Paul & Joe Beach Baby Collection SS13

Hello beautiful people!!

I suspected that May was going to be a bit sporadic for London Beauty Banter, and I was right. I'm juggling so much at the moment and the exhaustion is creeping in so much of my blogging time has had to become nap time in the last week. I'm slowly getting through all these university deadlines though and I've taken this evening out to schedule a couple of posts for this weekend and the number one item on the agenda is definitely these fantastic new releases from the Paul & Joe Summer 'Beach Baby' collection. 

I got a little excited when I walked into the P&J offices for this event. You can't help but stare at Paul & Joe products can you?? The packaging is stunning! As always Paul & Joe have taken their inspiration for this collection from 60s nostalgia and all those gloriously retro beach films. The shades are perfect for that retro POP of colour that looks so beautiful in the sunshine.   

The Beach Baby Limited Edition Collection consists of....

Smoothing Base £26

Foundation primer and pore minimiser. Formulated with Apricot and White Lily Extract to deliver hydration whilst Jojoba oil helps skin retain that moisture throughout the day. This product refines the skin, making it smoother and more toned in order to provide the perfect canvas for flawless summer makeup.

SPF20 Pressed Powder £28

This powder comes in two shades; Beach Baby Pink and Summer Sand to cater for both warm and cool skin tones.  This powder will add a beautiful glow to your skin whilst disguising pores and absorbing excess oil to create a 'soft focus' effect.

Eyeliner/Eye Crayon Duo £22

A great multi purpose product! This product has a water resistant formula and combines liner to define the eyes as well as a versatile crayon which can be used as a liner or a smooth, glossy shadow. Great for popping in your beach bag for touch ups. The colours are...

Saint Tropez (01) Soft, natural sunkissed tones

Fiji (02) Beige and Lavender

Cypress (03) Earthy tones

Las Palmas (04) Aquatic, bold blues/greens

Santorini (05) Smokey Charcoal and Turquoise

Eye and Lip Gloss Duo £28

Another multi use product which is ideal for slipping into your beach bag. Inspired by sunsets and seascapes, these shades have been paired to be reminiscent of the 60s era. The shades are muted, but buildable to achieve an effortless summer makeup which will not budge. The shades are...

Santa Monica (01) Rose tones

Nice (02) A pop of purple with a subtle pink

Monaco (03) Sandy beige tones

Maui (04) Nectarine and Lemon

Bahamas (05) Vintage pink flamingo

Nail Enamels £12

Retro shades which pay tribute to some of the worlds' most beautiful beaches. These polishes come in the same adorable Paul & Joe packaging, with a summer twist of pink. I'm so excited about these colours! Paul & Joe haven't left anything out with this selection. There is everything from muted lavender to opal to aqua and orange. The shades are

Miami (031) Soft, yet striking Lavender

Caribbean (032) Cool aquamarine

Bermuda (033) Sunkissed Rose

Mauritius (034) Sparkling, pale sand tones

Rio (035) Rich, rusty orange

Blotting Papers £3.50

The trusty Paul & Joe blotting papers have had a summer dolphin makeover for this collection and are a must for absorbing excess dirt and oil while on the go or on the beach. Instant face freshening and perfect for your beach kit. 

I was lucky enough to take home some of the products, although I think I need more! I can't wait to try them out. I've been in need of a new brown liner and Saint Tropez is perfect! The smoothing base has got a lot to live up to because I'm expecting great things. I will, of course report back! 

It was so lovely to catch up with all the ladies from Paul & Joe and, of course, the awesome Craig-Ryan French (P&J Beaute's brand ambassador and SFX Makeup artist to the stars) who talked us through all of the new products with demonstrations on unwitting 'victims' and letting us swatch to our hearts content! 

The Paul & Joe Beach Baby Collection is available NOW instore at Harrods, Fenwicks and Selfridges as well as online at ASOS. It will also go live on BeautyBay from 1st June. It's well worth investigating and will look BEAUTIFUL on your vanity. 

Do you look for vintage inspiration when the weather heats up?? Do you think you will pick up any of these products?? What are your beach bag essentials??

Mini Haul: Nails Inc, Bourjois, NARS

 Evening all!!

I've been doing a bit of hauling this week so far! Nothing too major but exciting nonetheless. Couple of online orders followed by a little 3for2 whim in Superdrug. I've got Summer makeup firmly on my mind lately. Probably because the sunshine has begun to shine through a little. The products I've acquired this week are all PERFECT for Spring/Summer!

I've been  using a lot of Bourjois lately (see previous post) and I've been really enjoying the products. When I spotted their products on 3for2 in Superdrug I couldn't ignore it, could I?!

I guess it was the special edition packaging that suckered me into buying this little blush pot! The colour is so pretty though! It's a lovely peachy pink with a pearly shimmer through it. It comes with a teeny little blush brush (gotta love tiny versions of things, even though they aren't overly useful). I haven't actually tried any Bourjois blushers before so I look forward to experimenting with this over the coming warmer months! 

I've seen the new So Laque Glossy shades on so many blogs over the last week or so, I just had to pick one up! I went for Adora-Bleu, mainly because it was the one that I wanted the most, but also because it was the last bottle left in the shop out of the whole range haha. I guess its very similar to the BarryM Gelly polish in Blueberry but the colour looks more powdery blue. Blueberry is quite vivid in certain light. 

I've been loving the Rouge Edition lip shades I have so, I decided to give this pale pink/beige nude shade a bash while I was at it as the other shades I have are either dark or bright. It looks like one of those barely-there, effortless colours and I love how they feel on the lips. 

I did a cheeky Nails Inc online order last week and it was waiting for me when I got back to London from Uni last night!! So exciting!! I did the pick'n'mix 3 for £22 deal and took the opportunity to get my mitts on some Spring brights. And I'm talking NEON brights!! I also picked up Floral Street as I wanted a white as a base for glitters and other such polishes. I won't go into too much detail just yet as I'm going to follow with an official post about these polishes with swatches etc...

LOOK what arrived this morning in an ASOS shaped box.....!!!! Because I've been so good and not smoked a single cigarette in a whole WEEK (and no plans on doing so either), I threw caution to the wind the other night and ordered my DREAM bronzer from NARS cos I was feeling particularly proud of myself. Seriously, I've wanted this product for at least 2 years but I struggle to justify NARS purchases usually, unless there's someone there to enable me. It's just that little bit out of my price range. Having said that, I did also purchase Sheer Glow recently. Double splurge!!

Most of these products will probably feature again on this blog very soon so expect more information and swatches of everything in due course. I'm really pleased with how my Summer 2013 beauty bag is shaping up!

What have you been hauling lately?? Did you do the 3for2?? What products are calling your name for Summer??

Bourjois BB Cream 8in1 Foundation: 22 Beige Dore

One drugstore brand that's getting me very excited this year is Bourjois. After having a bit of a break from them in 2012 (I just got sidetracked by other brands for a while and nothing was particularly grabbing me), I've had them thrust back into my life with a BANG for 2013. I recently reviewed 2 shades of their new Rouge Edition Lipstick range (post can be found Here) that I had been lucky enough to take home from London Fashion Week. I also took home this BB Cream with a difference...

Bourjois BB Cream 8in1 Foundation: 22 Beige Dore*

I love love LOVE the packaging of this product! I don't think I've seen any other BB Cream (not a drugstore brand one, anyway) that comes in a compact. And it's a GREAT compact! The mirror is a fantastic size. I did scratch my head a little when I first got it as to how it opened because the lid swivels and tilts every which way haha. I'll admit here and now that I've been a bit MEH about BB Creams on this blog. I tried the original Garnier BB Cream when it first came out and found it to be a bit wet for my liking and it put me off them for a while. 

The Bourjois BB Cream boasts the following....

Combats Fatigue

Erases Shine

Long Lasting Hydration

SPF 20

Anti Aging

Perfects, Smooths and Evens the Complexion

Targets and Corrects Imperfections

Medium Coverage

The medium coverage part was music to my ears! I always failed to see what separated a BB Cream from a tinted moisturiser to be honest. The Garnier one turned out to be quite wishy washy (although I did get a fair bit of use out of it last summer when I didn't want anything too heavy and it did moisturise my skin very well), but this one I feel like I could wear all year round. It's a great shade for me for the summer too. I'm NC30 so a warm medium tone is always a winner.

Look at the face on it haha!! It was 8am on the first day back at uni after the hols though. Gutted! I've been applying this straight from the compact with a stipple brush or my fingers (using the sponge in any areas which needed a bit of extra coverage). I find it works best if it's warmed a little with the fingers before application.

 It spreads evenly and gives a lovely medium coverage. It conceals my under eye circles (and my little 30-yr-old mini wrinkles *cough*) pretty well and gives a lovely glow to my face. I've tried it on it's own and with my MAC MSFN in Medium Plus (which is in the photo) but I suspect it would work well with my new BeneFit Hello Flawless powder as well. There's plenty of time to experiment though! As a combo skinned girlie, I do find I'm a little shiny around my nose by the time it comes to home time but, it is a BB cream and not a foundation. It doesn't claim to mattify. My skin feels hydrated all day which is a big bonus and it looks really natural.

Bourjois BB Cream 8in1 Foundation retails at £11.99 for 6g of product and is currently exclusive to Selfridges and selfridges.com

There are so many exciting new Bourjois releases still to come over the summer months. My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw posts like this one from Amelia Liana. Their forthcoming bronzing primer looks TO. DIE. FOR!! I'm a massive fan of the Delice range. And their new special edition blushes are so beautifully packaged!

What drugstore brands have you fallen back in love with lately?? What are your thoughts on BB Creams?? Do you have any favourites??

Little Black Love Affair at New Look

Everybody loves a Little Black Dress. It's one of those items in a lady's wardrobe which can be relied upon to fall back on when that flamboyant, spangly pink number you fell in love with and just had to have at the time (because you were gonna wear it TONS) turns out to be... well... a bit too scary. It's always hanging there, reliable and wearable, to provide solution to any outfit wobble. There are many shapes, sizes and styles out there to choose from but today I'd like to give you a look through  Little Black Dresses at New Look** and what they have to offer this season.

Smart and Versatile

I love New Look. This is a well known fact. I look forward to seeing their take on the latest trends each season and, whilst researching for this post, was very impressed with how varied and different these dresses are. Yes, they're all little, they're all black and they're all dresses, but they could not be more individual. New Look have added styles from brands such as Ax Paris and Madam Rage to their own collection to make their selection shine. It mixes flattering, girly a-line shapes with KILLER wet-look and bodycon, with tulip skirts and tassles thrown in for good measure! 

Girls' Night Out

New Look really have covered all bases here. What's the best thing?? It's a LBD and you can style it with whatever you want! Keep it smart and tailored with a houndstooth blazer for some serious office chic, add a bit of BLING or bold coloured accessories for the ultimate girls' night out or soften it with a cardi, curls and a smile for a hot date.

For SS13 Style it with....

So, whether you're looking for the perfect party dress, something to wow the bosses at work or just a simple piece that can be styled a multitude of ways and survive through season after season, New Look definitely has something for everyone. There are styles to flatter all shapes and sizes and they are all UNDER £30!!

You can find all the dresses and accessories featured in this post over at newlook.com or instore.

 Do you rate New Look for versatile fashion?? What's your LBD style??  What will you be wearing it with this season??

**Sponsored Post

Title Image: Google
All other images provided by New Look