MARIE CLAIRE - AROMATHERAPY ASSOCIATES SKINCARE GIFT

I have an obsession with magazines, but I get even more excited when I find a magazine with an interesting free gift. When my mum came in with Marie Claire's June Issue in tow, and I spotted the Aromatherapy Associates logo I jumped for joy (and ran to grab the camera).

The magazine itself is actually £2.50 which isn't bad at all and you get 3 adorable minis alongside from the Hydrating Rose range. The one I haven't tried yet is the 15ml Hydrating Rose Face Mask, which is a surprisingly thin, clear gel mask so I am intrigued to give this a go. Just a heads up, if you aren't a massive fan of rose these may not be for you, but speaking as someone who doesn't worship overly floral fragrances it isn't unbearable.

The 10ml Hydrating Renewing Rose Cleanser is actually really nice, its a lot thinner than a general cream cleanser, but a little goes a long way and it leaves me feeling nourished as well as cleansed. On first impressions I also enjoyed the 5ml Hydrating Triple Rose Renewing Moisturiser, which was hydrating enough for night time but also didn't overload my face when I used it the following under makeup.

So not only do I have a good magazine to flick through I also have some awesome samples to try out, and I would say that this is worth picking up if you like to trial new skincare, or are off anywhere over the bank holiday..

ONE SWEEP WONDERS

Do you ever have those days where you have left your makeup until the last minute, should be working, or need to leave the door in 20 minutes and when it comes to eyes you're not sure where to turn? Today I will be serving up my dose of 'one sweep wonders' - shadows that you can pack on, blend the edges and add a slick of liner/lashings of mascara and be good to go.

The one I'm sure you were all anticipating being in this post was the Maybelline Color Tattoo in On and On Bronze, the perfect cream shadow that when smoothed over the lids looks like you have put a ton of effort into your look.

Another cult one is MAC Woodwinked, a bronzey sheen of colour which looks good on almost all eye colours. If you have a spare few seconds, pack this on top of the Maybelline offering, take it on the lower lashline, and you have got the perfect bronze eye.

One that won't be for everyone, but one that I think looks really chic with a small liner wing is the Dainty Doll Shadow in Treat Her Like A Lady, a slightly taupe toned pale grey which seems to glow from my lids. I'm not sure where you can get this from any more after the line being discontinued but places like Fragrance Direct seem to have you covered.

Last but not least is something a little more catered for you pink-toned lovers. It goes by the name of Fine Wine by Wet 'n' Wild, and is a stunning shimmery rose (almost leaning on rose gold when you sweep it on lightly) which back in the day I used to wear almost daily.

What are your hacks for the quick fix eye looks?

THE MINT GREEN LOVE

I think the first time I ever fell in love with a nail polish was when GOSH Miss Minty* dropped through my letter box back in the days when I had my nail blog. I wore it almost every time I painted my nails, and due to that I needed a replacement as this one was getting a little gloopy.

The one I love the most, and is a new love is the Barry M Gelly Hi Shine in Sugar Apple, one from their latest pastel collection for Spring. It's the perfect mint, not too blue, not too green, and the glossy finish wins it for me. Definitely one to add to your shopping list.

One which I forgot about until having a hunt through my (overflowing) nail polish drawer was the Rimmel Salon Pro Lycra in Peppermint. This one is a little darker than the rest, but nothing to stop it fitting in the mint category. Also, the brush on this one is great, just a swipe over each nail is all you need, and only a couple of coats.

Last but not least is Ciaté Pepperminty, which is slightly more green than the rest, but nothing dramatic. I quite like the finish of this one too, as it doesn't seem to chip. My one peeve with this one is that it's pretty sheer and you have to build up the coats to get that perfect mint colour.

I think it is very 'blogger' of me to do a post entirely dedicated to mint green paints, and perhaps this has made me realise that I don't really need any more...

A WEARABLE SMOKEY

The whole smokey eye look is something I tend to avoid, especially when it comes to the grey, silver and black looks because they basically make me look like a panda. But, I have recently been experimenting with browns and found a few shades which still give you the sultry effect but a little more neutral.

This MUA Pearl Shadow in Shade 11 gives an amazing sheen to the lids, making them almost look wet in some lights. But, I would say to watch out for quite a bit of fall down and do the eyes first with this one, but for £1 it's hardly going to be MAC quality.

Another shadow I really like to warm things up a little more is the Kiko Eye Shadow in 133 because it has that red/burgundy tint to it which looks amazing in the outer area of the eye when you have used some cooler toned shadows.

For a matte offering, the Maybelline Eye Studio Mono in Chocolate Chic is slowly becoming a favourite of mine for crease work. It blends well, defines the eye, and doesn't really crease either. It's a winner for this one.

To get some of that brown smokey-ness on the lower lashline, or even smudged along the top lashes, the Stila Smude Stick in Oscar Fish is incredible. Its creamy, but once set stays put on the eye all day, and the coppery shimmer in it makes it a perfect partner for the warmer Kiko Shadow.

Do you have any smokey-eye hacks?

FAKING THE CHEEKBONES

Cheekbones. Something I wish I had, but am far from getting, although makeup makes everything a little easier when pretending that I do, and in particular, the Sleek Face Form does a pretty good job. I have already reviewed this before I believe, but my rediscovered love makes it worthy of a revisit.

You can tell by the severe pan-hitting going on here that I adore the highlight and contour, not so much the blush and although it is a stunning colour I haven't been able to make it work for me yet, but it definitely is growing on me.

The real winner here is the contour powder, matte, not too red and gives the effect of natural chiseled cheeks. I stopped using this for a while, but once my Real Techniques Contour Brush made its way back into the powder, I haven't stopped using it.

I do love the slightly pink toned champagne sheeny highlight, but after a new love to the Soap & Glory Glow All Out Powder, it may be getting a little less use from now on, but it certainly won't go forgotten about.

On a side note though, how stunning is that model's skin? *cries in the corner*, I'll be buying whatever she is wearing...