Beauty Wishlist - Paul & Joe

Launched in 2002 by Sophie Mechaley, Paul & Joe is a brand that offers both adorable & sophisticated cosmetics with designs including floral patterns, cute cats & even a nostalgic collaboration with a Looney Tunes. Whilst this is a brand that I've only recently discovered (thank-you Instagram) I've quickly built up a large wishlist & couldn't resist sharing my favourites here.

Cheek Colour Pearls - £28.00 [x]

Looney Tunes Tom & Jerry Lipstick Case - £7.00 [x]

Perfect Make-up Primer - £30.00 [x]

"Catamaran" Lipstick Refill - £14.00 [x]

Waterproof Mascara - £19.00 [x]

Make-up Brush Holder - £14.00 [x]

Whilst a little more expensive than high-street brands (especially when you could purchase a Rimmel lipstick for the same price of a Paul & Joe lipstick case), I personally think the designs of these products makes spending little extra completely justifiable.. I mean, what other brand has little cat-shaped pearls in their blush or elements of your childhood on a lipstick case (I'm looking at you Tom & Jerry!). 

I can't wait to purchase a few of these items & see if they live up to their appearances.. watch this space. 

What are your thoughts on the products available from Paul & Joe?
I'd love to know your thoughts in the comments, 

xxx

Day To Night ft. TM Lewin*

When it comes to a long event, there really is nothing better than an outfit that covers both day & evening looks - especially when running home to change simply isn't an option. With this in mind, TM Lewin have launched a newly designed (& extremely cool sounding) Infinity Suit. 

With the aim of ensuring customers remain looking as good at the end of the day as they do at the start - the Infinity Suit addresses the two main issues of wearing a suit for long periods of time; creasing & feeling comfortable. To help combat this the suit's fabric is designed with an open weave which not only absorbs excess water, but also has a greater resistance to creasing -
ultimately leaving wearers feeling cool & comfortable throughout the day.

To help celebrate the launch of TM Lewin's new design, I've put together three outfits that I feel would not only look great alongside the Infinity Suit but would also be perfect for that day to night occasion. 

Infinity Suit - T M Lewin - items start from £100.00 [x]

Striped Wrap Around Dress - New Look - £14.99 [x]

Pencil Dress - Asos - £45.00 [x]

Double Layer Jumpsuit - Missguided - £35.00 [x]

Whether it's celebrating a loved ones wedding or heading out for a few cocktails after a long day in the office, I personally think each of these outfits would look gorgeous both day & night.  

What are your thoughts on these outfits?

If you have any tips for taking a look from day to night I'd love to know in the comments.

xxx

August Birchbox - Dive In

If there's one thing I look forward to at the beginning of each month, it's the arrival of my Birchbox. So when this months box (or rather, bag) "Dive In" arrived I was very excited to see what treats were inside.

Subscribers received one of four colourful designs which were all aptly named to fit their colour scheme; Coral Reef (orange), Blue Fin (Blue/Green), Yellow Fish (yellow) & Pink Pufferfish (Pink). Plus - instead of the usual box - subscribers were also treated to a a summer themed "Birch-bag". A scuba-material bag that is the perfect size to hold all those essential travel products that simply cannot be held in your suitcase.

Contents:

Anatomicals "The Buff Stuff" Body Scrub - £3.99 [x]
Merci Handy Cleansing Gel in "Black Vanilla"-  £2.90 [x]
Balance Me Face Mask - £18.00 [x]
Philip Kingsley "One More Day" Dry Shampoo - £14.50 [x]
Marcelle Eyeliner in shade "Expresso" - £10.50 [x]
"English Laundry" Perfume - £60.00 [x]

The first product that caught my eye this month is one that I love using on lazy days - dry shampoo. Whilst freshly washed hair feels amazing, we all know how much of a life saver dry shampoo can be. I've tested a few other products from the Philip Kinglsey brand which have always left my hair feeling lovely. So I can't wait to put this product to the test the next time my hair needs a little pick-me-up between washes. 

The next item that caught my eye is one that some subscribers may not be to excited to see in a beauty box. However Cleansing hand gel is one of those essentials that I honestly cannot live without - especially when travelling. Whilst they can be picked up relativity cheaply in most stores, one thing that stood out to me about the Merci Cleansing Gel has to be the gorgeous vanilla scent (with no hint of that alcohol-y smell from most gels). This already has a home in my hand-bag & I'm sure will quickly become a favourite. 

The third & final product that really stood out to me this month is the perfume sample from English Laundry. Described as the "essence of a country garden" the combination of notes including rose geranium & creamy white flowers make this the perfect scent for summer. Whilst £60.00 is a little on the pricey side, I can already tell from the sample that this is well worth the investment. 

I'm happy to say that the "Dive In" Birchbox has lived up to my expectations this month & I can't wait to add these products to my beauty routine. 

Have you ever used any of these products?
If so I'd love to know your thoughts.
xxx

Make-up Revolution - Lip Lacquer Liquid Lipstick

With both high-end and high-street brands jumping on the bandwagon, liquid lipstick are a craze that has taken the beauty world by storm. However with many different products available it can be a little daunting trying to decide which would be the best to try out.

As a huge fan of Make-up Revolution's lipsticks, I decided that a good place dip my toes in the world of liquid lipsticks could the brand's collection of Lip Lacquers. So - after what felt like a lifetime of comparing different shades - my love for all things berry-toned finally won & I walked away with a purple shade known as Rebel.

After purchasing this product, one of the first things I noticed was a promise that it would provide "intense colour pay off" as well as being both "touch proof" & "long wearing" - a very bold claim to come from any brand.

The first thing I noticed had to be the colour pay off - which I'm happy to say that really can't be faulted. As you can see from the swatch above, the deep purple shade is gorgeous & looks the exact same when applied as it does in the packaging (always a bonus!). However I wasn't quite as impressed when it came to lasting power. After application my lips were left feeling quite sticky as the product dried from liquid to matte (although admittedly this does disappear once dry). I also noticed that after eating & drinking the lipstick did begin to face/crack a little - probably due to the matte finish.

After multiple applications, I found that these problems are avoidable (try applying a small amount of product at a time with a finger & slowly building it up to create a stain & avoid the sticky-ness) however if you're looking for a simple/fuss free product, this may be a little too much hassle.

Retailing at only £3.00 this the Lip Lacquer is budget-friendly & in my opinion is a good product to buy as a test to see if Liquid Lipsticks will fit in with your beauty routine before splashing out the pricier alternatives.

Have you tried any of Make-up Revolution's Lip Lacquer's?
What are your thoughts on liquid lipsticks?
I'd love to know! 

xxx

Blog Problems...

This is a super quick post to explain the issues I've been having with Small & Blonde over the last few weeks.

After publishing a new post recently I noticed that for some reason no comments were showing under my blog.. Not even the automatic Google + comment. After many attempts at tampering with my settings & researching possible problems, nothing seemed to make my comments reappear..

It seems that this is a problem with the Google+ comments I use for the comments section of my blog.. I have now deactivated this setting & it seems to have given me/readers the option of commenting on my post again *yay* however it also means that I've lost all comments on my previous posts *sobs*.

Being able to read comments & interact with other bloggers is one of my favourite parts about blogging so I'm really hoping that the problem is now fixed.. I'd also like to apologise if I came across rude in anyway - I haven't been ignoring any comments, I promise!

If anything like this has ever happened to anyone before, I'd love any tips on how to fix the problem!

xxx