Batiste Vintage Tea Party

When an invitation to the Batiste Vintage Tea Party to celebrate the launch of the new Batiste Brit popped into my in-box I just knew I simply had to be there!

Firstly, I am a new convert and fan of Batiste Dry Shampoo - see my post coming up later this week regarding it. Secondly, readers of BeautySwot will know that I simple adore Afternoon Tea as a favourite past-time of mine..

This Tea Party was held in conjunction with the Vintage Patisserie and what a civilised and exquisite affair it was.

Held in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Brick Lane, stepping inside 93 East Feet we were transported to a bygone era with traditional music playing and bunting displayed.

On arrival I was presented with a personalised chocolate cake -

I can confirm it was delicious and a lovely touch.

The array of cakes, scones and sandwiches which we feasted on.

The food was delectable and presented wonderfully.

As well as serving tea we were treated to champagne in a cup

The ladies from the Vintage Patisserie were friendly and attended to our every need and even left us some stockings to take home.

The opportunity to get my hair styled proved too good to resist.

And a box of dressing up clothes - feather boas, hats, gloves, can you spot all the pearls by the mirror?

Our goodie bags to take home...

The Batiste Brit Cans

Batiste Brit is the latest addition to the Batiste Dy Shampoo range. It is the unisex version, appealing to men too and comes in a fabulous, ultra cool British style can which I am sure any man would be happy to use too... It is described as having a quintessentially British fragrance.

I think it has a great fresh scent, and it really does the job, instantly transforming my greasy locks to clean, bouncy, wonderful smelling hair that is full of life. It is ideal in-between washes or when you have to be out quickly and don't have time to wash and style your hair.

Batiste Brit is available now exclusively to Superdrug priced £2.09 for 150ml

A fantastic and glamorous way to spend an afternoon. Thank you very much for the invitation Batiste!

I highly recommend the Vintage Patisserie who put on a truly vintage style party, with food comparable to a top London hotel.

Frontcover Professional Brush & Eye Colour Collection

I love the Frontcover To Go palette book which contains a huge selection of fabulous and wearable eye colours and from the same company comes this book - Professional.

In the book there are 2 palettes containing 5 shadows each - so 10 great shades to create lots of different looks. You also get an eye brush set to enable you to create them and a cute clutch (be aware that the clutch is plain on the other side).

My sister found this set very appealing and had a play with some of the colours...

Some of the colours are not as vivid as on the palette which may come as a relief or a disappointment depending on how you like your shadows to appear. I can confirm the turquoise is utterly fabulous and looks fantastic with my green eyes. I was going to post a picture but unfortunately when I am trying to zoom, it is coming out blurred - I may come back to this post to show you how pretty it is at a later date.

The shadows are quite powdery so can leave a bit of a mess on the palette and some fall out occurs on the eye too. This can be addressed by getting a big fluffy brush and applying loose powder under the eye. Once application is complete, get the big brush and just brush the loose powder away which will have collected any dropped shadow. Result -  perfect eyes!

Professional is available from Boots stores and www.boots.com priced at £25

Precious - The New Collection from Orly

I have never tried Orly but have heard some good things about them so am curious to try. Pictured above is the new Spring collection from Orly.

The precious collection takes inspiration from the the French Revolution! - pictured from left to right is Pure Porcelain, Gilded Coral, Fancy Fuchsia, Ancient Jade, Sapphire Silk and Royal Velvet. I feel this is a real sumptuous collection.

I am rather taken and looking forward to having a look at the Pure Porcelain and Gilded Coral - easy to wear spring colours...Which ones have grabbed your attention?

These will be available from January 2011 and are priced £8.75 from www.orlybeauty.co.uk

Party Time! - Girls With Attitude & OPI

I was given the opportunity to try some products from Girls With Attitude. I must admit I was a little apprehensive as I am not really good with fiddly things and Nail Art, but when they arrived through the letterbox I found them too pretty to resist!

As I have tiny little hands and nails, these kits don't fit me so I let my sister try them out. The pack comes with 24 assorted size nails so should fit most people.

I was disappointed I couldn't wear them myself as they looked fantastic, but I loved admiring my sister's nails once they were done.

Lace Me Up Nails - £5

The kit is complete with the necessary nail  glue and they looked really natural when on - very, very nice!

My sister didn't take long to apply them and said it was very easy.. The only thing that she did do was 'round' them up a little as she wasn't overly keen on the squareness of them. The photo above shows them 'rounded' a little.

I did have a little play with the nail stickers though...

Nail Art Crystals - £3

These are little rhinestones in assorted sizes (1 sheet) and come pre -glued so you all need to do is place on top of dry nail polish and then seal with a top coat.

Again, these were easy to use and I loved the end result.

You can be as creative or as conservative as you want...

Underneath the nail art I am wearing OPI's Purple with Purpose - I think it sets it off nicely.

What do you think ?

I think these are just perfect for the party season!

These products are available from www.girlswithattitude.co.uk and start from just £2.50. There is a huge selection of Nail Art, Nails and Lashes to choose from.

**Girls With Attitude currently have an offer of 25% off when you spend over £10 - so even better value!**

Also available from Boots and Superdrug stores.

BeautySwot's Christmas Gift Guide - Something for the man in your life.....

Men can be so difficult to choose for but here are 5 fab gift ideas to suit all budgets up to £50.

Nivea For Men Mini Essentials Tube - £5

Ease your man gently into skincare with this outstanding value pack, containing the following ;

• 2 in 1 Energy Shower Gel 50ml
• Sensitive Face Wash 30ml
• Silver Protect Deodorant 35ml
• Sensitive Post Shave Balm 30ml

Available from Boots Stores and www.boots.com

Tie Rack Gothic Rock Star Cufflinks - £14.99

Every man secretly harbours dreams of being a rock star. These cufflinks are perfect to unleash the wild man!

Available from Tie Rack stores or online at www.tie-rack.co.uk 

Wild & Wolf British Motoring Heritage MG Wash Bag - £29.95

Ultra cool leatherette wash-bag to keep all his items in and the bathroom tidy. Features a carry handle, waterproof lining and 2 inner side compartments.

Available from www.johnlewis.com

Paco Rabanne 1 Million Fragrance Gift Set - £34.50

This is a really powerful and sexy scent packaged in a gold bar - I love it!

Comprises of a 50ml Eau de Toilette and 100ml Shower Gel

Available from Boots Stores and online at www.boots.com

Molton Brown The Three Musketeers - £42

Indulge your man this Christmas with Molton Brown. He will love the manly scent and packaging.

This set includes:

active cassia hair & body sports wash

moisture rich aloe & karite ultrabar

active cassia deodorant

Available from www.moltonbrown.co.uk and Molton Brown stockists.

BeautySwot's Best Christmas Gift Guide for under £50

I have trawled the shops, browsed online and magazines to bring to you my top picks of the most fabulous gifts to suit all budgets!


Lush Secret Santa - £5

Lush really have Christmas all wrapped up.  This is fantastic value and a great little gift for Lush fans or those who are looking for a 'Secret Santa' present. This  present is already wrapped and contains a Snowcake Star Soap and a Satsumo Santa Bath Ballistic. I love it!

This present and others to suit all budgets are available to purchase from Lush stores or online at www.lush.co.uk

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Limited Edition 150ml - £17.50

The multi award-winning Cleanse and Polish comes in a beautifully embossed metallic shell and includes a muslin cloth. Every woman should put this on their list or buy it as a gift.

Available from www.lizearle.com and selected John Lewis stores.

Lancome Juicy Tubes Gift Set - £16

Lancome's Juicy Tubes were my first lip gloss collection and I think this is a pretty gift featuring 4 cute miniatures (7ml) in great shades of Fraise, Lychee Toffee R&B and Marshmallow Electro.

Available from Lancome Counters nationwide

Sanctuary Skin Brightening Kit  - £16

Ideal for those who want to treat someone to a Spa experience. This is a 30 minute facial in a box containing everything you need for a radiant glow!

Available from Boots stores or online at www.boots.com

Frontcover To Go Eye Collection -  Usually £35 (currently on offer with a 1/3 off so now just -  £23.33!)

Beauty lovers will simple adore this amazing palette!
Featuring:

• Tips and Advice On How To Create Different Looks
• 10 removable domed baked powder eye shadows
• 3 removable domed baked twinkle powder eye shadows
• 5 removable fine line pressed powder eye shadow duos
• 2 removable pressed powder eye shadows
• Shadowline Liquid (turns shadow to eyeliner)
• Double ended applicator and an interchangeable compact.

Clarins Limited Edition Beauty Flash Balm  50ml - £26.50

This beauty booster instantly eliminates all signs of fatigue, promoting a radiant complexion.  This Christmas it comes with a gorgeous Swarovski crystal embellished cap. A real treat!

Available from Clarins Counters

Models Own Christmas Gift Set - £20 

Fans of Nail Polish will love this fabulous set of 6 Glitter Nail Polishes. Colours featured are Scarlet Sparkle, Mixed Up, Bluebelle, Magenta Devine, Emerald City and Disco Mix.

Available from www.modelsownit.com and Boots stores

Benefit Some Beauty To Love - £29.50

Benefit have come up trumps this year with some amazing gift sets, fun packaging and perfect products to boot! This one includes: CORALista coral–pink cheek powder with brush, 12g, Eye Bright instant eye brightener 1.4g, BADgal lash mascara deluxe mini 4g, ‘That Gal’ brightening face primer deluxe mini 7.5ml. You better be quick though as these sets are selling out fast!

Available from Benefit stores and counters.

L'Occitane Nourishing Shea Butter Collection - Currently £39! (Usually £55)

For a full body pamper pack this is wonderful. Shea Butter is perfect for dry or dehydrated skin.

Also worth checking out, one I particularly love the scent of, is the Cherry Blossom Collection £46

Both are available from www.uk.loccitane.com

And finally,

Aromatherapy Associates Ultimate Collection - £49.50

This indulgent miniature Bath and Shower Oil Collection contains 9 bottles, providing an effective and memorable aromatherapy experience

Available from www.aromatherapyassociates.com

Happy Shopping!

Nicole By OPI Launches New Liquid Metal Collection - Preview!

I cannot wait for the launch of these!

Notice-Me Nails!

Nicole by OPI Nails High-Impact Drama with New Liquid Metals Collection

Nicole by OPI ignites a mesmerising look for the New Year with Liquid Metals. Featuring four new metallic Nail Lacquers ranging from shimmering sea foam to sophisticated champagne, Nicole by OPI’s Liquid Metals collection offers the season’s must-have accessory.

“Dress your nails with Liquid Metals to make a chic fashion statement with a high-shine finish,” says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, Nicole by OPI’s Executive VP & Artistic Director. “Metallic shades are perfect to wear with all clothing colors, adding some easy edge to your wardrobe.”

The Liquid Metals collection from Nicole by OPI includes:

Miss Independent

A violet with a shine of its own.

The Next CEO

A highly motivated metallic gold.

Rich in Spirit

This metallic silvery blue-green is all you really need.

It Starts with Me

A metallic champagne that channels your inner shine.

Nicole by OPI Nail Lacquers and Nail Treatments contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde

Liquid Metals will be available January 2011 from www.boots.com RRP £7.95

For more information on the products or for details of stockists call Lena White Ltd on 01923 240010 or visit www.lenawhite.co.uk

My favourites are The Next CEO and It Starts with Me - Which ones have caught your attention?