Friday, April 18, 2014

Handbag Review: Rebecca Minkoff Hudson Moto Mini


As well as being a self-confessed beauty junkie, I am very much equally a Bag Lady, in that I am obsessed with handbags. Having splurged on a Michael Kors Selma last year, I put myself on a bag-ban and pretty much stuck to it all year, bar one little relapse - a cheeky Asos purchase, but it was a cute light blue laser cut clutch little number that was around £12 so it was a bargain I could not resist. If you, like me, are a handbag hoarder, you'll understand that even though I was on a bag-ban, I still was very much on the lookout for my next bag-conquest, so continued to stalk websites such as Selfridges, Net-a-Porter, Shopbop et al.

So it was on one such stalking venture last month, a little after my 1 year anniversary with my MK Selma, that I discovered that Shopbop were having a 25% off everything, and immediately I pounced on a Rebecca Minkoff bag that I had had my eye on ever since I saw Fleur de Force and Essie Button reviewed theirs last year. And behold, I give you my gorgeous Rebecca Minkoff Mini Moto Hudson in the shade Biscuit.



I've now had it for a week or so and I can tell you now it is L-O-V-E. it's a cross body number made from a very sturdy Saffiano leather, which is great for me as I tend to bash my bags around a bit, as much as I love them. It has gorgeous rose-gold hardware with this clip enclosure at the front, which at first was slightly annoying to open the bag, but once you get used to it it's fine, and if you're travelling in a busy city and worried about security, ain't nobody gettin' in there. It also has a magnetic closure so if you need to get into your bag quickly or can't be bothered using the clasp, your bag is sort of secure.



Inside it has a really slim front compartment under the flap, and then two larger compartments inside. The compartments and underside of the flap are lined with a funky black and white Rebecca Minkoff motif which I really like. As it's quite a compact bag I can't actually fit my usual Michael Kors longline wallet in there, so I actually just keep my essential cards and cash in the little compartment on the inside.

Overall this bag is a must have in any girls collection as its super stylish and versatile. I had a quick squiz on the interwebs and sadly it is sold out almost everywhere, I did find it in orange on the Bloomingdales website and it is on sale, so run, don't walk if you want to get your hands on this beauty.


What's your fashion-vice? Do you live for shoes or are you a Bag Lady like me?

Lisa x




Saturday, April 12, 2014

The New Kid

Well hello there! After being inspired by so many amazing bloggers out there, and then umming and ahhing and making all the excuses under the sun for about 2 years, I have finally started my very first blog, elle elle beauty! I am going to use this as an outlet to express to you, my yet-to-come readers, all my thoughts and pretty pictures of all the things that I think make life worth living (okay so might have slight tendency to be overdramatic). t I love all things beauty, but I'll also throw in a few random things now and then on food stuff, travel stuff, fashion stuff and home decor stuff, just to spice things up a bit. 

So without further ado, for my very first post I am going to tell you about my my current favourite foundation, and it is Kevyn Aucoin's Sensual Skin Enhancer. I have oily skin so I need a base that is going to last the whole day on my face without sliding off, and I have found that this combo has really worked for me the last few weeks.

Kevyn Aucoin's Sensual Skin Enhancer is a recent discovery for me but having read such amazing reviews for it I had to try it for myself. A word of warning: this is extremely pigmented and less is definitely more, which is good as it comes in a really dinky little pot and is on the pricey side at £38 for 18g of product, but I think given the pigmentation levels it will last just as long if not longer than a regular bottle of foundation. The first time I swatched it in Space NK, much to the horror of the sales assistant, I dug out a moderate sized blob from the pot and swiped it on my hand, and oh my days, you could've covered my forearm with it, it was that pigmented!


Told ya it was dinky.

Remember, less is more.
Lesson learned, the way I apply it is to get a teeny amount about the size of a pea on the back of my hand, and mix it with either an oil free moisturiser or for a nice glow I mix it with NARS Light Optimising Primer (so underrated on the beauty blog scene!), then I buff it into my face using the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. When using it alone, make sure your skin is well moisturised as you will need a good amount of "slip" to get a nice thin layer of coverage on your face, or else you may end up with the dreaded cake face. I have a few faded acne scars on my cheeks and whether I use it diluted or "neat", it has a really good medium coverage that is buildable and it leaves your skin with an amazing glow, and I get lots of nice comments when I wear this foundation!


A swipe so you can see how thick and pigmented it is.

Blended out, you can see the finish and the glowiness.

Oil control wise, I still need to powder to set the foundation, and this will keep me shine free for a good 3 to 4 hours. I then will need to blot 1 or 2 times during the day using either the Body Shop Tea Tree Blotting Tissues or Soap & Glory's One Heck of a Blot face powder. When I get home after work it does show a bit of wear but its still mostly sitting pretty on my face and not sliding off in a horrific waxy mess.

You can also use it as a concealer as it gives amazing coverage, however I tend not to use it for this unless I have a mean mother of a spot to hide! Instead I like to use a lighter (in colour and texture) concealer such as the Maybelline Instant Anti Age Eraser Eye in Light.

Lastly shade-wise I would definitely recommend swatching in store as when I looked it up online I thought I might be the shade SX11 but that was way too dark for me when I swatched it in real life, and SX08 is the perfect shade for me. (For reference I am a NC30-35 in MAC).




I am really loving this combination for my face right now, and for me the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer, when applied right, is the perfect balance of long-lasting coverage whilst still looking natural.

See you in the next post!

Lisa x