Wednesday 23 March 2011

Eylure Individual Lashes


Price: £4.20
Available from: Superdrug, Boots, Supermarkets.

I've been wanting to try individual lashes for quite some time now but only just got round to picking them up. I find strip lashes incredibly hard to apply and they end up looking extremely obvious or ping off so I just wanted a bit more volume and length but an overall natural look. The pack comes with small clusters of lashes in varying sizes to give your desired effect, a little bottle of glue and adhesive remover. After reading the claim of 'Longer, fuller lashes for up to 4 weeks' on the front of the box I was excited to try them out, so here's how I got on..



Before:

There's nothing really wrong with my eyelashes they don't have gaps in or anything but they are quite short so my main target was to achieve slightly longer, fluttery lashes that looked like my own!


Application: It took me around half an hour, if not longer to apply the lashes to both eyes. The glue dries out incredibly quickly so I suggest putting a small blob on some tintoil and add to it when you need more. All you have to do is pick up the lashes with tweezers, pop it in the glue - wait 5-10 seconds then pop it on where you want it! I used mainly the short and medium to create a slightly more glamourous shape but had to wait for each cluster of lashes to dry before I applied the next otherwise I found they got a bit jumbled up.

After:


Mine only lasted 5 days before they started falling out when I gently rubbed my eye or washed my face. I don't think these could last 4 weeks, maybe a week and a half/two tops if you were incredibly careful.

Overall I don't think I'd re-purchase, they're a bit too fiddly and time consuming - especially since they only last a few days. However if you have an upcoming special event and want a bit more volume and length without using strip lashes then definately give them a go!

Sunday 20 March 2011

Perfect Nude Lipstick


For the longest time I've been on the search for the perfect nude lipstick. The main issues I've had on my quest for perfection are:

- Too dark and on the verge of being more taupe/brown than a nude.
- Too light - concealer lips are a no, no.
- Too drying, anything dry will accentuate lines and flaking skin on your lips.
- Too glossy. If I wanted my lips to look excessively shiny then I would of purchased a lipgloss and smothered it on.
- Effort to apply, I find some nude lipsticks I have to apply incredibly carefully to make them look smooth and even.
- Very peachy undertones *Revlon Nude Attitude*

As my lips are incredibly pigmented and quite big I find that if I don't wear nudes they instantly become the main feature on my face which I hate. I never thought the lipstick I'd always been looking for would cost just £1.99 but here it is..



I introduce you to Natural Collection 'Apple Blossom'.. I'd heard so many people rave about this but never bothered to try it out for myself until I spotted it in Boots a few weeks ago and from the first application, it was love.




The formula is creamy and slightly glossy, it's incredibly easy to apply and amazingly pigmented for such a cheap product!
A Before & After Shot




What's your favourite nude lipstick?

Wednesday 16 March 2011

Tara Smith Feed The Root Shampoo and Conditioner


I was recently sent some Tara Smith hair products to test out and give my verdict on so after a good few weeks of use, here's a little background and my thoughts!

Tara Smith products are all made with natural and organic products, they're all made in England, Vegan approved, BUAV approved, easily recyclable and contain no parabens, sodium laureth sulphate, artifical colourings and synthetic fragrance.



Feed The Root Shampoo
'To nourish and moisturise dry hair and scalp with avacado oil'
I wasn't a massive fan of the shampoo, the scent is the first thing you'll notice about this product, it's has a bit of a fresh herb smell mixed with peppermint - or at least that's what I thought! The consistency is quite thin and it took me a little while to get used to not pouring copious amounts into my hands to get it to lather up. As most people might not know, usually if your shampoo foams up well it has detergants in which aren't great to be putting on your head so these are much kinder to your hair. I did feel like it left my locks squeaky clean but knotted up my hair like no-ones business!

Feed the Root Conditioner
Now the conditioner on the other hand, I loved.
It was thicker, the scent was slightly less potent and as soon as I ran it through my hair I was presented with silky smooth locks. I only needed a small amount of this as I use conditioner purely through the mid and ends of my hair to make it glossy and soft and this certainly did the job!




The last product I was given the oppertunity to test out was the 'Top Coat Glosser' spray to; 'set the style and add the shine'.
As the Glosser has Organic Sweet Orange, I almost expected it to smell of orange when it came out the bottle. I got a slight whiff of orange but it still smelt quite herbal. The packaging isn't the best I've come across, but it's a good size, compact and does the job. This leaves hair incredibly shiny. Even my older brother (who is usually oblivious to the way I look unless there is a hint of overdone blush or brows to poke fun at) noticed and commented on how shiny it was! I've since found my mum attempting to steal it off me for herself!



I think we're almost programmed into thinking washing your hair should be a process involving foaming shampoos, synthetic fruity scents and thick conditioners so maybe it time to change your mindset and try these out.

Tara Smith products are available here!

Shampoos and conditioners are £6.50 for 250ml and the Top Coat Glosser is £8.99.

Maybelline One by One Mascara


I'm sure most of you have seen Maybelline's latest mascara the 'Colossal One by One' but just incase you haven't here's a little run through of what it can do.



Price: £6.49, currently on offer £2.00 off normal retail price
Available: Superdrug, Boots, Supermarkets

The packaging is pretty basic, nothing special and if anything, a bit tacky. After using my Estee Lauder Double Wear, Mineralize Skinfinish Natural, UD Naked palette.. I hate pulling out a strangely shaped, flourescent tube from my makeup bag. *Cough* Make Up Snob *Cough*. I know, I know. I'm just a sucker for nice packaging!

Normally I hate rubber wands I don't think they comb well through lashes however, the little teeth you can see in the picture below glides through lashes seperating and fanning them out. It adds length and a decent amount of volume but I do find I have the horrible 'crispy lashes' after using this and a small amount of transfer at the end of the day.



For everyday, it's not bad. I'll use it up because it does lengthen well but I'm still on the hunt for a mascara that seperates, adds oodles of length, volume.. I want it all!

Here's a little shot at the volume and length it can achieve. I have quite short, stubby lashes but two coats later..





Have you girls tried this?

Thursday 10 March 2011

Sue Moxley Matte Foundation



Price: £12.00
Amount: 30ml
Shade: Medium

Where to start..

When I was 18 I completely swore by Sue Moxley's Sheer Foundation, it concealed everything I needed it to with medium but buildable coverage and had a slightly dewy finish. For a lower end foundation it is a little pricey at £12 but completely worth the money. Like all things good I went to repurchase and found Superdrug had removed the stand and none of the products were available online. I was completely gutted so you can imagine my excitement when I went on a little shopping trip to Ipswich and found a Sue Moxley stand.

Annoyingly the foundation I wanted was sold out so I quickly grabbed the matte version and paid thinking it would be just as amazing as the original but better at oil control.

Wrong.



At first it looked promising, when I squeezed the product out it was a slightly thick mousse consistency which I like because it's easy and quick to apply. The colour was a good match, no orange hue. It doesn't have any scent, it has simple, sturdy packaging that you could pop in your bag or travel with.

Then it came to application.. As soon as you attempt to rub the foundation into your skin it completely disappears, there is no coverage whatsoever. The more you rub, the more it vanishes. It almost felt like a primer because it had a horrible greasy, silicone feel to it so there would be no chance of anyone with oily skin being able to wear this.



I honestly have nothing good to say about this. I am so completely disappointed. I rarely ever discard products, usually they'll get chucked aside and used on the rare occasion but this is going straight in the bin!


Which foundation has disappointed you the most?

Favourite Nail Varnishes




Left to Right:

No.17 Lasting Fix Nail Polish in Lemon Sherbit
No.17 Lasting Fix Nail Polish in Mint Choc Chip - Both staples for Summer!
Revlon's Minted - All time favourite nail varnish.
Gosh Holographic - didn't seem to want to show up on the paper! If you want to see what it looks like on the nails have a look here.
Sally Hansen Extreme Wear Varnish in Bamboo Shoot - once again, didn't seem to want it's picture taken as it looks grey, in real life it's a lovely nude colour.
Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure - Gorgeous top coat for nails, it gives a mermaids tail effect.
NYC Times Square - Lovely bright red!
FYF Dubai - Deep cherry red, great for winter.
Illamasqua's Spartan - Golden glitter varnish, looks silver in the swatch.

What're your favourites?


Thursday 3 March 2011

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser Starter Kit

A few days ago I recieved a parcel with a lovely little package from Liz Earle inside. I'm an absolute sucker for packaging and adore when products are carefully wrapped, it makes it feel that much more special!



Inside was the award winning Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser Starter Kit that I've heard a ridiculous amount of people rave about lately. For those of you that aren't too familiar with Liz Earle products here's a little background information for you!
The company was founded in 1995. They don't test on animals. The products they offer are developed to work on all skin types by harnessing the properties of the finest quality ingredients they can get their hands on! They aim to offer a simple, no fuss, dependable routine which also doubles up as a daily pampering treat for your skin at the same time.
Needless to say I was extremely excited to try it out so for the purpose of testing I quickly slapped on layers of foundation, powder, bronzer, blush with a little bit of eyebrow pencil, mascara and lipstick to fully test the power of this cleanser. Included in the starter kit is the cleanser (100ml) and two muslin cloths, all inside a lovely blue Liz Earle washbag along with clear instructions on how to use the product.



On to the testing...full face of make-up.. check.
I forgot to take a before shot so I pinched one off an older post to give an example of the amount of make up I was wearing at the time.

A pump of cleanser.. check.
I must add that it smells absolutely amazing and feels extremely luxurious and rich!

Follow the instructions on the back of the bottle:
Step 1: Cleansing: Massage gently on to dry skin over your eyes, face and neck to purify, soften and stimulate the circulation.
Step 2: Polishing: Rinse the pure muslin cloth in hand-hot warm water and wring out before gently polishing off the cream. Finish by splashing your face with cool water.

And Voila. Clean face! (what a difference make up has, ey!)
I literally polished my skin with the muslin cloth, gently rubbing over eyes to remove mascara, splashed my face with cool water and towel dried. My face felt amazingly soft and there was no trace of make up left, even the usual panda eye effect I usually get when removing makeup wasn't there.


I've been using it for the last few nights and it's so quick and simple to use yet makes your skin feel amazing. My old skincare routine of using a face wipe before bed and roughly scrubbing my face with an exfoliating glove (I know - terrible!) is out the window. Any dry skin has completely vanished and I now feel slightly less guilty about loading my skin with full coverage foundations and powder products everyday, knowing that it will all be thoroughly removed at the end of the day!
The cleanser is loaded with lovely ingredients to help out your skin such as rosemary, chamomile, cocoa butter and eucalyptus essential oil, smells amazing, it's reasonably priced, nicely packaged and overall amazing. I'll be repurchasing when it runs out.
Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser Starter Kit -
£13.25
Available Here!
Have you guys tried Liz Earle?