thesparkleicious

So I have been doing a spot of spring cleaning and think it's time I got rid of a few things i'm not using so they can have a better home......a few things to note however:

First come, first served.
Please leave me your Paypal address in the comments and pay within 24 hours.
Please send payment to thesparkleicious@gmail.com on paypal, and be sure to mark the payment as a gift so to avoid those Paypal charges.
Postage is £2.50 for small items & an additional 50p per extra item.
UK only.
Please search for swatches before buying, I will not be held responsible if something does look the same on you.

Clarins instant light lip perfector in shade 04 (BRAND NEW!) £6 SOLD

Clarins lip oil in 01 (BRAND NEW!) £5 SOLD

Foreo LUNA play (BRAND NEW!) £11

St tropez tinted gradual tan (BRAND NEW!) £5 SOLD

St tropez in shower gradual tan (BRAND NEW!) £5 SOLD

Urban decay naked skin correctors in peach, lavender & yellow (used once)- £6 or 2 for £10 or 3 for £13

Revlon colorstay foundation (the combo/oily one) in the shade 150 buff (used twice) £4 SOLD

No7 stay perfect superlight foundation in warm ivory (used 3 times) £5

MAC pro longwear waterproof foundation in NC30 (used 10 times? more than half full!) £7

Cliniuqe even better foundation in 06 honey (Beauiful foundation, sadly too dark for me!) used a few times, 3/4 full. £7

Burbury lipstick in oxeblood (only swatched once) £6 SOLD

Clinuqe lip pop in bold pop (only swatched once) £3

Happy Shopping!

Valentines Day Wish List!

2016-02-10T06:47:00.000-08:00

What with valentines day fast approaching I thought I would share some great outfit ideas from Lyst (So much inspiration, browse here ) that will make you look fabulous on your date night!

I love the slightly more fun twist on your classic LBD and the shape of this dress is so pretty and girlie too. Buy here

I love the classic shape of this dress but the colour is what makes it for me- so perfect for valentines day! Buy here

Another one that screams valentines day to me- so playful and girlie and would look fab with a red lip! Buy here

If you would rather something a little more sexy then this is a winner- but it's still sleek and elegant at the same time! Buy here

This may not be fore everyone but I love how bright this is and love the Carrie Bradshaw vibe it has going on! Buy here

And as every girl knows every dress need a pair of fabulous shoes......Aren't these stunning? they would look amazing with any of the dresses and the nude shade will help make your legs appear longer.....don't forget to add a chic red pedi on those feet to be valentines day ready!

-Thesparkleicious-

Stocking Filler / Gifts Under £20 Guide!

2015-12-04T14:13:00.000-08:00

This works stocking fillers- here here
Merumaya melting cleansing balm- here
Soap & Glory body butter trio-here
Clarins lip oil- here
Mandara spa bathing rocks- here
The Body shop glazed apple range- here
The body shop pre party makeup kit- here
Topshop lip bullet duo- here

Black Friday blog sale!

2015-11-28T14:55:00.000-08:00

Blog sale rules:

First come, first served.
Please leave me your Paypal address in the comments and pay within 24 hours.
Please send payment to thesparkleicious@gmail.com on paypal, and be sure to mark the payment as a gift so to avoid those Paypal charges.
Postage is £2.50 for small items & an additional 50p per extra item.
UK only.
Please search for swatches before buying, I will not be held responsible if something does not look the same on you.
All items will be shipped next week.

So here we go.............Happy shopping!

The blam nudetude palette (brand new!) £22.50

Clarins instant light lip perfector in 04 (brand new) £11.50

MAC nourishing waterproof foundation in nc30 (used 5 times) £14.50

Clinque bb cream (really lovely finish but too dark for me) in medium (used 4 times) £15

Revlon colourstay foundation in the shade 320 true beige (fab foundation but the tone isn't right ) used a few times- £4.50

Clinique even better foundation in the shade honey (fab product- too dark for me) used 5 times £11.50

Enjoy!

His& Hers Christmas Gift Guide!

2015-11-28T08:36:00.001-08:00

Men's gift ideas:

The body shop gift sets- here
Thierry Mugler gift set- here
Ferrari perfume- here
Legend perfume- here
BHS gifts for him (as mentioned)-here

Ladies gift ideas:
Yankee candle holiday scents- here
Ratherbornes candle- here
Jewelcandle candles- here (15% DISCOUNT CODE- thesparkleicious15)
The body shop gift sets-here
she who dares fragrance-here
Clarins gift set- here
Gold collogen set- here
Toni & Guy gift sets- Available in Boots
My showcase bag- here
Neom bath oils-here
Elemental herbolgy bath oils- here
Balance me bathing beauties trio- here
Revlon shine addict nail buffer- here

Spring blog sale!

2015-05-17T10:34:00.002-07:00

Hey everyone,

I am in the middle of a huge spring clean and a starting to see how much makeup I actually have laying around the house! so in an attempt to de-clutter some of my many drawers I have decided to have a blog sale. I know there are people who disagree with them but I have bagged some great things from blog sales over the years and I will sanitize any lightly used items before shipping them out, plus lets face it- who used a blush with anything other than a brush? most of the new items are a result of me being backups of things that don't get used, or buying things I already have (Shameful! I know!) and for those of you wondering why I don't just do a giveaway, i'm planning a very exciting big one ones I reach 50,000 subscribers with some of my all time fav products.

Blog sale rules:

First come, first served.
Please leave me your Paypal address in the comments and pay within 24 hours.
Please send payment to thesparkleicious@gmail.com on paypal, and be sure to mark the payment as a gift so to avoid those Paypal charges.
Postage is £2.50 for small items & an additional 50p per extra item.
UK only.
Please search for swatches before buying, I will not be held responsible if something does not look the same on you.
All items will be shipped next week.

So here we go.............Happy shopping!

Benefit they're real push up liner- £12 (brand new)

Benefit they're real remover- £10 brand new

Revlon Matte Balm in elusive (LOVE this shade so I got a back up, but I have so many of these types of products) -£4 brand new

Clarins instant light lip perfector in shade 01- £9 brand new

Clarins instant light lip perfector in 04- £9 brand new

Nuxe lip balm- |£5 brand new (This is amazing!)

Revlon Photoready primer- £3 brand new

Benefit lolitint used 3 times tops (does not look good on my skintone) £11

NARS blush in boys don't cry (LE) used twice till I realised I have about 8 other blushes this shade- £13

Fake bake tanning mousse and airbrush tanner £7 each or £12 together brand new

BLOG SALE!

2014-11-24T10:48:00.003-08:00

Hey everyone,

I hope your all have a fab day, I recently had a birthday and somehow ended up with a bunch of items I already own, and a few fragrances that are not my personal taste but are brand new and very popular options for so many of you, so I thought I would give you the chance to treat yourself!

Blog sale rules:

First come, first served.
Please leave me your Paypal address in the comments and pay within 24 hours.
Please send payment to thesparkleicious@gmail.com on paypal, and be sure to mark the payment as a gift so to avoid those Paypal charges.
Postage is £2.50 for small items & an additional 50p per extra item.
UK only.
Please search for swatches before buying, I will not be held responsible if something does look the same on you.
All items will be shipped next week.

*Please note, I know there are people who don't enjoy blog sales & find them tacky and have issues with them, and while I respect that, this is not the place for rude comments. Please let others enjoy what's on offer. I have got lots of fab products from blog sales and find it a great way of trying new products.

Daisy by Marc Jacobs- Brand new still in box £24 *SOLD*

ANGEL by thierry mugler glamorama edition £40 brand new

Loreal true match foundation in shade W3 golden beige £6.99 (used 4 times)
Loreal lumi magique foundation in DW5 (too dark for me) £5.99 (used once)

Rimmel match perfection foundation in 303 true nude £4.99 (used 3 times)

Lancome CC cream £22 shade 03 (too dark for me) brand new

Benefit they're real liner, brand new £14

Happy shopping!

Lancome City Miracle CC Cream Review!

2014-05-27T02:11:00.001-07:00

BB, CC......it seems we get a new product per letter these days! but while this may be a CC cream, it scores a pure A for me.

The coverage with this is very light yet somehow it manages to out my very uneven skin tone. The shades available are rather dark so I would suggest going a shade lighter than you usually would, but due to the light texture and coverage it's still workable. I apply this with my hands as you would with a moisturizer, but you could you a brush if you wanted too, but I feel like applying it with your hands does provide you with a more natural application. The scent of this CC cream is absolutely amazing, really light & fresh which makes it a dream to apply every morning, and i'm thinking this will be a gem on holiday as it provides you with a very natural "no makeup makeup look" and also has the added benefit of an SPF of 30 which is amazing!

Watch my mini review video here:

Available here

-Thesparkleicious-

Spring Has Sprung For Foodies

2014-05-19T02:12:00.003-07:00

It’s one of my favourite times of the year and it should be yours too. Not only
have the spring flowers come up to see the sunshine, but the wonderful food
festivals of the UK have also started springing up for some guilt-free food
appreciation time. Anything revolving around eating food is a winner in my eyes,
so what better way to spend a day out than visiting some of the best foodie
festivals on offer this year.

Let’s take a look at those wonderful 2014 UK food fests we recommend you pay a visit to… who knows, you might even make a short break out of it just remember to make it a Superbreak.

The Colchester Food and Drink Festival
28th & 29th June 2014

Forget about the Sugar Hut, Essex’s Food and Drink Festival in Colchester is
where it’s at this year. Set within the beautiful Lower Castle Park on the last
weekend of June, you’ll find an abundance of tasty treats to satisfy even the
pickiest of food connoisseurs. With free celebrity chef kitchen demonstrations on all day, visitors can easily pick up a few tips and tricks for homemade foodie goodness all year round.

There’ll be plenty of grub going round with many stalls offering FREE tastings
before you buy – if only restaurants operated this way? And for those who like to wet their whistle, head to The Pikestaff Inn for local real ale, artisan ciders and local and international wines. With music to enjoy throughout the event as well as free parking (we love a convenient food fest), the Colchester Food and Drink Festival is up there with the best.

Why not make a weekend of it? You’re just over an hour away from the Capital in Colchester – the perfect excuse for an overnight stay in London with a fancy dinner and theatre show thrown in!
http://www.colchesterfoodanddrinkfestival.co.uk/

3rd Annual North Leeds Charity Beer Festival
30th & 31st
May 2014

At no time have the words charity, beer and festival ever sounded so good.
Brought together for this exciting annual event in Leeds, it’s the perfect
opportunity to sample locally brewed ales with live music from a variety of
bands performing throughout the weekend. This year’s event will also celebrate the Tour de France coming to Yorkshire with 17 specially brewed beers to try.

Taking place at St Aidan’s Community Hall you can come along, get merry with 28 truly Yorkshire ales, enjoy brilliant live music and the best bit…do it all for charity.

*Sponsored post

Pro The Beauty Choice

2014-03-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about this subject more often lately, mostly due to the no makeup selfie that has been going around on social media sites lately, but if i'm being totally honest, the wrong perception of what people think about you if you are, how shall I put it? in to beauty in a major way is something I often stumble across, both online and off.

If i'm being totally blunt, I often feel like people will always assume you are an air-headed bimbo if you love lipstick and would rather spend your time painting your nails than playing candy crush. This is not an entirely hard to understand assumption, but I can't help but also feel it's a rather shallow one. Just because you love beauty does not mean you are stupid, or shallow or even vain for that matter, it means you are just passionate about something pretty.

I will confess i'm the biggest beauty addict I know in my everyday life, and often come across sly, little comments from both men & women who just don't understand it. I don't go around talking about what products i'm obsessed with atm to people in my everyday life (I have YouTube for that!) but even the smallest mention can cause people to sadly assume one thing: you are a shallow, vain person. Now of course there is a certain element to loving makeup for example that yes, is vain, But what so many people don't seem to understand is it's not always about vanity. Sometimes, it's more to do with a form of self-respect.

I'm not saying that if you leave the house without a full face of makeup you don't respect yourself, of course not. What I am saying is that for me at least, wearing makeup, doing my nails and just general grooming is about enjoying it. It's not a chore for me, it's something that's like second nature to me and something that gives me great joy. There is something very old-Hollywood about being well-put together even if you are just going to tesco's and it's something that to me, just means enjoying being a woman. Think about how empowering a good red lip and a pair of heels can be when your feeling low, men don't have that option and it's something I think we should enjoy without being judged for it.

I'm not the most glamorous girl in the world, in fact, i'm currently sat here with my hair in a bun and hardly any makeup on at all (I am testing out a new BB cream so I am wearing a little something something, but still) but I would never leave the house like this, and no, it's not because i'm insecure or vain. It's because I think one should always feel good, and making the best of yourself does make you feel like the best version of yourself and I want to be that version all the time, everyday. I love reading (books, not just fashion mags), I can do DIY jobs round the house without worrying about my nails, I love serious movies and I watch the news, do these things automatically make me be perceived as smart? no. So why should a love of beauty make me seem shallow? I don't think every woman needs to wear makeup to look & feel beautiful, but I do think if you choose too, it should have nothing to do with how smart people assume you are. After all, beauty really is only skin deep but who's to say you shouldn't make sure that skin is looking the best it can?

Magnitone Pulsar Facial & Body Brush Review- Day 5!

2013-12-12T12:54:00.000-08:00

So we are now on day 5 and I decided to give it ago on the other settings, and I tested it on the exfoliating setting on my face this time.

Boy was this strong! I was using it with a foaming cleanser and it it does give your skin a good scrub i'll tell you that! i'm still not sure how I feel about it to be totally honest, I can see how if you have very oily skin this will feel amazing for you, but my skin is more combination and I feel like it just a little too harsh on my skin.

I am looking forward to the end of the 7 days so I can share my final thoughts because i'm still a little unsure about how I feel about it, and that's unusual for me with a product.

-Thesparkleicious-

Magnitone Pulsar Facial & Body Brush Review- Day 4!

2013-12-11T12:50:00.001-08:00

So today I tested out the Body Brush part of this, and this is where I think this brush really shines. Granted, it's a bit of a luxury to use a brush on your body, but considering i'm a huge fan of body brushing, I had a sneaky suspicion I was going to enjoy this.

I used it on the exfoliating setting and with a shower gel just lightly brushed all over my body. This would particularly work for those you who suffer from ingrown hairs & those little bumps of dry skin that usually happen on the upper arm area.The harshness on the brush isn't as noticeable on your body, in fact it's actually nice and left my skin feeling lovely and soft, and due to the fact I used while standing up in my bath, there was no mess involved too.

Would you use something like this on a weekly basis or is this just too much of an unnecessary step in your routine? I love these types of things and relish doing them on a weekly basis, but that may just be the beauty addict in me.

-Thesparkleicious-

Magnitone Pulsar Facial & Body Brush Review- Day 3!

2013-12-10T11:40:00.002-08:00

So today is day 3 and I still feel the same in all honesty, tomorrow I will be testing it as a body brush which i'm very excited about! so for today's post I thought I would give you some information of the benefits the brush.

It is claimed that within 7 days, the usage of the brush will provide 10 different benefits such as:

*More effective deep cleansing and

removal of impurities

*Can help increase collagen in skin
Softer, smoother and clearer looking
skin tone

*Firmer, tighter feeling skin texture
Can help diminish the appearance of
fine lines and wrinkles.

*Noticeable increase in blood
circulation to the skin

*Helps reduce appearance of visible
pores

*Gentle exfoliation of dry skin for
silkier arms and legs

*Helps reduce razor rash and irritation
after hair removal.

*Enhanced moisture and nutrient
absorption of your regular skin
products (SPF, self-tan, moisturisers).

Bold claims right? I personally found that it does indeed help to increase the blood flow to your face, and I have definitely noticed how much more effectively the products have been absorbing in to my skin, which is always nice if you are using skin care you want to know you are getting the most for your money!

-Thesparkleicious-

Magnitone Pulsar Facial & Body Brush Review- Day 2!

2013-12-09T15:18:00.001-08:00

So today was my second day using the brush, and I have been using only at night so far, as I feel that's when you need a deeper cleanse. I don't know what it is about these types of brushes but I feel like they clean your face so much better than you ever could manually!

I have not noticed any huge changes since last night, but my skin did feel much smoother this morning and i'm still only able to use it on the sensitive setting as it's very strong, and does leave my skin a little red afterwords. It does leave your skin feeling a little tight but that may just be down to my skin type (combo). I know most people tend to worry a little over your skin having a "purging" period, where your skin get's bad before it gets better but I can honestly say it's not something I have ever really experienced.

I am hoping for a noticeable chance in the clarity & texture of my skin but for now, I will leave you with a list of where you can buy this, as it's so widely available for a product of it's kind.

Boots.com - £64.99
http://www.boots.com/en/Magnitone-Pulsar-Daily-Skin-Cleansing-Toning-System-for-Face-and-Body_1400377/

Lookfantastic - £65
http://www.lookfantastic.com/magnitone-pulsar-daily-skin-cleansing-toning-system-for-face-and-body/10858382.html

Beauty Expert - £65
http://www.beautyexpert.co.uk/magnitone-pulsar-daily-skin-cleansing-toning-system-for-face-and-body/10858382.html

HQ Hair - £65
http://www.hqhair.com/magnitone-pulsar-daily-skin-cleansing-toning-system-for-face-and-body/10858382.html

Amazon UK - £65 http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00FG0L44A

-Thesparkleicious-

Magnitone Pulsar Facial & Body Brush Review- Day 1!

2013-12-08T12:49:00.001-08:00

Facial cleansing brushes have been huge for years now, claiming to change your skin and provide a deep cleanse that no wash cloth or hands ever could. So i'm sure you can appreciate my excitement when I was asked to give this brush a 7 day trail & review!

I will be giving daily updates on my blog and full, final review on my channel at the end of 7 days with all the detailed information, and what changes I have seen.

The Magnitone pulsar cleansing brush claims to change the appearance of your skin in just 7 days, and seen as how today is day 1, here are my initial thoughts, a first impressions if you will:

* This brush has several settings (more on that later) I used it on the sensative setting but it was much harsher than i'm use too.
* It was a little messy, because the brush moves pretty fast, and I used a lightly foaming cleanser, it did get messy.
*I did miss not having time settings as it's hard to see how long you are using it for.
*My skin was left feeling AMAZINGLY soft!

So these are my first impressions, have you tried this before? if so, what did you think?

Please check back for day 2 tomorrow!

-Thesparkleicious-

*PR sample

Stylescan $500 shopping spree!

2013-11-26T08:51:00.002-08:00

So as guys know I did mention this on my channel but I wanted to mention it on here too to make sure you can enter, and you never know, you may win!

To find out more on how to enter, please click here

NEW VIDEO! ASK V!

2013-10-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

Your questions. My answers.

-Thesparkleicious-

Food Dairy-2/10/2013

2013-10-02T13:32:00.000-07:00

So I am going to start doing the odd "what I eat" type of posts every now and then, most down to requests and also to help me look at what i'm eating properly. I'm trying to count calories atm just to lose a tiny bit of weight, and i'm trying out just counting cals, and eating a little more "normal" my lunch for example, would ALWAYS be a wholegrain bagel, but as they are higher in calories I went for the WW just to see....it was ok, but not the best. (New york bagels are)

Breakfast- 2 weetbix with cinnamon, skimmed milk & strawberries. YUMMY!
Lunch-WW bagel with light mayo, cucumber, onion & loads of rocket. It's what I call my salad sandwich and it's lovely! and under 250 cals, give it a try! I also had some of the Jacobs oddidites cracker snacks (the ready salted kind) for the fist time.......not sure about them. The portion is HUGE for 114 cals and they do feel "naughty" but they taste like something and i'm not sure what, but it's not ready salted.
Snack- Some red grapes.
Dinner- I made some healthy egg fried rice make with brown rice, peas, spring onion, 1 egg and light soy sauce. I also had some grilled hallumi cheese and same raw pepper too. It was yummy!
Snack-I had a frozen areo mousse (best idea,EVER!)that was lovely! high in sugar but only 94 cals.

Drinks- 3 liters of water and countless cups of green tea.
Workouts- 30 mins on the bike.

so that's what I eat today, I know, I know, too many carbs, too much sugar....but, low in calories and filling, and the most important part is it's yummy!

-Thesparkleicious-

Elemis fresh skin softly softly daily moisturizer & dreamy sleep moisturisers!

2013-09-27T01:45:00.000-07:00

Elemis have done a very important thing with their freshskin range because I have always felt there has been a gap in the market when it comes to skin care. For the longest time, I feel like there have been ranges for teens, and ranges for older women, us ladies in our 20's were being over looked!

We no longer need spot cream, but we don't want to overload our skin with heavy night creams, so we need light hydration that doesn't leave our faces oily.

The Elemis softly softly daily moistriser has a lively natural herbal scent and it does feel lovely on the skin. it's slightly thicker than your average daily moisturiser and I would only wear it in the house due to the fact it has no SPF, but it does give your skin some added radiance.

The dreamy sleep moisturizer is an overnight replenishing cream that again,smells amazing and feels nice on the skin, and does feel like it's going to nourish your skin during the night.

At £20 for the day cream and £22 for the night cream they are not exactly budget buys, but as you get a little older it's good to invest in your skin care a little more.

Available here

-Thesparkleicious-

*PR sample

REN glycolactic radiance renewal mask

2013-09-26T03:15:00.000-07:00

Enter the review of the blogger cult classic....scary! This is so a hyped about product that I was so excited to try it, I love anything that claims to be brightening and smoothing, and I just felt like I would adore it....

This is a mask that uses glycolic acid to help your skin look fresh & renewed, getting rid of the dead skin cell and leaving your with a radiant complexion. REN uggest you apply this on clean skin, leave on for 10mins and remove with a muslin cloth (is it just me or these days is everything removed with a muslin cloth?) so I tend to use this on my pamper nights.

My main issue with this, mainly because it has been so hyped up was it just didn't make my skin look AMAZING...don't get me wrong, it is pretty smoothing and my skin did look nice and fresh, but I guess I just has higher expectations. It smeels beautiful, like sweet oranges and I do love the packaging, and the fact it has a pump is always a plus for me.

Over all I do like this mask, and do enjoy using it I just don't feel like it made my skin look & feel as amazing as I was expecting, but that may also be down to the fact my skin is use to these types of products.

Available here for £30per 50ml.

-Thesparkleicious-

*PR sample

My weight Loss Story

2013-09-24T05:51:00.001-07:00

I have done countless weight loss related videos on my channel (you can watch them here) but I wanted to share my story on here as well. My weight gain is pretty simple to explain really, I just took my eye off the ball in terms of eating and working out, and was eating big portions, of whatever I wanted. While some people can just eat what they like and know when to stop, I have to really watch what I eat, and I just wasn't. Plus, I was doing zero exercise.

My weight does fluctuate, but I had gone from my usual 57kg (again, it can change on a weekly basis, time of the month, ect) to a whopping 70kg, which is way too much for my 5ft 1.5 frame. I looked big (for me), my cloths didn't fit me properly, my face was looking extremely round and I just knew I didn't look my best.

(Loose clothing, and my super round face)

So in September last year I was going to a wedding and decided to start losing weight. The time point here is key because, why didn't I get my ass in to gear way before that, why now? and the answer to that is simple: I wasn't ready. You have to feel ready, and you have to really really want it, or you won't give it your all.

I started my day with cereal with skimmed milk, a sandwich for lunch with low cal crisps, fruit as snacks and something like soup for dinner. And on a weekend, I would have a treat day and eat what I wanted.I also started to work out again on my exercise bike, starting with 10mins the first day, then 15, then 20 and so on. I didn't weigh myself during this time, but by November I was back down to 60kg and fitting in my regular clothes, which felt AMAZING!

My problem areas before were all over really, but mainly my hips and my arms, and also my legs. After I lost the weight, the first place I noticed a difference was my tummy, and sadly my boobs that went down a cup size.I took some time off over xmas and pretty much eat what I wanted, and didn't really put weight on, I just felt a little "softer" and once I was home I started using the MyFitnessPal app, to track my calories and generally stuck to 1,200 calories a day, and also started to do the 30 day shred, which did make my body feel much more toned, and helped make my shape look more in proportion. I have always been pear shaped and have had really large hips, but this time around (I have lost weight before) I feel like my hips are smaller and my arms a little bigger, and my body just looks smaller in general.

Working out has been key for me because not only has it changed my my shape, but i'm sure it has also made my metabolism faster, and now I don't put weight on that easily.

I am now 56kg (on a good day, ha!) and just want to make my body look the best, but i'm so much happier because I feel like me. My best version of me.

-Thesparkleicious-

REN No1 Purity Cleansing Balm Review

2013-09-22T07:59:00.001-07:00

REN have launched a new series of cleansers, that rather than being only suited to your skin type, they also come in different formulas (gel, cream, balm...you get the picture) which makes a nice change, and I do love a good cleansing balm.

In terms of texture this is a slightly harder texture than your average balm, yet once rubbed in it's slightly more oily and heavy. It comes with a muslin cloth that you use to remove it, and it works a treat in terms of removing makeup.As with so many skin care products these days it smells like roses, which I love but may not be for everyone.

This would be particularly good if you are someone who likes to keep their skincare clean as REN use no parabens, sulphates, minral oil and more.

At £23 per 100ml it's not super cheap, but it's not going to break the bank either and considering the fact it contains so many lovely natural ingredients, I think it's pretty good.

Available here

-Thesparkleicious-

*PR sample

NIP+FAB Glycolic Fix Cleanser Review

2013-09-22T07:23:00.000-07:00

Due to fact my skin hasn't got the best texture or tone in the world, i'm all over products that contain mild kinds of acid to help rectify that.This offering by Nip+ Fab is a high street player that contains 2% glycolic acid and claims to gently exfoliate & retexture, cleanse & purify and hydrate and smooth.

I had high hopes for this, I was hoping it was going to act the same way S&G peaches & clean did for me (but my skin is pretty use to it now) and leave my skin feeling super smooth and slightly raw (what can I say? I like that feeling, it feels like it's working!) and don't get me wrong, it's a perfectly pleasant product, but it's just not hard working enough for me, which can be said about so many of these types of products, they claim to be hard core, but somehow end up just not really doing much (Origins brighter by nature pads for example)

I use this on damp skin, and while it does feel rather unusual in terms of texture (kind of runny, and doesn't foam too much) and it smells nice and lemony, after I rinse it off my skin feels nice, and clean, but no more than that, and I can't say it has tone much in terms of brightening my skin or making it feel smoother.

at £7.95 per 150ml it's not bad value, but not something I think I will be buying again.

Avilable here

-Thesparkleicious-

Aromatherapy Associates polishing natural exfoliating scrub

2013-09-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

Confession: I really like AA products (get it?), they just feel so luxe and smell amazing. I am also a huge lover a body scrubs and my week feels incomplete with a good scrub-down, so this has my name written all over it!

This scrub contains coffee, frankincense, pink grapefruit, seal salt & sweet almond oil, to help detox and cleanse the skin, while leaving you feeling invigorated and polished. it has the perfect not-too-harsh texture that provides a good exfoliation, but still feels nice on the skin. It does leave a slight oily film on your skin, so it's not good as a pre-tan scrub.I apply this on damp skin and then rinse it off, and if you shave your legs it will sting a little (the salt) so bare that in mind.

As with most AA products, the packaging is to die for, but while most AA products smell amazing, i'm not the biggest fan of the scent of this.......it just smells a little masculine to me, but it makes my skin feel lovely, so I can forgive that.

At £36 per 200ml it's not cheap, but then AA products are on the slightly more expensive side anyway, but they have such amazing quality ingredients, and such a luxe feel that they are a lovely treat if you have the spare £££.
Available here

-Thesparkleicious-