A bit of a confession for you today. I quite like the Pound Shop. Perhaps not on a Saturday morning when you’re being pushed out of the way by people determined to bag themselves 6284607 cigarette lighters for £1.00 or kids wailing over their parents’ refusal to buy them a toy that is bound to fall apart after a few hours. But I do rather like having a poke around the “beauty” section.

Selfridges it ain’t, but there are some bargains to be had. After a litre of nail varnish remover? Or a huge wodge of cotton wool? Or how about some nail files, or nail art supplies? Don’t forget to check out your humble Pound shop. I discovered this when I was shopping for prizes for a hen party last year and needed to get 25 items for as cheap as possible. This was great, as I discovered Revlon, Rimmel and Maybelline products, all for £1.00 each.

I also explored the nail varnish section and stumbled across a couple of beauties. I’d never heard of Badgequo before, but a quick Google informs me that they are a manufacturer for other brands and often retail their own products under the Chit Chat, Technic and Body Collection labels. (me either).

Still, this is a pretty good polish. It reminds me strongly of a blinged up OPI Smok’n In Havana, at only an eleventh of the cost. OK, it smells, the formula isn’t the best, and it took a while to try, but it was definitely worth a punt. (haha). And just you wait til you see the amazing olive green that I bought at the same time.

So what do you think? Are you a regular at the pound shop or is it not really your scene? I think it’s worthwhile checking it out, you know. I like a high end product but I’d rather not spend out on expensive false lashes or nail varnish remover when I can replenish practically all of my bathroom cabinet’s essentials for about a fiver.

Helen

Today we have a guest post courtesy of the lovely Lorna who kindly agreed to blind-test a mystery skincare product – the identity of which will be officially revealed on 1st March 2012. 

Designed to be gentle enough to use twice a day, its ingredients claim to keep your skin balanced and blemish-free without the risk of over drying.  It contains vitamin and fruit extracts to help blast blotches, control oil and prevent UV damage so your skin looks healthier, clearer and more luminous.  Honestly, we have no idea who is behind it!  Read on to see what Lorna had to say…

I have been chosen to trial the ‘big skincare mystery product’.  What is special about this product is that it offers multipurpose skincare solutions.  It looks like a bottle of cream but is actually a cleansing face wash PLUS, if left for a few minutes, becomes an instant face mask!  The brand behind this concept has been kept under wraps but the word is the fuss surrounding it might be worth the hype, and I couldn’t wait to find out more.

The product is green in colour and gently fragrant. It is kind on your skin, particularly noticeable to me, who suffers from sensitive skin and is limited on the products I can use on my face.  I initially used the mystery product as a face wash and it surprisingly lathered and foamed up quickly and felt smooth on my skin whilst using.  I had no burning or stinging skin complaints and my face felt cleansed, fresh and very clean afterwards.

One noticeable observation was that there was a lack of a ‘cooling’, ‘refreshing’ or ‘burst of feeling’ sensation which I personally like when washing my face first thing in the morning when feeling groggery and still half asleep.

Using the mystery product as a face mask was easy to apply, set within minutes and apart from looking like Princess Fiona from Shrek due to the bright green colour, left my skin feeling soft and looking healthy.  It was easy to wash off and did not require any particular effort to use.

I would definitely buy this mystery product in the shops because it offers dual skincare solutions for ladies with busy lives where pampering sessions can sometimes be pushed to the back of the queue.  Having the mystery product in my bathroom, I was able to have a fancy face mask several times throughout the week and not just when I have scheduled one in my diary.

It is a gentle and kind, cleansing product and I believe would be suitable to those with all types of skin.  I am delighted to have found another product that works well on my own sensitive skin.

Rating?  I give it 9 out of 10!

Lorna Ridd

Thanks, Lorna!  If you’re intrigued, you can request a sample from www.facebook.com/skincarerevolution.

*PR sample*

Primers. Some reckon it’s not necessary, I am with the crowd that abides by it.  Prepping your skin with a primer makes a huge difference – your make-up looks better, lasts longer – it’s probably one of the best creations.  It takes no time to slip into your routine either.  Dab a bit after moisturising, let it absorb into your skin for a few minutes before applying your foundation.

I was recently sent a 10ml sample pot of Me Me Me’s Seventh Heaven Enriched Facebase primer to try.  The actual full sized pot is 30ml but does its magic really work wonders?  For £15 it had better.

It’s also worth pointing out this product is a moisturising primer.  Enriched with shea butter, vitamin A and Beta-Carotene to prep and prime skin, the scent actually reminds me of grapefruit (and it’s fabulous!)

How does it perform?  Amazingly!  It absorbs into the skin effortlessly and my foundation applies smoothly and evenly.  A small dab is enough so although the pot might not contain much, it lasts the distance.  I also feel like my make-up holds up much longer, there are no creases or a need to touch-up.  In fact I’ll go as far as to say I prefer this primer than my Laura Mercier one (which is excellent).

At half the price of my usual choice of primer and a generous sized portion, I am impressed with MeMeMe Seventh Heaven Enriched Facebase and will certainly buy it.

MeMeMe Seventh Heaven Enriched Facebase costs £15.00 and is available from www.mememecosmetics.co.uk and Superdrug stores nationwide.

*PR sample*

*sigh* It’s been a over month since I returned from my holiday in Miami.  Jet lag lasted about a week, work has been non-stop and my body started to wind me up by making me feel poorly.  Still, I had a very relaxing trip, toasting myself in the 28 degrees sunshine, clocking up the calories and yes, a cheeky shop for make-up was also thrown in.

I was staying on Washington Avenue, about 5 minutes walk from the beach and within easy reach of Sephora – the first place I wanted to visit when I touched down in the US.

However, I was disappointed with Sephora on Collins Avenue.  Firstly they were out of stock on one of their lipstains I was desperate for and secondly their nail polish display was very poor and very sparse (they didn’t even have Kat Von D’s nail polishes!)

Then my luck changed when I stumbled across a store called Ulta Beauty.  How come nobody told me about this place?  It bitch-slaps Sephora to the ground!  Two floors of hair and beauty AND at discounted prices.  I filled my basket in one trip, and then returned the next day for more.  Walgreen is a popular chain store which sells a lot of cosmetic brands like Maybelline and OPI but I noticed their prices were dearer than Ulta.  Tsk!

Any way, behold the things I smuggles through customs:

1. Maybelline’s Master Precise by Eye Studio
I picked this up in a hurry on my second and final visit to Ulta, and fell in love with it as soon as I tried it. Sadly the two branches of Walgreen I visited did not stock it and this product is not available in the UK either.  Not fair!

I was impressed with its sharpness and precision in application.  I’ve usually found felt tip liners’ lasting power runs dry quickly but this one is pretty intense and sharp in one move and only cost about £5-6.  I wish I’d picked up a few more of these…

2. OPI, Essie, Zoya, Sally Hansen, Rimmel polishes
Heaven in Ulta with these at bargain prices. I finally got my mitts on OPI’s DS collection (have eyed this up in Fenwicks but couldn’t justify spending nearly £20 for a bottle). I also picked up other gems I’d wanted for a long time and a Rimmel polish that you can’t get in the UK.  Now I’m going to have another moan: Rimmel is a British brand yet this collection is not available in the UK. Where’s the logic in that?  I also grabbed my first bottle of Seche Vite for about $9.

(L - R: Essie's Dive Bar, Orly's Royal velvet, Essie's Midnight Cami)

Zoya's Edyta and Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro in Rags to Riches

OPI's Midnight in Moscow and Sally Hansen's Wined Up

3. Sephora Collection: Cream Lip Stain
I saw Mouldy Fruit’s review on Always Red but sadly Sephora had sold out of this colour.  However, I picked up three shades from their collection, which were $12 each: Strawberry Kissed and Forever Fuschia for myself and Dark Berry for my mum.

The stain is creamy during application before drying to a satin finish.  The pigmentation is intense and the colour is vibrant and woah, does it stay on but after a few hours, I felt conscious there was a sticky film on my lips, and I wanted to scrub it off.  After a trip to the Everglades where I had to endure an airboat, the wind super-dried my lip stain and it began to peel.  Of course this was a rather extreme condition but it’s good to know this product can withstand speeds of up to 35 mph.

A layer of this lip stain creates a type of layer rather than absorbing into the lips and keeping them moisturised but for what it’s designed to do, it certainly delivers.  Also there is no feathering.  My mum couldn’t stop singing its praises so I’m chuffed she’s happy with her lipstain, which is a gorgeous maroon shade.

(L - R: Dark Berry, Forever Fuschia and Strawberry Kissed)

4. Stila Long Wear Liquid Lip Color in Fiery
I bought this red lip stain by default following the Sephora scandal. More expensive at $22 but a glorious, tomato colour, and probably slightly better in quality than Sephora but hey, that’s what you get for paying top dollar.  Yet again, another product confined to the US borders.

Here's how Stila's Fiery looks

5. Kat von D Tattoo Chronicles – Candelabra Edition
I packed really light for my trip, which meant only taking the basics – foundation, travel sized brushes (courtesy of Japonesque), concealer and a blusher, so it was a good job I picked up Kat von D’s collection of eye shadows to glam up my peepers for a night out.  A bonus was it was reduced from $32 to $24 in Sephora but it has been discontinued.  Maybe it’s available on Ebay for anyone interested.

6. Anastasia Beverly Hills – All Eye Want Palette
Beautiful smokey eyes palette that I don’t need it at all but of course, I bought it, dammit.  Well, it’s limited edition!  I know nothing about this brand so based my decision on the quality of the eye shadows, which are rich in pigmentation and gorgeous, and best of all, the palette was dirt cheap at $32 (but I got it for $24 on special offer in the store at the time.)  BOOM!  The kit comes with nine eye shadows, a mascara, brow gel, and double-ended brush.  The shades are warm neautrals but the dark brown is to die for – matte chocolate brown with gold flecks – just what you need for a smouldering, smokey look.  It is divine!  Overall, a palette to challenge the Naked ones.  I’m looking forward to playing with this…

(I heard this product is now available to buy from Cult Beauty but I couldn’t locate it on their website.  Am I missing something?)

7. Sephora Pro lesson palette – green eyes
Sephora have devised eye shadow kits which compliment eye colours. Well sod this, I bought the palette for green eyes because the colours were much nicer than the dull ones they put together for brown eyes.

8. Wet n Wild compacts in Blue Had Me At Hello and Comfort Zone
I spotted these in Ulta – stupidly cheap eyeshadow compacts.  Blue Had Me At Hello is obviously the blue palette, and Comfort Zone is the conventional, nude collection.  I haven’t tried them out yet so can’t comment on quality but I am not particularly fussed when they were absolute bargains.

Blue Had Me At Hello and Comfort Zone

9. Victoria’s Secret scrubs and body butter
I wish I had bought more of these  – such good value and great to use.  I picked up 3 products for $25, I think - two scrubs in Amber Romance and Mango Temptation and a body cream in Mango Temptation.  The scrubs smell divine and feel wonderful.  Hopefully VS will introduce these ranges to their UK stores when they debut this summer.

And there we have it!  Over the coming weeks (or months!), I’ll blog about the polishes, lip stuff and palettes.

Cast your mind back to December when I showed you the teal Cyber Eyes look, and a couple of quick snaps of the lilac one. Well, here’s the next part of that post – what the lilac looks like applied.

A weird thing happened with these photos. I wasn’t channelling Kate Bush, I haven’t dyed my hair red or had some sort of ombre procedure done – it’s just the way the bright January light fell. But I quite like it actually.

You’re seeing the lilac Cyber Eyes shadow, with the plum kajal liner and the lilac mascara. Whilst  I can probably live without the mascara, I really like the combination of purples and find them pretty and flattering.

What do you think? Would you wear these shades?

Now, on to the items  I bought from the collection. Cyber Green, Cyber Pink, and Cyber Copper.

Here are the quick finger swatches. So far I have found Copper to be a bit temperamental and slippy and haven’t quite sussed how to use it for the best. Green is kind of green - it is a blackened olive and utterly beautiful. Pink is more of a shimmery highlighter. It’s pretty, but not as much of a “must-have” in my book.

I also picked up two more of the liners, as they are so soft and a pleasure to use. I think that Blackened Olive could do with being more pigmented, but I have had lot of wear out of Blackened Cocoa in recent weeks.

I’m having a lot of fun playing with these at the moment, and will bring you some finished looks once I’m content that they are playing nicely. So keep an eye out for Cyber Eyes Part 3!

*Lilac was a PR sample, everything else was purchased by me.

Any way, an antidote to the winter blues was the release of Nars’ Spring collection. Thankfully, for my credit card (which definitely had the January blues), there were only a few bits I wanted from the collection. So let’s see what took my fancy, shall we?

First up is Lhasa eyeshadow. I’d heard whispers that Nars were releasing a lavender toned taupe, and here it is. Smooth and rich and universally flattering, this is definitely backupworthy in my book.

It’s not often I don’t do a crease contrast shade but I didn’t feel I needed to, or wanted to with Lhasa – it was perfect on its own.

Paramaribo is the duo of the collection.  A shimmering gold, paired with an olive toned greenish brown. (It’s currently 1am and my descriptions suck!).

This is so rich and smooth and pigmented, and creating a look with this pair is ridiculously quick and easy – it practically applies itself.

I saw some debate online about whether Paramaribo was a dupe for Star Sailor, which is apparently being discontinued. Well, let’s take a look.

In the pan, they look identical, but swatched, you can see they are very, very different. Paramaribo is far more golden, shimmery and dimensional, whereas Star Sailor is more yellow toned,  matte (matter??) and pigmented.

Bilbao is one of the lipsticks of the collection. My fellow bloggers have been on at me for some time to try out a lipstick, and so I have. I heard Bilbao described as “beige” by some but I think that is a mean description, and “caramel” is far more appropriate. Either which way, it’s safe. Longlasting though, and I am coping rather well with it.

(seen above worn with Paramaribo)

Finally, Dark Rite eyeshadow pencil. This was basically a total cock-up. The Nars warehouse left it out of my order, so I had to appeal for a new one, which was a whole paperwork and photograph email trail. Then finally, it came.

It was only after I’d used this that I realised that it was broken. I don’t think the end is meant to come off, and shouldn’t there be some kind of winding mechanism inside to wind it up? There’s nothing there, so I’m not sure what I’m meant to do as the product runs all the way down the middle and I have no way of getting it out. For the best part of £18, I really expect more.

Still, it looks nice. It takes a bit of warming up, but it works well over a lighter shade, blended out. I used it over Lhasa, of course.

I’ve read that these crease like hell, but I didn’t experience that. Maybe because I used it over another shadow, but it really did stay put all day.

If you only get one thing, make it Lhasa. It really is worth the money. Paramaribo is also lovely but I can appreciate that the colours might not be everyone’s cup of tea. And as for the pencil? Meh. Manufacturing and despatch issues have put me right off that one.

What do you think?

Here we have two polishes from the new Water collection for Spring 2012. I really like the handles – properly rubberized and so easy to grip and move. Why don’t all nail polish manufacturers do this?

The polish itself is thick, thick, thick. Not bad for a vegan brand, where you automatically presume that the formula is going to be a tad wishy-washy. In actual fact, this might actually be on the too-thick side. It also dries super-fast, which is great, as makes for a speedy (and environmentally friendly) manicure.

Deep is the polish that really caught my eye from the collection. A deep grey creme with pink shimmer, it is really very pretty indeed, and applied in one coat. However, it either hated my basecoat (OPI Nail Envy, as ever) or my topcoat (Poshe, which I also loathe but I have a bottle to use up). Deep chipped after a few hours. Well, actually, it just peeled right off my nail. Not good at all.

I fared better with Ripple Effect, although the colour is not quite as interesting. Nice though. I used a Mavala topcoat and got a couple of days before this fell off my nails. Hmm. I will change the base coat next time I think. This was two coats.

So at the moment I am on the fence. I like the shades, the bottles, the quality, and the ethos of the brand, but all of this is negligible if I can’t actually get the polish to stay on my nails using my usual methods.

Have you tried SpaRitual?

SpaRitual polishes are available to buy here and cost £8.50.

*PR samples*

Last week I removed myself from a self-imposed hibernation and attended the launch of Estee Lauder’s much anticipated Invisible Fluid MakeUp.

Heralded as a skin-matching fluid, which is water and mineral based (no silicones, hurrah!) Invisible Fluid MakeUp kind of bridges the gap between tinted moisturiser and more traditional foundation. But not a BB cream. It’s a total minefield for a skin make-up luddite like me. I only started wearing foundation two years ago and have rigidly stuck to the same brand ever since.

After shaking the bottle for three minutes (harder than you think!) to activate the ingredients (you don’t need to do the three minute regime every time, just the first time you use it – a little shake prior to use will suffice after that), you’re ready to go.

The coverage is very light. Up close I can still see various scars, freckles and bits of damage. However, from a distance, my skin looked great. Must be the light refracting particles. I watched as many of my blogger friends get colour matched at the event  and was amazed at how such a seemingly sheer liquid could do such a great job of smoothing and evening out various blotches and so on. It doesn’t camoflage, but more mimics and adapts to the wearer’s skintone.

This feels lightweight and non-greasy. On my dry skin, it lasted well all day, and so far hasn’t irritated at all. I like the feel of it but it might tke a bit of getting used to, without peering at my face at close range and thinking I need to add more. I’m also not sure how this will fare in warmer weather. I got a bit toasty on the tube the other day (read “sweating buckets”) and I did notice patches of pigment on my cheeks afterwards. Perhaps I need a primer?

On the whole though, it’s very impressive. My face appears smoother, more flawless and just, well, clearer.

Invisible Fluid Makeup is currently available exclusively for the rest of the month at John Lewis, retailing at £27.00 for 30ml. It will be released at other counters nationwide in March.

*PR sample*

A-England is the brainchild of London-based fashion designer Adina Bodana, and the range has been getting nail bloggers talking for a good six months or so. I finally caved in when Adina’s new collection, the Mythicals, went live online last week. As I write this (Saturday), the snow is bright and the sunshine is such that I hope to be able to do justice to these glorious and unique polishes.

Lady of the Lake. Purple jelly with holo glitter pieces. Really beautiful and best appreciated in direct sunlight – the holo pieces appear silver in more dull lighting.

Avalon. Possibly the most perfect Cadbury purple. Of course, my camera would make it look blue. This just glows and is stunningly gleamy. A must have for any purple lover.

Princess Tears. Light lavender shade with pink tones. A perfect linear holo and a  real treat. Ideal for anyone who missed out on OPI Designer Series Original.

Saint George. This was the polish that tipped me over the edge and made me head over to finally make my A-England purchase. A stunning teal-y green holo with blue pieces. Just so unique and very flattering. I don’t often fall for greens, but I love this.

Ascalon. This is truly amazing, Duochrome / holo. A great mix of purple and grey. The photos describe this way better than I can! This is a must-have, and actually leaves me a little bit speechless.

Princess Sabra. The word is that Adina designed this after being inspired by the colour of her cat’s eyes. I totally get that. This was the sheerest of the ones I bought, requiring three coats, where the others only needed two. This is a really pretty golden olive toned holo. (the sun had gone in by this point, trust me, it’s a holo). Again, not something I thought I’d ever go for but I found it to be supremely flattering and was actually the first polish of the six I bought that I chose to do a full manicure with.

As for the cats eyes? You tell me!

What do you think? Are you tempted?

A-England polishes retail at £9.00 for 13ml and are available here

Herbal Essences Dazzling Shine Serum.* I received this last year as a PR sample, loved it then, forgot about it for a bit, then rediscovered it and love it even more now. I think I was using this a lot over the Royal Wedding time as it reminds me of warm weather and Bank Holidays. It smells amazing and really does make my hair sleeker and shinier.

Remember this post I did just before Christmas? It was an entry for a contest run by the high-end makeup accessory brand Japonesque. Well, imagine my delight when I won one of the competition prizes, which so happened to be  this amazing kit. I’m still having loads of fun playing with it all. Lucky me, eh?

Nars Bilbao lipstick. I have a fuller review of the items I bought from the Nars Spring collection coming later in the week but I can’t get enough of this lipstick at the moment. And this is coming from someone who doesn’t really wear lipstick. I like its toffee goodness.

Hugo Boss Orange.  I sniffed this for the first time a couple of years ago in an airport and loved it. Took me  while to actually get around to buying it though. I do like its fresh and light scent though, and the fact that I started wearing it before a nasty bout of flu and still love it now just shows that its a keeper.

Douvall’s Argan Oil. Believe it or not, this is the brainchild of none other than Alicia Douvall. Yes, she of the gossip pages and plastic surgery. Who knew? Anyway, all I care about is the fact that this stuff has done more for my psoriasis-ridden skin in two months of usage than years of steroids, drugs and creams. This is pure argan oil. It smells a little… goaty…but is absorbed fast. My skin has never been smoother and less irritated. It does rebound when I forget to use it, so as a result, I used up my original PR sample of this ages ago and have subsequently repurchased it three times. (from £12.00, available to purchase here

Rituals shower foamsensation in Yogi Flow. This was in December’s Glossy Box. It’s a foaming gel, much like those Imperial Leather ones that have been around for ages. This smells beautiful, almondy and sweet, without being cake-esque.  It cleans well and makes the bathroom (and my skin) smell great. (£6.50, available to buy here)

The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Lip Butter. Usually I’m not a fan of buttery style lip products as I do find they don’t absorb as well into the skin as the more liquid balms but I make an exception here. This smells just like a fresh grapefruit and applies and moisturises nicely. I do wish it was in stick form rather than a pot though. And isn’t “pamplemousse” the most perfect word?

Jo Malone Red Roses candle*.  Just in case you aren’t lucky enough to be bought real red roses for Valentine’s Day. This is nicer anyway – smelling just as good and lasting a darn sight longer. Like all the products in Jo Malone’s Red Rose range, the candle smells like real flowers. Close your eyes, inhale, and you’d never know. This is an ideal way to sample the fragrance, and at £22.00, is a relatively reasonably priced touch of luxury. (available here)

Mavala Mavadry.* It’s been forever since I published my Quickdrying topcoat comparison post but I’m still using up some of the bottles I featured in it. One that arrived after the post aired (and will feature in the next one) is Mavadry. Just as good as any of the usual quickdrying suspects only criminally overlooked. It dries super fast, it lasts well and so far, I love it. (£6.99 for 10ml, available here)

My orchids. Purely for the fact that I’ve managed to keep these alive,where I have miserably failed every other plant I’ve ever owned.

And finally…. The Hunger Games trilogy. The sole reason I have not blogged, rarely tweeted, and seen practically no-one for the past couple of weeks. I’m about halfway through Mockingjay (the third book) at the moment, and am dreading it ending, although am excited for the film  – and the China Glaze nail polish tie-in collection. Have you read these books? And if not, why not?

So there we go. A little glimpse into what I’m loving right now. How about you?

Helen

*denotes PR sample