Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts

Monday, 12 January 2015

Empties: Make up, skincare and more


Getting slightly overwhelmed by all the empties in my bedroom at the moment, so desperately needed to do a post. I love reading and watching youtube videos on these, enjoy.

Dr Organic Pomegranate Toothpaste
Yep, fruit flavoured toothpaste people. I went through an organic stage earlier in 2014 and tried this out. It's very lightly flavoured and has mint too. I really liked it and would definitely buy again.

Soap & Glory Righteous Butter
All of the soap and glory body butters are amazing. Love, love, love the scents!

Boots Nail Polish Remover Pads
I liked these. I don't think they are the best ever like compared to the Bourjois ones, but they are cheap and perfect to pack in your bag for when you're travelling.

Nivea Powerfruit refresh body wash
I don't really get excited about body wash. Who does? This however, smells so good. So much so, I genuinely thought I need to repurchase it. I think it's always on £1 offers too, even better.

Lancome Bi-Facil
This removes eye makeup really well, especially if you have a smokey number on the go. It's really oily though and not the kind that disappears very well. I probably wouldn't repurchase.

Sanctuary Creme Souffle
Confession? I am a really lazy moisturiser. It pleases me more than you can imagine that I actually finish body butters. The Sanctuary products are a real treat and I loved the souffle style of this one.

17 BB Balm
Always got one of these in my stash, perfect for the summer months. Still has good coverage and doesn't break me out or get oily.

MeMeMe Fat Cat Mascara
I haven't used any other MeMeMe products (that I can remember), but I was impressed with this mascara and would be interested to try more products from the range. Have you used any that you'd recommend?

Rimmel Wonderfull Mascara
I don't rate this mascara at all. It gave my eyelashes length, but seems to make them stick forward and very straight.

Rimmel Scandal eyes Mascara
This Rimmel mascara on the other hand was good. Other than the Wonderfull one I think Rimmel have a great affordable range.


2True Liquid eyeliner
Repurchased a million times. If you like liquid liner, try it as it's super cheap and easy to use. I'm using a 17 one at the moment and it's nowhere near as good.

Mac Prep+Prime
I have a fairly oily t-zone, so a primer (especially, on a night out) is a must if I want my makeup to last. One of my friends got me this as a gift and it's great, lightweight with a silky finish.

Mac Mineralise concealer 
Another Mac product bites the dust. I have a real love-hate relationship with concealer and yet to find my perfect one. This one is good and probably top of my list out of all the empties in this post. I'm looking to try the Nars creamy concealer or Clinique one next.

Collection Concealer 
I really like this on blemishes, but not really for under the eyes or around the nose area as it's a but drying. It's probably one I'll always have in my collection though.

Rimmel Wake me up concealer 
This concealer worked better under the eyes, but not really on blemishes as it's much lighter in consistency. I feel like I'm having concealer drama...

Soap & Glory It's about Prime eyeshadow primer
I've already reviewed this over here, alongside some of my other fav Soap&Glory makeup products, so check that post out if you're thinking of getting some.

Rimmel Wake me up Foundation 
I like this, especially in the summer months. It's always really hard to find the right colour though as they sell out quickly and the range is quite limited.

Hugo Boss Jour Perfume
This is gorgeous. It's a floral fruity fragrance, super feminine. 

Burberry Body Perfume
I just got a mini 'My Burberry' perfume and can't recommend the Burberry perfume range more. The fragrances are really fresh and sophisticated.

We made it! Please leave your links below to empties posts or concealer recommendations to help with my #concealerdramz


Wednesday, 3 December 2014

Brighton, a Choc-oma & a Sausage dog

That is the name of my new book. I joke. Here's what I've been up to recently. Grab a cuppa because there are quite a lot of pictures.

I went to Brighton! Which I have never been to, I know controversial. There was shopping, eating, drinking, sightseeing and we even squeezed in a trip to see Interstellar.


Amazing breakfast from Cafe Coho, which I can't recommend enough. I would also hugely recommend Curry Leaf Cafe which was hard to get a table at (be warned), but incredible Indian street food, unique beers and ales and the best staff.


I might have treated myself....


I also took a break from London for some real air up in the Forest of Dean to see some friends. One of which has a little puppy sausage dog called Lola. If you haven't been to the forest, you must. Stunning.





She's so tiny, it was genuinely hard to get her in a picture where she's visible!


And then because I clearly don't treat myself enough (cough, cough), here are some notable indulgences you should try if in London. The first? An overpriced, yet glorious doughnut. It was £2.40, but injected with 7 (approx, might be more) lots of real Belgian chocolate. Say what. You can find these bad boys (loads of flavours) in Piccadilly Circus tube station. Avert your eyes if on a diet.


7 injections of Belgian chocolate are enough right? No, way. I've also been to Said Chocolate which is a chocolate shop/maker and cafe. I had a large milk hot chocolate with cinnamon and whipped cream. Tips? You don't need a large. Choc-oma will proceed, so write off your afternoon.


This time of year just gets so crazy and all I keep saying is 'How is it almost Christmas?' What have you all been up to?

"I'm not afraid of death I'm afraid of time." Interstellar


Tuesday, 4 November 2014

Review: Garnier Miracle Skin Cream



There are loads of makeup/skincare hybrids around lately and to be straight up honest, I'm not sure if I'm convinced on mixing everything up. Part of me just thinks, can one product do two things that well? Unfortunately, I don't think so.

Don't get me wrong, the Garnier Miracle Skin Cream is a good option for those no-makeup-just-popping-to-the-shop days but it's not a product you can quickly rub in like a normal face cream. To get a good finish you need to work the product into the face with circular motions, else you get a streaky effect. I also find it flakes away if you have too many other products involved like an eye cream or serum. 

After all that, I kind of just think a BB cream or lighter foundation would have been less effort and a similar price. Plus, you can't use this in the evening as it does contain makeup. Overall, this just didn't thrill me. Is this just me or have you experienced the same 'meh' feeling too? 



Sunday, 6 April 2014

Review: & Other Stories Makeup


If you haven't popped into & Other Stories then you really should make a trip. It's a shop for the cool cats, full of high-end inspired fashion cuts and a great vibe. For the beauty buffs, there are testers galore and cute sinks where you can wash off all the lipstick swatches (why isn't this everywhere?).


On my latest trip I picked up two eye shadows and a lipstick to test out the beauty range available. First off, I love the packaging. The lipstick especially feels pretty lux, but it's the font and style are right up my street. I plumped for 'Birrus Rust' a gorgeous coppery red shadow, 'Shetland Brown' a dark bronzy brown shadow and 'Sempiternum Brick' a peachy coral lipstick. All totally beautiful, with 'Birrus Rust' being my fav.


Onto the details. The shadows are £7.00 each and lipsticks £12.00 each, so not exactly cheap. I probably wouldn't recommend the lipsticks over other alternatives at that price and the shadows, whilst being gorgeous don't have the best lasting power. I can't deny my love for 'Birrus Rust' tho, so if you want to cast your own verdict I would recommend this particular shade. 

Have you been to & Other Stories? What were your thoughts?



Monday, 3 February 2014

January Favourites


It's the end of January already and I feel like this month absolutely flew by. Sometimes, I start to worry that I'll blink and be 80 years old! Anyway, here's what I have been loving this month...


I won't bang on about these two too much as I did a post 'Get ready with Revlon' here, which is worth checking out if you're thinking of picking up a few of their products.


I got a subtle grown out roots/dipdye this month and a bit of a chop. My hair is in such better condition after having an inch off, so I have been purchasing hair goodies to help it look tip-top. First up, this banana conditioner from The Body Shop (haul here) is so lovely! My hair feels super nourished and I love the scent. When they finally get the shampoo back in stock I will be grabbing one for double banana time.

The second hair product I picked up was an Amelia Liana induced purchase and it's really good. The Charles Worthington Texturizing Spray has great hold and actually makes your hair bigger and better. There is no way I am spending billions on the Orbe dry texturing spray and this is much better than the Bumble & Bumble one too, as well as being wayyyy cheaper.


I'm not hugely into baths, but I have really enjoyed them of late, thanks to the Therapie Himalayan Bath Salts. The smell of these are incredible and instantly relaxing. I keep sniffing them whenever I walk past the pot, weird huh? I am intending to check out my local health shop ones though, in case they are a more affordable dupe!


My skin has been breaking out and being a bit temperamental, so I've been using lots of skincare products. I've really been enjoying the Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic Spritzer after I have cleansed. It leaves you skin feeling fresh and revitalised and I think it's helped to calm my skin down and get it looking a bit less stressed out.

Link me your favs below, I'm always on the look out! 

Sunday, 2 February 2014

Get ready with Revlon



When I think of Revlon, I don’t really picture my age group. I remember one of my friends recently saying she might have a look at the Revlon counter because she needed a gift for her 80+ year old nan (sorry, Revlon). However, on the hunt for a new high street foundation, I found myself checking out their array of products and feeling pleasantly surprised. Here’s what I picked up…

Revlon Photoready Foundation in Shell
This foundation has some shimmer to it, but in a illuminating way rather than a glitter. It’s oil free and gives a really lovely build-able coverage. I really like the finish of this foundation and rate it much higher (it’s much less glittery) than the Rimmel Wake Me Up. They also have a pretty extensive colour range, which can be a problem on the high street sometimes. Highly recommend!

Revlon Photoready BB Cream in Light Medium
Not a fan of this at all. I’ve used quite a few BB creams now, with my favorites being Dior’s NudeSkin and 17’s BB Cream. First up, the colour of light medium is quite orange which doesn’t look good on me at all. Considering there are only 3 colour options, it limited my choice and I knew the light was far too fair. Also, the finish of this product was really disappointing. It doesn’t blend well and the shimmer is almost pearlescent on top of the skin, so not on the re-purchase list for me. 

Revlon ColorStay Concealer in Light Pale 
In the past months I have used Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer and Collection 2000 Concealer, which are good, but I find that Rimmel’s isn’t that high coverage and Collection’s is a little drying. I am so pleased I picked up this Revlon ColorStay Concealer, as it seems to be a bit of an in-between of the two! It works well under the eyes and also on blemishes, lasts for ages and blends well. 



I will definitely be checking out their range the next time I am in Boots. I already have my eyes on the Colorstay Foundation, which I have heard is very good. Will you be reaching for Revlon this month?

Thursday, 23 January 2014

Recently Bought: Beauty Haul


You got me! I might have done a little online beauty shopping the other day. Enough to justify a haul, so here's what I recently bought, why and a little bit of what I think of them so far!


I got the Caudalie Beauty Elixir from Cult Beauty. Not going to lie, I got this to push me over the free shipping mark (ridiculous really, but i'd rather get something than pay shipping ha) and this was an affordable highly recommended product. I am really glad I picked it up! Firstly, because it really does refresh and brighten your skin and secondly because Fleur from Fleur De Force likes it too. It's a herbal scent made with no parabens and 100% natural fragrance, lots of skin goodness.


What I actually went to Cult Beauty for was the Therapie Himalayan Detox Salts, a Vivianna Does Makeup induced purchase after seeing her mention it in her videos. I used this the other night and it was absolute bliss. They are suppose to help if you suffer from insomnia, which I don't...but everyone has a bad night's sleep here and there! I have actually seen some wayyyy cheaper Himalayan salts in our local health food shop, so I might get those to do a comparison/dupe style post, as these do set you back £35. 


This is my cat, Perri. I didn't buy her recently, but she decided to keep getting her fur everywhere and nudge my products all over the place, so I'm guessing she wants a shout-out. What a diva.


Then I went a tad crazy online at The Body Shop. All of the above (plus, a pink grapefruit body wash that I forgot about) only cost me £22.40 with shipping though, which is pretty epic. Here's what I got:

Banana Conditioner. I have been using the Banana conditioner for just over a week and it's so good! On the website it has crazy good reviews and is one of their bestsellers. It works well as and every day conditioner or a mask overnight, as it's not too heavy and really nourishing. Obviously, if you don't like the smell of bananas, don't get this!

Pink Grapefruit Lip Butter. This stuff is so good! It's one of the only lip balms that really does anything when my lips really need saving. It's pretty thick, but once blended your lips feel and look lovely. I'm not a fan of super shiny balms, so if you aren't too - try this.

Satsuma Body Polish. Again, this had really good reviews. I love my Soap & Glory scrubs, but I do find them a pain as they come in tubs rather than tubes. Looking forward to giving this a whirl!

Rain forest Balance Shampoo. This clarifying shampoo has no sulphates, silicones, colourants or parabens. I thought I would give this a go as a kind of mid-week shampoo to help get rid of any product build up. It smells very fresh and the 60ml bottle is just £2 in the sale at the mo.

White Musk Sun Glow Eau De Toilette. I like to have a few cheap perfumes in my collection that I can spritz away without picturing £5 notes every time. Zara do some great cheap perfumes, but the nearest one is 40mins away, so I thought I'd see what The Body Shop had. I'd never smelt this before, but the description seemed alright and I liked the bottle. In short, it's a musky, zesty, floral smell and I am pleased with the mystery fragrance. It doesn't last all day, but who cares when it was £7.50 for 60ml!

What have you been buying recently?


Wednesday, 15 January 2014

Empties: Skincare Reviews


I really need to get some lamps for lighting, my photos are so rubbish at the mo. It's like I am taking them inside a cave #bloggerprobz Anyway, I have managed to accumulate a pretty hefty amount of empties, so I thought it was time to run through them all. First up, I will be tackling all the skincare products I have used up...


La Roche-Posay Physiological Micellar Solution. I really enjoyed using this Micellar water. It removed my makeup well and left my skin feeling very refreshed and cleansed. It's £12 for a 200ml bottle, which I don't think is bad at all for the quality of the product. Big thumbs up! 

La Roche-Posay Physiological Soothing Toner. Exactly the same size and price as the Micellar Solution and equally, if not better in terms of quality. I like using a toner in my skincare routine as I feel it adds an extra stage of the cleansing process and 'perks' my skin up. This toner isn't drying at all (I have oily skin and even I notice that some are super drying!) and I will be re-purchasing fo'sho. 


L'Oréal Paris Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution. This is what the La Roche Posay Micellar Solution has been replaced with and I think this is my 4th or 5th bottle already. As much as I love the La Roche Posay one and feel it is better quality, this really does the job well. Also, I just get through so much of the stuff and it's way more purse friendly at £4.

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant. I liked how literally baby soft my skin was after using this product. It's an incredibly gentle exfoliator that is basically a powder that turns into a face wash with water. It would be perfect if you have sensitive skin, especially because there are no artificial fragrances or colours shoved in there. However, it was a bit of a faff for me and it's super pricey, so I won't be repurchasing. 

The Body Shop Seaweed Night Treatment. I heart The Body Shop. I've got a lot of time for ethically legit brands and the best thing is their stuff is actually really decent too. I got a set of the Seaweed skincare range and I absolutely loved it. I had a few things re-purchased for me from this range and one of the highlights is this night treatment. The whole range is for combination/oily skin and I found it to have visible results as well as being super fresh. They also have a huge sale on right now


The Body Shop Seaweed Day Cream.  As I have already mentioned, love this range. This cream is perfect if you have oily skin as it's not too heavy so your primer sits nicely on top!

The Body Shop Vitamin E Night Cream.  Another bestseller from The Body Shop  and rightly so. I really love the scent of the Vitamin E range and it's aimed at all skin types. Take my money, body shop, take it all.

Yves Rocher Hydra Vegetal Instant Aniti-Wrinkle Moisturizer. Ahh, I really enjoyed using this cream. It's very luxurious, but still affordable (£18ish). It's a deep moisturizer, so the sort of thing I would use before bedtime. It's packed with Hyaluronic Acid and botanical-based ingredients like organic agave sap extract and witch hazel water. All of which are da bomb for helping you stay spot free! It smells lovely unlike some organic products and I would deffo repurchase this. 

Sanctuary Spa 30 Day Thermal Transformation Mask.  I got the sachets of this in a Glossybox and I am so in love. I used these this week and my skin felt ridiculously good during and after the treatment. I managed to get two facials out of the sachet, which shows how little of the product you need. The first step is Peptide Serum and the second is the Thermal Rose Clay Mask. The initial heat you get when you apply the second step is insane! It doesn't stay too hot the whole time, so it's not uncomfortable and afterwards my skin felt glorious. The full sized set is only £27.50 which would definitely get you loads of use. I'm so tempted, but I just bought a load of stuff from The Body Shop halfway through this post...oops!*

Are there any skin care saviours you have been loving lately? 

*Ps, none of these products are PR samples and I'm not being held at gunpoint by a Body Shop representative, I promise! 

Friday, 15 November 2013

Falling for essie


Yawn. Everyone loves essie-blah-blah-blah. Stay with me guys, stay with me. This is actually my first brush with essie as a brand. Despite the hype their nail varnishes always seem to have, they are more expensive than other options and I don't know why, I've just never jumped on board. Until now.

Let me just paint the picture (so many nail varnish puns, just one post), I am a terrible nail varnish applier. I'm one of those people whose varnish goes gloopy, always chips and more than likely has a tiny hair from a jumper molded in for good measure. Glitter is my friend. It always goes wrong and my models own glitter polish covers it up. But, this has changed and I have essie to thank...


I picked up their 'favorites for fall' duo cause it was quite a good deal (i think, no link!) and I really liked the colours. Chinchilly is a soft grey and Bahama Mama is a berry pink/red. On Monday, I applied two coats (in mins, they went on so well!) of Chinchilly and Seche Vite to finish and it has only just chipped away. It's Friday people. FRIDAY. To say I am amazed after my usual love-hate-why-the-mother-are-you-always-chipping relationship with nail varnish is an understatement. So much so that I utilised this week's 3for2 in Boots to get the essie apricot cuticle oil, which so far I also love. Hello, November favs.

Are you an essie fan? What's your favorite shade?
Ps. I started a Facebook page, so if that's your thing please follow via the below link :)


Monday, 11 November 2013

Review: Super Facialist by Una Brennan


I've been using the Una Brennan Super Facialist Tea Flower Deep Clean Clay Mask for a while now and when Boots had a 3for2 on recently I decided to pick up the Super Facialist Vitamin C+ Skin Renew Cleansing Oil and give it a whirl. I've been really impressed with what I have tried from the rang so far, enough to include a blog post about the skincare brand and let you all know what's what.

First up, the clay mask. Unlike other clay masks this one is quite light on the skin and doesn't leave your face constricted when dried. I find quite a lot of other clay masks a little drying and not very relaxing when your scrubbing the solid clay off your face! It's super moisturizing and easy to get off, leaving your skin fresh and clean.

I also love the smell of this mask, if you like fresh clean invigorating scents, this is a great one for you. It also lasts a long time, a little goes a long way with this product so I've still got plenty of pamper sessions left before a repurchase.


Next up, the oil. I've heard a lot about face oils and them being beneficial to your skin, but being a sufferer of oily skin I wasn't too thrilled at the prospect of adding more oil to the equation. With this in mind, I opted for this pre cleansing oil which you start your routine with.

As you can imagine, it feels very oily but in a nice soothing way. It's quite light on the skin once absorbed and after its been removed, your face feels incredible.You notice the difference straight away, but once you carry on cleansing your skin is even more flawless by the end of the routine. I don't use this every evening, just when I want an extra deep cleanse once or twice a week. The only problem I have with this product...the lid. It's not very easy to get a small amount of oil out as it doesn't have a pump, so you have to be careful not to overdo it.

Have any of you used any products from the Una Brennan range? 

Monday, 4 November 2013

VIVO Bakery


This weekend, I made my way to London to meet my uni friends Jess, Fran and Ali.

After a marathon catch up that was accompanied by prosecco, Asian food, cutting shapes on the dance floor and an early morning chocolate raid (thanks to Fran's mums well equip cupboards). We were well in need of a lye in and some killer food come Sunday. After chatting some more (and some more) we finally left the house and went to VIVO bakery in Islington, where we indulged until we had to depart each others company for the dreaded train journeys home. But what did we indulge in? Oh take a look...






We started our session with some pizza and pasta where I plumped for a vegetarian slice with huge aubergines and an incredible mozzarella and pesto pasta. The pesto pasta was packed with chunks of mozzarella and sun dried tomatoes and made me reconsider all my future lunches. We accompanied our rather filling lunch with coffees (a hot chocolate for me!) and some beautiful pastries. Can pudding be beautiful? Yes.






After the Italian feast was complete, we wandered into the cold (hat and gloves weather now!) and onto the tubes. 

Til next time London. 

Saturday, 26 October 2013

Review: Soap & Glory Cosmetics

 

I mentioned in my recent #TreatTuesday that I'd picked up some Soap & Glory cosmetics to test out, so I thought I'd give you the lowdown on what I picked up.

Previously to these products I had only ever used their Sexy Mother Pucker lip gloss, which was a bit sticky and the tingling sensation was odd. I do however, already have a love for their bath and body products, with their Flake Away body scrub having a permanent spot in my collection. With all that in mind I plumped for the One Heck of a Blot Powder, the Solar Powder and the About Prime eye primer...

One Heck of a Blot. Usually I'm a Rimmel Stay Matte fan, but it's been leaving my make up a little cakey of late. This powder is much more finely milled and once applied looks like you just have the best skin ever. This is a must for anyone with oily skin, but even if you aren't a powder fan and want your makeup to last all day, this is for you. Seriously, impressed.

Solar Powder. You just can't beat a good bit of bronzer can you? This has a lighter powder on one side and a darker on the other. I've been mixing them together with a large brush and applying where the sun would naturally tan my face and it gives a subtle and natural glow. If you're into a barely there makeup look, but need a bit of warmth, this is a great product.


About Prime. I'll be honest, I kinda shoved this in my online basket at Boots cause it was 3for2, but I'm really pleased I did! I got the colour Bright Light (there's a dark one too) and it really brightens your eye lids and makes them more neutral, so whatever colour eyeshadow you apply stays true to its colour. My eyeshadow has lasted a lot longer using this and doesn't crease at all. I'm now officially converted to using eye primer.

Have you used any of the Soap & Glory cosmetics? Any recommendations?

Saturday, 19 October 2013

Stellar Berry.




Here is a run through what I am wearing on my face at the moment. This is a real go to look for me since we've hit the autumn months and there's some new products that I mentioned in my Maybelline Must-haves post, that I'm absolutely loving. 

Base
17 Blemish BB Balm - I got this in medium and I really like it. It's thicker than many other BB creams I have used, more of a light foundation. 
Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer - I used this under my eyes and around my nose. I think it's a great concealer and more moisturizing than the Collection Lasting Perfection one. 
Maybelline Cover Stick in Medium Beige - Ok, shut the front door they seem to have changed this to something else (here). Looks like I will have to find another concealer for spots now, but this is what I use this for. I don't like using the Wake Me Up Concealer as it's not thick enough and as a highlighting one I don't really want to highlight whatever is living on my chin!
Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder - Right, I do love this. However, a few times recently it has looked a little cakey, which I think is when my skin is a little too oily. I've added the Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot powder to my Boots order to see how that is. Sorry, Rimmel. 



Eyes
Maybelline 24hr Color Tattoo in Pomegranate - I love this so much. The color tattoo's are amazing and this is just so pretty for A/W. I applied it all over the lid (you can see it on the lid more here, I wasn't having a photogenic day at all today ha) and then used an angled brush to pop some on my lower lash line. 
2True Effortless Eye Liner - I use this all the time and it's only £1.99 people! £1.99! 
Rimmel London Scandal Eyes Retro Glam Mascara - I've mentioned this before, most mascaras are alright to me and this is much the same. I like the big brush on it, if that helps! 
Dior Powder Eyebrow Pencil - Not technically my eyes, but near to them I use this eyebrow pencil which is really good. I massively recommend getting a pencil matched because I did have my brows too dark before.

Everythang else
Diorskin Nude Tan Bronzer in Honey 001 - This is a great bronzer and I've had it for ages, despite using it every day. If you want to invest in some higher end makeup, but the price tag upsets you, I would suggest getting a powder based product as they last so long.
Mac Plum Foolery Blush - Talked about this way too much. Buy it, buy it now. Full review here
Mac Cream Color Base in Shell - This is a great highlight for under the brow and above the cheekbones and it stays there all day. 
Maybelline Colorsensational Shine Gloss in Stellar Berry - This is so pretty. It literally lasts so well too and isn't sticky, which is my pet hate with lip gloss. 


Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...