The London Beauty Shopping Guide Part I: Department Stores

London is the greatest city in the world to shop for beauty products in my opinion.  We get the latest, the best and the coolest products.

I decided to put together a short and sweet London Beauty Shopping Guide.  Here's Part 1 on four prestigeous department stores which I can spend hours and days in.

First up...... Selfridges & Co.!

Selfridges has been my local department store for the past 10 years.  I absolutely adore Selfridges and I know my way round in here like home.  Selfridges was voted as the Best Department Store in the World in the Global Department Store Summit, Paris 2012.  It is not difficult to understand why.  The beauty hall in Selfridges is huge.  Not only it has all the famous brands, like Laura Mercier, Clarins & Clarins Spa, Nars; it also brings in the latest, newest and rarest brands that you cannot find in other stores.  It is constantly changing and updating to meet the needs of customers.

Other special brands and services you can find in Selfridges include:

• Astlift
• Obsessive Compulsive Makeup
• The Paint Shop by Nails Inc. at Selfridges
• Paul & Joe
• Jinny Lash Bar
• Butter London Nails Polish
• Louise Young 
• Young Blood Foundation Bar
• RMK
• Topshop makeup 

Find Selfridges at 400 Oxford Street W1A 1AB.  

Nearest Tube Stations: Marble Arch/ Bond Street

Next up is Liberty......

If you walk down from Oxford Street to Oxford Circus, you'd reach Liberty.  You will not miss it because of its great architecture, inside and outside of the whole store.  It feels very special and prestigious shopping in Liberty.  I love Liberty not only because its beauty hall is special, it uses purple/ violet as the main colour theme from its logo to shopping bags, etc.  Liberty also celebrates the Best of British which made it a MUST-VISIT spot for visitors all over the world.

The interior of Liberty during Christmas

Brands which you can find in Liberty but more difficult in elsewhere:

• Diptyque
• Eve Lom
• Hourglass
• Aveda
• Chantecaille
• Seche Vite nail colours (the most complete collection found here ever)
• Ellis Faas

Find Liberty at Regent Street, London W1B 5AH

Nearest Tube Station: Oxford Circus

If you are not tired by now or your banks have not been broken yet, having shopped in Selfridges and Liberty.  You might want to make your way to Knightsbridge, one of London most expensive areas.  You can find two world-famous Department Stores, Harrods and Harvey Nichols.

Let's go to Harrods first.....

Harrods must be the most visited Department Stores in the world by tourists.  When you arrive at Knightsbridge, you can see many people holding up their cameras trying to snap up a few shots of the gorgeous building of Harrods.  The shop windows are never to disappoint either.  If you happen to visit Harrods in the run up to Christmas, it is promised to be magical.

Harrods in Christmas

For those of you who have been to Harrods before, you might recall it being like a maze inside.  So here's a little guide to how the beauty hall is divided up to:

• Perfumery Hall
• It is full of perfumes and perfumes only.  It has ALL the perfumes' brands one can or cannot imagine.  It is a beautiful hall because of all the pretty designed perfume bottles in every single corner of the hall.  It also smells heavenly, too.
• Colour Hall
• This hall housed all the makeup products, from MAC, Chanel to Tom Ford.  You name it, Harrods has it.
• Beauty Apothecary
• This section is dedicated to skincare queens and kings where you can find excellent skincare brands here, e.g. Perricone and Dr Sebagh, etc.

Find Harrods at 87-135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7XL

Nearest Tube Station: Knightsbridge

If you are in the Knightsbridge area, you cannot leave without also visiting Harvey Nichols.  It may not be the biggest store compared to Selfridges, Harrods and Liberty.  Harvey Nichols beauty hall certainly occupies the most space within its entire store.

Needn't me to say I love Harvey Nichols, too.  It can easily be my favourite department store to shop in.  I don't necessarily make any purchase in the beauty hall when I'm there but I feel that my knowledge in beauty will have increased after I spend time browsing in there.

It stocks many favourite beauty brands such as YSL and Clinique, etc.  You can also find Burberry's Makeup and ESPA counters which you can't easily find elsewhere in London.  There is also an in-house Space NK section which makes the shopping experience even more complete.

It also offers exclusive and cult products in its 'Beyond Beauty Section':

• Swissdent
• Mario Badescu
• Ole Henriksen
• Sjal
• Bliss

Find Harvey Nichols at 109-125 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7RJ

Nearest Tube Station: Knightsbridge

I know what you are thinking but go on, treat yourself to a shopping trip or two to all or either of these department stores.  You don't need to buy (although highly unlikely), you can just browse!  It's nearly the weekend so make an excuse and hit these stores!

I'm back!

Hey peeps

I'm back from my lovely break in Prague. I had a lovely time, it's such a beautiful city.

I can't wait to share with you all the beauty bits I shopped!

Normal postings will resume tomorrow!

Meanwhile, here are a few pic about my Prague holiday!

Summer Break

Hello peeps

I'm off to Prague for a well deserved summer break! Apologies in advance of the lack of posts in the next week or so.

However I'm very excited about visiting Czech drugstores and what's more outrageously exciting is the fact that Sephora exists in Prague!! How unfair is that for us in the UK!

I cannot wait to share with you all after my trip!

In case you were wondering what nails I'm wearing, here's a little peek! Nails by Impress.

Until then, please take care of yourself and I hope you are enjoying a lovely summer!

Love

Cynthy 

My Space NK Wish List

On my birthday recently, my sister (@Forksandbrushes) has kindly given me a Space NK giftcard with a generous amount of money inside.  I'm ever so grateful.  I am so spoiled!

I constantly have a real and mental shopping list for Space NK.  Now that I have got a giftcard, I'm getting quite hyped up about working on my a real wish list to perfection!

There are a few brands that I particularly want to own more of their products - Chantecaille (crazily expensive but amazing quality), hourglass, Kevyn Aucoin and By Terry.  Amongst these all, I still haven't tried anything from By Terry.

First up is By Terry Hyaluronic Blush in Blushberry, £28.  I have played around with this blush every time when I visit a Space NK shop (my weekly duty).  I like it more and more, not only because I am a blusher junkie; I found that the texture of this blush very unique.  I guess it is thanks to the hyaluronic acid that this blush contains (and most of what By Terry products have).  It feels very watery to hand, and it is somewhere in between a light cream moisturiser texture and a cream blush, with a blush stain characteristic, too.

Image obtained from Space NK website

There are only 2 shades (Peach Posh and Blushberry) in this Limited Edition cheek product.  I like Blushberry more because the finish colour is more of a pale red wine stain which would be great for autumn/ winter.  At the same time pink and peachy colours shouldn't restrict a girl's choice when it comes to blusher - a more red-toned cheek can look very elegant, too!

The second By Terry product that I have in mind is the Ombre Blackstar eyeshadow stick (£27.5, ouch!)

Image obtained from Space NK website

It comes in an impressive 13 shades in the range.  I have played around with it and swatched it on my hands every time when I visited Space NK.  First I didn't quite like how strong the colour stays on my hands but gradually I was drawn to it more because of the intensity of the colour and the shimmery effect that it gives.  When I tried to blend it on my hands it felt like it was very easily blended.  Sometimes I'm all about the easy to go makeup that kind of gal, a stick form/ crayon shaped eyeshadow seems to be growing on me.

Next up in the line is Kevyn Aucoin - Sculpting Powder (£34).

Image obtained from Space NK website

Why specifically this product?  I'm definitely hearing more good reviews about this product.  I'm not a follower as such but I'd like to hear what other people had to say before I would buy something.  It is also because I am getting more of the hang of 'sculpting' or should I say 'contouring' my face.  My desire for trying out different contouring products have since grown.

Again, I basically swatched this product every time when I'm in a Space NK shop.  I have to say I am yet to try it on my face.  It doesn't contain any shimmery particle in it which I like but the slightly 'ashy brown' finish kind of scare me.  Perhaps it's time to have a serious play around this product, i.e. trying it on my face!

So, what might come up on my Space NK wishlist?  It's got to be something from hourglass.  My favourite beauty product by hourglass is the Veil Fluid Makeup, it is such a sensational base product.  Not only is it light, it provides the coverage that one needs but the finish is natural, transparent and I feel as if my skin is still breathing every time when I wear it.  In my hourglass collection I also have the Film Noir Mascara, Veil Mineral Primer, Extreme Sheen High Shine Lip Gloss and No. 28 Primer Serum. I have to say these products I am nowhere as excited as I am with the Veil Fluid Makeup base, nice but they didn't wow me.

However I have heard more than a few more positive things about the Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil.

Image obtained from Space NK website

I have got quite a full pair of eyebrows so I can actually get away with not filling them in.  However I have got into the habit of filling in with some light brown colour which does make a difference to my total look on most occasions.  This brow pencil contains both the brush and the pencil (powder and wax) itself which seems extremely handy for a quick makeup routine or for travelling.

I used to be a perfume wearer and my all time favourite is Stella McCartney Stella eau de parfum which I have been using for over 10 years, I am this loyal!  Recently I wear a perfume less often but feel like it's time to make a return possibly.

I'm rather interested in a easy to store, light weight perfume instead of a traditional big and heavy bottle.  This Roll-On Eau Moheli Eau De Toilette from Diptyque seems like an attractive next move for my choice of perfume.

Image obtained from Space NK website

I think I'd better put a full-stop to my Space NK wish list for the time being.  I am rather excited about what I have on my wish list.  However I'll definitely be doing more research and paying even more visits to a Space NK shop for a little more careful browse and play around of the products before I make a decision.  So the list continues........

Do you have a Space NK wishlist?  What's on your list?

An 'a bit of everything haul'

Oh shopping! How I adore you and love doing but it's a risky business - it cheers one up but can be damaging to the bank accounts.

Anyway, I recently stayed in Birmingham for a few days and stayed at Hotel La Tour a modern and very stylish hotel which is perfectly located right at the heart of Birmingham, within 5 mins walking distance to the famous Bullring shopping centre.  I thought I would break my dear bank by spending a lot on shopping but I'm so pleased I only picked up a few items but exciting stuff that I wanted to share with you.

Of course I had to visit Boots and I picked up three items there.

The No.7 Anti-Ageing Shimmering Lip & Eye Screen (£7.5) that I picked up after watching Lily Pebbles' recently videos.  This multi-purpose lip and eye screen contains SPF 30 which also filters UVA and UVB.  It comes in a golden shimmer packaging which is quite versatile.  When you swatch it on your hands there is a slight shimmer to the finish.  It is quite sticky on the eyelids when applied, it can be worn alone or as a primer.  For my lips I didn't like it quite as much because it's not very hydrating.  Perhaps on days when I tried it on my lips were quite dry but it seemed to cause my lips even more flaky than it would normally.  

I wandered around to the makeup sections and was attracted to this Max Factor Wild Shadow Pencil (£4.99) I picked up the colour caramel rage.  It's a dark brown colour with a hint of shimmer.  It glides on easily on the eyelids and very easy to blend but it isn't the most pigmented product.  For heavy handed people this would suit them as you really need to work the crayon on the eyelids a few more times before you get enough product to work on the lids.

I am a total fan of Barry M nail polishes but with their makeup products I've never tried anything so I thought I would pick up something from it.  Blue seems to be rocking the makeup scenes lately and am sure it will be big this coming A/W.  I picked up the Barry M Bold Eyeliner in Blue (£3.99).  I haven't tried it on properly yet so I shall report on this when I have created a few looks with it but am exciting to using it.

The main purpose for me to go into Boots was to get a new facial cleanser but god knows how I ended up picking up the above 3 items.

I wanted to try something new and when I saw this L'Oreal Skin Perfection Soothing Gel-cream Wash I instantly associated this with my favourite Skin Perfection 3-in-1 Purifying Micellar Solution which made it to my July Favourite.

Because I loved the micellar solution so much I have confidence in this gel-cream product.  The extremely friendly price-tag at £2.99 made this product even more tempting.  I also like the sound of the formulation of it, a creamy wash which sounds hydrating but the gel combo makes it sound like my face will be refreshed after the cleanse.  I will report on how I get on with this.

I also picked up a couple of necklaces from Forever 21.  I have been on the hunt for longer necklaces these days.  I fell in love when I saw these two in the shop.

When I saw this Kissing Couple Necklace (£3.99) I thought it was so cute that it would go with any of my outfit, to dress up or suit a casual style.  The other simple slightly (one part) oval shape gold necklace is something that I have been looking for (sorry I cannot find it on the website).  It was only £3.15.

Have you picked up anything exciting recently?

Confession of a blusher junkie #2: YSL creme de blush vs Max Factor Miracle Touch Creamy Blush

Hi, I am Cynthy, I have an addiction of owning all the blushers in the world.

I want to continue with the second part of my confession of a blusher junkie series, this time I found another dupe for a YSL creme de blush which I picked up at the Selfridges sale back in June.  You can click here to read my first part confession.

YSL has got some great products going on with them: Touche Eclat and Le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation, or their Glossy Stain Lip Stain.  I'm more drawn to YSL as a brand because of all the hypes these beauty products received and in turn it increased my eagerness to try out their products.  The gold colour themed luxurious packaging that they use also makes their products stand out in the crowd.

After the success of identifying a dupe for Dior's latest product, Diorblush Creme blush; I figured I won't just stop there.  I went through my blush collection and spotted these two:

I saw my Max Factor Miracle Touch Creamy Blush, I was instantly convinced that this is a dupe for my YSL Creme de Blush.  I explored and tested them further and was convinced they are sisters.

First thing first, let's have a little study around the YSL Creme de Blush.

The packaging, it is to die for!  It looks like a little ice-cube with a gold square cap with YSL logo printed on it.  It is also very light in weight so it is great for travelling.  As I have been using it so it looks slightly messy on the picture.  I normally would use a Real Techniques Stippling Brush and dab it directly onto the product before working it on my face.  Nevertheless, the product looks like a mousse which makes one want to eat it (don't!).  It also feels very creamy to touch.  It is pigmented but it doesn't stain your skin like other cheek stain.  It dries to a powder texture which may not be everyone's cup of tea but I didn't mind.  You can build up the intensity of the pink colour.  It is a pale rosy pink colour which is perfect if you are looking to add some 'healthy colour' to your cheeks!  P.S. I'm not entirely sure of the name of the colour, it could be Fard A Joues.

Now, onto Max Factor Miracle Touch Creamy Blush.  This is a product which has received A LOT of in the bloggersphere.  I waited for a long enough before I gave in and snapped it up.  It was purely because of the rubbish packaging that this cream blush comes with.

It's very small and compact which is good but the plastic cap design..... Max Factor I think you can do a better job than this.  Although if a product is great, one should look beyond the packaging.

I picked up the colour soft pink #12, which seems to be the most wearable colour and the most popular one.  It comes in 4 different colours.

This cream blush is quite sticky to touch when you use your finger to smear it.  It dries as a cream blush (i.e. it doesn't dry to a powder form).  I'd say this is slightly more pigmented than the YSL creme de Blush but they are equally easy to blend.

I took the picture directly below the sun, and you can see that Max Factor creamy blush comes out quite a bit more shinier and glossier than the YSL Creme de Blush.

Probably if you have dry skin, the Max Factor creamy blush is a better option for you to give that dewy cheek finish.  Whereas the YSL Creme de Blush, as it dries to a powder finish which can matify oily skin, so a better option for you if you don't like a dewy finish.

You can say that YSL Creme de Blush is slightly pinker than Max Factor creamy blush as you build it up.  But then Max Factor creamy blush is a slightly stickier one which bounds light off so the final colour pay off may be less pink than the YSL Creme de Blush.

One of the other downside of both products is that they both don't stay put as well as some other blushers I have used.  Generally speaking, they last for around 3 hours then I'd look like I haven't put any blusher on my cheeks.  So a touch up is for sure if you plan to wear it all day long.

Let's finally talk money, obviously there is a huge difference.  YSL Creme de Blush costs a shocking £29 (I picked mine up at the sale for £19), for this price you can buy 5 Max Factor Creamy blush as each costs only £4.99!

I cannot tell you which one I'd rather buy.  As they are SO similar, almost like twins.  If you are on a budget then Max Factor creamy blush is definitely your answer.  If you want to treat yourself to something very special and classy, YSL Creme de Blush is your best friend.

So.... Max Factor or YSL?

What's in my travel makeup bag? #1 City Break in England

Last week I have been away for a short trip in England with my husband and I have been thinking about writing one of these posts, 'What's in my travel makeup bag?' for absolutely ages since I knew I was going on this trip.  Why?  Apart from being away (we were only in Birmingham for a few days), I was looking forward to sharing with you what I have packed makeup wise!

So without further ado, here it is!  Ta-da!!

First of all, I have loved my Paul & Joe makeup bag so much.  It's such a popular beauty accessory that it was sold out everywhere when I was looking for it.  However, I gladly found it in Harrods on a random trip back in June.  It is a filofax type of design makeup bag which has got 2 pockets inside, fairly spacious; securely fastened in a ring-binder format.

 On the two sides there are slip pockets for bit and pieces and for holding brushes.  I had so much fun filling this makeup bag up and it looks very neat and tidy afterwards.

I've decided to bring my staple products which I know won't fail me in giving me presentable looks whilst I was away, but also tried out a brand new Dior Eye Designer Eye Makeup Palette (£39) which I believe is only available at Duty Free shops.  My husband has kind bought this for me on this recent flight with Virgin Atlantic.

I really like the compact design and the dark blue velvet pouch with an elastic band that comes with it, so that I can keep my palette nice and clean.  Inside the palette you can find a trio of eye shadow colours, a gel liner and an eye brow gel.  It also comes with two brushes and the most attractive item of all, a Dior tweezer.  The mirror inside is also absolutely huge which is always handy on the go.  The pouch has also been specially designed to hold a separate item which is Diorshow Extase Mascara (a mini version).

I brought with me Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush to sweep the base shadow all over my eyelids.  This brush is just the right size for a quick one-colour eyelids look.  Two other brushes I brought to help creating my eye makeup looks were bdellium #781 pink brush to add colours to the crease of my eyes and using a Makeup Geek Stiff Dome Brush (a much more friendlier priced MAC 217) to blend, blend, blend.

Other staple makeup products that I brought with me include my Diorskin Nude BB Cream (in shade 002) which I have teamed up with Diorskin Sculpt Concealer (shade 002).  I wanted something light and can give me a glowy dewy finish without a heavy coverage; these two have done just that for me.

I cannot go without my Sleek Face Contour Kit (Light) which I reach for on a daily basis and it's definitely one of my most trusted beauty products.  I love using my Real Technique Setting Brush to highlight my cheekbones, temples, at the bridge of my nose, my chin and cubic bone areas.  I like the fact that the brush is small, and can create directional highlighting function on areas I want to highlight. I also brought with me one of my latest brushes to my brush collection, Makeup Geek Deluxe Angled Contour Brush I used this to contour my face by applying it just underneath my cheekbones, and at the two sides of my chins.  I found using an angled brush much easier to contour my face especially I am still trying to perfect my skill.

Instead of going all Dior crazy, I picked Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blush (Flushed Rougissant) which I also love and is a dupe for my Diorblush cheek cream, which I have done a review on.  Both products never failed to disappoint.  They both give such a healthy flushed colour on my cheeks which is so flattering and perfect for the summer.  I found that using my fingers to dab it on the apple of my cheeks and blend it in, instead of using a brush much easier and give a more natural finish.

I am not a gel liner or gel brow kind of gal at all,  I still gave it a try but I also brought with me my two other staple products: Kiko Precision Eye Pencil (dark brown) - not only does it glide like a dream on my eyelids, it doesn't require much sharpening so it's a great product for travelling.  On that note I also brought with me my Real Techniques' Fine Liner Brush for a better application of gel liner. Then I also had my Soap and Glory Archery Brow Tint & Precision Shaping Pencil (I felt safer bringing this with me, thinking what if me and my gel brow in my Dior Eye Design Eye Shadow Palette didn't get on.....).  I wouldn't go anywhere without my Karl Lagerfeld x Shu Umeura eyelash curler.

Finally I restrained myself to bring too many lip products, so I chose two.  Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Glossy Stick (Nudist) for a day time glossy finish to my lips (a fuller review can be found here) and my Dior Addict Lip Glow was a fantastic option to wear in the evenings as the colour often turns quite a lippy red on my lips.

Are any of these products your choice when you go travelling?