Joan Collins Timeless Beauty - Divine Lips Lipstick - Amanda*

          "I don't feel dressed without nail lacquer. It's as essential to me as lipstick"

I make no apologies for starting this post, the same way that I started my previous Timeless Beauty post, after all the wonderful Dame Joan Collins certainly knows what she's talking about. My mum doesn't wear very much make up, and rather surprisingly, given my nail polish obsession, she very rarely wears colour on her nails. What she does wear though, is lipstick and lots of it. She always says that she never feels dressed without lipstick and she never leaves the house without having a few lipsticks floating around in the car and in her handbag.

Lipsticks serves so many purposes, choose the right shade and it can bring your face to life, but choose another shade and it can make you feel like you can rule the world. Not only can this stick of oils, waxes and butters change our mood, and our complexion but pick the right one and it will also smooth and soften your lips, and give them a little bit of well deserved TLC.

That combination of glamour and care, is right at the heart of the Joan Collins Timeless Beauty line. Joan is a firm believer that make up should protect the skin and that's something which comes through in all of her make up products, which combine make up with high quality skincare ingredients.

Lipsticks are always a good starting point when it comes to trying out a new brand, and over the last month or so I've been trying out one of Joan Collins Time Beauty Divine Lips Lipsticks. There are 16 shades to choose from and everyone of the them is crammed full of moisturising and hydrating ingredients including hyaluronic acid. These lipsticks have been specifically designed to help smooth the lips and fill in fine lines, and of course they also been designed to help hydrate and protect the lips, so much so in fact that in scientific tests the lipsticks in this range have been shown to significantly improve hydration levels in the lips after 30 days of use.

Like the nail polishes, the lipsticks come boxed in a beautiful, chic matte black and gold box, with a clear product picture on the back. Open the box and your greeted with a beautifully packaged lipstick. The lipsticks in this line come in a beautiful, chic, ridged metal, gold case, with the Joan Collins logo in the centre. Unlike a lot of similarly packaged lipsticks out there, this one is has a real weight to it, it doesn't feel flimsy and you really do feel a little bit special when you pull it out of your bag.

As I said before there are 16 shades to choose from, and in keeping with the glamorous theme I was sent the shade Amanda which is one of several red toned shades in the line.

Nothing screams glamour, sophistication or even power more than a slick of red lipstick. Joan Collins herself is rarely seen in any other colour, but it isn't always the easiest of colours to wear. With red lipstick though it's all about finding the red that suits you, some people suit blue toned reds, some people can wear a more pinkie red, and some people like a warmer red, like Amanda.

It's looking a bit darker in the pictures than it does in real life but Amanda is officially described as a hazel or russet shade, but for me it's a lovely warm, rich red shade, with a soft vanilla scent and taste. You always need to apply red lipstick a bit more carefully then say you would a nude, but this one actually applied really nicely. It was creamy but it wasn't too soft so it didn't bleed or smudge.

As you can see the pigmentation is superb but the colour is quite buildible so you can apply it sparingly or blot it down and wear it as a sheer or apply it straight from the bullet for a full on block colour. A lot of reds that I've tried stain your lips and feel quite drying but this one actually felt really hydrating on the lips, and it wore well, and faded pretty evenly, even on my super dry lips.

I'm going to be honest with you and say that I normally shy away from red lipstick, or for that matter  anything that draws too much attention to my lips. My lips are very uneven and I think that colours like this can draw attention to that but I have actually really enjoyed wearing this lipstick. I did feel a bit more confident wearing it, and I really think that the colour worked perfectly with my skin tone and it brightened up my face. Throw in the beautiful, classy packaging, and the fact that this lipstick didn't dry out my lips, then I think we may have a winner. I'm definitely going to try and be a bit braver when it comes to lipsticks now, but whether you love a classic red lip, a beautiful wine, or maybe a nude pink, there will be a  colour in the Joan Collins Timeless Beauty line to suit you. These aren't the cheapest lipsticks on the market but for me they are well worth the investment. Joan Collins Timeless Beauty Divine Lips Lipsticks retail at £18 for 3.5g of product and are available from the Timeless Beauty website, Urban Retreat, QVC UK and M&S. Are you a fan of a red lip let me know in the comments x

*Sample

Joan Collins Timeless Beauty Nail Laquer - Helene*

"I don't feel dressed without nail lacquer. It's as essential to me as lipstick"

                                                                                                                   
This quote comes from probably one of the glamorous women of modern times. She's an actress, a businesswoman, an author, a Dame and an icon. Who am I talking about? Joan Collins of course. Like most people my age I remember Joan Collins from the 1980's soap opera Dynasty. There was no doom and gloom in Dynasty, it was all about cat fights, shoulder pads, and glamour. and it's heart was the queen bee herself, Joan Collins as Alexis Carrington / Colby / Dexter.

Although her work on Dynasty is only a small part of her illustrious career, the whole glamour and style aspect of it sums up the woman herself. Although she's now a grandmother and in her 80's, she's still as beautiful and as stylish as she ever was, and is showing no sign of slowing down.

One of the mantras that she lives by is the idea that beauty isn't just for the young, and she's a firm believer that you can still look good at any age, as long as you have the right products, the right tools and the right outlook.

Over the years Ms Collins spent a lot of time learning from stylists and make up artists, and now Joan has decided to pass on all of her expertise and the tips she's learnt by releasing her own line of beauty products, Timeless Beauty.

The range comprises of a wide range of luxury make up products, accessories and fragrances, that are designed to appeal to women of all ages. A little while ago now I was lucky enough to be sent two products from the Timeless Beauty range to try, a lipstick and in case you hadn't already guessed from the quote above, a nail lacquer.

The lipstick post should be up later this week but today I'm sharing a beautiful and classic nails of the day with you. There are 17 shades of Nail Lacquer to choose from in the Joan Collins Timeless Beauty line, and I was sent Helene.

The polish comes beautifully packaged in matte black, and gold box, with images of both Joan and the product on the back. Open the box and you're greeted with probably the most chicest bottle of nail polish that I've ever owned. The faceted glass bottle is topped with a long ridged, gold tapered handle which gives the polish a real vintage look. I remember going through my grandmas dressing table drawers when I was younger, and spying a similar bottle, so this one brought back a lot of happy memories. The handle isn't just for show though, it's perfectly weighted for ease of application, and the ridges mean that it's really easy to hold.

All of the polishes are named after glamorous women and this one is Helene. Helene is one of those colours that everybody needs to own, it's a classic blue based red, that goes with anything and that you can wear for any occasion, and whether your nails or long or short.

The brush was good, and because of the specially designed handle it was really easy to paint. The polish was very pigmented, and the coverage was excellent. It was also very self levelling, so I got no streaks, and it dried quickly. If you were in a rush you could probably get away with one coat but as per usual I went for two coats which as you can see produced a glossy, almost wet look finish. Although the shine did fade a little after a day or so, the wear time was still pretty good and of course you could always use a top coat to extend the wear and to bring back the gloss.

Nothing screams glamour more than a red nail polish, and this one takes the word glamour to another level. From the involvement of the lady herself, to the vintage style packaging and the formulation, this polish give you that chic movie star look, even if your wearing a pair of jeans rather than diamonds and an evening gown! This shade is perfect for the festive season but I think that any product from this line would make an ideal gift for anyone in your life be it your gran, or even for a friend that loves that vintage Hollywood look and style. Joan Collins Timeless Beauty Nail Lacquer in Helene retails at £13 for a 12ml bottle. The Joan Collins Timeless Beauty range is available from various retailers in the UK including QVCUK,  selected M&S stores and online, from Urban Retreat and from the Timeless Beauty website. Have you tried anything from the Joan Collins Timeless Beauty line? and are you a fan of red polish? Let me know your thoughts below x

*Sample

Huge Collective Beauty Haul Featuring QVC, Essence, Chanel And More x

Hey Everyone x Following on from yesterdays Iced Rainbow post I'm back with another haul post and this time it's a pretty huge collective beauty haul. There really is something for everyone in this haul, lots of different things and lots of different price points.

We'll start off with some budgets from one of my favourite brands at the moment, Essence. Over the last few months, I've managed to make a couple of trips to Wilko purely to buy some bits from Essence. I was recently sent a package full of Essence goodies and it only succeeded in whetting my appetite for more.

Although my nails are pretty dreadful at the moment, they had too many pretties to ignore x Reviews and nails of the days to come but I got a few nail art bits including some nail foil and some foil transfer solution. I used to use foils on my nails all the time about 10 years ago and since these bits appear to be being discontinued I stocked up. Foiling is a technique that I love and I can't wait to give it a go again when my nails are a bit longer. As well as the foils I also got a couple of colours - Essence Holo Graphics Effect Nail Polish in 22 I ♥ Magic and Essence Holo Jewels Effect Nail Polish in 12 Bejewelled.

I also picked up one of their Nail Art Designer set. This contains 3 different textured sponges for creating an airbrush effect, and a very thin striping brush.

As well as the nail bits I also got a couple of make up items including the Essence All About Matt! Fixing Compact Powder. I love both the Laura Geller Matte Maker and the MAC Prep + Prime clear / white powders but they are both pretty spending so I'm hoping that this similar looking product will be a good substitute. I also picked up one of the new Essence Make Me Brow Eyebrow Gel Mascaras in 02 Browny Brows. According to some of the reviews that I've this is supposedly a good dupe for Benefit's Gimme Brow, I haven't had a chance to try it yet but I'll let you know what I think when I do x

Another product that's been talked about and hyped up is Rimmel Exaggerate Full Colour Lip Liner in 063 East End Snob. This has taken a bit of finding but I'm pleased I got it in the end.

I've just been wearing this nude, pink, mauve shade over my entire lips and topping it with a bit of gloss but if anyone can recommend a lipstick that goes well with this shade, then I'd love to know x

Another Avon haul, and another nail polish. If there is a sale supplement in my catalogue that;s always what I read first and I was super happy to see some of their Stardust Nail Enamels. I only a couple of these but I love the demi matte finish which is packed full of sparkle. This one is Polished Plum which is packed full of multi coloured glitter. I'm really disappointed that they've discontinued these but fingers crossed the new Mineral Crush polishes will be similar.

Alongside the nail polish I also bought a perfume from Avon. I know it's hard buying a fragrance that you haven't tried before, but after trying the scratch and sniff panel in the brochure I had to buy this one.

Cherish is the perfume that Avon created in association with Abby Clancy and her mum. It's a bit headier then most perfumes that I own but it includes my favourite scent, Jasmine so it's a winner with me.

Next ebay, and although I've bought quite a bit from ebay lately I've only bought a couple of beauty things x One items arrived just a little bit too late for inclusion in this post but I did get these eyebrow razors in time.

These are a zillion times better than the last ones that I got. They are stupidy, sharp so I have nicked myself a few times but they are amazing for getting rid of all of those fine hairs, and strays that ruin the shape. Unfortunately thanks to ebays layout changes I can no longer find the seller, but these ones should be quite easy to find.

Another budget buy came courtesy of Poundland, I seem to mention this shop in pretty much every post that I write at the moment but I can't help it, they have so much good stuff in at the moment. Operation bye bye bath is still ongoing so as well as trying to use up all my bath products, I'm trying prepare myself for the inevitable, not by buying shower gels, I already have tonnes of those but by buying shower caps - I can't be doing with washing my hair every time I have a shower so I'm going to need plenty of these on standby. This is the Miss Piggy version but I'm definitely going to get the Minnie Mouse one too.

From one off, fun, pocket money friendly items, to a few purchases that I've had to think a little bit harder about. The first product in the higher end section of this haul is something that I've wanted for a long time so it certainly wasn't an on the whim purchase.

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in 54 Boy is one of those lipsticks that is truly iconic. The name makes reference to Coco Chanel's love affair with Arthur Edward "Boy" Capel, and it's truly one of the nicest lipsticks that I now own.

Although it looks very pink in my product pictures it actually more of a nude shade with just a touch of sparkle. The formula is very hydrating which does effect the wear time slightly but there is no better feeling then opening that black and gold tube, and smelling that traditional rose fragrance. Lipstick heaven in a tube we'll just pretend we didn't see the £24 price tag.

Lipstick, lipstick, how I love thee, I have so many lip products it's insane but on the 3rd March QVC had a special day where all on air items were on 3 easy pay. I just intended to watch a few shows but I got engrossed in a Bare Minerals order, and as if by magic the place order button appeared on my screen. To be fair I've tried a lot of Bare Minerals products but I've never tried any of their lipsticks.

The Bare Minerals Nude Perfection kit comes with 3 Mini Marvelous Moxie Lipsticks, all in varying brown, and nude tones, that can be wore alone are mixed together. As well as in the limited edition kit that I got all of the lipsticks are available as full sized items separately so I'll definitely be adding these to my to review pile x

Something else that I ordered from QVC came from the Joan Collins Timeless Beauty brand. I've watched the presentations a few times mainly to hear the wit of Ms Collins but you can't help but marvel at the glamour and style of her products and packaging. Seeing as I really don't need any more make up I decided to try something else that she offered, the Class Act Lash Growth Treatment. I've used a certain lash growth product in the past with some success (which I also must review for you at some point) but it is a bit price prohibitive so when I saw this one for under £20, I thought I'd give it a go. Obviously I'll give it a through review when I've had a chance to try it but based on first impressions the packaging is gorgeous and really high end so I'm really hoping that the contents matches that. With every purchase from the line you also get a sample pack of her First Base Foundation to try. The little pack contains every colour that they do so you can pick the perfect shade for you x I think that is a fab idea and I think that it's something that all brands should do. Again I'll let you know what I think, in a future sample Saturday post x

My final QVC purchase (for now!) came from the Alpha H range. I love Alpha H and I'm a huge fan of their star product Liquid Gold. This special offer kit came with both a 50ml and a 100ml bottle of Liquid Gold, and a canvas tote bag. I love this stuff but shame about the bag which absolutely stinks to high even and is currently being aired off in the porch.

The last things I have to show you are all magazine freebies, I've spent a little bit of time in hospital waiting rooms over the last month so I've needed something to relieve the boredom. If you're quick you might be able to get your hands on these x  Harpers Bazaar came with a free 15ml tube of Elemis Pro Collagen Marine Cream, Marie Claire came with a free, full sized, limited edition Nails Inc polish - this is Fiesta, and Glamour came with a free item from Balance Me - I went for the 100ml tube of the Super Moisturising Body Wash.

So that was my pretty huge, and pretty expensive collective beauty haul. I'm going to try and review as much of it as I can but if there is any specific review you would like to see then please let me know x Thanks for reading and I'll see you tomorrow with a review or two xx