Category Archives: beauty news

Embrace Your Face: 5 Benefits Of Going Makeup Free

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Embrace Your Face: 5 Benefits Of Going Makeup Free

(Why I’m Going Makeup Free Plus My Current Lockdown Skincare Regime) Applying makeup has always been part of my morning regime, even on the days filled only by a trip to Costa or a bimble through the aisles of B&M;…

The post Embrace Your Face: 5 Benefits Of Going Makeup Free appeared first on Hayley Hall.


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The Chanel Fragrance for Millennials

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Chanel Gabrielle Eau de Parfum Review

One word I could happily never hear let alone use again (can we also add unprecedented to that list) – millennial but in this instance please bear with me…

I like to think that I am well versed in all things fragrant, I have been around the block and back again trying every brand I can get my hands on, and yet there is the one elusive perfume house in which I have never really gelled with – Chanel.

Chanel Gabrielle Eau de Parfum Review

On paper, I more than understand the fascination; a chic French fashion empire, with an equally as coveted beauty and fragrance line. In which each item is more sophisticated than the last, universally recognised as the final say in all that is tasteful and yet I find Chanel fragrances just a tad too stuffy for my less than discerning nose.

Sure I like the occasional whiff of Chanel Chance but I am in no immediate hurry to add it to my collection, all this rang true for every Chanel scent until I tested Chanel Gabrielle Eau de Parfum – the fragrance us slightly, picky Millennials (sorry but we are all in this together) have been waiting for.

Chanel Gabrielle Eau de Parfum Review

Brand identity is so important, as such I can imagine that Chanel with never knowingly stray too far from their typical, classic, clean lines when designing perfume bottles. I like that despite being fairly understated in design that Chanel fragrances are instantly recognisable and will continue to do for many years to come. Chanel Gabrielle Eau de Parfum gently nestles in-between Coco Chanel and the aforementioned Chanel Chance: it shares the same rectangle shape we associate with the classic fragrance line and borrows the almost oversized and bold aesthetic that is associate with the more youthful Chance fragrance, bridging the gap of youth and maturity in both approach and scent. Clever as I imagine that is exactly who the core intended audience happens to be too – yep us Millennial once again.

Rather interestingly the concept of Chanel Gabrielle Eau de Parfum is based around an imaginary flower with plenty of sparkling notes of mandarin, grapefruit, blackcurrant and orange blossom. As you can imagine it is both floral and bold, not to mention fairly strong which I personally find to be the case amongst the majority of Chanel fragrances. What I will say is that this is unlike any other scent from the brand, it has a bright, youthfulness and ease that not even Chanel Chance could properly capture; it is easy to wear and has a certain clean, refreshing quality that I can’t quite put my finger on. Admittedly it is a tad heavy in terms of the gardenia note but it does quickly dissipate, leaving behind the most welcoming and suit-all floral trail. Chanel Gabrielle Eau de Parfum is one of those rare scents that can be teamed with the easiest of outfits and still feel luxurious, or paired with an evening dress to elevate your mood – it does it all and with ease. Think of it as the new modern, little black dress; it has a place in everyone’s wardrobe and life.

If ever you have wanted to love Chanel fragrances but couldn’t get on board with the heavy notes, Chanel Gabrielle Eau de Parfum is the game changer – the rule breaker that will welcome a whole new legion of fans into the realm of Chanel fragrance.

Chanel Gabrielle Eau de Parfum £73.10 – £100.30 – link.



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The MAC Collection That Began It All

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MAC Makers Barbie Lipstick UK @Barbiestyle Review Swatches
A now lifelong make-up obsession, beauty blogging and a career can all be defined and traced back to one lipstick…
The very first MAC collection I ever invested in was Barbie Loves MAC, and by invested, I mean I skipped class and queued up outside, before the counter opened to get my hands on a few items. The rest as they say is history.

MAC Makers Barbie Lipstick UK @Barbiestyle Review Swatches

If you are new to the world of MAC beauty launches, the frenzied response that used to go hand-in-hand with certain product drops may have bypassed you. However as little as six years ago, certain MAC launches would result in near blind panic amongst the beauty community – I’m talking queues outside an hour before the store would open, servers crashing and even waiting lists.
The most memorable of said launches has to be the Rihanna Riri Woo lipstick; the hype leading up to the product being released was astronomical and as such the demand for the velvet-red lipstick was through the roof. I was so worried that I wouldn’t get a tube to call my own, I rescheduled a dental appointment just so I could stay at home and click refresh until I hit the checkout stage. Sad but an oh so true beauty moment in time and although I look back on said times fondly, I’m glad I’m no longer nearly as obsessive nor frivolous.

MAC Makers Barbie Lipstick UK @Barbiestyle Review Swatches
MAC Makers Barbie Lipstick UK @Barbiestyle Review Swatches

Sure I may no longer set alarms on my phone to snag the latest MAC launch but in some instances I will forever be nostalgic for certain items, especially those with the Barbie branding. Recently MAC have been teaming up with certain creators and icons to create various collections of lipsticks to form the MAC Maker range. One said name this time around was Barbie; the original influencer and I believe as a nod to her 61st birthday – I was beyond excited to see this all over Instagram but the kicker was this shade wouldn’t be coming to the UK.
In the past, I would’ve panicked and probably succumbed to a quick scour of eBay and risking not only paying over the odds but also a counterfeit product. Fortunately Fae kindly offered to order me a tube and send it over from Germany (full disclosure: I paid and this was before Covid-19) so I could relive the joy and excitement of Barbie Loves MAC all over again without jeopardising my education.

MAC Makers Barbie Lipstick UK @Barbiestyle Review Swatches
MAC Makers Barbie Lipstick UK @Barbiestyle Review Swatches

A quick look at MAC Maker/Barbie, the official shade name is @BarbieStyle and it seems I’m not the only one who has grown up around these parts. Gone is the shocking pink we all know and love from the brand and in it’s place is a dusky, muted rose that is perfect for everyday wear, it couldn’t be more up my street if it tried. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly @BarbieStyle is a matte formula but a soft one at that, it is not at all drying nor flat in appearance. Along with wearing it continuously, I will treasure this golden encased lipstick for as long as I can…or at least until it expires.

MAC Makers Barbie Lipstick UK @Barbiestyle Review Swatches

So friends and readers alike, that is the tale of how my MAC obsession began with one Barbie inspired collection and then snowballed into a monthly expense and later a beauty blog. Maybe make-up should come with a warning sticker after all?
What was your first (if ever) MAC purchase?
Isn’t it funny how we treat this brand as a coming of age milestone and yet others don’t get the same treatment nor tinge of nostalgia. I’d be hard pushed to tell you what my first Maybelline purchase was…

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Farewell Bourjois!

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Bourjois Leaves the UK

And just like that another brand bites the dust…

After months of speculation – and of course the near-empty counters that have not escaped notice – it has been confirmed that Bourjois are pulling out of the UK. The news actually broke a few weeks ago but given all that is currently unfolding, I can’t say it fully resonated until I had a little spare time to finally de-clutter my beauty stash.

I’d like to pretend that the news came as a surprise but with next to no launches in the last 12 months, limited media coverage and no social updates, it was evident that for Bourjois that the UK was no longer a priority for whatever reason.

Bourjois Leaves the UK

We can speculate why or how Bourjois have come to the decision to withdraw from the UK; I’d imagine the uncertainty of Brexit fuelled marketplace played some part, but how much of a deciding factor that happened to be is anyone’s guess. In a fast paced environment such as the beauty industry, with new companies all but appearing overnight, as brand you can’t afford to fall by the wayside; out of sight, out of mind and that’s exactly how the eventual end of Bourjois in the UK came to be.

Bourjois Leaves the UK

Despite a huge array of truly wonderful and iconic products – the burnt-rose scented, round pots of blush, the sweet chocolate bronzer and easily one of my favourite foundations ever, Bourjois Healthy Mix – it did somewhat feel that Bourjois never truly had their pulse on what the average consumer in 2019 wanted nor needed for that matter. For instance, despite a huge demand for matte liquid lipsticks, the brand released their collection at least two years behind even the smallest of UK players and as such were eclipsed when we all moved onto whatever the next big beauty trend happened to be.

Bourjois Leaves the UK

Bourjois were known for many things but a diverse range of shades for skin tones was not one of them and therein lies one of the many problems the brand encountered. As a beauty company you can’t be all the things to all of the people but in 2020, a wide range of complexion tones is the bare bones of customer expectations and rightly so. To go further, we live in a time in which it’s all but expected that personal products are cruelty-free and when push came to shove, Bourjois couldn’t offer neither of these demands and faded further into the background of an already crowded marketplace.

Bourjois Leaves the UK

On a personal note, Bourjois was one of the first brands that I not only worked with as a beauty blogger but purchased as a young teen too. Naturally I’m nostalgic and will miss seeing the once iconic, little round pots all neatly displayed in the likes of Boots. More than that, I am disappointed that another great, yet affordable brand will be disappearing from the UK high street and with it taking an array of once staple products. Rather unfortunately, I do anticipate that this may be the fate that bestows a few other once household beauty giants too.

Bourjois Leaves the UK

In the coming months and years, as we further become entangled in the web of social media and the fast trends that dominate not only our make-up bags but day-to-day lives, I hope to see real changes; brands selected for what they offer rather than what they look like. I don’t care what large influencer name is currently pushing them with an affiliate code, rather I want to know does it get the job done and is it a brand with good core values.

Bourjois although not perfect, did offer great quality make-up that was safe to use and did not come with a side order of drama – how many current beauty brands can you say offer the same thing?





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