The contour "blush" product you should know about

I have found a drug store contouring product that you may just be missing out on.

I love the concept of contouring ; if done well and subtly.  It can add dimension and shape by enhancing the natural bone structure of the face. The art of contouring is to use a deeper colour than your skin tone to replicate shadows on the face or body. With the 2015 contouring frenzy , beauty companies released contour palettes galore and they hit the shelves fast and hard. Though I find some contour palettes amazing , my concern was that I was coming across a lot of warm, orange toned contour products that were perfect for bronzing and not so much suitable for contouring. When I want to bronze my face I want a warm toned brown colour ( with an undertone of orange/red),  and when I want to contour my face I prefer a cool toned brown (undertones of grey/ beige).

Fortunately ,I have been able to find a hidden gem amongst the drug store contouring products that I wish to share with you. funnily enough, it's actually a blush ! 'NYX' cosmetics have a high definition blush powder range , and within it's range is the hidden gem that is shade "Taupe". It's a cool toned neutral brown that has perfect blend of brown and grey tones that mimic a shadow , making it a perfect contour colour. What's also great is that it is completely matte powder though very well finely milled, and silky to the touch. The pigment is great and it blends effortlessly!

I apply this product to my cheekbones, jawline, and ever so slightly the sides of my nose and hairline.

The packaging is a small , sleek black glossy compact with bow detailed clasp. It's simple and efficient plastic packaging is very light though doesn't feel too cheap . There is also a perspex window on the top of the packaging so you can see the shade of the product without having to open the compact. For the price you receive 4.5 grams of product.

I was able to purchase this product from boots stores in the UK and retails for around £6.  five out of five from me!

Sincerely, Harry

Jo Malone : Herb Garden colllection

When it comes to beauty product releases, little brings me more joy than seeing a new fragrance collection to one of my favourite fragrance houses ; Jo Malone . 

Jo Malone have released five limited fragrances based on the concept (and titled) , "The herb garden." Each fragrance uniquely headlining an earthy and green herb accord , some diced between other fragrant floral and fruity notes. The campaign's main image being a lady in her garden, showing a very glamorous side to being green fingered. The whole concept oozes a british vibe.

The five blossoming fragrances stand at ;

- Lavender and coriander

- Wild strawberry and parsley

- Sorrel and lemon thyme

- Nasturtuim and clover 

- Carrot blossom and fennel

( I didn't even know carrot blossom existed.)

Each slender glass bottle is tinted with a shade of leafy green , with a silhouette print of a herb that can be seen through the bottle. Simple yet reflective to the collection. 

I knew I would like at least one of these fragrances , but i didn't expect to have a like to all of them. The two standouts to me where the sorrel and lemon thyme and the lavender and coriander. Sorrell and lemon thyme surged my taste buds to salivate from the sharp and citrus scent , bursting with a refreshing sourness. This would mix beautifully with one of my fave scents, 'wood sage & sea salt'. 

Lavender and coriander has a romantic vibe, calming and soothing as resting your feet from a long day with a cup of tea. The coriander tones down the floral notes of lavender , whilst an underlying tonka bean accord adds depth , warmth and a very subtle sweetness.

With my purchase the staff kindly gave me a little fabric pouch with some "Herb bombs",  so I could grow a herb garden of my own. A gesture from them to me which just completed the Jo malone experiance. I was just missing some rain and soil!

Each 30ml fragrance retails for £44 , and are only available for a limited time.

( sidenote : Instead of binning the fragrance cards used to sample scents in Jo Malone, recycle them as bookmarks or magazine page markers . ) 

Sincerley, Harry 

What's in my bag ?

Hi , everyone!  I'm often watching youtube videos and reading blogs on " what's in my bag?"  You would think perhaps that these sort of posts would be a little mundane and pointless , but to me I'm intrigued in what people carry in their day to day life. You never know if you're going to see something that will make your own life a little easier, If anything just to take a nose as to what everyone's hoarding around !

As you can see from my photo's I'm no professional photographer and I strived to find a place to take the photos, as natural light struggles to exist in my apartment. what you can see " in my bag" are the basics I take every where, give or take a few things depending on whether I'm travelling or going to work. For example, if I'm going to work I take a fob watch & mug and if I'm travelling I take my toiletries bag. You get the gist...

I am currently using two bags and alternate between them depending on my outfit. My first bag is a "Mi-pac" back pack from Asos in this floral granny chic design that I adore. The second bag is a classic black holdall  from River island with silver zips that is more formal and spacious.

Listed in my bag in clockwise order is as follows ;

1. Ipod shuffle ( one of the best things I've ever bought)
2. pack of tissues for the winter sniffles
3. my silver glittery notepad ( closeup picture below)
4. Burts bees lip balm
5. Badger balm lip balm 
6. Wallet
7. chewing gum from Lidl ( It's great!)
8. Hugo boss glasses
9. pen
10. small Jack wills fragrance ( i change fragrances alot  , this is just a conveniant size for travel)
11. leather coin purse
12. 2015 diary
13. pink notepad for more notes ( mostly medical notes from Uni) 
14. iphone 5 (the gold case is from Amazon by a company called Ringke. I recommend it as it's sturdy, thin and the colour doesn't fade with scratches and bumps)

A close-up photo of my glittery silver owl notepad from paperchase , for my blogging ideas. I never thought a notepad would bring me so much happiness! I hope you enjoyed this quick and simple post. What's a must have item in your bag ?

Sincerely , Harry 

Lip balm of 2014

The lip balm winners of 2014!

lip balms are my kryptonite , ( among many other things). I can even think as to why I'm such a lip balm obsessive though this may be my excuse to the situation. I recall being young and having the most battered and beaten trout pout. I would ask to have lip balms but being young I would always lose them and so the final result was using some cold cream that lurked under the kitchen sink that did nothing more than have me looking like I was coco the clown. *shudders* Then one day   stumbled upon my sisters lip smacker  and it was game on ; I've been hooked on finding the perfect lip balm ever since.

I always carry a lip balm on me all times to ensure I avoid any withdrawals. Through my years of dedication to purchasing lip balms, only few have conquered but many have fallen. very dramatic, right ? Throughout 2014 there have been just two clear stand out winners . These are two lip balms that I've enjoyed using ,  repurchased and plan to repurchase again. So , drum roll please....

Nuxe - Reve de miel

A well hyped lip balm in the beauty blogger and youtube community and now I know why. Reaching towards the more pricey end of lip balms , though I can't deny how intensely moisturising it is. Ingredients include honey , shea butter and grapefruit essence that give it a sweet scent. Despite being marketed as a lip balm I find it to be more of  a putty , due to it's thick texture that melts away on contact. I use this before i go to bed and I wake up with supple lips. sometimes I question that they look fuller! Great to use early on the day as it will last for hours , it's not greasy and comes in a sturdy glass jar. I will most certainly be repurchasing !

Reve de miel can be purchased from space.nk or feelunique.com here.

Burt's Bees lip balm

A staple product of mine for years and continues to prove it's still got the edge over the other lip balms i've tried and tested. A lip balm made mostly of bees wax that comes in an iconic yellow tube, perfect to throw in your pocket for on the go. whenever I try a new lip balm that falls flat, I return straight to my trusted Burt's bees. Burt's bees  lip balms come in a variety of flavours and colours from mango to coconut & pear, though the original lip balm with peppermint oil is my favourite. It makes the lips soft, without creating a greasy shine or causing a build up that leaves a gunky film on the lips. ( you lip balm obsessives will know what I mean). long lasting and great for guys too. I certainly won't be going short of this lip balm wonder!

Burts bees can be purchased from Boots stores or online here .

Sincerely, Harry 

Fragrance collection 2014

Hi, I'm Harry and I'm addicted to fragrances. Welcome !

  

For anyone who knows me well, you'll know that fragrance is my Achilles heal. From the advertising to the bottle design , I'm hooked. If i'm out and about in town, it is inevitable for my nose to wander at the latests fragrant offerings retail has to offer. There's a beauty to fragrances where a certain scent may evoke an emotion , a certain time of your life or perhaps a memory with a loved one. Saying that, fragrances can also haunt you as a constant reminder of someone or something you'd rather forget. A stranger can walk right past you and BAM , their fragrance has kicked you in the crotch and in your nostrils is the haunting scent of your ex.

Right- on with the show. I have many perfumes and colognes that I've collected through the years. Some of them I've blind bought , ( bad idea I've learnt my lesson on that), and some I've bought but barely used over the years but have kept on to them for some reason or another as they remind me of a time or person.  The fragrances mentioned in this post are my most used and loved fragrances in my collection, that stand proud against the rest.

Giorgio Armani -  Acqua di gio 

A scent that  I didn't expect to fall so in love with when I initially smelt it. A mix of sea notes , citrus fruits and light florals create a sweet and sunny scent that screams of summertime and tanned skin on the beach. There's also a salty element to it that makes it refreshing and crisp, perfect for daytime wear and summertime weather .A friend and I once described it as a "sexy lemonade" and that pretty much sums it up. In my experience I've noticed the fragrance stays close to skin and doesn't project too far, so there's no fear of punching everyones nostrils who's in 20 feet of you. I've repurchased this fragrance as not only does it personally remind me of uni but it also reminds me of home and being by the seaside. A very popular mens fragrance and and I can understand why.

Jo Malone - Wood sage and sea salt 

Following the same theme as Acqua di gio is another summertime and sea inspired fragrance offering. from the house of Jo Malone comes this marine fragrance that is airy and salty. It doesn't contain many fragrances notes or any floral notes at all. with salt , seaweed and sage notes it is clear that this cologne is inspired by the seashore. Despite seeming to be a summer fragrance, I would wear this any time of the year as it's a light and uplifting scent  that warms me up and reminds me of home. Can you see a theme here? unfortunately the cologne doesn't last long on my skin, which is a shame due to it's price point but I love it nonetheless.

Abercrombie and Fitch - Fierce 

Often referred to as a popular high school or teenager fragrance but I love it!  A musky and woody fragrance that is masculine , youthful and athletic. It reminds me of a handsome man with a square jaw. With fragrance notes of lemon, fir , musk and oak moss I was surprised to enjoy this cologne as woody fragrances are very hit and miss with me. Fierce is a head turner and compliment getter due to it's projection though can be cloying if I've gone heavy handed on the spraying. The bottle is a little bit camp too but that's another reason for me to enjoy it so much.

Givenchy - play intense

My most repurchased night time fragrance. A deeper , richer and well.... more intense version of it's brother Givenchy play. With fragrance notes of coffee, tonka bean, patchouli and bergamot comes this sweet and alluring fragrance that reminds me of late nights and flashing lights. (perhaps this is mostly due to the fact I wore this as my going out fragrance at uni).  I've written a full review of this fragrance for "FAVE" magazine blog which you can check out here. The two most prominent notes to my nose are the coffee and tonka bean that create this caramel, sugary cappuccino scent. A long lasting Eau de toilette that warms up the winter air and completes my outfit for a night out on the town. Perhaps not to everyone's taste due to the coffee note, but I'm hooked !

Laura Mercier - Creme de pistache 

The most sweet fragrance I own, sweet and sickly like syrup on crushed sugared almonds. As the name suggests it contains pistachios in the fragrance notes alongside praline, chocolate , almonds and hazelnuts. I have a toothache just thinking about it! despite owning a small bottle of it, it has lasted me so long as a couple of sprays will last and linger on my skin for hours. I use this gourmand fragrance mostly in the winter due to it's heavy and delicious concoction that may even make me feel nauseous if I over do the sprays. The nearest fragrance that I have found that shares any resemblance is Thierry Muglers - Angel. If you aware of that powerful perfume than you can have some idea of the intensity of this fragrance. Not for the faint hearted but gorgeous otherwise.


As mentioned earlier this isn't my complete collection but the bottles I gravitate towards more than often and are my most loved. I shall be aiming to do some more in depth reviews of other fragrances I own , including celebrity fragrances that I've blind bought and stay hidden under the dusty bed. As a fragrance lover I also have my eye on my next perfume purchases.....

Sincerely, Harry