Limited Edition British Fashion Stamps

I've never expected to write a post about stamps, but i just had to share these with you! The Royal Mail have created a collection of limited edition stamps celebrating the best of British fashion designers from Alexander McQueen to Vivienne Westwood. The illustrations are beautiful, and whilst they're perfect for sending, they're great to keep too! 

The stamp illustrations have also been used to create a series of postcards, which are just as pretty. 

You can find both the stamps and postcards, at the Post Office as of this month. 

Love, Claudia xo

Guerlain by Emilio Pucci Summer 2012 Makeup

Oh my. This collection is beautiful! When i visited my local Guerlain counter recently, i just couldn't resist the Emilio Pucci Summer 2012 collection. Guerlain have collaborated with the iconic, italian fashion house, Emilio Pucci, to create a one-of-a-kind collection including hues of aquatic turquoise and sun-soaked bronze. All of the products come in gorgeous packaging, adorned with the infamous 'Winter Capri' print, taken from the archives of the ready-to-wear brand. The collection is very impressive, and it's clear to see just how much attention and effort has gone into it's creation. 

Guerlain's infamous meteorite pearls, have been revamped with summer appropriate tones, and of course, Pucci style! Isn't the packaging just beautiful?! These multi-coloured pearls, are designed to correct and even out the skin. Each colour has specific skin-perfecting properties- the blue and pink pearls counteract yellow tones in tired complexions, the orange and bronze pearls lightly tan and add warmth to the skin, and the ivory pearls provide an illuminating effect. When swirled together and applied all over the face, they provide a very natural and radiant glow to the skin. They also work beautifully as a cheek-bone highlighter. Not to mention the sweet parma-violet scent! 

To accompany the meteorite pearls, i also picked up the powder brush which comes in a beautiful Pucci pouch. The brush is very small, which is perfect for travel and on-the-go touch ups. It's definitely not the softest brush- instead, it's very firm and dense. However, Guerlain have purposely designed the brush in this way, in order to work well with the meteorites in particular. The firmness and high density of the brush, subtly crushes the meteorite pearls and picks up a good amount of product, which couldn't be achieved as effectively with an extremely soft brush. Therefore, i don't think this brush is a must-have on its own, but if your planning on purchasing the meteorites, then it's a good brush to have, as they do work perfectly together. 

Now onto my favourite product from the collection...the bronzer! If there's only one item that you pick up from the collection, i highly suggest taking a look at this. The packaging is beautiful, with the bronzer presented in an ebony-coloured wooden compact, inspired by the panelling of a Riva yacht. The compact is secured with a magnetic closure, and feels very high quality. This is a hybrid blush and bronzing powder, which is great to use in a variety of ways. I like to use the colours individually- the bronze works wonderfully as a contouring powder, and the coral/pink colours work perfectly as a peachy blush. But it also works well, when all of the colours are swirled together to create an all-over bronzed glow. The pigmentation is great, and the texture is very smooth and finely milled, which is extremely easy to blend into the skin, creating a natural tan. Both the packaging, and product itself, exudes quality and luxury. Whilst it is pricey, it does contain 16g of product which is exceptionally more than your average bronzer, and the packaging/quality definitely reflects the price point. 

I highly recommend checking out the limited edition Guerlain by Emilio Pucci collection, which is now available at all counters. Not only do the products look beautiful, but they perform wonderfully too. This has to be one of my favourite summer collections this year! 

Love, Claudia xo

NOTD: Dior St.Tropez

As part of their Croisette collection for summer 2012, Dior released the gorgeous 'St.Tropez' nail polish. Whilst i do have quite a few blue nail polishes, this colour is completely different to any others that i own. It's a true turquoise blue, which compliments a summer tan beautifully (not that i have one of those at the moment!). The formula is also very nice, providing an opaque finish with two coats. The wide brush allows for easy application, distributing colour across the whole nail in just one stroke. The finish is creamy and glossy- no shimmer or sparkle at all. 

This is a fabulous colour for the summer season, and one that will compliment any summer wardrobe. 

Love, Claudia xo 

My Nail Care Routine

I always do my own mani's/pedi's, and i have tried a selection of great products that can provide salon results, at-home. 

One of my favourite nail polish removers is by OPI. It's very effective at removing nail polish, yet its still gentle on the nails. It's also suitable for enhanced nails too. 

Seche Vite has some great nail products, including their base and top coats. I recommend their top coat, however i have stopped using it due to the health warnings about fertility issues, which did scare me a little! Whilst it's a fabulous product, I'm not willing to risk my health for my nails! Seche Vite's base coat does not have any health warnings that i know of,  so i continued to use that. The Seche Vite base coat is great at providing a smooth, even base for nail polish to adhere to. It definitely makes my nail polish last longer too- at least by an extra three days or so. I think base coats make all the difference to a manicure- the colour lasts longer, looks brighter and doesn't stain your nails. If you have a good base coat in your collection, you can easily use drugstore nail polishes- an efficient base coat, will make any nail polish look better and last longer. My favourite top coat is by China Glaze, as it provides a glossy, high-shine finish and prevents chipping for a good few days. Plus it doesn't have any health warnings! When i'm not wearing nail polish, or if my nails are in need of some TLC, i love to use OPI's Nail Envy which really works at strengthening your nails. It can also be used as a base coat. 

Besides painting my nails, i also like to use some intense moisturising treatments for my cuticles and skin. I love Dior's Apricot Fortifying Cream for nails. It works wonders at softening cuticles, and strengthening nails. After using it daily for a few months, i can really notice a difference. It's an intense, hydrating treatment, so it's best applied at night when the tacky consistency won't be an issue. It smells lovely and can also be used as a lip balm. I use it as a lip balm when i have dry or chapped lips, and it works very well! I highly recommend this- it's a fabulous multi use product that really improves the appearance and condition of your nails. Another product that i love for my hands and feet, is Estee Lauders Smoothing Mani/Pedi treatment. It's described as an at-home 'paraffin' treatment, which smoothes and softens dry skin. Again, i love to apply this at night when it really has time to penetrate the skin and works its magic! You can even wear some cotton socks or gloves to make the treatment more effective. The scent is very clean and fresh, and i've noticed a definite improvement in the look and feel of my hands and feet. I would definitely recommend this and i think its a great product to have around during the summer time, when we start to wear sandals and flip-flops again (even if its non-stop rain here at the moment!). It can be easy to neglect your feet, even though they're probably the most used part of your body, and this product ensures that their kept in tip-top condition! 

Love, Claudia xo

Dior Summer 2012 Collection: Some more purchases..

I just couldn't help myself- i had to go back and pick up a few more things! If you read my original post on this collection (click here to read), then you will know how much i love Dior's summer collection this year. Everything about the range is beautiful- the colours, textures and packaging. I was so happy with everything that i had initially purchased, that i really wanted to try some of the other products, and as I've been bogged down with loads of exams lately, i thought why not? So i picked up another three items and unsurprisingly, i love them too! 

Dior's summer eyeshadow palette in 'Aurora', offers a gorgeous selection of sun-soaked shades. Inspired by the sands of the Mediterranean, 'Aurora' contains a warm gold, perfect for the lid, a warm chocolate brown, ideal for the crease, a warm coral, great for adding a pop of colour, and a light nude-sand and pink, which are both great as highlight/base shades. As well as providing excellent pigmentation, the texture of these shadows are beautiful too. They are extremely smooth and finely milled, allowing for easy application/blending. The finish is lovely- they're not glittery at all. Instead, they provide a luminous sheen, which makes them suitable for all ages. 

I also picked up the Diorshow Waterproof Eyeliner in 'Turquoise', which is a gorgeous aqua blue pencil. This complements the 'Aurora' eyeshadow palette and 'St. Tropez' nail polish perfectly. I love wearing aqua eyeliner through my lower lash line during the summer. It looks great with golden eyeshadow, and just provides a summery 'pop' of colour. The pigmentation of this pencil is great and the fact that its waterproof, makes it ideal for those hot and humid days. 

Lastly, i picked up a DiorSkin Nude Tan Healthy Glow Powder (whew!) in 002 'Sunlight'. Dior released a new range of bronzers, along with these 'healthy glow' powders, which are basically bronzing blushers. Like the bronzers, they're finely milled and in the same metal cannage compact. The compacts have a magnetic closure and heavy weight- they definitely feel high quality. The mini-kabuki thats included, is also good quality with soft, densely-packed bristles. 'Sunlight' is a great colour for giving light-medium skin tones a healthy glow. You can use the sectors individually, or as i like to apply it, you can swirl all of the colours together as an all-in-one bronzer, highlighter and blush. The finish is a natural sheen- no glitter at all. I love powders like this during the summer, as they're a quick and easy way to give a radiant glow, and often look more natural than bright blushers. 

Overall, i've been really impressed with everything that i purchased from the collection. Whilst Dior is expensive, the quality of these products is definitely reflected in the prices. Besides the packaging, the textures, pigmentation and finishes are all beautiful. This must be one of my favourite summer collections!

Love, Claudia xo 

Good Luck Charm: Swarovski Crystalline Pen

Over the next few weeks i will be sitting all of my first year A-Level exams, and i just wanted to share my good luck charm with you. My parents were really sweet and gave me this beautiful Swarovski Crystalline Ballpoint Pen, which is both practical and beautiful! They also got one for a close you-tube friend of mine too.

 I love the crystals that are contained inside the pen, and the overall design reminds me a lot of the infamous Chanel J12 watch! I used it for the first time today, in my history exam, and it writes very nicely- smooth and comfortable. Lets hope it brings some luck!

Good luck to all of you that have exams this summer! 

Love, Claudia xo

Dior Summer Collection 2012 Haul

What can i say? Once again, Dior have outdone themselves with another beautiful summer collection. 

The Croisette collection, inspired by the beautiful Mediterranean sea and the glamour of the French Riviera, includes a gorgeous selection of products. From sun-soaked golds, to cool aquas, this collection just screams summer! Of course, i had to pick up a few things...

I was most interested in the new range of bronzers, which will be replacing the matte and original bronzers that Dior currently have. The Nude Glow Sun Powders are available in six shades, and i chose 002 Amber, which seemed to be the least orangey shade on offer. Firstly, i love the packaging! The round cannage metal compact, looks and feels very luxurious. It's very weighty and durable. It also comes with the cutest mini-kabuki brush, which is great for touch-ups. The bronzer itself is a matte, natural tan shade and very finely milled. First impressions are very good! 

The next item that was on my wish-list, is the new nail colour in 401 'St. Tropez'. It's a beautiful aqua blue, that reminds me of tropical waters and days spent at the beach! It has a cream finish, and high-gloss sheen.  It also features Dior's new wide brush, which makes nail polish application exceptionally easier! The colour is just perfect for the summer season, and very unique. The second shade that Dior released 'Bikini' was beautiful too, but i resisted the temptation as i do have lots of coral and orange nail polishes already. 

I also picked up one of the new, limited edition lipsticks in 354 'Palace' which is a nude peach. The colour is gorgeous and i love peach shades for the summer. Dior Addict lipsticks provide a glossy sheen, perfect amount of pigmentation and hydrating texture. 

Last but not least, i also purchased a Dior Addict Ultra-Gloss in 464 'Pink Croisette'. This colour reminds me of my NARS blush in 'Orgasm'! It's a sheer, light peachy-pink with golden shimmer, and goes perfectly with the 'Palace' lipstick that i also purchased. Together, they make a gorgeous peachy-pink lip for the summer! I love Dior glosses- the formula is non-sticky, hydrating and high-gloss. They always look great worn alone or paired with lipsticks/liners. Im so glad i picked this up as it's unlike any other lip gloss that i own.

L-R: Dior Addict Lipstick in 'Palace' and Dior Addict Lipgloss in 'Pink Croisette'. 

I highly recommend you check out Dior's new summer collection. There's a great range of products and colours, that are suitable for all skin tones and they correspond with this seasons trends perfectly! Dior's Croisette collection will be available at all counters this month. 

Love, Claudia xo

Review: Estee Lauder Mani/Pedi Treatment

A few weeks ago, i was browsing through my local Estee Lauder counter and spotted their 'Body Performance' line, which i've never seen before! Their Smoothing Mani/Pedi Treatment, was the first product to catch my attention. I'm always doing my own pedicures at home, and with summer on the way, i love to use treatments to get my feet in perfect condition for the sandal season! I've been using this product for the past two weeks, and already i'm thoroughly impressed with the results.

The product is described as an at-home 'paraffin' treatment, which smoothes and softens hands and feet. It contains concentrated emollients, which help to ease away dry skin and reveal new, smooth skin. I love to apply this to both my hands and feet at night, in order to allow the treatment to work its magic over a long period of time. You can also slather this cream on, and wear some cotton socks whilst you sleep, which really helps the treatment to penetrate the skin and reveal baby-soft feet the next day! This product is best used at night, as the intensive treatment would be too rich to apply to your hands during the day. It doesn't have much of a scent- just very clean and fresh. My hands and feet are a lot softer, and i've also noticed that it works wonders for your cuticles too. It's a fabulous product to have for the summer season, particularly for at-home pedicures. I've noticed a definite difference in the appearance and texture, of my hands and feet. 

This product retails for £19.00, online at esteelauder.co.uk, or at a local counter. 

Love, Claudia xo 

The Body Shop Coconut Anti-Bac Gel

Finally the UK's answer to Bath & Body Works Anti-Bac's! I love Bath & Body Works products, and each time i visit America i always stock up, particularly with the anti bacterial hand gels. They have such a wide range of gorgeous scents and they're perfect for on-the-go. Of course, here in the UK, i could never find anything similar. Most of the anti-bac gels we have, are only available in plain, boring scents. Nothing like Bath & Body Works 'Sweet Pea' which is one of my favourites! So when i discovered The Body Shops' range of anti-bac hand gels, i was really excited! They have five gorgeous scents including: Strawberry, Mango, Lemon, Satsuma, and the one that i picked up, Coconut. At £2.50 each, i think they're a great find. 

The scent is amazing! Just like coconuts and sun-tan oil. It cleanses my hands really well, and doesn't leave them feeling dry or tight. This is such a great product to keep in your handbag, especially if your on-the-go a lot, or if you have children. I take the bus to college, so i always need hand sanitizer! 

If your looking for some sweet-smelling hand sanitisers, then i highly recommend checking out The Body Shop. If you have access to Bath & Body Works, then i recommend those too!

Love, Claudia xo

My Foundation Collection: Likes & Dislikes

I've tried a number of different foundations over the past year, and finally i have found my all-time favourite, which is Estee Lauder's Double Wear Light. I love everything about it, and most importantly it doesn't break me out. I wanted to show you my foundation collection, and share my thoughts that i have on each. Now that i have found my HG foundation, i can see just how much i dislike some of my other foundations, and how they were damaging to my skin. 

Estee Laduer Double Wear Light Foundation

Starting with my favourite, this is the best suited foundation that i have tried for my skin type. It's oil and fragrance free, causing me zero breakouts which is amazing. The staying power is great too- it stays put on my oily skin throughout the whole day, without looking patchy or cake-y whatsoever. The coverage is very build-able, ranging from light, to full-medium coverage. I love to apply it with my Beauty Blender Sponge as it gives a very natural finish to the skin. The foundation does have a slight 'tackiness' to it, which you may notice if you apply it with your fingers. If you use a sponge or a brush however, it isn't noticeable at all. Overall, i absolutely love this product! Finally i've found a foundation that fits all of my needs, and doesn't break me out. At £26.00 i think it's a great price, especially in comparison to my Chanel foundations which are much more expensive and far inferior in quality. If your looking for something that won't irritate sensitive, acne-prone skin, yet still has great coverage and staying power, i highly recommend this product.

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation

Initially, i really liked this foundation and whilst it no longer works for my skin type, i would still recommend it to those of you who have normal or dry skin. The finish is very natural and gives a healthy, dewy glow which i really like, particularly for the summer. However, the watery consistency leaves my skin looking too oily and my face becomes shiny within a few hours. I also think that the fragrance it contains breaks me out. If you have sensitive skin, i wouldn't recommend using foundations with fragrance and sadly Chanel foundations are always highly perfumed. I still think this is a great foundation due to the natural finish and easy-to-blend consistency, but it's not suitable for my skin type.

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Foundation



Another disappointment from Chanel unfortunately! This one i dislike even more so than Vita Lumiere Aqua. It's not just the fact that it doesn't work for my skin-type, i think the foundation overall is very poor- no matter what skin type you have. Firstly, the formula is very quick-drying and as a result, difficult to blend. I also find the ways in which you can apply this, very limited. With my hands or a foundation brush, it looks very streaky and unnatural. With my Beauty Blender sponge, it's much easier to apply and gives a more natural finish. However, even with the application technique sorted, i still have some issues with this foundation. Another problem is the oxidisation of colour. I have shade B20, the same as i am in Vita Lumiere Aqua, but after 10-20 minutes of wearing it, my skin looks a darker shade. It's not a perfect match and when your trying colours on in-store, it's very misleading. I also find the staying power to be very poor. Whilst it looks matte after i've first applied it, just a few hours later my skin looks very oily and shiny. It also wears off my skin in patches, which i have never experienced before. It clings to any dry patches that you may have- even though i have very oily skin, this still makes some areas of my face look dry! So i would definitely not recommend this to dry skin. I also think that it breaks me out, due to the fragrance that it contains. So i wouldn't recommend it to oily, acne-prone skin either. I'm so disappointed with this foundation, and it's definitely not worth the £36 price tag!

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation



This is another foundation that initially, i really liked. It gives a natural, dewy finish without making my skin look too shiny. The consistency is very easy to blend and can be applied with fingers, or it also works well with the Beauty Blender Sponge. However, the staying power isn't great for my oily skin and i become shiny/patchy within 6 hours or so. I also find that i need a lot of product, to get a medium coverage. Again, it also contains fragrance which breaks me out unfortunately. For the price, i think this foundation is a great drugstore option if your looking for a dewy, natural-finish foundation. It may work well for dry or normal-combination skin types, providing your not sensitive to fragrance.

So thats an overview of the liquid foundations that i've tried, and my current holy-grail. Just keep in mind that different products work differently for everyone, and if something breaks me out, it might not have the same effect on your skin. Skincare is such a personal issue, that it's hard to know how something will work for your skin, until you try it. If you have a similar skin-type to me, oily/sensitive/acne-prone (great combination!), then hopefully these suggestions will be helpful to you.

I also have a video on this topic, which you can watch here.

Love, Claudia xo

Current Drugstore Favourites

La Roche Posay Physiological Micellar Solution

This is a great makeup remover for sensitive skin types. It's soap and alcohol free, so it doesn't irritate or dry out my eyes, yet it still removes makeup very easily. No oily residue, no stinging- it feels just like using water! It's just as good as- if not better-than the infamous Bioderma. And much easier to find!

Model's Own Nail Polish in 'Fuzzy Peach'

I love orange nail polishes and this one by Models Own, is a fabulous drugstore option. The colour is gorgeous for the summer and creates the illusion of tanned skin. The formula is excellent, providing an opaque finish with just two coats and has great staying power too.

Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara

I've been loving this lately for an everyday mascara. It's great at providing length and definition. I love the fluttery, natural look of this mascara and it's ability to be layered with others. I love combining this mascara with thickening/volumising formula's to get the best of both worlds! Despite my past experience with Maybelline mascaras, this one does not irritate my eyes and it's very easy to remove at night.

Soap & Glory Great Kisser Lip Balm in 'Juicy Peach'

This smells amazing! Just like a peachy fruit salad! It's the perfect lip product to use on a daily basis and i love to keep it in my college makeup bag for easy touch-ups. It provides a very subtle hint of colour, and gives a glossy, natural shine. The formula is non-sticky and moisturises my lips really well. I love how it's so easy to wear, and treats my lips whilst providing a glossy shine too.

Revlon Lip Butters

I love these! There also great lip products for on-the-go. The colours are beautiful, with just the right amount of pigmentation and a very smooth, hydrating formula. My favourite colour is 'Strawberry Shortcake', which is a medium-toned, bubblegum pink.

L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipsticks

You can see i've been loving my drugstore lip products recently! These are even smoother, and more hydrating than the Revlon Lip Butters. However, their staying power isn't as good and the colour range i think, is more limited. Although i did find two great colours: 'Lovely Rose' and 'Dating Coral'. They moisturise the lips very nicely, and are so easy to wear/apply.

Love, Claudia xo