NUBAR Finest Silks collection

New to Nubar for Spring/Summer 2011 is their Finest Silks collection. There are eight gorgeous shades to choose from, all of which have been inspired by the silk dresses as seen on the catwalks of Chanel and Richard Nicoll.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on two of the shades - Marabout (a light, charcoal) and Pekin (a very deep, Christmasy red). Once applied, both colours are stunning and after two coats look perfectly opaque.

Extremely feminine, the Finest Silks collection is available to buy as off early next year, all for £8 each from www.beautyshed.co.uk

Merry Christmas...

...from Jade's Beauty Blog! I want to thank you all so much for reading my blog and hope you have a lovely Christmas. See you in the new year x

November favourites...

Image courtesy of weheartit
Every month I want to share with you my five favourite products of the month. I know the end of November has passed, but better late than never...

Firstly, I bought this Barry M nail varnish in Pink Flamingo at the beginning of the month. I know it’s a bit summery for this time of year, but I absolutely love it and have worn it on my toes ever since.


I have blogged about the Clarins Gentle Refiner Exfoliating Cream this month already, but I can’t get enough of it. My skin has a tendency to go dry and flaky in the winter, so this is perfect for removing dead skin but leaving a soft finish too.


Next is Avon Glimmerstick Eye Liner – it’s got great staying power and the colour isn’t too harsh either. The only negative I have, is that you can’t get a precise line with it because the tip is quite thick. Despite that, it’s great.


Next is another product from Avon, they’re Magix Face Perfector. It’s a great primer and leaves your skin feeling really smooth. I haven’t yet discovered that my make-up lasts longer, but then again I haven’t only tried it twice so far.


Lastly is my favourite of the bunch, Clinique Pore Minimiser. I have quite large pores on my nose and this handy little cream is perfect for disguising them. I can’t get enough of it (I apologise for it being so grubby) and lasts a lot longer than you’d think.


What have your favourite products been this month?

Accessorize nail varnish...

I previously mentioned the Accessorize cosmetic collection here, but never got round to posting any images. So here’s a look at two of their (many) nail polishes...


School Skirt (shade 13) – a grey shade that comes out quite dark, although two coats are possibly needed.


Truffle (shade 12) – a similar colour with a brown tinge. This one will also need a couple of coats to make the colour really stand out.

Small print - PR sample

Bare Minerals Prime Time Brightening Primer

When it comes to make-up primers, there’s often mixed reviews. Some make-up artists swear by them, others will disagree. For me, I’m still not sure – some work, some don’t, it’s as simple as that.

I recently got my hands on a new primer range from Bare Escentuals - Bare Minerals Prime Time Brightening Foundation and Eyelid Primer, due to be released in February 2011. The range consists of a brightening foundation primer and a brightening eyelid primer.

The Prime Time Brightening Foundation is claimed to be an innovation because it simply contains a face brightener and primer in one. With combined light reflecting pearls too, it helps brighten your complexion as well as giving your skin a satin finish. I will admit I haven’t yet tried this on my face, but after applying it to my hand, it did feel silky soft.


The eyelid primer is available in two colours – original and pearl (right) and it’s fantastic because you can get away with wearing it alone without any eye shadow. I also applied it to my hand in the morning and was surprised to see that it was still visible later on in the evening.


Both products come with added Vitamins C and E and are formulated without any preservatives, oils and fragrances – great if you have sensitive skin. If you suffer from having an oily t-zone like I do, then the face primer is useful because it says it absorbs excess oil from your skin too.

You can get the foundation primer for £19 and the eyelid primer for £16 as of February 2011, from Bare Escentuals boutiques in selected department stores and online at
http://www.bareescentuals.com/

Small print - PR sample

ORLY Nail Lacquer

I’m not a huge fan of purple nail polish, but considering winter is well and truly here, I wanted my nails to look a little more festive. So after being given this ORLY Nail Lacquer, in Plum Noir by one of the lovely ladies at Halpern, I was eager to give it a go.

I loved how dark it appeared on my nails just after one coat. I often find that you have to apply two or three coats for the colour to appear as it’s supposed too. The lid is also large enough to hold and has a special rubber coating, so that it’s easier to grip onto. It’s also really easy to apply and considering my nails took me less than 30 seconds to do, I don’t think they look that bad...

The ORLY Nail Lacquers are £8.75 each and available from http://www.orlybeauty.co.uk

Small print - PR sample

Boots No7 spring collection...

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the Boots No7 Spring collection launch. Created by makeup artist and creative director, Lisa Eldridge, the collection has been inspired by 1960’s St Tropez and boasts a beautiful range of colours. Unlike renowned No7 products, this collection comes complete with gorgeous packaging too.

For me the Lipstick in Brigitte, Beautifully Matte foundation and Gel Eyeliners stood out the most. I’m a sucker for a pink lippy and a black eyeliner and not to mention still on the search for an affordable foundation too. I’ve never tried a gel eyeliner before, so I’m looking forward to trying this one out.

This collection is available in Boots stores from 26th January until 22nd March 2011.

Scrubbing up...

A good face exfoliator is hard to find, especially one that scrubs off the yucky bits without leaving your skin red-raw. I got sent a Clarins Gentle Refiner Exfoliating Cream a while ago but put off using it. Truth is, I was given a Clarins perfume many, many years ago and the smell put me off for life, well until now...

Up until this product, I have never come across the perfect face scrub and now I won’t buy anything else. Formulated with two different types of beads – one to exfoliate and the other to purify – the Clarins Gentle Refiner is tough enough to slough off dead skin but also soft enough to leave you with a freshly cleansed face.

The scrub is a little pricey at £23 for 50ml, but it’s oh so worth it!

Small print - PR sample

Accessorize your makeup bag...

I’m a huge fan of Accessorize – always have and always will be – but my purse strings pull tight when they see I’m about to spend £20 on a necklace I’ll only wear a handful of times. So hearing that they were introducing cosmetics to their stores, I was eager to have a look.

The whole range has been divided into five different collections - Je T’aime, Illusion, Rock Star, Exotic Brights and With Love – all of which are reasonably priced and beautifully packaged too. Having had a look, the ones that stood out for me were the Eye Dust pots (£3) and the With Love Bronzing Block (£7), both of which are almost identical to well-known Barry M and Benefit products.

The Accessorize cosmetic collection is available in store (larger stores only), online at www.accessorize.com and in selected Superdrug stores only.

Starry eyed surprise...

Having worn 17 as a teen, I always feel a little nostalgic when presented with one of their products, which is why I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the Starry Eyes Trio eyeshadow. Available in a range of colours, each set is perfect for creating the smokey-eyed look.

Neptune, the most dramatic of the four comes with a deep purple, metallic gold and dark grey shade, for an exotic twist on the smoky eye trend.

Starstruck is more traditional with intense black, metallic and lighter grey shades that will suit any hair, eye and skin colour. For a less intense look, opt for the two lighter shades instead.

For a green goddess look, go for Galactic which comes with khaki, champagne gold and rich green colours – great if you like to make a statement.

Lastly is Moondust, a mixture of two blue shades and a lighter white colour. For the perfect party look line your top lashes with the dark blue and blend with the lighter blue and silver.

All for £4.99 each, these are great for the festive season and a must-have for any girl’s makeup bag.

Operation glam...

Now I haven’t got wrinkles yet, but like most girls I suffer from having dull, dry and flat hair – all down to years of colouring, straightening and blow drying. This is why I decided to give Lulu’s Operation Glam: Lock Star Shampoo and Conditioner a go and I wasn’t left disappointed! Not only does it smell lovely and leave that just-washed smell you get after leaving the hairdressers, but it brightens hair and gives it amazing volume too.

Using a special “metalife complex” it helps remove minerals found in tap water and pollution that sticks to our hair and make it look dull and lifeless. Anti-frizz ingredients are included in the conditioner too, so your hair is left shiny and super soft.

For £16 (for 250ml) each, it’s quite pricey, but it does what it promises. And the packaging is just as glam too!

Small print - PR sample

My favourite things...

As a beauty writer, it can be hard not to have favourites. From your favourite blusher to that must-have foundation (I’ll admit, L’Oréal has me every time) there is one brand I’ll always come back too…Avon.

Not only do they stock one of the biggest ranges I’ve ever seen, but their products actually work. I mean, how many times have you applied your mascara to find that by lunchtime it’s flaked all over your face? With Avon you get quality products at a fraction of the price and they look amazing too!

I’m currently in love with their Nailwear Pro nail varnish. It’s available in a variety of colours, suiting every outfit choice possible and it lasts for days too! My favourite is Peppermint Leaf, which closely resembles the same colour as seen by Chanel earlier on in the year.

And what makes Avon more special for me? It’s totally available on your doorstep…