L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau De Teint

After the huge hoo-ha surrounding the US version of this product, marketed as Liquid Powder over there, I knew I wanted to try it from the first reviews I saw online. A product that's lighter than water? What does that even mean??

What this seems to translate into is that it is a very watery product. It has a very light amount of coverage but has a really soft finish, both in the appearance and in the feel of the liquid. Eau de Teint doesn't come with a pump so that's not ideal for some people but it applies incredibly evenly when applied to the skin. I just buff this in with my fingers rather than a brush because it really is so runny that I don't think a brush would do it much good!

I purchased this in the lightest shade, 100 Porcelain but it's actually got quite a lot of colour given it's a pale shade. I've swatched it alongside Liz Earle's Signature Foundation in 01 and Collection's concealer in Fair to show the colour difference. It does look incredibly dark in these photos but it's quite a good match on my face and actually matches better than the Liz Earle foundation (which is strange because the LE foundation seems to get darker even though it's lighter!).

Packaging wise it's not the most logical...a glass bottle without a pump isn't ideal for transporting or for anyone with a full make-up bag. The design on the packaging is also completely different to the US product - this isn't called Liquid Powder and the bottle isn't frosted white near the top but I think the actual product is generally the same kind of thing.

I'd say this provides around 6 - 7 hours of wear with the usual additions to the face ; bronzer/blusher/highlighter etc but if I were to wear this for a longer time I'd want to wear a powder on top to ensure it would stay and would be much easier to top up without the added stress of not spilling the liquid everywhere.

Overall this is probably a 6/10 for me. The packaging isn't particularly user friendly but the product itself does the job for an everyday work kind of make-up look.

This is on offer for now for £6.99 at most drugstores but usually will sell for £9.99 after the introductory offer is over.

PS: I am sorry for the lack of posts in the last couple of weeks. I've been super busy with work but I have also just come down with a horrible cold, woe is me! I hope to resume proper posting in the next week or so, thank you for sticking with me xoxo 

Sampar Prodigal Pen

Pioneer of urban skin care, SAMPAR has an ambition: to awaken the sleeping beauty in everywoman, uncovering and revealing her natural allure.

I received this pen last week and at first I was pretty apprehensive. I'm used to your average tea tree stick or under-eye roller ball but this seems to combine the soothing effects of a cool, metal rollerball with a soothing & calming mix of essential oils. It comes in a super cute pale pink glass tube with a screw top and a little rollerball dispenser. It's mess free and robust even though it's so tiny and made of glass so you don't need to be too delicate with it.

It contains cinnamon, lavender, rosemary, thyme, cloves, oregano and sage oils which aim to eliminate blemishes without leaving an unsightly mark behind. I've applied this to different areas of my face and it doesn't leave any residue behind like a cream or gel can. Of course there's a product deposit on the skin but it's just a little dab of oil and it's absorbed or dries naturally on the skin. 

I'm not sure whether it's obvious or not but I have swiped it across my hand in this photo - at least you can see that it doesn't leave any greasiness behind!

I must've received this on the one week of my whole life where I don't have a spot! I think the summer sunshine has helped clear my skin but thankfully this pen doesn't aim to just fight blemishes.

It's calming and soothing on the skin which is especially useful during this time of year since the summer holidays are when we're most likely to be hopping on planes going off into the sunshine. With crying babies and seat backs being kicked or lowered this is definitely something I'd need to keep in my hand luggage! I apply this across my forehead or on my temples when I feel a tension headache coming on and although it doesn't prevent the headache entirely, it does make me take a deep breath in (partly because I love the smell!) and process whatever is stressing me out at that moment. 
It also helps alleviate irritations such as bites, rashes and ingrown hairs (magical, just magical!!) to make sure nothing can ruin a day in the sunshine whether you're staying in the UK or going abroad. 

The SAMPAR mission is to reset the skin’s 

intelligent response system and to support its natural healing actions. 

Enriched with the Urban Advance Complex, the innovative formulations act 

at the heart of cells to “wake-up” and reactivate the skin’s vital 

functions, helping to recover a state of equilibrium. 

I really like this statement by Sampar - it sounds like they know exactly what they're talking about when it comes to women's fickle skincare issues and demands and I would recommend this product to anyone who is looking for a blemish fighting product that isn't aimed at teenage skin. 

You can buy your own Sampar Prodigal pen for an RRP of £18.00* for 6ml from the Sampar website here (click!), FeelUnique.com here (click!) or from M&S beauty here (click!). FYI on the M&S website you can't buy the product on its own, it's included in a set. 

This is the kind of brand and product that I really like. Maybe because I like the Frenchness of it all - fuss free and to the point. I'm really looking forward to trying more products by Sampar - their Glamourous Kit sounds right up my street!

* I received this product for review purposes and as always have reviewed this honestly.

National Lollipop Day 2013

July 20th is National Lollipop Day in the UK - are you celebrating?

I'll be looking wistfully at this Candy Kittens lolly; I want to have a nibble so badly but it looks too perfect to eat.

You can pick up this strawberry lolly from the Candy Kittens website here (click!) for £3.95*. There's also women's and men's apparel which is AWESOME (you may disagree with this sweeping statement, I don't mind) but I desperately want to buy this jumper (click!) because it looks so snuggly and cute.

What are you doing for National Lollipop Day?

*this product was sent to me to include in this post

Lauren's Way Fabulous Flutter false lashes

Okay, so Lauren Goodger - what do you think? I actually think she's okay; not a big life icon but not hideously irritating so that's always good!

Last year we saw the release of the Lauren's Way self tanner (l o v e by the way) and earlier this year she brought out her false eyelashes, hair accessories and hair extensions. Released in mid April you can choose from 4 styles - the two daytime ones are Daytime Dazzle and Fabulous Flutter and the evening styles are Midnight Diva and Essex Glamour.

I used Daytime Dazzle* and the product photo displays them like this :

Unfortunately I couldn't use my own photograph as mine were trimmed for me at the event in London a couple of months ago and I didn't want to give an unrealistic photo of the size. The get slightly longer towards the outer corner giving a more wide eyed look and they're suitable for every day wear.

Before I go into my review I just wanted to put a little disclaimer so you can get an idea of my situation here : I have sensitive eyes, especially in summer with the world's worst hayfever but even in the Spring, Autumn and Winter my eyes are sensitive. I can't even put eyeliner on my waterline sometimes because then I get a really tragic case of "weepy eye" (made that endearing term up with my uni friends but there isn't another way to describe it!) so I don't always get on well with false eyelashes. These lashes did not cause me any irritation or any problems at all. I'm not a master at applying false eyelashes - infact I'm terrible at it but my usual routine was to have one of my friends do it for me before we went out to the Student Union on a Wednesday night. Due to my sensitive eyes this would sometimes result in pulling them off around midnight hoping that everyone else around me was too busy to notice or it looking like I was having a mild emotional breakdown while my eyes went red and watery. Can you say CUTE? Anyway, less about me and more about the eyelashes (and me).

I wore these last week from around 4pm to 11pm when I went to London and this is how they looked when they were first applied:

As you can see these lashes are relatively discreet which is perfect for me. For me false lashes are there to enhance what I've already got not to mask my own lashes entirely. I hate it when I can feel them touching my eyelid or lower eyebrow!  

           

From the side these are also relatively inoffensive (unlike my eyebrows at the moment, sorry!) - they give some length but it's not obvious that these lashes are glued on!

The next two photos are from when I got home at around 11-11.30pm. They're still in place and there's no obvious irritation to my eyes.

Overall I really, really enjoyed wearing these all evening. They were comfortable, they didn't need reapplying and they stayed in place through train journeys, walking from station to station and an evening outdoors. The Lauren's Way glue provided is good quality and doesn't smell. It's also easy to remove from the lashes after use so there's no gross gooey build up!

Once these lashes reach their demise I'll definitely be going after another pair of Daytime Dazzle lashes, possibly whilst picking up some hair extensions too!

The entire range of Lauren's Way eyelashes are available from selected Debenhams stores or from the Lauren's Way website here (click!) for £6.95* each.

*I received my lashes in a gift bag from the Lauren's Way event but my opinion and review is 100% honest.

Another Enrapture Encode Totem Styler Review

A few months ago I wrote this post (click!) on the Enrapture Encode Totem Styler. The photos in that post show the wand's abilities when used on the setting 1-1-2, but yesterday I wanted a little more than that for my evening out in Cambridge, so I changed the settings to 2-2-2. It was a consistent heat all the way down as opposed to in the last post where it was hottest at the bottom of the want. The photos below demonstrate the results.

From L-R : First curled pieces; less than 1inch thick held round the barrel for 15-20 seconds each time. They're quite "ragdoll"-esque here which isn't my cup of tea. One side fully curled and the other lightly straightened before curling (my hair is naturally very wavy so it needs taming before curling). Finally both sides curled - far less tight after being brushed lightly through with my hands.

I didn't take any photos throughout the night as I was at a concert but this was the result after being lightly brushed once I was home. I didn't use any hair spray or hair product at all when styling my hair. I left it like that all evening, through 2 hours of driving, walking outside and sitting in a performance hall. It was only brushed when I was home.

The curls dropped gradually while I was out but not to the point where it looked shabby. After being brushed through the curls were very soft and still held some of the shape that the heat had given when I first used it. To be honest, if I had brushed my hair through before leaving I'd have been happy with the result if it looked like this all evening as well so overall the Enrapture Encode Totem Styler has once again given my hair a sleek, smooth curl that can remain as a tight curl or be brushed through to leave a softer curl.

Details of the Totem Styler can be found on the Enrapture website here (click!) or a swift Google search will set you up with online retailers such as Johnlewis.com (click!) which has the cheapest price I've seen at £39.98, Boots.co.uk (click!) at £39.99, or Very.co.uk (click!).

Let me know if you pick one up or what your favourite heat setting is in the comments, on twitter (click!) or in an email here (click!)

Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer

A couple of weeks ago I received these lip shimmers by Burt's Bees. As you can see from the pictures one's a dark, shimmery red and the other is a lighter, toffee coloured balm. On the bottom / left is "Raisin" and the top / right is "Caramel". This lip shimmer comes in 9 shades ranging from "Champagne" - a pearlescent pinky shade to "Cocoa"a dark, shimmery brown shade. The two in this post are two of the most pigmented colours but they would suit most skin tones.

Of the two shimmer sticks Raisin is more pigmented with its cherry red swatch below, but Caramel is perfect for a slick of shine with a hint of a neutral toffee shade.
They're both very moisturising with small pearlescent particles embedded in the balm stick.

Containing beeswax, vitamin E, coconut oil and sunflower oil these natural, cruelty free balms leave a pleasant tingling sensation upon application. Altogether these lip shimmers will leave your pout perfectly tinted with a pearly shine that lasts roughly 2 - 4 hours.

Burt's Bees Lip Shimmers are available online here (click!) for the RRP of £5.99* per stick.

*This product was sent to me for review purposes. All opinions are my own honest thoughts.

Click here for my full disclaimer.

Montagne Jeunesse Skin Heroes - Break Out Masque

Last week I was offered the opportunity to try Montagne Jeunesse's new Skin Heroes range. There are 5 new masks all retailing at £1.49. I really don't think you can argue with any skin product for that price. The new Skin Heroes are : 

Shine Control for greasy, shine prone skin

Dry Skin Masque for dry, dehydrated skin

Break-Out Masque for problem skin prone to eruptions

T-Zone Peel Off for a bothersome and blemished T-Zone

De-Clog Pore strip for blocked up, clogged pores on or around the nose.

I don't know if I've said this before, but I have very, very normal skin! I occasionally suffer from a few blemishes on my chin but I have been very blessed in the skin department. Bearing that in mind I chose the two products I felt I could review most honestly and still experience something to report to you guys - the Break-Out Masque and the De-Clog Pores strip.

This masque is comes in 2 stages, a Cleansing Mud Mask and a Rapid Action Moisturiser.
The masque claims to "flush out those blocked pores" and the moisturiser to "allow Mother Nature to work her magic to tackle those problem areas" ooh, mystical!

 The masque was a kind of pale green colour, very similar to the picture on the front of the packet although I didn't stick any leaves to my eyes... There was enough in the pack for more than one application so I was able to apply it across my face in quite a thick layer. I do have photographic evidence of my face covered in this masque however I'm not sure anyone needs to see it! Anyway, the masque had a lovely scent of tea tree which was so relaxing and it didn't make my skin feel horribly tingly like some tea tree products do. This masque contains tea tree, Canadian Willowherb and witch hazel. You apply, leave for for 15-20 minutes and then rinse, followed by the provided moisturiser. The masque dried like most other clay based masks, my brother very kindly told me I looked like the joker and proceeded to take a photo, charming! It wasn't as easy to wash off as I had hoped however with a little help from a flannel it was off in a tick.

The moisturiser looks and feels similar to any other moisturising product but it has a lovely scent, tea tree strikes again! I really liked how this felt against my skin and it's left it feeling so smooth! I can't stop touching my face haha.

I only used this within the last couple of hours but I can already feel a difference, my skin feels beautifully smooth and my "problem area" of my chin looks better than it did before the masque.
I'll update my twitter over the next few days with whether any dastardly spots creep up or whether this masque has kept them at bay.
Due to having so much in the packet I also applied this to my younger brother who does suffer from skin breakouts, poor bub! He said "it felt really nice... quite clean" so if the wise words of a fifteen year old boy are anything to go by then there's a nice little quote for you!

As I mentioned, I was sent this for review purposes however it is something I would buy myself and everything said above is honest.

The Skin Heroes range is available from most ASDA stores, the Montagne Jeunesse website retailing at £1.49 (with free delivery on orders over £7.50, ooh!). They are also 100% suitable for vegetarians, BUAV approved and strive to use natural ingredients. 

Do you use any Montagne Jeunesse products? What's your favourite??

Love,

Moleskine Wellness Journal

As I've posted on here before I'm on the final leg of my weightloss journey. I have around 10lbs left to lose and it can't bloody come off quick enough! As I type there's an advert for pizza on the tv which is not helping!
However, I'm determined to get down to 133lbs and I wanted to post about one of my methods that I'm trying out over the next few months - a food diary.
I've always dabbled with food / health diaries as I'm a notebook hoarder but I never seem to keep it up. Using the WeightWatchers app has really helped me record my daily intake and has also made me think twice before having a biscuit or putting more pasta than I need on my plate as I have to actually admit what I'm doing to myself and my phone, but I'll always prefer handwritten over technology! I decided to take my food diary one step further when I spotted a new range of "Passions" journals by Moleskine when in Selfridges last week. I am an avid Moleskine fan, if you don't have a notebook or diary by them then I urge you to go and get one now now now!! I love to give them as gifts...or just tell myself they're gifts but keep them, ha..hello hoarders.
Anyway! So, I bought a new Moleskine Wellness Journal. They do plenty in this range such as a dog journal, gardening journal or even a chocolate or beer journal! All are priced at £15.99 online, though mine was £16.45 in Selfridges.

This journal has the classic black Moleskin cover but has an embossed design of people in various yoga positions.. It's not entirely to my taste but it is different to their usual plain cover. It contains 6 labelled sections - Personal Goals, Exercise Log, Diet, General Health, Games - Sport and Inspirations as well as 6 blank sections that can be labelled with other provided stickers in the expandable back pocket.

This is day 1 of my new food diary and the first page of the Inspiration section. I have yet to add some photos of places I'm going or clothes I'd like to buy in a couple of months. I absolutely love the idea of the labelled sections for things like personal inspiration because it means everything is contained in one place and I can just flick between the pages to remind myself why I'm doing this or what I had for lunch the week before.

I don't know why the quality of this photo is so bad! Sorry!

So, this is the Moleskine Wellness Journal and I think it's a really great idea and I think if anyone is on the lookout for a journal or notebook then they should head straight to John Lewis, WHSmith, Paperchase or the Moleskine website and grab one straight away.

What's your view on food diaries? Do you have a good alternative to handwritten notebooks?

Love, 

Lancome - Teint Idole Ultra 24h - Part 2

After ordering Lancome's new foundation on Sunday it arrived today via Parcel Force. I immediately went to try it out and I'm just as in love with the full size as I was with the sample!

It comes in the same silver box as featured a few posts back with their Hypnose mascara and the bottle is made of frosted glass. If I could change anything about the product it would be that, frosted glass does to me what nails down a blackboard to do most people. I'm coming up in goosebumps even thinking about it! The bottle contains 30ml of the product for £27.99.

It has a pump on top and I used about 3 pumps across my whole face. Below is a swatch of the product -

I applied with my fingers today, but I'm expecting an e.l.f. foundation brush to turn up tomorrow so I'll review that with this foundation this week.

My housemates have noticed a difference with this foundation and told me how nice it looks. I apply my Mac Prep + Prime translucent powder on top and then blend blusher/bronzer and a final coat of the powder to finish. 

I did take photos of my face with the finished product but since I look like a gremlin in all of them I thought I'd spare your eyes.

I'd also like to promote how good the Lancome Customer Service is. I received an email when placing my order and another email when my product was dispatched explaining that it was coming from their "Lancôme Logistical Centre at Ingré in France"and that Parcel Force would be the courier. Big props to Parcel Force as it arrived before 12 today and the delivery guy was very polite and had a lovely French accent, always a plus!

I am officially in love with Lancome, I'm going to have to stop myself going to my local Boots for more make up!

Have you tried this?? Let me know if you do!

Love, 

Lancome - Teint Idole Ultra 24h - Part 1

After splurging at Lancome for my mum's birthday present a few weeks ago I was offered a sample of their new foundation, Teint Idole Ultra 24h.

With claims that it offers more long wear and comfort than any other foundation I was excited to give it a go since I'm still after ~the perfect foundation~.

This little pot lasted me just under a week and from the first application I fell in love! For me, it did what I wanted the Estee Lauder Double Wear to do... except that brought me out in a rash, ew.
I paired it with my Mac Prep + Prime translucent face powder and then did the usual bronzer/blusher routine.

I was given it in shade 010 - Beige Porcelaine and I'd say it has medium/heavy coverage, but doesn't feel heavy and it really does last a long time! It's easily buildable, looks matte on the skin and can be applied with a brush or with fingertips. I know many people don't like the idea of applying with their fingers but to be honest, I can get precise application and blend much better with (clean!) hands than with my Mac foundation brush.

I can't vouch for the 24h claim as I've worn it as daytime make up only and washed my face if I have applied foundation again for a night out, but it has lasted a good 12+hours which is a win for me.
I'm desperately trying to find photo evidence of this in action amongst all my recent iPhoto imports but it doesn't look like I have any, however, I have just ordered a full size product from the Lancome website which should be here by Wednesday so I can do a photo feature then.

It retails at £27.00 full size (with £5.00 shipping charge from their website) and can be bought from any Lancome stockist.

I was given some confusing dates from my local Boots counter who told me the foundation wasn't being released until February 1st and some other blogs have given this date as well, but since I've been able to purchase it online I'm assuming that I should receive my delivery in the 2-3days I'm expecting.
If anybody can shed some light on this situation it would be lovely, however if you follow me on twitter I'm sure you'll read whether I've received it or not.

I hope you've all had a lovely weekend, love

Bank Holiday Weekend & Estée Lauder Double Wear

 Unlike most of the people I know, I didn't spend my weekend at a festival! I had a nice weekend at home with my family and boyfriend with a little bit of shopping and a barbecue! On my mini shopping trip I picked up a sample of the esteemed Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation. From research online I had read good things about this foundation and after having trouble with my current Dior Skin products I thought I'd try it out.

The claims on the Estée Lauder website (link!) say "Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup. 15-hour staying power. Flawless all day. This worry-free, long-wearing foundation makeup stays fresh and looks natural through heat, humidity, nonstop activity. Won't change colour, smudge or come off on clothes. Feels lightweight and comfortable. Now the flawless look you see in the morning is the look you keep all day."

I was matched by one of the ladies at the counter in John Lewis and my shade was Pale Almond.

I wore it that night when I went out with my parents for dinner and at first I really liked it. It had good overall coverage for the small amount that I used and I thought it matched my skin tone well. When I applied it on Saturday morning I noticed it was probably a shade too light for me but still liked the coverage. My only criticism is that initially it felt a little "cakey" but that feeling went after I'd applied the rest of my make-up. I found it lived up to all the claims on the website other than being "lightweight". It didn't smudge or change colour and other than being slightly too pale it did look very natural on my skin. I didn't find myself checking to see if I looked shiny or if I needed a top-up as I was confident enough with what I'd put on that morning.

Unfortunately, I seem to have had an allergic reaction to this product, boo hiss! I've now got two patches of dry skin around my nose and on my chin as well as a break-out of small spots on my forehead. I can't blame the product as I know I have sensitive skin and that's why I went away with a sample rather than the full size bottle so this is in no way a bad reflection of the foundation, just my personal reaction to it.

I'd recommend it to anyone who is after a long-lasting foundation, especially as such a little amount goes a long way. If I hadn't had this reaction I'd be going back in a week or two to get colour matched with the Double Wear Light! 

xo xo

Nars Volumising Mascara Review

Nars Larger Than Life Volumizing Mascara - £18.50 on Asos

“Larger than life volumizing mascara by NARS  . Featuring a richly pigmented formula, containing vitamin E and macadamia nut oil, the square brush and “honeycomb” bristles allow for even distribution, coating each lash individually. Smudge and flake-free, the mascara is also quick drying”

With many mascaras I tend to do about 3 or 4 quick layers in a normal day-time look and then enhance with eyeliner. With this one I use about 2 coats in the day ( 3 if I’m going out with more make-up on ) and I don’t feel like I need to accentuate my eyes with any more products. It’s pretty much waterproof which is great if it rains, but it does make it harder to get off.. usually I would use a make-up wipe or baby wipe and then wash with a cleanser but the mascara really stayed put through that. I’d recommend an oil based remover (Bobbi Brown do a brilliant one for £15, as do Clinique but a cheaper option by Johnsons is available as well) to get it off entirely.

It lasts all day and I don’t feel like my eyelashes are weighed down or “spidery” as such. It’s jet black and the slightly thicker brush (think bigger than Maybelline Falsies brush but smaller than Benefit’s Bad Gal brush) is definitely where the volume comes from. Regarding the “honeycomb bristles” I’ll have to take Nars’ words for it as my brush is already covered in the mascara but after how pleased I am with it already I don’t doubt that this is true.

It has a long handle which is great for precision on lower lashes and the formula of the mascara itself means there aren’t any clumps or lumps that dry and stick the lashes together.

The blurb also claims that it is smudge free and dries quickly, which I wholeheartedly agree with. I wore it while watching the final Harry Potter film and shed a tear or two which I quickly wiped away and still avoided smudging!

I’m genuinely so so impressed by this product and I think every girl should have a pot of this!

♡♡♡♡♡ 5/5!

xo xo