Deborah Milano | Shine Creator Lipstick

Deborah Milano | Shine Creator Lipstick in Shade 7 'Shiny Cyclamen' | £8.50* (link)

I love a good lipstick me.  I think every beauty obsessed female has a 'thing' for a certain type of product, don't they? I'll often throw a lippie into my basket on a stroll through Boots and if I'm ever going to splash the cash on anything cosmetic then it's usually in the form of a lip colour. It's a sure fire way of changing your entire look in a flash - or swipe of a lipstick tube! Deborah Milano is a brand I'd never heard of before I had the chance to try it - but BOY am I glad I have now! Before I even got to try the lipstick I was really impressed with their website and the array of products on offer - I certainly have my eye on a few other products in the range...

I was sent their Shine Creator lipstick in the shade 'Shiny Cyclamen' - a beautiful raspberry pink shade. I'm usually one for reds and corals, so it was a refreshing change for me to receive something different to what I'd have probably picked myself. I found I actually quite like the raspberry tone - I must admit it suits me better now that I have a tan (and I was also pretty chuffed to find it matches one of my blazers...you've got to love matching outfit/lipstick combos!)  What I love though, is the texture and the finish.  Now, I'm a big fan of the Revlon Lip Butters (Lollipop and Creme Brulee being firm favourites of mine - if you're interested ;)!) so I was enticed very much by the 'Shine Creator' lipstick.  It feels very smooth and buttery to apply - slightly thicker in consistency to Revlon's offering. I have to say I was impressed by the staying power. Anything with 'shine' in the name often suggests a limited wear time - but the Shine Creator actually stays put pretty well.  It doesn't smudge too easily and has a non-slip formula - it's very much a buttery, glossy lipstick. After a while, it wears off to a subtle stain - the photograph above shows the gloss finish when first applied, and then the stain after a short while of pottering around the house (excuse cruddy bathroom photograph - it often gets the best light - needs must!). Even though the gloss wears off after a while, the lipstick still has a slight sheen and isn't at all drying. The colour pay-off is quite subtle but noticeable and true to the colour seen in the tube - you can layer it up for a more intense finish or slick one layer on for a more subtle, soft effect. It's worth mentioning that the lipstick also contains SPF15 which is a lovely little addition for this sunny weather we are having recently, as well as being hypoallergenic. Bonus!

Overall, I really like the Shine Creator lipstick and am intrigued to try out a coral shade... (me and my corals - obsessed much?)  It's a really good 'everyday' kind of lipstick to have in your collection. I wore this shade to an interview the other day and it looked like a nice pop of colour without being overdone. I currently have my eyes on their 'Milano Red Lipsticks' (link) which are a more pigmented option from the range of lip products on offer - definitely will be treating myself to one of those soon!  You can find the range on the Deborah Milano website here - see what you think girls! Definitely have a nosey if you're a fellow lipstick magpie like myself...

Have you tried anything from Deborah Milano? What shade tickles your fancy?

Holiday Haul & Ramblings

I'm back! For those of you who don't know, I jetted off to the sunny island of Crete in Greece last Tuesday for a big fat dose of relaxation and a bit of an unwind.  It was very much needed to say the least and I could have done with an extra week in the sunshine - although saying that, stepping off the plane in the UK was a bit of a surprise. I'm usually greeted by drizzle and a dash across the runway in the rain, but this time the plane doors opened and I found that the weather has most certainly followed me here! I have spent today blogging in the back garden in my bikini, ice cold coke in hand and topping up my tan.  If that doesn't kick my holiday blues in the face, I don't know what will (although I'm sure a little nosey through the late deals section for August won't go amiss either...) 

Anyway, before I ramble on, I thought I'd show you what I picked up when on holiday.  I don't tend to buy much when abroad - the craziest I ever went was when I found myself in Sephora (i need to make the point of going abroad to a 'Sephora-blessed' country again!) and the time when I bought a tonne of Mickey Mouse merchandise from Disneyland Florida (it's got to be done though?...) but aside from this, I don't really go bonkers in duty-free or with the souvenir shopping. I tend to treat myself to a perfume or a lipstick in the airport before I jet off, but I don't go mad once I'm out there... That over sized sombrero might seem like a hilarious idea at the time, but the reality hits you when you're home that it's going to have to be squished under your bed along with that plastic donkey figurine and Cypriot ceramic camel to gather dust for all eternity (this a true story by the way, I genuinely have a giant sombrero under my bed that I bought on a bit of a holiday-high...along with the donkey and the camel...I've since learnt from my impulse holiday purchasing!)

When I got to the airport in Crete, I wasn't expecting much more than a selection of knock-yer-socks-off Ouzo and a few 'Memories from Greece' chocolates - but to my surprise, they had a large shop with an array of brands including Chanel, Estee Lauder and countless perfumes - then I spied the Victoria's Secret stand! There was a large selection of bath and body products, along with a small section full of their beauty products.  Sadly, I didn't have much time to fully immerse myself in the goodies on offer, but I did manage to pick out a body spritz and a lip butter.  I spent a good while spraying all the different scents (there was so many I ran out of room on the majority of my limbs so took to spraying them in the air - it's safe to say you could smell me walking over the runway once I'd finished...) I picked out 'Sensual Blush' which smells really fresh and light - hints of floral but not too overpowering. I also picked up one of their lip butters - I'm a big fan of sheer lipsticks and buttery lip products so of course, I had to have one! I picked out the shade 'Dare to Bare', which is a lovely light warm pink shade with hints of coral.  I really wanted to pick up one of their mascara sets they had, but I didn't have time to fully choose one as my flight was called pretty sharpishly. Never mind!

When we were in Crete, we took a trip to one of the nearby towns.  There wasn't much there aside from a few bars and tavernas and typical shopping bazaars and little market stalls, but this floral phone case caught my eye.  Of course, I know the chances of it being the real deal are very slim (I might be a bit daft but I'm not stupid when it comes to these things!), but anyone who knows me knows that I'm partial to a bit of Cath Kidston now and again - I love her phone cases because I often do my nails in her 'signature' patterns and I like being all matchy-matchy (you can have a gander at my designs here if you fancy a nail art post!). For a market-stall find its pretty good quality and fits my phone like a glove - cannot grumble for under 10 euros!

Before I flew out I also picked up a massive bottle of Lancaster aftersun.  It's become a bit of a ritual now that I treat myself to a bottle every time I go away as I swear by it!  It's expensive (this bottle cost me £21.50!) but if you're a fan of having a tan then Lancaster's after sun will be right up your street. It contains no self-tan but contains ingredients that help stimulate melanin production and darken and deepen your colour, at the same time as helping it last even longer.  It smells amazing and sinks in so quickly - if you fancy a bit of luxury in your tanning regime I really recommend you try it - you can also use it on your face and as it's so light it doesn't feel greasy. I love it! (you can read an ancient review of it here..)  And of course, a holiday haul isn't complete without a sweetie or two! I slung a pack of Jelly Belly's Ice Cream Parlour mix into my basket on the way home along with the Cocktail Mix (not pictured) I love their ice cream mix and I'm a bit of an addict when it comes to flavoured beans... Such a big kid at heart!

So there we have it - a little holiday haul to welcome myself back to the world of blogging after a week away.  I had a good ole think whilst lazing around on my sunbed and I have so much planned for my blog - I've jotted down ideas for a new layout which is very much overdue.  I've also got a long list of blog posts I want to type up. I was overjoyed to realise I'd been selected for the Cosmopolitan Blog Awards Shortlist the day before I went away, so it's given me a bit of a kick up the bum! Not that I was letting my blogging slip or anything, but I want it to change slightly over the summer and I want to experiment with a bit of a new look and a spruce up when it comes to my blog navigation.  Watch this space..   If you still haven't voted and enjoy my blog - you can vote for me in the 'Established Beauty Blog' category here.

Have any of you been airport shopping recently?