This look takes the leather skirt into uptown territory. When paired with a simple cream sweater and fabulous claret trench, it takes on a sleeker identity. Love the addition of the black felt fedora and the unexpected, photographers style bag.

This look is so Parisian, it hurts! The dark leather is balanced out nicely with a longline peach blazer and grandad collared cream silk shirt. The quirky teal strappy shoes give a bolder hint of colour and draw the eye downwards.


This outfit is total love for me! It's what I would look like in my dreams! The quilting on the skirt and the pencil shape are just gorgeous. The fit is balanced out with a baggy, oversize black sweater with bold logo, and the neat little perspex clutch and bunch of chunky rings is gorgeous.Plus, it even looks (whisper it...) comfortable!

This is from Wendy's LookBook. I'm obsessed with Wendy. She is perfection when it comes to style. And of course she knows what to do with a leather mini! Her pencil shape skirt had a cheeky mesh stripe which is amazing. She picks up on this stripe with a black and white stripy crop top, simple black pumps and bright red bag. The master!

Allow yourself to dream for a moment. Dream of the skin you've always wanted. What comes to mind? Radiance? Smaller pores? No fine lines? A smooth appearance?

Perhaps, like me, you're thinking of the kind of skin high-profile Frenchwomen have! That kind of easy, breezy, effortless healthy glow. That's my ideal skin. And French pharmacy brand Vichy have the same ideal.

I'd read about about Idealia Life Serum when it launched and very much wanted to try it. I was lucky that the very lovely Sarah sent me a bottle to try after I said how much it was on my wishlist.

I was so excited to get my hands on some of this. It just seemed like the perfect serum for someone of my age - where you're (possibly) a bit too young for the heavy duty stuff, but you have specific skin concerns that you'd like to target with a smart product.


I found out that this serum has a whopping 27 patents (I'm sure the Hadron Collider has less!). Its active ingredients are the very science-tastic sounding LR2412 +LHA. Do I know what they mean? No. Do I know what they add up to? Yes. Smoothed out, glowing, rested skin that looks like you've been on a two week holiday - and that's what we really care about, right?

The first thing that struck me was the gorgeous packaging (hey, I didn't call this blog 'Seriously Shallow' for nothing, y'know?). It comes in a heavy glass bottle flushed a pretty shade of pink. This will certainly be no embarrasment on your dresser, so its nice to find something like that which also delivers. The bottle is a pump dispenser which is much more hygienic. It also ensures that the active ingredients aren't exposed to oxygen, which would degrade them (which is precisely why I won't buy a moisturiser that comes in a jar). Look how pretty:



I wanted to wait a couple of weeks before I posted my review on this so that I could measure a difference in my skin. In that time, I've really come to rely on this stuff to make me look passable in the mornings.

One pump dispenses a pearly white cream. If you look closely, you can see its shot through with a very fine, rose gold sheen:

This is because of the light-reflecting particles it contains, which reduces the 'beige' component of your skin tone, balancing out and harmonising for a perfected appearance.

It smells fruity and delicious (raspberries?) and is very light and absorbed into the skin in seconds. It leaves a really smooth, velvety feel behind and is a great base for makeup.

After two weeks of use, my skin feels a lot more even-toned and my pesky forehead lines are shallowing out, which is one of my biggest skin concerns.

What Vichy have done here is look at the 'nuture' rather than the 'nature' in skincare - the behavioural factors we all have that we know are less than great for our skin - but we're not saints, right? Idealia Life is designed to target these factors:

• Lack of sleep - Not a big problem for me at the moment, but 77% of women say they don't get enough
• Pollution - working in a city, this is an issue for me, same as 71% of women
• Stress - definitely an issue for most (66%) of modern women
• Unbalanced Diet -  I have to plead guilty to this one, as I veer between trying to be virtuous and treating myself, like 63% of women
• Lack of sport - Definitely not an issue for me at the moment, I exercise every single day at the moment, but 60% of women say its a concern
• Hormonal imbalances - what person doesn't suffer from some of these? 58% say its an issue
• UV Rays -47% say its a factor, but I think that should actually be 100% unless you live in a cave and never venture outside
• Dry Weather - And with the harsh winter winds and central heating that's bad at the moment, say 16%

These are the lifestyle factors that we don't always get right, and that Vichy is targeting here. If, like me, you could do with a helping hand, this serum is an easy way to get back your balance.

It evens out pigmentation issues and dark spots, reduces how visible your pores are, and makes everything smooth and glowing.

I've definitely seen an improvement in the quality of my skin. This serum has become my grab-and-go quick route to looking refreshed when life is up against me.

It costs £29.50, which is a great price for so many actives, and if you're a bit younger, the price point and consistency makes it an ideal gateway product into a more serious skincare routine, which is exactly what I hoped it would be. You can get hold of some at boots.co.uk. I will definitely be repurchasing this and its now something I rely on as a shortcut to great looking, glowing skin.

This has inspired me to check out more of what Vichy has to offer, especially its cleansers and the famous Dermablend foundation (which I'm told from a very reliable source covers all manner of sins, and is virtually indestructible!).

Have you tried any French pharma brands? Are you thinking about upgrading your skincare regime?

2. What’s your favourite Spring fragrance?

I really don't change my perfume much, it's odd. I like what I like and I tend to stick to it! But I recently tried No7 English Laundry, which is a winner for me -  I'll be adding it to my collection for spring. 



I'll also be using Paul Smith Floral, which lovely, light and fresh for work.  



 

3. What’s going to be your favourite accessory this Spring? 

Statement necklaces have still got mileage for me! I've recently added this clear perspex collar from Boohoo.com to my collection - it's definitely got a touch of Holly Fulton about it.



At the moment, I am in love with OPI's 'Berlin There Done That', a sort of purplish-taupe shade.


Model's Own 'Tangerine Dream' is always a spring favourite - it's a pastel orange that's really cheerful.


And a recent purchase is Sally Hansen Sugar Coat in 'Sugar Fix' -  white textured polish that looks very stark and futuristic!

I also have my eye on this suede waterfall drape jacket for when payday hits - yes, its black which isn't that spring like, but I like it to toughen up lighter shades. It's from New Look, which isn't somewhere I usually shop, but this jacket looks like a beaut!


I also have a beige long trench from All Saints that was a gift from my lovely husband, and that's just an all-time classic.

8. What’s your favourite flower?

Eloise from Eloise's Diary
Ellis from Ellis Tuesday
Kitty from Adventures of a Riot Grrl

Look forward to reading your Spring fling posts soon! x

Hi dolls

I've been a total shopaholic recently (oops) and seem to have amassed loads of clothes and beauty bits in the couple of days since payday!

In fact, I've got so much stuff that I'm splitting my post into two - one for the clothes and one for the beauty and skincare items!

Here's the first half of my post, this time with all the beauty goodies I've treated myself to recently.

Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Facial Pads

£6.49, Sainsbury's

I have raved about these extensively before (see my 5 Steps to Fabulous Skin post for more), so I won't go into too much detail! But these are definitely one of my skin secret weapons for achieving a glowing look. I love Rodial skincare but its very pricey. Nip +Fab is from the same creator, Maria Hatzistefanis, and you'll notice the same innovations filtering down which is why I love it so much.

These discs contain a dose of glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid, witch hazel and blue daisy extract, to exfoliate and strip away dead cells, leaving brightened, re-texturised skin. I feel that they really work for me and help my skincare products to work more effectively.

They're normally £12.95 (and worth every penny) so when I wandered into Sainsbury's and saw that the line was all on special offer, I had to take the opportunity to stock up.

Nip + Fab Overnight Wrinkle Fix 

£7.99, Sainsbury's

Of course, I 'had' to take advantage of the fact the line was on offer and picked up this gel as well, which I haven't tried before. I wish I had gone into Sainsbury's before my Boots run as I would have picked up a couple of other goodies as well if I hadn't already been beauty shopping!

This would normally be £17.95, which is a reasonable price point if it works, but its good to be able to try it for under a tenner and see if I get on with it. I'm expecting I will! I'm at the age where I'm starting to get fine lines showing (its such a shock when you realise you aren't actually immortal, isn't it?) and I want to address it by using better skincare products that are more targeted.

This is described as an intensive anti-aging gel that hydrates and smooths the skin while you get your beauty sleep!It contains a powerful form of retinol, which most skincare experts agree is the most effective anti-ager currently available. Retinol boosts collagen production, increases the rate of cell turnover, repairs sun damage and reduces fine lines. Sounds good to me! There's also hyaluronic acid, which attracts moisture to the skin and plumps it out, and rosehip oil which is an antioxidant. I can't wait to try this!

Schwarzkopf Essence Ultime Biotin+ Volume Shampoo and Conditioner

£3.00 each, Sainsbury's

Since breaking out of my shampoo rut with the Mark Hill set I recently reviewed (see the post here), I've been keen to try out a new combination. The Mark Hill stuff I like, but I don't think it suitable for repeated use because I feel like it coated my hair a little bit - perfect for a second day look, but sometimes you just want to feel clean! I will still be using it before nights out, which I think is more what its intended for.

I always rotate my hair wash stuff anyway, so I wanted to get something new. I was torn between this and the Elvive Fibrology new launch (which looks amazing and is guaranteed to make your hair thicker over time). But I'd also seen this new launch being advertised as well. I was umm-ing and aaahh-ing in the supermarket, but the fact is that I've never really liked an Elvive before that much when I've tried them. The fact that this was also on offer for a pound cheaper a bottle was the clincher!

This line has been launched by Claudia Schiffer, who does have nice tresses, admittedly, but that's not really what sold me. There's an Omega Repair line which was my first choice, but was sold out, then the Biotin+ line, and a Crystal Shine line, and a Diamond Colour line for dyed hair.

The range contains pearl essence, panthenol, refined protein and keratin and rebuild and smooth the hair shaft, which sounds good to me.I'm excited to try this thickening treat and see if it works, and I'm a fan of the sleek packaging. I'll be rotating this duo with my usual suspects.

Jo & Jo Australia Deluxe Travel Beauty Bag

£16.99, Home Sense

I spend a lot of time at Home Sense at the moment, in fact I'd say its possibly my favourite shop. If you haven't come across it, its basically the homeware department of TK Maxx given it's own store (and generally a bit tidier!). We're trying to move house at the moment, so we've been stockpiling lots of lovely bits and pieces for the new house - if we ever find one! You never know what you'll find in there, so we visit quite often. It's all brilliant quality stuff that's out of season stock, just like it's sister store. But with homewares, fashion isn't such a fast-moving thing, so you can essentially get some amazing bargains on designer home items.

They have a small beauty shelf which I always check out when I'm there, and for a couple of times now, these deluxe beauty bags by Jo & Jo Australia had caught my eye. It was one of those situations where I certainly don't need it, so I'd managed to resist until now. But this time, seeing they were down to two left, I crumbled!


I just loved the construction of these, they are so well made and sturdy. They're absolutely huge, with plenty of room for full-size products, but fold up really neatly. Each of the sections detaches as well, and I love the idea of that -  you can travel with everything stored neatly together and then detach one of the pouches to use as a make-up bag. They had a couple of different patterns and colours, but I liked this eye-catching graphic black and white zig zag print with the bright purple interior.

I have a bit of a thing about travel bags and wash bags, but this is a definite upgrade from my other ones!

No7 Pop & Glow Blush Stick in 'Mango Sorbet'

£9.95, Boots

It's 3 for 2 time! Yay! The time where all beauty bloggers hearts beat a little faster! I hadn't actually been planning a Boots spree this month (for once), but a colleague gave me a money off coupon for No7 and I spotted these and fell in love!

I love things in a stick or crayon format because they are so easy to travel with, super convenient to apply, especially a cream blush where you normally have to get your fingers dirty. The packaging is so smart and I loved this pretty apricot colour. Coral tones suit me a lot more than pinks, but you can often struggle to find them. I had a hot neon coral blush from Maybelline a while back that they don't seem to produce anymore, so this was a nice find.

On the skin, this is creamy and sheer and blends out to a really flattering glow. I will also be using this colour on my lips as its so pretty.

Swatched: No7 Instant Radiance Highlighter and Pop & Glow Blush

No7 Instant Radiance Highlighter Stick

£9.95, Boots

I found myself torn between the blush and this matching highlighter and ended up choosing both with the reasoning that I had a money-off voucher and it was 3 for 2. This highlighter just seemed like something that would be lovely to take with you on a night out, again the stick format makes it super convenient. This gives a lovely shimmery glow but its subtle and just looks fresh and flattering when blended.

 

 

Garnier Miracle Eye Cream

£12.99, Boots

I actually meant to buy something high-end for my eye cream this time, but I couldn't find the one I wanted to try. I'm still planning to try some of the Bare Minerals skincare stuff, but their eye cream doesn't seem to be very highly rated at all, so I was a bit at a loss.

Then I saw this and it looked like the answer to my needs, plus I do like Garnier (obsessive about their body lotion), so I thought it was worth a try.

This eye cream promises a LOT. It's a hybrid product that promises both an instant effect and results over time, which I like. It's anti-aging (tick) and targets signs of tiredness (extra tick) for a smooth, illuminated under eye area (soooo many ticks!). There are 9 patents granted to this product, so you know its super high-tech and for that off the shelf price, I had to try it.

It's a white cream with lots of micro-capsules in that adjust to your skintone. It works to blur and conceal instantly and over time there's a whole grab-bag of goodies:

• LHA to stimulate cell renewal
• Pro-retinol for collagen synthesis
• Vitamin C to stimulate collagen production
• Vitamin B3 as an antioxidant
• Peptides and ginger extract to firm and improve skin

With a list like that, I felt I was getting a high-end product without the price tag, so I snapped it up. There's also a skin cream available, and as I like their BB creams I also want to try that as well. I haven't seen many adverts for this and there's not much blogosphere chat yet, so I'll report back on how well this works.

Eylure Ultra Naturals

£5.49 each, Boots

These are my favourite falsies ever! They are perfect if you love the look of full lashes but don't want to look like you're obviously wearing fake ones, and they're so subtle you can even get away with them during the day (I did a post on top tips for wearing falsies during the day here). My make-up drawer is never without a pair of these babies. I especially like them if I know I'm going out straight after work and I want to look better without huge lashes on during the day.

The clear band and the mix of brown and black fibres is subtle, but makes your eyes look perfect.You have to be really gentle removing them because they are more delicate and fine than other false lashes, but they're good quality and will last a few uses if you take care of them, clean them and store them properly.

I was only going to pick up one pair but three for two meant the lady at the till sent me scurrying back for another pair.

L'Oreal Infallible Lip Colour in '121 Flawless Fuschia'

£7.99, Boots

L'Oreal's Infallible line seems to have had a bit of make-over and has ditched its rather old-fashioned looking packaging for a sleek new glossy black look. The first thing that caught my eye were these refashioned glossy lipsticks. They're super long-lasting (I can confirm this as the in-store swatches I made on my hand wouldn't budge all day). Long-lasting ranges usually seem to be marketed at older ladies and I find that the colours can be quite boring, so I was delighted to see these. They have some really bright, loud shades like a nice coral, a red and this bright popping pink as well as the neutrals.

These contain hyaluronic gel which means your lips feel smooth and hydrated not dried out. It's great that you can get a long lasting colour without compromising - I hate products that dry my lips out but I can confirm that this feels great to wear. It's lightweight. One end is an intense colour lacquer that really only takes one swipe, and the other end is a clear balm that you top up with during the day.

I'm really impressed with this. It's the first 'long lasting' product I've tried and it really does deliver on a colour lock-down, which is so important for strong colours, while also being hydrating and gorgeous. I would definitely buy this in some other shades. They've also revamped their Infallible foundation, which I quite want to try.

Zara Woman Oriental EDT Rollerball

£3.99, Zara

I was clothes shopping recently and by the till, I happened to spritz this perfume and loved it. I wouldn't have said I was an 'oriental' kind of person (to me it just calls to mind heavy, musky scents), but I've since found out that my favourite ever scent- Chanel Coco Mademoiselle- is also classed as an oriental!

I thought this it just smelt like rich, honeyed cashmere with a subtle peppery kick. I am a big fan of these little glass rollerball perfumes Zara do, they're perfect for popping in your bag. They change up the fragrances every few seasons, so I bulk bought 'Wild Orchid' before. For spring, they seem to have gone down a different route, with 'Floral' and 'Fresh' alongside 'Oriental'. 'Oriental' contains more amber notes than other perfumes, but I prefer them when they stay on the soft side of things and don't go too mossy and woody. Apparently they evoke mystery and sensuality (ooh err!).

Zara Woman Oriental starts off with notes of rose and freesia, and develops into a cedar, vanilla and caramel scent. I do like sweet perfumes so that sort of explains it. I think this is a really delicious scent and it just smells 'expensive' to me. You can also buy a full size spray bottle of it, but be quick because I know they change their perfume offer quite quickly!

ModelCo Fibre LashExtend Mascara

Free with March's Glamour magazine

There's nothing I like more than a full size freebie, and out of all the magazines, Glamour are the ones that always seem to have the best free gifts. This month you get a full size ModelCo gift, either a lip or eye pencil, a lipgloss, or this mascara.

This is normally £14.00, so quite a good freebie! The packaging is a glossy black tube with a little mirror on the reverse. It claims to be a long-lasting, water resistant formula that gives dramatic lengthening results. I know fibre mascaras can irritate sensitive eyes, but I'm normally okay unless I wear my coloured lenses, so I should be able to handle this.

I am massively fussy about mascaras and I wouldn't normally buy one without a plastic comb-style brush as they seem to work a lot better for me, so this will be a great chance to try something new. I might do a fuller review of this as I've never tried anything from ModelCo before.


That's it for now, quite a lot of stuff -  I've been shopping up a storm in the last couple of days and need to slow down now!

What beauty buys have been making your heart flutter this month?

The whole point of make-up is having fun, experimenting and trying new things. But everyone needs what I call a 'go-to face', daily make-up that you can put on in a flash and rely on to look good.

Sometimes its fun to mix it up with a bright lip or an unexpected eye colour, and of course I go for specific make-up looks, but they're usually for nights out or special occasions. Most often, during the working week or for casual stuff at the weekend, I have my usual products, which I thought I'd share.

I keep my 'daily' products in a separate make-up bag from the rest of my stuff, so I know I can just pull it out and be ready to go.

Skin

Primer

BB Cream

Highlighter

Concealer

Powder

Eyes

Shadow

Mac 'Naked Lunch' and 'Satin Taupe' or Bourjois Ombre Stretch 'Brun Nylon'

The eyeshadow is probably what varies the most from day to day with my look, but I have three fail-safe shades in my daily make-up bag that I reach for. The first is Mac's 'Naked Lunch', a light shimmery golden-peach that's just a little way off from my skintone. It's a good neutral colour with a hint of shimmer. I use the Real Techniques fluffy shadow brush to put this all over the lid. If I'm pushed for time, or looking especially tired, sometimes I'll stop there, or sometimes I use one of the darker shades for the crease and outer v- my eye makeup doesn't get any more elaborate than that on a weekday! If I want a darker shade, I reach for Bourjois Ombre Stretch shadow in 'Brun Nylon'. This is the most perfect silvery taupe shade. Or sometimes Mac Satin Taupe, which is more a bronzy-grey brown.

Liner

L'Oreal Perfect Slim Super Liner

During the week, I prefer just a quick swipe of liner from a pen-style applicator- these are so foolproof and smooth to use. I couldn't live without eyeliner, that little upward sweep just gives me a lift and lets me feel more myself! At the moment, I'm using this L'Oreal one and it's pretty good, but I switch it up all time and am also a fan of Eyeko Skinny Mini and Mac Fluidline.

Mascara

Seventeen Doll'd Up 

At the moment, I'm mostly using Seventeen Doll'd Up during the week, another item from them that's impressed me. It's a brown-black shade that's a little more daytime. It's the first new one I've tried for a while after repeat buying L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic, which I have a nasty feeling is being discontinued. That's a shame as it was a big favourite for me. I only use mascaras with a plastic brush as I just think it gives a better, more defined result than a fibre brush, so I'm quite picky. I found this to be a good mascara and its currently my main one for day. As with all mascaras, I'm enjoying it more now I'm getting to the end of it and its drying up and getting thicker (anyone else like that? Just me? Oh well...)

Brows

Brow Powder

Brow Mascara

Brow Highlighter

Cheeks

Contour and Highlight

Sleek Face Form Palette 'Shade 2 Medium'

I do contour my face most days, due to having a lack of good bone structure. I'm obsessed with other people's cheekbones, mainly because mine are nowhere to be seen. So the Sleek Face Form palette is the first place I'll turn. I use a Mac 168 to chisel away at my face and try to create some kind of shape, and then the Real Techniques Eye Contour brush to do the same for my nose. Then I take a big, fluffy powder brush to blend out all the harsh lines. I also use the 168 to apply a little highlighter powder to the tops of my cheeks and the centre of my nose. The blush in this palette I almost never use (its a really shiny bronze that I don't like at all!). I'd much rather have an apricot or pink blush in there. I much prefer the shade of the blush in the fairest Face Form palette, but then the contour colour wouldn't be dark enough. I've used this palette for quite a few years and I do remember when it didn't come with a blush, I wish you could still get it with just the contour and highlight shades!

Blush

Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush 'Cupid'

I don't always use blush and most often I just contour or add bronzer. But I do keep a blush in my daily make-up bag in case I'm feeling the need for a bit of a pop of colour. And the one I keep close by is the Watercolour blush. It's insanely durable - a tiny dot blends out to a gorgeous sheer finish but it will literally last all day. I highly recommend this product because it's amazing quality. I've had the same little bottle forever because it lasts so long, but I keep meaning to buy other shades of it -  a bronzer in this formula would be fab. This shade is quite pink so I have to go easy or I look like a china doll with two bright pink cheeks! You can buy a special application brush for it, but I just use my fingers to dot it on for a sheerer finish. I love Daniel Sandler stuff, but its stupidly hard to get hold of. I know you can buy it online, but I don't like to do that unless I'm sure what shade I need. The nearest stockist to me is a spa about an hours drive away. I would like more stuff from Daniel Sandler, they need a high street presence!

Lips

Liner

Astor Rouge Couture Automatic Lipliner 'Bois De Rose'

My lip routine during the week is not exciting at all, its literally sheer and natural. There's usually not much point with lipstick, seeing as I walk to work and then eat breakfast and not many lipsticks would stay fresh through all that! I tend to keep a couple of lipsticks in my desk drawer and pop them on when I get to work. So all I really do at home is use a neutral liner.

Lip Balm

Vaseline Pink Bubbly

I add a thin layer of lip balm to keep my lips hydrated, serve as a quick glossy and make sure they don't dry out too much on the walk to work. I'm a Vaseline addict and always have one on me! If I think my skin is looking dry, I'll use a dab as a cheek highlighter as well and it looks so dewy and lovely. This version smells so good as well!

The Finished Look