Beauty Stir

Hair bargain of the year: Philip Kingsley Elasticizer!

2014-12-24T16:06:00.003+00:00

I recently bleached my dark, dyed hair to a dark blonde colour. After 4 lots of bleaching within a week, my hair was left rather frazzled and broken. I scoured the internet for a long term fix as I really don't want to cut my hair and time and time again I saw people mentioning the infamous Philip Kingsley Elasticizer.

It's not the most accessible brand where I live so I headed straight online and found that it is quite pricey for something I didn't know would work. Standard pricing is 75ml for £15, 150ml for £28 or there's a 250ml 40th anniversary edition for £38. They do also sell big 500ml or 1litre sizes too but that is just too much commitment for a first time purchase!

I then spotted this cute cracker gift set: Philip Kingsley Luscious Locks Christmas Cracker!

The set contains 40ml of the Elasticizer and a 60ml bottle of the Philip Kingsley Daily Damage Defence spray. It was originally priced at £10, then dropped to £5 (which I purchased 4 at this point) and has now dropped again to £3.50! So I bought another 3!

If you ignore the spray (which I do actually quite like), it works out at 8.75p per ml.

75ml at £15 = 20p per ml
150ml at £28 = 18.67p per ml
250ml at £38 = 15.2p per ml

This means the saving is from 42% to 56% per ml!

As for the mask, you apply it to dampened/wet, unwashed hair, leave for at least 10mins then wash hair as normal, including shampoo. From the minute I applied it I knew it was something special as m hair turned into silk and was such as different texture to any other mask I've tried.

The results were amazing and my hair doesn't look as damaged as it really is. It says to use 1-2times a week for best results which I'm definitely going to do.

I'd stock up now if you want to try or repurchase this product. Exclusive to Feel Unique:

http://www.feelunique.com/p/Philip-Kingsley-Luscious-Locks-Christmas-Cracker-Exclusive

My fave peanutty snack...

2014-12-09T17:25:00.001+00:00

I always make the mistake of forgetting to eat breakfast and then wonder why I'm so hungry throughout the day. If I'm in a hurry or just feeling plain lazy, I end up with some generic chocolate coated biscuit or something equally as unhealthy, but I've found my perfect health-conscious snack...!

Peanut butter spread on caramel Snack-a-Jacks!

It doesn't sound terribly healthy but Ive discovered the greatest peanut butter of all time: Meridian. It's 100% peanuts with no crap like the other ones, which means it separates in the jar. It tastes of just pure, crushed peanuts and is quite runny with small chunks in it.

I don't think I'd like it on toast as it's not as sweet as other peanut based spreads, but over the caramel Snack-a-Jack, it's the perfect balance.

It's surprisingly filling so one usually does the trick. Give it a go!

Quick savings! Origins Mask Marvels Christmas Gift Set!

2014-11-09T12:24:00.000+00:00

It's a well known fact that Boots has some of the best Christmas gift sets, both for value and choice. Whilst paying a visit to my local store, I stumbled across this amazing valued gift set that I just had to spread the word about!

The Origins Mask Marvels Christmas Gift Set!

Origins Mask Marvels Christmas Gift Set

This gift set contains three of Origin's three most popular face masks:

Out of Trouble 10 Minute Mask - Quick mask to help when problems start to pop up
Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask - Deep cleaning face mask
Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask - Intense moisture replacing mask that can be left on overnight in place of night cream

These usually retail at £23 each for 100ml and each of these is 75ml meaning the gift set is worth £51.75.

The gift set was priced at £50 however it is currently on sale at £23! It's an absolute bargain and I can anticipate this selling out pretty quickly so would advise popping into Boots sooner rather than later so not to miss out.

The consistency of the masks is really nice and you don't need a lot to cover your whole face so will definitely last a while.

Review: Revlon Photoready Primer!

2013-07-29T13:40:00.000+01:00

I've just finished using the Revon Photoready Primer, and thought I'd just give you a quick review of it, and why I wouldn't repurchase this product.

I took these photos a couple of weeks ago in the hope I'd suddenly fall in love with it, but no luck unfortunately.

Revlon is a brand that I really trust as a hole. Nail polishes are amazing (more pricey than other drugstore brands though), Colorstay foundation is a cult beauty product and their lip products are incredible (lip butter, need I say more?!). Sure, their mascaras are a bit hit or miss, and their blushers are a bit leave it, although they have just brought out some cream ones that look promising, but as a whole Revlon is a brand that you know where you stand with most the products.

I picked up the Photoready primer as I'd just ran out of my previous one, and I was pretty disappointed. The packaging is awful. The lid falls of all the time because it's just too big and loose, and the prudct does not come out when you press the pump! The pump get's blocked (see photo below), and even when you get the product to sit at the bottom of the pump, it still doesn't suck up very well.

Blocked bit, some product, and blended in

The product doesn't keep my foundation on any longer and I didn't feel that it helped it apply any better, so where is the point?!

I don't want to keep going on about how much I disliked this product so I'll stop now. If you don't have oily skin it may work better for you, but that won't help avoid the packaging issues!

Sorry Revlon, this isn't your best!

Review: Blush By 3 by Sleek

2013-07-26T13:34:00.000+01:00

Throughout the seasons, my make-up tends to change around quite a bit. During the summer months, I still like to wear foundation (It's a must, I just like that coverage unless I'm REALLY tanned) but I tend to stick to just a bit of eye liner and mascara, with either a bold lip or bright cheeks.

As it's been roasting hot in the UK for the past couple of weeks, almost beating the summer of '76 (apparently! Bit before my time), I thought I'd show you a few of my favourite blushers, coincidentally all from sleep

Sleek has extremely good quality blushers. They're long wearing, super pigmented, packaging is amazing and not bulky, and they're affordable. They sell both individual blushers (see the top deep red colour), and in palettes of three. Unfortunately they don't sell individuals of the colours in the palette, but the 'Blush by 3' palette I have, Pumpkin 363, has 3 very different and equally beautiful shades in.

There is a luminous orangey-red colour, which doesn't contain any shimmer as such but isn't quite matt. Then there is a matt warm-toned bright pink and a matt bright orange. All the colours can be applied and blended in lightly to look natural or built up to give a more dramatic finish.

Their individual blush in Flushed 935 is a much darker and cooler red, and I find myself gravitating towards in no matter the season or weather. Somehow, it just works! It's matt and looks so natural on the cheeks, no matter how much I put on.

L-R: Flushed Individual Blush, Blush by 3 Palette in Pumpkin

I cannot recommend these enough. They're available from www.sleekmakeup.com or Superdrug stores in the UK. The individuals cost £4.49 and the palettes cost £9.99, but Superdrug often has offers running like 3 for 2.

Review: La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat!

2013-07-20T11:27:00.000+01:00

La Roche-Posay are a French skincare brand that is readily available in most Boots stores, and are reasonably priced. Their Effaclar Duo seems to have become a bit of a cult product for many, so with oilier skin I decided to give the matt version a whirl.

In basic, the Effaclar line is deisgned for those of us who have numerous imperfections like blocked pores, blemish prone and uneven skin tone, so my skin certainly fits right in there. Effaclar Mat claims it will also control shine throughout the day.

I like the packaging, you cant go wrong with a squeeze top really. I like smell and texture, nothing offensive or unexpected from a facial moisturiser, and I like the clinical feel of the brand.

The only problem, and quite a big one, is that it doesn't control my shine! I don't have the oiliest of skins and I find myself oiler in this than when using a regular moisturiser. I haven't felt that the texture or appearance of my skin has really improved and so I personally wouldn't recommend it I'm afraid!

I have the original Effaclar Duo and will do a review after I've got through some of the other things I'd like to get through first.

Review: L'Oreal Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil!

2013-05-20T09:00:00.000+01:00

Cleansing oils have been around for a long time, however up until recently they were only made by more higher-end and less accessible brands, such as MAC. L'Oreal has just released their version; Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil.

This product retails for around £7.99 in most drugstores however I managed to pick it up for £5 from Asda. Bargain! It comes in an orange tinted plastic bottle with a white pump and clear cap. Handy for travelling as it won't shatter and *hopefully* wouldn't leak however I probably wouldn't travel with it. I personally don't have any preference about glass or plastic packaging so it wouldn't sway me either way whether to buy it or not, and the pump doesn't seem to leak at all.

Application is easy. I use about 2 or 3 pumps and massage it over my dry face and eyes, and it will smear all of my makeup around my face (very attractive). It doesn't sting my eyes but it does tend to make my vision cloudy if I open my eyes. I then start to work in some water and the oil turns milky and rinses away easily, leaving your skin both clean and smooth. It is non-drying and I even feel like it puts moisture into my skin!

Step one: Pump and massage into skin

Step two: Add water

Step three: Massage and rinse off

The product claims:

"Instantly dissolves make-up, even waterproof. Re-balances and purifies for healthy looking skin. Lightweight and non-greasy."

I can honestly say that I agree with this. It does take a little while to get waterproof mascara off but it does with any makeup remover. There's no greasy film left on skin after use and it doesn't break me out.

I would recommend this product to anyone with any skin type and it is available at anywhere L'Oreal skincare is sold.

Review: Carmex Moisture Plus Tinted Lip Balms!

2012-05-28T16:16:00.001+01:00

It seems like the whole of the beauty world is moisturising lip product crazy at the moment, and this product is one of my everyday favourites.

I have both of the tinted shades, Pink and Peach. Colour-wise, they are both standard colours that can be worn every single day with any kind of look; they're super versatile. The pink does show up on the lips as a sheer bubblegum colour and the peach shows up a little more reddish-orange.

They are REALLY moisturising like all other Carmex lip products and are perfect for the summer when you don't want to be wearing thick and drying lip products. They last on the lips for quite a while and the colour lasts for a good amount of time.

Total winner in my books.

Review: L'oreal Touche Magique Concealer!

2012-05-10T11:39:00.000+01:00

Not getting enough sleep at night is definitely my biggest downfall in terms of taking care of myself. It's so important but yet I still stay up late, which has taken it's toll on my dark under eye circles. In order to cover them up, I've been testing this concealer that claims to be "anti-fatigue, illuminating and a true match".

The L'oreal Touche Magique concealer is very YSL Touche Eclat-esque, however a fraction of the price!

The product comes in a brush tip applicator with a twist-to-release-product pen. It's easy to control the amount of product that you release and the brush is alright, but I wish the cap wasn't see through as it gets dirty very quickly.

The actual product has a nice consistency and dries to an almost powder finish with brilliant coverage. It really does disguise my dark circles and illuminate them. I did try to use this to cover any uneven skin tone and blemishes and didn't find it to be any good for that. I also tried to use it to highlight areas of my face, and found that it only worked on my cheek bones; everywhere else just looked oily throughout the day.

In all, I love this product for under my eyes but no where else. I'd recommend it to anyone with really dark circles too!

Review: L'oreal Lumi Magique Foundation!

2012-05-08T11:09:00.000+01:00

Recently I've lifted myself off a 'no more foundation buying' ban. I had so many at one point that it got to a ridiculous level, however as I've only got a few bottles at the moment and Boots was on 3 for 2, I thought it would be rude not to take advantage of this!

The new L'oreal Lumi Magique claims to be 'light infusing' and give 'flawless skin as if lit-from-within' so I thought it would be a nice change to the matt foundations I've been wearing recently.

So the foundation comes in a nice bottle with a rose gold coloured pump, which is really easily controlled. It's very pretty but I would worry about the cap coming off if I were to travel with it.... The consistantly is very liquidy and light weight, making it super easy to blend into the skin and a little goes a long way.

Swatch (T-B): Blended, Less blended, Blob.

It doesn't have any shimmers or glitters in it so it already beats the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation in my eyes. I would say this foundation gives about medium-low coverage and has a lovely satin finish. It can be built up to a medium coverage but for the most part it covers everything I need it to, including blemishes.

As for the light infusing claims, I'd say it kind of lives up to them... Its not an 'in your face' kind of thing, but it is noticeable. The wear of the foundation is pretty good, and I don't think it accentuates oily skin like mine.

This all being said, my favourite way to use this foundation so far, is mixing it 50/50 with other foundations to give them a pick-me-up.

I'd recommend this foundation to anyone and I will probably repurchase!

Lip Love: Sheerly Vampy!

2012-05-06T10:43:00.002+01:00

I am in move with moisturising lip products at the moment however I don't actually own an awful lot, meaning I've been sheering out some of my lipsticks into more of a lip tint. I stumbled across this combo and fell in love with it! It was so difficult to photograph it with any kind of likeness to what it actually looks like so I had to edit the photo a little to make it more close to life.

This look is created by using a thick and buttery lip balm and then applying Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipstick in Va Va Violet. Alone, this lipstick is far too dark and scary for me but when it's sheered out it just gives a gorgeous stain that looks just a little vampy, and as if you're been eating berries for hours!

As for the formulation of the lipstick, I can't really comment as I've never worn it opaquely.

Review: L'oreal Rouge Caresse Lipstick!

2012-04-29T13:25:00.000+01:00

Just before the Revlon Lip Butters were due to be released in the UK, I spotted the L'oreal Rouge Caresse that appeared to be quite a similar concept; a lipstick that's a little sheerer and balmy-er. Being the impatient person I am, I quickly snapped up shade 401 Rebel Red.

The lipstick has good quality, sturdy packaging and looks really pretty. 10 stars for that! As for the colour, it's a gorgeous red; not pinky or orangey, just in the middle of both. It's pretty sheer but builts up beautifully to a super shiny bright red.

Applied generously

Applied sheerly

The product is super lightweight on the lips and glides on really nicely. It doesn't cling to dry patches and you definitely don't need to apply a gloss over it. As for wear, its not the longest staying lipstick as it is so lightweight and moisturising however it does leave behind a nice stain so you don't have to constantly apply it.

I'd certainly recommend this product, its perfect for everyday use and isn't too expensive!

Review: No7 Quick Cover Concealer!

2012-04-27T11:48:00.001+01:00

I think I've found my HG Blemish hiding concealer!

This concealer matches my skin perfectly to begin with. It is shade 02 Extra Fair. The twist up packaging is super convenient, and doesn't melt away or 'smush'. My only complaint is that the lid has cracked a bit so it doesn't seal as tightly anymore. It doesn't fall off in my makeup drawer, however it does in my handbag.

The consistency is so odd compared to other stick concealers I've tried. It is really opaque which is perfect for the job, and is really smooth and buildable, however it is kind of dry or almost powdery. It's bizarre. But good. Not drying and doesn't accentuate any dryness or lines.

As for how long this lasts on the skin, I'd say it lasts all day which is from 7am until 6pm for me most days. I find after that I'll tend to want to touch it up ever so slightly. Although it still doesn't look bad, it's just not as perfect as it can be. Maybe it's just me being fussy...

Available in Boots in the UK

Beauty Find: Aloe Vera Gel!

2012-04-25T12:28:00.002+01:00

Recently my skin has been messing about A LOT. Dry one day, oily the next, clear one day, breakout city the next. Fed up of this, I ventured into Holland and Barrett and purchased their own brand Aloe Vera Gel.

It's a natural product and supposed to be super soothing, which sold me. It claims to be a 'Bio Active Skin Treatment' too, but I was a little skeptical of it's magical properties.

A little bit goes a really long way, but it can also be applied thickly and still sink it equally as well. It gives a cooling sensation and then leaves my face feeling so smooth and a little tacky.

I use this product in place of my toner, just before my moisturiser day and night. I'd say my skin texture has improved and looks a lot nicer.

It's a super cheap multitasking product so I'd say give it a go! If you don't like it on your face, theres a million other ways to use it.

Nail of the Day: Deep Dark Forest!

2012-04-23T17:18:00.001+01:00

Deep Dark Forest nails! (Yes, that is a tattoo!)

My first Nail of the Day post! I've deliberately never done one of these because I have horribly dry and nasty cuticles, and my nails are so short due to them being really bendy. Yesterday I painted my nails like this on both hands though, and I reaaaaaalllyyyyy like it!

Both nail varnishes are by No7, the teal being Stay Perfect in shade 'Totally Teal 330', and the brown being Speed Dry in shade 'Beanie 03'.

Both of these appear pretty streaky after just one coat, but then look pretty good with 2 coats. Neither of these have shimmer and they have a thin but shiny finish. The photo was taken after one day of wear!

As for painting my index and little finger a different colour from the rest of my nails, I quite like it. It's different.

Nail varnishes available in Boots in the UK.

One Week's Impressions: Shu Uemura Art of Hair Essence Absolue Hair Oil

2012-03-10T12:11:00.001+00:00

There's a lot of hype around hair oils at the moment, and having dry and damaged, coloured and bleached hair, I thought I'd jump on the wagon for this one. I found the Shu Uemura Art of Hair Essence Absolue Hair Oil which has RRP of £40 on a deal for £28, so I snapped it up straight away.

I like that it comes with a pump. It is rather convenient. I have tried this in a few different way so far, however I have only had this product for a week so this is the first of my 'One Week's Impressions' posts.

As a leave in treatment
I applied 1-2 pumps to my towel dried hair before blow drying. I found it did help my hair to dry smoother and gave a nice finish on the first day, however towards the end of the day my hair looked as if I hadn't used it and on the second day my hair looked a little 'bushy' towards the ends. Not impressed so far but I will continue trying this method.

As a styling product
I put 1.5 pumps through the whole of my dry hair after I'd blow dried my hair and found that it really did smooth everything down and make my hair look a lot more moisturised that it really is. It gave me shine and the results lasted until the middle of day two I'd say, then it returns to looking as if my hair has nothing it in. Satisfied with these results but not for £40, maybe £28. I will also continue trying this method to see if there are any changes.

As a treatment
Final method I tried was applying around 4 pumps to my dry hair about an hour before I had a shower. I really didn't see any difference if I'm honest and I don't think I'll try it again as it was a waste of 4 pumps of expensive product.

So far I can't give you my final opinion, but I'm not impressed yet. Lots of people have raved about this particular hair oil so it may take a while for the effects to kick in.

I'll keep you updated!

Review: Mac Beauty Powder in Play It Proper - Chen Man Collection!

2012-03-09T12:45:00.012+00:00

Recently I visited Mac, which is a rarity for me as I tend to find I don't like buying their single eye shadows or blushes as I find them bulky, and I don't want a palette, which leaves only powder or foundations for me to buy there. Or lipsticks but I definitely have far too many of....

Back to the point, my Mac store had the Chen Man collection and there was only one product that jumped out to me, and I bought it - Mac Beauty Powder in Play It Proper.

The beauty powder is a shimmering pale baby pink in the pan that is pretty neutral-cool toned, however when swatched it's an almost white shimmer. When I say shimmer, I mean kind of glowy. The shimmer is microscopic and just gives a luminous affect to the skin and is gorgeous.

I use this as my highlighter on my cheek bones, cupid's bow, tip of my chin and above my brown bone and find it to be stunning. Different brushes really do give it a different finish so try it out with a few different ones before deciding your favourite way to apply it. For a beauty powder, it is quite pigmented so I wouldn't advise using it all over the face or for dark skin tones.

The swatches are pretty accurate. If you see this in store, swatch it! It's simply gorgeous and my new HG highligher. I can see myself enjoying this for a very long time.

Review: Vaseline Cocoa Butter Vitalising Gel Body Oil

2012-03-08T11:30:00.000+00:00

Todays review is on the Vaseline Cocoa Butter Vitalising Gel Body Oil which I purchased after I purchased the Aloe Vera version of this (review coming up) thinking it would be a more moisturising version of the other body gel, however I wouldn't really compare the two at all.

The packaging is just fine with a flip top cap that you can squeeze the product out. Of course with the product being oil based, it does grease up the container but nothing can avoid that really. The product itself really doesn't remind me much of a gel if I'm honest....

The product looks quite gel like in the container as there a little air bubbles throughout and it doesn't run like a typical oil, however once you begin to rub the product in, it is very apparent that it is oil based. The almost gel like consistency is convenient for squeezing it out of the bottle but that is as far as the benefits of the gel goes.

If you're looking for a body oil that is moisturising then I'm sure you'll like this. I only use it at night because it leaves a very apparent film on the skin which still isn't absorbed by the morning (but there's no problem putting clothes on top of it, it won't ruin them or show up). However, if you wanted something lighter like the term 'gel' implies, you won't like this.

Review: Good Things Dream Cream Night Cream!

2012-03-07T21:30:00.000+00:00

Just a quick review today on a product I've just finished up today; Good Things Dream Cream. This is a night cream with 'superfruit extracts, fig and avocado'. Good Things is a brand that is known for being one of the less chemical brands, so this cream doesn't contain parabens, mineral oil or sodium laureth sulphate and is animal friendly.

I have used this cream every night since I bought it and can honestly say I love it. It smells fruity but not in a bad way at all and it isn't artificial. I wouldn't think this would irritate anyone with sensitive skin so don't let that put you off!

It is pretty thick in consistency but it absorbs really nicely, and what I like about this is that you can apply a thicker layer if you like. In the morning, my skin feels beautiful with no tightness and I can really see that my skin is more moisturised than with any other night cream I've ever used. It doesn't break me out either.

I would say this is suitable for anyone with combination skin to dry skin. I have some very oily patches of skin and some very dry patches (which is a total pain when it comes to skincare choices), and this cream helps both.

I highly recommend this product and will be repurchasing is my new night cream doesn't beat it!

Review: Clean & Clear Morning Energy Skin Brightening Facial Scrub!

2012-03-06T12:04:00.001+00:00

As I'm almost finished using this facial scrub, I thought I'd just do a little review of it before I throw it out.

This face wash is a gel with some little exfoliating beads in it. There aren't a lot of these beads so it deffinately doesn't feel gritty or harsh. The product is supposed to foam up however it's quite difficult to get the right amount of the right temperature water for this to happen so it usually doesn't foam, however it still makes your face feel clean and fresh.

As for the results of this face wash, I would say this isn't designed for my sensitive and combination skin. It leaves my skin feeling tight and dull, and I see no brightening whatsoever.

I do believe that this would work for someone with oily or spot prone skin, but this will accentuate dryness on anyone else.

This isn't a bad product; I mean I've used almost all of it up, but I won't be repurchasing it again.

Review: No7 Shine Free Primer!

2012-03-05T11:45:00.001+00:00

Primer is a must have for anyone with oily/combination skin as it can help prevent your makeup from sliding off throughout the day, so I thought I'd review a primer that promises to do just that.

No7 Shine Free Primer

As Boots often has those £5 off vouchers, I though I'd pick this up. It's a generous size at 40ml, and I like that it's in a squeazy bottle as you can get the perfect amount out each time. The product itself is a thick white past so this really is ideal packaging.

Top: Blended, Left: Slightly blended, Right: Blob

Once you smooth it in, your pores just disappear. I find my foundation to go on a lot harder and I have to spend longer blending as this creates a matt and harsh kind of feeling on the skin, but it does help my foundation stay a little longer. But no much longer.

This product has a massive flaw though; it crumbles off. If you continue to rub it in for even the tiniest bit too long, it just balls right up and falls off. I even find if I use certain foundations it will do this which then makes my face look so patchy I have to redo all my makeup again.

Balling up after being over-blended

In all, I don't think it is worth the money regardless of whether it's on offer or not. It's been sat at the back of my collection for a long long time, and I have only ever used it to use it up so it doesn't go to waste. I don't enjoy this product, but that's only my opinion; it may work for others.

Review: Garnier Caffeine Anti-Dark Circles Tinted Eye Roll On!

2012-03-04T10:22:00.000+00:00

I suffer from horrible dark circle. Concealer doesn't cover them completely and nothing seems to get rid of them. Garnier Caffeine Anti-Dark Circles Tinted Eye Roll On had a lot of hype surrounding it so I had to try it.

Garnier Caffeine Anti-Dark Circles Tinted Eye Roll On

It claims to cover dark circles with mineral pigments, and hydrate and refresh tired eyes. Surely a tinted treatment would at least make some dint on my dark under eye area....

Its light yet moisturising, and reasonably pigmented. I wouldn't say it would cover dark circles completely as I still need an under-eye concealer afterwards, but it makes for a good base. I find that I don't need as much concealer and don't need to spend as much time applying it. I wouldn't say it's extremely de-puffing or brightening but it is good enough for every day use.

You do have to work reasonably quickly as otherwise it will dry unblendable, but it's not a problem for me as I apply it to both eyes by rolling it underneath once then blend straight away. I find the shade 'Light' to be a little orangey for me but as it's relatively sheer I can still use it.

My major problem with this is the packaging! The roller ball leaks into the lid, which even though I love that it is roller ball, its also a bit annoying that you can't keep the packaging nice and clean.

In all, I'd recommend this product to anyone. If you haven't get very dark circles then this could be used as your concealer, and if you have dark circles it can be used as a base for your concealer. I've had mine for around 6months or even longer and it still hasn't ran out!

Tag: Would You Rather Beauty Edition!

2012-03-03T21:04:00.000+00:00

So today I thought I'd just do a quick fun tag as I've not had the time or energy to do any 'proper' beauty posts this week. I've had masses of work to do and I've been under the weather :(

1.) Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lipglosses or lose all of your palettes and eyeshadows?
Palletts and eyeshadows! I don't like the look of eyeshadow without at least mascara, and I love lipstick for everyday use so this one is easy.

2.) Would you rather chop off all your hair or never be able to cut it again?
Chop it off. As long as I can get away with short hair I'll be okay. I used to have a bob and I loved it, but to have long ratty hair full of split ends would be horrible!

3.) Would you rather have a coral cheek or a pink cheek?
I'm almost 50/50 on this one but I think that pink blush looks slightly more flattering on my pale complexion.

4.) If you had $1000 to spend, Would you rather buy clothes or makeup?
Clothes. I love makeup but I don't think I could use up £1000 of makeup before it expired so it would be a waste....

5.) Would you rather apply lipstick as eyeliner, or eyeliner as lipstick?
Eyeliner as lipstick. Apart from the fast lipstick on my eyes would make me look like I'd been crying, it would also be harder to apply and it would crease like hell!

6.) Would you rather only shop at MAC or Sephora?
I live in the UK and unfortunately we don't have Sephora, so if the question was Mac or Department stores, I'd go for the Department stores. I love MAC but it doesn't satisfy all of my wishes and I've heard their nail varnish is terrible!

7.) Would you rather only use one eyeshadow color or one lip color for the rest of your life?
One eyeshadow. I went through a phase of wearing the shimmery white eyeshadow from the Benefit Valley of the Stars kit everyday with black liquid liner. I swap my lip colour everyday though.

8.) Would you rather wear winter clothes in summer or summer clothes in winter?
Summer clothes in the winter as you can always layer them up!

9.) Would you rather dark nails or bright nails all year round?
Dark nails. I like wearing more 'grown up' shades of nails and anything dark floats my boat!

10.) Would you rather give up your favorite lip product or your favorite eye product?
My favourite lip product. If I had to give up a favourite mascara, it would be difficult to replace but lip products are more similar.

11.) Would you rather only be able to wear your hair in a pony tail or a messy bun?
Pony tail. It's too much effort to wear a messy bun every day and I'd have to keep buying new hairgrips as I always lose them.

12.) Would your rather never being able to paint your nails again or never use lipgloss?
New use lipgloss, I hate lipgloss.

13.) Would you rather shave your eyebrows and have none at all? or sharpie them in everyday?
Ewwww. I couldn't go without eyebrows, but Sharpied eyebrows wouldn't be very natural looking.... I'll choose Sharpie but try find the finest tipped one to make it look like little hairs

14.) Would you rather live without makeup or nail polish?

I'd rather live without nail polish than makeup. I wear makeup everyday but I don't paint my nails everyday. Sometimes I forget to paint my nails for a week or so.

Review: No7 Amazing Eyes Pencils!

2012-03-01T12:37:00.003+00:00

Here's a product that I think deserves a lot more hype than it gets; No7 Amazing Eyes Pencils. I must have gone through about 5 Black, 3 Brown and 2 Grey of these pencil eyeliners and even though I occasionally buy others, I just go straight back to these. Nothing I've tried compares to them!

No7 Amazing Eyes Pencils, Top-Bottom: 05 Black, 10 Brown, 15 Blue Grey

These are some long wearing things! Application is just lovely as they are creamy without 'smushing' and breaking, nicely pigmented and blend well if you work quickly. The pencil will set within 30 seconds and then it will be unblendable and unmovable, but I find this to be a good thing... I never need to blend any further after I've applied it and it will prevent any smudging later on.

No7 Amazing Eyes Pencil 05 Black

This is a new pencil. They're pretty long and have a smudge tip at one end which I only use every now and again when I can't be bothered to grab a brush, but it is pretty good and definately useful for travelling. When you buy this, it comes with two caps, one for each end however I find that I always end up losing one for some reason...

No7 Amazing Eyes Pencils
Top: Unblended, Bottom: Blended
L-R: 15 Blue grey, 10 Brown, 05 Black

One disappointment is that it only comes in these three colours. I'd quite like a purple or a blue, maybe even a white. The shades are all pigmented and all of them are very long wearing. I can apply them at 7.30am and they'll still look good at 5pm which is ideal for the office, school or college!

Needless to say, I love these and will continue to rebuy these until I stumble across something even more amazing (unlikely).

These pencils are hypo-allergenic and available at Boots in the UK, and Target in the US. Price is £7.75 however Boots has a habit of giving out £5 vouchers for No7 if you spend £5 in the store (separate transaction... spend the £5 then you get a £5 voucher to spend in another transaction).

Review: Rimmel 3 in 1 Powder Blush 003 Autumn Catwalk

2012-02-29T10:59:00.008+00:00

Rimmel 3 in 1 Powder Blush 003 Autumn Catwalk

Today I'd like to share with you my thoughts on the Rimmel 3 in 1 Powder Blush in 003 Autumn Catwalk. I bought this quite some time ago and really didn't expect to like it very much; there's just something about the colour that just makes me overlook it....

The blush consists of 3 different colours that can be used alone or mixed together for a forth colour. 003 Autumn Catwalk consists of a warm baby pink with a matt finish, a shimmery pinky peach with some glitter, and a dark pinky peach with a matt finish. When mixed together you get a shimmery peach shade depending on how much of each shade you use.

Left: Individual shades in order, Right: Mixed together

As you can see from the swatch, the colours are lovely. Even though I often overlook this item when choosing my blush for the day, on the occasions I do choose this, I love it. It makes my skin look natural and flushed from within. It looks glowy so I don't need to use a highlighter (which I usually forget anyway so it's just as well).

The only con is that it's rather difficult to use each of the shades alone, which I think is part of the reason most people would buy it. It is possible, just difficult. The packaging is quite small and sleek, and it did come with a brush (that was kind of useless so I threw it away).

Rimmel 3 in 1 Powder Blush in 003 Autumn Catwalk

I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a cheap cheerful blush that's suitable for everyday. Sold anywhere Rimmel is sold for RRP £5.19.