Midnight Violets || UK MakeUp & Beauty Blog

Review + Swatches: Seventeen On The Spot Foundation

2013-05-25T21:26:00.000+01:00

It's been a long time coming, but I hope that you can forgive me for this being a little on the later side. I had every intention of doing another update before the review also, but after my exams got the better of me I decided it was best to just get a review up as I've definitely made my mind up about the Seventeen On The Spot Foundation*. So without further ado, lets get on with it!

As always I've included a summary at the end :)

The Basics

This is a brand new foundation from Seventeen which promises to give clearer skin in 4 weeks. That's quite a claim, but I've putting it to the test to see how it stands up to it. It does contain Salicylic Acid though so my hopes were high. The packaging is a little different to other foundations I own, but actually I really like it and recon it won't be wasting any product when I get towards the end - although that's only speculation! There is also a pump, which for me is a must! With an SPF15 this has an almost matte finish and is full coverage. There are 6 shades available (I have Porcelain), each currently selling for £5.99* (normally £6.99*) for 30ml.

What did I think?

I actually really like it, it's ever so ever so slightly too dark, but you really have to look to notice, so a good blend on the jawline does me fine. The longevity through the day is also pretty good, although I always use some kind of a primer. Infact today I didn't even set it with powder and 6 hours later I only have a tiny amount of shiny forehead! One slight issue I had was that at time it seemed to be oxidising on skin to a more orange colour. BUT in the last few weeks other foundations I own that have never done it before were also doing this. So I'm putting it down to exam stress altering my skin chemistry. So maybe just be aware of this if your skin is prone to causing foundations to oxidise!

Did it give me Clearer Skin?

I genuinely do think this has helped my skin, it's definitely been clearer whilst I've been using it. However it's very difficult to say that the differences I've noticed in my skin can be attributed to this foundation. There's so many factors that play a role in how your skin is looking for example, stress, diet, exercise and all of the products that you use, just to name a few. But considering I have been very stressed over the last few weeks (when I say very, I mean the most I have in my life), I think any improvement in my skin with no diet changes either have a high chance of being product based. But I can't prove it!

The Good - packaging, pump included, cheap, value, lasts well on my skin, it seems to have improved my skin.

The Not so Good - Has oxidised on me a few times, there are no really deep shades in the range.

Would I Repurchase? I would definitely consider it.

Price & Availability - £6.99*, Boots.

Overall I'm a happy camper (did I really just use that phrase?!). I do really like the idea of face make-up that can help your skin and have definitely bought into it before with brands such as Witch and more recently with the new Maybelline BB Cream (more on that tomorrow!). As always let me know if you have any questions and I'll speak to you again soon :)

* PR Sample - Full info available in the Disclaimer tab.

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Review: Alison Claire Vanilla & Coconut Shampoo + Conditioner

2013-05-25T15:02:00.000+01:00

Since having all my hair cut off I have been getting into haircare more and more. Because lets face it, it's just another area where I can buy beauty products and we all know how obsessed with beauty products I am! Alison Claire is a natural beauty brand that has been on my radar for a while now after loving a sample of their Mango Body Butter I got in a Glossybox. Recently they have brought out some brand new Shampoo & Conditioner sets and I have the Vanilla & Coconut Duo* to share today!

The Basics

Alison Claire sell themselves on using natural and safe ingredients. All of their products are vegan and paraben free, with the shampoo also being SLS free and more than 70% organic. So for me that ticks a lot of good boxes. There are 6 varieties in the range - Apricot, Lemon, Rose Geranium, Peppermint and Witch Hazel, Yuzu Mint and Vanilla & Coconut* which is what I have to share with you today! I have mini's but the full sizes (200ml) are available for £12* from the Alison Claire Website.

What did I think?

Lets start with how gorgeous the scent is, very nice and definitely a good mix of vanilla and coconut - two scents that I really like! This is the version aimed at normal, dry and treated hair, but I'm going to be honest with you guys, I really didn't get on with the shampoo too well. I found that it left residue in my hair and didn't foam up too well, but this can be a general issue with SLS free shampoos. However I did actually really like the conditioner and found it to make my hair feel soft as well as pretty shiny too - and if it's not too weird to say my scalp seemed to really get on with these, which is good as it's been a bit temperamental every since I got rid of my dreadlocks.

I have so many posts that I need to get up for you guys, so expect lots and lots of reviews to be fired your way in the near future as well as a massive haul once I get my voice back - we're getting there! Anyway I hope you enjoyed this review and I'll speak to you again soon :)

* PR Sample - Full info available in the Disclaimer tab.

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My Boyfriend Does My Make-Up!

2013-05-23T19:16:00.000+01:00

A few weeks ago I hit 1000 subscribers on my blog, which is very amazing! Thank you everyone for sticking by me and my little blog, I really appreciate you all and love chatting with you guys in the comments (I always reply, so make sure you check back!). To celebrate I wanted to do something a little bit different, so decided to get my boyfriend involved and get him to do my make-up. I really hope you enjoy the video and have a good laugh at my expense!

PRODUCTS USED

Witch Anti-Blemish BB Cream

Accessorize Bronzing Block - Shade 4

Sleek Acid Palette & Sleek Curacao Palette (Blues)

BarryM Kohl Pencil - Shade 19

Collection 24 Hour Extreme Felt Tip Liner - Teal

Sleek True Colour Lipstick - Amped

Check out my channel here - link.

As you can see he has a bit of a thing for the colour blue! He spent forever doing my blue eyeshadow - like 20 minutes, so there was a lot of editing that out! I really hope you liked it and had a good laugh! How do you think he did?!

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NOTD: Who new H&M had such beauties!

2013-05-20T21:18:00.000+01:00

I've known for a long time that H&M have sold beauty products, but after dabbling a little bit into them around a year ago I'd decided they weren't quite for me. But whilst in there shopping (for bra's of all things!) I spotted this beautiful blue glitter polish and couldn't pass it up! And it's opened my mind again to their beauty products - I will definitely be having a look at what other nail polishes they have to offer!

On My Nails

2True Colour Quick Nail Polish - Shade 2

H&M Glitter Nail Polish - Blue

My Thoughts

First off the 2True Nail Polishes are actually really good, I have a few and have been impressed with all of them - would you believe this is just one coat. Not bad for a polish that costs £1.99 (Superdrug). The H&M polish was also really pretty, again with just one coat. Although not as easy to remove as standard cream polishes, this is a whole lot better than standard glitter polishes as the glitter strands are so thin. The glitter does have a blue base, but I would strongly advise putting a coloured base underneath!

It feels like forever since I've written on my blog, but rest assured my last exam is tomorrow after which regular blogging will resume! I have so so much I want to blog about, so be warned an influx of posts may arrive in your reading list! But until then, thanks for stopping by :)

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Beauty Blog Link Love!

2013-05-14T17:44:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow is the start of my 6 days of hell! I have my 4 final exams for Uni, eek! So if posts are even lower over the next few days, you know why! But I have so much I want to talk about, so bring on next Tuesday! Until then I hope you enjoy all these other blogs :)

This My Funny Valentine post is all about nails, glitter, and cats!

Phyrra asks: do you know the Fitzpatrick Scale? Find out why it matters!

If you're looking for the perfect, long-wearing summer gloss, then don't miss Rae's review of a gorgeous, peachy pink with six hour wear over at theNotice!

In this edition of BBLL, MM puts the much-hyped Rodin Olio Lusso to the test. Will it pass with flying colors or leave her wanting more?

Love new makeup brands? Sophie from Makeup Wonderland does too! See what she thought about FM Cosmetics!

Want Ciate's Chalkboard Manicure look but don't have the set? Musicalhouses shows you how to DIY your own chalkboard manicure!

polish insomniac may suck at nail art, but even she can handle these nail tattoos!

Want soft lips? Check out Jenn from spiced beauty's secret weapon.

Prime Beauty gets the perfect bronze goddess look with the new Buxom Hot Escapes Bronzers -- they even smell like the beach!

What products are you loving lately? Pammy Blogs Beauty shares her Spring Favorite Beauty Products!

Jude reviews collagen shots at Love, Lust, and Fairy Dust -- a nightly drink from the fountain of youth!

Gouldylox Reviews thinks the new Moxie Lip Collection from bareMinerals is pretty gorgeous and packed with pigment. Which is your favorite?

What's not to love about a sheer lipstick, especially when it's by Bobbi Brown? Come admire Beauty Crazed's Bobbi Brown Sheer Lip Color swatches and fall in sheer love!

Did you find the new Sigma Spa Brush Cleaning Glove disappointing? Hop over to Handmade Reviews to read her Cleaning Glove review and dupes post.

NOTD: BarryM Sequin Nail Effects - Black

2013-05-12T18:45:00.002+01:00

It's not often that I fail to find anything positive to say about a product, but I've found something that's left me stumped for good words. Usually I can find some positives even in products I don't like, but this time around all I can say is at least this was a cheap product! BarryM are a brand that generally I'm a big fan of, so it pains me to write this, but as you know honesty is my policy!

The Basics

BarryM are totally on the ball at the moment with new products and ideas, most of which seem very exciting. I'll be honest, in the bottle the Sequin Nail Effects look beautiful, but once I'd seen swatches I wasn't convinced. Three shades in total were released, Black, Pink & White. Pink & White both have multi-coloured glitter in them, with the black just having gold glitter in it. They are also textured, so mixing up two trends here! They are available from Boots & Superdrug for £3.99.

What did I think?

You already know what I think, but I do need to explain why. Lets start with the application and how awkward it was, you kinda need to pat it on. It didn't take too long to dry, but I decided to leave it as one coat (could've done with two in all honesty). Once dried I noticed that the texture part of the polish was quite uneven (very unlike their actual textured polishes which are beautiful). Also unlike BarryM's textured Nail Pains these felt horrible and rough on the nails - I've already taken it off! I recon you could light a non-safety match on them (please don't try!). And finally removal was a nightmare - I went through 16 cotton pads, no exaggeration!

I always feel bad writing negative posts as I know someones put a lot of time (and probably money) into developing the product. But lying wouldn't be doing anyone any favours. But don't let this put you off of BarryM they have some brilliant products! Thanks for stopping by, Hannah

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Introducing Miss Glossybox!

2013-05-11T22:50:00.000+01:00

If you're a beauty lover you've probably already heard about Glossybox and their monthly subscription boxes. Well they've released a new subscription starting this month - Miss Glossybox. It's aimed at a younger audience and comes in at a cheaper price, £7 (+P&P) and is a bi-monthy release. Although it's aimed at a younger audience (which arguably includes me, being 22) I really wanted to give it a go after seeing it includes much cheaper brands, which is no secret that I love. I also recently cancelled my Birchbox subscription so decided there was a hole that needed filling!

The value of this months bag is... ~£16.47

Inside this months box...

Amie Spring Clean Cooling Clay Mask

So...? Dry Shampoo - Va Va Volume

Molly Mabel Popband

2True Glitterati Nail Polish - Shade 6

BeautyUK Line & Define Eye Pencil

Eye Rock Eye Tattoos

+ Mini Extras!

Amie Spring Clean Cooling Clay Mask

Price of Fullsize - £4.95 for 75ml

Value of Sample - 66p, 10ml

My Thoughts - I've actually already have a sachet of this that I got at an event. But I've yet to try it, but now having two, I really ought to put it on the agenda! I will get back to you on it though! It does sound quite promising though claiming to be deep cleaning and 94% natural. Although one thing that did bug is is that is says free of animal extracts* and then goes onto say, Except Beeswax* - so it's not free of animal products...

So...? Dry Shampoo - Va Va Volume

Price of Fullsize - £2.49 for 150ml

Value of Sample - 83p, 50ml

My Thoughts - This product is so nostalgic, I used to love the So...? Sinful Perfume back when I was a teenager and to be honest I probably still would if I sniffed it again! I know that recently they'd released a dry shampoo, but I hadn't got around to trying it yet. Being travel sized it's perfect for a few days away too!

Molly Mabel Popband

Price of Fullsize - £4

Value of Sample - £4

My Thoughts - Not too much of a secret, but I shaved all my hair off a few weeks ago, so no need for this! Will be passing it onto a friend :)

2True Glitterati Nail Polish - Shade 6

Price of Fullsize - £1.99 for 7ml

Value of Sample - £1.99 for 7ml

My Thoughts - I know it's a cheapy brand you can get in Superdrug, but I actually already have a few of their polishes and really like them. I don't have any glitters though - but did have an eye on them so I'm pretty happy to have got one! It's actually really pretty - I'll get a NOTD up for you in the next few weeks!

BeautyUK Line & Define Eye Pencil

Price of Fullsize - £1.99 for 1.2g

Value of Sample - £1.99, 1.2g

My Thoughts - Another brand I'm familiar of and generally quite like. I'm not quite convinced by this liner yet, it doesn't seem particularly creamy. I'm also not the biggest fan of black pencil liners, but we'll see how it goes!

Eye Rock Eye Tattoos

Price of Fullsize - £7

Value of Sample - £7

My Thoughts - This isn't actually listed on my product card, but a quick look on ASOS shows the transfers to be going for £7 a pop. It seems quite pricey to me for something that can only be used once. I will have to save it for a special occasion, although I'm not sure what occasion calls for lacy eye tattoos! Perhaps I'll just do a look for you guys! We'll see!

Mini Extras!

My Thoughts - Also included was a lollypop, which I'm pretty sure is identical to the one we had in a Glossybox a few months ago. But either way it tasted good. There was also some mini nail clippers and nail file. Nail clippers are useful, I'll leave it at that! And nail files give me the shivers, I never ever use them!

There was actually quite a lot of products in this and mainly from brands I've heard of which is good! The verdict is, I will definitely be keeping up with this subscription, and looking forward to what's to offer next time. What do you think?

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Initial Swatches + First Impressions: Sleek Lipstick Palettes

2013-05-09T19:21:00.000+01:00

It's probably not a secret, but I'm a huge Sleek fan, shall we say Sleekaholic? So when I heard they were releasing Lipsticks palettes I knew they had to be mine. Being £8.99 each I wasn't able to buy all six, but I did pick up a couple to try out. But £8.99 for 4 lip colours isn't too bad! They only arrived in the post this morning so I'm not ready to share a proper review with you. But I thought I'd show you some pictures to let you know about them and to share some swatches!

First Impressions

The two I picked up are Tease (Reds) and Ballet (Nudes), each comes with 4 different colours in a variety of different finishes - matte, gloss and satin. I do find that the shades are all pigmented, but some of the glossier shades are really soft in the pan - so be careful! But first impressions are pretty good - apart from the whole having to apply the product with a lip brush thing (but I knew that before I bought them!). As for the four colours looking pretty similar in the pan - they're actually quite different :)

Beautiful aren't they! As I said, there's six different colours available - although one is limited edition (Mardis Grad) and I really want to get my hands on it as it has some stunning looking brights in it! But I think Sleek have done it again!

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Review + Swatches: ELF Eyebrow Lifter & Filler - Ivory/Light

2013-05-08T20:59:00.000+01:00

A lot of people say they can't leave the house without mascara or foundation. But for me the essential make-up product is to have something on my brows! Naturally my brows are very very light - infact pretty much invisible. So aside from stopping me look like I don't have a massive forehead, product in my brows frames my face. Previously the only pencil I'd tried was the MUA one (which I love), but I thought it was time to venture out, cue ELF's one!

As always I've included a summary at the end :)

The Basics

This is a double ended chubby pencil. On one end is the eyebrow filler and on the other end is an eyebrow lifter, which is designed to be put under the eyebrow - more on that in a minute... In total there's 1.95g of product, which for a pencil product is fairly decent. There's three colour choices available - Ivory/Light, Ivory/Medium and Ivory/Dark. These are available from ELF's Website for £3.75.

Eyebrow Filler

As I already said, this is a chubby style pencil so you'll need to use it whilst fairly sharp if you don't want chubby brows too! But it's not too bad. The colours quite on the ashy side, so will suite a good variety of people. For me personally as I have slightly gingery hair it's a bit too ashy, but it's not too bad so will still get used. The texture is is more on the waxy side than creamy, which helps your brows stay in place as well as being a bit more long-lasting through the day. If this was a better colour match for me I'd probably be getting quite excited about it!

Eyebrow Lifter

I'm just going to say it from the start. This has pretty much no use to me what so ever. The colour is way too dark and pink toned to be used as a browbone highlight for me. It did cross my mind to use it as a concealer or eyeshadow base, but to be honest it's not really upto the job as it's pretty hard in texture and not a good colour match to my skin.

Wearing just the Eyebrow Filler

The Good - Eyebrow Filler is waxy and stays put all day, cheap, value.

The Not so Good - Eyebrow Lifter is completely the wrong colour, it would be nicer to have the product in a normal pencil size so it's more precise.

Would I Repurchase? Probably not as it's not quite the right colour for me!

Price & Availability - £3.75, ELF's Website.

Now that I've decided to spread my wings and try some new eyebrow pencils, I'd love to hear what your favourite bargain ones are! I hope this review helped and I'll speak to you again soon - I'm off for takeaway to celebrate my boyfriend finishing his last exam and officially done with university!

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NOTD: BarryM Textured Nail Paint - Ridley Road

2013-05-07T19:46:00.003+01:00

If it wasn't hard enough to keep up with what's on trend in the fashion world, nail polishes seem to have trends all of their own - pretty crazy right! At the moment it seems to be all about textured polishes, I have dabbled a bit in the past with the OPI Mariah Carey Liquid Sands Polishes, but I wanted to try something a little more affordable too. So I turned to BarryM and their selection of pastel coloured textured polishes. Talking of BarryM they have some other funky new polishes coming out soon, so keep your eyes peeled!

The Basics

As I already said, these textured polishes come in four different colours (all pastels) - Atlantic Road (blue), Ridley Road (green), Kingsland Road (pink) and Station Road (yellow). Each comes in the standard BarryM Nail Paint packaging, with 10ml of product. And as you probably know I have Ridley Road - the stunning mint one! Available from Boots & Superdrug for £3.99.

What did I think?

The pictures show two coats, but in all honesty 1 thick coat does the job. Is it just me that feels the need to apply two coats even if one is enough? The texture of this is kinda like there's tiny grains of sand running all the way through, so it applies perfectly evenly. As for the colour, it's like a bright mint green - it really stands out on my hands, which is perfect for this weather! So far I've had this on my nails for 4 days (with a basecoat) and it's as good as the day I put it on!

I'm very much in love with this polish, the colour is just stunning - although being pale and textured it can get dirt stuck in it a little - but washing your hands solves that so it's not too bad! I know the texture thing will go 'out of fashion' soon enough so I'll be getting my use out of the stunner this summer!

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FOTD: Boomslang! Ft. Seventeen On the Spot Foundation!

2013-05-04T13:59:00.001+01:00

Not so long ago I promised to you a FOTD showing the brand new Seventeen On the Spot Foundation* on my face. Instead of just throwing on the rest of my make-up just to show you the foundation I wanted to actually create a fun look in itself. So I went all out and created this very colourful look - my boyfriend told me I looked like a Chameleon?

On my Nails - Sinful Colours - Rich in Heart

Seventeen On the Spot Foundation* Update

Obviously I haven't been using this foundation long enough to give a proper review but I thought seeing as you seemed interested I'd let you know how I'm getting on. My skin does actually seem noticeably clearer but I don't want to rush ahead and say it's all down to the foundation as there's no way I can prove that as so many things affect the skin. But seeing as I'm not been eating the best and have been stressed over the last few weeks an improvement in my skin would be the last thing I would expect! I'm still happy with the application etc, although I have found that it oxidises (spelling?) sometimes - but not always - I'm trying to figure what's bringing it on - but I think it's a certain powder!

PRODUCTS USED

Face

Primer - MUA Matte Perfect Primer

Foundation - Seventeen On the Spot Foundation - Porcelain*

Concealer - Sleek Concealer & Corrector Palette - 01

Powder - ELF HD Powder - Sheer

Contour & Bronzer - Sleek Contour Kit - Light

Blush - ELF Baked Blush - Rich Rose

Eyes

Base - Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy

Lid - Venomous Cosmetics Loose Shadow - Boomslang

Crease - Sleek Ultra Mattes V1 Palette - Bolt & Chill

Inner Corner - Sleek Ultra Mattes V1 Palette - Bamm!

Browbone - Sleek Ultra Mattes V2 - Pillow Talk

Upper Lashline - Collection Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner - Blue

Lower Lashline - Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil - Flipside

Waterline - Collection Lasting Colour Gel Liner - Black

Mascara - DHC Double Protection Mascara*

Brows - MUA Eyebrow Pencil - Blonde

Lips

Lipstick - Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid Lipstick - Shocking Coral

Lipgloss - BeautyUK Lip Lust - Cocktail

I promised you some brighter crazier looks ages ago, but like I always say, better late than never! Now the suns out though I'll probably be in the mood to wear brighter make-up more often, so more bright FOTD's coming up! Thanks for reading :)

* PR Sample - Full info available in the Disclaimer tab.

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Empties: April 2013 AKA Overload!

2013-05-02T20:07:00.001+01:00

As you may know I'm been studying like nothing else over the last few weeks, so I didn't really expect to have many empties, but somehow I've actually managed to use up a ridiculous amount of stuff! But that's a good thing as I'm really trying to reduce the amount I have ready to move house in the summer. So once my exams are over it will be full steam ahead of the using it up mission again, anyway onto what I thought of the empties!

Witch Anti-Blemish Skin Clearing Primer - Rebuy

(£6.99)

This is probably one of my favourite primers to use. It's not silicon based (I don't think?) so doesn't do much on the pore front. But I do find that it makes my foundation look better and although it's very hard to prove I'm pretty sure it has a positive effect on my skin!

ELF Eyelid Primer - Pearl

(£1.50)

Would not repurchase this! This applies patchy and just doesn't live upto the standards of the regular sheer version - which coincidentally I love! But sometimes you just don't know until you try.

Seventeen Shine Control Pressed Powder - Rebuy

(Either discontinued or rebranded as Miracle Matte - £3.99)

I remember loving this when I first got it. I think I then adjusted to it and took it for granted (oo-er), because since I've finished it I've actually really seen a reduction in how long my foundations last. But I'm trying to use some things up before I go and hunt it down!

MUA Eyebrow Pencil - Rebuy

(£1)

This is pretty much a product I can't live without (well technically I could, but lets not go there!). You're probably fed up of me raving about this, because lets face it I go on about it quite a lot, so I'll leave there!

Palmers Gentle Exfoliating Facial Scrub - Rebuy

(£5.95)

Another staple product for me, and my boyfriend as well actually, so I get through these pretty quickly! As well as scrubbing it's really moisturizing, so good for normal and dry skin. The one thing I'm not so fond of is the smell (and taste - you know what I mean!), which is a little floral.

Witch Blemish Stick - Rebuy

(£2.89)

I've used up so many everyday products this month - and this is another one. The little gem is pretty effective and I don't find it too drying - but I don't have dry skin so can't comment on that too much! Again I will be repurchasing, but I need to finish up something else first!

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant

(£38)

I did actually really like this, and although it lasts a long time I just can't face parting with that much for skincare at the moment. I am currently trying the ELF Mineral Cleanser which is a whole lot cheaper, but it's early days so I can't say how much it compares at all, but I'll update you!

Paul Mitchell Forever Blonde Shampoo* & Conditioner*

(£11.95-£14.95)

Not having blonde hair these actually brought out the slightly natural red tones of my hair a little more - go figure! There wasn't really enough of the product to share too many thoughts, but I did find my hair was left very soft!

Nivea Intensive Moisturizing Cream

(£3.88)

I bought this ages ago when I got sunburnt (learnt my lesson, don't worry!) at the beach. It was never something that I particularly liked, but after it sitting around for ages I decided I ought to use it up and so slathered it on my legs every night until it was gone - good riddance!

Yes To Carrots Berry Lip Butter - Possible Rebuy

(£2.99)

I love the smell of this and that my lips stayed nice and soft even after it had worn off. But I did find that the texture was a little soft, if it was a little firmer I'd have no problem saying I'd repurchase - especially considering the lovely smell!

The Body Shop Nutmeg & Vanilla Lip Balm

(Discontinued)

I wasn't the biggest fan of this to be honest, it's just one of those lip products that I could feel on the lips too much. But in the end I got fed up of trying to use it up and just slathered it over my feet a few nights in a row. Usually this makes my feet silky soft, but actually this didn't do much.

T-Zone Nose Pore Strips - Possible Rebuy

(£5.05)

I can't make up my mind about these, well just pore strips in general. Generally I think they're a bit gimmicky, but as soon as I get it into my head that they are, I try one and it actually looks a bit icky afterwards. Needless to say I won't be rushing out to repurchase though!

Montagne Jeunesse Red Earth Clay Infused Fabric Mask* - Rebuy

(£1.49)

I've never tried a sheet mask before, but actually now that I have I would again in a heartbeat. It felt very refreshing and was less messy - but still left my skin feeling fresh and looking renewed. My one slight issue was that the thing was huge and I only have a tiny face!

Murad Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture for Eyes

(£51.30)

This I actually really liked, but the price is a big no-no for me as I'm in more of a prevention rather than cure stage of life when it comes to eyes. But this felt really refreshing and actually like it was doing something, so thank you Glossybox for the sample!

Lancome - La Vie est Belle Perfume Sample

(£38.50, 30ml)

This was another sample from a subscription box, although which one, I really can't remember. At first I quite liked it, but towards the last couple of uses I kind of got a bit fed up with it as it was a bit too floral for me. At one point I really liked it though, go figure!

I just counted and that's 16 empties, which is pretty impressive if I do say so myself. Infact it was 17 really because I finished a soap at my sink too (a Lush one), but there's no leftovers of an 'empty' soap! As always thanks for stopping by and good luck to anyone with exams at the moment!

* PR Sample - Full info available in the Disclaimer tab.

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Review + Swatches: MUA Lipstick Trio - Scarlet

2013-04-28T16:51:00.002+01:00

Firstly, I just want to say a big thank you for being so understanding in my last post where I poured my thoughts out to you. Once my exams are done we'll be back to normal I promise, infact talking of that I was vaguely thinking of doing something on my University experience because I do feel like I have some controversial thoughts on the whole thing. Either that or everyone else feels like they shouldn't talk about these things! Anyway, back to todays post and this new lip trio from MUA!

As always I've included a summary at the end :)

The Basics

Recently MUA released a batch of new products - something they seem to be doing a lot of recently. Included in that were these lip trios. Each one comes with three lipstick shades in pans and a sponge tip applicator - not my tool of choice for lipstick! A total of three colour variations were released, this one and nude and red ones. As for packaging, they come in the exact same packaging as the MUA Eyeshadow Trios - which have an uncanny resemblance to the Bourjois Lip Palettes. These are available from Superdrug & MUA's Website for £2.50.

The Formula

I'm not going to lie, I've not been overly impressed with the formula. Which is unusual as I've loved every other MUA lip product I've tried. But the formula just seems quite cheap - although do remember it is! The texture is a little on the stiff side, but not horrible and waxy, which is good! It's quite a glossy formula, but still gives some decent pigmentation, so you can distinguish between the shades. As for longevity I get around 3 hours of wear.

The Colours!

This is the more pinky coloured trio that was released. Inside there's a bright slightly warm toned pink, a nudey peach shade and a paler pink shade. I did think the paler pink shade would be a little too pale for me, but as the product is not fully opaque it's not too bad. None of these colours have any shimmer/glitter in them.

The Good - cheap, 3 lip colours, reasonably pigmented, last 3 hours, not drying, unscented.

The Not so Good - Feel a bit cheap in texture, best applied with fingers.

Would I Repurchase? Probably not, but now I have them they'll get used.

Price & Availability - £2.50, Superdrug & MUA's Website.

I did run a bit of a gamble when I purchased this and actually picked up all three colours it comes in. So do expect a couple more reviews on these new lip products to appear once my exams are done and dusted! As always thanks for stopping by and I'll speak to you again soon, Hannah

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I owe you guys an apology.

2013-04-27T21:46:00.001+01:00

A big one. My posts have been on the light side recently and I feel I owe you an apology and an explanation as it's set to continue for a least a few more weeks. I hate to bring a negative vibe to my blog as this is one place that is my happy sanctuary. But I'm not quite my usual happy self at the moment and very stressed/busy, which as you may have noticed is having an effect on my blog.

As some of you may know I'm currently in my final year of university studying a Biology course (intense to say the least) and we're currently coming up to exam period. This in itself is very stressful as I'm sure you all know if you've been through the experience. I have 4 exams in 6 days, not looking forward to it! But I'm always having a bit of a moment stressing over whether I've done the right degree and how I'm going to get a job to pay the rent. I'm sure this is a common graduate fear though - well I hope it's normal anyway!

But we do always need to remember the positives in life. I've been very lucky to live in a society where I've had the opportunity to get a high level of education and a roof over my head. I'm also lucky to have my amazing boyfriend who firstly puts up with me and tells me everything will be alright. Soppy I know, but I really do believe in focusing on the positives.

Don't worry about a thing, cause every little thing is gonna be alright. Sing with me!

New! Seventeen On The Spot Foundation

2013-04-23T21:23:00.000+01:00

I love Seventeen (previously 17) as a brand, definitely a highstreet favourite of mine. So when I heard about this new On the Spot Foundation* they were releasing I was pretty excited. This isn't a review by any means as it only arrived in the post this morning, but I think on the face of it, it looks like it could really be something special, so I just had to tell you about it!

Releasing 13th May!

Why so Exciting?

If like me you struggle with blemishes on the skin, you'll want to listen up! This foundation contains Salicylic Acid, a well known blemish fighting ingredient - which is something I've not heard of in a foundation before! The foundation also promises clearer skin in four weeks - but I'll be giving you regular updates on how I think it's going! I used it for the first time today and actually I was very impressed, but of course that's only a first impression! This is available in 6 shades for £6.99* each, I have Porcelain and it's a fab match for my pale skin - not too yellow toned either.

I will be posting a FOTD using this in a few days, so you can see how it looks on. I'll also keep you updated on how it's working for my skin and how I'm getting on with it generally. But at the moment I'm pretty optimistic and looking forward to using it some more! I'd love to hear what you think!

* PR Sample - Full info available in the Disclaimer tab.

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Fight the Frizz! GHD Straight & Tame Cream

2013-04-23T19:08:00.000+01:00

Lets wind back in time a little to before I cut all my hair off - just for one post I promise! If only time machines really existed, I think I'd go back and see the dinosaurs as well as going into the future and seeing just how crazy it's going to be. But that's all daydreaming! One thing I don't have to daydream about is sleek hair though, cheesy!

The Basics

GHD do hair products, not just straighteners, who knew?! But it turns out they do as I have their Straight & Tame Cream* to show you today! It comes in a snazzy, very sturdy feeling packaging, complete with cute design. There's also a pump on the top, which dispenses a good amount of product. A 120ml bottle is £14.95, more of a treat price. It is available from GHD's Website, along with their full range of other products.

What Did I Think?

The pictures I've taken of before and after are with my dreadlocks - but I have tried it on my new 'do and it works really well on normal hair too. But I thought I'd keep the dreadlock pictures for the post as they were very frizzy before, so really show the power of the taming! After washing my hair I stroked a few pumps worth of the pleasantly smelling product through my hair and then blow dried my hair. I did notice a real improvement in the frizziness of my hair - something that I've also noticed it doing with my new 'do too. I was a little worried about it leaving a sticky residue, but I'm pleased to say there's nothing of the sort!

I'm really only just getting into the word of hair products, but I must say it all seems quite exciting! Maybe I'm just easily pleased, but having the choice to do different things with my hair is pretty awesome! If you have any hair favourites I'd love to hear and I'll speak to you again soon!

* PR Sample - Full info available in the Disclaimer tab.

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Huge Haul! Birchbox, Glossybox, ELF & Hair things!

2013-04-20T22:14:00.000+01:00

Before I start todays post I just want to say a massive, humongous thank you to every single one of you! Last night I reached the magic 1000 followers! I feel very humbled by that and just want to say that you are all amazing! Yes that means you! I never ever imagined that even 10 people would want to hear what I have to say, but it really means the world to me, group hug!

I've been on a bit of a spree recently and seem to have accumulated a lot of new make-up and beauty products! And I know how much you guys like hauls... So it only made sense that I put this little (well not so little) video together to show you! Included are this months Birchbox and Glossybox as well as a ridiculous amount of ELF products - including way too many nail polishes! Oh and a better look at my new hair!

As I always say with hauls, do let me know if there's anything you want to see reviewed! But my mission this summer is to get through the backlog of products I need to review. Although that will mean stopping buying things too!

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NOTD: Accessorize Speckle Nail Polish - Firefly

2013-04-19T21:39:00.000+01:00

Along with the majority of the beauty community I've been having a bit of a thing for exciting nail polishes! It started of with a glitter obsession, morphed into a texture obsession and seems to now lie in both! Although as pretty as they look on they are always much more of a pain to remove! Recently I noticed these new Speckle polishes from Accessorize - they always seem to be on trend with their polishes! So I had to pick up a couple to try and I would definitely recommend the Accessorize polishes to you too!

The Basics

So the basic idea of these speckled polishes is that they have a cream colour base with matte glitter inside. I know what you're thinkng though, this one has proper glitter it in. It seems to be the odd one out of the bunch, as far as I can see the others all have matte glitter. Superdrug lists 6 different colour choices in the speckle line, each with cute bug names. The polish comes in the same old Accessorize packaging, which have a good enough brush inside. Each contains 10ml of product and is available for £3.45 from Superdrug.

What did I think?

Basically this is a cream finish black polish with gold glitter in it. And we're talking a lot of glitter - the glitter to polish ratio is very high! That being said I was very reluctant to use more than one coat of this, as we all know how much of a nightmare glitter can be to remove. So I opted for the sensible choice of using a cream black polish (MUA - Shade 2) underneath, with just one coat of the Accessorize polish. Using my nail wheel as a guidance I'd say you'd need 2 thickish (possibly 3) coats to get it opaque otherwise. But it did dry pretty quickly so thumbs up for that!

You'd be able to get the same effect from just black polish and gold glitter, but seeing as this was so cheap, it's still something nice to own and use. I think the other shades are a little bit more special! But we all know what happens when I shop online - I do no research. Fail. However I do actually really like how it looks on!

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Review + Swatches: ELF Contouring Blush & Bronzing Cream - St. Lucia

2013-04-17T22:33:00.002+01:00

This review has been a long time coming - but as they always say, the best things are worth waiting for! I've really been loving this little duo, which is probably another factor in why I've taken so long to review this guy, because I've been loving using it before I move onto testing something else! Many of us have tried the powder Contouring Blush & Bronzing duos that ELF does, but with everyone and their pet dog coming out with cream blushes at the moment, it was a no brainer that ELF would add to it too! And I must say - cream blushes are genius!

As always I've included a summary at the end :)

The Basics

The packaging of these duos is very practical as well as being aesthetically pleasing - nothing like a big word to start off the post! Inside there's a pretty reasonably sized mirror and no space wasted on an applicator. Inside there's 8g of product, which we can only assume as being 4g per shade. At the moment this is unfortunately only available in one shade - St. Lucia. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed for more in the future! This is available from ELF's Website for £3.75.

A much better colour representation than the first picture!

The Formula

This is a proper cream formula, nice and creamy and no stiffness. It does stay tacky (it's not a cream to powder formula, such as the Topshop Blushes), so you'll probably want to apply some kind of powder over the top so that it sets for the day. I tend to just use my face powder, but a powder blush will do the same job. Once set I find that the product lasts up to 8 hours, will a little bit of fading. For application I've just been using an ELF/MUA Stipple brush, which gives a lovely natural looking coverage.

Colour & Pigmentation

Being a cream formula this has a really nice dewy finish to it, which still translates somewhat through my face powder. Both products are shimmer/glitter free though, which adds to the natural glow look. The blush is a lovely rosey coral shade, which looks perfect on pale skin like mine - but it looks to be a pretty universally flattering colour. The brown bronzer shade is on the darker side for my skintone, but if blended it still looks fine as a bronzer/contour. It is slightly orange, but nothing too extreme for me!

The Good - cheap, value, pigmented, really long lasting, dewy finish, practical/pretty packaging.

The Not so Good - only one shade available,

Would I Repurchase? Yes!

Price & Availability - £3.75, ELF's Website.

I think it's the thought of Spring, but I've really been having a thing for cream blushes! I may see if I can squeeze in a comparisson post - but it may be after my exams. The next month is going to be very busy for me, so posts may be on the lighter side - sorry! But come 22nd of May I'm a free woman and can blog to my hearts content!

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My New Hair!

2013-04-16T20:36:00.000+01:00

For a while now I'd been getting a bit fed up with my dreadlocks. I'd had them for three years and in all honesty was starting to out-grow them a little. Plus they were getting a little messy - nobodies going to deny that! So I decided it was about time they went!

I originally started of by trying to brush them out - but it took 5+ hours to brush out 3 and a half. And that was a rate I was not willing to continue at! I then went online to see if there were any hints or tips for speeding up the process. But aside from what I'd already tried (overnight conditioning treatment, olive oil, washing up liquid!) I was at a bit of a loss. So I just bit the bullet, so to speak, and handed my boyfriend an pair of scissors and told him to cut all my hair off. I think probably he secretly enjoyed this! And then headed into town (with a hat on) to buy some clippers to even everything out. I currently have a grade 6 hair cut - with my fringe!

The style is actually really growing on me - it's certainly easy to maintain! My head also feels a lot lighter - can you believe my dreads weighed more than 500g - and that's dry (they soak up water like a sponge!). The whole ordeal did excite me prematurely and I bought a very unneeded hair brush! But also a couple of what I think are boys styling products - let me know if you wanted to hear more on them!

I know it's very different and most beauty bloggers don't have a shaved head - but I really hope you like my new do! I have still got some pictures waiting for review with my old hairstyle, so don't be surprised if you see the old dreads making the odd appearance over the coming weeks!

New! Macadamia Control Hairspray

2013-04-15T22:59:00.000+01:00

You may have noticed that I've been a bit AWOL over the last few days. I don't think I've ever left it this long between posting (except when I've been on holiday). But I haven't done it without reason - I've been working on something, but more on that tomorrow. Although I've already given a sneak peek on twitter!

In the beauty world there's a lot of buzz around the Macadamia haircare line. Personally I've never tried anything from them (I will have to change that!), but my mum is a big fan and we all know mums know best! So when I heard that they had a brand new Hairspray I knew it would be something you'd probably be interested to hear about. This one claims to be humidity resistant, giving a long-lasting hold and shine to the hair. You can buy/get more details on the release here - link.

Talking of hair, I have a really exciting hair update/haul tomorrow to make sure to check back tomorrow to see what I've been up to and a little explanation for my absence! As always thanks for reading and I'll speak to you again soon :)

Beauty Blog Link Love!

2013-04-15T20:46:00.001+01:00

Phyrra shares her picks for the best photography and video equipment for beauty and fashion bloggers. From handbags to cellphones and lights, she's got you covered!

Jenny tries her hand at an Illamasqua I'mperfect inspired speckled eyeliner look at My Funny Valentine.

Musicalhouses does an Emerald Color of the Year Eye Look, and throws in random musings on this whole Color of the Year business, too!

Rae thinks she's found the one Spring 2013 blush that you need. Don't miss her review of this gorgeous violet-scented face palette over on theNotice!

Jenn from Spiced Beauty shows you how to get dewy skin in seconds!

Handmade Reviews reveals how skin color and contrast can contribute to signs of aging.

Looking for a reasonably priced BB Cream? Gouldylox Reviews has the run down on most brands available at drugstores!

At Musing on Beauty you will discover pictures, swatches and a review of the five new Makeup Geek eyeshadows. Check them out!

Love Frederic Malle's Lipstick Rose? Kim from Makeup by Kim Porter has found an affordable dupe!

Beauty Crazed discovers that Sally Hansen InstaGel Strips are not so easy that even a spaz can use them - check out guest reviewer's Sam and her inaugural strip experience!

Jude reviews the GlamGlow Exfoliating Mud Mask on Love, Lust, & Fairy Dust -- with not so glowing results!

Watch SmashinBeauty make Pablo Picasso's The Weeping Woman painting come alive on her face.

Love a bright lipstick? Midnight Violets has lip swatched all her favourites for you!

Looking for a sophisticated and lovely new scent? Pammy Blogs Beauty reviews Valentino's new Valentina Assoluto.

Prime Beauty has rounded up the best of spring's beauty launches just for you!

Don't know what to get at Sephora's 15% off sale? Then head over to Beauty Reflections to see a few of the new Sephora Colorful Eyeshadows in action! Some of them are worth getting, especially with the discount!

Whether you're a redhead, blonde or brunette, you'll appreciate the gorgeous shades in these Whiphand Cosmetics lip palettes. Beauty Info Zone loves these so much that they're offering a giveaway for these, too!

Review + Swatches: Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids Lip Colours

2013-04-11T20:31:00.000+01:00

What a name! If I was in charge I would have called them 'Maybelline Neon Lipsticks'! But I didn't so we have to stick with the long name! As far as I can make out the Vivid Lip Colours released pretty recently - although the Color Sensational Lip Colours have been around for a while. As you may have gathered by now I'm a big lover of bright lipsticks, so after seeing pictures of these online I had no option but to get myself down to Superdrug and pick some up. I eventually settled on three shades, but I may have to go back for another - Vivid Rose looks amazing!

As always I've included a summary at the end :)

The Basics

Maybelline is available from both Boots and Superdrug, with these gorgeous lippies coming in at £7.19 - but I managed to get mine on 3for2. They don't seem to have any information on the amount of product in each, but they're a pretty standard lipstick size! As for the amount of colours available - Boots website lists 5 different shade in the Vivids line, but I have heard of other shades, so I don't know if they're just not listed on Boot's Website or if they are not in the UK. Either way I want Vivid Rose and it's not on their list!

L-R: Fuchsia Flash, Hot Plum, Shocking Coral

The Formula

This was my first dip into Maybelline lipsticks, but I must say, I've been very impressed. They have a gorgeous light creamy texture to them and glide on with full pigment. On first application they're lovely and glossy. The product lasts 4-5 hours on the lips - depending on how much you eat/drink, but by this point the finish becomes more matte. They do have quite vanilla scent to them, which I don't particularly like, but it doesn't last too long, so I'll get over it! One last thing to warn you about with this formula is that the colour does stain!

The Colours

Shocking Coral - As I've already said, these all have a glossy finish with no shimmer/glitter. Shocking Coral is a neon pink toned coral - similar to Look Beauty's Double Hit Lip in Red Alert (bad name on Look Beauty's part!

Fuchsia Flash - Exactly what the name might suggest, this is a super bright blue toned pink. I'm seriously in love with this shade.

Hot Plum - Not really plum to be honest, this is similar to Fuchsia Flash, but with a slight purple tone to it - still very wearable.

The Good - pigmented, creamy, reasonably long lasting, really bright, pretty packaging,

The Not so Good - I'm not overly fond of the smell, more colours please!

Would I Repurchase? In one word, yes!

Price & Availability - £7.19 Boots & Superdrug.

It's no secret I own quite a lot of products, but when I stumple across some really brilliant products I still get very excited. And that's exactly what I did with these, I can't get enough of them! If you've tried Maybelline lipsticks I'd love to hear what colours you're loving - I may need to try some more!

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Beauty Related Magazine Freebies!

2013-04-11T19:07:00.000+01:00

It's been a while since there's been any really good magazine freebies. But like buses they all seem to have come at once! So many magazines have so many really good freebies in them this month, but I've tried to be well constrained and just pick up a couple - there is more to be had out there! The two magazines I opted for were Red & Marie Claire, neither of which are usual reads for me (to be honest I only really buy magazines for the freebies!), but I've been enjoying a bedtime read.

Red Magazine (£4)

This months edition features some Aromatherapy Associates freebies - a brand I've never tried, but am very much looking forward to dabbling in. There's a choice of three products - Hydrating Rose Face Mask, Triple Rose Renewing Moisturiser or the Renewing Rose Cleanser. All are mini's but the mask I picked up has a very reasonable 50ml. I've yet to try it, but it has a nice gel texture to it which feels like should be lovely on the face. Also in the magazine is a sachet of the Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid MakeUp - although I'm unsure of the shade!

Marie Claire Magazine (£3.80)

When I first picked this up I thought it only had one free gift, but actually upon opening up the packaging I was delighted to find that there was two free gifts! The first was a Ciate Nail Polish - the one I got is called Pocket Money and is a terracotta beige shade. There is also another nudey shade available too. I'm guessing this is also a full size product as there's 13.5ml of product! The second freebie is a 25ml sample of the Jergens Ultra Healing Body Moisturizer - which will be nice to try! There were also two sachet samples - one of L'Oreal Anti-Fatigue CC Cream (I've been curious about this!) and the other L'Oreal Revitalift Moisturizer.

I'm not sure I mentioned it further up, but these magazines are both May editions, so you should have a little while to go and pick one up if you're lusting after the freebies! Also just to let you know ELF currently have a 50% off sale - I know I'm ordering!

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Review + Swatches: MUA 3 in 1 Extreme Contour Liner - Sage

2013-04-10T16:26:00.000+01:00

I'm not 100% sure on it being Sage as the names not actually on the packaging (don't you hate it when brands do that!), but if it's not Sage, then I have absolutely no idea which one it is! I don't really have much to say before the review except that this is in no way extreme! Oh and sorry MUA for the review, but honesty is always best and I love all your other stuff!

As always I've included a summary at the end :)

The Basics

This is basically an eyeliner that has a rectangle shape to it instead of a rounded shape. No sharpening is required as the product twists up - so we get a point for packaging! In total there are 7 colours to chose from ranging from black to bright blue and mint shades. Inside each one is 0.4g of product, which isn't much, but at just £1.50 I don't see this as too much of a problem!

What did I think?

I don't like it! My main problem with this is that it has a really weak pigmentation to it - as you can probably see from the swatches. It is possible to get more colour from the product, but to do this you have to press pretty hard - much harder than I would be happy doing on my eyes! Using a pressure that I'm happy with on my eyes literally leads to no product being on my eyes - which is why I haven't included a picture of it on as I haven't been able to wear it, not test the wear time for you. As for the colour - it's a shimmery gunmetal shade.

The Good - Cheap, so I haven't wasted too much money! Nice packaging.

The Not so Good - Really sheer so doesn't show up on my eyes.

Would I Repurchase? It would have to take a reformulation for me to retry!

Price & Availability - £1.50, MUA's Website & Superdrug

I do hate writing negative reviews sometimes, but it wouldn't be helping anybody if I lied or just wrote reviews on things I really liked. This blog was built on honesty - and honest it will stay! Don't let this review put you off of the other eyeliner MUA sell as actually I really like those (and their cheaper!).

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