Sunday 27 October 2013

Estee Lauder Pure Colour Gloss Rock Candy Review...










09 Rock Candy is one of Estee Lauders Pure Colour Glosses. I am definitely a pink/ nude lipstick kind of girl but have been wanting to dip my toes into different colours. Rock Candy is a muted coral colour. So is ideal for me in taking the fist transition into unknown territory with corals. The gloss glides on giving a wash of colour so if perfect for those of you who like me are also scared of colour. It is laced with gold shimmer but this dosen't show up on the lips as intensely as it does in the tube making it very wearable for day time. It has a doe foot applicator which are my applicator of choice and is not as all sticky and feels very light and hydrating on the lips which is also a solid thumbs up. It has a subtle sweet scent and is tasteless  It retails at £17 which is to be expected from Estee Lauder but you can tell the quality. 

Overall 

Colour 4/5
Scent/taste 5/5
Texture 5/5
Wearability 5/5
Packaging 4/5
Price 3/5

What is your favorite brand of lipgloss?


Friday 25 October 2013

A day in Bratislava...



I realised that I am currently on a bit of a review over load, I love writing them but thought maybe I should start sharing some other things that are going on at the moment what with a big changing happening in my life in a few weeks time. Other than beauty, travel is one of my other passions I love going on weekends away and discovering amazing new places as i'm sure you also do. So I thought I would share some Snaps of places I have been lucky enough to visit this summer...

I went inter-railing this summer and we got a flight into Slovenia to visit the capital Bratislava













It was a very small city and there wasn't a lot to see however I really enjoyed visiting somewhere which wasn't heaving with tourists and full of people trying to sell you things so you can just wander around and explore for yourself. The last photo shows our breakfast! As ignorant as it is the reason we ended up with chips is because it was the only thing we could understand on the menu and nobody in the cafe was able to speak English!

I hope to share some more snaps with you soon hopefully of better quality next time!

Has anybody else been to Slovakia or indeed Bratislava?

Friday 18 October 2013

Lee Stafford Low Fat Cashmere Cushion Review..



I have had this product for a very long time and have probably used in once or twice so the other night while rummaging for something else I decided to give it another go too see why it had been left untouched. After washing my hair I squeezed out a blob into my fingertips...this really is like a jelly and has such a unique texture unlike any other hair product I have tired. I thought this to be a good sign that this was going to do something amazing as it really was unique. I applied the olive size they suggest and started to blow dry my hair and.....yuck you can feel the product in your hair and it makes it feel like you haven't washed it at all, it seems to leave a film over you hair and just makes you want to wash it again.

Did it actually add any volume...on that front it has deviled I have more volume and my layers look more defined but i'm not sure I want to trade my hair feeling clean for a tiny bit more bounce. My hair certainly feels more plumped up cushion like and thick but on the second hair day (I was my hair every other day) it needed to be washed in the morning as it felt really dirty although i'm not sure if I actually looked dirty. If you don't mind the feeling then this is a potential great volumising product but I want to not be able to feel it in my hair....maybe i'm asking too much? It's a shame as there are lots of products in the Lee Stafford rang which I think are great and this one is at a great price point too at £.4.99.

Thursday 17 October 2013

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector 01 & 03 Review...

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector £17


Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector lip glosses make me want to throw out all my other nude everyday glosses they are my holly grail gloss! I love everything about these glosses from the unique applicator which makes application effortless to how light weight and sticky free they are. I always reach for these when I feel I need just a little something on my lips but not a full on lipstick if I have a dramatic eye. I have them in two colours and granted you do not need both unless like me you can indeed tell the difference! 

The glosses have the added benfits of hydrating the lips with Shea Butter and also has ingredients which help to repair and soften. With vitamins A & E they help boost the repair process while also protecting from free radicals so can even fall into the lip balm/protector category. Once again Clarins have come up with a product which is just perfect and has been and will be a staple in my make-up bag for a long time to come.

Which Clarins products do you love?
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Sunday 13 October 2013

Beautiful Brows Review...







Beautiful Brows £38
From BeautifulBrows.co.uk


This was an impulse purchase at IMATS earlier in the year I let the assistant apply it for me and of course they made it look so easy and I had a...where has this been my whole life moment. In the kit you get one eyebrow powder which comes in several shades, a highlight, three stencils, a brush and tweezers. I got matched to this incredibly dark shade which I would never have chosen myself but applied in moderation I think it is actually perfect.  One concept I like about this kit is that their website stocks replacements for any bits that the house elves steal. Once you finish the powder you can just replace it without having to buy the whole kit again. The kit is a little chunky for traveling and could probably be made sleeker as it too bulky to put in your make-up bag.

They eyebrow powder itself is overzealous in pigmentation and you need the tiniest bit to give your brows definition. I can't even seen a need for me to ever repurchase this product as you need to smallest amount! Due to how pigmented the powered is and much comes away on the brush  in one swipe, the process can be a little messy hence I actually also use this kit to shape and pluck my brows. I opt for the sleek stencil and then make my brows extremely dark plucking away hairs which do not fall within the now scarily dark brow  shape. This is my main love for this kit in that I need not worry that my eyebrows are even uneven or odd shaped again. The tweezers in the kit are of a decent quality and if like me you misplace tweezers like there is no tomorrow I can say having a little home for them in this kit has made me keep hold of them for several months so far. The addition of the highlighter makes this kit feel complete and it is nice to have a highlighter with not too much shimmer.

Price wise yes I think it is a little on the expensive side however, this could be the only brow product I need to ever purchase to keep brows in order which is a bold brow statement! Beautiful brows also claim that the brow powder when set is water resistant and will stay put all day! Overall I have a mixed opinion of this product...perfection it is not but it can certainly help you on the quest for beautiful brows. 

What is your favorite brow product and do you go for a sleek or fuller shape?

Saturday 12 October 2013

Maxfactor Smooth Effect Foundation Review...



MaxFactor Smooth Effect Foundation 
Boots £7.99

When this foundation was launched is didn't make much of an entrance. It didn't seem at the time to be one of Maxfactors ground breaking launches, due to this when it was first released I looked at it but never bought as couldn't really see what it could do for me. Discovering it in Boots for £3 made it a bargain I purchased it in two different shades which were darker than I normally wear so it could be my go to foundation when I have a tan.

It claims "to glide on effortlessly for a smooth finish" is suitable for sensitive skin, oil free and won't clog pores. I love this products simplicity... it doesn't promise to make you look like you have been Photoshoped in real life, appear 20 years younger or becoming irresistible to every man.  It simple provides consistent coverage and hides the bits you don't love. What is unique about it is the way it feels when applying it, imagine rubbing baby powder into your skin and the soft talc feeling you get, well this is what putting this on feel like making it a pleasure. It gives substantial coverage but is not a product which  is as buildable as others as you can start to look a little too matte and old school foundation like. (A little up date...I am starting to realise when applied to the skin this foundation is almost undetectable! Think I might have to go out and buy my pale ghost shade.) 

It contains no spf which I appreciate as sometimes its hard to find a foundation which can be worn on a night out and not make you look like you have swallowed a white glow stick. The packaging is classic and reminded me of Make-up Forever. The squeezable plastic tube will make sure you get all your money's worth out of it. Talking of money it retails for £7.99 which I think is pretty decent value when a Maybelline or Rimmel product could set you back the same.

Overall this product doesn't promise to change your life and doesn't make far reached claims, it just provides a very nice base at a very reasonable price point. Those two things in themselves make this product rather unique and really rather refreshing!

Has anybody else given it a chance?

Clarins Daily Energizer Cream Review...




Clarins Daily Energizer Cream 
Boots and other department stores £21 30ml

Every product I have ever tired from Clarins had always impressed me...this realisation has crept up on me as I don't even visit the counter that often or even really look at the brand but it is one in which when I get a sample I often use and then repurchase. Clarins Daily Energizer Cream is a gel-cream hybrid which I really enjoy the texture of due to its silky smoothness. It leaves a matte finish on the skin and is also lovely and light meaning it absorbs instantly making it a perfect partner for under make-up. I personal like the scent which is not subtle so if your sensitive to perfumed products then this may not be ideal for you. 

 My skin has been behaving beautifully with this little beauty although as we head into the winter it may not be moisturising enough.  It's designed as a staple moisturiser for women in their 20's and that's exsactly what it is...but with the added luxury glass packaging. One thing I wish that it did also have is an SPF as to me this would complete it.  

Whats Clarins products do you love?

Friday 4 October 2013

A beauty transition...




Over the summer traveling has been my pastime, carrying just a rucksack. Wearing minimal
make-up has been so refreshing! My skin has also been behaving which likely is down to not wearing war paint on a day to day basis. Having just the hint of a tan can help cover a multitude of sins making going fresh faced less scary. Not hauling all the latest beauty buys over the last few months I wanted to share with you my staples which have been in my minimal make-up bag and haven't let me down. So while non of the products are sparkling and new with most having seen better days I thought a mini review of all was due seen as they have traveled the world  Europe with me.





MaxFactors False Lash Effect Mascara has to be the most repurchased item in my beauty stash. It builds up nicely giving a dramatic look, isn't clumpy, it's too wet so when you sneeze it doesn't transfer (why is it when putting on mascara you feel the need to sneeze even with no cold in sight!). The best thing about this mascara is that it does all of that with the added wonderfulness of washing right off when in the shower. I have previously raved about Benefit There Real mascara but it isn't half hard to remove plus its almost double the price of this little gem.

I have babbled about this Neutrogena beauty time and time again. What I like most is the pump as it makes it easy to work with in the morning without dipping fingers in and out of pots and trying to screw the lid back on while balancing the blob of moisturiser on a finger, where it is a race against time before it drips down the black jeans you have just put on. It sinks in straight away and has a fab SPF level which is one of the things that draws me to purchasing a moisturiser as we all know we should be doing it!


So in such a minimal make-up routine the last thing you might expect to see is a Make-up ForEver HD  Primer. I have quite rosey cheeks which is the main flaw that I am trying to cover up. This yellow toned primer is good enough at it's job that with a hint of a tan I could almost get away with just wearing this. That is why it has secured a place in my minimal make-up bag.

Two foundations were needed to switch up my shade as I got what must have been the first glimpse of a tan in years. I could wear a  foundation shade reserved for fake tanned skin without needing to have gone thought that laborious process (Maybe i'm doing it wrong).

First is Benefit Hello Flawless Foundation - I brought this on a whim, I asked the girl at the counter to colour match me and let me try it on, With that she slapped it on over my normal foundation. I spluttered out that I already had make-up on which she simple replied that's not an issue and carried on. Well I have never had a face so caked in make-up and when I got home and promptly removed it for the first time I though wow I look so much better without foundation on! For some reason even after the foundation looking horrid I still purchased (Probably because after years I have yet to try a Benefit product which actually looked Halloween style when applied correctly)

When applied in a normal quantity this foundation is so light and creates a fresh faced natural finish with that added glow of health we all look for. It is super blendable as even when transitioning from ghost to human during the summer the one shade almost took me all the way though, perfect to create a look of no make up make up. The staying power is pretty darn good considering it's lightweight feel.  

MaXfactor Smooth Effects Foundation is one I had in my draw purley due to it once being £3 in Boots and I needed a foundation for the fake tanned days and for that price is was worth a shot. As far as I can tell it also had no SPF in which I like as this was a foundation intended for wear at night so you don't look see-though in photos. The texture when applying is unique, imagine smoothing baby powder into your skin and this is what applying this feels like. It certainly does give you a smooth effect (always nice when it does what it says it does) a little gives a nice even finish but I wouldn't say it was buildable  coverage as then it can start to look a little matte which isn't the look I go for at the moment. You can still pick is up in Boots for £7.99 which is a pretty nice looking price for a higher end of the self selection market. 




Benefit  Hoola, I hoard few bronzers which I could probably pin point to the fact that this one works perfectly. It is matte making it great for everyday use and the colour doesn't come out too strong at first sweep but you can build until you get the depth of colour you like so is perfect for lighter skin tones. 

I have included a Maybelline 24hr Super Stay lip laquire for night where I need to glam it up a notch. It really does last even when having many a cocktail. I have also been braving wearing it in the day just patting it into lips like a lip stain to give a pop  wash of colour on the lips. Which has been what I consider rather daring! 

I recently switched form liquid to pencil as it just gives a softer effect than a harsh black line. My particular favorites are the Urban Decay 24/7 Pencils as they are just so creamy but have a good staying power. I also love the colour range that they come in, it has to be one of the most expansive! I'm currently using Oil Slick and even thought it has the glitter in I still use it in the day as it can create a softer smokey look rather than a solid black line. I have included a picture bellow oh how thick of faint you can make it which is why pencil has become in vogue due to a softer look needed in summer.




While being rather boring and minimal over the summer months i'm looking forward to seeing the new pallets and kits launching for Christmas!

p.s Congratulation if you stayed with me this far!

Have a good weekend 

Thursday 3 October 2013

Hello October....A shrine to all things Autumn



Hello, October

October has to be the best month in the whole of the year (not least because it's my birthday). There are so many things to love about it the leaves changing, the chill in the air, the excuse to wrap up warm buried under a blanket snuggled on the sofa with a good book or movie with a fire and scented candle going. I am a self-confessed  winter baby I even don't mind the rain.  
This post has no particular point other than to capture the things I love most about this picturesque time of year. 



What do you love most about this time of the year? Also autumn  scented candle suggestions welcome!!

Happy October everybody

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