Beauty Feast

Hello 2014!

noreply@blogger.com (Jen Green) — Mon, 27 Jan 2014 12:56:00 +0000

It's been a while since I last blogged and so much has happened since then. For starters we are into a new year, which I have mixed feelings about. 2013 was a spectacular year with the first half spent on the other side of the world but now I'm back in the UK and have a fresh new year full of plans and expectations. I hope 2014 will be as exciting and enjoyable as last year! I don't do resolutions, instead I continually set myself little goals as the year goes by. The simple fact is that if I start the year with big plans and ideas I feel overwhelmed and I'm almost certain to fail. This year my main goal is to get my driving license! I've never felt like I've needed to drive until the last year or so and, in all honesty, I'm petrified of it but I know in order to achieve other goals I need to just get it done. Another area of my life I want to improve is my career. It isn't really where I want it to be and I have ideas of how to change that but first I need to get driving!

The reason I've been MIA since October is that Si and I have moved into our new home together. It was quite tough having practically been together 24/7 for an entire year to suddenly not have him by my side or even on the same side of town! We've had a lot of things to do in the last few months and having Christmas thrown into the mix has made some things a little more complicated and drawn out but we're gradually getting there. I am in love with the area we have moved to. Whilst it's rural it's still near the town we used to live in so we have the benefit of beautiful countryside whilst still being near to family and amenities.

We also have a gorgeous new addition to our household. He's a stunning 4 year old tabby, name still pending, and I'm pretty sure I'm in love with him :) He's extremely affectionate and loves to snuggle up with us. I hope we can decide on a suitable name soon, any ideas to help the process will be gratefully received!

There's one more change that I want to make and that is right here on my blog. I love putting together posts about beauty products but it has occurred to me that there is something that I am much more passionate about. I have always loved food, it's something that I think about a lot. More often than not I'm thinking about what meals I'm going to be cooking and what ingredients I can put together. I find myself flicking through recipe books and searching for ideas online quite a lot, not to mention the large amount of my time in the evening spent catching up with cooking programmes on tv! My boyfriend continuously comments on the amount of time I spend planning, cooking and making meals look pretty on the plate. It's safe to say that food is something I'm very passionate about! I've been toying with the idea of blogging about food for a couple of months now and I've decided that I will be incorporating some foodie posts into my blog. If anything it gives me an excuse to cook and bake even more which I'm extremely happy about! I hope anyone who reads my blog regularly (or have just discovered it now) will enjoy the mix of beauty and food content as much as I do. I'm already working on some new content and planning ahead for the coming months so I hope you will be back to share some beauty chat and recipe ideas with me.

My 3 Hair Heroes

noreply@blogger.com (Jen Green) — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 07:00:00 +0000

It's already that time of year when it's forever damp and grey outside. I don't know about you but the daily barrage of cold windy weather and central heating plays havoc with the condition of my hair. Recently I've discovered a few new hair care favourites which I'm hoping will help me to keep on top over the coming months. Here are 3 of my current favourites:

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer is literally my hair saviour. I've written about this product several times already so any regular readers will already know why I've fallen head over heels for this. I started using this when I received it in a beauty box around two years ago and I've not yet used anything else that has made such a difference to the condition of my hair. About a year prior to trying this I had a hair colouring accident which completely ruined my hair and nothing I tried could bring it back to its original condition until I laid my hands on this. I love the thick creamy texture it has which enables it to stay put for the 20 or so minutes it gets left in my hair. I use this on my natural hair once every 1-2 weeks, depending on how bad the condition of my hair is, and on my extensions once a month. It is on the expensive side but worth every single penny for the fantastic results it gives.

Fudge Dynamite Rebuilder* is a recent addition to my hair care routine. It works really well as a general conditioner for my dry hair and I use this every time I wash my hair, applying after shampooing and leaving it in to work for about 5 minutes or so. The main difference I notice is that my hair is much more shiny and healthy looking. Just like the Elasticizer this has a thick, creamy consistency which is exactly how I want my conditioner to be. I can slather it on and know it will stay put to do what it needs to whilst I get on with the rest of my shower. It's great value for money so I highly recommend giving this one a go if you suffer from dry or damaged hair.

I started to use Montibello Gold Oil Essence a couple of weeks ago. I do like the idea of hair oils but I don't think I have tried one that has truly wowed me before. This one seems to be working quite well for me so far. I use this on the ends and mid-lengths of my hair after straightening and it seems to give my hair that little extra something. It gives a luxurious feel making my hair seem that little bit softer and more manageable. The texture of the oil is really nice and it is absorbed into the hair so there is none of that awful greasy feel afterwards unlike some other hair oils. I just find this super pleasant to use and although it initially seems a little pricey I only need to use to tiniest amount each time so this is going to last me quite a long time.

Nails Inc Luminous Red

noreply@blogger.com (Jen Green) — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 06:00:00 +0000

Nails Inc are well known for teaming up with big brands and offering free polishes. This time they are offering one of two gorgeous polishes when you purchase the new Max White One toothpaste by Colgate from Boots. Choose from a glossy red creme or metallic red. I went for the metallic finish as I don't have anything else similar in my collection. It's a gorgeous shade of red with a slight orange tone which perfectly matches the colour of the box.

Will you be picking up a bottle?

Graze

noreply@blogger.com (Jen Green) — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 21:26:00 +0000

Graze boxes are far from being a new thing and I've been wanting to try them for a long time now. I finally got round to ordering my first one when I came across a code that gave me 2 free boxes. If you're not familiar with Graze they are a company that post out boxes of healthy treats and snacks. You can set up a subscription for one box a fortnight, one a week or two a week depending on how often you want to receive them. There are loads of different snacks to choose from including nuts and seeds, dried fruit, popcorn and even cheeky slices of cake and flapjack.

So far I've had 3 boxes and I've enjoyed almost everything that I have been sent. My favourite so far has been the Korai Chutney which is a spiced tomato relish dip with baked curry bites and is absolutely scrummy! Everything I've had so far has been bursting with flavour. I'm making a big effort in recent weeks to be more health concious when choosing what snacks I eat and these boxes have been a really big help.

Pictured above is my second box in which I received:

Scrumptious Blueberry Swirl - blueberry yoghurt raisins, raspberry infused cranberries and blackcurrants.
Applewood Smoked Beef Jerky.
Herby Bread Basket - mini garlic croutons, mini basil breadsticks and oregano rice crackers.
Summer Berry Compote - berry compote with wholemeal shortbread dippers.

Have you tried Graze yet? What are your thoughts?

Fudge Dynamite Rebuilder

noreply@blogger.com (Jen Green) — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 06:00:00 +0000

Tortured is definitely how I would describe my hair! I dye my hair once a month, heat style several times a week and wear clip in extensions pretty much everyday. Of course I do my best to protect my hair but, in all honesty, none of this can be doing my hair any good! I'm always looking out for a good intense conditioner to look after my poor abused locks and have tried quite a few different brands in the past.

Fudge Dynamite Rebuilder is an intense conditioner which claims to repair and rebuild limp, brittle and damaged hair to leave it silky and soft. I've never used anything by Fudge before so I wasn't sure what to expect from this but in theory it sounded perfect for my dry, damaged hair.

The consistency is quite thick and creamy, which is exactly what I look for when I'm choosing an intense conditioner. It's easy to spread evenly through my hair and stays in place whilst I wait for it to work its magic. Whilst this doesn't smell awful I'm personally not keen on the scent. I would have preferred this to be un-perfumed but that is simply my personal preference for all of my hair treatments.

The results are pretty good, I noticed a fair improvement to the condition of my hair. It felt softer and looked a little shinier after use. The only thing I didn't like so much was that it made my fine hair feel a little 'fly away', however once I run straighteners through my hair the problem is minimised. I'm probably one of the few people who like conditioners that are on the heavier side so that it weighs down my hair a little. I know most people try to avoid this so if you're looking for something that won't weigh your hair down this would be fab for you.

Finally I can't believe I've never owned a conditioner with a pump before! It makes dispensing the product so easy and mess free and I know I will always get the same amount of product each time. I love that I don't have to fiddle around opening lids, not to mention that I don't waste any product by scooping or squeezing too much from the container. I wish all hair products came with pumps like this.

Overall I do like this conditioner a lot and, for me, the pros outweigh the cons so it's something that I will continue to use. I love that it leaves my hair looking shiny and I haven't found many other conditioners that make my hair look as nice as this does. Comparatively speaking if you like conditioners such as Aussie 3 Minute Miracle then I think you will love this! At £19.99 for 1 litre I think this works out to be really good value for money.

PR sample

What I Wore

noreply@blogger.com (Jen Green) — Sun, 22 Sep 2013 09:02:00 +0000

A very unimaginative title and possibly my first and last outfit post! I don't usually do fashion posts but I thought I'd do a quick post of an outfit I wore last weekend to a wedding I attended. Being my usual forgetful self I forgot to put on my jewellery but here's the rest of my outfit:

Purple strapless dress - Vila
Silver lattice shoes - Internacionale
Black velour clutch bag - Peacocks

I didn't think to take a close up of my make up since I didn't intend on posting about it. It was quite a simple look with my usual base followed by theBalm Fratboy blush. I didn't want too much going on with my eyes as I wanted my lips to be the focus, so I simply lined top and bottom with a black liner and added a few coats of my new Rimmel Scandaleyes Mascara. On my lips I wore recent favourite Laqa & Co Lip Crayon in Ring Of Fire.

I'll be doing a separate post on my nails at some point. I wore Leighton Denny Rebel underneath the amazing Max Factor Fantasy Fire with an accent nail of Southern Lights for some extra holographic sparkle.

My poochie pal posing with me is Beau. Isn't he the cutest?!

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint - Guava

noreply@blogger.com (Jen Green) — Sun, 08 Sep 2013 07:00:00 +0000

I finally went out and bought a few of the Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine nail polishes so I could see what all the fuss is about. I've read so many reviews raving about these and I wanted to see for myself if they were really that good.

The range of colours is really good and I ended up picking up 4 different shades. Guava is a gorgeous summery turquoise. My camera struggled to pick up the true colour so it looks less green in the photos than it does in real life unfortunately. For a budget high street brand the formula is pretty good. I did find the first coat applied a little streaky but the second coat fixed this and gave a smooth even finish. It certainly lives up to the promise of a high shine finish and there's no need at all for a top coat which is perfect for people like me who can never be bothered applying one anyway!

I think the quality of these polishes is fantastic and the price of £3.99 makes them a seriously good buy. I can see myself extending my collection in the near future.

Laqa & Co Lip Pencil

noreply@blogger.com (Jen Green) — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 06:00:00 +0000

I don't think beauty boxes offer enough make up samples so I'm always very excited to see them included. When I opened my August Birchbox I was extremely pleased to see this Laqa & Co Lil Lip Pencil. The brand is new to me but I couldn't wait to try it and honestly this hasn't been off my lips since I first wore it on Saturday.

It's the first time I've tried a pencil/crayon type lipstick and I actually found it much easier to apply than the traditional lipstick bullet. The formula is highly pigmented with a lovely creamy texture and the colour, Ring Of Fire, is a gorgeous pink toned red which I just love. I'm not used to wearing such bright colours but, rather than make me feel self conscious, it does make me feel a little bit fabulous! I can easily get a good 4 or 5 hours wear out of this before needing to reapply. The only downside to it is that I find it can dry out my lips a little so I have to pay extra attention to moisturising and exfoliating my lips before application.

The full sized Fat Lip Pencil is £14.95 which I would be happy to pay for the quality. I'm really pleased to have discovered this brand and I'll definitely be adding more of these to my make up collection. I have a feeling the deep red Bossy Boots will be my next purchase.

Beauty Box Haul

noreply@blogger.com (Jen Green) — Sun, 01 Sep 2013 14:33:00 +0000

It's been well over a year since I ordered any beauty boxes. I know a lot of people are so over them but I still love them. They're like a little mystery present every month. I wasn't going to resubscribe so soon but Birchbox managed to tempt me with their wonderful August box and whilst I haven't yet resubscribed to Glossybox a super offer popped up in my inbox and I purchased the April and July boxes for just £12.95.

Birchbox's August offering was a collaboration with Instyle magazine. To be honest I'd been eyeing this one up all month but when I got hold of a code for two extra samples I didn't have to think twice and placed my order. It's a fabulous box, probably the best out of the three and the additional samples made it even more worthwhile. It's my first Birchbox since they bought out Joliebox and if the standard stays this high it will be well worth the £12.95 a month.

Inside the box:

Bluemandarines Skinlife Energetic Cellular Cream
Montibel.lo Gold Oil Essence
Gerda Spillmann Hydro Pearls
Laqa & Co Lip Pencil
Molton Brown Ylang Ylang Body Wash
Propercorn
Birchbox Gel Mask

Bonus samples:

theBalm Instain Pwder Blush
Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle Leave In Conditioner

Of course I've already eaten the popcorn! I've also tried the lip pencil, which is the most beautiful pinky red shade, and the Montibel.lo hair oil. I'm looking forward to trying the rest and will review them once I've given them a good test run.

Glossybox has always been hit and miss with their boxes but these were thankfully on the better side. First up the April Spring Fever box which was a collaboration with Pearl Lowe.

Inside the box:

Richard Ward Couture Hair optimiser style reviver
Yves Rocher Nutritive Vegetal 24hr Comfort Nourishing Cream
Nip + Fab Dry Skin Fix Body Butter
Sunsense Daily Face SPF
Etre Belle Collagen and Aloe Vera Hydro Mask

Overall not bad. I've been wanting to try a few products by Yves Rocher so I'm looking forward to trying the cream and I love trying out masks of any kind so that is also a welcome addition. The Mango Nip + Fab body butter smells amazing and out of the 3 scents on offer this is the one I would have chosen if I'd had the choice.

Finally the July Seaside Splash edition which was all about summer primping and preening ready for hitting the beach. Not the strongest box for me personally however one product in particular made this worthwhile!

Inside the box:

Alterna Haircare Bamboo Style Boho Waves Tousled Texture Mist
Coola Organic Suncare Collection Mineral Face SPF 20 Unscented
Inecto Pure Coconut Refreshing Dry Shampoo
Ila Spa Face Oil for Glowing Radiance
Ciate Paint Pot

Of course I'm most excited abut the Ciate polish. I got the most amazing shade of orange and I can't wait to get this on my tips! The rest of the box I will be trying but I'm not overly excited by any of it.

I'll be posting full reviews of these once I've had chance to test them out fully.

What's On My Face #4

noreply@blogger.com (Jen Green) — Sat, 24 Aug 2013 15:57:00 +0000

First of all I wanted to say thanks to everyone who reads and follows my blog. I reached 10,000 views yesterday which is a tiny amount compared to other blogs but I never imagined my little blog would ever reach 1,000 views! I love writing my blog and it makes me happy to know that other people enjoy reading my posts :)

I haven't had time to post a face of the day for a few weeks but I picked up a couple of new items yesterday and wanted to have a play with them so I did a fotd while I was at it. I've fallen back in love with thick black liner along my upper lash line and have been wearing this look pretty much every day for the last week or two for work.

I finally went out and bought Collection's Lasting Perfection Concealer which I've read so much about on many other blogs. My initial thoughts on it are quite positive, it works wonders evening out any redness. It doesn't cover the dark circles under my eyes however so I'm still on the hunt for an under eye concealer. Recommendations are most welcome :)

Following application of my usual base of Lacura's BB Cream I dusted Collection's Pressed Powder over the top. This is another product I bought yesterday for just £1.99 which is quite a bargain. The Lacura BB Cream has a tendency to look a bit shiny and the powder just helps to mattify it. I've only used this once so far and it does what I want it to do. It doesn't look cakey or powdery so my first impression is that it's definitely good value for money. On my cheeks I applied theBalm's Fratboy blush which I'm still lusting over. I wrote this post about it if you want to read my thoughts on it.

I dug out my old Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid Eyeliner a few weeks ago and I haven't been able to stop wearing it since. I'm obsessing over think inky black liner at the moment and can't get enough of this. I've been wearing it just on the top lash line with just a light application of my Lacura Black Eyeliner smudged into my bottom lash line. On my brows and lashes I'm wearing my usual Cosmetics A La Carte Brow Ink and Nouveau Lashes Noir Mascara.

Finally I didn't want too much colour on my lips so I chose New CID i-pout in Pink Bliss. It's a muted, neutral pink which means the eyes stay as the focus of the look.

Orly Rage

noreply@blogger.com (Jen Green) — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 07:00:00 +0000

A quick nail post about a polish that I just can't get enough of recently. Orly Rage is a gorgeous metallic rose gold. I can't think of anything I don't like about this polish. The colour is beautiful and I love the pretty foil finish.

I think Orly polishes are seriously under rated and I hardly ever hear about them. I only have two polishes and they both apply like a dream and last a decent amount of time. These photos were taken after a week and there is only a slight bit of tip wear to the 3 coats. I paid £5 for this 5ml bottle which I've almost used up and will be replacing with the bigger 18ml size.

Have you tried Orly polishes? What colours can you recommend?

The Balm Fratboy

noreply@blogger.com (Jen Green) — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 19:08:00 +0000

Until very recently I've avoided wearing blusher. I've always been a bit scared of it worrying that I will end up looking like a clown with big red cheeks. I do love the look of natural make up with healthy glowing cheeks so for the last couple of months I have been trying out some of the blushers that have laid unused in my stash. There are two in particular that I have really enjoyed wearing and have been reaching for a lot recently. One of these is The Balm Fratboy, a gorgeous coral pink blush.

First lets take a look at the adorable retro packaging. I love the American football theme it has! It's a cardboard clamshell with a magnetic closure and a mirror inside the lid. It's the first product I've owned which uses cardboard rather than plastic and I actually quite like it.

The blush itself is incredibly soft and finely milled which means it doesn't have a powdery look on the skin. I find that it's easy to apply and blend to give my cheeks a gorgeous flush of colour. This is my first product from The Balm and I've got to say I'm enjoying it. I never thought I would wear blush on an almost daily basis but I love putting this on. I think it suits my skin tone very well. I'm trying to decide which will be my next purchase from The Balm, any recommendations?

You can pick this up from Feel Unique for £12.80 for 8.5g.

Figs & Rouge Aloe & Mint Balm

noreply@blogger.com (Jen Green) — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 07:00:00 +0000

I just can't resist Figs & Rouge Balms. They smell gorgeous and come packaged in the most adorable retro style tins. I've tried a few different scents and so far my favourite has been the Sweet Geranium that came in one of my beauty boxes. It's just delicious! On a recent trip to Boots I spied this Aloe & Mint balm and picked one up as a little treat.

The scent is a very refreshing, slightly sweet peppermint which isn't too overpowering (I'm thinking Polo mints, yum!). This feels amazing when applied to the lips, just like the other four I have tried. The texture is lovely and just glides right on and it makes my lips feel so soft. This one has the added benefit of minty yummyness which gives a gorgeous cooling sensation, but not so much that you get an uncomfortable tingly feeling. You can of course use these on any dry skin and I think this would be particularly good for anyone suffering a cold and a sore nose as it also contains soothing aloe. I'm seriously in love with this multi-tasker!

Have you tried any Figs & Rouge balms yet?

Leighton Denny Hanky Panky

noreply@blogger.com (Jen Green) — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 07:00:00 +0000

Firstly I'd like to say hello to all of my new followers *waves*. When I started this blog I didn't really expect to get any followers and I was just doing it for my own entertainment but it feels amazing to know there are people out there who actually enjoy reading my posts. I know I'm a teeny tiny blog compared to most others out there but I appreciate every single one of you who take the time to read and comment :)

I've had a very tiring week starting my new job. I've gone back to my last employer but in a different position which means I have plenty to learn. Having to get up early and commute again is taking its toll on my energy levels though so I haven't had many opportunities to blog but the weekend is almost here so I'll have a chance to recover and, hopefully, get blogging again! I'm on the lookout for some prize ideas for a give-away I'm thinking of running at the end of the month too so keep a look out for that coming up ;)

Anyway, onto the actual post for today (which has been sitting in my drafts for almost 2 weeks now!) . Hanky Panky is a gorgeous bright pearlescent orange. I generally don't wear orange polishes a lot but with the weather being so amazing I've found myself drawn to orange and coral polishes. I have a small collection of Leighton Denny polishes and I find that they can be a bit hit and miss. This one applies really nicely and the formula is quite thin like other LD's that I have tried so far. Initially I thought that would make them tricky to apply easily but I find it's actually quite the opposite. There is an issue with this polish which may or may not bother some people. It is incredibly streaky and the brush strokes are quite noticeable once the polish is dry. A big part of me finds this really annoying and it kind of ruins what is otherwise a really pretty polish.

It doesn't seem to be still available on the Leighton Denny website but I'm sure there would be a few floating around on Ebay.

Kiko Ready-To-Go Patch Nail Lacquer

noreply@blogger.com (Jen Green) — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 20:36:00 +0000

I recently discovered an app on my iPod called Depop, which is basically just an easy way to buy and sell using your iPhone/iPad/iPod. As far as I know it's only available on Apple devices but I'm hoping they will soon extend availability to the Android market so I can have it on my phone too. I treated myself to 3 packs of nail wraps that fashion and beauty blogger +Jess from Copper Garden was selling. I love trying out different nail products and after Nail Rock's wraps a whirl I fancied giving some other brands a go.

One of the packs I bought were these totally in your face Kiko Ready-To-Go Fluo Patch Nail Lacquer in hot pink. I think I underestimated just how bright these were going to be, they literally just glow! These strips are are a 3 in 1 product that combines your base coat, colour and top coat together in one layer so there's no need to faff around with any extra products when you use these. The application did take some getting used to so I did have a few mess ups. Nothing too noticeable but there nonetheless. By the time I got round to my second hand I think I had pretty much nailed the technique though (excuse the really bad pun!).

I misjudged the sizing on my index finger and you can see the slight tip wear after 5 days. (apologies for the crap rushed late night photos!)

Each pack contains 2 lots of nail strips in 8 different sizes which are sealed in a foil packet. The application sounds simple enough but, like I said, does take a bit of practice to eliminate any creases or air bubbles. I like that they have recognised that not everyone has the same shaped nail beds so either end of the strips are a slightly different shape. One is a little more square and the other slightly more rounded.

I think these are great for those moments when time is of the essence and you need to get your nails done super quickly. It literally took me 15 minutes and if I hadn't been dithering around with the instructions I probably could have applied these in less than 10. There is no drying time at all. Once you have rubbed the strip onto your nails you can carry on with your day without the worry of messing up your freshly done manicure and they do actually look exactly like normal nail polish rather than plastic stickers.

Kiko say they can last up to 14 days and I managed 5 days of wear with just a tiny bit of tip wear before I had to take these up (I started my new job on Monday, hurray!). They have a few different colours and designs on the website and these hot pink ones are currently on sale for £2.90 which is 50% off the usual price. I'd probably give them a go for that price and would probably pay the full price if they did last for a full two weeks. These would be great to have tucked away with my polish stash in case of future polish emergencies!

Have you tried these strips before? What do you think of nail strips/wraps in general, are they a yes or a no?

What's On My Face #3

noreply@blogger.com (Jen Green) — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 07:00:00 +0000

I planned to post this up last Saturday but I was too busy gallivanting around the Welsh coast on a lovely weekend away with Si. I didn't get time to post it so I stashed it away for this week instead. I'm not actually too keen on the look now, it's the eyeshadow which doesn't look right to me, but what the heck I've already done the photos so I may as well just use them.

I don't often enjoy using foundations so I'm not very adventurous with them. If I find something I like and can use well I'll pretty much stick to it. At the moment it's the Lacura All In One Skin Perfector BB Cream. I'll admit it, I'm crap at using most foundations and this is the best fool-proof base that I've found in ages. I can just slap it on with my hands where needed and it looks natural whilst giving just enough coverage. Its only downside is that it is a bit on the oily side so it can feel really greasy sometimes, especially in the recent hot weather.

On my cheeks I popped on a bit of Fratboy by The Balm which is probably my favourite blush at the moment. It's a lovely coral pink and I think it suits my tanned skin quite well. I was heading out for fajita night at Si's parents house and just fancied a little extra something so I popped on a bit of Jane Iredale 24 Karat Gold Dust in Rose Gold. This is immensely pigmented so I was very careful with it and just added a tiny bit over the top of Fratboy. It's a pretty dusky rose pink with golden shimmer.

On my eyes I used a cheap shadow palette that I got from Asda a few Christmases ago. It has a ton of different colours and although it was very cheap the quality actually isn't too bad. I've been trying out some of the neutral shades in the last few weeks in various combinations. I switched up my liner by trying out my Cosmetics A La Carte Brow Ink as an eyeliner. It works so well and its fine tip allows me to get right up to the lashes and draw a line as thin (or thick) as I want. It also doesn't budge all day so if you suffer from watering eyes this might be a good one for you to try out. My brows and lashes are the usuals that I wear daily.

Finally on my lips I went for Avon Perfect Kiss Lipstick in Smitten Red. I really love the berry red colour of this lipstick but didn't want to wear something quite that bright. I decided to apply it by dabbing onto the lips with my finger rather than straight from the bullet to give a subtle wash of colour.

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Eau De Parfum

noreply@blogger.com (Jen Green) — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 15:44:00 +0000

When I'm choosing a new perfume there are 2 things that I am drawn to. My absolute favourite types of fragrance are zesty, fruity scents and coming an extremely close second are pretty florals. As it's name would suggest Flowerbomb Eau De Parfum* is an explosion of flowery scents perfectly blended together. There are notes of freesia, centifolia rose, sambac jasmine and osmanthus with underlying hints of patchouli.

I think you would be hard pressed to find any other fragrance with more of a flirty feminine scent as this! There is a very overpowering sickly sweet scent to start with which I'm not too keen on. After about half an hours wear I find that sweetness subsides a little bit to reveal a really delicious fragrance which places my mind right in the middle of a flowering spring garden. I love the idea of the different floral notes combined together but that sickly smell has a tendency to reappear every now and then which, I'll be brutally honest, just makes me want to wash it off.

I think if you like very sweet smelling floral perfumes then this will be an absolute win for you but I don't think this is one that I would find myself purchasing. You can buy this from various places such as Boots and it is available in 30ml (£49), 50ml (£65) and 100ml (£90). Quite expensive I think but it does last all day so if you are in love with the scent it would be worth the price.

Pink Wednesday #6

noreply@blogger.com (Jen Green) — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 11:00:00 +0000

A bit of a cheat this week! I recycled last weeks Pink Wednesday nails as a bit of an experiment with a polish I had tried before but disliked. Leighton Denny's Butterfly Wings is a gorgeous sheer peachy pink with blue shimmer. It's really unusual that I would choose something like this but I fell head over heels with the blue shimmer. It just looked so unusual I decided I needed to give it a go.

I first wore this about a year ago and, disappointingly, I hated it. The peachy tones were really strong and looked terrible against my skin. I wanted to like this so much so whilst digging through my polish stash for my next Pink Wednesday feature I pulled this out for a play. I applied two coats of Butterfly Wings over 3 coats of Nails Inc Paris. Paris itself is a blue toned pink so it really helps to reduce the peachiness of Butterfly Wings. The result is quite interesting milky pink which is heading very close to a lilac colour.

I prefer this a lot more than wearing it alone and think it looks infinitely better with the blue tones emphasised more than the peach, at least on my hands. Butterfly Wings is £11 for 12ml from the Leighton Denny website.

Snapshots From Oz #4

noreply@blogger.com (Jen Green) — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 07:00:00 +0000

santas enchanted forest | palm trees | home | Miami beach | sunbathing lizard

crystal clear water | blue jelly blubber

Annick Goutal Mandragore Eau De Toilette

noreply@blogger.com (Jen Green) — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 07:00:00 +0000

Another beauty box sample today. Unfortunately it'll still be a while before I can treat myself to some new products but I do still have quite a few untried goodies in my stash and lots of things I could do with using up. So yeah, it's probably a good thing really!

I think I may have received this sample of Mandragore Eau De Toilette by Annick Goutal in a Glossybox way back when I first subscribed. I hadn't heard of Annick Goutal before so it was interesting to try this. It's a very generous 25ml sample in a beautiful dark red, almost black, glass bottle. The fragrance is warm, spicy and full bodied and I can smell the bergamot and star anise straight away. It also has a freshness to it thanks to the peppermint. I quite like this and it is something I would wear in the evening however I feel that the scent fades too quickly for my liking. I think it's a gorgeous fragrance but I don't think it's worth £54.00 for 50ml. You can pick this up from Feel Unique.

Decleor Phytopeel Natural Exfoliating Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Jen Green) — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 18:12:00 +0000

I love the feel of freshly exfoliated skin and try to do it once a week to help keep my skin looking healthy. I've tried quite a few different exfoliating products but a lot of the time I find them too harsh for my sensitive skin, particularly around my cheek area. These days I actively try to avoid the products with the little synthetic beads in as I find them the most harsh.

Decleor Phytopeel Natural Exfoliating Cream is really different to anything I've ever used before. It's a thick white pearlescent cream that is more like a mask than an exfoliator.

This is very simple to use. Apply a layer of the cream all over the face avoiding the eye area and leave for a few minutes to dry and as it does it starts to go from white to translucent. It dries pretty quickly and was already half dry by the time I took this photo.

Once it's dried massage gently in circles all over the face. As you start to rub the dried cream starts to flake off taking dead skin with it leaving the face feeling fresh and renewed. I recommend doing this stage whilst leaning over the sink to catch the product as it flakes off the skin! I nearly included a photo of the removal process but I thought it might look a bit gross! :)

The last step is to wash any remaining product off with warm water or toner on cotton wool pads, pat dry and moisturise.

I really like this because it's so gentle compared to other exfoliators so I can happily use it all over my face without experiencing any discomfort. I do get a slight feeling of tightness but this is easily sorted by applying some moisturiser. I tend to use this in the evening once a week and apply Clarins Extra Firming Night Cream afterwards.

Did I mention it smells really good? The scent is incredibly pleasant and relaxing. I usually hate the smell of lavender because in my opinion companies seem to go a bit over the top and put way too much in. This is just right though and makes for a very relaxing experience.

The price for a 50ml tube is £27.50 which sounded a lot at first but really it's practically a 2-in-1 product as it feels like a clay mask too. My tube is sample sized at 15ml but has lasted me over a month of once a week applications. I think I could maybe get another 2 applications out of it yet so actually I think the full size would work out to be quite good value. It's probably the most gentle and effective exfoliator I've ever used and I love that it doesn't leave my face feeling stripped. I think it's very likely this will go on to my shopping list.

Balance Me Shine On Tinted Lip Salve

noreply@blogger.com (Jen Green) — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 17:59:00 +0000

First of all this could possibly be one of my favourite magazine freebies ever. As soon as I saw this stuck on the front of this months Glamour magazine I grabbed it with both hands and headed directly to the till. Actually I picked up two copies because I wanted to try the body wash too but shhh!

I've tried a few Balance Me products and I've liked most of them. I like that they are packed full of natural ingredients and always smell amazing. Shine On Tinted Lip Salve in Sheer Raspberry is no exception. It doesn't smell like raspberries like I was expecting but it certainly is fruity. It's a rather citrusy scent and with a quick glance at the ingredients list I spot grapefruit and lemon amongst other things. It's a very yummy smell!

The colour is a slightly orangey red and reminds me a bit of strawberry sauce. It's quite sheer and contains a ton of super fine red and blueish glitter, which is so fine that it looks very subtle and pretty on the lips. The texture of this is amazing. It glides over the lips with absolutely no stickiness to it and feels very moisturising. The colour is sheer so it just adds a really nice light wash of colour with a glossy finish.

The top photo shows the lip salve on its own and you can just about see the shimmer. The second photo shows it layered over Avon Perfect Kiss Lipstick in Smitten Red which I think is a really lovely combination.

Now this is a limited edition which is only available free with Glamour Magazine for just £2 this month, so if you want one I suggest you get your hands on one pronto. I really hope they decided to stock this on their website in the future as I think it's a perfect lip product for the summer. I may have to go and pick up another one just in case!

Pink Wednesday #5

noreply@blogger.com (Jen Green) — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 13:59:00 +0000

This week I have picked out a Nails Inc polish called Paris. I got this from a lucky dip selection that I bought from the Nails Inc website. I think I paid around £20 for 6 or 7 polishes but I can't remember exactly as it was about 2 years ago when I bought them. It's quite obviously an old polish but the quality is still good and it applies smoothly.

Paris is a kind of dusky rose pink with cool blue tones and a delicate shimmer. It makes me think of raspberry sorbet so it's quite perfect for summer. I'll be honest and say that it isn't a colour I would have picked out myself but now I have it on I do like it. I found it to be a little on the sheer side so I applied 3 coats to get a relatively opaque look. Like most Nails Inc polishes I've tried before the formula is really nice to work with and applies evenly. I did get a few brush marks but it's not really that noticeable from a distance.

Apologies for the dented polish and tip wear. I had this on for a few days before I got round to taking photos and managed to mess them , ooops!

Snapshots From Oz #3

noreply@blogger.com (Jen Green) — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 07:00:00 +0000

The weather this week has been amazing, I'm so happy we're getting such lovely warm weather. I thought I'd add in a bit of a tune for you this week. This was one of the songs on our Aussie playlist so not only does it sound like summer to me it also reminds me of the awesome time we had driving around. Hope you enjoy it! ^_^

Cosmetics A La Carte Brow Ink

noreply@blogger.com (Jen Green) — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 07:00:00 +0000

In the past I was never really a brow person but a few months ago I noticed that in a lot of old photos my brows quite often looked a bit lost and it wasn't a very good look! I do pluck my brows but as they are naturally quite thin I just do the minimum shaping and stray brow removal. I don't think I've ever used anything on my brows until I recently rediscovered this whilst going through my stash.

Cosmetics A La Carte Brow Ink is a semi-permanent ink which can be used on brows, as an eyeliner or even for creating temporary body art. I received this in one of my Carmine boxes from 2011 and it was just tossed aside pretty much immediately. This is in the shade 'Taupe', which is a medium brown, and I didn't really think it was a colour that would suit me so I just never bothered.

It's a pen type product with a long, thin felt tip style tip which is great for getting a natural full look. It's really easy to use by simply using short light strokes to create hair like lines to fill out your brows. I wasn't too sure about this at first but I gave it a go just to see what it looked like. As someone who has never filled in my brows ever before I found this incredibly easy to use. It is very easy to control the nib and the fine tip allows you to work accurately to quickly get your desired look.

I really like this and I've been using it everyday. It doesn't smudge and will stay put all day and night but is easily removed with your usual cleanser or make up remover. I'm in two minds whether it's slightly to light for me but I think I can pull it off ok. Although this works really well and is now part of my everyday make up routine I'm not sure it's worth the £22 price tag. I think I need to go on a hunt for a similar product at a more reasonable price.

This is available in 3 colours (blonde, taupe and sable) and you can pick this up from the Cosmetics A La Carte website.