Another Wishlist of Sorts...

Here is an accumulation of things that I really want, or things I plan to get within the near future. It's more of a remainder/checklist, than anything.

1) Moo Mini Cards

I've seen these mini cards on soooo many blogs and they look so adorable! I'm not invited to many blogger events so i've never felt the need to purchase these before, however I think I shall rustle up a couple of these babies within the near future, just so I know I have 'em. I love the fact that creatively, they are really flexible as well as being inexpensive...and cute!

Visit Moo here.

2. Chanel Perfection Lumiere Foundation

Photo from Pixiwoo.com

Ever since Chanel (among other beauty brands) announced that they were releasing darker shades within their foundation ranges, I've been on a quest to try and match and sample a plethora of these brands' shades and my favourie by FAR has been Chanel's Perfection Lumiere! I recieved so many compliments from my colleages and family when I wore the sample (my shade being Ambre 154) over the last two days. It really is a beautiful foundation. It's exceptionally light/weightless and dries to a matt finish, however it does have some "sparklish?" elements to it.

However, this foundation is £36.....waaaaaaaaaaaay out of my current price budget at the moment so in the mean time, I am looking to explore other foundations apart from MAC whose foundations I feel are too....cloggy?

3. Regal Rose Jewellery

Photo by www.regalrose.co.uk

When it comes to accessories and jewellery, I've always been much more of a kitsch/whimsical kinda girl, however this year i'm looking to edge things up a little, introducing Regal Rose. I randomly happened to come across their site and they have the most amazing pieces which scream edgy and unique. I'm especially loving their ear cuffs and necklaces.

4. Canon 600D

I was actually supposed to get this camera early last year, but due to some unforeseen events, I couldn't which was a huge shame. There came a point where I was a bit put off from getting this camera as I've recently noticed that a lot of bloggers have recently purchased this around the same time and I'm not really one for 'joining the flock'.  However i've decided that I will re-save up for this as it's the next best camera which is also economically viable for me. I have a Canon 1000d which I feel I have outgrown and so the 600d would be the next step for me. I also at one point want to start photography classes so I NEEDS me a good cam!

5. Revlon Lip Butters

I have such a huge fascination for lip balms/butters. I collect them and I love collecting the full sets so when I heard that Revlon's Lip Butters will be hitting UK shores in March, I was totally geeked! 

It's the colours you see. The pretty colours are what caught my eye and the fact that there is "butter" in the name was another factor. Doesn't 'butter' just make it sound so thick and luxurious? 

6. Steampunk books.

This is a genre that I'm really loving at the moment. Ever since I read Lemony Snickett's 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' back in Secondary school, I've been hooked on the modern technological/Victorian steam era - not quite sci-fi, not quite a pre-19th century prose. Think of HG Wells' The Time Machine. I need more of these books!

7. Kiehl's Lip Balm

Best. Balm. Ever. 'Nuff said.

8. Assistant Regional Manager Shirt.*

Associated with one of my FAVOURITE comedy programs of all time.

*Can you guess where the T-Shirt's reference is from?

What items are on your current wishlist?

Photography Series 101| Aperture & Depth of Field.

Due to the amount of emails I recieve regarding some of my photos, I thought that I would start a new series of posts to share some photography tips and tricks for any budding photographers out there!

The first 'tutorial' will be based on aperture and depth of field. Now, you may have seen loads of photos in which the background looks 'fuzzy' and the main subject in sharp view. This technique is called a depth of field and the effect of the photo depends on how shallow or deep the depth of field is. Here are some examples of some previous photos featuring the depth of field.

400 ISO  - f/4 

200 ISO f/1.8

In a nutshell, the aperture determines how much of your image will appear sharp. Choose a large aperture and only a small amount of the image will be sharp. Choose a small aperture and you'll make everything look sharp, front to back. 

A photo with a small aperture.

Same photo with a large aperture.

To kick off and get to grips with apertures, let's first look at the sequence of aperture values: 32, 22, 16, 11, 8, 5.6, 4, 2.8, 2, 1.4. Each aperture value in this sequence is called a 'stop' which means that f/8 allows half as much light in as f/5.6.

f/1.4 is the largest aperture here, f/32 is the smallest. 

How to control the aperture lens

Apertures help control the amount of light that reaches the sensor in your DSLR to produce the correct exposure. Stick your camera on program (P) or full auto mode and you'll get a decent result, but the camera is making all the decisions for you and it simply won't know what you want from your picture creatively. 

Fortunately, most if not all DSLRs also offer an aperture-priority mode marked on the exposure mode dial as AV (Aperture Value) or, simply A. If you adjust the aperture in this mode, the camera will automatically adjust the shutter speed to give you a correct exposure while the selected aperture value remains fixed. If you're new to this, the aperture priority mode (AV) is the perfect place to begin!

You can also control it in the manual (M) exposure mode, but in this mode you must also select the shutter speed to match. A display in the viewfinder, the camera's top-plate LCD or rear LCD screen will help you find the right exposure. 

I hope everything i've written above makes sense! "/ 

If you have any questions on this specific technique, please feel free to comment below.

Hope this helps!

Review: L'Occitane Ultra Gentle Moisturiser (Part 2)

Another lil' review for you guise!

The Skinny:

This is the second part of the L'Occitane shea butter review (with part one being here).

L'Occitane's Ultra Gentle Moisturiser comes in a 50ml glass container and contains 8% shea butter to strengthen and protect sensitive to dry skin.

I must admit, when I first tested the cream, I was a bit dubious as I am more akin to using a body butter as opposed to lotions such as this. However I decided to give it a chance as I felt that the shea butter would make up for it.

Experience/Usage:

The texture of the moisturizer is extremely light; it rubs into my skin easily however it did tend to leave it slightly greasy also, something which was a bit of a hindrance as I tend to rush to get ready for work in the morning. My skin feels springy and and supple throughout the day which I was surprised at due to the lightness of the moisturiser. A nozzle is attached to the top of the container to make for easy distribution. I did find that I needed quite a lot to cover myself completely (but that's probably because I need to lose a few pounds, I don't blame the moisturiser..LOL!).

I also love the smell as well, very light and it reminds me of clean linen for some reason! It's not too overpowering and I've found out that the scent really works well with floral perfumes! I've been using Viktor & Rolfe's Flowerbomb fragrance  on top of it and have been a few compliments on it!

Main Ingredients:

Shea Butter, Rosemary, Sunflower Extract

Price:

£24 for 50ml. See website for more details.

Conclusion:

I must say that the moisturiser has been a nice departure from my normal "butters". Don't let the light texture fool you; it really packs a nourishing punch! My skin feels smoother and better protected during the day without feeling too tight. A little goes a long way and it's handy to pop in your handbag during the day to maybe use as a hand cream too.

Edited to add:

I literally JUST found out that this is actually a FACE cream, not a body cream; lol wow! I'm so ditzy these days *smacks head*.

Well wow, if these are all the benefits for my body, I can only imagine how it'll be on my face! 

I give it a 9/10.

The Body Shop 'Chocomania' Giveaway! **CLOSED**

It's been a long time coming...

To say thank you for all you awesome followers, I thought I'd do a little giveaway for you guys!

At the moment, i'm really loving the Chocomania collection by The Body Shop, especially the body butter and the shower cream, so I thought i'd give away a cute gift set of the collection, including;

 Chocomania Body Butter - 200ml

Chocomania Shower Cream - 250ml

Chocomania Body Scrub - 200ml

Shower Sponge. :)

How To Enter:

 - Be a GFC follower & Leave a comment below with your email and answer to the following question:

How do you like to pamper yourself?

- You can get an extra entry by tweeting about the giveaway - just tag me in it: @Macstephanton

-(Optional) You can also blog or sidebar the giveaway on your blog for an extra entry.

This is an international giveaway and will run from the 12th of February to the 27th of February.

Good luck!

Review: Ro's Argan Body Conditioner by Lush.

Last week I went on a wee bit of a shopping bender at Lush, since I hadn't been in there for THEE longest! Among the items I bought, the one i couldn't wait to use was Ro's Argan oil body conditioner.

The Skinny:
Ro's Argan Body conditioner does exactly what is says on the tin:  it is a conditioner containing Argan oil and cocoa butter to name but a few ingredients and is to be used on your body after you've finished scrubbing up in the shower. Lush say that it leaves the skin feeling soft and "smelling like a rose bush being kissed by the first rays of the morning sun." Gotta love Lush, lol!


The name derives from the maker of the conditioner, Rowena..and also from the fact that it also contains Rose oil..geddit? Ro's/Rose? :P
Use like you would a hair conditioner. Smooth on over wet body after bathing or showering, rinse off and lightly towel yourself dry.


Presentation/Price:

The products comes in a 240g black recyclable pot which if you trade in 5 empty pots, Lush will give you a free face mask. Win!

At the moment, It is only available in one size priced at £15.50 and is suitable for Vegetarians/Vegans. 

Experience:

I'll be honest, I bought this product out of pure curiosity. I'd never heard of a body conditioner before...AND it had Argan oil and a host of other moisturising agents? Win, win for me.

I've been using the conditioner for four days now and so far, I'm really pleased with it. After I finish scrubbing up, i lather a bit on, wait about 30 seconds to a minute, then scrub off. For £15 a tub, I did expect to have more product, however a little does go quite a long way and the big thing with this is that it leaves my skin so. SOFT. I woke up the next morning just rubbing my forearm like a crazy person and smiling because it was so smooth! 

I would definitely recommend this for people of all skin types. It has a beautiful fragrance, absorbs into the skin easily and saves a lot of time if you're in a morning rush and don't have time to moisturise (although I always moisturise anyway afterwards). 

It's exceptionally creamy, it goes on like a moisturiser and washes off pretty easily, however I would suggest that first time buyers use a small sample first just to see if they like it before committing to the price. 

Ingredients:

 Almond Oil, Cypress Leaf, Brazil Nut Oil, Vanilla Pod, Fair Trade Shea Butter, Argan Oil, Cupuacu Butter, Cocoa Butter, Goji Berry Juice, Rose Absolute, Lemon Oil.

Available in Lush stores worldwide and online here.

Stay Tuned..

Bourjois Boutique

Will YOU be attending?

Bourjois will be launching their first pop-up boutique in Shoreditch to coincide with London Fashion Week, running over four days. There's gonna be fashion illustrators, goodie bags, fun photoshoots and amazing discounts of Bourjois products! There will also be live body art and screens projecting the catwalks at LFW.

Fun, fashion and folly for all! I cannot wait. The event will be held at the Beach,Blanket Babylon restaurant (top floor). 

I will be attending next Sunday - It's free to attend so if you're heading out there, or thinking about heading out there, let me know and I'll look out for you on the day!

Tidbit: On something totally unrelated, remember my Panda Lips post  that I wrote a while back?

Well this morning, Company Magazine only went and tweeted me to tell me that I was on page 20 of their March issue! I was so shocked and surprised! Check it out when you have the chance. :) :)

Review: L'Occitane Ultra Rich Face Cream (Part 1)

*I know I said I wasn't going to blog for a few days due to my hand but I thought i'd write a bunch of blogs today and then release them throughout the week instead!*

As you guys know, I am the biggest fan of shea butter and I love waxing lyrical about its awesome qualities, so when I was sent L'Occitane's Ultra Rich face cream, I was pretty excited to try it out! The last product I used by L'Occitane was their hand cream which I LOVED.

Contained in a beautiful glass jar, the cream is made up of 25% natural shea butter and its aim is to nourish extremely dry skin to protect it against dryness and climatic damage. 

The shea butter gives the cream a very 'buttery' and thick texture and sinks into my skin very easily, leaving my face supple and unlike loads of other creams, does not leave my skin feeling greasy.

It's perfect for those with dry skin like me as the moisture lasts all day and is ideal as a base for make up. My skin feels a lot more even and tones. A little lasts a long way as it is quite concentrated and has a lovely light scent which to me, smells slightly like vanilla!

Because of the price tag, I would consider buying this product again as a little treat for myself once this one runs out. I consider it an investment buy!

£29.50 for 50ml - link

*This product was sent to me for consideration for review purposes - I have not been paid for this review !*

Bussssted!

..no not the group Busted...although I LOVE this song!

I thought i'll put up a quick post to say that unfortunately, I won't be posting for a few days as I seem to have mysteriously acquired some nerve damage in my left hand, which is also conveniently my writing hand. X_X 

Bummer, I know! It's doubly strange as I have NO idea how this came about in the first place. 

Ahh, such is life I 'spose. 

I have to do a few tests and then perhaps some minor surgery to fix the damage; I thought about posting with my right hand in the mean time, however seeing as its taken me nearly half an hour just to write this, I thought i'd just put up a message to say i'll be MIA for (HOPEFULLY) a few days. I will be back with loadsa posts and reviews that I have lined up and in the meantime, I shall leave you with my favourite songs of the moment. :D

(I'm sorry but this song is absolutely brilliant and all those who say otherwise are telling lies, fairytales and fallacies.:D)

February Fashion Favourites..![photos]

Valentino Spring/Summer 2012 Collection.

Lace, florals and chiffon, oh my!

It was a lovely show and a very romantic and girlish take on couture, working with prints and what looked like sprigged cotton – but wasn’t – in heavy silk and satin.

Floral patterns conjured up day dresses and ball dresses comprised of chiffon layers. It was all very prim and very pretty and had something of Jane Eyre about it with the high Victorian necks and the covered up nature of the looks.

What do you think of the collection?

Any '12 collections you're admiring so far?

Beth Ditto For MAC Collection, Summer 2012

Photo by Temptalia 

I cannot begin to announce my EXCITEMENT over Beth Ditto's range for MAC this coming Summer!

I am a huge fan of hers and so I cannot wait to see first glances of the new collection and I really do hope they bring it to the UK as well!

"MAC Cosmetics has signed the singer to create a limited edition collaboration with products expected to hit counters in June. In celebration of the partnership, Ditto will attend this evening’s Gala Sidaction Dîner de la Mode as a guest of John Demsey, group president of the Estée Lauder Cos. Inc. and chairman of the MAC AIDS Fund, and Karen Buglisi, MAC global brand president. The MAC AIDS Fund will donate 190,000 euros, or $246,620, to Sidaction this year. — WWD"

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

Hands up if you made a new years' resolution involving diet and exercise?
*raises hands.*

Hands up if those resolutions completely disintegrated within the first 15 days?
*raises hands and hides face*

I've come to realize that all these so-called resolutions and goals never really work out in the long run and the reason they don't is because I approach them as if they are projects to be completed, as opposed to a lifestyle!
In order to successfully achieve my goal, I've learnt that I need to incorporate the little changes daily into my daily routines, so gone are the get-fit-quick Hollywood diet and work out fads! So far, I've tried:

• The Lighter Life Plan: A diet which solely consists of drinking nutrition shakes/bars for a minimum of three months. Under no circumstances are you allowed to eat "non-plan" solid food. I lasted 7 days and lost a total of 10 lbs, however I passed out on the last day. X_X 
• The Waterfall Diet: As the name suggests, the diet consists of drinking a LOT of water- more than what i'm sure is the suggested daily amount. Lasted 3 days, then read in the Daily Mail that drinking vast amounts of water within a short time can kill you as it drowns your brain or something...(something like that anyway, LOL)
• The Master Cleanse: Waste of time and money, tastes like expired cabbage and has absolutely no nutrition whatsoever. Lasted a day. Lbs lost: none. 
• The 'No Carb' Diet: Was pointless from the get go. Considering that i'm African and the majority of our food consists of carbs and meat, that was NEVER going to be successful, I love my carbs too much LOL! That last about 3 hours. 

Over the last month or so, i've learnt to recognize my eating habits and make changes towards them. For instance:

• I never eat breakfast on weekdays: Solution - Having a piece of fruit in the morning, or buying a packet of fruit on the way to work. On weekdays, my breakfast consists of the dishes above.
• I always eat two big meals a day, then snack a lot: Solution - Limit my portion size (I can't eat more than two meals a day for some reason so I can't change that lol) and instead of snacking on chocolate, I substitute them for fruit bars and coffee. (I know that's bad but...well..baby steps people...baby steps. :P) 

Tell me your 'fad diet' stories!

How do you approach your diet?