Tuesday 31 May 2011

Naked: Heaven Scent Rose Body Wash

Naked: Rose Body Wash £3.79 Boots
'Gorgeous oils produce an aroma so addictive you'll want to eat it and the extracts in here are bursting with anti-oxidants to help protect and soothe skin. This body wash is heaven on earth, so wake up and smell the roses (they were picked before dawn, after all).'

I have heard countless good things about the Naked brand, so I decided it was time to try it out for myself. My small-ish Boots only carries three Naked lines/flavours, the other two being Starflower and Coco de Mer products. I chose the Rose Body Wash as I  absolutely love the smell of roses - so feminine and girly.

Naked products are 97% natural and free from SLS, Parabens and other nasties. I have to say there is something quite satisfying about using a product which is relatively natural, compared to all the other chemical filled products out there. This product is reasonably priced at £3.79 for 250ml (£3.99 on the Naked website) and when you consider this costs the same amount as any other body wash it makes sense to buy a more natural product.

This body wash produces an adequate lather using a bath puff, the foam produced probably isn't as good as products containing Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, however this product does not dry my skin out in the way that many other (chemically filled) products do. I have also noticed that after using this my skin feels lovely and soft.

The best part of this product for me is the scent, it smells just like Turkish Delight - gorgeous! If you like the smell of rose then I'm pretty sure you will love this. Sadly I don't find the scent lingers on my skin post bath which is pretty disappointing.

I would definitely recommend this product and the Naked brand. After using the Rose Body Wash I would love to try out some of their other products, the full range is available on the Naked website and Boots also carry selected lines.

Tuesday 24 May 2011

Freshly Painted - Bourjois Ultra Shine Nail Enamel in Rose Lounge

Bourjois So Laque Ultra Shine Nail Enamel in Rose Lounge £5.99

Hello, I am one of those exceptionally sad people who purchased this mainly because it was included in Kate Middleton's wedding day manicure - along with Essie Allure. In my defence I was inspired by Kate's nude polish, and on the day of the wedding (thinking I had a similar colour available) I went to paint my nails only to find that I must have imagined owning a similar shade as I had no standard french manicure colour in my collection. So, on my next Superdrug run I had a 'sod it' moment and decided to purchase the Bourjois shade. Incidentally, I notice Bourjois are now cashing in on this royal connection and both the website and Bourjois stands are advertising Rose Lounge as Kate's nail polish of choice, even more interestingly when I visited Boots today this shade was completely sold out..... maybe it was good idea to get my hands on it early.

The shade is lovely, it's a very classic pale pink/french manicure colour, perfect for giving a put together, polished look, to me this is a staple nail polish colour and a safe option. I can't be certain as I know Bourjois have revamped their So Laque range but I think I owned this shade, or a very similar one, a few years ago. The formula is the same as I remember and whilst the polish gives a lovely shiny finish it is quite gloopy and seems to take an absolute age to dry properly....needless to say there were smudges!!

Monday 23 May 2011

Beauty UK Earth Child Palette




Beauty UK Palette No 4 £3.99 Superdrug

'Make a fresh statement everyday with our best selling 10 eye shadow combo palettes - as featured in Vogue.'

I fell in love with the khaki, earthy colours of this palette, my first purchase from the Beauty UK brand. For the very small sum of £3.99 you get 10 pigmented eyeshadows each approximately the size of a 5 pence piece. 

The packaging is functional, the clear top makes the shades easy to see at a glance and whilst it's not particularly flimsy I am hoping I don't break the plastic lid during one of my butterfinger moments - I do love to drop my make up on the floor! 

The palette is pretty dinky in size which makes it ultra portable - very handy when you consider the shades in this palette make it perfect day-to-night make up, I would probably take this palette with me if I was going out straight from work as it is the right size to chuck in your handbag.

Top Row

Bottom Row

The colours featured in this palette are gorgeous and compliment each other beautifully, the browns and creams are ideal for creating a neutral look, whereas the greys and black are perfect for a smoky eye. My favourite shades are the two grey/silver colours (second from left on top row, second from left on bottom row) which look stunning when worn together. 

Impressively, the eyeshadows featured in this palette last on my eyelids all day with minimal creasing, but what I am most impressed with is the lack of fallout (I always expect bad fallout with cheaper shadows!) when using this product I have only experienced the teeniest amount of fallout....which makes the hurried morning make up routine that bit easier.

The texture of these eyeshadows are lovely, they feel velvety and smooth and the majority of them have a beautiful shimmery finish which looks elegant when worn on the eye rather than a big glittery mess. The shadows are easy to apply, blend out nicely and the pigmentation is good - what more could you want for under £4? I am so impressed with this palette and am currently reaching for it everyday, for the price the quality is superb and I will definitely be checking out the other products in the Beauty UK range.

Sunday 22 May 2011

Lush American Cream Conditioner


'Sweet, fruity shake. The scent of honey, vanilla, strawberries and oranges is so sexy and sweet that dates can't stay away.'

I received a bottle of this Lush conditioner for Christmas, which is rather handy as it verges on the more expensive side of haircare with a 250g bottle costing £7.99. First thing to note with this conditioner is the smell, I generally expect all Lush products to smell fabulous - I can't quite place exactly what this smells of, my take is that it's a real musky, perfumey (I think I just made that word up), vanillary (and again) smell with hints of citrus and strawberry. Initially I wasn't that sure about the scent but I have really grown to like it, and best of all after using this conditioner the smell lingers on your hair for ages....it's so nice to get unexpected wafts of your fabulous smelling hair throughout the day.

The consistency of the conditioner is pretty average, it's not thick but it still feels moisturising when poured into your hand. I have fine, quite limp hair, I find that this conditioner is pretty moisturising on me and leaves my hair feeling coated.....despite thoroughly rinsing. Having said that I don't think it weighs my hair down too much and I tend to reach for this when I feel like my hair needs a more intense conditioning, for me this is not an everyday conditioner. 

Overall I find this product distinctly average, the smell is nice but the product does not seem to be that suited to my hair type. I will definitely make my way through the bottle, however I would not repurchase this conditioner as the results are not good enough to justify the price.

Saturday 21 May 2011

Superdrug Beautycard



As you probably know, Superdrug have recently launched their answer to the Boots Advantage Card. The Superdrug Beautycard works in the same way as the Boots version, where you earn points for spending in store and online, you can then use these points to purchase products in store.

I picked my Beautycard up last weekend, it has a mirror on the front which is slightly gimmicky but who knows...maybe it will come in handy one day?

Pros:

* You can earn points on Superdrug purchases to spend on other products in store.

* In store promotions and offers where you can earn more points.

* Exclusive email offers sent to you and special 'Beautycard perks' when you register your card.

* With the Beautycard, you can pay using a mixture of points and cash...something the Advantage Card does not allow.

Cons:

* It's not as good as the Advantage card! The Boots version earns you 4 points for every £1 you spend, the Superdrug version only gives you 1 point per £1 spent, at that rate you would have to spend £100 in store just to earn a measly £1 in points!

I generally buy products from Boots (unless they are Superdrug own brands such as Sleek or Gosh) mainly because I like earning Advantage Card points. Superdrug's Beautycard isn't a strong enough competitor to the Advantage card as the points are a bit on the stingy side. However, it is nice to have a Superdrug alternative and if you are a Superdrug shopper it would be worth picking up a Beautycard....some points are better than no points!

Tuesday 10 May 2011

17 Mirror Shine On Lipsticks

From L to R: Hollywood, Peace, Beehive and Belle £4.59 - Boots

'Containing the perfect combination of pigment and micro pearls, it cleverly reflects the light to create the optical illusion of fuller lips and gives a super sheer, wet-look finish.'

I absolutely adore the 17 Mirror Shine On lipsticks, they fall somewhere between a lipstick and a lip gloss which is perfect for someone like me who's put off at the thought of wearing a bright lipstick. In total there are 10 colours in the range, I have already purchased four of them.

My first purchase was Peace, a vibrant hot pink colour. When applied this product gives the lips a lovely punchy pink colour, making it a fresher alternative to a red lip. This colour screams summer to me, and would look lovely paired with sunkissed skin and freckles.

My next purchase from the range was Hollywood, a classic red shade. This product is ideal for those of us who aren't brave enough to wear a proper red lipstick, as the glossiness gives it a more relaxed, younger feel...although the colour is still pretty vibrant!

Beehive is a perfect nude colour. I'm not a massive fan of nude lip shades, mainly because bleached out lips don't work with my skin tone......I bough Gosh Darling a purchase which turned out to be a huuuge mistake - it looks horrendous on me! Beehive on the other hand is a subtle pinky/nude tone which doesn't wash me out and looks natural.

Out of the four 17 Mirror Shine On lipsticks I own, Belle is my absolute favourite, in fact it is probably my favourite lip product (aside from my trusty Carmex) full stop. I know this because I have purchased this lipstick twice - the first one disappeared into the abyss that is one of my handbags... never to be seen again. This is a my lips but better kind of shade, it's not as nude as Beehive and not as bold as Peace or Hollywood, it really is a perfect natural pink colour and I wear it pretty much everyday for work.

From L to R: Belle, Beehive, Peace and Hollywood

The formula of these lipsticks is pretty nice, they aren't ultra moisturising but I don't find them particularly drying either. I really like the fact that they aren't as sticky as a normal lip gloss, in fact they feel like a slightly heavier lip balm. It has to be said these lipsticks don't have the best staying power, whilst the colour doesn't slide off your lips instantly, touch ups are required! Given that these lipstick are such a great price (only £4.59) I don't think this is too much of a problem, and due to the nature of the formula I would feel comfortable applying these lipsticks (particularly the lighter colours) without the use of a mirror.

These lipsticks come in a sassy bright blue tube, which is handy as the colour makes them easy to locate in the depths of a handbag. I haven't really had any problem with the packaging, with the exception of Peace - the lid seems too big and continuously slides off....not ideal to have an open lipstick rolling around in your handbag. Other than that these are great value for money and would provide a perfect introduction into the world of lipsticks.

Monday 9 May 2011

Lauren Conrad

I have been a big fan of Lauren Conrad ever since The Hills. I think she is super gorgeous and I really love her sense of style. I have also become a fan of the relatively new beauty website The Beauty Department, a collaboration between Lauren Conrad, Amy Nadine and Kristen Ess. TBD is a very pretty website containing loads of lovely photos, tutorials and beauty advice, definitely worth a peek!


I also recently purchased her book Style which is a very cute coffee table book. Don't buy expecting any ground-breaking fashion or beauty advice, it's all pretty 'pedestrian' (as Lollipop26 would say) but I found it an interesting read and the photos are gorgeous....it's nice to get a sneak peak into a celebrity's beauty routine!







Sunday 8 May 2011

Freshly Painted - Revlon Blue Lagoon

Revlon Blue Lagoon £6.29 - Boots

I had wanted to try a baby blue shade of nail polish for ages, being a big fan of Revlon nail polishes I was excited to try out Blue Lagoon, from Revlon's Spring/Summer 2011 collection. Unfortunately it turned out to be a massive disappointment! 

The colour is beautiful, it's a light baby blue with a silver shimmer running through it, whilst it does look pretty on the nails, I definitely prefer the colour in the bottle. What I am most disappointed with is the consistency, it's not like any other Revlon nail polish I've applied. The picture above is actually my second attempt at applying it to my nails (the first was so awful I had to remove it immediately), this nail polish is a total nightmare to apply!! It is very streaky and took a good three coats to become opaque... I must be pretty impatient as two coats seems to be my limit when it comes to applying nail polish! 

The next thing I really hate about this polish is the shimmer, whilst it looks gorgeous in the bottle (think mermaid-esque) the sparkles in the polish are actually really gritty and leave my nails with a rough looking surface. I love my nails to look smooth and shiny, so bumpy, pitted looking nails just don't work for me! It may be possible to smooth out the surface of the nail by using a top coat...but after applying and waiting for three coats of nail polish to dry, I couldn't be bothered to apply one.

Whilst I love a variety of nail polishes, Revlon have become my go-to brand but I am really disappointed with this polish. It looks so beautiful in the bottle, but doesn't seem to translate well to nails. Revlon polishes are slightly pricier than many other 'drugstore' brands, so I am pretty frustrated I wasted my money on this polish, when I could have got better results from a cheaper product!

Tuesday 3 May 2011

Lipstick Tag

Revlon Fire and Ice

I was tagged by Samantha at The Beauty Diaries, I would urge everyone to go and check out her blog as she only uses products which have not been tested on animals. Also, check out this post by Jess from Star Violet which includes a link to a petition you can sign to stop animal testing.

1. When you were a child, did you use your mother's lipsticks?

Yes all the time, I used to love smearing them all around my face, she was pretty good at hiding them though, so if I couldn't get hold of a lipstick I'd spray some of her perfume or have a good root through her jewellery box.

2. How old were you when you bought your first lipstick?

I think I was about 14 and I bought it whilst on holiday in America. It was a L'oreal lipstick - a pinky/brown shade with a creamy, lipglossy type formula. I could be wrong but I think it was called Bubblicious...or something along those lines.

3. Pink or red lipstick?

I'm going to go with red....it's such a classic! Although pink lipstick is very pretty too!

4. The most expensive lipstick you have ever bought?

Bold lipstick frightens me so my lipstick collection is pretty small and limited to drugstore brands. I would definitely like to add a YSL Rouge Volupte to my collection though, so watch this space. If you want to talk expensive then let's talk eyeshadow, that's where most of my money seems to go!

5. And the cheapest?

Probably my 17 Mirror Shine On ones (blog post on them coming soon!) which also happen to be my favourite! Kind of a lip gloss meets lipstick.

6. What's the most bizarre thing you have ever done with a lipstick?

I've taken a bite out of one.....I remember it being very greasy! This was around the age I was playing with my mum's make up. Other than that I've drawn with one and written down a phone message using a lipstick, as I didn't have a pen to hand!

7. If you had to recommend a lipstick, which brand would you recommend and why?

A red Chanel lipstick is a purchase I'd like to make in the future...such a classic. Other than that I love Revlon, especially their retro shades, Fire and Ice is a beautiful shade of red and I am determined to wear Cherries in the Snow out in public one day!!

Thank you to The Beauty Diaries for tagging me! If you want to do this tag then please do I would love to read some responses!! x

Monday 2 May 2011

Bourjois Bronzing Powder



mmm....chocolate!

Swatched (quite heavily) 

'Its subtly iridescent formula enriched with flecks of golds gives a radiant but non shiny glow. Its delicious chocolate perfume and ultra soft texture will make you melt with pleasure!'

Summer sunshine makes me want to break out the bronzer, this Bourjois version has been around for a while so I decided to try it out. I opted for the lighter version (shade 51 - although I think there is a lighter, highlighter powder in the range) as I am as pale as a really pale thing! 

I think the packaging is very sweet, it comes in a cardboard case with the bronzer made to look like squares of chocolate. Seeing as the outer casing is cardboard and the lid is held down by magnets this is perhaps not a product to just chuck in your bag!

Much has been made of the scent of the product, it definitely has a gorgeous smell and to me smells like cocoa butter, mixed with vanilla and the coconutty scent of sun cream (three of my favourite smells!). I only really notice the scent in the pan... I realise it is impossible to smell your own face but the scent is not something I have ever noticed after application.

What I like most about this product is the simplicity of the colour, it is not full of shimmer it's a very straightforward matte bronzer which can be used to contour or bronze....kind of one of those does what it says on the tin type products. The colour  is a lovely bronzed shade which doesn't look too orange or brown on my skin, the powder itself is very fine and light so it is easily buildable. The only downside to the product is the tiny chunks of glitter found in the bronzer, described by Bourjois as 'glints of sunshine'. I am not a fan of glitter as I feel it often cheapens the look of a product, luckily I have only ever noticed the glitter in the pan and this bronzer does not leave my face looking like a big glittery mess. 

This bronzer is priced at £6.99, which although not particularly cheap, is pretty in keeping with Bourjois pricing. I'd say you get a standard amount of product for your money (16.5g) but the colour is pretty pigmented so you only need to use a small bit to achieve a natural effect. Also, I find this colour pretty long lasting, and never bother to reapply throughout the day.

Sunday 1 May 2011

May 1st






Happy May day! I think this weekend is the first time I have realised that summer is pretty much here, the sun is shining, the trees have leaves and the flowers are in bloom. I just wanted to post a few photos I have snapped as I have a serious obsession with photographing flowers! Hope you're all enjoying a lovely and relaxing weekend. x

Topshop Metallic Nail Polishes


From L to R Heart of Gold, Starlight, Moonshine £6.00 each Topshop

I came across this lovely trio whilst browsing the Topshop website, the blurb states these three limited edition polishes have been released to celebrate the 1st birthday of Topshop Make Up. I was really impressed with the gold colour in the Zealous duo from the Sandstorm collection (see here) and I have high hopes for these metallic shades. I currently don't own a single Topshop nail polish, I think this is something I will have to change asap as there are some very pretty colours available, perhaps I will start with one of these.