Sunday 29 September 2013

EXCLUSIVE! Superdry Beauty 'Bento Beauty Box'


Good afternoon my dears!
I've got a bit of a special post today. As I mentioned in my recent post on the new Timothy Everest Collection for Superdry, I had the opportunity to browse through loads of new Superdry product releases whilst visiting the Handpicked Media LFW suite recently. One of the most exciting things I got to look at on the day was their new Bento Beauty Box*, launching from 21st October. It's a different and quirky approach to a beauty gift set which is sure to appeal to the brand's massive Japanese following as well as being a huge hit with shoppers on all continents in the run up to Christmas. Each compartment in the box has a different beauty product!

 I even got to take one home with me! So I'm here today to give you all an exclusive sneaky peek at what's in it!


Watermelon LipFix - 10g
Superdry Eye Marker - 3ml
The Watermelon lip fix seems to me to be a bit of a cross between a clear lip gloss and a lip balm. It has no tint to it but a lovely, subtle watermelon flavour. I cannot wait to try the eye marker. I was swatching it on my hand this morning and the intensity of the black looks really promising. I really hope it lasts well.


Professional Volumising Mascara - 9ml
Nail Plane
This mascara has one of those curvy brushes that I like. I seem to have several mascaras on the go at the moment so I'm going to wait to pop this one open but I love the packaging! And what's not to love about a Superdry branded nail file?



Nail Paint - 4.5ml
Highlighter - 4.5ml
I actually got the same shade of nail polish applied at the event. It's a really fun shade of pink and stayed on for ages! The highlighter reminds me a little of BeneFit High Beam but I have heard really good things about it so can't wait to give it a whirl!


And lastly, you get one of these cute little Superdry button mirrors (sort of like a badge without the pin on the back). Great size for handbags!

I have no doubt that I will get use out of all of these products and look forward to thoroughly playing with them. This is my first proper trip into the world of Superdry Beauty products so I'm a bit excited. I'd highly recommend this as a Christmas gift for any beauty lover or fan of Superdry.

The Bento Beauty Box will retail for £25 and be available from Superdry stores and online from W/C 21st October. 

Are you as fan of Superdry makeup?? Any product recommendations?? Do you like the sound of a Bento Box with Beauty products in it??
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Friday 27 September 2013

My Month in Manicures: Sept'13

Hello again!
Remember when I used to do 'Monday Manicure' posts? Also remember that it got to the point when I was so crazily busy I kept forgetting it was Monday? Well I've come up with a solution. I've decided that I'm going to be bringing you all my manicures in one monthly nail polish post. I always snap a photo of my manicures for Instagram so I will now be compiling them into one monthly post with a bit of info on all the products I've used and what I think of them. As we're coming to the end of September I thought this would be the perfect time to start and you'll probably notice that I've wasted no time in embracing seasonal colours. Products are featured in chronological order starting with the first mani of the month....


Maybelline Color Show Polkadots: 'Shooting Stars'
I finally got round to trying this polish! I picked up two shades of the Polkadots polishes back in June (post can be found Here) and, until this month, had only got round to playing with the pink shade. Well, I got bored one night and decided I fancied a Galaxy mani. What you see here is two coats of 'Shooting Stars' with a sweep of my Loreal Confetti topcoat over the top to add a little extra dimension. I love the result! As you can see I'm a little clumsy with darker coloured nail polishes (this photo was taken before I'd had chance to clean it up) but I'm getting better now. As I recall this mani was a bit of a pain to remove but it was loads of fun and lasted ages!


Essie: 'Playa del Platinum'
You'll be starting to notice by now that I ADORE Autumn and have taken great joy in pulling out all my neutral nail shades in preparation for the season. Playa del Platinum is a particular favourite grey-nude of mine that I picked up at last year's Olympia Beauty show. It goes with just about anything. It's extra shiny in this photo as I added a big dollop of Seche Vite on top of it. 
 


OPI: 'Barefoot in Barcelona'
This has been a previous all-time favourite of mine for Autumn/Winter and it still ranks extremely highly. It's a warm, muted terracotta kind of shade that looks particularly amazing when teamed with gold rings or bracelets. My OPI shades have been a bit neglected of late, in favour of Nails Inc (my ultimate HG polish brand) but the shades I have always seem to get more use in the cooler months. Everyone should have this in their collection in my opinion. 


Nails Inc A/W Collection: 'St Martin's Lane'*
This polish brings us bang up to date (I'm currently wearing this). I finally got my mitts on the new Nails Inc shades for Autumn/Winter this week. I actually did a little SQUEE when I opened the parcel. Look out for a full post on the whole collection very shortly but I just had to show you this polish a little early. If Ribena were a nail polish it would be this one. It's a gorgeous deep purple, blackcurrant sort of shade and fits perfectly with this season's berry colour trend. I adore berry/wine shades for Winter, in fashion as well as nails. Raspberry is a particular favourite. Again, this isn't the tidiest of manicures but I am getting better with darker colours, honest!!

So that was my September in nail colours. Guess I averaged one mani a week this month. Sometimes it's more, sometimes it's less. I find that, with Seche Vite, my nail polish lasts for ages and it sometimes seems a shame to remove it when it still looks so immaculate. I will confess to you that there is ONE mani missing from this post, but only because it will feature in my NEXT post (which is actually a very exciting one so keep your eyes peeled). 

So,until next month..... HAPPY NAIL PAINTING!

What are your favourite nail shades for Autumn?? Do you love a particular brand of polish?? Do you change up your manicure weekly or more often??
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Saturday 21 September 2013

Timothy Everest for Superdry AW13


Welcome back my dears!
Don't know about you lot but I look forward to Autumn every year. I'm a September Birthday girl, I have a serious fetish for cosy jumpers, cardis and boots that I miss so much over the summer months, and also because Autumn is THAT time where you start putting serious thought into this year's Winter coat. Even though London Fashion Week this time round was focused primarily on Spring/
Summer of NEXT year, I had the opportunity to browse through the new Timothy Everest Women's collection for cult Japanese brand Superdry whilst hanging out at the Handpicked Media LFW Suite at One Aldwych at the weekend. There I was shown the entire women's collection and was able to take in each of the stunning jackets up close and personal. The design collaboration between Timothy Everest and Superdry founder James Holder has resulted in a contemporary selection of classic British shapes, colours and textures.... with a twist! These are four styles with four seriously different attitudes.


The Country Rebel
I fell head over heels for this jacket! I couldn't take my eyes off it. It's a modern take on a classic ladies riding/hunting jacket. Tailored beautifully and trimmed with a choice of vibrant colours including hot pink, purple and cobalt blue, it is a short, versatile style which could be dressed down with skinny jeans and riding boots or taken to town with a pencil skirt and heels. To bring it firmly into the 21st Century this jacket (and all of the other styles featured in this post) include a little inside pocket for your Oyster card and a loop inside the lapel to thread your headphones through. Available in 3 colours; Herringbone, Super Optical (with coloured trim - pictured) and Forrest Slub (a deep grey with navy trim).

The Muse
The buttons are what made this jacket for me. It features 12 branded Timothy Everest dome buttons which give it an almost military vibe. The hidden querks are exactly the same as with the Country Rebel. All of the jackets also have contrasting panels under the collar which is visible when turned up and features the Superdry brand name. What I also love is that Superdry have designed a pair of tailored shorts to match The Muse (RRP £75) making it a complete outfit. 

 
The Rock Rebel
Inspired by Debbie Harry and Chrissie Hynde (how awesome is that), this jacket is one that can be worn anytime, any place anywhere and is designed for comfort and versatility as well as style. The black version I have pictured could be perfect for a wild night out or just for a shopping trip. Casual, yet super chic at the same time. It is also available in Dogtooth print which hints at more of a mod kind of feel and has the same coloured trim options and functionality as it's sister styles.

The Town Coat
This style was created with Agyness Deyn in mind. This coat is seriously luxurious and so comfortable to wear (I've tried it on and it was love). It gives such a flattering long silouette and is perfect for day to night wear. It is just a beautifully tailored coat and would keep you seriously warm in the harsh months ahead. Perfect for strolling through the city or even strolling through the woods with your dog. I love how all the pieces in this collection are so versatile. It gives you endless style options from just one key piece. 

I loved looking through this collection and just had to share it with you. The fabrics have to be touched to be believed. Sadly, it is unlikely that I will ever own one as I'm still in the grip of student poverty haha. But if you're looking to spend that bit extra on a piece that will go with almost anything and last a hell of a long time then you should definitely consider one of these. 

You can browse all the styles and colours at superdry.com. All of these styles are available online and in Superdry stores now.

Do you love Autumn/Winter fashion?? Which of these styles would suit you best?? Do you go the extra mile when choosing your Winter coat??
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Friday 20 September 2013

Discovering Simply eLiquid


Hello my lovelies!
It's been almost a MONTH since I last posted. There are many reasons, and I'm planning a short post next week to try and explain a couple of them to you and introduce some new changes I'm implementing as of now. You'll probably notice that London Beauty Banter is no more and I've popped back up as That Lisa Clare. Again, all will be explained and I will have a bit of a catch up with you all and let you in on what I've been up to during my absence in due course.

As some of you will remember, back in April I gave up smoking. I haven't really mentioned it much since but here we are, almost 6 months later, and I'm STILL off the cigs! Hurrah!! I'm still using my electronic cigarette and really enjoying it. It really is so much better than the real kind. I've been testing out a new brand for the last week courtesy of simplyeliquid.co.uk and I'm here tonight to tell you a bit about it and how I've been finding it. 


Simply eLiquid were kind enough to send me the MAXI cigarette kit by JustFog* as well as three flavours of their popular eLiquid* to go in it.


I must say I've enjoyed using all the products! The quality is fantastic and the liquids are a great size. 

The MAXI kit consists of:
2x Electronic Cigarettes (batteries and tanks)
USB Charger Cable (with mains adapter plug)
Large eGo Carry Case
1x 30ml Bottle of eLiquid (of your choosing)

I was a bit baffled by the clearomiser tank to begin with. It's a top coil design but with a VERY short wick. I tend to favour a bottom coil (my current favourite being the Kangertech EVOD) and was fairly sure that the wick would not pick up the liquid well and result in those 'dry hits' that hit you straight in your windpipe. Actually, this isn't much of an issue as long as I tip the cigarette up every so often to ensure the wick remains saturated. The only thing I do find is that it doesn't take long for the liquid to start going brown (this happened after 2days for me but this didn't appear to affect the flavour or the functionality). The chamber is quite small and doesn't hold as much liquid as my EVOD, but if you like more variety and to change up your flavour more often then this is for you. I find I get around three tanks worth per battery charge.


The liquids are very pleasant indeed and great value. You get 30ml in a bottle and they come in every flavour you could imagine from Bubblegum to Apple Pie. The flavour itself is quite strong compared to other brands I've tried, which is not a bad thing at all. I guess it's like Ribena; some like it stronger than others haha. It's a PG/VG mix which is fine by me. It is a very clean tasting vape and you get a very satisfying amount of puff. The flavours I've been trying are Cola, Bubblegum and Passionfruit and it's a thumbs up on all three! I only take a low nicotine strength (these are 5mg) but the liquids on the site range from no nicotine at all right up to a whopping 36mg!!

The MAXI eCigarette Kit is sold for £39.99 on Simply eLiquid (link) and the eLiquids at £7.75 per 30ml bottle (Link). I don't think that's bad at all for the quality and quantity of the products. Remember, it's a double kit so you'll always have a spare! I've really enjoyed my first experience of Simply eLiquid and will definitely be using the site in the future for liquids. 

Do you Vape?? Are you considering giving up smoking?? Do any of these flavours appeal to you??
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