I have realised that my sedentary lifestyle needed to come to an end
and therefore, I've started exercising again.
However, the increased activity results in a lot of muscle aches, 
and this cream is a lifesaver!
This product is called the Deep Heat Muscle Rescue Neck and Shoulder Cream.
It smells of rosemary and vanilla. 

It has a large sponge tip applicator, which allows for specific areas to be targetted
and rubbed without getting your hands dirty.

After a couple of minutes, 
you start to feel a heating sensation that helps distract yourself from the aches.
I've noticed that the sensation lasts for about half an hour,
after which I either have to reapply,
or more frequently,
actually forget about the pain!

Be sure not to apply too liberally though if you're not used to it
in case the heat might feel too intense, especially for the first time.

The formula is good in that it does not appear to irritate my skin.

This product is also perfect for everyday for the active types and bad back sufferers.
A lots of us suffer from tense, aching muscles from time to time, 
whether it's caused by over-energetic gardening, 
being hunched up at a computer without enough breaks, 
or the general stress that builds up in everyday life.

I definitely recommend it!

Available at £5.99 from your local pharmacies and grocery outlets.

What do you think? ♥
Livia xx
Disclaimer: Some products in this post were provided for consideration for review. These are my honest opinions as always!

26/09/2012

Deep Heat Muscle Rescue Cream

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I love love love the Maybelline Colour Tattoo eyeshadow range. 
They are just so creamy to apply and stay put for at least 8 hours on my oily lids - yes they are that good. 
When I came across blog reviews on the new Limited Edition shades launched in the US, 
I squealed and searched the UK online shops.
But as expected, the UK is a bit behind
(we don't even have the full regular line up our lucky US counterparts have)
so I turned to e-bay for my beauty lemmings.
This limited edition fall collection is composed of earthy tones, 
which are so wearable for both day and night.
I picked up the following shades:
Mossy Green
Rich Mahogany 
Gold Shimmer 
Mossy Green is an olive-forest green colour with fine gold shimmers.
Rich Mahogany is a dark brown with fine red shimmers.
Gold Shimmer is a true gold with fine golden shimmers.
While these are all well-pigmented, I found that they can apply quite patchy (especially Mossy Green). 
However, that doesn't really bother me as 
you can layer them to achieve an even coverage.
 
 Mahogany, Gold Shimmer, Mossy Green

Mahogany, Gold Shimmer, Mossy Green
I am loving these new shades; they are so perfect for fall
and I just wish they would be available in the UK!
What do you think? ♥
Livia xx

18/09/2012

Maybelline Colour Tattoo Review - Fall 2012 Limited Edition Eyeshadows

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I am loving my new vintage sunglasses from online sunglasses shop: Firmoo.com. These are John Lennon style sunglasses with antique styled round lenses. They are unisex, designed for both men and women. Produced with high qualified metal, they are so lightweight but feel solid.

I was worried at first that these beauties would slip off my petite oriental nose (as many pairs of spectacles do), but the plastic arm tips surprisingly add stability and more importantly, comfort to wear.

Firmoo.com is an online shop for prescription and non-prescription, tinted and non-tinted eyeglasses. They are committed to offering customers quality products at affordable prices. Made from high quality material, metal, these sunglasses are durable, not easy to deform.

Most of their sunglasses can be made into prescription sunglasses.


Here is the link to the sunglasses I am wearing, 
but I'm afraid this style is being phased out. 
Feel free to contact Firmoo however in case they still have some in stock.
They do have a huge selection of styles though - you can spend hours deciding on which pair to purchase.

And not to mention, they currently have First Pair Free Offer for all new customers.

Overall I am impressed with this pair of sunglasses, 
and I do recommend Firmoo - online sunglasses shop.

www.Firmoo.com

What do you think? ♥
Livia xx

Disclaimer: Some products in this post were provided for consideration for review. These are my honest opinions as always!

17/09/2012

My Firmoo Vintage Sunglasses

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Westfield Catwalk

This weekend has been the Westfield London Fashion weekend for Autumn/Winter 2012. 
I was lucky enough to be invited for a makeover at the NARS counter in House of Fraser 
to re-create one of their key looks for this season:
this look's theme is Metallic with burnt oranges. 

The lovely Kasia did my makeup, and she told me as soon as she saw my oriental features, 
she was immediately inspired to do this particular look. 
With well-prepped and semi-dewy skin, 
I had metallic silver eyeshadow with a matte red-orange lip. 
To be honest, I was skeptical at first as I don't usually wear silver on my eyes, 
but I quickly fell in-love with this look!

Products she used (all NARS of course):


Skin Preparation:
NARS Skin Multi-action Hydrating Toner
NARS Skin Aqua Gel Luminous Oil-free Moisturizer
NARS Skin Optimal Brightening Concentrate

FACE
NARS Tinted Moisturizer in St. Moritz
NARS Orgasm Illuminator
NARS Deep Throat blush 
NARS Laguna bronzer

EYES
NARS Bali eyeshadow (brows)
NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Vent Glace
NARS Eyeliner Stylo in Carpates
NARS Larger than Life Volumizing Mascara

LIPS
NARS Heatwave lipstick






FYI -- all these photos were taken 3 whole hours after the makeover. I blotted some excess oil built up, but I did not touch up whatsoever. I am so impressed with the quality of these products and how the foundation held up, and I foresee another NARS visit in the future!

An instagram of the look fresh from the makeover

NARS Deep Throat blush is so beautiful. I think I might pick it up one of these days.

I am soo impressed with the Tinted Moisturizer. 
It has light-medium coverage, instantly hydrates my face without making it look oily, 
and it contains SPF30! 
Something to definitely check out, especially when the dry winter months come.

Other key looks Westfield fashion has for this season include Gothic, Golden Baroque and Digital Print:


Check out other lovelies I met who had trend-inspired makeovers too:

Zoe from the London Lipgloss
Lela from Lela London

What do you think? ♥

Livia xx

PS. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram!

10/09/2012

A/W 2012 Beauty Trends at Westfield London: Metallic with NARS Makeup

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With the UK winter just around the corner (we've just hit the -ber months!), I can't help but feel excited for the fall/winter trends in beauty this year. I browsed through various websites and have picked a set of beauty trends that I personally like and feel are wearable for *almost* everyday use. 

I will be splitting the trends into various posts, which would include my thoughts, tutorials on the looks and my product recommendations. This is the first time I've done this sort of thing; I hope you'll find it useful. 
So without further ado, here's the first of the series!

Berry Lips


Gucci, Rochas, Gucci
 
It's no surprise that berry lips have come up in fashion this season as it happens every year. 
There's just something about dark vampy lips and the cold season. 
It could be the contrast between our generally fairer complexions during the winter season and the lippie? 
If you have any bright theories, let me know.
 
But there is usually some variation between the vampy shade "in-season". 
Last winter, we saw the rise of MAC Rebel lipstick (one of the most popular lipstick shades blogged about in the blogosphere), which is a more purple pink toned dark berry. 
 
This year seems to be a red to brown dark cherry shade - reminiscent of the  
MAC Cult of Cherry Collection, 
which is remains to be one of my favourite MAC collections of all time.
 
Celebrities seem to be loving the dark lips too:


"Emphasize your eyes OR lips - not both."

These are just my opinions, but I believe in the saying that when wearing makeup, the emphasis should be on eyes or lips, but not both. I find that wearing heavy shimmery pigmented eye makeup with dark lips can be a bit too much, leaning over to drag queen ish (unless it's the look you're going for). 

I find that dark berry lips look best with minimal eye makeup - like in the models above with matte skin-toned eyeshadow, winged black liner and mascara +/- false lashes - vintage/retro style. Among the celebrity looks above, I like Lana del Rey's and Jessica Alba's the most. The peachy shimmers on Emma Stone and Rihanna's eyelids seem a bit too much for the overall look.

"Lip Liners are a must with dark lipsticks."

When it comes to dark lipstick shades, wearing a lip liner is a must. 
Lip liners prevent the product from bleeding outside your lip line.
Lip liners also help you apply your dark lipstick with more accuracy.

When I'm in a rush, I tend to use a lip pencil as an overall lip colour, then I top it off with some clear gloss if I want the glossy look. If you're on a tight budget, you can just purchase a single creamy dark lip pencil and you're set for this trend!

Here are my picks from my personal collection:


And swatches:

MAC Brick lip pencil, MAC So Scarlet lipstick, NYX Mahogany lip pencil,  MAC Dark Deed lipstick, NYX Currant lip pencil, MAC Rebel lipstick, MAC Mahogany lip pencil, MAC Kittenish lipstick

 MAC So Scarlet lipstick, MAC Kittenish lipstick, MAC Dark Deed lipstick, MAC Rebel lipstick

Sleek Mossberry Kohl Pencil, NYX Currant lip pencil, NYX Mahogany lip pencil, MAC Mahogany lip pencil, MAC Brick lip pencil

As I implied earlier, MAC Rebel lipstick was the popular shade of last year's winter, and I just added it here for comparison. 

For lip pencils, I recommend MAC, NYX, Rimmel and Maybelline. I know these brands provide lip pencils in very creamy consistencies with minimal tugging.

If you're not used to dark lips, it can be intimidating to try out this trend. It takes confidence to wear but I'm sure if you apply this shade correctly and wear appropriate eye makeup, you can definitely pull it off!

MAC Brick Lip Pencil and MAC So Scarlet Lipstick, Neutral colours for eyes

What do you think? ♥
Livia xx

08/09/2012

Beauty Trends for Fall/Winter 2012 - Berry Lips

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  Roger & Gallet Bois d'Orange Creme Sublime Body Cream
 
 I've been loving this body cream lately. 
It is Roger & Gallet's Bois d'Orange Creme Sublime Body Cream.
 
It smells delicious with a hint of orange. 
It's lightweight, easy to spread and dries quickly, leaving my skin soft and smooth.
It has faint golden shimmers that are quite well spaced. The glitters themselves are tiny, and you wouldn't notice them unless you are particularly looking for them.
It's a great moisturiser for the warmer days, when your skin doesn't need so much moisture. 
I doubt it would be moisturising enough for the dry winter months.
 
But for now, I love it. It feels like a treat whenever I use it!
 
Available from your Marks & Spencer or the website.
 
Have you tried any Roger & Gallet Products?
What do you think? ♥
 
 Livia xx
 
Disclaimer: Some products in this post were provided for consideration for review. These are my honest opinions as always!

05/09/2012

Roger & Gallet Bois d'Orange Creme Sublime Body Cream

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