the london lipgloss | uk | beauty and fashion blog

lavender at the palace

2012-02-14T12:45:00.000Z

Barry M in Lavender Hexograms and Nails Inc in Regents Palace

I got so many compliments when I wore this nail combo together! It made my nails feel really pretty and complete and I loved the overall look. At first I just put the glitter on one nail and then I decided to go all out bling because well, a girl needs sparkle, right? The combination of this and my ultimate favourite top coat ever which is Polishield by Orly (post coming soon) made this mani stay on from Friday til Wednesday! Epic scenes. I originally popped a gold glitter on and then decided it looked way loads like Cadbury's, so took it off and replaced it with Lavender! I bought Lavender a little while ago in the Oxford Street Topshop store, but haven't seen it in any Superdrug stores since. It looks like you can get it online though and it's quite an old Barry M polish.

Nails Inc Regents Palace on it's on is absolutely gorgeous as well though, and is definitely worth checking out. I found it hidden away in my stash and was pleasantly surprised at how beautiful it was, how well it applied and how shiny it was! I do like a good Nails Inc polish, especially one a little different. It's very eye-catching, and lots of people noticed my nails immediately.

I think this is quite a wintery look still but i'm looking forward to playing with Lavender a bit more. The only thing is i'm not sure how else to pair it other than with purples/blacks. Anyone got any ideas? Maybe a nice blue... or a navy...but it's still quite dark! It's definitely not quite right to wear on it's own, it really needs that colour to help it sparkle and shine. I think if you wore it alone 1. you'd be there for ten years ripping it off and 2. it would look a bit like a lavender/square/silvery mess. Look Beauty's Bling is far better for that crazy blinged out look as the shapes of the glitter are more suitable to wearing alone.

Nails Inc in Regents Palace costs £11 (but I couldn't find it to buy on the web?)
Barry M in Lavender Hexograms costs £2.99 and can be found here.

What do you think of my nail combo? Do you like the Barry M glitter? Or does the Nails Inc one float your boat far more? Or have I completely sold you on both, haha? Happy Valentines Day from TLL!

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: The Nails Inc polish in Regents Palace was a PR sample sent to me free for consideration. The Barry M Lavender polish was purchased by me with my own money.

estee lauder invisible fluid makeup foundation

2012-02-13T13:00:00.000Z

Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid Makeup Foundation - Estee Lauder HQ Launch event February 2012

Every single time I meet a new person, or read a new blog, people tell me that Estee Lauder's Double Wear is the best foundation money can buy. Everyone seems to love it. It's always just looked that tiny bit too thick for me, and quite a matte finish? I much prefer foundations with a dewy finish, or one that's quite soft or light in application. I popped down to the amazing Lauder HQ with Lily and Jen (and we were very pleasantly surprised to see Gemma and Matt too!) last week to meet the newest addition to the Estee Lauder foundation family, the Invisible Fluid Makeup foundation. I was very excited for this because it's a much lighter finish, with a water based texture. It doesn't contain any emulsifiers so it needs a really good shake before you use it to mix it all up, but this doesn't bother me (but does take a little getting used to!)

It comes in a really wide range of shades and is infused with technology that reflects and refracts pigments so it blends to suit your natural skin tone better. This was demonstrated to me by Jaymi from Estee Lauder, who has a mid skin tone, around (in MAC terms) NW30 ish, who put the very very lightest foundation on her hand - obviously not the right match - and we watched as in front of our eyes it blended into her skin. Not perfectly, of course, but very, very well. I was so impressed. I was also really impressed because the lightest shade is a really good match for me, and those of you who follow my ramblings regularly will know how difficult I find it finding a foundation that matches me up perfectly. My shade is 1CN1 which is the lightest with pink undertones. Let's take a look at how it looks on me: (this is just my skin with the foundation on, absolutely no concealer at all or any other skin products)

I think this photo shows quite well how the foundation looks and applies, as you can see I simply raised my hand up against my backdrop to take a photo and it started falling down my hand! This gives a really good indication of how water based and thin it is.

I really like this foundation and i'm really glad I got a chance to try it because it's totally more my style of foundation rather than Double Wear, and it's coverage is just perfect for me. It's really silky and soft and when blended into the skin it feels quite a bit like a primer finish - I love this as a lot of my other foundations tend to 'sit' on top of my skin for a bit before blending, and in the worst case scenario, MAC Studio Fix just sits on my skin and completely doesn't blend at all, all day long. I think this foundation will be really universally suited as due to the silky finish you can totally layer it up for a thicker layer, but I guess if you're really into your super thick/matte foundations you might not like it. I think it's a great foundation and I will be reaching for it over my others in the mornings now!

Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid Makeup retails at just £27 from Estee Lauder counters and stockists.

What do you think of this? Do you think you'll give it a go? Are you a proper Double Wear enthusiast or like me is it a bit too thick for you? Let me know!

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: The Estee Lauder foundation and foundation brush were both provided for me free for consideration.

happy 2nd birthday the london lipgloss giveaway!

2012-02-12T15:41:00.000Z

Today marks the official two year birthday of The London Lipgloss! The 12.2.10 was when I registered the blogspot domain and began working on my layout ready for the first post which went live on 13.2.10. God I was so so nervous when that first post went up about what everyone would think of me! I never anticipated where it would go from there, and I couldn't have wished for anything better. I'm so proud of my little blog for making a mark on the internet and i'm so glad that on a daily basis thousands of you flock to the site and read my ramblings on beauty and more. I love how happy it makes you to read, and I love the interaction I get on each post and most of all I absolutely love how my little corner of the Internet has now become a home for other beauty addicts like me, and I still find it a huge honour that you all allow me to continue to have TLL run successfully! I love all 1,800+ of you that joined the TLL gang on my blog and 4,000+ of you on Twitter whether it be from the start or from today and as a beauty collective, I hope we continue to grow in the future! Since the start my blog has been featured in lots of publications from Grazia to Glamour magazines and it has allowed me to meet the people behind the brands I love - I still let out an excited squeal when I get an event invitation! I'm currently ranked by ebuzzing as the second most influential beauty blog in the UK and you don't even know how happy that makes me - it's incredible! I've never once stopped working hard on TLL, I work around the clock to ensure the site runs smoothly and I really do my best to keep it up to date. My bedroom is now a mini-office, of paperwork and products, all organised by type and dates to review. My whole entire world changed dramatically in the last two years and it gives me a lot of hope for the future as to where I can take it and continually pushing boundaries of what I can achieve. I'm so, so grateful to every single one of you that reads my blog and takes the time to write me a comment or chat to me. I never ever feel lonely, because I know I can write on Twitter, or pop up a post with my outfit in it and so many of you come and chat to me - honestly, words cannot describe what a wonderful feeling it is.

To celebrate my birthday, i'm not getting any gifts (rubbish!!) but am spreading the love with five amazing prizes to send the TLL love through the gang! So without further ado, here's whats up for grabs!

FIRST PRIZE

Mark Hill Professional Rock Rollers

SECOND PRIZE

Beauty Bundle of: Benefit Cha Cha Tint, YSL Touche Eclat, Lauren's Way Tanning Mousse, Eylure Naturalites Lashes

THIRD PRIZE

Nail Bundle of: OPI Touring America Minis, Elegant Touch Polished False Nails, Envy Wraps

FOURTH PRIZE

Pink Bundle of: Two LA Colors Polishes, MUA Sweet Kiss Lip Balm, Me Me Me Lip Glaze

FIFTH PRIZE

Lip Bundle of: MUA Kiss Me Lip Balm, Chapstick Lovely Lips Kit

To enter you need to leave a comment on this post telling me what your favourite thing about The London Lipgloss is, or what you'd like to read on here in the future. Or just wish me a Happy Birthday or something. I don't mind!

Rules:

- UK and Ireland only

- You must be a follower by Google Friend Connect

- Giveaway closes Friday 17th at midnight

- You must leave your Twitter name as i'll contact the winner there

- No spam!

Good luck, and sincerely, thank you.

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: IT'S MA BIFDAY!! I feel like the Queen...

giveaway! very.co.uk playsuit

2012-02-10T18:30:00.000Z

On Wednesday I had my hair styled by the amazing Colleen Phelan (go follow her Twitter, it's very lonely at the minute!) who styled my hair up into victory rolls. I absolutely loved this look and knew it would immediately go with this playsuit I picked out from Very.co.uk after attending their press show a couple of weeks ago. I really went for it with the whole vintage look and Del even said to me 'Zozo you look like you're off to work in the fifties!' I loved the overall look - of course it's a proper over the top look but you can definitely wear this playsuit down too, I will style it again in the summer and show you how it would look normally. But it just goes to show how cute you really can make something look and how you can achieve a fab overall look if your hair is done properly!

The playsuit is an absolute bargain at just £32.50 from very.co.uk and would be a great addition to your spring/summer wardrobe. I only wish it was a bit warmer so I could wear it now! It's got a really nice cut out bit at the back which is going to look really lovely with the sun shining! Hopefully the snow will clear soon. How great are my victory rolls? Colleen did such a good job. I simply showed her a photo of Katy Perry and she matched me up perfectly! I really didn't want to take them out at all. Seriously loved the look.

*Giveaway*

The very super and very lovely girls at Very.co.uk have given me another polka dot playsuit to give away to you lucky guys! It's really easy, all you need to do is just comment on this status telling me how you'd wear it to give me inspiration or just tell me if you liked how I wore it! Few little rules:

- You must be a GFC follower of my blog

- UK only

- Giveaway closes Saturday 11/2/12 at midnight

- Please leave your size so we can get the right playsuit to you

- Please leave your Twitter name, I will only announce the winner via Twitter!

Also it's not a rule but you should follow Very on Twitter, they're very lovely! Good luck girlies!

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: The very.co.uk playsuit featured was gifted to me after their press event. The giveaway playsuit is also a gift from very.co.uk. The prize will be posted from Very, not from me, so if there are any discrepancies it must be taken up with very and not myself.

bobbi brown metallic long-wear cream shadow in starry purple

2012-02-09T18:00:00.000Z

Bobbi Brown Starry Purple Metallic Long-Wear Cream Shadow

Yet another eye shadow base product - I think i'm starting to get an addiction! I picked this one up a little while ago when I visited the CCO. I'm not silly, I know that the CCO is basically a little place where old makeup goes to die (or is discontinued, however you like to view it) or limited edition collections are finally sold before they disappear completely. So with trepidation I perused the shelves, looking for a gem amongst now discontinued rarities. I spotted this little pot by Bobbi Brown and was intrigued. They didn't get the biggest reception when launched, penned as being fairly disappointing for most beauty editors and junkies alike and aren't really raved about anymore. I however was immediately drawn to this shade and considering I paid about a tenner for this, I couldn't help but pick it up. I'm a bit like Alice, everything is always curiouser, and curiouser..

The application is a little sheer, but you can build it up. I found by tapping on a bit more rather than swirling it, it built up really nicely. The purple is really deep and rich, and full of multicolored glitter - how gorgeous? I don't ever use eye shadow cream bases on their own so how sheer it applies doesn't hugely bother me, i'm more interested in the staying power and the pigmentation, so I get an idea of what my final look might be. I love MAC Paint Pots (aside from this one which was gritty and slimy) and I live and die by Illamasqua Cream Pigments, so I wanted to see how an even more expensive brand fared compared to these.

I really liked how it applied and the final look of it. The swatch shown is quite built up, but it goes to show you can build it up for a good wash of colour. On it's own and with one swipe though it is very sheer. By gently patting on shadow over the top I found it stayed all day without creasing and the glitter shone through subtly. Perfect! I'm really happy with my little CCO find and you know the saying..one man's trash is another man's treasure! Just goes to show, everyone's opinions are totally different, and undeterred by the bad reviews of Starry Purple i'd seen on other blogs, I still went ahead and tried it and found it was definitely worth the risk!

If you can get your hands on this shade, I think it's a great investment. I don't know where though...
Otherwise you can check their newest shades here for £17, i'm definitely going to pick up another!

What do you think of Bobbi Brown? Do you like this shade? Will you be trying any of the newer shades? Sorry for bringing you a CCO find but I couldn't resist!

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: I bought this for myself with my own money, discounted by about half price at the CCO in Bicester.

indie cindy in moustaches and circles

2012-02-08T14:00:00.000Z

I know it's well 'cool' and 'super trendy' and 'mega awesome' and well, 'super rad' to have tees with cool stuff on, like cats and indie triangles and moustaches and all that junk, but frankly I don't gives a damn. Well, only about the moustache bit anyway. I genuinely did get on a train from Cambridgeshire. (I am a part-time blogger though and I do like Macbeth or Nambucca, but my glasses are all real and I don't live in Dalston...) I digress, I love this tee. Aside from the fact it's just a tiny touch too big for me I think it's ace, I don't know how long i'll like wearing a tee with a moustache on for but right now I love it. It's from a company called Orange Circle Co who make tees with all kinds of indie loveliness on, including those indie triangles I mentioned earlier. They'd probably make one with a cat on too if you ask! They also have a lovely version of that cross leopard print tee from Urban Outfitters that everyone went wild for a little while ago, too. Their tees are great prices and they're very soft and good quality. It arrived really quickly too, only taking a couple of days considering when it arrived it had a German address on it so had obviously come from Germany. I think they're also great for the price, their tees retail at just £14. Bargain!

I've paired it here with some brand new shorts from Topshop which I bought a couple of weeks ago. They're quite short but as always with dyed denim they're super soft and are very comfy. I love them as they're a little bit different to normal denim shorts but are still denim shorts without being too over the top. My shoes are covered in studs and are from New Look. When I picked them up though they didn't have an official tag on - just a handwritten one - and were the only pair on the shop floor - I think I accidently picked up a sample pair or display pair from the new collection, but I'm presuming they will be in store! I like them because they're still fierce without being slathered in studs - yay.

What do you think of this outfit? Would you pick up any tees from Orange Circle Co? Do you like the shorts and shoes?

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: The Orange Circle tee was sent to me free for consideration but all the other items featured were purchased by me with my own money.

new launches from 17 cosmetics

2012-02-07T18:08:00.000Z

17 Cosmetics: Instant Glow Bronzer, Supreme Shine Lipstick and Berry Crush Lip Stain

I love seeing what the high street has to offer up against some of the more prominent launches from high-end cosmetics for each season and often there are some fab gems to be had for cheap prices. This little bundle comes from 17 Cosmetics, exclusive to Boots (UK) and is a great little mix of new products for Spring/Summer 2012. Aside from this they've also launched a BB cream and a new fibre mascara - which I will bring to you in a separate post as I give them a little bit of a longer trial. There's a little exclusive in here too, the first preview of the Lip Stains! Read on for more.

The standout product that made me instantly want to pop it on as soon as I got it was the new Lip Stain and the shade I have it in is Berry Crush. This is a little sneaky preview as these aren't on sale yet but will be in March! These are a felt tip pen like lip stain with a clever moisturising stick on the other end to stop your lips drying out. I absolutely love the shade and the way it looks on. I tried it both applying the stain end first and then the moisturising stick and the moisturising stick first and then the stain. There wasn't any noticeable difference between the way it's applied, only that if you apply the moisturising stick after it goes a bit pink on the tip! It's soft and smooth and the pen has got great pigment. I really do love this and it's a great alternative to just lip balm or the strong look of lipstick. I'm really into lip stains because they're just so convieniant! I found this lasted for a good 5 hours afterwards with a pretty pink hue on my lips - just what you need when you're dashing between meetings, or at college/school and want something a little prettier than your usual lips. I even wore this with just pressed powder one day and it really completed my look and made me look more alive - perfect! I have genuinely reached for this every single day since i've had it - really impressed! One tiny problem I have with it is that the moisturising stick snapped the first time I used it, meaning I had to smoosh it back down into the pen to be able to use it again - use with caution and a soft hand!

Another thing I spotted and spent a good 10 minutes admiring was the gorgeous Instant Glow Bronzer, it's leopard print! Oh em gee. I didn't want to touch it for a long time because I knew it wouldn't last forever - sad face. This is a totally oversized bronzer that is perfect for swirling a big bristled brush round to dust lightly over the skin. I know it's only February and it's very early to be thinking of any sort of sunshine (especially in this snow!) but I love the hue of this product. It's a rich, brown chocolate shade that when used lightly is a very pretty glow. Now I don't use bronzer at all on my face because i'm so pale that 1. it would look ridiculous and 2. it's just a personal preference! What I do like to do once i've found a bronzer that doesn't intimidate me and compliments my pink toned skin is to brush it very lightly on my collarbones and often a little on my legs. I don't like to tan my legs, but sometimes they look 'pasty' in the light so I love dusting a tiny bit on to make them look less dead! I have included a photo of what it looks like after the first swipe and the loss of the gold, so you can really see what the product is like.

The last product is a new shade to their Supreme Shine Lipstick range. It's called Hot Stuff and is a bright pillar-box red. It leans ever so slightly to the cooler red tones, being almost slightly coral in shade. I absolutely adore the packaging on this, it really looks sleek and I love how nice it looks - definitely more than it's worth! It's very soft, and applies well. It has good pigmentation - not the best i've seen but definitely not the worst, far better than most high street cosmetic lipsticks! I found it did wear quite well, but still only about 2 hours perfect wear. It's enriched with mango butter, and you can definitely feel the smoothness and softness of it within the lipstick!

The Instant Glow Bronzer costs £5.49 and is available from Boots stores now.
The Supreme Shine Lipstick costs just £4.99 and is available from Boots stores now.
The Lip Stain costs just and £4.49 and will be released March 24th.

I really like these items from 17 Cosmetics - I just wish the leopard print stayed forever! I think the lip stain is a gorgeous little item to pop in your handbag and it's cute as it wont transfer onto your lucky boy if he is honoured enough to receive a kiss from you! (You hear that Del? An honour.) The best news is that 17 Cosmetics is currently 3 for 2 in Boots so there are some right bargains to be had!

What do you think of these items? Does anything stand out for you? Do you think you'd pop into Boots to check out these new launches or are they not for you? Are you excited for the Lip Stain? Do you even use/rate 17 Cosmetics? I feel it's often overlooked!

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: The bronzer, lipstick and lip stain were all provided for me for consideration for free by 17 Cosmetics and Boots. The Lip Stain is a press sample and may differ ever so slightly when released so do bear that in mind. I am not paid for any views and links by 17 or Boots.

zomg nails

2012-02-05T21:59:00.000Z

#zomg nails by Katie Jane Hughes

Last Sunday I was full of nerves prepping for the #zomgbloggersbash to celebrate my lipstick with Rockalily, when I got a lovely call from my friend Katie Jane Hughes offering to paint my nails ready for the bash on Monday! I of course knowing Katie's amazing skills jumped at the chance. We rummaged through Katie's hugeeee (I mean seriously huge girls) stash of incredible polish and found an OPI which was a deep rich red with a hint of fuchsia, very reminiscent of the ZOMG lippie. Katie popped that on one finger, different on each hand. We then decided a black with a very small bit of glitter would be perfect to compliment the rest of the nails. We then added glitter to all the rest of the nails, slightly different on each one. The glitter is by OPI and its called Sparklicious but it's a limited edition one so you might have troubles finding one!

Katie painted on the lips and the ZOMG detail by mixing up acrylic paints (just from an art shop) and popping them on with a really fine brush. She then finished with an exclamation mark for the end of the ZOMG! and some little details which we then decided looked like a Christmas tree so only did on one hand haha!

I am so so thankful to Katie for doing my nails, I felt absolutely amazing afterwards, it really helped my confidence. It also really inspired me that nails are just like art, and you can just grab some acrylics and paint beautiful things on your nails - i'd never even thought of doing that before!

I really hoped everyone who came to the #zomgbloggersbash enjoyed it and my post on it is coming up, i'm just waiting for some extra special awesome material to be finished which will be posted here when it is ready. I loved it, I was so thankful to everyone who came and I really enjoyed spending time with you all - half my twitter timeline was there!

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: Katie Jane Hughes is a legend. Fact!

2 + 2 = 5

2012-02-03T16:00:00.002Z

I took this outfit snap last week before I got poorly sick and thought i'd share it with you today. I have since been in bed with this horrible flu bug thing floating around London so I feel somewhat like this is a tiny bit of a fib as right now I look like a sniffly, snotty version of this but I did look fairly presentable this time last week! Anyway, I have blogged and worn this t shirt a lot on the internet before. Once two years ago, on lookbook.nu and then again a year later. In between the time of that last one and now I managed to lose the t shirt - probably because I moved house about four times! I scoured my flat from top to bottom as well as all our storage and I am very sad to say it has gone. (Along with MAC's Tempting eyeshadow, grrr) But you know, sometimes it's best to keep the memory of something ace on by replacing it with a shiny new one so it lasts even longer, or something *stifles tears*. I logged on to w.a.s.t.e in the hope that they might still have it, and fortunately they have a haven of reprinted tees for every Radiohead fan! I immediately snapped one up, I don't think I could have typed in my payment details quicker if I had tried! Incredibly enough it turned up on my doorstep just two days later - and I ordered on a Sunday - seriously impressed. I absolutely love it. Different to standard band tees, it's on a really soft lightweight cotton and the edges are left un-completed, so the first time you wear it it immediately warms to your body and molds its-self to you. I love that. Anyway it's pretty fair to say they're one of my all time favourite bands, and this tee is still one of my all time favourite Zozo items of clothing! I guess it's like my equivalent of the ultimate pair of jeans! It's a comfort thing.

I still forget that what I post on my blog is totally different to real life and right now I don't go anywhere without my F21 faux fur coat on, so I thought i'd throw it on to show you guys what I look like most days especially while it's cold! I also wear these shorts a lot but don't think i've ever really taken an accurate photograph of what they really look like, they always just come across as being shiny or leathery but they're not at all. They're coated in a lace outline and are so cute - they go with absolutely everything I own! Love them. I also really like how high waisted they are, i'm such a big high waisted fan in case you couldn't tell yet, and these are so comfy - although it took a little while to wear them in a bit! I'm still also totally loving my pink hair tips although it needs going over well bad. I also am wearing in my Vivienne Westwood shoes but I love how bold a statement they make to an outfit without being too over the top or in your face. Definitely money well spent I say. Love a bit of Viv!

Do you wear any tee's religiously? Do you have a band tee that you love so much you'd repurchase if you lost it or am i a megageek? Do you like Radiohead? :) I've got my eye on a couple more of those reprint tees..

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: Everything in this post apart from the F21 Faux Fur Coat was bought by me with my own money. The F21 coat was gifted to me after a press day last year but does not affect my opinion of F21 and the coat.

new cid i-glow in ice pop

2012-02-02T14:00:00.001Z

New CID i-glow in Ice Pop

I love anything baked. Such a sucker for it its ridiculous. I love how in the last few years the quality of baked products has gone right up, and they're now often my most reached for items of makeup. I especially love that soft, silky glow that a baked blush can bring to the face and therefore I think you can never have too many (ever.) This is New CID's baked offering which they've named the rather modern 'i-glow'. I'm not really too sure why, aside from taking the Apple 'white' style of products, it's not really like an iPad, or an iPod. Or even an iMac. I really dislike the name and the branding to be honest, it feels dated to me already (very 2000s millennia hysteria style) and considering it's such a lovely product on the inside I really don't think the outside does it any justice at all. I absolutely hate the clunky oversized packaging it comes in, and I wish the logo was different - I either think it says 'New Kid' or 'New less than ID'. It really doesn't float my boat! I'm quite opinionated but I never feel this opinionated about cosmetic packaging before but I really don't get it at all.

A week or so ago I attended a lovely New CID event, and it was really nice to finally see the entire range in the flesh. Guess what though? I hate the packaging of the entire range! I don't think white suits a cosmetic brand, it feels too clinical to me and as I mentioned earlier, dated. I think due to this fact, and the fact that it's not entirely readily available, it's often been overlooked by magazines and blogs alike with very little coverage. Considering New CID basically pioneer the whole 'lights' inside products range, it's surprising that hardly anyone talks about this London brand.

Now, cosmetic exterior aside, this product really is lovely. It's very finely milled and has a dimension of different tones and shades in it ranging from white to lilac to pink, plum and coral. There's a lot going on, I could look at it all day! It's also slightly shimmery but not overly, it's a great mix. If you swirl your brush around you get a gorgeous coral pink that makes a great blush. If you just swoosh it over lightly it creates a subtle glow over shoulders and collarbones. I really like it because it's so unique, it's not like any other baked let alone marbled blushers I have. It is pricey but like all baked products it will last a very long time.

At £22.50 it is expensive, but I think it's a lovely item to have. Check it on their website here.

What do you think of New CID? Do you like these kind of products or is baked blush not your kind of thing? Please tell me someone out there agrees with me on the clunky packaging!

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: The blush was given to me free for consideration by New CID. I still hate the packaging!

clarins daily energiser cleansing gel

2012-02-01T13:30:00.000Z

I think this might be better than Cleanse and Polish...

I did cough and splutter a little bit as I ushered those words the other day to Del, who they were basically wasted on, but the sentiment was still the same. Let's put it this way, I bloody love Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish. Honestly, I was on my second full size tube of it and its how I start and end my days usually. But when Cleanse and Polish was all gone, in entered Clarins's Daily Energiser Cleansing Gel and my world was completely turned upside down. As the clue in the title says, it's a gel, rather than a cream which Cleanse and Polish is. It's also safe to use to remove makeup though I find it does sting a tiny little bit - so one point stays with Cleanse and Polish for not stinging at all even if you rub it in your eyes with them open. However, the gel texture is softer, so one point back to Clarins for being a consistency I prefer to use. This is such a simple yet effective product. I also find after using Cleanse and Polish my skin has a slightly greasy film to it - only ever so slightly. The Clarins gel dries my skin to an amazing matte/silk finish. It also makes me feel really clean whereas Cleanse and Polish makes me feel just well, cleansed. (if that makes any sort of sense.)

It's technically aimed at young skin, from the age of about eighteen, but i'm twenty-two and still feel like i'm eighteen so that counts right? In all honesty, I think it's still a really suited product for all skin types and ages out of the daily energizer range because it's so gentle. It's also jam packed full of vitamin c, which you can never get too much of. Because of the age range it's targeted at more combination skin, but because it's a gel rather than a cream it shouldn't dry out dry skin - but if you have very dry skin you may want to pop to your local Clarins counter and get a sample first just in case it isn't quite suited for you.

I love the smell, the feel and the after effects of this cleanser and since getting this I haven't felt the need to repurchase Cleanse and Polish. Uh oh! I've also found no breakouts or anything unusual happening to my skin since i've started using it and that was around two months ago now. I really would recommend this product to everyone because it's just as universally appealing as Cleanse and Polish. It's also totally ideal for any girl on the go, basically I sat down with a Clarins expert and she asked me what I wanted to get out of my skincare and all I could say was ease, and timing. I do not have time for an extravagant five-step cleansing process or something ridic, I need something I can slap on, take makeup off, wash/muslin off and pow, clean face, in bed. That whole process needs to take about five minutes. Luckily with this product it totally does and I really look forward to using it as it's just so gorgeous.

It retails for the bargain price of just £10.50 but I even found it on Feel Unique for £9.45 !

What do you think of Clarins skincare? Would you risk subbing out your Cleanse and Polish for this? Do you think you'd prefer a gel cleanser or do you use a different kind of cleanser? Let me know!

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: The Clarins gel was a PR sample given to me by the brand for consideration, but previously so was Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish so there's no favouritism or urges to swing towards a free sample! Totally honest opinions as per usual!

vlog #02

2012-01-31T20:24:00.000Z

This is the second episode of my fortnightly vlogs, i'm really sorry it's late - I had major issues uploading it on Sunday and last night was totally pre-occupied at the #zomgbloggersbash for my lipstick with Rockalily! So pre-occupied infact that I completely forgot to take any sort of photo or video at the event! Rubbish.

This vlog features Del opening his GlossyBox for Men and struggling to get in to it, some event coverage from New CID, Decleor and Bare Minerals as well as other random little tit bits of my life this past fortnight! Hope you enjoy and please please give me your feedback, i'm still new and nervous about this whole YouTube malarky!

Love, Zozo

five ways to ensure you spoil you on valentines day

2012-01-29T12:06:00.000Z

The perfect Valentines gift for yourself - but which one is right for you?

Instead of being that blog that spouts some regurgitated old press release at you about what you should buy this Valentines Day (i'm tired of reading them already and it's not even February!) I thought i'd show you my own personal favorite things to spoil yourself with on this annual love day. It doesn't matter if you're single, married, divorced or just happy in a relationship (like me) you should always take time to spoil yourself. This shouldn't even just be a one off thing, this should be at least once a week - but seeing as it's Valentines Day it's a good place to start and a good way to remind yourself about you. I don't believe in moonpig cards and expensive chocolates, and Del and I have always taken Valentines Day as a chance to spend time with each other - the old fashioned way it should be. I always take Valentines Day as a good chance to ensure I get some Zozo time too - well i'll be honest I take any day I can as a chance to get Zozo time, there's only so much playstation in the flat I can handle! So I thought i'd show you ladies how you can take the time to love yourself, and heck, even if you are looking for love this Valentines Day/weekend, at least you'll look your very best!

Treats on a budget

| Accessorize Nail Polishes - £4 - Superdrug |

Spoiling yourself shouldn't and doesn't have to cost the earth. One of the nicest and easiest ways to make yourself feel glam, or better about yourself at home is to simply paint your nails gorgeously. These sparkly two-tone Accessorize polishes are perfect for doing just that. They come in loads of different shades but after the recent hype and then let down of the Models Own Beetlejuice collection, you can easily fulfill your duochrome desires with these fab performing polishes. I find they last a good amount of time, have great coverage with just one coat and are in much prettier colours than that over hyped collection. They've been out for over a year as well... you'll kick yourself for not spotting them sooner! I love painting my nails and these polishes are totally sure to get a big smile back on your face!

The gift that keeps on giving

| GlossyBox - £12.95 inc postage - glossybox.co.uk |

What better way to treat yourself than to keep treating yourself? GlossyBox is a beauty subscription service that arrives in a gorgeous box once a month to your door. The special edition Valentines one (as featured) includes everything you need for a hot date, even if it's just in front of the tellybox! How ridiculously amazing is the pink colour? I want to eat it! GlossyBox is very widely known amongst beauty bloggers but for the other half of my readership that aren't beauty bloggers, it's an investment well worth having. I spend about £12.95 on my lunch for two days in the city, let alone being able to have some beauty products sent to me for the same price. At least one of the products in each beauty box is a make up item, and at least one but very often more of them are always full size. You always get your money back, it's a great return. If you find something in your box from a brand you really like there's usually always an exclusive GlossyBox money off code for that brand too - it's the perfect money saving all rounder for any beauty loving woman. You can also buy it as a gift now - what a lovely way to treat a friend on Valentines? I'd buy one for Lily if she didn't already have a million GlossyBoxes... !

A gift with rewards to share with friends

| The Sanctuary 30 Day Youth Revolution Spa at Home kit - £22.50 - Boots |

Bring the spa home for Valentines weekend with this kit from The Sanctuary. It's designed as a 30 day kit to pamper your skin and help fight any signs of ageing. It even includes a gorgeous brush for ensuring you apply the product perfectly. The way I see this, yes you could use it for 30 days and reap the benefits (love yourself for a month!) or, you could invite over your best girlie pals and pamper them all! The brush means you can wash inbetween applying and is hygenic, and the whole feeling of it is totally spa based. It's a peel, so you keep it on for 20 minutes - loads of time to watch an episode of your favourite show - before all descending on the bathroom in fits of giggles as you peel it all off your face. Think Damien in Mean Girls with ham on his face, it'll be hilarious. I will be using this on myself for a 30 day treat (as it's intended) but I think just one application if you were to do it in a group would still feel lovely, especially when you live in the grimy city like I do.

A gift that you and your boy will love

| Decleor Aroma Cleanse Exfoliating Body Cream - £29 - HQ Hair |

This is quite an expensive gift but chances are if you don't have a partner you'll have a little bit of extra money anyway (I know this because Del costs me a fortune in food!) and well, who doesn't love a bit of Decleor? This really thick body cream exfoliates while it cleanses and ooomg it is lush. I'm quite particular with exfoliators, especially on my body. My face often takes the brunt of the world, wind, rain, elements and general London dirt - but my body usually stays covered up and cushy. So the skin on my body is a lot softer and needs a little bit of extra soft care - Decleor of course know all about pampering and have created the most perfect body cream with soft round exfoliating beads to gently bring the skin back round to it's best. I absolutely love this, and I find it works so well getting all the dead skin off the rest of my body. And well, if you are in a relationship or heading out on a hot date, your man will find your gorgeous soft skin so irresistible!

All out Luxury

| Body Scrub by Ila Spa - £50 - Ila Spa UK |

I went and met the founder of Ila Spa recently and ever since I haven't been able to get this brand out of my head. I recently treated my Mum with an Ila Spa candle and the smell of it is ridiculously divine. She pops it on when in the bath and it provides full mind relaxation. This is the luxury Body Scrub and it's thick, soft, full of minerals and Himalayan salt crystals to remove all impurities. It's very expensive, but it's handmade in a barn in the gorgeous Cotswolds and I can ensure you, you'll never smell a better skin/body care range than the Ila Spa range. At the event I was treated to a facial using some of the skincare products and it was so good I almost fell asleep in the poor womans hands, and then walked around London afterwards in a sleepy relaxed daze. Every time I use this scrub at home I feel like i'm in the middle of a forest, at one with nature, falling asleep in the gorgeous scents. I know it sounds like i'm gushing, but you know how much I love good body products and especially one with a good ethos and that actually not only helps your skin but works the mind and soul too. The best way I find to use it is to wash my hair, get out of the bath, rub this all over my body on slightly damp skin and then chill out for a few mins on the side of the bath (i'm usually playing Bejewelled!) then get back into the bath (run a little more hot in) letting it all wash off and all sink into the bathwater. Bliss!

There you have it ladies! A different spin on Valentines, and ample opportunities to ensure you take time out with the person you should love the most - yourself. I even feel relaxed just thinking about these products!

What do you think of my Valentines guide? Do you have any of these products or will you be tempted to buy any of them on Valentines? Let me know! Happy Sunday, i'm off to pop that Ila Spa mask on!

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: Everything in this post was provided for me for review free for consideration by each of the brands. None of them were provided for a 'valentines' feature, but i'd been saving them for a pampering feature and I think they work perfectly! I am also a glossybox ambassador but not paid to feature the glossybox.

i saw you on a cover on cross bay boulevard

2012-01-25T13:00:00.001Z

My love for H&M has gone beyond a joke now. It's a serious, fully fledged problem. Well, as far as clothes go anyway - which kinda isn't that serious. Anyway, I work next to a H&M and it basically just is my entire wardrobe. I don't really even care though, I love their clothes and as soon as I spied this cute shirt in there I needed it, and it was only £9.99. Barga-licious. My new favourite shorts are these ones that have featured in a few other outfit posts, they look leathery here but they're not. They have like a lace overlay pattern on them.

My bag is by Max C of London which I bought from ASOS and I do absolutely adore it. The only thing is that pretty much the day after I got it all the lining on the inside ripped completely :( The bag should be unusable but I love it so much i'm just bearing with all the frayed inside and everything. Such a shame. My friend Jax bought this bag too and hers did exactly the same, we think it's because the zip is too close to the lining, and the pressure on the lining makes it just shred. It upset me but it's still a really great durable bag so it's worth using - just have to bear with the annoying lining!

My shoes are some really old H&M favourites with chains on and as always the hair is courtesy of Halo Hair Extensions.

What do you think of my heart tee? Just in time for Valentines day too! What do you think of my outfit? Do you like my Max C bag?

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: Everything in this post was paid for and bought by myself. Yippeee!

when lily and zozo met sophy robson

2012-01-24T16:00:00.002Z

(old hair!!)

Lily and Zozo with Sophy Robson - October 2011 - These are all Lily's photos

This wasn't a planned thing at all, it was sheer coincidence and I felt quite bad for Sophy that this happened to her, but basically Lily and I were at the Car Bootique in Westfield a couple of months ago doing Lily's #wihtwestfield game and generally shopping. We had a mooch around the Car Bootique before Firetrap approached us and asked if we'd like to leave our email in exchange for getting our nails done by 'Sophie Robinson' the woman said. Both Lily and I were confused, put our emails down, went away to think and then came back having realised she meant Sophy Robson! What meant to happen was that Sophy Robson's nail technicians were meant to do the show, but Sophy got roped in right at the last minute as the PR had been promising the crowd she would be there to do people's nails.

Lily of course being a big fan of Sophy's 'eek' nails from the Giles Deacon show and me loving her recent invention the Dalmation nails - yes ladies and gents, that is a Sophy Robson original - we both jumped at the chance to speak to her and get our nails done by her. Only one of us had time to get them and seeing as Lily wanted it I let Lily get hers done while I asked Sophy some questions (I know, i'm cheeky, right?) Want to find out what she rates and what she hates and all about Sophy? Read on...

I asked Sophy what brand of nail varnish she liked the most to which she responded that she didn't 'care about the brand' and picked all her nail varnish shades just primarily on the colour. She said she used anything from Topshop nails to Chanel, and would buy whatever colour she liked or needed. I noticed she had Chanel's Peridot, but it was covered in blue polish. She told us a story in that the Peridot was actually the sample one before the pre release given to her by a friend at Chanel, and she'd accidently spilt another blue polish all over ruining what could have been a timeless piece of Chanel polish history!

Sophy also talked about how near on impossible it is to copyright a nail look, and before talking to her neither of us actually knew the Dalmation nails were her design, before they were essentially stolen by Topshop and repromoted all over the internet. She explained there was nothing she could really do about it, apart from ensuring that all clients after the design done perfectly should head to her salon - which is priced incredibly well - to get them done by Sophy's trained technicians. What she did do, is start her own Tumblr called Nail Porn where she showcases all of her nails and what should now become your go to for nail art inspiration.

She also explained how for her she felt Fashion Week was fun but it was 'done', and she preferred working at home on her own designs and concentrating on her salon. She loved designing for designers and being a part of the fashion weeks but as she'd done it for so long it had become so stressful and hard for her to continue doing. I don't blame her, the pressure at fashion week is immense, and when you're as talented as Sophy it's not really an essential thing you need to do.

We also chatted nail art, our favourite nail designs and she had a go at Lily for not using basecoat! I loved my impromptu meeting with Sophy Robson, she was absolutely beyond lovely and am now off to book myself a visit to her salon!

What do you think of Sophy Robson? Did you like this little interview-y insight into her life? How lucky was Lily to have her nails personally painted by her for free! We both left grinning, it was easily the best part of our day. No one else around the stand knew at all who she was, and I think she as well as us were suitably refreshed to be able to talk about her designs and her work in the afternoon.

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer:This event was not a PR event or staged for the blog, it genuinely was sheer coincidence and I thought you might like to see it!

ysl glossy stain in rose pastelle

2012-01-23T14:00:00.002Z

YSL Glossy Stain in Rose Pastelle

I made a little bit of an error with this purchase. I know, not a good way to start a post. But honestly, so pumped about the YSL Glossy Stains I ran into Selfridges to find they had them in there as an exclusive early purchase. I couldn't decide at all between the shades, but I knew after trying some already at an earlier date I needed them in my life, they were amazing. My magpie eyes were instantly drawn to the absolute gorgeousness that is shade number 18, Rose Pastelle. It's just the most beautiful baby pink, it's slightly milky but it's just beautiful, completely the kind of lipgloss I go for. I had really high hopes and was so excited about trying it out once I got home. Now, the shades i'd played with before were very bright reds or pinks and of course they stained my hand like mad - infact only after 7 hand washes did the stain come off, seriously, these babies do not budge. But this one? No stain at all. It was pretty disappointing. I do think its really pretty as a lipgloss though, and it's not sticky or annoying at all but feels really glossy. I'd definitely love this over the top of a soft pink lipstick as well. The thing is on it's own it's quite sheer, lets take a look:

See what I mean? It's just a bit too milky and sheer to work on it's own as a gloss. It also doesn't leave behind any sort of baby pink stain which is what I was really hoping for, I was hoping it would be my cheat sheet way to the perfect lip for daytime. Unfortunately, it wasn't.

Now, the packaging is gorgeous, the wand is gorgeous and feels lovely to apply and don't get me wrong here at all, the product itsself is amazing. Totally non sticky, really long wearing, really soft and doesn't leave you dry and minging. It also lasts a good amount of time before disappearing completely, probably about an hour with eating etc. I just really made such a mistake buying this shade of it! I plan to pop back in and pick up the bright pink one at some point, because I know that one is amazing and stains really well aswell as being a good wash of colour. This one however is going to be used on top of lipstick, probably Creme Cup by MAC. Don't give up on the idea of these yet, just bear in mind that the paler shades obviously wont stain as well as you think they will. The product is amazing though and i'm totally and utterly taken by it - it's just gorgeous! I also love the little window into the product showing you the colour and how much you have left, so cute. I honestly am addicted to these and want every single shade now...I just picked the wrong one first!

YSL Glossy Stains retail at £22.50 each and are currently exclusively available to Selfridges and will be sold throughout the UK from mid February.

What do you think of the YSL Glossy Stains? Does it bother you that the paler shades don't seem to work as well (on me anyway)? Do you think you'll invest? Who's super excited for these?

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: I purchased the YSL Glossy Stain all by myself all with my own money. Who's a big girl?!

excuse me that's a hell of a buy, nicki minaj for opi!

2012-01-22T17:04:00.000Z

Did you hear that boom-ba-doom-boom, boom ba-doom, boom yeah that's that super bass

I'm literally a superstar rapper. Or not, haha. I had my own little Pink Friday last week when I heard the news that Nicki Minaj for OPI had popped into my local (Selfridges) so I trundled in to find the shelves freshly stocked with the mini collections and ended up walking away with my own! I have to say, i'm not the worlds biggest Nicki Minaj fan, firstly her new song is just like er, what and reminds me of a bad Lil Kim (!) but Super Bass is catchy, i'll give her that. One thing I will commend her for is her use of colours, and the fact that instead of going for one unique crazy hair colour, god no, she goes for about twelve crazy hair colours in one go! I think that was what made this collection so appealing to me, as it stood out in the current OPI collections. So what do you get in the Nicki Minaj minis? You get a mini of Did It On Em, Fly, Pink Friday and Metallic F Life. I've done some swatches with each and also some Nicki inspired nail art! Let's take a closer look at each one:

Did It On Em is a yellow toned green that is almost fluoro in tone, it does apply quite badly though, this is two coats but it's still a bit streaky. I think it would need three to completely fill in the colour. Overall it's not really the kind of thing i'd pop on my skintone, but i'd probably wear it on my toes in the summer! It's so Nicki Minaj though and I can absolutely see this looking gorgeous on dark skintones.

Fly was the one that I immediately wanted when I saw the collection and it did not disappoint me at all. It's a turquoise that leans a bit more towards being slightly bluer than green. It applies really well in contrast to Did It On Em and I found it was good coverage after one coat but did two anyway just to be sure!

Pink Friday was an obvious choice for Nicki, she's always wearing baby pinks. Infact in her new video for Stupid Hoe she is actually wearing her OPI Pink Friday shade, and it looks gorgeous on her. When I first ever bought nail varnish all I bought was pink shades, I didn't want to wear any other colour - so this kind of perfect baby pink really takes me back and I absolutely loved the way it looks on my nails.

Metallic 4 Life is a black gel base with multi-dimensional glitter in it. I found in the end it turns out quite silvery when used on it's own but I can see it looking totally gorgeous over black polish. To wear on it's own it would need three, maybe even four (!) coats to get it looking right. I like this one, but it's not my favourite ever. I also created some (slightly wobbly) cute Nicki inspired nails:

This was my first OPI mini set so I didn't know what to expect and when I bought this in store with Karla, my first question to her was 'Yes but how long will they last?' which is always my doubt with mini polishes that wont be available again after time of purchase, but I think they will last me long enough. I love the little set, it looks and feels nice and above all it's a great price to try all the colours at just £12.75 for all four. I had to remember that the brush was smaller though and therefore needed to not scrape as much product off just to make sure it covered my nails okay. No stress though, I quite liked the teeny little brush!

What do you think of Nicki Minaj? Will you be buying this set or any of the full size polishes? Do you like the colours on?

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: I purchased the polishes from Lena White at Selfridges with my very own money.

first look: benefit and diet coke collaboration

2012-01-20T13:00:00.001Z

Diet Coke and Benefit Blogger Launch - January 2012

Earlier last week I was invited down to Benefit Spitalfields (a gorgeous little haven hidden away in the city!) to find out all about the Benefit and Diet Coke collaborations. When I know about things like this, notably the Models Own and Diet Coke collab most recently, I don't like to scour the Internet to find out what the offer is beforehand. I prefer to arrive, and be surprised by what it is - that way I feel like I would react the same if I were in store and had spied it. I really loved the Models Own and Diet Coke collaboration because it was really great to see a different product from Models Own showcased. With that in mind, I got on the circle line up to Spitalfields to find out what the offer was.

I think most of you probably know by now what the offer actually is, but just in case you're not sure it's £5 off Benefit for online purchases over £20. My initial reaction was 'Ooh that's good!' because normally, these kinds of 'money off' vouchers are usually either rubbish, or difficult to actually get to use. This is really simple, you just pick up a special pack of Benefit Diet Coke and the code is on the inside. Easy.

Now if you're a fan of Diet Coke (oh hiya! i am!) you might be familiar with the Diet Coke 'girls' - the puppets used to personify Diet Coke in their advertising. I remember them mainly from the Diet Coke sponsorship of Ugly Betty! For this Benefit collaboration, they've undergone a little transformation into one of three personalities - Fashionista, Rock Chick and Romantic. A little bit of everyone! I know what you're thinking, that I obviously went for Rock Chick? Well, I didn't! I immediately loved Fashionista because of those gorgeous bold vibrant purple eyes! How beautiful? The lovely ladies at Benefit gave me a mini makeover into the Fashionista look, take a look at the gorgeous look they created:

The central part of the looks are centered around the three different Benetints. These are used on the lips and cheeks of the girls and create the main part of the look. With the £5 off voucher, Benetint for example is just £19.50 from £24.50. A great saving and definitely worth the money because these babies last ages!

If you want to see a little footage from the Benefit launch, check my latest youtube vlog and subscribe to my channel!

What do you think of this offer? Are you going to buy any Benefit with it? Have you been inspired to create any of the Diet Coke looks? Let me know.

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: The event was courtesy of Diet Coke with Benefit and all products featured unless shown in store context were provided for me for review purposes and were not paid for. This does not affect my opinion and never stops me sharing a bargain with you!

swatches and lowdown: the london lipgloss for rockalily london lipstick

2012-01-19T12:00:00.001Z

ZOMG by The London Lipgloss for Rockalily London Lipstick

So guys, i've been overwhelmed with all the support you've shown myself and ReeRee from Rockalily with regard to our new collaborative lipstick and I just can't wait for you all to see it for yourself. For now though, i've decided to show you a closer look into what the shade looks like and how it swatches! If you've been living under a rock or aren't a wired beauty blogger, i've made a collaborative lipstick with Rockalily London called ZOMG! Yay! If you aren't familiar with Rockalily lipsticks, i'll give you the scoop on this amazing brand. Basically, they are the most pigmented and long wearing lipsticks I have come across in my time lipstick buying! Hopefully my swatches will give you an indication as to how crazy pigmented and soft they are too. ZOMG is a new type of Rockalily because it's quite matte but also quite glossy, somewhere inbetween. Probably like a MAC Satin? Most of the Rockalily core line are matte, so this one is a little different! When I designed it I had it down as somewhere between Viva Glam Gaga 1, Estee Lauder Fuschia Pink and then with a touch of red thrown in so it'd be wearable for all skin tones. I really hope i've achieved this, but i'll let you take a look and make up your own mind!

I really hope fans of pink lipstick and red lipstick will both like it as it's something a little different, and one of our main aims was to ensure that people felt they could wear it and it would become part of them, not awkward or forced - an uncomfortable look. There's something unique yet universal about the shade which should leave you feeling comfortable enough to rock it in the day (or at least the late afternoon!). Hopefully everyone can embrace a bit of Zozo and a lot of ReeRee and enjoy the shade!

ZOMG will retail at £14 from Rockalily London from the end of January after the #ZOMGbloggersbash launch party. I really hope to see you there.

What do you think of ZOMG? Is it the kind of shade you would wear? I'm really nervous! You're all reviewing my product! Crazy. Please let me know! I'm so curious.

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: I like well designed this lipstick n' that! I did! Ask ReeRee - I was a bloody pain in the bum!

i'm the london lipgloss, and i'm a force of beauty

2012-01-18T12:00:00.001Z

Bare Minerals HQ - Force of Beauty Launch Event - January 2012

In any other social instance, me standing up and announcing that would probably be massively inappropriate, but in the hands of Bare Minerals right now, it's more than appropriate. How many times have you ever seen a promo image for a beauty brand and just died a little inside because you know deep down you could never be that airbrushed image of skin perfection that you are presented with? For me, working next to Selfridges, definitely more times a day than I should. Fortunately, those kinds of things really don't bother me much as i'm not too drawn in by media like that, but for most of the world's population of women, that makes them feel significantly worse than better. And who would blame them? Stand up Bare Minerals, the US brand taking the UK by storm with their mineral based makeup. Why are they relevant? Well, they are the first beauty brand to sit up and say 'actually, stuff your textbook rules, we're going it our way' and so they did. Meet their new 'Be A Force of Beauty' campaign, where the models were completely blind chosen by the brand.

They started with 271 women which by asking them questions and surveying them they got just 5, who signed a contract to be the brand new global face of Bare Minerals - before the brand had even seen what they looked like. It was a completely blind search. Now, they only started with 271 women, so I can understand there were some careful questions asked about their personality traits and skin before they were narrowed down, but that is totally fair enough. I absolutely love every single thing this campaign stands for, the theory of finding 'beauty in a sea of pretty.' I completely agree with the brand when they say beauty comes in all shapes and forms, and this is so well reflected in the choice of the women. They are all strong minded, inspirational women with real stories behind them - not just a pretty face with no depth.

Not only does the campaign mean so much, it's been shot by Rankin, who has always been a firm advocate of personality and real people with his portraits. The way it's been put together is different to usual beauty campaigns in where it's been very minimally edited. As you can see with the shot of one of the ambassadors Lauren, all of her 'wrinkles' and 'laughter lines' have been left perfectly in place. Even down to her freckles. I really like all these little touches that help make me feel like I really know who Lauren is, and not just a face I glaze over, aimlessly trying to project a bad inspiration over me.

This campaign is going to start from February, in full force, with advertising and placement. You can also get involved by popping down to your local counter and having a Bare Minerals Make Under, which will mean you will get to try all the Bare Minerals products that are suited to your skin, and will make you feel like the real you again. You will also get a sample of the foundation to take home with you.

So stand up proud and say 'I am a force of beauty.'

What do you think of Bare Minerals' campaign? Do you like the way they've chosen to do it? Do you use Bare Minerals? Has this made you tempted to try Bare Minerals? Will you be popping down to the counter for a free make under?

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: This was a press event but I am not sponsored or paid for any promotion of the campaign.

nars orgasm illuminator + nars giveaway!

2012-01-16T13:00:00.000Z

NARS Orgasm Illuminator - (old packaging)

Yet another product that seems to scoop beauty award after beauty award, what is it about the NARS Orgasm Illuminator (besides the contraversial name) that seems to have everyone all hot and bothered about wanting to own one? Well, the instant appeal is that it is the cult blush in a liquid format. This means it works as more of a multiple product - creating highlights and used to 'perfect' the skin. As a blush? Na da. This isn't really marketed as a blush, and if you're expecting it to look like the Orgasm blush you'd be quite wrong. It's a lot more golden than pink and can be used basically all over the face and even on the body a bit like the Illamasqua Illumine Oil.

It's quite watery in texture but it starts to 'sit' quite quickly, so be careful when applying it because I have found if you apply it over foundation it can leave you with a bit of a line if not blended quickly. It works best with a little stippling brush but you can apply it with your fingers pretty effortlessly if you ensure you blend it properly (use a few fingers, clean ones especially.) It can also be mixed into foundation in the summer to create a glowing, highlighted skin that catches the sunlight. I have also been known to use a little of it on my legs with moisturiser too in the summer to add a pretty shimmery glow to my pasty ol' English pins!

Now, don't go expecting miracles. It's not a miracle product. But as with other cult 'hypes' like YSL Touche Eclat, it works in a subtle way. Blend it over a pigmented blush for a rosy coral look or use gently over the face for a red-carpet summer glow. But don't expect it to be absolutely incredible amazing on first application - you'll be disappointed. This product isn't cheap either at £21.50 a pop, so luckily for you lovely TLL readers, I have one in the brand new packaging to give away! Yippeee! You too can try it for yourself at home and see what you think of it.

NARS Giveaway - win me!

All you need to do to enter the giveaway is just follow me by Google Friend Connect on the right (not pulling a fast one, I think it's only fair innit) and just comment on this post finishing this sentance: "I want to try NARS Orgasm Illuminator because.." and i'll just pick my favourite next Monday 23rd - the giveaway will end at 10pm. I'll announce the winner on Twitter so please leave your Twitter username in your comment too!

Good luck!

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: The NARS Orgasm Illuminators were both PR samples provided for me for consideration but I think it'd be blimmin' selfish to keep both wouldn't it. I just aint that kinda girl.

vlog #01

2012-01-15T19:50:00.000Z

Here's the first of my fortnightly 'vlogs' debuting on my Youtube channel. Every other Sunday from now on i'll upload a video update of what i've been doing in my fortnight so you can see a little bit into my life. This will include stuff in my flat, out and about and footage from events I attended. I'll try not to make them too long because I personally hate really long Youtube videos! Highlights this week include the first episode of 'cooking with Del', some fun we had at the local dinosaur themed crazy golf park, the L'oreal event, puppies at the Evian event and chatter with Lisa Potter-Dixon at the Benefit event all in my first ever fortnightly vlog! Enjoy!

Please let me know if you like this kind of thing, and what you enjoyed seeing. I've got plenty of time to keep working on it so do please comment and let me know what you thought.

Love, Zozo

l'oreal hair expertise launch event and info

2012-01-13T13:30:00.000Z

L'Oreal Hair Expertise Launch - January 2012

Well it seems i've kicked back off into my travels across London for the latest beauty scoop to bring to you lovely readers and my first bit of information this year comes in the shape of some hair news from L'Oreal! Earlier this week I attended a launch event for their brand new Hair Expertise range, a completely new range made of botanical oils and being completely sulphate free. Basically, by stripping the shampoo and conditioner of sulphates it removes those nasties to create what James Pecis - Hairstylist for L'Oreal Paris - calls "intelligent haircare." The range aims to treat hair nicely and help save it in today's over-processed hair world. This isn't the first style of shampoo like this, Liz Earle and The Body Shop have both brought out a similar style of haircare. On the basis that I had tried both of those already, I was really looking forward to seeing how this one shaped up against the others. I had one wash and blow dry at the event just to see if any instantly recognisable signs of good haircare were available and this instantly sends out good messages, because any brand willing to demonstrate how good their product is infront of bloggers in their prescence on their own hair is obviously very confident in their product.

I laid back, let them wash my hair (mmm soft) and waited for the blow dry. The instant results were that the conditioner smoothed my hair a lot, because I usually have troubles brushing my hair after washing as it's tangly. This wasn't tangly at all, and once blow dried it did genuinely feel very soft. Now I was in the hands of a professional and I await to see what it does when i'm at home by myself, so check back here in a month or so to see my progress! In the meantime, let's take a look at the different collections.

First up theres the Ever Pure collection, which is aimed at coloured and dry hair. This is scented with rosemary, juniper and mint botanical oils. I have some of this one to try and it looks like this:

Next is the Ever Sleek collection, for smoothing and nourishing coarse and frizzy hair. This one is scened with botanical sunflower extract, and this is an example of what it looks like:

The last range is the Ever Strong, which is for reinforcing fragile and brittle hair. This is infused with rosemary and juniper oils, much like the Ever Pure. I don't have one of these to show you but it's the green one in the top photo that Angel (far right) is holding!

It's all very reasonably priced with the Shampoos and Conditioners retailing at just £5.99 each, and the more intense masks retailing at £6.99 with serums at £7.99 - definitely what I would expect to pay from a brand like L'Oreal.

My first impressions of this are that it did make my hair softer, it felt very light and airy as well as smelling gorgeous. I'm most impressed with how well it 'lathers up' considering it's sulphate free - as the sulphates are usually used in Shampoos as a foaming agent (you can look to see if your Shampoo has it by looking for 'SLS' or 'Sodium Lauryl Sulphate') I much prefer to use Shampoos without SLS in, as it doesn't irritate the scalp, and genuinely cares for the hair a bit more rather than stripping it. That said though, we have all grown accustomed to that lathery bubbly goodness that just seems to make you feel cleaner and this does it the best out of any I have tried that are SLS free. This was instantly noticable on that very first wash, and I think that is a truly great positive. You could pick this up in a blind panic in Superdrug on a Friday night and never even know it was SLS free, but you would reap all the benefits none the less.

I'm looking forward to trying more of it in the shower and letting you all know how I get on. The launch date of this wasn't outlined at the event but I believe it'll be soon - it's already causing a storm over in the US and will no doubt be in stores here soon.

What do you think of L'Oreal Hair Expertise? Will you be trying this out? Do you think it's important to use SLS free haircare, or did you not know about sulphates? Are you not interested? Love chatting! (And now I can reply on comments, yey, thanks Blogger!)

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: All the products here were provided for free for consideration and the photos are from a PR launch hosted by L'Oreal. The first photo is copyright L'Oreal UK.

that topshop dress

2012-01-11T15:00:00.000Z

Okay okay I know, every single blogger in the UK has this dress and i'm so late to the bandwagon it's actually laughable but I bought this dress with Emma in Topshop last October! It's basically my favourite dress ever because it's so easy just to throw on in the morning and it doesn't take a lot of effort to look relatively presentable. I've also found myself reaching for it a lot because it's got long sleeves and it's so nice and comfy in the winter months. It cost about £45 at time of purchase but it is super lovely velvet with little glitter bits all over it. It's now probably my daytime favourite LBD. I always put mine with this old belt I have from Accessorize because it just seems to go with everything!

I'm also wearing my lipstick that I made with Rockalily, it looks quite red in these shots which goes to show it does definitely depend on the lighting and how the pigmentation will suit most skintones. On ReeRee, ZOMG comes up really red, and I think in these shots here it looks quite red on me too. It is very pink in real life so don't completely make your opinion formulated just yet, i've got some perfectly accurate swatches coming up this week! But, hopefully it'll show you red lipped ladies that you can rock a pink too without it being too 'Barbie' pink.

My hair is also nice and shiny as this was taken just after I attended an event for L'Oreal in which they washed and blowdried my hair for me. How gorgeous? Need that every single day!

What do you think of this dress? Did you buy it too when everyone else owned it? If so, is it still your favourite dress or have you already grown bored of it? Let me know!

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: Everything here was purchased with my own money apart from the New Look shoes which were gifted to me by New Look.

thierry mugler - womanity

2012-01-09T13:00:00.000Z

"I actually wear Thierry Mugler's Womanity" - Lady Gaga

Companies spend billions of pounds every single year ensuring that the design, the feel and the overall 'sell' factor of their product is so good you'll buy it no matter how bad/good it performs. The whole idea is that we can too have a slice of the life we dream, but for a tiny price. Now, Thierry Mugler is famed the world over for creating beautiful but unique scents, namely that of favourite 'Angel.' At a recent Clarins event I was presented with the option of choosing my own Thierry Mugler scent to own and this suddenly left me with a massive dilemma. The thing is, i'd clocked this bottle a mile off, and then I was told Lady Gaga wore it and that was it, i wanted it. It didn't even matter to me really what it smelt like or anything, I was just so excited to take that bottle home, rip it open, spritz it all over me and marry the night, just like Gaga. Hey, I could be Gaga, I could smell like Gaga smells... amazing. And not only that, but how deliciously gothic is that bottle? I'd never seen a perfume like it.

Overthrown with lust for this perfume and it's gorgeousness I ripped apart the box that very same evening, it being a product I was truly interested in, compelled by - completely forgetting my beauty blogger rules* and used it for two months before even photographing it I loved it that much.

I think most girls are immediately drawn to sweet smells because we've always been programmed to be soppy and sweet, to think pink and to be floral and girly. Womanity is by no stretch of the imagination sweet smelling at all, infact it actually is designed to be quite savoury in it's approach. It cites some of it's top notes as being fig, and caviar. Not interested? It's definitely one to be smelt before judged, on paper it doesn't come across well, smelling slightly woody and very strong upon first spritz. But on the skin it just seems to work. I have never in my life been complimented on a perfume before, but i've been complimented by women at beauty counters (serving my makeup addiction!) women I meet at events, women serving me in restaurants, women standing next to me on the tube (yes, honestly) and even men who haven't the faintest idea about perfume. I have lost track a little bit of the amount of compliments i've had.

This perfume is not for the faint hearted lady, infact all it stands for is womanity, that powerful aura that women give off, and the scent that best defines a strong and independant woman. It's something that grows with 'age' if you will, and I find it not only stays put on me and my clothing all day but the scent almost seems to get better over the course of the day after it's first inital spritz. I think it will divide people on opinion though but scent is always a dividing topic, and rightly so. No two women should smell the same, as it's totally down to individuality. Womanity claims to change on every single woman, bringing out different notes dependant.

Either way, whether it's true love or just lust, I love Womanity and it's definitely my favourite scent. I began to panic at it running out and losing that gorgeous bottle but no sweat, it's refillable.

Womanity retails for £50 for 50ml and I found it here at Boots.

Do you use Womanity? Are you interested in Womanity? What do you think of the idea of the notes in the fragrance, do you like something a little different or are you just immediately drawn to more 'classic' scents?

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: Womanity was provided for me for consideration for free at an event. I was allowed to choose the scent but this does not change my opinion of it at all.

*beauty blogger rules created by lily melrose and i: don't use a product until you've photgraphed it!

first look: the london lipgloss for rockalily london press shots

2012-01-07T20:32:00.000Z

If you've been following me on Twitter you'll have seen my excitement earlier this week when I revealed my collaboration with Rockalily London on a brand new lipstick designed entirely by myself and brought to life by the amazing ReeRee Rockette from Rockalily and i'm so excited to finally reveal to you the first lot of press shots with the lipstick! The lipstick which hopefully you can see demonstrated in the photos is very vibrant and pigmented. I can also now exclusively reveal the lipstick is called "ZOMG!" (pronounced Zo My God in words) which is a really fun play on social media 'tweet speak' and a little play on my name too. It's really soft and not drying, and leaves a semi matte finish with a touch of shine. Much much more information on the actual lipstick itsself and the whole collaboration is coming but I thought i'd show you all the first glimmers of the shade and a sneaky peek of our beautiful press shots so you could get a feel for the lipstick! Today we went out with the amazing Diana Thompson photographer who put us all at ease and shot these beautiful shots. We have some very exclusive ones that will be in the blogger/press pack so if you want to get hold of that when it's available email info@rockalily.com to ensure you get all the stuff you need! Here's a look at my faves:

Me applying the lipstick

Behind the scenes shot of that shot happening!

Me and ReeRee Rockette(right) with Rockalily model Banbury Cross (middle)

What do you think of the photos? Are you excited about the collaboration? Do you like the shade of the lipstick? I can't wait to hear your thoughts because it's such an exciting thing for me!

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: All photos here are copyright Diana Thompson and Rockalily London. If you want them to blog, feel free to take them, but i'd love to know! Tweet me about it!

first look: new look s/s 2012

2012-01-03T13:00:00.001Z

New Look S/S 2012 - December 2011

Back in December on a cold and rainy evening, I got to jump straight into the pool of the summer months courtesy of New Look. I had previously seen Forever 21's S/S offerings and was looking forward to seeing what essentially our British equivalent had to offer us. I have to say as well, I did ever so slightly prefer what I saw at New Look - it seemed a bit more trend led to me? At F21, we saw a lot of classic summer trends - floral (but done Japanese style) and nautical in particular. I was fully expecting to see a lot of similar stuff at New Look but to my joy and surprise, not really. Instead there were scolloped edges, frills, lace, luxe and bead detailing. Amongst all that was a slightly grungy section - still not what I would actively wear all together (not quite as grungy as i'd like) - but it had some nice elements. I felt a lot of it was very 60s in it's approach, the floaty style and the cuts of some of the dresses were quite reminiscent of 60s style clothing and trends. The rest did look quite 80s in part, cropped denim jackets and seriously mad neon colours - definitely not for me - but I think it's captured the British high street very well indeed. I saw some things in particular that I knew I needed as soon as they come in store too:

| my picks from the collection |

Loving the Cambridge Satchel style bag - but for a fraction of the price! The pastel pop colours of this one are very cute, perhaps a little too young looking for me but seriously adorable never the less! Love this pink peter pan collar top, although it's basically the same as the upcoming one from Forever 21 - it's still nice. I immediately eyed up these dip dyed denim shorts before realising they were from Generation 915 (for kiddiewinks) but I had a good look at the sample size, which must have been the biggest size going, and they definitely will fit a UK size 10 so I'm buying them anyway! Tax free clothing, win! I will also genuinely push people out of the way to get these shoes as soon as they come in store. How stupidly amazing are they?!

We also got a sneaky peek at Kelly Brook's new underwear range which looked okay to me, nothing special but then again how excited can you really get over underwear anyway? I always buy whatever looks prettiest! There's also lots of coloured and patterned bikinis ready for holiday times aswell as beach wear shown on mannequins. There were lots of nice bags and shoes which looked to me slightly better quality than New Look normally looks, but then when taken out of context in store and placed in a swanky building in the middle of London, everything always does look nicer. I did have a good feel and play with the shoes and that satchel bag in particular and it felt sturdy enough for me. I don't know whether it has, but New Look seems to have upped it's game quality wise. I was definitely more impressed than usual after leaving New Look.

I think this collection will please everyone, there's a lot within it that will suit most girls and their styles. I particularly loved the summery 60's dresses and shorts and will definitely be keeping an eye out for this when it pops into store this year! I took my friend Karla along with me and she was squealing and grabbing EVERYTHING! Usually at press days I have a little mooch and then head out but Karla wanted to look at every single item, touching it, picking it up, squealing with joy - what an amazing person to go to a press day with haha so excited!

What do you think of New Look? Does this collection excite you or are you yawning with boredom? Do you think New Look has upped it's game or was it a trick of the press day? Has anything I picked made it onto your wishlist?! Let me know!

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: The New Look S/S 12 event was held as a press day in December. I was not paid to write about the collection but was gifted money to spend in store. This doesn't affect how I feel however and as always opinions are my very own.

so, what did TLL really love in 2011?

2012-01-02T13:00:00.003Z

The best of 2011

A question i'm sure you just wished for the answer for, am I right, eh eh? Well, whether you do or not, you're going to get the answer, right here! I've seen a lot of people do award style posts or best of posts etc and I really love the idea, I think it does definitely really help a person decide on whether they want to purchase something or not, but I was just simply stumped on how to present it to you and i've decided to go down the 'empties' route. I have to say, when something is empty it means a lot more in my life because it means I have actively seeked out the product to use, I am a serial beauty addict and shopper and will just keep buying skincare even if i've got a hundred moisturisers (and I really do) so to use something significantly or to even finish it up *shock shock* is actually a really big thing for me. I also think it's wonderfully transparent - I present so many products to you that you see on face value but you don't really ever see what behind the scenes I really do use up every single day. So. In the pictorial style of Lily's post here are my bests of 2011:

Skincare

Haircare

Cosmetics - Eye Products

Cosmetics - Lip Products

There you have it! My most used/reached for beauty products of 2011. I'm looking forward to seeing if any of these make their way into 2012 as much loved favourites or whether some new contendors will come and knock them off their top spot! See you then.

What did you think of my favourites? Did this help you in choosing what your favourites might be, spark old memories or make you want to try something? Let me know what you think! Loved hearing everything you had to say in 2011, let's keep it going for 2012!

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: Some of the products here were PR samples given to me for free for my consideration, it's just a bit too long to mention them all. If you've any queries leave them as comments on the post and i'll be happy to answer!

top ten single picks of 2011

2011-12-31T17:05:00.000Z

It's nearing that time of year where we all begin to look back through photo albums, tumblrs, blogs, twitters and ipods to find out how we spent the last year that seems to have whizzed past quicker than we can remember. One thing that is very personal to someone and that can really shape the nights you spend with your friends or the moments you spend alone is the music you choose to consume and I really feel it can say so much about a person that you may not otherwise feel comfortable expressing or may otherwise not know how to express. I really think this is one of the best things to look back on the year with, too. I've had a truly fantastic year, I don't need to really dwell on it too much because you've been there with me every step of the way and I don't want to bore you again - but one thing you've not known is what songs i've soundtracked my year with along the way and I hope some of you might agree, some of you might find a new favourite or may just even enjoy reading this so without further ado, here's my top ten singles released in 2011 and why:

10 - Ben Marwood - Singalong - This Is Not What You Had Planned

Not only is Ben a truly fantastic guy, a scholar and a gentlemen, he writes fantastic songs too. This one is most ironic *har har har* because it is actually a massive singalong and it's brilliant. It's sarcastic, it's dry and it's totally Ben. This video was filmed when I was on tour with Frank Turner and Ben supported, so it's a video full of memories for me. I have loved this song since Ben started playing it live and it's totally captured that moment of the gig on record. This song always has me up the front bobbing along and I think it's message is so simple it can resonate with everyone.

9. Patrick Wolf - The City - Lupercalia

I owe loving this record to Del, because Del heard it and instantly said "this song will soundtrack our summer" - and it absolutely did. It's very catchy, very upbeat and I really dislike Patrick Wolf actually so to like this was a big surprise. This is a big hit and will make you feel good as soon as you put it on. It's that piano riff that gets me - love it! When I know I like a song, I can keep putting it on out of the blue and it wont annoy me, or make me groan. Everytime I hear that opening riff of this song a little smile pops on my face - and that's how you know it's a tune.

8. Dananananakroyd - Muscle Memory - There Is A Way

Dana split this year and we attended their last ever London show at KCLSU back in the autumn. If we're being super pedantic this isn't my favourite Dana song but def the best off the newest and final album in my opinion. It's so catchy, has everything you'd expect from a Dana tune but also is unique in it's own right. At KCLSU this got a massive reception and had everyone up on their feet dancing (and Del who spilt an entire pint of Snakebite on me and actually made my skin pink...grr)!

7. Frank Turner - I Still Believe - England Keep My Bones

I couldn't really not include Frank as he's always been a part of my music somewhere. (!) This song resonated with me the most out of England Keep My Bones and it always seems to get the crowd going. I heard it the first time Frank played it live, wobbly, with his guitar by himself and telling the crowd the lyrics so we could participate and I liked it then and there. I heard early demos and spent time chatting to Frank as he was writing and recording the album and it makes me so happy to see this song now being sung by millions all over the world, people with tattoos of the lyrics and meeting the people who say it's changed their life. How could you not warm to it really? Again it's a simple heartfelt message that will make you feel great once you hear it and will have even the most hardened square up on their feet shouting 'I still believe!'

6. Tubelord - In Greenland - Romance

Del and I, back in the summer, visited Kingston University one Sunday afternoon to sing about horses over and over with the Tangled Hair boys (and WAGs!) and had no idea about what the track would sound like. When Tubelord released Romance later in the year we knew the 'horse' track would be a belter and it's great. Definitely my favourite of the album. I love how Joe's voice sounds, I love the bouncy upbeat music and I think this is something a lot of people will enjoy listening to. I can just hear Del's voice in the 'horses' bit (he's got a loud voice) and every time it makes me smile loads! I will never forget that day and Del and I often walk around the flat singing 'hor-ses, hor-ses..' haha.

5. The Naked and Famous - Punching In A Dream - Passive Me, Aggressive You

This is another tune Del found and Del absolutely loves it. It will no doubt feature in his top ten too! It took me a while to warm to this, I have to say. At first I shrugged it off as another MGMT style song and as being a little boring. Then I really listened to it properly. This is quite a bad trait of mine actually I can be known to be quite dismissive of a song at first until i'm like, yeah actually this is great, and this song was one of those. It's got so many elements to it and above all it's just.so.catchy! One to watch, I think..

4. The Vaccines - Norgaard - What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?

Del and I both have to eat humble pie on this one as we remember earlier in the year listening to The Vaccines on one of XFM's late nighters and both hating it. To be fair, I still hate that song in particular, but when the album was released we had to pick it up to add to our DJ set as we kept getting requests for it. My personal favourite from the album is definitely Norgaard, punchy and short it's enough to get you dancing and works perfectly to build into the next song usually of the same nature and tempo. It's definitely obvious they owe a lot of their sound to a lot of older band sounds (most notably The Smiths) but this is a belter of a modern tune. And I love Jay Jay Pistolet so...

3. Example - Midnight Run - Playing In The Shadows

I know a lot of people pen this as one of Examples' worst songs actually but I really like it. There's something about the grimey slow beat in the chorus that I love, and i've always been a fan of sounds like The Streets - and I can hear the influence in this song. There's so many different melodies happening if you break it down and more than anything the production values on this track are amazing as well as the dark lyrics and general vibe. It's definitely not everyone's cup of tea - Del thinks this is one of the worst songs Example has ever done - but something about it is calming for me and it's always the first song that goes on when I turn on my iPod/phone. Watch the video too because it's made by one of my oldest friends, Adam Powell.

2. The Wombats - Tokyo (Vampires and Wolves) - This Modern Glitch

Seriously I LOVE this song. How stupidly catchy is the melody after the chorus? I've lost count of how many times i've listened to this song but it just doesn't ever get old at all. It's always on every single DJ set and it's generally one of my favourite songs ever. I've only gotten into The Wombats recently but I love them. I feel that this song is one of those that people not even into indie music in the slightest would like and would enjoy dancing to, as it's just so happy and uplifting!

1. Friendly Fires - Blue Cassette - Pala

Friendly Fires are one of those bands that just seem to keep bringing out tune after tune, I've lost track of how many singles from their first release were just massive tunes, but as soon as I heard this song from new album Pala I absolutely fell head over heels for it. It's quite 80's in parts, with the stylized vocals and the synth-meets-drum-beat but the chorus is massive and it's guaranteed to bring anyone to the dancefloor! I wish i'd discovered it a little earlier because it sounds like one of those tracks you need to dance around in the sun to...and I guarantee you i'll still be dancing in the sun to it in 2012. It makes me so happy to hear and when it comes through headphones you can hear every tiny little detail caused to make the song and it's just beautiful. I think this should be a song everyone needs to listen to!

Notable pop songs I think were the best this year include:
Lady Gaga - Marry The Night
JLS - Make Me Wanna
Rihanna - We Found Love
Example - Changed The Way You Kiss Me

I also spent a lot of time revisiting old singles that I love, and there are of course hundreds I could list but some honourable mentions need to go to:
Two Door Cinema Club - I Can Talk
Mumford and Sons - Little Lion Man
The Streets - Blinded By The Lights
Lone Wolf - 15 Letters
Million Dead - Smiling At Strangers on Trains

And there you have it ladies and gentlemen - the tunes I've been rocking in my ears all 2011. Really looking forward to seeing what comes out of 2012 and what might make next years list!
What do you think of my picks? Do you rate any of the songs? Did you find any new favourites listening to the videos on my blog post? What do you rate as your best single of 2011? Let me know!

See you in 2012 - Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: All videos are copyright to original artists and are uploaded here via YouTube and do not belong to me or this website.

you're dressed like a victorian at a swimming pool

2011-12-30T19:30:00.000Z

| dress: minkpink | necklace: vivienne westwood | shoes: vivienne westwood |

I've got a real thing for velvet at the moment. I don't know whether it really is just because it's wintery and thats my favourite season for clothes, or whether i've just rediscovered how much I love velvet! I think too much velvet is definitely overkill, but this dress by Minkpink is perfect to calm those velvet itches! I love the old Victorian style print the dress is adorned with - almost like old wallpaper style. I've teamed my dress with my new Vivienne Westwood shoes as I think they work really well together!

I wore this dress on Christmas Day and it was perfect not only because it's so comfortable but because it's quite stretchy - helped once i'd eaten all that turkey! I've found myself reaching for this dress so many times in the mornings getting ready since because it's just so comfortable and easy to throw on. I definitely don't think you can ever have too many dresses like that, and I certainly have quite a few. This one I bought from ASOS but I don't think it's available any more. I love the style of Minkpink, it's definitely not all for me but it's quite vintage, very floaty and very laidback in style. They're all clothes you know you can throw on and it'll be comfortable and it'll be that piece you do reach for a lot.

I love my Minkpink dress and especially my new Viv shoes!

What do you think? Have you been covering yourself in velvet too? What do you think of this style for winter, have you been wearing anything similar? Let me know!

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: The Minkpink dress and Vivienne Westwood shoes were both purchased by myself with my own money.

a very mulberry christmas and some christmas day nails

2011-12-27T14:56:00.000Z

A Mulberry Christmas gift, December 2011

I didn't feel it necessary to spring on you all a photo of everything I got for Christmas, those of you who follow my Instagram and Twitter will have seen me post some photos of the day as it happened, but I don't want to blog about it all in one go. I did get an iPod touch which made me very happy, means I can now try and control my commuter rage and bop along to some music on the way to work! Lots of things will also feature in their own post in the future anyway as they're all things I either asked for or will generally pop up in day to day life. Anyway! I wanted to share with you this one special gift as I did tease at it earlier on in the year. Last month I got an invitation to the Mulberry sample sale which is hosted basically opposite work, which is fab. I sweetly asked Del that morning if I could pick up something which he could give me for Christmas (a girl's gotta try!) and to my luck and joy he said yes! So with that in mind I chose this gorgeous Mulberry purse which looks to me like it's from S/S 11 due to the colours of it and stuff but there was only one left and I loved it instantly! Anyway it's been hidden away in our flat since that sample sale day and then on Christmas Day Del wrapped it up in Banquet Records wrapping paper so I momentarily forgot what it was and then yippeee, joy as the purse was finally in my hands! What do we think of it? I absolutely adore it and am so thrilled with my first piece of Mulberry! Thankyou Del :)

I also thought i'd share with you my Christmas nails as i've been loving seeing everyone elses. I've not plumped for the traditional red or green or anything actually remotely festive at all but instead went for something that would go with all my outfits, was fun, girly and a little tinsel sparkly! My sister did a grand job of being ace and found me the Teenage Dream OPI polish by Katy Perry for Christmas (thankyou!) and as soon as I opened it I loved it and knew it had to go on. I popped it on over Porchester Square - a classy nude - by Nails Inc and pow, Christmas nails! Here's a closer look:

Merry Christmas everyone I hope you're all enjoying your Xmas break - I certainly am and am now stuffed to the brim with pork and turkey, cor.

What do you think of my nails? Did you succumb to Teenage Dream or is it not your kind of thing? Do you like my Mulberry purse and what did you get for Christmas? Tell me! Sending so much love and happiness wherever you are!

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: OPI in Teenage Dream and the Mulberry purse featured were both gifts purchased for me for Christmas but the Nails Inc polish featured in Porchester Square was a PR sample provided for my consideration.

five of the best sparkly eyeshadows

2011-12-19T20:54:00.001Z

featuring Blingtone by MyFace Cosmetics, Sugarpill, Urban Decay and Illamasqua

I don't know whether just because it's Christmas and i'm really embracing the glitter i've found myself creating an eye look lately and then either smothering it in glitter or using glitter to enhance the eyelid. I found actually, that when I went through my eyeshadow drawers that I actually owned a lot of glitter eyeshadows, or glittery pigments. I decided to show you the five most reached for in the last two weeks ready for Christmas incase you're feeling a little Christmassy and want to treat yourself to a little glitter eyeshadow (a girl has to look good for Christmas!) First up is this rather cheekily titled mono eyeshadow by Urban Decay:

| S&M - Urban Decay - £13 |

As you can see in the swatch it's quite a dark silver. I like the way it's almost grey toned and how sorta grungy it looks. This is a dry swatch but it does pop a little more when used wet. I find some Urban Decay eyeshadows aren't quite as pigmented as some others - and unfortunately this is one - but I like it that way because if this was too full on silvery it would look a bit much even for a party look. I've found with this I can layer it over greys and blacks just to add a new dimension. If i'm going for a light, soft eye, I use a little bit of this through the crease to make it dark but not blacked out. I think it's a great allrounder because it's less pigmented - if that makes sense!

| Gilt-y and Diamonds and Pearls - Blingtone by MyFace - £9.99 each |

I like these little mono eyeshadows because they're quite glittery. I don't find them to be massively pigmented - again we've established with full on glitter it's not my preferred choice anyway - but I think they're so pretty! They're so soft and make gold and silver really wearable. They're also insanely sparkly, the base is a pretty sparkle tone and then they each have glitter running through them. I think they're fab for the price, but don't go expecting crazy bright pigment. MyFace claim they're made with crushed pearl but I don't believe that massively - but I do think 'pearl' is a good way to describe the finish, just a little gritty though. Start with a cream base and that grittiness will stay in place and soon create you a gorgeous eye!

| Chromalust in Stella - Sugarpill - £8.45 |

I'd wanted to try Sugarpill for ages and then when I found it on Cocktail Cosmetics a little while back I was thrilled! I'd heard great reviews from over the pond about their Chromalusts and so for now I just picked up one. Sugarpill is from America and can often be hard to source in the UK. Stella is a slightly plummy toned black - it's not pure black - with multi coloured glitter running through it. It swatches really dark and matte and is absolutely perfect for a smokey eye. What I love about it is the glitter running through it totally changes the way it sits when applied, because if you were to add just a matte black it can be very hard to work with and also will create a very one-dimensional smokey eye look. This you can build up to look wetter and more multi dimensional. When swatching it on my arm, I suddenly thought it looked a lot like Illamasqua's Zeitgeist pigment, so I quickly grabbed Zeitgeist just to see how they compare:

Sugarpill on the left, Illamasqua on the right

As you can see, Zeitgeist is more of a true black and has a little more sparkle running through it. Now i'm totally torn and can't decide which one I love more - but I think they do sit very differently on the eye as Stella isn't a pure black. I think though that Sugarpill is a bit of an American Illamasqua so you can understand the similarities. Either way, we all know I love Illamasqua but I absolutely adore everything about Sugarpill too. Really glad I picked it up!

| Beguile Pure Pigment - Illamasqua - £15.50 |

I don't want to be dramatic or too loyal to one product but this is my favourite product possibly ever in the world ever. ! It's the most gorgeous glitter pigment with flecks of pink and green running through it - inkeeping with the theme of Theatre of the Nameless of course - and it is just beautiful. I have not found one shade of eyeshadow it doesn't sit on top of beautifully and compliment and I think this pigment is entirely why I've been so hooked on glitter for the last two weeks or so! This has not been put down, even when i've told myself to try a new eye look I still pop a bit of Beguile in my inner corners! It is impossibly hard to photograph acurately, It's one of those things in life I feel you just need to experience for yourself really but trust me it is beautiful. The last photo in the set up there shows you just how insanely glittery it is - look at all those lens reflects! Worth every single penny and I hope it doesn't disappear too quickly because I've a feeling i'm going to need more than one in my lifetime! It makes me feel totally beautiful without looking like a drag queen - because if you use glitter wrongly it can look a bit like that. This is soft, muted, secretive, but absolutely gorgeous. It can be used on cheeks, lips and even just over the body for a highlight. I encourage you all to pop to Illamasqua and try it! Then challenge you not to buy it...good luck ;) !

What do you think of the eyeshadows I picked? Do you own any of the ones I featured? Have you too been reaching for the glitters this Christmas season? My glitter addiction has only just started and I can see it going deep into New Year too!

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: Urban Decay in S&M, Blingtone in Gilt-y, Blingtone in Diamonds and Pearls and Illamasqua Pure Pigment in Zeitgeist were provided for me by the brands for free for my consideration. I purchased Sugarpill in Stella and Illamasqua in Beguile with my own money.

essie meets urban outfitters for a hipster christmas nail

2011-12-17T16:15:00.000Z

Essie's Carry On (A/W 11) Urban Outfitters' Electra

Lily properly raves about Essie and ever since I tried one a little while back i've got a bit hooked on them. I think it's because i've found it gives a proper thick coating that doesn't seem to chip too easily - mine have worn on me for about 5 days before chipping which is fantastic. Now, I know everyone raves about Deborah Lippman's Happy Birthday and also The Muppets for OPI in Rainbow Connection (which are just basically the same thing bottled, btw) and I wanted a bit of glitter action myeslf so when shopping for various hipster tit bits - you know, skull candles and necklaces with casettes on etc - I found this gorgeous multi sized glitter offering from their in house polish range named W.I.P. (I've no idea what that stands for!) and immediately snapped it up. The (cute, natch) guy that served me at the till even commented on how sparkly it was and I was like 'yup, basically why i've bought it!' Let's take a closer look at it because it's not a nail range i'm hugely familiar with:

I like this nail because of the richness of Carry On as a base it's not as harsh as a black base - it's kinda plummy and very mulled wine-esque. Electra as a topping is sparkly and multi coloured but it's not massively in your face like Rainbow Connection. I think it's glitzy enough but in a way it's almost childish? Because all the glitter colours are yellows, reds, greens etc and there's no spangly silvers, it feels kinda childish to me and thats why I called it a hipster glitter look! The plummy base and the tiny green sparkles also subconciously scream Christmas to me without being like RED! GREEN! SANTA! and all over the top. I'm really impressed with the quality of the glitter - but then it is a glitter polish so I think i'd need to try a full colour base to see how well the polish actually lasts without chipping etc.

I got my Essie from eBay for just £3 and the Urban Outfitters polish was £6 in store.

Have you ever tried Urban Outfitters polish before? What do you think of my nail look? Do you agree with me or am I taking naming nail art looks too far haha?

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: The Essie polish was purchased on eBay for a cut price bargain and the Urban Outfitters polish was purchased in store by me.

stocking fillers for every budget

2011-12-13T21:07:00.000Z

Beauty stocking fillers can often be hard to find, sometimes you need a little help distinguishing between those items in Superdrug that are just 'makeup' items and those that are a little cuter, a bit special. I don't think all of these are conventional gifts, but they are things that I myself would like to receive, and that is the way I perceived this stocking filler guide.

I know everyones doing a lot of gift guides at the minute so I thought i'd help with some things I thought would make lovely stocking fillers, whether you've got £1 to spend or £40 - it's always lovely to gift someone lots of things to open on Christmas Day and I myself am a big fan of super cute little stocking fillers, so here's my completely shoppable (every link takes you right to the shop!) stocking filler guide to suit every single budget. Hope you can get inspired!

Less than £5

| Chapstick Posh Lips set (available from Boots stores) - £3.99 | Vaseline Creme Brulee Limited Edition - £2.99

| MUA Out There Plumping Lipgloss - £2 | Color Craze Glitter Polish (available from Beauty Base stores) - 99p

| Vaseline Hand Cream - £3.79 | VIVO Shimmer and Shine Lip Gloss (available in Tesco) - £1.99 |

| MUA Glamour Nights Palette - £4 | Models Own Lipglosses, free with Diet Coke |

| H&M Say No To Racism Polish set (available in H&M) - £2.99 |

£5 - £10

| Cowshed Cow Pat - £8 | Cowshed Wild Cow Shower Gel - £8 |

| Look Beauty Double Hit Lip (available from Superdrug) - £7 | Look Beauty Nail Pop in Bling (available from Superdrug) - £5 |

| L'Occitane Limited Ed Shea Hand Cream - £7.50 |

| FashionistA The Saturdays Magnetizm Polish - £6 |

| Gold by Giles Deacon for New Look Nail Wraps (available at New Look) - £5.99 |

| Stila Holiday S/S 12 Palettes - £10 each |

£10 +

| Rouge Bunny Rouge Shimmering Lip Balm - £21 |

| YSL Touche Eclat - £17.95 |

| Rockalily Rockette Red Lipstick - £14 |

| Nails Inc Polish in Electric Avenue - £11 |

| Clarins Holiday A/W 2011 Palette - £30 |

| Estee Lauder Eyeshadow Duos - £22 |

| Smashbox Bionic Mascara - £12.95 |

| NARS A/W 2011 Palette in Arabian Nights - £33 |

I really hope this helped some of you! I'll be back with some gift ideas very soon.

What do you think of my stocking filler ideas? Would you buy any of these? Have you got inspired by this?

Love, Zoe

Disclaimer: Some of these products were provided free for consideration and some were purchased with my own money. I haven't listed them all as it's a long post - if you have any issues, tweet me @londonlipgloss.

my top three look beauty lipsticks

2011-12-12T18:33:00.000Z

Look Beauty Lipsticks - what do you think of the Ashley Isham print?

So many of you kind souls actually left me the nicest comments about my makeup from the wedding I attended last Friday. I think that the biggest part that left you all intregued and really made my look stand out from what it looks like normally was the new lipstick I used by Look Beauty. After how much you guys loved the Triple Hit post I did from Look Beauty I thought some of you may find this helpful and if you're anything like me you just like to cooo over new makeup! I find these lipsticks to be long wearing but above all really pigmented. There are five in the range over all but these three are my downright favourites and just couldn't wait to share them all with you!

The first one is Rock Candy:

Then Toffee Cup:

Then Baby Doll:

Now I found that Rock Candy and Toffee Cup both applied very smoothly and felt very soft on the lips. Baby Doll however is a little more stiff, and a tiny bit more drying. I found that it clung to my sore wintery dry bits a fair bit - check that out in the photo. I wore Baby Doll all day at the wedding though and it was totally fine, you have to reapply it a bit but I find that with most pink lipsticks. I think Baby Doll is quite similar to MAC Viva Glam Gaga. Here's a look at them side by side:

I really like Look Beauty's Lipsticks because they're so affordable. You can pop on a slick of colour really easily and quickly for a very minimal price - which is fab. And yes, it does smell a bit as commented but it isn't anything pungent worse than MAC I don't think. It doesn't offend me anyway!

The lipsticks are £7 each and a percentage of the profit goes to the charity Look Good Feel Better - which I love.

What do you think of the Look Beauty Lipsticks? Do you like the Ashley Isham print they are adorned with? What do you think of my favourite shades?

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: The Look Beauty Lipsticks were PR samples.

an apology and a warning

2011-12-08T18:56:00.000Z

Dear London Lipgloss readers.
I am sincerely sorry for the lack of posts on my blog lately and the inconsistent posting - instead of posting every day I have been reduced to posting whenever possible.

I would like to warn you all never to purchase your Internet through BT because they will not connect it for months yet charge you the privilege of this great pleasure of being entirely Internet free. Bargain eh!

I've never been quite so angry or upset before at a company for not fulfilling my purchase. And anyone who knows me knows I don't get angry easily. I have been stressed out of my mind trying to complete blog posts in time for their intended date and reduced to tears over not being able to run it in the way I so wish. And as if my life isn't stressful enough without this added bonus!

I want to thank you all for still reading and loving my posts even though they are sometimes only once or twice a week. I really want to also thank O2 for providing sterling internet service that I have been tethering from my iPhone 4S to the internet (albeit expensive) to fix my blog problem.

I also want to assure you that posts will be up and running as soon as possible and thankyou so much for continuing to support The London Lipgloss.

As for BT - don't ever buy any of their services. And I am not one to sit here and tell you never to buy something, I always look at things objectively. But this is one product I am saying seriously *don't* ever even consider. Just go with someone else. You're probably wondering why I didn't? Infact BT weren't even an option as far as I was concerned, favouring the much loved Virgin Media but unfortunately BT own all the cables to my house so we had no choice. I am beyond unhappy now and will literally take this as far as it goes because I am sick of being ripped off and left Internetless.

Thanks again you lovely bunch and hopefully i'll see you soon!

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: BT are bastards, fact.

how to dip dye/ombre hair extensions featuring halo hair

2011-12-06T14:00:00.000Z

"I can see your Halo, Halo Halo.."

Well Beyonce, not anymore can you see my Halo because it blends damn perfect with my hair! So ages ago, and I mean literally yonks ago - back in February actually I got some Halo Hair Extensions. At the time I had bright pink hair and therefore didn't really know which colour to go for. To play it safe I went for one strip of pink, and a full head of bright white blonde. I'm quite experienced in dying my hair and had dyed a set of extensions before so knew what I would be doing. Anyway inbetween February and now - as i'm sure youll know if you're a regular reader here at TLL - I have changed my hair many a time. I just did not know what to do with my extensions so they just sat there totally unloved in the box. They travelled with me from house to house, and always stayed perfect, just waiting for their time to shine. Most recently I had my hair dyed a gorgeous shade of dark brown with black underneath and i'm dead set on this being my hair for the future - I really love this look. Anyway, getting the LLYMLRS ombre envy and being reminded of how good my pink hair was in our 2010 Christmas single, I decided to be a bit different and dip dye my hair extensions! And i'm going to show you how to do the same. First tip, wait until your parents/boyfriend/husband/dog go out... it's a lot easier when they can't see the state of the bathroom!

Firstly you need to grab some hair dye in the shade you want. I used (and swear by, fyi) Schwartzkopf XXL Live and I grabbed two boxes - if you're dying a full head of hair extensions you DEFINITELY need two boxes - in the blackest black they had. I'm also using Manic Panic in Hot Hot Pink, for the pink tips. This retails at £11 from Cyberdog in Camden. Now the reason I use XXL on myself is because it's always worked for me and Manic Panic is a vegan hair dye so it would NEVER harm anyone's hair or head as it's just so soft. It isn't permanant, but these are extensions so you wouldn't be washing them as often as your regular hair anyway, so we're fine there.

Mix the dye up, and lay out two plastic bags on the floor. Then take each piece of the hair and run the dye from the top to the bottom, leaving about an inch on some and two inches on others - this makes it look much more natural. To make it look less linear and fake, just rub the 'dregs' of the dye as far down as you want making sure you scrunch up the hair as you do it to ensure it goes on randomly and doesn't look fake. Then lay all of the strips on the plastic bag and wait for the dye to take - this usually takes about 30 minutes. Begin washing the dye out after the time is up but don't worry about completely washing it out fully, I washed it out until the water was a little bit murky but not completely clear. Then lie them on the bag again. Now, take your bright colour dye and this time dip the hair into the pot before rubbing it up the hair this time instead of down. Its really important you rub it right up past where the join is, because where there is some black dye and now the water still on the hair the pink will mix with it and create that perfect 'blended' look which makes it look much more natural. Then leave those for about 45 minutes. See how far up in the photo I put the pink to ensure it blended:

Finally wash out completely until the water runs totally clear and blow dry really gently on a dry heat. Pow! Your hair extensions are done! Now, some tips. I didn't have gloves for the pink bit so if you buy Manic Panic remember it doesn't come with gloves, so buy some gloves - if you don't you'll get pink hands like me. But, and this goes with bathroom floors and surfaces too, everything wipes completely clean with a Dettol surface wipe, I bought these in a packet for about £2 from Waitrose. These are so gentle you can rub them over your skin too to remove any dye. Mine came off completely. (And so did the bathroom!) Make sure you do use plastic bags too because you can just scrunch them up and throw them away afterwards, no point ruining a perfectly good towel. Also if by heaven forbid you do get hairspray on your carpet, to avoid impending death don't forget my Tuesday Tip that I did for Gem Fatale last month on how to remove it.

Remember, hair extensions when bought from the right place are real human hair and behave just like human hair too. To keep mine looking glossy and pretty before blow drying them I spritzed on some Aussie Take The Heat Leave in Conditioner as I would my own natural hair - not too much mind, it'll go greasy otherwise. Also don't use any hairspray on them, the hairspray clings to the dye and will completely strip the colour from them and they're a pain to keep redying!

Then simply enjoy your new dip dyed hair!

Halo Hair extensions retail at £59.99 for a 20 inch full set. These are the ones I have if you want to dye them like mine.

What do you think of dip dying hair extensions? I like how my style can be removed and applied as and when I like, and there's no effort in redying the pink. Do you rate Halo Hair? Let me know if this helped you and if you'll do something like this at home - show me! Or tweet me.

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: The Halo Hair was sent to me by PR for consideration, but the Schwartzkopf and Manic Panic were purchased by me. So was the Dettol! Although Del might have bought it, I don't remember. Haha.

nars ponderosa cream eyeshadow

2011-12-05T17:00:00.001Z

NARS Ponderosa Cream Eyeshadow - Limited Ed Holiday A/W 2 2011

Nothing beats a good cream eyeshadow. When done properly it can completely transform the look of a powder eyeshadow, can set the eye and can make a base that lasts all night. I love getting a new cream eyeshadow because they're generally 1. harder to find in the colour you want compared to powder eyeshadow (hundreds of those in the world) and 2. hard to find one that doesn't crease. Now, I can't lie to you ladies and gentlem...alright, ladies, it's not possible to find one that doesn't crease. The closest i've come is with Illamasqua's Cream Pigments - I can get about three hours wear out of them alone before they crease on my eyelids. So I was very excited to try my first ever NARS Cream Eyeshadow to see how they faired against the others. I popped it on alone and did it crease? Yes. It did, unfortunately. This was after about an hour and a half. So it doesn't pass the crease test - but to be fair, I challenge you all to find me a cream eyeshadow worn alone that doesn't crease!

The pigmentation - does it live up to NARS Powder Eyeshadows? Yes, i would say it definitely does. It's very pigmented and the best thing about it is that it layers so well. If you buy a cheap cream eyeshadow and try and layer it it wont layer, it'll just slip and slide and go into a lumpy gooey mess, ergh. This however, layers beautifully - just adding more and more pigment each time. So impressed. I find this generally happens with higher quality makeup though, my Illamasqua and MAC are the same - layer beautifully. Here's a little look at how it swatches:

Anyway I was marvelling at it's beauty and looking at my inner arm all funny when I suddenly thought *ding of lightbulb* 'this totes reminds me of Mekong!' And so I dashed off, swatch on arm still, to grab my Mekong and see how it faired. Mekong is a powder eyeshadow from NARS and has been a staple in my bag for over a year now, look how smushed it is! (Sorry Francois)

They look really similar don't they! Mekong is much darker, a bit dirtier looking than Ponderosa. Ponderosa is very sparkly and metallic whereas Mekong is very grubby almost - it's my smokey eye must-have. Here's a look at how the two compare:

Ponderosa is on the top and Mekong is on the bottom. What do you think?! I love how similar they are, means I can make Mekong sit on a base that helps it pop perfectly in the way it should and also creates the most gorgeous brown smokey. I also love how totally different they are in that Ponderosa is really metallicy and Mekong has that matte base. I absolutely love Ponderosa - I can forgive her for creasing, it's not her fault right? She's just so sparkly and pretty! It feels very soft and creamy and is quite slippery to the immediate touch but dries to a lovely slightly powdery finish. I would recommend patting on a couple of layers of Ponderosa and then using a soft but dense brush patting on the desired shade. A glitter shade will create a pretty party look and a dark shade like Mekong will create that most-wanted dark smokey NARS eye that will actually stay put all night. I found when layering powder on top of Ponderosa it lasted pretty much all day, about 9 hours wear.

Ponderosa is completely Limited Edition and only available for the A/W Holiday collection. It retails at Space NK, Selfridges, Harrods and NARS.co.uk. It costs £16.50.

What do you think of Ponderosa? Do you think you'd invest in it? How do you feel about cream eyeshadows, do you love them or hate them? Do you own Mekong and would you layer the two up? I know I will!

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: Ponderosa was a PR sample from NARS given to me for my consideration. Mekong is my own and was purchased with my own money.

the god of lipsticks gets married!

2011-12-04T22:13:00.003Z

dress: little mistress at new look | shoes: new look | hair: halo hair extensions
last photo: all the tools I used on my face and hair to get this look

Ok so two secrets are out this Sunday dear TLL readers: 1. my posh frock that I kept telling everyone was Vivienne Westwood is actually from the most humble New Look and 2. my hair isn't my own - sob! Ok well most of it is my own, but the pink bits are all Halo hair extensions. I actually dyed a full set of blonde hair to be black and pink to match my own hair and although in reality it's only about an inch and a half longer than my real hair it adds loads of thickness and volume and also pink tips! I love this though, because I can be normal Zozo daily and then pink tipped Zozo when I want to party or have a little fun with my look! Best of both worlds.

Anyway the dress. This Friday saw my boss (the god of lipsticks) get married at the beautiful One Marylebone and the theme was 'red carpet glamour' - to which we even walked down a red carpet being papped to enter the wedding. I decided to go for something a little Gaga, a little Jessie but above all - me. I couldn't feel comfortable in something that didn't feel like me and I loved this dress I spotted in New Look! I went shopping with Karla and we both almost choked on our words we couldn't believe it was a New Look piece. It also costs just £30! Seriously! It's by a designer called Little Mistress and is sold in larger New Look stores - where I found it - and if you want to buy it you can find it here. If you buy one party frock this Christmas I can highly recommend this one. I also ventured into their shoe department to pick something and spotted this one lone pair of glitzy shoesies which I well, quite frankly, grabbed like a maniac. These were just £25 and were the only gold pair in the Marble Arch branch. And they were so my size! Fate or what. Anyway I did feel somewhat like a gothic fairy but I loved the look and above all, it was Zozo all over. The wedding itsself was amazing, everyone did a fantastic job. I even got the best shout out in the speeches for being Adam's 'superblogger' ! ;) haha. Anyway it was just beautiful and most of us spent the day in awe at how beautiful it was - fair play, they did their wedding full on properly. There was a photobooth, and all the photos were put in the guestbook first and then we were given a copy to keep. Here's some photos from the day including the literally amazing performance from David Van Day and Sue Moxley - legends!

1. Del, Me, Karla and Alice. 2. The venue. 3. Me and Karla. 4. The meat! 5. David Van Day and Sue Moxley. 6. Me, Jono, James, Leanna, Karla and Alice. 7. Del and I.

What do you think of my dress and shoes? Do you like my hair - have you tried Halo hair? There is a seperate post coming up on how I did it so if you want to experiment with tip colours look out for that - or just if you want tips dying hair extensions. Would you wear something similar to a wedding yourself?

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: Although I shopped and chose the dress and shoes myself they were gifted to me for free for my consideration by New Look. The Halo hair extensions were a PR sample again sent for my consideration.

postcards from the past - with river island

2011-12-02T12:30:00.001Z

top: river island | shorts: h&m | tights: h&m | shoes: new look

River Island have their current A/W trend season in full flow in store, and it's full of key party pieces like this statement top with top hat, glasses and lipstick detail. I simply adored it and couldn't wait to team it with my brand new shorts from h&m! I love how when you wear it like this, it's mainly the top hat that pokes out with a little bit of glasses! So cute.

River Island want to celebrate this marvellous collection with you all by sharing a little love. For this they've devised this rather nifty little Facebook game which you can play on their official page. Basically you just hunt for their 9 best items from the range, and once you've found them you're entered into a competition to win them all! I had a little go myself and I have to say, it's hard!

Anyway, what do you think of this top? I love how casual it is, but how dressed up it can be! I think this is a really fun party look that doesn't feel too overdone. You know sometimes at Christmas you can end up looking like one of those mental big fat turkeys all golden and wrapped in tin foil (haha) I think with this kind of look you can be a bit glam and sparkly but not crazy in your face either.

And yes, I'm aware my hair has changed! More on this to follow...

Head over to the official River Island Facebook page and play Postcards from the Past to win!

What do you think of this look? Do you like the way I wore it? I do think it's so important to put a little extra thought into how you wear a t shirt, just to make it as styled as it possibly can be! Are you gonna go and enter Postcards from the Past? Do you like my new hair? Hehe!

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: The River Island top was a PR sample sent for my consideration but I am not paid for any use of links to their Facebook within this post - I genuinely just wanted to share the great competition with you. The shoes and hair were PR samples or courtesy of PR and were not paid for by myself.

benefit watt's up highlighter

2011-11-28T19:49:00.000Z

Benefit's Watt's Up Highlighter

I love the packaging on Benefit's Watt's Up highlighter, but I tell you now, it's a blimmin' nightmare to get in. I'm actually rather a lot like a man sometimes in that I can be found disregarding any sort of manual or instructions in favour of just giving it a bash and seeing how it goes. Usually cosmetics like this are quite straight forward - lid pops off, product comes out. Done. Sometimes there's a little screw mechanism sometimes there's not. Whatever. This little baby - looks absolutely beautiful but was like cracking the Da Vinci Code to get inside! I ended up ripping the sponge out, trying to twist things that clearly didn't twist.. gosh, once I figured it I felt like a right bloody fool but figuring it took much longer than it should. Anyway, to spare you the drama of ending up like that, you simply pop off the base (as shown in the photo) then the little blue lid, and then twist up the highlighter. The sponge is used to blend the highlighter into skin, but I personally didn't like the sponge, favouring my fingers for a more natural effect.

When swatched it's a gorgeous nudey/peach gold toned pearl effect that looks like this:

It's so pretty. It can be a little tiresome using white toned highlighters, although I like the effect on my pale skin it can be nice in Winter to warm up my face a bit using a gold toned highlighter. I loved the way this sat on my cheeks and I think it complimented my skin well. I was worried it might be a little orange, but it's not. One thing I will say is that don't use a lot of it - use it very sparingly! Use too much and you'll look like a glitterball. I'm also a big lover of tinted moisturiser instead of foundation, and I found this to sit really nicely on top of a tinted moisturiser too - can often be a worry with something a little slippier than foundation. It blended really easily and felt lovely on my skin. If you're a natural beauty, popping this on by itsself would bring a brand new radiant glow to your skin - especially on darker skinned ladies.

It dries to a cream finish and reminds me a lot of the NARS Multiples. It's got the same vibe about it. I love the Multiples, so that's no problem. I just really wouldn't recommend using the sponge, I found it to remove more of the product than actually blend - definitely better off using your fingers for a soft glow.

Benefit's Watt's Up retails at £24.50 from Debenhams, Benefit stores and online here.

I do think it's expensive but you do get what you pay for - these types of products do last a long time. You probably can find a powder version for much cheaper on the high street, but it wont quite give you that dewy finish that this one does so well. Plus, once you've cracked the code - the lightbulb is super cute!

What do you think of Watt's Up? Do you own it or do you think it's overpriced? Do you like products like this or are you a powder highlighter girl? Do you even use highlighter/all over glowy products at all?!

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: Benefit's Watt's Up was provided for me for consideration by Benefit. They didn't provide any instructions for how to work it though!

faux fur + playsuit

2011-11-27T15:55:00.000Z

coat: forever 21 | playsuit: h&m

I've been living in this coat basically since I got it about a week ago. It's so warm! As I tweeted a little while ago, I'm worried it's going to turn into Homer's old dirty poncho! It's perfect for snuggling in when braving the cold, for snuggling on the sofa in, for snuggling in at the desk at work and for well, snuggling in general! It's from Forever 21 which I know is quite hard to find in the UK but you can get it online now, and I'm warming to it each time I pop in. I wasn't sure how to feel about the store at first, and it did help when I saw the S/S 12 collection and invisaged the future for F21, because I have been frequenting the store since it came in the UK on it's opening day. There definitely are some gems and definitely some stuff I don't like - but I think that's the same with a few stores on the UK high street.

My playsuit is from H&M (obviously!) and it's a soft silky effect. It was only £24.99 and is absolutely gorgeous on. I love the soft effect it has -it does genuinely feel like i'm sitting in my pjs! One thing about it is that it totally picks up every tiny little spill, even a little water! I've had to wash it straight away after wearing it once just because of the colour and the nature of the style it looks weirdly dirty even if it's not. Which is a bit annoying but such is life!

I love teaming a big faux fur coat with a little delicate number - it's very Marilyn Monroe esque and I really love that style. It's totally warm, but still feminine and pretty at the same time.

The F21 coat can be bought here.

What do you think of this style? Do you like my coat and playsuit? Would you wear something like this or is it not your style? Let me know! My blog wont let me comment on my own comments at the minute but I love hearing what you have to say!!

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: The Forever 21 coat was gifted to me by Forever 21 and not paid for with my own money. The H&M playsuit was bought by me entirely.

bloggers wearing shu uemura lashes

2011-11-26T17:00:00.001Z

From top to bottom: Natalya - Filthy Gorgeous Makeup, Faye - All These Pretty Things, Jen - A Beauty Junkie In London, Lina - Make Up To Make Out, Kate - gh0stparties + Katie - Katie's Beauty Blog and finally me!

Shu Uemura Event - October 2011

There's nothing better than a gorgeous pair of eyelashes. I bet some of you gorgeous girls are even popping some on as we speak ready for your Saturday night on the town! One of the brands most synonymous with gorgeous lash products are the wonderful Shu Uemura - who specialise in the most bespoke lashes money can buy. A bunch of us were invited down to one of the most gorgeous venues in London for an evening with Shu Uemura to find out what made the lashes so great. After being allowed to choose our own pair of lashes, the lash artists (that's my new fancypants name for them now) took to our eyes and totally blinged them up. The lashes range from full on crazy to quite demure and pretty. We all chose different lashes, fortunately, and they made for some gorgeous photographs!

The Shu Uemura lashes are incredibly versatile, and last much longer than standard lashes. They don't come with glue however, so the cost of the lashes can be doubled but the lash glue they use is amazing - it wont budge until you ask it too and it's so kind to eyes. Also it comes in a bigger tube so it does last longer in the long run.

Both Faye and Lina's are made entirely out of feathers - how beautiful! Jen's are a natural flutter look, Natalya's have built in eyeliner to save you doing both and mine had eyeliner made out of diamantes! The range doesn't stop there though, I totally had my eye on the makeup artists' box of eyeshadows! They do a refillable system with the eyeshadow pans being £11 each where you can fill to make a box of eyeshadows like this:

How gorgeous? They are a little on the pricey side, but they're so soft and pigmented. Each of us aside from Natalya was given a little eyeshadow makeover which you can see in the photos. I think Lina's is particularly striking and gorgeous - how well does it compliment her skintone?

Shu Uemura lashes range from £15 to £30 and can be bought from www.shuuemura.co.uk or Space NK.

What do you think of all the bloggers in the lashes? Spot any of your favourite bloggers? Do you think you'd wear any of the lashes featured? How do you feel about lashes, would you rather spend a little money on a cheap throwaway pair or invest in a showstopping reusable pair from Shu Uemura?

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: This event was courtesy of Handpicked Media and all the eyelashes featured on the bloggers shown are all PR samples.

you know it's christmas when you spend at lush!

2011-11-23T13:15:00.000Z

Lush Christmas Products 2011

I do really like Lush. I used to like Lush a lot more than I do now, but mainly because as with most things when you're an impatient addict always wanting the new thing over time you spend less time in the store and less money on the products. There is an exception to this rule though - Christmas at Lush! I needed a little pick-me-up a couple of weeks ago and so I picked up a few of the little bits just to start me off and I thought i'd share them with you. They are just too pretty not to photograph! I've only just got a bath in my new flat so i'm really excited about using them! I picked up (from top to bottom above) The Gingerbread House, The Melting Snowman, Three Gold Rings and Cinders. A couple of them are named incorrectly as shown above but the descriptions are still valid - odd!

I also bought another item but it'll be revealed in it's very own seperate post I love it that much! I'm a huge fan of Lush's bath products, so you can see my purchases are either Bath bombs or Bubble Bars - how seriously gorgeous is the Snowman? Awwww. Melted my heart! So cute. I bought Cinders and The Gingerbread House last year so already knew I loved them - they both have unique and gorgeous smells. Cinders is coated with popping candy so it fizzes and pops in the bath!

They're all so reasonably priced at about £3 each, and I think they're a lovely Christmas gift even if it's to yourself. I love their Christmas gift sets and think I might end up picking up a couple for gifts this year! I don't rate a huge amount of Lush's products, some of the body care and some of the skincare is a bit iffy - but I like the cutesy novelty bath stuff a lot! I do agree upon reflection with Lily about the smell of the store, I do wish it was better laid out so you could just smell each item individually rather than just being overwhelmed with the smells all in one go upon entering the store - whoosh!

What do you think of Lush? Do you love the bath stuff or do you rate their other products? Have you gone and done the annual Beauty Blogger's Pilgrimage to Lush for Christmas stuff?

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: All the Lush stuff featured was bought by myself.

instyler rotating iron

2011-11-22T21:21:00.001Z

Instyler Rotating Iron - Instyler

The Instyler is completely unique to any other hair styling product i've ever clapped my eyes on. For one it's got a bristly brush and for two it rotates. Yeah, what? Awesome! Something that rotates can only bring big bouncy curls as far as i'm concerned. The Instyler was developed by two stylists having worked in the industry for years and a bunch of those clever engineers that knew just how to stop women from getting flustered when styling hair. It's got three different heat settings, and the beauty of it is that because it rotates, it basically doesn't stick to your hair and frazzle it - so it's so good for your hair. Perfect for me! I've suffered with badly frazzled hair for a long time, and hairdressers have told me it's partly down to the tools I use - 1, being cheap and 2, just frazzling my hair. So I do believe with the Instyler you get what you pay for, and I especially like the idea that it doesn't hang onto your hair long enough to burn it.

Now, I have mid length hair now, and the barrel is quite big. I instantly thought - hmm, is this going to work on me? And I do believe it does work better on long hair simply because it looks gorgeous having run through the ends for a soft curl, much like the promo image. What I can NEVER achieve ever from backcombing or straightening or any sort of blowdrying is that gorgeous Fearne Cotton-esque tousled short volume, and that was what I intended to set out achieving with the Instyler. Having scanned the QR code on the box and got my how-to video up on my iPhone I set about getting some Fearne locks! I popped mine on the hottest heat because my hair is thick - if your hair is fine you must turn it to the medium or low setting. Then to use it you take a section of your hair, wrap it around the barrel and then clamp the Instyler to set the revolver going. You leave for about 20/30 seconds and then remove! Let's take a look at my new Fearne hair! *Note, these photos were taken without the aid of any hairspray or backcombing at all.

Seriously impressed with the amount of volume it instantly gave my hair! I think it's totally created that soft-messy-tousled-indie-girl look well, and on my hair it's almost a bit grungy, I love it! Basically at the moment I don't have any fancy hair things, just some straighteners and a good set of brushes - so I can only ever do poker straight, or full on curly curls. I've never been able to achieve that inbetween look and every time I see Fearne I want it! I love what the Instyler has done to my hair, and it took about ten minutes. Well, it took ten minutes once i'd figured out the tool! I have to be honest, if you're not a hair stylist or even remotely good at hair - trust me i'm completely hopeless - it's quite the confusing contraption at first. I did find myself getting a tiny bit flustered trying to find the button to activate the rolling barrel but once I stopped being a dingbat it was easy to do.

I would immediately recommend the Instyler to you lovely long haired girls - because you'll get perfect Kim K curls every time, but for shorter to mid haired girls it doesn't really create curls but trust me it creates loadsa volume! For me, the price is justified because I don't know any other hot tool that adds beautiful volume rather than just styling, and I feel 100% confident that the Instyler is being kind to my hair. Not only that but it straightens amazingly - I found it straightened and added volume, which is usually rare to find a tool that does both well - and my hair looks super shiny. Awesome!

You can get the Instyler for £99.99 from www.instyler.co.uk, Boots and QVC!

What do you think of the Instyler? Would you buy it? Are you concerned about the hair tools you buy and whether you're frazzling your hair or not? Ever since my hairdresser told me off I seriously am - no more awful £19.99 straighteners for me! Let me know what you think- I reckon this could make a great Christmas gift!

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: This was a sponsored post courtesy of Handpicked Media and the tool was a PR sample.

my interview with grazia daily!

2011-11-22T16:29:00.000Z

Yup that's my voice at the start! Just a quick blog post to show you the interview I did with Grazia Daily. My bestie Lily Pebbles did it too and it's turned out really well apart from seeing my awful mug on video!
Hope you guys like it and thankyou Grazia!

Love Zozo

look beauty triple hit eyeshadows

2011-11-21T12:00:00.000Z

Look Beauty Triple Hit Eyeshadows in LA Luxe and Sexy Smoke

So, braving the world of crossover beauty mag and cosmetics world is the UK's most loved weekly, Look Magazine. Having combined their years of experience writing and raving about beauty for their readers with a passion and love for cosmetics, they decided to create a range that embodied all that is great about fashion and beauty. Thus, Look Beauty was born! It's the first of it's kind, the first ever magazine to create a full cosmetics line - which retails in Superdrug stores. Last week saw the blogger launch of the range and I just could not help but show you two pieces from the collection that I haven't been able to stray away from since I got them. The range has got some new products that aren't seen on the high street, namely the Double Hit lip which is a lipstick and a lipgloss in one but here, the Triple Hit eyeshadows. What this is is a huge dome full of baked eyeshadow goodness with three gorgeous shades to create the perfect eye look all in one go. I know what you're thinking, baked eyeshadow, yawn. But these are completely different. They're soft, finely milled, pretty, and well not to mention huge, but above all they have incredible payoff! Seriously. I am in love with them and have created some gorgeous looks with them.

Let's take a little look at what I mean, here's some swatches of both:

Triple Hit in LA Luxe | Look Beauty

Triple Hit in Sexy Smoke | Look Beauty

How gorgeous is LA Luxe? Seriously? I've found my perfect eye at the moment consists of the white highlight in the corner of my eye from Sexy Smoke, then the soft peach glitter from LA Luxe under my brow bone and softly through the inner lid, followed by the sparkly gold frm LA Luxe all over the lid, then mixing a little of the black from Sexy Smoke and the taupe brown from LA Luxe together on my brush and blending through the crease. Gorgeous! Normally, I approach baked eyeshadows with caution because they usually equal fallout, or intense glitter chunks all over the top of my cheeks. But these do not do either, they have everything from your standard eyeshadow but in a softer baked version. I really love them, i'm totally not afraid to admit that I rate the peachy glitter just as highly as one of my favourite highlights - MAC's All That Glitters. Eeek! Bold statement...

The Triple Hit eyeshadows retail at just £7.50 which is an absolute steal I think. They also perform intensly when used wet, so do have a great multitude of uses. I am really loving these at the moment and think they're totally worth the money. Look Beauty isn't in every single Superdrug store yet but they've got a list up on their Facebook page of all the stores that are carrying it, and I do encourage you to get down to one and check it out! Not everything in the range is to everyone's taste, there are some bold and bright shades - but I think these ones are a good safe bet and should be in everyones makeup stash! They've earned a place in my makeup bag even, honoured.

I'll leave you with a picture of our photobooth fun from the blogging event!

What do you think of Look Beauty? Are you loving these Triple Hit eyeshadows like I do? Or do you not rate it? How do you feel about a magazine making a beauty range, hit or miss? Let me know! Due to lack of internet i'm really missing blogging regularly (my posts have cut from 4/5 a week to 1 atm!) so I love the chatter!

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: These Triple Hit Eyeshadows were gifted and not paid for by myself.

l'occitane divine immortelle event and review

2011-11-18T16:00:00.000Z

L'Occitane Bloggers Evening - September 2011

I have always been intregued by L'Occitane. I work right next to their store on St.Christopher's Place and every single day am interested by the gorgeous sights and smells. When invited for a very personal event in their most beautiful underground London store, how could I not resist? The event was to meet their newest range, Divine Immortelle. Being particularly interested in this range as I was, not only because it's star cream 'Creme Divine' has been hailed as the best anti-aging cream in the UK but also because of the involvement of Immortelle - the flower. Immortelle is more commonly known as the Everlasting flower, and it was first brought to my attention on a trip to Venice, Italy, around Mothers Day. The Immortelle flower is traditionally given in bundles to Mothers on Mother's Day in Europe - especially in Italy, Germany and France. When clustered together it is beautiful - I bought my Mum back some from Germany once attached to some chocolate kisses, mm - and it's most beautiful smell and appearance is quite striking. Across Venice it was beautiful, the streets covered with the little yellow flower and it could be found hanging from windows and decorating restaurants. The reason for the flower being called the Everlasting is that the flower completely retains it's colour and form even when dried out. So you can understand why an anti-aging skincare range would benefit from it's natural essential oils, right?

Quite like myself, the Immortelle flower was discovered on a Med holiday by one of the L'Occitane team where soon after they discovered it's essential oil properties. The Immortelle range overall covers everything you'd need from eye creams to night creams and even an essential water. Obviously the hero product is the Divine Cream, but should that not be to your suiting there's plenty of moisturisers that are. The reason for the event was that the Immortelle range recently expanded to cover the Immortelle Precious range, bringing a whole 'nother range of products to the forefront of L'Occitane. These recently launched in store, debuting the week of the event which now was back in September.

At the event we were graced by the presence of L'Occitane enthusiast Jo Fairley, former journalist and editor of the most recent book in her series: The Anti Aging Beauty Bible. The reason for her involvement in this event was that Jo had tried numerous creams and for her the Divine Cream came out on top, with one of the highest scores in the book. I got the chance to chat to her briefly and also take home a copy of the Anti Aging Beauty Bible with me, cool!

Jo signing my book

Natalya (who clearly doesn't need any form of anti aging products for years, grrr) with a copy of the book

So after the event I had a Divine Cream to take away with me and try for myself. After all these rave reviews in particular from Jo herself I was more than curious to see how it worked. I mean, look at Jo's skin - it's amazing! If it works like that on her, it's sold. I've been using it since the event two months ago now. Let's take a closer look at it:

Divine Cream | L'Occitane

Firstly, hello packaging! How gorgeous is that? Not only is it bright yellow - which pleases me and brings me joy everytime I use it - it's just lovely to hold and use. God I love it! I think the design is fantastic and really brings the flower to life. It is a pot though, which may put some people off instantly but to be honest it doesn't bother me at all.

It arrives sealed with a foil seal, which is a great thing as a lot of pot moisturisers don't. This for me is very important - it means I am truly the first person to touch the cream inside since it's manufacture. Now, L'Occitane claim it drastically improves skin over four weeks and makes skin look younger and more radiant. Now, I've been using this just in the evenings and sticking with my usual day cream in the day. Why? Because this is quite thick, and I didn't want to plonk too much moisturiser on my face for the day.

I did however find myself reaching for this when I had a bad reaction to a product used on me in a facial - which left my skin feeling sore to the touch, red and feeling hot like it was burnt almost. I scoured my moisturiser shelf and this was the one I ended up reaching for and relying on. Not only did it take the 'hot' feeling out of my skin but it also really did wonders on reducing the redness. I was at work when the biggest flare up happened and I found myself feeling embarrassed and self concious just in my bare skin (couldn't put any makeup on!). I slapped this on twice during the day and this is how I know it's a great cream. Not only was the redness gone entirely by the next day but it saved my skin totally. I really had to rely on it to perform and fix my poor broken skin and it totally did. It's gentle, yet restorative and I felt much happier by the next day. I feel had I not got my Divine Cream on the case my end story would have been very different. My skin took a little while to adjust to the cream, with a few spots flaring up over night on my top cheeks and chin area - where i'm a little oily - but once it settled it left really lovely overnight results. My skin does look brighter and I felt it was looking lovely. I have since alternated this with some other night creams (including the Immortelle Precious by L'Occitane!) and I really like it.

As far as it's claims for anti aging and wrinkle firming go, I guess I can't really comment on this. Mainly because I don't have many wrinkles at my age and also because I can't speed up time to tell you in ten years or not if I feel younger looking because of it. I will however continue to use it religiously and hope and pray for the best! I do want to be a yummy mummy you know!

L'Occitane's Divine Immortelle Cream retails at £65 from L'Occitane stores, QVC and Debenhams.

What do you think of L'Occitane? Have you tried anything from their range before? Do you think the Divine Cream is up your street or not something you'd look to purchase? I think it's great, and I know £65 seems like a lot but the pot is massive seriously. It's going to last me a very long time and for that basis and because of how well it fixed my face in it's hour of need (although this is everyday, haha!) I would reach and rely on it time and time again.

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: The event was courtesy of L'Occitane and the Divine Cream was provided for me by their PR for consideration. What L'Occitane did not provide however was the horrible sensation from my reaction to another skincare product but what it genuinely did do was save it. Thankyou precious flower! *rolls around in precious flower*

first look: forever 21's spring/summer 2012 collection

2011-11-17T12:45:00.000Z

Forever 21 Spring/Summer preview event - London November 2011

Forever 21 is still a relatively new concept to the UK, having landed over here earlier this year firstly in Birmingham and then in Oxford Street in late September. After it's much anticipated arrival, the intial hype of F21 seems to have died down and the general marketing of the brand isn't really stretching far and wide. It's never really in any glossy magazines here yet, and it's not been on tv much. If you lived out of London, it probably would slip massively under your radar - and I can see why. For me, I work opposite the store on Bond St, so it's quite actively in my face all the time. I was very curious to see the direction they would take for Spring/Summer and how F21's venture into their very first full year in the UK would go. I went down with Lily to the launch event two weeks ago and this is what we discovered! There are four new collections within the range, and the first one (as shown in the youtube video) is called 60's Doll.

60's Doll | Forever 21 S/S 12

This was undoubtedly my favourite range out of all of the collections, it's made up of soft pastels and creams, scattered with lace and detail. It's soft and feminine, yet classic with blazers and chiffon shirts. Dress it up or down as much as you like and accessorize to the nines! I really felt this one was definitely the most 'Zoe' out of all four and both Lily and I were instantly drawn to it, loving a lot of the pieces and lusting after owning them now!

Japanese Garden | Forever 21 S/S 12

Japanese Garden is a mixture of clean colours and intense florals. It's very drapey and material focussed, with a lot of the attention falling onto the fabric and the way in which it is executed - long draping sleeves or short statement sleeves etc. It's very oriental as incinuated within the title and is definitely full of statment pieces. I feel like if you were a floral person (i'm not, unfortunately) you could take a couple of these pieces and fully accentuate an outfit with their clashing patterns. I felt like this was a collection that may also appeal to a slightly older woman - which surprised me for Forever 21 as I always see it's target market as being quite young - Japanese Garden being somewhat a reinvention on that thought.

Retro Riviera | Forever 21 S/S 12

This is very much a classic Spring/Summer collection, stripes, holiday, French inspired clothing. I like it overall and I love the concept but nothing massively stood out for me, and I did actually find it to be very similar to a favourite of mine, H&M. What I really loved was this super cute little anchor bracelet, I loved how colourful it was for anchors! So cute. I think this collection definitely has some nice things but it didn't inspire me or make me go wow like the 60s Doll, it was just nice really. Seriously do love those floppy hats though! One day i'll be brave enough to buy one!

Pop and Block | Forever 21 S/S 12

Pop and Block is bright bold colours blocked out to create statement pieces. Think Jessie, think Gaga and think Nicki. I think this is definitely the 'party' collection of the range, the most party style dresses. The last one shown in particular is so Gaga futuristic-esque and I love it's simplicity for a party piece. I was really drawn to the colourful jewellery in this range and thought the big chunky bracelets were awesome!

So those are the four sub-collections in Forever 21's UK S/S Collection. Like I said, 60's Doll was easily the stand out for me and I believe of the room. The venue was so that it had all little seperate booths, and each collection was arranged in each one - so nice - but the 60s Doll was constantly the most popular. I think due to how modern it is and how much everyone is loving the lace/blazer trend at the moment it's going to sell really well next year in store. I also liked Pop and Block and would love to see how they merchandise it all in store when it lands!

What do you think of Forever 21? Do you live near one, or have you missed out on it's hype completely? Do you think it's as good as the US or have they not quite nailed it yet? Me, i'm still on the fence. I like a lot of their stuff but some of it I think isn't fab. But it's still seriously early days for F21 here in the UK and i'm willing to give them that grace! I just can't wait to see what else they come up with - and being smack bang opposite it, it's not really hard to avoid...

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: The event was hosted by F21 who I am not affiliated with in any way. I was not paid for this post however was gifted a certain amount of money to spend in store on F21. This doesn't sway any of my opinions or actively effect the way I feel.

ysl holiday 2011 collection

2011-11-16T20:15:00.000Z

YSL - The Black Collection - Holiday 2011

“If I were to keep just one item of clothes, it would be the Tuxedo…” - Yves Saint Laurent

YSL have taken a different approach to holiday collections this year by focussing this one mainly around different hues of black. Black. I know what you're thinking, 'but, i've got one black - do I really need more?' and well, I guess the answer is up to you. Following on from their collector Tuxedo Touche Eclat which I spoke about a month or so ago, they continued the classic tuxedo theme through to this collection too. I have to be honest, I find YSL far too expensive for my budget, so when I see collections like this things immediately jump out at me as to whether they're worth the money for me or not and I think this collection is a real mixed bag. One thing I do think the collection does totally personify is that of Winter and Christmas in particular. I love the new packaging of the palettes too, wrapped in a classic pleated belt style covering - I love this touch! So the two palettes are the Palette Blanc Terriblement and the Palette Noir Terriblement. The first one i'm going to show you is the Palette Blanc Terriblement:

Palette Blanc Terriblement | YSL Holiday | £39

It's a very softly milled highlighter with three different sections, blue toned, pink toned and gold toned. When swept together they cause a gorgeous pure white with multi-dimensions of tone, and sweep across the cheeks gently to create a subtle highlight. I think this is similar to NARS Albatross, but I think this would suit more skintones due to the different undertones in it - the NARS is just gold, and I find I often need a little more pink in my cheeks due to my skintone. I've been reaching for this quite a bit since I got it, and I love using the pink bits on the apples of my cheeks with the gold as a slight contour. I then do a swish of all three and blend into my blush for a gorgeous shimmery party look! You can of course tone it down and just use a small amount - usually for daytime as the sun pigment can make you look a bit shimmery if you use too much.

Palette Blanc Terriblement | YSL Holiday | £39

So here it is, the piece de resistance of the collection - the palette with four black shades. Aesthetically, it looks just beautiful. I love how it totally personifies the tuxedo with the different tones of the black with the classic white, and how gorgeous it really is. The only problem for me is, essentially it is just four black shades. They do range from glitter to intense pigment to well, lighter black. As you can see in the swatches shown above, they are all quite similar. The two on the left hand side are much less glittery, whereas the two on the right are far glittery and therefore also seem a richer black to me. I was a bit baffled really as to why there needed to be four blacks in a palette, and personally I can't see a huuuge amount of difference between them. I turned and showed the swatches to Del and remarkably he was like 'yeah, they're four different shades of black'. So I can see the appeal but personally I could not justify £40 on four different black shades. If i had to choose i'd say the white and the very last black (bottom right) are the most gorgeous, with it being a bit akin to some of the glitterier NARS shades, but with much less fall out, but if i'm completely honest i'd have preferred some variants on greys and silvers so I can create a full tonal eye with one look, rather than just a black look. I do however like this palette and I will now use it as my go-to for a good black, but worth £40? I honestly don't think so. I'd much rather the highlight palette over this one!

Gloss 44

Gloss 45

Gloss 44

Gloss 45

Golden Gloss in 44 and 45 | YSL Holiday | £21

I love these glosses. They come in the iconic square YSL packaging which any seasoned makeup addict could tell you is YSL before you even showing them the lid detailing, and they're both beautiful. I'm not really a gloss girl (i know, i know it's all horribly ironic!) but these are the kind of glosses I prefer. I like either gloss with rich pigment so it replaces my lipstick, or gloss that just coats the lips and makes them sparkle. These are so sugary sweet looking I just want to slap them on and go party straight away! If I had to choose, I definitely prefer Gloss 45 to 44, as it's one of those types of sparkle where the different colours totally pop once applied to the skin. This really brings out the glitter and it is so pretty. One thing though is that I don't like how they're not named properly, I found it quite hard to get any information from the Internet about them and I just can't connect with numbers. Names are there to bring personification to a product to help you relate to the collection and believe in what it is telling you. I can't relate to numbers and that is just a tiny gripe that I personally wish they had named!

Overall if I had to choose I'd pick the Palette Blanc Terriblement because I think it's really unique and isn't like anything else in my makeup collection. I'd also definitely pick up the gloss in 45, because it's just so beautiful! When I put it on I was like, wow. It's thick but not sticky and remarkably soft for a gloss. I do like the whole vibe of this collection but some of it I personally could not justify due to just how much it costs!

YSL Holiday 2011 Collection is available now from department stores and some bigger Boots.

What do you think of this collection? Do you agree with me about the palette or do you love it? What do you think of the glosses? Let me know! Hope you liked my sparkly tinsel photos! Couldn't help myself..

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: All the products shown were provided for me for consideration by YSL, all considerations have been made by myself though and it hasn't effected my opinion.

first look and launch: diet coke and models own collab

2011-11-11T18:53:00.000Z

Diet Coke meets Models Own Launch: 10/11/11

Yesterday I went down to have an evening with Models Own and Diet Coke to celebrate their latest collaboration launch to be live in Boots stores on the 16th November. Every year, Diet Coke get together with a brand and with Boots so you can treat yourself when you buy Diet Coke! Last year we saw the Nails Inc and Diet Coke collaboration, but this year they've teamed up with everyones favourite Models Own and created four brand new lipglosses for your delight! I went along to the launch and had a wonderful chance to see them all in person before getting to try them out for myself. We also had a little activity which was very fun. So, we had the wonderful Lauren Parsons on hand, showing us four different lip looks to inspire us before we were given paper with lips on and each of the lipglosses to design our own lipgloss look. We had gems, glitter, stickers, edible candy, all sorts of things! I made three looks and loved getting glitter everywhere!

The idea behind this fun and games was that it was a little competition to be judged by Lauren, with the winner recieving a Marc Jacobs watch! Well, I only went and won didn't I?! Oh my gosh, literally thrilled! Here's the winning lip look with my new watch! So happy - thanks guys!

So the collection arrives in Boots stores on the 16th November and is running until the 27th December. The lipglosses come in four shades - Lacquer Red, Pure Plum, Glossy Pink and Golden Nude and are available once you pick up two bottles of Diet Coke - comes to about £2.50 ish from what I remember. Pure Plum and Golden Nude are shimmers whereas Lacquer Red and Glossy Pink are just pigmented shades without any shimmer. They apply so well for lipglosses - if i'm honest I do prefer the red and pink mainly because I don't usually go for shimmery lipglosses, either colour or glitter.

If you want to learn more about the range, find out why you need to be careful squeezing them, check out swatches and some footage from the event that I shot please do watch my youtube video at the top of this video or here. Don't forget to subscribe to my channel!

What do you think of the Models Own and Diet Coke collaboration? Will you be picking up two Cokes to get one? If so which shade do you like the look of most?

Love, Zozo

Disclaimer: All the lipglosses featured are PR samples provided for my consideration.

glitter on ice

2011-11-08T12:54:00.000Z

^oh no I slightly smooooshed it!

Essie's Lilacism and LA Colours's Sassy Sparkle

Lily absolutely raves to the moon and back about Essie polishes, and pretty much every time I see her she's wearing a different Essie shade. After a while, you sorta sit there and think 'hmm, so why don't I own one of these/try this?' so that's just what I did. I was in Liberty's Beauty Hall (again, dangerous) and I love browsing their little cubby holes of polish. I was looking through the Essie stand for a good 20 mins or so throughouly annoying anyone who tried to get in to the cubby hole aswell *scowls*. I s(potted this lovely lilac shade and knew it had to be mine. It's not as purple/blue as Jo'Mina, but it's more purply than most lilacs and also has a good mix of purple and muted pastel - I hate lilacs that are too pale (how dated) and I hate lilacs that are too bright (errgh!) but this one is just right, so I snapped it up!

I decided to mix it up a little bit rather than just wearing the one shade and feeling a little bit Christmassy out of nowhere - i'm so not normally this festive so early on! - I went for a slight Christmas style nail with some sparkly snowy glitter. All I did once Lilacism was dry was just paint on the glitter on to the tips, did one coat and waited for that to dry before applying another chunky load of glitter on the tip. Then I took my top coat and painted my nails backwards to drag it down the nail a bit and make the glitter look a bit less splotchy and like it had scattered over the tip. This worked with this polish because the glitter was essentially in a clear gloss.

I found this literally impossible to photograph well! The glitter is all multi-coloured, which the bottle doesn't even show well to be honest, and neither daylight, flash, false daylight settings or slow shutter speed could capture it as it looked in real life, so you'll just have to trust me all! I attended a few events the week I wore this and quite a lot of people were instantly drawn to them! In terms of wintery polish choices, it isn't really a conventional choice, i'd liken it to buying a sparkly Christmas themed bauble, or perhaps a visit to Santas Grotto - you know, that purpley/white snow background they've created and the multitude of sparkly glitter they've thrown over the top! But one of my favourite things to do at Christmas is to look at all the Christmas displays all over shops and garden centres etc so it's almost got a lovely childhood memory to it really.

LA Colours is a completely new brand of polish to me, I was shopping in Supercuts in Westfield when I spotted this budget cosmetics store selling mainly cheap perfumes. I was curious, as in the window they were advertising Guerlain *oooooh I said, and wandered in* and I was greeted with this MASSIVE wall of nails, oh my god. They're in little rip off O.P.I style bottles and some of the colours are just awful, and I'd never buy the rest of the makeup range but the polishes instantly appealed to me. Why? They retail at just 99p! Amazing! I picked up quite a few but I thought Sassy Sparkle was just perfect for going on top of Lilacism.

Essie retails in Selfridges, Harrods and Debenhams for £9.95 a bottle and in the UK LA Colours retail at Supercuts for 99p a bottle.

What do you think of my Christmassy nail manicure? Would you do anything similar at home? Do you use Essie for LA Colours? Let me know!

Love, Zozo

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