blogged about another one here. I do think they are totally over-priced, but I just can't resist. For a start, theres just something about the packaging that makes you feel a little bit special when you pull it out of your make-up bag. And every woman needs a little luxery in their life, right? 

Oh, if you follow me, don't forget to enter yourself in my Topshop giveaway. Good luck!

Topshop make-up giveaway!!- Now closed

*giveaway open internationally*

So, this is my first ever giveaway, eeep! I really hope some of you do actually enter and I don't look like a total loser! I'd just like to thank all of you who are following me :) I tried to pick a couple of things I thought would suit everyone, and that I thought everyone would like. I ended up buying things that I wanted myself and now I just want to keep the giveaway prizes. Pretty sure that's not how it's supposed to work?! 
I picked this gorgeous Topshop lipstick in shade 'Pillow Talk', which I thought will go well with pretty much any skin tone. I don't have this shade yet, but I really want it! I also picked up these Nail Rock wraps in a polka dot print, can't go wrong with those, right ladies? Oldy but goody.
So, if you'd like to enter, all you need to do, is be a follower of my blog on blogger, and leave a comment below with your email address so I can contact you if you win. If you'd like to tweet about it, that'd be great too! I'll announce the winner next Monday (the 10th).
Good luck everyone!

It's my party

Hey lovelies! 
First off, I just want to say huge thank you and hello to all you new followers. I can't believe I've only just managed to find the follow button, what a dork?! 
Anyway a few of you asked me which lipstick I was wearing in my latest beauty vlog, so I thought I'd do a little review for you. On Saturday I was having a proper lipstick dilemma. After turfing out hundreds of lippys onto my bed, I came across this little beauty
 Dainty Doll Lipstick shade 003 'It's My Party'. It’s from the Nichola Roberts collection, believe it or not. I'm so bad, my collection is so big that I forgot I even had this, and I've never even used it!
'It’s My Party' looks red in the photos, but it's actually a bright, deep pink shade, proper party pink! This is without a doubt the most pigmented and easy to build lipstick I have EVER bought. It’s he most comfortable lipstick I've ever used and doesn't dry my lips out at all. I can even use this without applying balm first, and it’s actually really moisturizing too. I would even go as far as saying this might be my favorite ever lipstick.
It was £12.50 which is up there with the likes of MAC, but I'll be honest, I 100% prefer the formula of this lipstick. It’s a shame there are only 8 shades available at the moment, I also have Material World and Couture, I can’t wait to try them now. You can buy Dainty Doll from Boots, and they also have a website.
The only thing I didn’t like was that the lipstick isn’t named on the tube, only on the box (which obviously I threw away). So it was annoying when I went to write about it. 

Have you ever used any Dainy Doll lipsticks?  

Like no other, you can't be replaced

YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick, worth all the hype? Absolutely 110%. I know it seems like the whole world and their Grandma have blogged about this lipstick, but I couldn't not share my thoughts. Without a doubt it's my absolute fav.

I'm literally addicted to this YSL lipstick in shade 'nude beige'. I have no idea why they named it that though, it sounds terrible, but it’s actually a lovely light pink shade. I don't think you can see the shade that well in my photos, the lighting wasn't great, I apologize for that.

The first, strangest and best thing about this lipstick, is that it smells INCREDIBLE! Like some lovely fruity watermelon concoction or something. I literally want to eat it.

It's extremely pigmented and very buildable. It has this wonderful creamy texture like no other lipstick I've ever used. It can be a little drying, and the staying power isn't as good as you might expect, but over all, a great high end lipstick. Not to mention the beautiful packaging. I actually look forward to putting this on, how sad is that?!

I love this lipstick so much, I actually had 2 (at a whopping £23.50 each that's quite a lot to spend on lipstick), but clumsy old me dropped one out of the window when I was applying my make up. It rolled into next doors gutter and was unsalvagable :( sad times. Good job I had 2, hey?

Have any of you tried YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick before? What did you think?