haute-soph

When I was in Paris wandering the counters of Sephora, a Lancome stand caught my eye. It looked like the Juicy Shakers that have been out for a while but when I got closer I seen the word 'matte'. I'll be honest, I'm not much of a lipstick wearer at all and I usually stick to nudes (I know, I'm basic), but something drew me in with these Matte Shakers. I had heard so many good reviews of the juicy shakers I decided to just go for it. I hadn't seen them anywhere before, and it wasn't until I got home I realised the Paris Sephora pre-released them.

Swatched

I went for the colour 'Beige Vintage'. In the shop the colour looked much more nude and lighter, and when I put the colour on the next day I actually wondered if I'd bought the right shade because it was a brighter dark pink colour. I don't think I suit bright lipsticks at all, but I actually really liked the colour on.

Formula wise - amazing. They're so pigmented and apply really nicely. On the lips they're so lightweight, it genuinely feels like there's nothing on your lips at all. They last fairly long - I'd say 4 hours before a touch up is needed - but what's nice about these is that they don't smear all over your face and it also doesn't patch when it's wearing off. They fade away as nicely as a lipstick can! They definitely don't dry down as matte as other liquid lipsticks - more of a demi-matte finish. I think this because they're not drying like most liquid lipsticks - for me I'm willing to let go of a little bit of matte for a little bit of hydration lol!

My lips with nothing on them (apologies for the blemishes)

Beige Vintage applied

They're easy to apply - you just shake the bottle, the product goes on the sponge and you put it on the lips. The sponge is a good size and gets the job done quickly but it does get a bit harder when you get to the corners of your mouth. I find I have to clean up around there sometimes because even when I use the tip of the sponge, the product can go onto the skin around my mouth. Other than that, the applicator is nice.

All in all, I'm really impressed with the product and I wear it quite a lot - unusual for me because I never wear lipstick that often. It is a bit brighter than what I'd usually wear but if I pluck up the confidence I love wearing it. I'd recommend it for anyone who likes a pigmented, matte lip and it's great for those with dry lips.

You can find the Lancome Matte Shakers here for £19.50 at Selfridges. They are exclusive to Selfridges at the moment until they come out Nationwide at the end of the month.

Excuse my awful first attempt at photos for the blog!

A couple of weeks ago, I was wandering the beauty halls at duty free before I hopped on my plane to Paris. The Jo Malone counter at the airport was just SO inviting - everything lined up in nice rows, wrapped up with black ribbons and flawless little cream boxes. It was actually my first time ever at a Jo Malone counter - I had always seen it as too luxurious for a skint 18 year old like me - but it was a really nice experience and I was surprised at how worth it I found it.

The advisor at the counter introduced me to the new Bloomsbury collection, 5 colognes (they don't call them perfumes!) all in beautiful glass bottles with gorgeous, different coloured paint marks and matte lids. The packaging alone was so beautiful - the lady said that artists down in the countryside in England worked alongside the perfumers (is that the word?) to create the right colours to match the fragrances - I think they got them all on point.

Before I absolutely butcher trying to explain the smell of the cologne I chose, I should give some background. My absolute favourite perfume ever is Chanel Chance Eau Tendre. I can't put my finger on whether this is fruity, fresh or citrus-y but I absolutely love it, it lasts on me too which is something I find difficult with fragrances. My Mum is the exact same, we must have funny skin or something. I have been using my beloved Chanel for about 2 years now with other perfumes occasionally making it into my collection and then drifting back out. I hate to say it but I was starting to get a bit bored. I wanted something new and fresh. The smell I wanted was 'cool and effortless, I woke up like this and whenever you see me this is what I smell like...'

Now, when I smelled these fragrances I just knew I'd found that new one I was looking for. She let me smell them all. They were all so different to anything I had ever smelled before with unusual notes - tobacco, leather and whisky all making their way into the bottles. The stand out one for me was Leather and Artemisia - it was that cool and effortless scent I'd been dreaming of! When you first put it on you can really smell the leather notes. As it settles it turns almost woody to that sophisticated, feminine, cool scent that your nose catches throughout the day. It makes me feel like I can take on anything that comes my way! Too cheesy?

I think it is a limited edition collection and unfortunately Leather and Artemisia has sold out online (boo!), however, if you are in duty free or at any department store where Jo Malone is stocked you might just be able to get your hands on one! 


It's important to mention Jo Malone Fragrance Combining that you can do to get your totally unique scent. You can use any fragrance in any collection to do it. I was stuck for time as my flight was boarding, otherwise I would've taken some time to see what layers nicely with it. I plan on heading to Frasers to do this soon though!

I got mine for £36 for a 30ml bottle at duty free, the RRP is £46. It is on the more expensive side but for such a unique fragrance, for me, it's totally worth it! That's coming from a constantly skint student too. I ended up buying the same fragrance for my Mum as a Mother's Day gift.

As a first timer to Jo Malone I've completely fallen in love with the whole brand and I can't wait to buy some more.

You can read more and order the Bloomsbury collection from the Jo Malone website here.

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