Facial tanners

Normally when I fake tan, I just use the same on my face as I do on my body. I’d never considered using a separate lotion for my face but I have been recently using Boots Soltan self tan Face cream and have been pleasantly surprised.

(sorry for the stock image, I’m not very well and have no idea where my camera is!)

This product comes in a squeezy tube, and is very easy to control the amount of product. It’s a thin lotion, that dries quickly but also keeps my skin feeling moisturised. The colour is light and natural, and takes the edge of my pasty face. There’s no fake tan smell, even on drying, which is great news for my other half- he hates me smelling of biscuits when he leans in for a kiss.

As well as using this on my face, I have found it completely solves my fake tan hands and feet problems. The colour is so light that I can completely cover my hands in it, and it doesn’t leave me with orange palms or white stripes. The same goes for my feet- no more orange heels and white toes.

For solving my dilemma- I am now a facial tanner convert.

Boots Soltan self tan face cream now has a third off in Boots so it’s a bargainous £4.66!

PR Sample. This product was sent to me to review but as always, this is my honest opinion

Currently loving..

I hate writing foundation reviews, I’m really bad at describing them but I hadn’t read many reviews of this one. I got in on offer in Boots whilst trying and failing to be Boujois Healthy Mix (they’d sold out of my shade) but I’m pleased I did.

The product-Maxfactor Xperience Weightless foundation

How much was it? £9.99 but was on offer for about £7

Where can you buy it? Boots- in store or online, Superdrug

What they say- Luxurious flawless skin - does that mean a thick, full coverage foundation? Not with our new Xperience Foundation. Its weightless formula challenges the look and feel of traditional full coverage bases. It's breakthrough, luxurious formula, which contains natural jojoba, gives luxurious coverage with a surprisingly air - light feel.

What I say- It certainly feels light, almost like a heavy tinted moisturiser. I’d say it gives medium coverage and normally use it for day rather than night. As a lighter foundation, I find it lasts longer as there’s less for me to rub off. A little goes a long way so the small tube will actually last quite a long time. The squeezy tube is really good for controlling the amount you need and the slim shape makes it easy to take out. It smells different to other foundations too, fresh like a moisturiser rather than powdery.

How do I use it? Squeeze a small amount on my fingers and apply. I don’t need to use a brush with this and it requires hardly any blending. It’s my perfect work foundation as it takes hardly any time to apply.

Would I buy it again? I think I would. It’s held up well in winter and I think it may be my perfect product during the summer when my skin needs more help than tinted moisturiser can give.

Any drawbacks? None so far

Boots Body butter review

I’ve been using this for a few weeks now and I think I’ve formed enough of an opinion to review it.

The product- Boots Coconut & Almond Body Butter

How much was it? £2.99

Where can you buy it? Boots- in store or online

What they say- With extracts of coconut and almond, Boots Ingredients Coconut and Almond Body Butter is specially formulated to moisturise and hydrate your skin leaving it soft and smooth.

What I say- This is fantastic. I’ve got from being a lazy, snake to a smooth moisturiser. I use this after every shower and my skin has never been so soft. The smell is delicious, I may be bias as coconut is my favourite scent but mmmmmmmm. I enjoy the fact that it makes my pjs smell nice and I can smell coconut on my skin for hours after using it. The cream itself is extremely thick, yet it takes no time at all to sink into the skin. The tub is a really good size(200ml) so you get a lot for your money.

How do I use it? I found a generous scoop is best, rather than applying a little at a time. Although I’ve used it frequently for the past few weeks, it looks like it’s still full. I scoop out and rub into my skin. Easy peasy!

Would I buy it again? Absolutely. This gets thumbs up all round; good price, generous size, nice smell and fantasticproduct . There is also a mango and orange blossom one that I’d like to try next.

Any drawbacks? None so far

Lash Blast off!

My most favourite mascara is Covergirl Lashblast. I got some in NY last year and since then, I’ve had people pick me up 3 more as back up.

I was so excited when I heard about Lashblast fusion- an addition to the Lashblast family that promised to lengthen as well as volumize!

I’m actually a little disappointed in fusion. When I directly compared them, I can’t really see a difference from the original Lashblast.

Here’s my bare lashes

Original LashBlast

and LashBlast Fusion

However, both make my lashes look fantastic. I always get asked if I’m wearing falsies when I wear it. It does look a little clumpy, which is what adds to the volume for me, but I’d steer clear if you prefer more natural, feathery lashes.

Covergirl LashBlast and LashBlast fusion are available in the US, from most drugstores. I’ve used the colour Very Black, in both.

No7 LE Summer Collection

This third product is another rave and I’m afraid it’s going to involve a picture of my toes.

PHWOAR! Look at the shine on that polish.  Stay Perfect Nail colour in Sunshine. Weird name for a silver colour, Sunshine definitely conjures up gold in my mind, but never mind.

I didn’t own a silver polish, and with my sunset look already on my fingers, and my pedi looking rather shabby, I slapped it on my toes.

WARNING- TOE PICTURE COMING UP

I was astounded with the quality of this polish. Opaque in ONE coat.  That’s unheard of, for me, for a silver.  It’s usually so sheer, it would take about 5 to get to this.  Non streaky, dried quickly. Just perfect.  The colour is gorgeous too, like molten metal and has a semi matte finish, so it looks very sophisticated, rather than flashy.

The polish costs £7.25 and is also available in another LE colour, Sunny Days, a chocolate brown, until 13th June

No7 LE Summer Collection

Here’s part 2 of my Sun drenched review, I received 4 different products and had different opinions on them so all, so I thought you’d appreciate seperate reviews.

A product I was not so keen on was Sun Drenched lip gloss in Golden Peach.

So this looks beautiful in the pot (I’ll get onto that in a moment) Lovely glossy, peach colour with bits of gold suspended in it.

It goes on the lips and..

Meh

It’s given my lips a moist look but that’s it. I may be slightly biased as I tend to dislike lip gloss anyway, but there’s not much gloss or high shine to this.

I really don’t like pots of lip gloss either. I have long nails and to get lipgloss stuck under them really isn’t nice. It also has no smell or taste whatsoever. I find this really weird and keep sniffing it thinking I might be mistaken. Nope, nada.

The gloss feels quite heavy on, but because it lacks a high shine, it doesn’t have an unbearable sticky feeling. I don’t think my hair would stick to it. It has a reasonable lasting power, nothing special.

This might be a nice product to chuck in a beach bag, and use over the top of an SPF lip balm whilst sunbathing but apart from that, I probably wouldn’t use it.

This costs £10 and is available in Golden Peach and Golden Rum until 13th July.

No7 LE Summer Collection

The No7 summer collection Sun Drenched has been available since 19th May and is taken off shelves on 13th July. The whole collection is aiming for a subtle bronzed glow, rather than an orange fake tan.

I was sent a few bits from the collection and I had mixed thoughts on the products.

Starting with my favourite, the Sculpting bronzer

The packaging is great, very 70’s tortoise shell. The bronzer itself is separated into 4 shades, meaning you can use it for contouring your face or swoosh them together for an all over bronzer. I’ve only used it in the latter way, and I adore it’s glow. More than Nars Laguna (which I have to say, does nothing for me) At £13.50, this is a lot more purse friendly than Nars too. There’s no shimmer to this and gives my pasty skin a lovely, healthy colour.

Admittedly, the hand swatches make it look awful, trust me, I’ve heavily swatched just to show the difference in the 4 colours.

I would thoroughly recommend any pasty ladies grab one in Boots before they disappear forever!

Comparing brushes

I recently bought a 217 blending brush by MAC after being told on Twitter how different it is to a 224. Now I own both, I can see a vast difference in both brushes so I thought I’d do a comparison.

First the 224

The bristles on this brush are long, soft and tapered. It does an excellent job of blending two colours, but is best used in blending the crease colour out to the brow bone.

The 217

The bristles are shorter and more densely packed which makes the brush much firmer. It has a far rounder tip than the 224. It’s best used in blending colours from lid to crease.

Comparisons

I used my 217 for applying and blending eye shadow. So how does it compare to a MAC 242(flat topped brush) with applying

The 242 is better used in applying a lot of colour to a small area, such as the lid but the 217 does a better job of applying to a much larger area, without losing the pigmentation of the colour.

I then used the 242 to apply a small amount of shadow and blended it out using the 217 & 224.

You can see the obvious difference in the way the two brushes blend, the 224 loses the colour more, which is why I find it better for blending edges, compared to the 217, which blends but also keeps the strength of the colour, without blending it away.

I hope that’s helped anyone who has been trying to decide between the two brushes, or needed help as I did, deciding whether one is different to the other. The answer is clearly yes, and I’m glad I got the 217

XOXO

Cheap skincare review

I’m not one to write about skincare, I don’t consider myself an expert but I thought I’d share this cheap skincare recommendation

As you may know, I share my time staying at my home and my bf’s. As I’ve been doing this for 4 1/2 years now, I’ve had to double up on some things to leave at his, rather than lugging the contents of my room backwards and forwards. Skincare was def something I need to leave at his house, so in my quest to find something reasonably priced, I found Boots essentials cucumber range

My best pal switched me on to this range a few years ago, as she always used the facial wipes.

I’ve used this cleansing lotion and toner for a few months now, here’s my review

The product-Boots Essential Cucumber Cleansing lotion and facial toner

How much was it? £1.49 each

Where can you buy it? Boots

What they say- Toner- “Boots Essentials Cucumber Facial Toner refreshes and tones the skin, removing the last traces of make -up and excess oils.”
I can’t find anything about the cleansing lotion.

What I say- I am so impressed with such cheap skincare. I haven’t broken out, both feel light and don’t dry my skin out. The cleanser is not greasy, the toner is very mild and both work to remove all my make up. The smell is gorgeous, really fresh although I know some people aren’t keen on it. You can easily smell it before you buy to make sure. I have also used both over my eyes and haven’t experience any irritation.

How do I use it? I apply the cleanser to a cotton pad first and sweep all over my face, I usually do this with 2 or 3 pads as the lotion is fairly runny and soaks in quickly. I then do the same with the toner.

ld I buy it again? Definitely. Really bargain skincare that does the job.

Any drawbacks? I haven’t found any. The lotion is quite runny so you end up using quite a bit, but it is very cheap, so replacing isn’t too costly. Saying that, I still have loads left after using a couple of times a week for a few months. I can’t say how this fairs on anyone else’s skin though, but it is very light and not oily, so I can’t imagine it would cause too many problems.

So a big thumbs up from me, fantastically cheap skin care for when you’re strapped for cash.

XOXO

Review

The product- Garnier Caffeine Anti-dark Circles 2-in-1 Roll-on

I was kindly sent this to review for my blog.

How much is it? £9.99

Where can I buy it? From Boots or here

What they say- “

2-in-1 formula:

• Moisturising eye care and a cooling roller ball:
  refreshes & hydrates tired looking eyes
• With mineral pigments it instantly covers dark
  circles”

What I say- I wasn’t keen if I’m honest. I tried the original eye roll on, as I suffer with dark circles and just found it did nothing. I decided to see if it had been improved but again, the formula appears to have remained the same. The shade I was sent was Light- but I found it to be far too yellow for my skin tone, and didn’t hide my circles at all. However, I’ve not used it when my under eyes are looking particularly swollen so it may be great for calming bags. My mum has offered to trial it for that purpose. I have however, read many reviews raving about it, how awake it can make you look and how soothing it can be. Personally, it did nothing for my natural dark circles- I need a thicker formula to cover them.

How do I use it? Roll it under your eyes and blend-fingers would probably be best.

Would I buy it again? Probably not. It's just not thick enough for me, plus the colour was all wrong

On hand swatch

Before

After

Once my mum has tested it on her bags I’ll post an update.

Gosh Primer review

As promised in my haul post, a review of Gosh Primer, which I have used for a week now.

The product-Gosh Velvet touch foundation primer

How much was it? between £12-13, I can't remember exactly

Where can you buy it? Superdrug

What they say- " Creating a uniform, matt and unique, silky soft surface. Assists in an easy and uniform application of foundation. Can be used on top of moisturiser or clean skin."

What I say- It does make my skin feel really smooth. I haven't noticed my foundation applying an more easily but I certainly have with my under eye concealer. I use MAC Studio Finish which I find quite thick but sometimes drags on my skin(if the concealer isn't warmed a little first) but since I've been applying this primer, the concealer glides under my eyes really smoothly. I can't say that it's improved my complexion(I have too many freckles to ever really see a clear complexion) but it has improved the staying power of my foundation. I use Revlon Colourstay which is always good anyway, but using the primer has stopped my foundation rubbing off my nose. I can come home from a day at work and still look like I've just applied my foundation. It feels really silky on my skin and not at all greasy or oily.

How do I use it? It comes in a nice pump bottle, I use a pea sized amount and apply all over my face, using my fingers. I've found that a pea sized amount will do my whole face, so you don't have to use loads in one application. A little goes a long way!

Would I buy it again? I think I would. I really want to try the apricot one. I didn't look at the bottle properly and thought it was just tinted(and who needs tinted primer for your face?) but it's actually an anti wrinkle one, designed to plump lines.

Any drawbacks? It doesn't really do anything to pores or wrinkles, but I'm guessing the Apricot one will be better for that.

all in all, a great buy that I'd recommend highly.
XOXO

Eye make up remover- best and worst

Ever since I was given Diorshow waterproof as a gift I have been on the search for the best eye make up remover and I have finally found it. If you've not tried Diorshow waterproof, it is the hardest mascara to remove. It makes my lashes look amazing, but it also keeps them that way. Which is fantastic whilst I want them to look like that, not so fantastic waking up with your eyes stuck together. It makes my lashes so stiff, that I cannot even rub it off and when I try, it turns them into clumpy spider legs. This meant that I kept this mascara for going out, as I was ruining my lashes, trying to get it off every day- thus the search for the perfect eye make up remover began

I was recommended Simple Conditioning Eye make up remover by a friend

How much is it? around £2.99. I got a travel size one for 99p

Where can I get it? Most drug stores- Boots, Superdrug, supermarkets and it's often in cheaper drugstores like Wilkinsons and Savers. Buy it online at Boots

What they say- Simple Conditioning Eye Make-Up Remover removes all eye make up even waterproof mascara without stinging or irritating your eyes.

What I say- I was so unimpressed with this. It didn't even remove my liquid eyeliner, which I can wash off with just water. It had no fragrance which I like and definately didn't sting, but it didn't take anything off either. Rubbish!

I remembered that a MAC MA told me that really stubborn eye make up(like Liquidlast) needs an oil based remover so I went on a search for one.

I discovered-

L’Oreal De-maq Absolute Eye and Lip Make-up Remover

How much is it? £5.86 in Boots

Where can I get it? Boots, Superdrug

What they say- L’Oreal De-maq Absolute Eye and Lip Make-up Remover has a cooling, refreshing texture to remove the most stubborn traces of long lasting eye and lip cosmetics. The formula effectively removes waterproof mascara and long lasting lipsticks and rinses off instantly to leave skin soft and thoroughly cleansed.L’Oreal De-maq Absolute Eye and Lip Make-up Remover is a concentrated blue astringent designed to purify skin with a comfortable fresh sensation without leaving any sticky residue.· Blue, astringent make up remover for long lasting eye and lip cosmetics
· Cooling, refreshing texture
· Soft, supple and perfectly cleansed skin

What do I say- It was the 2nd best that I'd used. I was really hopeful as it seemed to be 1 part oil and it did a really good job of removing normal mascara and heavy e/s but I still couldn't get it to touch my Diorshow, so my search continued. It did work really well with long lasting lipsticks though!

As I adore MAC, I saw they had an eye make up remover in my CCO so I gave it a go

MAC Pro eye make up remover

Where can I get it? I'm not sure if it'll be stocked in MAC Counters but I assuming you can get it at MAC stores and you can def buy it online

How much is it?
£12.50 but i got it for around £8

What the say-A mega-effective remover that lifts off every look – from delicate to dramatic – without smudges, tears or aggression. Pro-quality, yet decidedly gentle; calms, hydrates and sooths skin with cucumber extract. Makeup can be immediately reapplied. A favourite of busy models.

What I say- it wasn't brilliant. It certainly wasn't as good as the L'oreal one and def not worth that price tag. I wear alot of eye make up and it took a lot of rubbing(something I'm not big on) to get it all off. DIDN'T TOUCH Diorshow and it stung a little bit

After all this trialing, rubbing and having no success I HAVE FOUND IT. An eye make up remover which not only gets off all my every day make up, but actually removes Diorshow without leaving me with panda eyes.

I present to you-

Boots No7 Cleanse and Care eye make up remover

How much is it? around £7.99

Where can I buy it? Boots

What they say- Wipe away all traces of eye make-up, even waterproof mascara, with this gentle, double action liquid. Pro-vitamin B5 moisturizes while cornflower and watermelon soothe your skin.Created with Care. We've created this hypo-allergenic product using only ingredients we know and trust. It has been tried and tested by guests with even the most sensitive skin, so you'll know it will be good to yours. Dermatologically tested. Fragrance free. Ophthalmologist tested. Suitable for sensitive eyes

What do I say- It's amazing. Slightly oily, no where near enough to leave an oil slick on my eyes but enough to mean I'm not having to rub my eyes. It takes no effort at to get rid of my every day make up and when I finally used it to take off Diorshow this weekend, I almost had kittens. It actually worked. No panda eyes and it left my lashes feeling soft and I hadn't ripped any out. It's slightly more expensive than other make up removers but it works so much better, I don't mind at all.
I love it :) and I can now wear my Diorshow again.
Hope that's helped anyone in the same situation
XOXO

Lush Review Day 2

After a really busy weekend, I thought I'd try my other 2 Lush bath and shower products tonight and I was bitterly disappointed.

In my bath I used MMM Melting Marshmallow Moment which smells delicious but that was really the only good point. It took ages to melt in the bath and it didn't really make the bath or bathroom smell of anything.

It's main selling point is moisturising but I found that my skin was softer after using The Comfortor bubble bar.

I'm giving it 2 out of 10, I would just go for a bubble bar in future



To compliment the sweet smell, I used Yummy Yummy Yummy shower gel, which was actually worse than the bath melt. It's supposed to smell like strawberries and cream but actually smells very flowery and horrible. It's also far too thick and really difficult to get out the bottle. It's not very foamy and didn't appear to have a redeeming feature.

This had to be a 1 out 10 for me.

Very disappointing compared to the last review. For the first time ever, I won't be re-buying these products and wouldn't recommend them.

Hope that helps.
xoxo

Lush review Day 1

Hey

I had a big spend in Lush yesterday and I thought it would be nice to review my bath and shower products as I use them.

Day 1


Bath containing Lush Bubble Bar in The Comforter.




OH MY!


I broke off around a third of the bar, crumbled it into the bottom of my empty bath, by the plug and then ran my water over it..


It turned the water pink! It made my whole bathroom smell of blackcurrants and gave my bath lots of fluffy white bubbles. I soaked for a good 45 mins but I still had masses of bubbles left over.

This is definatly my new fav Lush product. I've never been one for baths but I happily soaked for ages, reading a book in this.

I was all warm and relaxed afterwards, this is def a 10 outta 10 product.


You can buy it here-

http://tinyurl.com/ayks94

or at your local Lush shop.


To compliment The Comforter, I used Sweetie Pie Shower Jelly which smells exactly the same

This shower gel is FUN. It's the third or fourth time I've bought it as it's such good value and smells delicious. I can tell in the evening that my boyfriend has used it in his morning shower.

It is a jelly. I tend to pull off small pieces, rub it in my exfoliating mitts and then wash. You only need a tiny amount, maybe a cm2 to wash your whole body. Anything you don't use, goes back in the box to be used again.

I don't think I'd use it in the bath again though, I found myself using ALOT more than I would in the shower, as it wouldn't lather as well in the bath. It's now my second fav Lush product as The Comforter has won, making me love baths for the first time ever.

Again, Sweetie pie can be bought here-
http://tinyurl.com/5vpswm
or at your local Lush.

I highly, highly recommend both products and shall be buying them again, and again, and again!

I'll continue my Lush reviews whilst trying out my new things, my new phone still hasn't arrived so I'm cameraless and textless at the moment.
Boo.
XOXO