Nars Deep Throat

Nars Deep Throat £20.50

heavily swatched

My first Nars purchase...yes I am a bit late on the bandwaggon.

Nars are pretty famous for their blushers and bronzers, I chose Deep Throat (Nars are also pretty famous for their risque names) which is a beautiful light pinky/peach with a slight gold shimmer. It has been described as Orgasm's toned down sister, which is perfect for me...whilst Orgasm is a beautiful blush I don't actively welcome strong pinky/red tones on my cheeks (I'm more a shimmer girl) Deep Throat provides a beautiful wash of colour which is pretty and flattering.

The powder is finely milled and the colour is quite light but easily buildable and well suited to my pale skin. This is a great everyday blush, it looks very natural and has become my go to blusher since I purchased it. At £20.50 it's not particularly cheap but it's good quality, long lasting and very pretty. The only complaint would be the packaging, whilst it looks good and is very sturdy (and comes with a good sized mirror) the black packaging is a magnet for grubby fingerprints.

L'Oreal Colour Infallible Eye Shadows

L'oreal Colour Infallible Eyeshadow, £6.99 each

'L’Oréal Paris unveils its latest eye shadow.Ultra-intense colour, 

up to 24 hour hold and velvety soft feel.'

These little pots have been doing the rounds recently, being a bit of a magpie for shiny things I picked a couple of them up myself. Normally retailing at £6.99 each, Boots and Superdrug have both currently got them on offer for £3.99 which makes them very purse friendly. My local stores don't stock a very good selection of colours but these two gold shades caught my eye.

The first shade Bronze Divine is a rich antique gold colour, I feel the deep gold tones would suit any eye colour but would look particularly beautiful on blue/green eyes.

The second shade is a lighter toned gold called Sahara Treasure, I like to sweep this one all over my eyelid for neutral sparkly eyes. Now onto the swatches:

Without flash

With flash

As you can see these are rich, heavily pigmented and ultra shimmery shadows. I would say they are more suited to night time wear, for me that are just that bit too sparkly for the day.

The packaging is good, the little pots are sleek and come with a black compactor tool so you can compress the eyeshadow meaning the product doesn't fly everywhere like other loose pigments *cough* Barry M *cough*.

The consistency of these shadows is pretty unique, they are actually loose powder yet have a really velvety, smooth and creamy texture, I find it is best to apply this product using fingers and then use a brush to blend out the colour.

These shadows have fantastic staying power and L'oreal states they last a whole 24 hours, whilst I haven't put that claim to the test I have been impressed with how long wearing they are. These shadows are also waterproof, so I'm thinking they could be the perfect eyeshadow for a night out: shimmery, heavily pigmented and hard wearing! For such a great price these are really worth trying out and I think L'oreal have come up with something pretty special here.

Une Skin Glow Pencil

Une Skin Glow Pencil in GO2, £6.99

'A soft texture, easy to blend, for concealing small imperfections and creating halos of light. Fresh and luminous shades, perfectly suited to all complexions. Skin is subtly sculpted and illuminated.'

Une answered my quest for a drugstore nude eye pencil with their Skin Glow pencil. I'm not a massive lover of Une, whilst I appreciate is is the younger, more natural sister of Bourjois, I find the range hard to shop, the packaging is so white and minimalist and all the products seem to look the same.

I grabbed this pencil in shade GO2 which was the lightest I could find (the stand was a bit of a mess) and seems to be a pretty good match to my skin tone. Further research has uncovered that there are actually 4 shades in the range, GO2 is the second lightest. The pencil is priced at £6.99 which is in keeping with the brand's pricing, although I would say it is priced slightly higher than average for a drugstore brand. 

Onto the review: the pencil has a creamy, blendable formula which makes it great for applying to the skin i.e. to highlight the inner corner of the eye of the cupid's bow. It has a very slight dewy look once blended but in all honesty it's barely noticeable on the skin and doesn't seem to last long. I have attempted to use this product to cover imperfections and it does a pretty mediocre job, it's not fantastic for covering redness and it definitely doesn't match up to a proper concealer.

I primarily wanted this pencil for lining the rims of my eyes but I think the formula is too soft and creamy for this and it tends to glide off my waterline very quickly and very easily. Overall I think this pencil is more suited to using as a skin highlighter rather than on the eyes, although the 'glow' effect isn't that noticeable. My search for a decent nude pencil eyeliner continues.

Look Nail Polish

I've been really impressed with the relatively new Look Make Up range, not only have the products received rave reviews from bloggers but the packaging is very cute and the range of nail polish colours is amazing! Unfortunately my local Superdrug doesn't stock the range (boo) but on a recent shopping trip to a bigger store I managed to pick up three nail polishes.

From L to R: Kimono, Hotpants and Vintage, £5 each

The nail polishes or 'nail pops' are a good size and priced at £5 for 10 ml. I know I'm not the only one who wishes Superdrug wouldn't plaster the products with those ugly security stickers, not pretty Superdrug..not pretty! Rant over and onto the swatches:

Vintage

Vintage is such a beautiful shade and I think it's my favourite out of the three. The colour is a gorgeous light blue which looks pretty and fresh worn on the nails. The formula is good and gives an even coverage, drying to a polished, glossy finish. I think this is a really lovely shade for Spring and I'm keen to wear this on my nails again soon.

Kimono

I bought this shade because it resembles a certain Peridot by Chanel. As you can see from the photographs it looks different depending on the lighting, changing from golden green to a shimmering bronzed colour. This is such an interesting nail polish to wear and given that I don't own a green polish I felt it deserved a place in my collection. This is a great polish to buy if you love the look of Peridot but don't want to pay Chanel prices.

Hotpants

Hotpants (love the name!) was my final nail polish purchase, I own nothing similar and really loved the gorgeous bronze colour of this polish. I find both Kimono and Hotpants dry quickly and look beautiful after just one coat (although I always apply two) the finish is shimmery and catches the light beautifully. I think this makes a great everyday colour and the bronze shade goes with anything.

I am keen to try out other products from the Look range especially as I've heard great things about the eyeshadows, blushers and mascara. One thing I am disappointed about is that I can't seem to find a website for the range, also it doesn't seem to be available on the Superdrug website although they do have a facebook page. I really hope the range becomes available online soon as I would love to browse/buy online.

Collection 2000 Big Fake False Lash Effect Mascara

Collection 2000 Big Fake False Lash Effect Mascara, £4.99

'New Collection 2000 Big Fake False Lash Effect Mascara is set to re-create the false lash look with the mere wave of a wand. Achieve phenomenal length and volume!' 

I tend to favour Max Factor mascaras but the Collection 2000 Big Fake mascara received so many glowing reviews I couldn't resist trying it out, afterall £4.99 is a small price to pay for big lashes.

The wand of this mascara is huuuge! My picture doesn't show just how big it is, but it's along the lines of the Revlon Grow Luscious mascara wand. I know a lot of people love big mascara wands but I'm not a fan, I prefer smaller wands which make it easier to apply mascara to the base of my lashes and give me more control over my mascara application. I find this brush a bit too big to work with and on application normally end up getting dots of mascara above/below my lashes or poking myself in the eye.

Now I'm not one for posting picture of myself on my blog, but I feel mascara is something you need to see on the eyes to judge how good it is, so here is a little before and after shot for you (please excuse my total lack of eye make up!):

Before

After 2 coats

Now, please bear in mind that the results could probably be improved by the use of an eyelash curler, unfortunately mine has gone missing! Overall, the result is....ok, it definitely doesn't live up to the hype and I think my beloved Max Factor mascaras do a far better job of lengthening my lashes and creating volume. I also tend to find Big Fake mascara leaves huge black smudges below my eyes after a few hours wear.

All in all this mascara is pretty mediocre, for me the wand is far too big and the effect achieved is not as good as that given by other mascaras out there. It's not a bad mascara for the price but I wouldn't repurchase and it's definitely not one I reach for very often.

Freshly Painted: 17 Magnetized Nail Polish in Teal

17 Magnetized Nail Polish in Teal, £5.99, Boots

I did indeed jump on the magnetized bandwagon and opted to buy one of the cheapest versions out there by 17, I've actually had this polish for quite a while but have never gotten round to posting about it before. My colour of choice was Teal, I don't think any of the colours in 17's limited range of magnetic polishes are that amazing, they are all murky shades due to the metal particles in the polish.

To use, you paint the polish onto your nails - one coat is probably enough but I use two- you then hover the cap over your nail to create a magnetized effect, I tend to hold the magnet for around 15-20 seconds per nail. The magnet gives nails a rippled effect which is pretty enough but I'm not totally in love with it. As with other 'gimmicky' nail polishes I find I receive a tonne of compliments/comments when I wear this on my nails, it is a very unique look after all!

For 17 this is a pretty expensive nail polish, however as a magnetized polish it works really well and I don't see the need to spend more money on higher priced versions of magnetized polish, such as those by Nails Inc. All in all if you like the magnetized look then 17 is probably the best value magnetized polish you can buy!

La Roche-Posay Mattifying Moisturiser

La Roche-Posay Effaclar M Mattifying Moisturiser 40ml, £13.50

'Smooth and matte, the skin is intensely moisturised. Day after day, the pores are tightened and the skin recovers its balance'

I had noticed that my Clean & Clear brightening moisturiser (see post here) had been making my face look shiny and greasy mid way through the day and I had begun to rely heavily on face powder, step in La Roche-Posay Mattifying Moisturiser. I remembered reading about this on Lollipop26's original beauty blog (how I wish it was still open to read!) and was really keen to try it out. Having never tested a mattifying moisturiser before I was interested to see how well it worked.

La Roche-Posay is a lovely brand of skincare, I haven't used a great deal of their products but being on the more expensive side I like to believe they are good quality. La Roche-Posay has a focus on dermo-cosmetic products and the branding looks quite clinical in my opinion, like something you would be prescribed by a Doctor. 

The moisturiser itself is a cloudy gel like substance, when I first rubbed it into the skin I was surprised to feel a very faint stinging sensation, I guess this is because the range is formulated for oily/acne prone skin and is therefore medicated in some way? I don't notice the sting anymore and it really was very mild, nothing that would put me off using the product, I am however quite careful to avoid putting this product around my eyes!

The product does a good job of mattifying the skin, I tend to wear 'dewy look' foundations which produce oil on the skin and this moisturiser does a fab job of regulating that oil. I would even be confident enough to wear this with no finishing powder - a break through as before I would never leave the house without using a setting powder for fear of an oil slick appear around my nose come lunchtime! I have tested this product out over the last few weeks and am pleased to report that it does a brilliant job of not only keeping my skin moisturised, but also keeping it looking matte/less oily the whole day. I tried to photograph the matte effect on my skin, however the picture didn't come out well hence the swatch on my hand above.

The product is priced at £13.50 for a 40ml bottle which is in line with the brand's pricing, but be warned the bottle is pretty small! I am happy with the results of this product and am using it alongside my foundation as part of my daily routine. I have spot proned skin and this moisturiser does a good job of helping to regulate the oil produced whilst (hopefully) keeping spots at bay. I like the fact this product produces a matte effect without drying out my skin, instead it keeps it hydrated and moisturised. If you suffer with oily skin I would recommend this product to you, my skin is also pretty sensitive and this moisturiser is fine for me, however those with extra sensitive skin may find this product a little harsh.

Lily Flame Candles

Lily Flame Candle, £8.50

Spread a little Sunshine!

I have admired Lily Flame Candles from afar for quite some time now, so I was overjoyed to receive my first one as a Christmas present from one of my lovely friend's. I think these candles are gorgeous, each and every one smell divine - trust me I once spent an afternoon in John Lewis smelling them all! They are packaged in cute coloured tins and given lovely names.

My friend chose Smile for me, which is a really nice sentiment and was such a lovely gift to receive! The smell is sweet and uplifting, it smells juicy and carries a raspberry scent. Yum!

The inside of the tin is equally as pretty as the outside, the candle is studded with lumps of jewel coloured wax which smell fabulous. The tin states the burning time is 30 to 35 hours, I haven't burnt mine for that long so I can't comment on this, but the candle is a pretty decent size and I imagine it has quite a lengthy burn time.

The candle is priced at £8.50 which I don't think is particularly cheap however I wouldn't begrudge paying that price as I think these candles are high quality and make ideal gifts. Lily Flame candles are handmade in England, although the company seems to be pretty low key with not much more than a website - I can't seem to find them on Twitter. Lily Flame candles are stocked in both John Lewis and Waitrose and I have also found them in a local gift shop. 

My other favourite Lily Flame scents (from my afternoon in John Lewis) include: Coconut Grove, Gardenia, Comfort and Joy and Festive Cheer (for Christmas). I will definitely add a few more to my collection as they all smell gorgeous and I might also purchase a few as gifts for friends.

Essie Van D'Go

Essie Van D'Go, £9.50

I have been on a bit of a nail varnish spree recently and as a result have quite a few shades to blog about! First up is Essie Van D'Go which has been on my wishlist (on the left hand side of this blog) for sometime now. I snagged it during an Asos sale where i paid £6 for it (normal price £9.50).

This polish is a very girly colour it's a milky, peachy, pink (more peach than pink) when I first applied it I was pretty shocked at how milky it was, my first thought was that it was so white based it resembled peach coloured tippex! Some people have commented on how it has a slight neon quality, I'm not sure I would agree but it's definitely a bright, creamy, salmon pink shade! I also find this polish looks different in certain lights, in brighter light it looks pinker whereas in dim light it seems more peachy/corally.

It took 3 coats to achieve a good finish and I found it slightly patchy on application, the brush head is really thin and in all honesty a bit rubbish which surprised me as Essie is a pretty expensive nail polish brand. Overall, I really like this shade, it's different from any other colour I own and would be great to wear during summer, especially as the peachy tone makes my skin look a little bit tanned! :)

VO5 Miracle Concentrate

VO5 Miracle Concentrate Elixir with Argan Oil, £4.99

Ok, so I'm a bit late on the bandwagon with this one! I have pretty fine, limp hair with oily roots which means I'm not someone who is in dire need of a hair oil, nevertheless I decided I wanted to try one to see what all the hype was about. After scoping out a couple of the most popular (and blogged about) oils I decided to try the VO5 Miracle Concentrate Elixir as it has a very low price point (no point shelling out a fortune on Morrocan Oil when in all honesty I don't really need a hair oil) and can often be found on offer at Boots/Superdrug, I can't remember exactly how much I paid for this but it wasn't full price. 

I mainly use this oil on damp hair, to apply I use the dropper dispenser to pop a few drops between my palms and rub on the ends and mid section of my hair, I have on a couple of frizzy occasions used this product on dry hair, the tiniest amount helps tame flyaways and gives hair a sleeker appearance. The oil is pretty light in consistency and not overly greasy but I wouldn't advise applying a hair oil anywhere near your roots!

The smell is lovely and the product contains Argan oil and Vitamin E designed to deeply nourish and condition your hair. I have been using this product for the last few weeks, I can't say I notice a whole lot of difference but then my hair is naturally pretty sleek and straight anyway, instead I like to think by using this oil I'm going someway to keeping my ends hydrated and my hair looking in good condition. One thing I would say is that I think it reduces the drying time of my hair, which is a bit of a godsend when I'm running late for work!

For me this isn't a wonder product and I could very easily live without it, my hair type just doesn't need a hair oil, however I can see it working very well for people with coarse or frizzy hair. It is priced very well and the 50ml bottle will last you a long time. On a side note, I have tried using this oil on rough, dry skin such as my elbows and knees and it does a great job of softening and moisturising the skin! 

Barry M Croc Nail Effect

Barry M Croc Nail Effect, £3.99

Another nail post...but I've been wanting to talk about this product for ages!! If my memory serves me correctly it was released in November and naturally I immediately rushed out to buy it. I'm not a fan of the regular crackle polishes, I have never bought one and I have no desire to give my nails the 'shattered' look, 'croc' effect on the other hand, now that's something that floats my boat and in my opinion is a grown up version of crackle polish.

It works exactly the same way as a shatter polish in the sense that you paint your nails with a basecoat (I always pair croc effect with a gold polish, as seen on the bottle cap), when the base coat is tacky you apply the croc effect and watch the crocodile skin effect appear. In my experience you only need a very thin layer of the croc effect polish, a thicker layer tends to result in bigger cracks and the crocodile effect is slightly lost - as seen on my middle finger in the above photo.

I have included this picture for no reason other than the
fact I was really impressed with how my thumbnail
turned out!

When applied well I adore the look of this polish, it is a really interesting nail effect and I always get tonnes of compliments/people asking me about my nails when I wear it. I have to say the effect looks a lot better in real life, my pics don't do it justice! As with all Barry M polishes it is reasonably priced at £3.99 and can be bought from the Barry M website as well as Boots and Superdrug.

I Love...

I Love...Coconut & Cream Nourishing Body Butter, £1.99, Superdrug

"Escape to paradise; an exotic explosion as my tropical cocktail of sweet

 coconut and velvety cream aromas leave you drifting away to your very

 own idyllic beach hideaway!"

I had never heard of the brand I Love... until I found this baby in my Christmas stocking. I have bored you all to death on numerous past occasions with the fact that coconut is one of my favourite scents and when coupled with cream I was guessing that this couldn't smell anything other than divine. I was wrong, it smells even better! Kind of a creamy coconut meets cookie dough meets vanilla vibe going on, I wish blogger had a scratch and sniff function because I would love you all to smell this!

The cream itself is lovely and rich and absorbs easily into the skin without leaving a greasy film, the scent lingers lightly on the skin and is not overpowering. With a combination of coconut oil and shea butter my skin felt well hydrated and lovely and soft after use.

The pot contains 200ml of moisturiser and due to the thickness of the cream I can see it lasting a while. When researching for this post I discovered it only costs £1.99 which is a bit of a bargain in my eyes and the brand is sold at Superdrug as well as selected supermarkets. This cream makes a fantastic budget body butter and I am really enjoying using it at the moment!

Freshly Painted: Nails Inc London

Nails Inc 'London' Diet Coke collaboration

With work looming tomorrow (after a 2 week break!) the glittery New Year's nails had to come off.

Tomorrow I am starting a new job, something which I am hugely excited about. Wanting to look somewhat professional I began my search for the perfect nail polish in my collection, I wanted something neutral and unoffensive (my plan is to slowly introduce brighter colours, and perhaps even glitter!!). Nails Inc London seemed to satisfy all my demands, it's a nude/taupe colour which looks pretty yet understated. This is such a great colour and unfortunately my bottle is starting to look slightly old and crusty, any chance of re-releasing this with another Diet Coke collaboration?!

Happy New Year!

bbc

I'd just like to take the opportunity to wish everyone a happy and healthy 2012! My New Year's celebrations were very low key, but I enjoyed watching the spectacular London fireworks on TV, they kind of made me feel excited for the Olympics later on in the year (that probably makes me a bit sad!!) . I hope you all had a fantastic time ringing in the New Year and aren't feeling too worse for wear today!

Weheartit

On another note, today celebrates the first birthday of my blog and I'd like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has followed, commented and supported my blog for the last year, it really means a lot! When I started my blog a year ago, I wasn't sure how long it would last but I have really enjoyed testing products, writing blog posts and keeping up to date with the blogging community on twitter. I've met some really wonderful people this past year and discovered some amazing blogs, I hope 2012 brings more of the same!