Sigma Contest Winners!

Today is the day to reveal the 4 winners.

Thank you to everyone who entered the Sigma 'Make Me Up' Contest, I had an overwhelming amount of entries and I am saddened that there can not be more winners. It was so hard making the final decisions. I appreciate your effort and time that has gone into the contest, and wish I could reward all of you.

Without further ado, the winners of the brush sets are:

Magda

The Black Set - 'Make Me Classy'

Her look is so simple, creative and striking and captured my attention as soon as I saw it.

Kristiana

Teal Set - 'Make Me Cool'

This look is clean and crisp, the teal colour manages to look sultry without losing the fun and fresh feel. The sequins add a pop of glamour without becoming overpowering.

Charlotte

Pink Set - 'Make Me Blush'

I love the creativity and striking block of colour with the use of the pink feather, her look is flirty and feminine without looking too sweet. It's incredibly cute and fresh!

Sarah

The Purple Set - 'Make Me Crazy'

I love the rock chick feel to this look, it's dark and daring but eye opening. I love the way she has contoured her eye and added dimension to her look.




CONGRATULATIONS!! Please e mail me your addresses so that I can forward them to the Sigma team. I hope to have many more contests so please don't be sad if you didn't win this time. x X x

Nail Polish Storage..

I am obsessed with organising and reorganising my stash. This obsession stems from makeup, to nail polish to kitchen cupboards...

This morning I had the idea to reorganise my nail polish collection. I used 'Daler Rowney's Artist's carry box'. I purchased a couple of these a while ago from Cass Art, I stored my stationary in one, and was planning to store beads in the other. But, it's made such a practical home for my nail polishes and nail care instead.

It's compact, neat and tidy. It's totally portable, so you can grab the whole box and choose what colour you want to paint your nails with ease.

How do you store your nail polish?

Newbies..

'Costa Chic' lipstick from Mac.

I can't believe I didn't own this, it's the most perfect coral shade.


It's a frost so it has some dimension to it, but it doesn't really apply frosty to the lips.

It's in the same colour family as 'Jazzed' and 'Ever Hip', but much more brighter, vivid and tiny bit darker in tone. I will do some swatch comparisons for you soon. It's just beautiful and perfect for Summer, although I have been wearing it in this dull miserable weather too.

I have worn it every day since, and EVERYONE asks what lipstick I'm wearing and notes it down to buy it. Check it out!

Black leather bag - Topshop £45 on sale from £95

I needed a nice new black bag which was for everyday, it needed to be big but not hefty, I love the braided detail, and the quality of the soft leather, and at a bargain price I could NOT resist.

Semi precious hoop earrings from Topshop. £12.50

Topshop have a beautiful range of jewellery at the moment, I nearly got 10 more pairs but restrained.

I LOVE the colours and the odd shapes of the stones on these earrings, I am inspired to make my own in the same style.

Did you get any newbies recently? I just can't stop. Shopping makes me happy.

THROB!

Illamasqua have launched a new collection called 'THROB', it includes one lipstick, one lip gloss and three nail polishes. I am going to show you the lipstick in 'Sangers' and nail polish in 'Scorn'.

The 'Sangers' lipstick is a classic true red.

Firstly the lipstick packaging is AMAZING. The shade of red is not cool but not warm either, it's perfectly in between. When swatched it looks like it will apply with a slight sheen but it doesn't, it goes on totally matte. It doesn't glide on smoothly due to the texture, so I would recommend applying lip balm beforehand and then wiping it off just before you apply if you want to keep the matte finish. I personally like the matte finish as with a colour like red it's already full on so I don't want to draw even more attention by making it glossy.

Here are some swatches, I used Rimmel's 'Red Diva' lip pencil to outline my lips to ensure precise application, it's actually a perfect match. I then applied the lipstick direct from the tube. I haven't worn this all day, and it will probably take a lot of guts as it's out of my comfort zone, but due to the texture & finish it feel like it will last FOREVER.

The nail polish 'Scorn' is a true black. It needs two coats and you are good to go. Initially it applies glossy and then dries matte, personally I don't like matte nail polish so this is a no no for me.

See all of the products from this collection HERE.
My favourite from the collection has to be the lipstick as it's just a classic, it's one to check out if you are into your matte finish red lipsticks.

What's your favourite from this collection, will you be splurging?

Disclaimer: Products mentioned were sent for consideration for review, I was not paid for this post and I am not affiliated with the brand. Honest opinion as always.

People Tree..

I accidentally found this scarf and these gloves in Topshop which is by a concession called 'People Tree'. I instantly fell in love with the colour, texture and style and had to have them.

They are 100% wool and handmade in Nepal.

Check out the rose detailing on the gloves, and the fact that the fingers are short means I can operate my phone even when I am cold. I have checked on the website and I can't see these 2 items, maybe this colour combo was produced specially for Topshop? But, there are so many other cute things, it's definitely a brand I will be checking out more often.

I LOVE love love the colour combination! It's perfect for this time of year as it's not too wintery and instead leans more towards fresh summery tones.

• Scarf £28
• Gloves £20

I love discovering odd things, do you like these colours and are you still wearing a scarf where you are?

Hair Update!

This post is mainly to update you about the Brazilian Blowout (keratin treatment) I had done exactly one month ago. Read more about that HERE. Well the big question you are all dying to know is do I still think it's worth it a month on? The answer is no.

Why? Because I don't think it has made that much difference, the first week was amazing, I never did anything to my hair, I air dried and then walked out the door. But now, the frizziness has been coming back. I also hate that my hair dried SOOO straight, it looked lifeless and boring. Yes it has made my hair a tiny bit more manageable but I get that when I use a serum. I will not be forking out my £££'s to repeat the treatment.

It is not a solution for damaged hair, it does make it look healthier and shinier, but there's no point in making it look healthy when it actually isn't. For reference I have been using a sulphate free shampoo, the one I purchased from the salon and washing my hair about 3x a week. This is just my personal experience, it has made my hair more manageable but I don't think it's made such a drastic difference for me to want it in my life forever. I think certain hair types will benefit more than others, for me it just hasn't been what I hoped it would be.


A few days ago I used a semi permanent hair dye by Garnier (herbashine) 600 light brown. Here's the results, I also cut a few more layers into the front of my hair and gave myself an overall trim. Yes I did it myself, why not. :)



I am really loving being brunette again, I did love the highlights a LOT but, this is just a bit more rich and chocolaty and I feel comfortable with it. With lighter hair, I felt like I needed more makeup.


Here's what my hair looks like from the back, I have been trimming it every 5 weeks in order to keep it healthy.

As my hair has been so lifeless, I purchased this Denman brush from Boots, it has a slight dip in the middle to fit the shape of your head better when blowdrying so that you get more volume. I have to say it works a treat.

Hope you are having a fab weekend! X

Bourjois Rose D'or..

The perfect golden peachy pink blush.

I purchased this blush from Boots last week, I have had a few from Bourjois in the past but to me they all seemed the same until I discovered Rose D'or. (Price approx £7.49)


Like all Bourjois brushes, this comes with a brush. I threw my brush in the bin as it's so scratchy!



Forget the brush, onto the product.

• It reminds me a little of Nars 'Orgasm' blush but nicer and it's like a much more pinker version of Mac 'Stereo Rose' it has the same sort of dimension.
• It's more pink than peach and has beautiful finely milled golden specks of glitter. The glitter doesn't really translate on the face unless inspected with a magnifying glass.
• It adds a beautiful natural flush that really makes the cheeks glow.
• I used to love bright pink blushes, but now I prefer the more subtle hues, this one is perfect for everyday.
• It's pigmented, smooth and easily blendable.
• Great compact packaging which includes a mirror inside.
• This blush smells beautiful, it has a soft floral scent, but I am a bit rubbish with finding the correct descriptive words, so give it a sniff yourself!
• A problem that can occur over time with this blush and any baked blush is that once the oils from your face transfer onto the brush and into the product repeatedly it can cause it to frost. This makes the pigmentation virtually dissapear, to avoid that you can scrape a layer off.

Swatches below in different lighting.


Next time you see a Bourjois counter, give this a swatch! I would say paler skin tones should use a light hand and darker skin tones can pile it on.

What do you think of this shade?

P.S - I will try to do a fotd next with this, I have dyed my hair darker with a semi permanent dye, and got a couple of winter warmers.

Sigma 'Make Me Up' Contest!

Good news, following my recent post on where I blogged about how much I love the new purple 'Make me crazy' brush set, Sigma have decided to sponser a contest on my blog because of the comments Bubblegarm generated within the social networking sites. They are giving away 4 of the new sets from the 'Make Me Up' collection, 1 of each colour. *Yay*

Here is a reminder of what the purple set looks like!

RULES

• To win, create a photographic makeup look using the colour of the brush set you would like to win. If you want to win the purple, use purple.
• You can enter as many times as you like, but you can only win once. There will be 4 different winners.
• Please make sure you are a follower of my blog, this contest is especially for Bubblegarm followers only.
• Contest is open internationally, anyone anywhere can enter.
• Contest ends on the 24th of January at 11.59pm GMT.
• Submit entries via email to muhsine@london.com
• Please make sure there are at least 2 photos, one closeup and one of the overall look.
• I will publish the 4 winners on my blog once I have chosen my favourite 4 that represent the colourway.
• Winners will be announced and revealed on 27th January, I will let Sigma know the winners details and they will ship the packages to you right away.

GET CREATIVE, keep in mind that the brush sets are called 'Make Me Blush'(Pink), 'Make Me Classy' (black), 'Make Me Cool' (teal) and 'Make Me Crazy' (Purple). Check them all HERE! You could do a classy black look for example, have fun with it! I am not looking for perfection, just something that jumps out and shows effort and creativity.

Good Luck and thank you Sigma for thinking of my readers! Will YOU be entering?

Why is this allowed?

I purchased this 'Happy Hair days' shampoo the other day from Boots as it states it is sulphate and paraben free... I think it's new as I have never seen the brand before. Price approx £4.07.

NO parabens, NO sulphates.


Yet in the ingredients what do we have? Ammonium lauryl sulphate! Click photo below to enlarge.

In the small print on the back of the bottle it says, “Our shampoos and conditioners are free from parabens, sodium laureth sulphate and mineral oils." I say RUBBISH! Sodium laureth sulphate isn't the only sulphate.

A sulphate IS a sulphate. The most common sulphates are Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, Ammonium Xylene Sulfonate and TEA Lauryl Sulfate.

I don’t understand how a they can clearly state that it’s SULPHATE free and then lie about it. I will be writing to them to share my thoughts.

Happy hair days hair care, I detest you and what you are doing shouldn't be allowed as it's very misleading!!

Jelly Pong Pong..

A name like Jelly Pong Pong and you have already slashed your target market, it immediately appeals to the young and funky. I somehow don't see the more sophisticated lady whipping out a Jelly Pong Pong blush. With that said, it is cute. I have never actually tried the brand before as it was 'too cute' and didn't expect it to deliver.

I was recently sent a few items and wanted to share my thoughts with you. Overall, I think the packaging is cute but not too keen on how the products perform apart from one which I will save until last.

First up, the Popsicle soap with the scent of a watermelon. These don't come cheap at £7 a pop, the scent is absolutely delicious and would make a great little present for a girl in her early teens. Nothing bad to say apart from that it contains sulphates... Hmmm.

The Shoe palette - Vertigo Stiletto contains a bronze cream eyeshadow and champagne lipgloss, it's very compact and light with a great mirror. However it has cardboard packaging which equals a tatty product after time. The pigmentation and texture is lovely and a great product for the handbag but nothing special.

The Cystallizer has a beautiful metallic domed packaging with 4 different shades which you swirl together to highlight, I disliked this as it contained chunky flecks of glitter, however, maybe on holiday applied to your legs it can work?!

The Venus magical pearls in Aurora is probably the most exciting product as when you swipe your fingers over the beads it can be used as a highlighter, and when crushed as an eyeshadow as it reveals a different more intense colour. One major problem though, I don't want to swipe my fingers all over the beads for hygiene reasons and I want a more precise application so I need to use a brush. I can't use a brush as all the beads get stuck in the bristles. Also, to use as an eyeshadow is a long process, who wants to sit there and crush a tiny bead and then spread it on their eye, I thought applying pigments were time consuming this is a whole new level.

Finally the best of the bunch, the Muffin & Meringue gloss set, these 2 tubes are huge and beautifully packaged, it comes in a cute box and will make the most ideal gift for a girly girl. They smell absolutely amazing, one of sweet cakes and the other of cherries. They feel smooth and silky on the lips with no drying. They add a sheer wash of colour to the lips making them look juicy and plump.

Overall I am still intrigued but I basically think you are paying more for the cute packaging rather than an actual good quality and thoroughly thought out product and I also think it's priced too high for what it is.

Have you tried anything from Jelly Pong Pong?

Disclaimer: All products mentioned were sent for consideration for review, I was not paid for this post and I am not affiliated with the brand. Honest opinion as ALWAYS!

What's new?

Quite a lot actually.

Yesterday I picked up a fresh bottle of Face & Body foundation by Mac, I am still loving it! See my full review HERE.


This time I picked up the shade C3, instead of C4 as I am much paler at the moment *sigh* There is quite a big difference between the 2 shades, but as it's so sheer you can't really tell once blended. For reference I am NC30 at the moment instead of my usual NC35+ and C3 is a perfect match.


I joined a gym along with the rest of the nation this time of year, :) my aim is to feel fitter and look more toned, and if I lose a couple of kilos on the way, then great! I have also reverted back to my healthy eating throughout the week where I give myself a cheat meal on Saturday.

I purchased my final cushion for the bedroom which I got from John Lewis for half price. I have wanted this for AGES, but every time I went they were sold out, which turned out great as I didn't pay full price.

I got a new wardrobe which I am ecstatic about, I have all my dresses in this now with some trousers and jeans at the bottom, and some of my favourite shoes underneath. This means no more vacuum bags and I can see everything I have!

I am loving the new Sigma brush collection, it's called 'Make me up' and available in 4 colours. I have the purple version which is called 'Make me crazy'.

The great thing is that you have all of your essential brushes in a durable container which protects your brushes making it ideal for travelling and also transforms into two brush holders. Pretty neat!

What's new with you in 2011?

Disclaimer: The Sigma brushes were sent for consideration for review, I was not paid and I am not affiliated with the brand. Honest opinion as ALWAYS!