Leighton Denny Vamp

Described as "rouge-noir, deepest red cream", Leighton Denny Vamp is a recent addition to my lacquer stash. I picked this up for a song as a freebie with Red magazine in London. Leighton Denny polishes usually retail for £11 for 12ml and are made in the UK.

On the first coat, Vamp looked more like a reddish berry but with the second and third coats, it becomes more darkened like how it appears in the bottle. I needed three coats to achieve the desired intense finish evenly but at least the formula does apply quite smoothly. I sealed it with Dior Top Coat.

Vamp plays quite well against my skin tone but the magpie in me decided to experiment by layering other shades.


Max Factor Fantasy Fire adds an even layer of micro-fine shimmer.

Nicole by OPI Top of My World shows up as a sprinkling of fine blue glitter.

City That Never Sleeps from Essence Colour 3 Nail Polish 01 Midnight Date adds irregularly shaped green flakes and micro-shimmer.

Essence Nail Art Special Effect Topper 08 Night In Vegas contains irregularly shaped holographic flakies that shift from red to orange to green.

The yellow side of Essence Colour 3 Nail Polish 01 It's Two Bright (from the Season of Extremes collection) gives it a rich, shimmery finish and greater depth with larger shimmer particles than Fantasy Fire.

UK Magazine Freebies: Clinique, Soap & Glory, Leighton Denny, Percy & Reed

Whenever I visit the UK, I usually return with an armful of magazines, thanks to the amazing freebies bundled with UK magazines. They often also include sample sachets of the latest foundations or skincare products (but sadly, these are not included in the issues sold outside of the UK). While Japanese magazines offer branded freebies as well, these are usually accessories like pouches and bags or stationery, instead of the full size beauty products with a retail value a few times the price of the magazine.

Cosmopolitan was giving out two Clinique deluxe sample products with each issue. I picked the 7 Day Scrub Cream (30ml) and Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss 10 Grapefruit (7ml), which is a clear baby pink.

I love the Superbalm Moisturizing Glosses as they leave the lips feeling very soft and comfortably hydrated. I already have this in Black Honey, which I adore.

Elle was giving away this Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Mascara which normally retails at £10. The magazine was less than £4. The reviews on Beauty Bite and Princess Livia make it look pretty good.

The April issue of Marie Claire (£3.70) came bundled with a full size Neal's Yard Rehydrating Rose Daily Moisture (45ml) worth £12. I haven't started using this yet but the rose scent smells quite lovely.

Made in the UK, it contains rosa centifolia extract, damask rose oil, hyaluronic acid and calendula extract. It is free of mineral oil, parabens, silicones, phthalates, artificial fragrances and colors.


These Leighton Denny polishes in Crushed Grape (left) and Vamp were freebies with the March issue of Red. The polishes, which usually retail at £11 each, were only bundled with issues sold in Marks & Spencer and WH Smith at railway stations. I found these at the WH Smith in Victoria station. (See swatches of Crushed Grape and another shade, Lilac, on Le petit jardin de Liloo.)

Glamour (£2) was giving out the new Percy & Reed haircare range with each issue. With the four products (all 100ml sizes) worth £43 combined, I ended up buying four copies to get the whole set, and gave away the extra magazines to my sister-in-law. These also came with sample sachets of Estee Lauder's new Invisible Fluid Makeup in shade 2WN1.

So far, I've tried only the Splendidly Silky Moisturising Shampoo and Conditioner. Both have a light sweet floral scent. Made in England, they leave my hair soft and tangle-free without feeling weighed down. The artwork is a quirky, eye-catching departure from the usual generic mass market brands.

The Finishing Polish is a styling cream (read a review on The Glossy Guide) while the Hydrating Mask is meant to be used as a 10-minute intensive hydrating treatment.