Oud Milano comes to the UK

A few weeks ago I was invited to a press event with Oud Milano. Oud Milano, if the name doesn't give it away, is an Italian brand who have opened a brand new flagship store in the heart of the West End here in London and you won't miss it on Oxford Street if you are walking by.

Whether you like lipsticks, eyeshadow, foundation, bronzer, nail polish, mascara, creams, applicator tools and scents, there is literally everything right there to play with to find your perfect shades, products and new look. I was given a selection of products to play with after the event and I thought they would be perfect for sharing on my blog. The first thing is the incredible packaging - sleek, chic and mirrors the decor of the store, a clever idea!

The first product is the Oud Milano Primer - Flawless Beauty. On the skin, this is one of the most lightweight primers I have used, there is no heavy silicone-like feel to it and it is almost as though there is nothing really there.

It has a light peachy tone to it but applies to the face like a dream and has no scent to it, which makes it all the more appealing to me. Oud Milano state that it is thanks to the presence of precious elastomers which minimises skin imperfections, on my skin, it doesn't work to conceal the redness, but it does help deal with any excess sebum thanks to my combination skin. Flawless Beauty retails for £35.

Then I have a Eye Shadow Compact in shade 321. Oddly none of the 30 shades have names, but are instead referred to as a selection of numbers and are available in either matte or pearled versions.

Shade 321 is a warm chocolate brown shade which is infused with gold flecks and it is sheer but buildable, which I like in an eyeshadow. Easy to use and with little fall out, this is a great everyday shade and it fits well within my 'I am a neutral eye' kind of girl, but if it is bright and bold that you want and prefer, trust me, the neons are incredible! Priced at around £20.

If lipstick is your thing then again Oud Milano has an abundance of types to try - a gloss, a liner, a balm, a stick or what is referred to, and the one I have, a Lip Colour.

Essentially a Lip Crayon and again with no name just a number, which in this case is 302, it is a bright, almost Barbie pink, not my kind of shade but the texture is something to talk about. Incredibly creamy and smooth, it glides onto the lips and delivers a pop of colour, it has a sheen to it and makes your lips feel as though you have actually applied a balm and not a lipstick. There are ten shades available and they are priced at £19.05.

The final makeup item that I have is a Kohol pencil in shade 201. Eyeliner isn't my most sought after product and it is something that I use occasionally, so I always have a pencil to hand. Shade 201 is a dark brown eyeliner shade rather than black, so it immediately appeals to me much more than usual.

It applies with ease and is quite a smooth creamy textured pencil, so it doesn't feel as though you are dragging it across your waterline or lash line. There is a black shade available alongside two beautifully stunning blues and each one retails for £9.53.

Saving the best product until last, well for me anyway comes something that is a first - The Crazy After Shower Raspberry Powder. In short it is a sparkling loose powder for the body. I have never tried anything like this before and I was literally like a Child in Toys 'R' Us at Christmas because it is such a fun product.

When you spray it, out comes a plume of white powder and within that power is a lot of glitter and it gives your skin a really lovely glow, now I am not talking covered from head to toe, but there is enough so that you can see a bit of a twinkle. A perfect product for the summer when the sun is out in my opinion. The scent of Strawberries and Cream is also pretty lovely, sweet and scents the skin really nicely. Priced at £20.11 it comes in two other scents which are Vanilla and Raspberry.

There are many many more products to be sought out form Oud Milano and the store is just beautifully laid out and worthy of the visit. The staff are lovely, knowledgeable about the brand and there are just one or two products which might surprise you!

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here

He won’t propose? Drop some hints!

If he hasn’t proposed after a couple of years of living together, sometimes it can feel as though your relationship is stagnating slightly. You’re ready and waiting for him to pop the question, but it seems like he hasn’t even thought of it — so why not drop a few hints to your man so that he knows that you’re truly ready to become engaged and wear the perfect engagement ring.

Angelic Diamonds are here to help! Here are some of their best tips to make sure he’ll be proposing with the perfect engagement ring in no time.

Make sure that your married friends are always close by

Try to make sure that you and him are hanging around your married friends, or family members that have children, so that he experiences more serious relationships other than your own. This will make him realise that you’re comfortable with him being around others in more serious relationships. 

Even though marriage does have its ups and downs, this could be said of all relationships. Demonstrating this commitment through your friends will help him to understand that you’re who he wants to be with. Although men who have parents that are divorced sometimes struggle to trust this commitment, replacing negative feelings with positive ones in this type of environment may help to bring him around to your way of thinking.

Make sure you’re a go to guy

Relationships can become boring when you’re constantly in your assigned roles and doing the same things for one another, never fall into a routine. To avoid this, make sure you’re always his go-to guy as well as his girlfriend. If you’re constantly being left behind for the guys, then this is going to put a strain on his ability to propose and take you seriously. 

Like his interests, and share your interests with him, so that you can do more things together rather than apart. If you can be part of his whole life, rather than just someone he spends time with, then he’ll feel like you’re indispensable. Once you get to this point in your relationship, then he’ll feel like proposing, as he can’t spend his time without you!

Try and show some tough love sometimes

Being cruel to be kind can be really difficult, but when it pulls off it can really work. If you don’t see your relationship heading in the right direction, and things are flatlining, try and find his pulse again by telling him you may move out. 

Without being dramatic about it, why not spend more time with the girls or situations where he will miss you and want to know how you are doing? Although he knows that you’re always there for him, this will make him feel that he isn’t being as included as he should be, and he’ll start to wonder why. Keeping him on his toes in this way will make him realise that he needs to put the effort in (by proposing!) so that he can get your undivided effort and attention in the future. 

Always be open and honest

If you want to be in a successful relationship, then communication is always key – no amount of hints and tricks will completely make up his mind. If you want to get engaged, then why not talk to him about why it’s important to you. 

On the basis that he knows how much you mean to him, and how much he means to you, then your relationship is bound to end in happiness. Sometimes people have the same fears and doubts within a relationship, but they are just too afraid to address them with each other. By talking about your future together, he’ll know that you want to be a part of it. By giving him that gentle nudge in the right direction, you may just be engaged before you know it. 

*this post contains a paid for link