YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick - #19 'Fuchsia in Rage'

I finally did it! I bought my first YSL lipstick after lusting after them for what seems like FOREVER.....and what a beauty it is!

Like most people, I was instantly attracted to the stunning gold casing. I love the intricate detail of the YSL logo through the middle with the lipstick colour behind it. It looks and feels expensive and I love this new addition to my make up bag!

After trying out a few shades I decided on colour number 19 'Fuchsia in Rage'. This bright purple stood out among the rest on the display counter and, although it's brighter than I would normally wear, I felt it suited me well. Upon swatching this on my hand I discovered that the colour isn't as dark or as purple as it appears, but instead has a gorgeous pink hue to it which I think makes it more wearable.

This particular lipstick is from the Rouge Volupte Shine range. It feels moisturising to wear and gives a gorgeous glossy shine to your lips making them look fuller. It glides on really smoothly and it has the most delicious melon scent.

This lipstick has also got major staying power! I apply, blot and then apply again and it literally lasts for hours. I can eat and drink and it barely budges. It also leaves behind a stain on the lips as it gradually wears so you don't get a patchy uneven look. I even have to remove the last traces of this lipstick at the end of the day with some micellar water and a cotton pad as it doesn't wipe off easily at all. 

This YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick definitely gets a 10 out of 10 from me and I think it's worth every penny of the £25 I paid for it from Selfridges. It has stunning packaging, an amazing colour and the best staying power of any lipstick I've ever used - and for that reason it will last me ages as I won't have to keep re-applying.

I'm already deciding which shade to buy next.....

Do you have any YSL lipsticks? Which shade is your favourite? 

New Season - New Coat | Rare London Fur Trim Parka

For me, the start of the Autumn/Winter season signals one thing - a new coat. I love the feeling of picking out a new coat because, let's face it, I'll be getting a lot of wear out of it in cold and rainy Manchester! It's hard to decide on which style to go for as there are so many in the high street shops and online right now, but I knew this time I wanted a parka and as soon as I saw the Black Fur Trim Parka Coat* from Rare London I knew I had to have it!

I love parkas and every year they return to the rails as they're just so popular and easy to wear. A parka can be a really versatile coat and doesn't just have to be dressed down with jeans. I'll be wearing mine with skirts, dresses, tights and heeled boots for a more dressed up daytime look.

This particular parka coat from Rare London is really versatile as it has a detachable fur collar and also a detachable padded gilet which zips onto the inside of the coat. This is a great idea as you can wear it without for the milder Autumn months and then zip it back in for extra warmth when it's needed in the colder Winter months!

I love this coat and will be wearing it loads this season, and with it being black rather than the traditional khaki colour, it will go with pretty much anything! 

Have you got a new coat for the Autumn/Winter season yet? What do you think of this one from Rare London?

AX Paris Autumn/Winter 2014 Press Day

Yesterday I attended the AX Paris AW14 Press Day and it was such an amazing event! I was just a little bit excited when I received the email invite (okay, a lot excited) and I knew straight away I had to be there! 

After several hours of deliberation over what to wear, I made my way to the Black Dog Ballroom in Manchester in my River Island checked shirt dress, black wedge boots and Vivienne Westwood heart bag ready to view the new collection.

On arrival I was greeted by members of the AX Paris team who were all really lovely - I didn't know anyone there when I arrived and the girls instantly made me feel at ease and took the time to chat to me about the collection, what it's like to work at AX Paris and my blog. I was offered a delicious cocktail and perfectly decorated cupcake which looked way too pretty to eat!

I then made my way round the room to look at the colour co-ordinated rails of new season clothing. There were so many pieces that I would love to have in my own wardrobe - from stunning fur coats to classy pencil skirts and perfect party dresses, there was something for everyone. I've been a fan of AX Paris for a while, I always used to head straight to the store in the Trafford Centre if I needed a new dress for a night out and, for me, this is their best collection yet. I loved the gorgeous co-ords which have been huge this summer and have now had a glitzy update to keep you looking on trend for all those party nights in the lead up to Christmas!  

As if getting to view the new collection before everyone else wasn't enough of a perk, we were totally spoiled by the AX team with cocktails, food and the best goodie bag ever! There was also an extremely talented henna artist there creating beautiful and intricate designs for anyone that wanted one - I absolutely loved mine and there was a constant queue of bloggers eager to have their hand adorned with pretty patterns.

I had such a lovely afternoon at the event and, despite feeling a little bit under-dressed and slightly intimidated by all the stunningly gorgeous big name bloggers there like Victoria from In The Frow, Kayleigh from Couture Girl and Danielle Kimberley, I'm so glad I went. I now have a rather long wishlist of AX Paris items I want that will see me through the AW14 season! Huge thanks again to the team for the invite and for putting on such a great event.

Blogger Murder Mystery Dinner #bgomeetup

Last week I got a last minute invite from the Joe Blogs Network to an event at the Renaissance Hotel in Manchester - a murder mystery night to celebrate the launch of gaming website bgo's new murder mystery slot game. I've always wanted to go to a murder mystery night so there was no way I was turning this down!

I met some of my blogging besties, Katie and Jess, at the hotel and we were greeted with glasses of bubbly - always a great way to start the night! Once seated at carefully laid out tables of 10, we continued chatting and getting to know some new bloggers when all of a sudden 'Lord John' burst into the room shouting and clutching at his chest! He stumbled across the room between the tables of bloggers and died a very dramatic death! The night had begun.......

'Sherlock Holmes' and 'PC World' were immediately on the case and provided each table with an evidence pack which included a list of suspects and several interview forms, forensic request forms and even a fingerprint dusting kit to use! 

 We were served a delicious three course meal whilst conducting our investigations - I had the goats cheese salad starter, wild mushroom pasta main and chocolate brownie and ice cream dessert. We filled out interview questions for suspects, did pocket searches and submitted forms for forensic examinations and eventually we started to piece together what we thought had happened to 'Lord John'.

At the end of the meal each table had to write down who they thought the murderer was, what their motive was and how they did it.......and our table won! We got called into another room and were given costumes to dress up as each of the suspects in the story and had to act out the sequence of events that led to Lord John's demise. (I'm dressed in the stripey blazer and straw boater hat in the photo below as one of the suspects!)

(Photo provided by Joe Blogs Network)

We all had such a fun night and I would like to say a big thanks to bgo, the Joe Blogs Network and The Murder Mystery Company for organising the evening. I'm so glad I got to attend and experience a murder mystery night and also to meet more lovely bloggers from Manchester. I will definitely be looking into whether there are any other murder mystery nights near where I live!

(Group photo! Provided by Joe Blogs Network)

You can read bgo's account of the night here - www.bgo.com/Blog/post/2014/09/19/bgo-murder-mystery-slot-blogger-event

Have you been to a murder mystery night before?

Busy Bee Candles Magik Beanz Review

I'll admit it...I'm a little bit obsessed with scented candles. I'm always lighting them round the house so my home is filled with delicious fragrances. I drive my husband mad with my 'candle cupboard' (yes I have a cupboard full of scented candles and tealights... don't you?) and I'm sure I get some funny looks when I'm stood there having a good sniff of all the scented candles that Clinton Cards has to offer. I don't care though, I love them. I thought I'd found the 'crème-de-la-crème' of the candle world in Yankee, but now that I've discovered Wales-based company Busy Bee Candles, Yankee sure have got a contender to watch out for!

7 Days of Essence | Day 7 - Essence Long Wearing Lipstick in 'Love Me'

It's Day 7 of '7 Days of Essence' and I'm really sad that it's come to an end as I've loved telling you about some of my favourite products from the brand. Don't worry though as I will be reviewing more Essence products in the future so keep your eyes peeled for those! If you're just joining in with the series then the links for Days 1 to 6 are at the bottom of this post. Right, let's get on to today's product...

Last, but certainly by no means least, in this series is the Essence Long Wearing Lipstick* in shade 'Love Me'. I've rediscovered my love for lipsticks recently after not wearing any for a while and, at the moment, this is my go-to lipstick for every day wear.

Firstly, let's mention the casing - nothing out of the ordinary, but I like the little band of colour through the middle which matches the shade of lipstick. I think this is a handy little feature when you're rummaging through your make up drawers to find the shade you want. The lipstick also has the Essence 'e' logo imprinted on it which is something that I've seen on more high-end branded lipsticks.

This shade is a gorgeous peachy coral colour with a hint of pink and it gives my whole face a warm healthy glow when I wear it. It has a nice creamy texture and feels moisturising to wear. It has a semi-matte finish but, importantly, doesn't leave my lips feeling dry which can be a common downside to matte lipsticks. The lipstick does wear off throughout the day but if I apply a few layers and blot with tissue between applications I get about three hours wear from it before I have to reapply. I think this is great considering it only costs £2.30! I'm really impressed with this lipstick and wouldn't hesitate to purchase another once this runs out. I'll be testing out more shades next time I'm in my local Wilko store.

I hope you've enjoyed reading my '7 Days of Essence' series! If you've missed Days 1 to 6 (or you just want to read them again!) here are the links:

Day 1 - All About Candies Eyeshadow Palette

Day 2 - Blush Up Blusher

Day 3 - Nail Polish Corrector Pen
Day 4 - XXXL Shine Lipgloss

7 Days of Essence | Day 6 - Essence All About Nude Eyeshadow Palette

It's Day 6, the penultimate day of my '7 Days of Essence' series, and today I'm featuring another eyeshadow palette from the range - this time it's the 'All About Nude' Eyeshadow Palette.*

The palette contains six different neutral shades from a 'barely there' shimmery beige to a deep chocolate brown which enable you to create several different looks. If you want a subtle eye look for the day time all you would need is a sweep of one of the lighter colours, then to add a bit of glamour the darker shades are the perfect complimentary shades to apply to the crease of your eyelid for a more dramatic look.

Like the 'All About Candies' Palette that I featured on Day 1, these powder eyeshadows have a nice smooth creamy texture which adheres to the eyelid well. I normally wear an eyeshadow primer and with these eyeshadows I can get a good eight hours wear from them before they start to crease. The eyeshadows are surprisingly pigmented and are easily buildable for a more intense look. They also blend really well with a soft blending brush which helps to create a more 'finished' look.

For me, this palette contains all the colours you would need for creating a gorgeous smokey eye look.

You can pick up the 'All About Nude' Eyeshadow Palette from Wilko stores for only £3.50.

Want to catch up with the rest of my '7 Days of Essence' series? Here are the links for you:

Day 1 - All About Candies Eyeshadow Palette

Day 2 - Blush Up Blusher

Day 3 - Nail Polish Corrector Pen
Day 4 - XXXL Shine Lipgloss