Tuesday 31 March 2015

Filmstar Bronze & Glow



I resisted the hype on this beautiful product for longer than I can remember. However the Filmstar Bronze & Glow palette from Charlotte Tilbury is finally mine! There are tons of reviews out there and I'm well behind the hype, so I won't keep you for long! 

There is no denying that this product is gorgeous. From the golden embossing on the lid with the Charlotte Tilbury logo, to the embossing on the powders inside; it's pretty damn special. However, a product cannot just be pretty, it also needs to deliver! It was always going to be risky buying a high end contour product, I'm so pale and I never know if the colour will suit. Luckily the Filmstar Bronze & Glow palette is a perfect match, I just have to use a light hand! The 'sculpt' side of the palette adds a beautiful warmth to my skin and it blends in so well that it looks lovely and natural. The 'highlight' side is where it gets really special; it's such a stunning highlighter packed with glow! It catches the light so effortlessly and it's so flattering! 

The only problem is I'm now starting to ruin the beautiful powder embossing, which makes me want to stop using it. It's too beautiful to ruin! The Filmstar Bronze & Glow palette is available for £49 from Selfridges and Charlotte Tilbury's website.

Hope, Freedom, Love


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Monday 30 March 2015

Ecotools Full Eyeshadow Brush

Full Eyeshadow Brush by Eco Tools Review
Ecotools specialises in creating eco-conscious products, namely their 'incredibly soft brushes'. I've never tried anything from the brand, so when I spotted the 'Full Eyeshadow Brush' in the Love Me Beauty options, I snapped it up.

I haven't tried a whole load of eyeshadow brushes, so it's really an area of my collection that I'm trying to focus on. The Full Eyeshadow Brush claims to be the perfect brush for 'every eye look'.  Ecotools say you can use this brush for a lots of different use cases including; shading, highlighting and blending. It really packs on the shadow and it seems to pick up pigmentation really well. You can use it for applying one colour and it's also great for adding definition to the crease. So, it's true what they say, it really is a great multi-tasker! The brush really is super soft, it's not scratchy or rough, it's really nice to use.

The brush itself is a plain brown handle, with 'Ecotools' printed on the side, leading up to a dark brown set of bristles. The bristles are slightly tapered in a dome shape, which means it fits the shape of the socket really well. It also fits well along the eyebrow, so it's great for adding a highlight to the brow bone. 

All-in-all it really is a great brush! The best bit? Well it only costs $3.99 if you're in America! The bad bit? In the UK it seems like it's pretty hard to get hold of, you have to result to eBay or other random sites, which is a bit of a shame!
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Sunday 29 March 2015

Mattifying Hand Creams from Roger & Gallet


Nobody likes applying hand cream and then waiting for the greasy cream to soak into your skin. You can't touch your clothes, your phone, your computer... the list goes on. Luckily Roger & Gallet have introduced the new Hand & Nail Balms*. These are brand new 30ml handbag-friendly hand balms, which have a new richer mattifying texture. 

The Hand & Nail Balms have four key ingredients; Glycerin (for moisture), Shea Butter (to protect and nourish), Aloe Vera (to hydrate and sooth dry skin) and Apricot Kernel Oil (to soften hands and nails). In addition to all the key ingredients, each scent/flavour balm has a special active ingredient. For example Fleur de Figuier has Fig Extract to replenish the skin and Bienfaits is enriched with five red berries which are antioxidants. 

All the claims are true; these soak into the skin really quickly and they leave your skin feeling amazing. I have Fleur de Figuier proudly sitting on my desk at work. It means I can wash and moisturise my hands and not take a five-minute break, whilst I wait for my hands to dry.

These 30ml Hand & Nail Balms are only £6 are available from Escentual! You can find Fleur de Figuer (here) and Bienfaits (here). 

Hope, Freedom, Love
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Saturday 28 March 2015

March Favourites

March Favourites - Hand Chemistry, Naked Skin, Bourjois, Models Own, ESPA
Spring is definitely in the air and it's completely inspired the products I've been loving! Let's take a closer look at my March Favourites! 

Naked Skin Concealer by Urban Decay
This concealer is my new best friend, as it has great coverage for circles and blemishes! It's got a lovely creamy consistency and it sits really well on my skin. The best part is that a little bit goes a long way! So although it's quite pricey compared to drugstore concealers, it's going to last a long time.

Lilac Sheen by Models Own
My latest nail polish obsession is one of the Models Own Hyper Gel polishes in 'Lilac Sheen'. It's the most beautiful pastel lilac shade which looks beautiful on my nails but also lasts a long time. I cannot get enough of the Hyper Gel formulation at the moment, it is so glossy and looks beautiful in the Spring sun!

Hand Chemistry Heel Hydration Complex*
It's not quite warm enough quite yet but it's getting close to sandals weather! In order to prepare for sandal season, I've been using Heel Hydration Complex by Hand Chemistry! It's unlike any foot cream I've used in the past, because it's not a super thick formula. Instead it's a lovely lightweight texture which soaks straight into the skin, but still makes a big impact with moisture. (Pssst. My Hand Chemistry discount code is still working on the DECIEM website, enter HOPEFREEDOMLOVE at the checkout and save 20%!) 

ESPA Radiant Tinted Moisturiser with SPF*
I've never, ever been so impressed with a tinted moisturiser, before now they've offered now coverage and have not suited my skintype. This new product from ESPA offers good coverage, provides an even skintone, adds incredible glow AND lasts well on my oily skin. This stuff has literally blown me away!

Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder
The Bourjois Healthy Mix Powder is a brand new addition to my makeup bag and I'm a really big fan. It's a really fine powder so it adds really pretty coverage without making your skin cakey. It keeps your makeup in place and it keeps the oil in my skin at bay all day long! I'm a huge fan! 

I thought I'd also chuck in a lifestyle favourite in this month. I was recently sent a Sponge Cake as a present and I was so impressed. I had the Bounty Cake which was a chocolate sponge, buttercream and coconut flakes - so yummy! 

Hope, Freedom, Love
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Friday 27 March 2015

NUDESTIX

When I found this NUDESTIX eyeshadow crayon sitting in the top of my Look Fantastic Beauty Box, it was safe to say I was chuffed! NUDESTIX has been getting a lot of great coverage and I was SO excited to try it out. I received the shade Gilt, which is a natural shade which has a metallic edge. 

The official name of this product is 'NUDESTIX Magnetic Eye Colour' which is a durable eyeshadow pencil. The pencil aims to highlight, colour, line and primer your eyes to ensure they are in tip-top condition all day. As I mentioned, this is a pretty neutral colour, so I can't really comment about pigmentation. However, I can say that this pencil is super soft and blendable. I can draw this straight onto my eyelid as it doesn't drag or scratch. I just draw it on and then I tap it into my lid with my fingers. It stays in place all day, even on my oily eyelids, which is great as it means I don't have to worry about it.

It comes in a sleek back tube, which has fancy gold detailing around the bottom. It's obviously super portable which means it's perfect for your travel makeup bag. As it requires no extra tools and it's just a teeny pencil. My only real problem with this is that it's pretty pricey. When you consider that the high street is upping their eyeshadow game every second, there are comparable products on the market for a quarter of the price. In the meantime, if you do fancy a bit of a splurge, you can pick up Gilt from Look Fantastic for £24 hereI really want to try the lip and cheek pencils now, there are some really fabulous shades!

Hope, Freedom, Love
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Thursday 26 March 2015

Thursday Tittle-Tattle #1

One of my favourite blog posts I read are beauty news roundups. I LOVE finding out all the latest gossip from the beauty world, all in one handy place. So I figured from time-to-time, I'll feature news in a series I'm calling 'Thursday Tittle-Tattle'. These posts will feature, beauty and lifestyle news, events, discounts, and even a bit of fashion news thrown in too! I hope you enjoy reading these posts as much I as do! Here are the things that have caught my eye this week:




Space NK Opens In Cambridge
This is the most exciting news for me this week! Cambridge based? Well there's a Space NK coming your way! I actually work in Cambridge so I'm super chuffed to see that there's a store opening on Saturday. It's in Trinity street and they have a special opening party in celebration! Sip champagne and grab a goodie bag when you spend £75! Click here to read about the new store. 

La Roche-Posay Joins Look Fantastic
One of my favourite skincare brands is now easier to get hold of as they are being stocked at Look Fantastic! Look Fantastic offers free delivery and worldwide delivery, which means it's now a lot more accessible! The best part is that you can currently save 1/3 on all their products without a voucher code, YAY! It's a good opportunity to talk about La Roche-Posay's #SKINCHECKER campaign, check it out here, prepare for cuteness! 

Triple Points at Boots for SIX days
I'm a huge lover of points schemes for beauty shops, who doesn't love a free blusher when you've spent a few months saving? Well, for the next six days, Boots are offering triple points when you spend £30 in store or £50 online! It's the first ever triple points event lasting SIX days! 

Marks and Spencer Best of British
This week M&S have launched their 'Best Of British' collection, encapsulating British style and quality. It's the best of modern luxury made in Britain with the UK's finest design talent! It's 'timeless and sophisticated' - I'm loving the full Spring collection in particular this beautiful jumpsuit!

20% Off Makeup at FeelUnique
Right now you can save up to 20% off makeup at FeelUnique! I'm doing all I can to avoid checking out with a basket full of goodies. I'm considering buying the Urban Decay Naked On The Run palette, I've been eyeing it up for ages! You have to move fast though, as this ends tomorrow at 4pm! 

WestQuay Southampton Spring Beauty Fix 
Local to Southampton? This weekend West Quay have a really exciting event taking place! They are talking all things beauty; you can receive a £10 voucher when you drop in and recycle five old beauty products! There are also tons of special offers and discounts, from brands like The Body Shop, Claires and Hotel Chocolate. Do not miss it! I used to live in Southampton, so I'm pretty gutted I'm going to miss this! Click here to read about the event. 

Hope, Freedom, Love
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Exceptional Radiant Tinted Moisturiser From ESPA


When it comes to tinted moisturisers I have to say that I've never "got it". They've always had zero coverage and "glow" has normally meant my skin looking greasy. Maybe I've not tried the right brands or not given them a chance, but it's fair to say that I was sceptical about the ESPA Tinted Moisturiser With SPF*. So sceptical that I refused to use it on a busy work day, at first I only tested at the weekend.

ESPA gave me the chance to choose two colour samples, so I went for 01 Nude and 02 Blush. Nude is described to be for the "lightest skin with light undertones" and Blush is "fair to medium skin with pink undertones". My complexion actually has pink undertones, but as usual the best match for me was the lightest shade.

A little goes a long way, I squeeze this out on to the back of my hand and the first time I used it I had a lot left over. I applied it with my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush and I really dedicated a lot of time to really blending it into the skin. It completely evened my complexion, my skin looked uniform with no red blotches in sight. It's buildable; so you can apply extra where you need extra coverage. So I tend to add a little extra to the center of my face; around my nose and under my eyes. It's fair to say that this doesn't cover everything - in fact I still needed concealer on dark circles or particularly strong blemishes.


It really leaves your skin GLOWING, it looks incredible, but not greasy! In fact, it was so glowing that it was a little too much for me. I just took a little bit of pressed powder through my t-zone and it just dulled it down a little bit.  The part that really blew me away was the staying powder. This survived a long weekend walk through wind, rain and even the hot sun, when it came out for a while. Once it survived the weekend test, I used it on work days; it lasted a trip into London filming and my generic work days in the office. 

All-in-all I'm really impressed with the ESPA Tinted Moisturiser! It makes your skin glow, yet it doesn't make your skin greasy. It gives your skin coverage without making it feel heavy and cakey. It's a good colour match AND it lasts well on the skin, what else could you possibly want? The only problem is that at £32 for 50ml, it's certainly pricey. However, I think it's totally worth the price tag and if you have a long summer holiday planned, it's worth the investment. 

Hope, Freedom, Love
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Wednesday 25 March 2015

La Roche-Posay #SkinChecker & Anthelios Launch

On Thursday night I was invited down to Rook & Raven in London, to hear about the latest from La Roche-Posay. They had a lot of exciting information to share, including brand new Anthelios products and the #SkinChecker campaign.










Event pictures are by Jon Bradley

Innovation in suncare products
Long gone are the days of greasy, tacky, suncreams that make your skin feel horrible. La Roche-Posay have launched brand new Anthelios products. The Anthelios product range cater for every skintype; whether you have dry, combination or even oily skin. Completing the full sun care line up for La Roche-Posay is the new 'Comfort' range. The Comfort range has been improved in 2015 with the addition of 'Baicalin'. The range protects against UVA and UVB, it's water resistant and there's no sign of oil either. The Comfort range features three products; a SPF 30, SPF 50+ and a SPF 50+ BB Cream! The Comfort range joins the 'Ultra-Light' range for normal/combination skin and the 'Anti-Shine' range for oily skin. 




If you care for somebody, have a look at their beauty spots
If all that wasn't enough they've also launched the #SkinChecker campaign. Which comes with a video unlike anything La Roche-Posay has ever done before! If you haven't seen the video, you can watch it below. BEWARE because it's pretty damn cute and a bit of a tear jerker! I'm a huge advocate for looking after your skin and encouraging your loved ones to do the same. Check the skin of your loved ones, whether they are your Mum, Dad, Sister, Brother, Son, Daughter, Boyfriend, Girlfriend... you get the picture! If you spot anything that doesn't look quite right, get it checked out!



I was handed a very generous bag of goodies as I left, so I'll be bringing you reviews of the new Anthelios as soon as I've tested them. If you're already sold, you can check them out on Escentual. 

Special thanks to Jon Bradley and La Roche-Posay for the stunning pictures of the event!


Hope, Freedom, Love
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Tuesday 24 March 2015

Stephanie Does Scrapbooking

Stephanie Does Scrapbooking - Paperchase Scrapbook Idea



For this weeks lifestyle post, I thought I'd share my scrapbook with you all! I'm not super crafty, but I've collected special tokens, tickets and pictures for the last six years and they've all made their way into my scrapbook. I've tried a few different ideas over the years, but now I've found a system that really works for me.

The Scrapbook
I use self adhesive photograph albums, as it means you don't need to use any glue. You just arrange everything on the page and pull the plastic over the top. Perfect if you're not super crafty (or a little bit lazy like me). All the albums I use are matching; I use Paperchase's 'Kraft Square Self Adhesive Album'. All mine are all in the 'neutral' shade - you can get a few different options, including purple and black. 

Decorative Items
My scrapbooking box has a whole host of different goodies inside. I have a handy Corner Rounder, which I got for £2 on eBay, which helps you create nice shapes. I also picked up a selection of coloured paper, I buy the 'Spectrascope A6 postcards' which are also from Paperchase. They are the perfect size for cutting down and I love all six of the colour options. I also have a whole host of stickers and washi tape, which I use for decorating special pages. I particularly like the 'Postcard Stickers' (from Paperchase) as they have lots of lovely locations, that we've happened to visit recently! 

Top Tip
My top tip would be to keep an eye out for items! As well as buying decorative items, I also collect things that I think are cute. Sometimes you spot things where you least expect it; such as some nice tissue paper inside your online shopping orders. I'll also pick up postcards when I visit tourist destinations, they are only normally 30p and they look fabulous! I also keep items from beauty boxes; My Little Box often have sweet artwork or cards that look lovely next to pictures. 

Photographs
Speaking of pictures! I use Instagram as the source for photography in my scrapbook. Every three months or so, I'll scroll through my Instagram feed and pick out my favourite moments. I then print the pictures with Polargram, they offer really nice polaroid style prints, that are good quality. 

See Where The Mood Takes You
I don't stress about keeping my scrapbook up-to-date! Sometimes I just don't feel creative, or simply don't have the time. When the mood takes me I'll sit for a couple of hours and just arrange a few pages. I just see what looks nice and I go with the flow! The best part about the self-adhesive pages is that it's all removable. So you can just take everything out and start over if you don't like it! 

  Hope, freedom & love.
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Monday 23 March 2015

My Little Superbox

My Little Superbox - My Little Box Beauty Box Review
My Little Superbox - My Little Box Beauty Box Review




This month My Little Box is themed 'My Little Superbox'. The box is encourage us to show off our superpowers, giving us everything we need to be Super Woman. As always the box is put together beautifully, packed with pretty pictures and amazing products. 

The first thing you find inside is the 'My Little World' magazine. Normally magazines inside subscription boxes are pretty naff, but I love this one. It's full of really interesting articles and interviews, again the pictures inside are beautiful. Next is a set of 'Super Stickers' which are beyond cute. I have no idea where I'll use them or what for, maybe they'll look good in my scrapbook!  There's also beautiful t-shirt that says 'I Believe I Can Fly' - super sweet and although it probably won't fit me, I'll pass it on to someone I love. 

On to the beauty bits! First up we're "Fighting Dryness" with a tube of Caudalie's Hand and Nail Cream. It's packed with shea butter with avocado and olive oil, to melt into your hands and nourish the skin. Next is the "Lait Cristal from Kerastase Cristalliste" a supercharged lightweight conditioner that aims to leave your hair looking luminous and soft.  Every month there is a product made by 'My Little Beauty' and this month it's my favourite yet. I have the "Lips & Cheeks Pencil" in a gorgeous pinky, coral shade. You can use it on your cheeks or lips for a nourishing pop of colour. 

All in all, another fabulous box and I'm really impressed! I have no idea how My Little Box manages it month-after-month! You can subscribe for £11 a month (plus postage and packaging) here

My Little Superbox - My Little Box Beauty Box Review

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Sunday 22 March 2015

Cheek To Chic | Charlotte Tilbury

Cheek To Chic Charlotte Tilbury love is the drug blusher makeup review






Charlotte Tilbury is taking the beauty world by storm with her line of beauty products. She literally has us all on the edge of our seats waiting to see what is coming next. The products are not only beautiful, but they perform well too. I've had my eye on a few different Charlotte Tilbury products for a while, but I wanted to see if the hype stuck around. 


Chris picked me up the 'Cheek To Chic Swis & Pop Blusher' as an anniversary present and I actually hadn't heard much about it. I have the shade 'Love Is The Drug' which is a pretty pink combination. At first I just thought that this is a blusher made up of two shades that you just swish together. However, after further research, I found that Charlotte describes this as a '2-step application ritual'. You run your brush around the outer ring and use the shade to contour your cheek bones and then apply the middle shade to the apples of your cheeks. 

After finding this out, the product made much more sense to me and it actually works! The colours compliment each other really beautifully and it gives you a much more natural contoured look. I actually don't have a pointed blusher brush, which at times makes it difficult to pick up the pigment of each shade separately, but it just takes some paitence. The middle shade is naturally much more pigmented than the outside, so I just have to dip my brush in to get the colour I want. The colours are really creamy and they give a nice glow to the cheeks, which I love!

I'm utterly obsessed with this idea and lets be honest, the packaging has me swooning too! Now I really want to try all the other 'Cheek To Chic' palettes, in particular 'Sex On Fire'. The Cheek To Chic palettes retail for £30 at Selfridges and the Charlotte Tilbury website

Hope, freedom & love.
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Saturday 21 March 2015

February's Empties

February Empties - Products I've Used Up Colab Garnier The Body Shop Essie Revlon
Another month, another set of empties! This month actually has some different products to my usual pile, so lets get stuck in.

Garnier Pure Anti-Blemish Moisturiser
This has to be my most reoccurring empty product! I've used this for a long time and it's my go-to moisturiser. It's a dream to apply as it's really cooling on the skin and it creates the nicest base for makeup. It also has spot-fighting properties, which means it keeps your skin blemish free. The best part is that it only costs a fiver and you can often pick it up on offer for £3! Repurchase? Yes! I couldn't live without it!

Colab Dry Shampoo
Another reoccurring product, but this time in it's miniature form. I buy these minis for when I travel as they are much more suitcase friendly. Dry shampoo without the residue and can even rescue third day hair! My favourite scent is Rio with is a lovely tropical scent. It makes your hair smell like pineapples! Repurchase? Yes! I buy these in bulk!

The Body Shop Frosted Cranberry Shower Gel
I fell in love with this shower gel over the festive season and I'm super sad now it's run out. Luckily I have a spare so I can relive the festive goodness later this year! Repurchase? I would but it was a limited edition scent, gutted!

Essie Grow Stronger Top Coat
My go-to base coat finally popped it's cloggs! You'll see that there is actually some left in the bottle but it's far too gloopy to use. I toyed with trying something new but my nails hated not having this around. They went all brittle and kept breaking, so I know this does my nails the world of good. Repurchase? Yes, I already have!

Revlon Photo Ready Powder
I've had this powder on-the-go for longer than I can remember! It lasted ages, which is great, because it's fabulous. I picked this up in a Boots dash when I run out of powder, I thought it was £5.99 and it turned out to be £11.29. Imagine my shock when I saw the receipt! Luckily it gave some light coverage and kept shiny skin at bay. Repurchase? I think I would in the future, but for the moment I'm trying something new!

What products have you finished recently? Have you tried any of these? If so what did you think of them?
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Friday 20 March 2015

Battle of the Brow Gels

Battle of the Brow Gels - Maybelline Benefit Rimmel More Brows



Today I'm sharing a post that I like to call the 'Battle of the Brow Gels'. Four brow gels, four different colours, four different brushes, but which one is my favourite?

Lets start with the first brow gel I ever tried; Maybelline's Brow Drama.
Brow Drama really opened my mind to discover the brow gels of the world. I received it in a Glossybox and I instantly fell in love. It's a good colour match for my brows, it adds some definition and it holds the brow well. The biggest limitation is the brush - I'm not sure why it has a big round brush, but it's pretty hard to use. There are three colour options plus a transparent shade. I give it 6/10 - pick it up for £4.99 here

The next brow gel I tried was Rimmel's Brow This Way
When you consider that this brow gel is only £3.99, it really blows me away. Again there are four shades to choose from, one being transparent. This is quite a wet brow gel but it doesn't leave your brows sticky or crispy. It really has a perfect formula! The brush is better than the Brow Drama, I make a lot less mess when I use this. However, for me it just needs to be a little smaller to aid precision. The colour is pigmented and it adds some real definition to my brows. I give this 7/10 - pick it up for £3.99 here

By this point I was really obsessed with brow gels and I decided to invest in Benefit's Gimme Brow
This is a big deal for me, as I don't have a whole heap of 'high end' products. However, it was getting some pretty rave reviews and I had to try it! Gimme Brow really does it all; for me the colour is right, the texture is right and the brush is perfect. I know the brush is quite a subjective thing but I like the precision brushes. Of course, this product is much more expensive than the drugstore alternatives, weighing in at £17. The only thing that bugged me about this gel is that the brush distributed way too much product. I give this 8/10 - pick it up here.

The final brow gel in my collection is More Brows by Model Co.
This always made its way into my home via Glossybox and I never ever expected to be impressed. However, you can see by the pictures that this brush is almost identical to Gimme Brow. Except this time it doesn't pick up too much product on the brush. The colour match really is perfect for my brows and the little fibres inside give me a new lease of definition. It only costs £10 which is in the middle of Gimme Brow and the highstreet, which isn't too painful at all. The only problem is that you can only get it from the Model Co website. I give this 9/10 - you can pick it up here

More Brows is definitely my favourite of the four I've tried, however it is a close battle. Out of all the products I've tried, none of them have really disappointed me. I'd just like to see some work done on the brushes! I'd love to see the high street embrace the smaller brushes, as they are both great formulas, they are just harder to use. Have you tried any of these brow gels? Which one would come out on top for you?
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Thursday 19 March 2015

Haircare Review: Wet Brush

When I opened my Look Fantastic box to see The Wet Brush I was pretty excited! I've been stuck in my 'Tangle Teezer Rut' for a while now. Even though I thought the Tangle Teezer was fantastic, it's often worth trying out new things every now and again. For the purpose of this review, I'm going to compare the Wet Brush to the Tangle Teezer. 

This is the 'Wet Brush Squirts' a smaller version of the original Wet Brush, worth £11.99. It claims to detangle wet and dry hair "effortlessly". It has a rubber coated handle which allows you to have a firm grip of the brush. This is pretty important to me, you can't even imagine the amount of times my Tangle Teezer has flown across the room. The Wet Brush is shaped more like a traditional brush, whilst the Tangle Teezer isn't, which again makes it easier to hold.

When I first used it, Wet Brush felt completely new as it glided through my hair. The bristles are not as dense as the Tangle Teezer, paired with the "flexible Intelliflex bristles" it feels completely different as it guides through your hair. It's not harsh on your scalp, as it has the little purple dots on the end. The Tangle Teezer doesn't have this so sometimes it can feel a little scratchy. 

I have permed hair, so it's now very curly and can get itself quite knotted. Yet, I feel no pain at all as I brush my hair. It eases all the knots really easily and it doesn't pull at my scalp at all. One thing I have noticed, is that I don't seem to loose as much hair in the brush as I did with the Tangle Teezer. It was never a "problem" but it would often fill up with hair after a little while. I haven't seen this occurring in the Wet Brush. 

It's funny how I've used the Tangle Teezer for so long and it just felt like the perfect brush. When you use something new your whole perspective changes! You can pick up the Wet Brush from Look Fantastic here, I'm totally eyeing up the full sized brush now! 
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Wednesday 18 March 2015

Testing Laura Mercier







After rediscovering my NYX blusher last week, I started to think about all my other American purchases that I'd forgotten about. I've never really had the chance to experiment with many Laura Mercier products in the past. Unfortunately it’s just a brand that I’ve not explored in much detail. So when I placed a Sephora order and spotted this little quartet, I couldn't resist but pick it up. Inside the package I received four mini Laura Mercier products to get stuck into. So what’s inside and what were my thoughts?

Eye Basics 

This is a multi-use eye product, which works as a colour and a primer. You can use it on it's own or use it as a priming base for other products. I've been enjoying travelling with this as it's small and portable but also reliable. It's water-resistant and crease-proof as well as containing vitamins A, E and C. I did not realise that Eye Basics actually come in a range of colours, there are seven to choose from at SpaceNK!

Mini Fan Powder Brush
My most used product from the set is the Mini Fan Brush. This is the first fan brush I've ever had and it's fabulous. It's amazing for applying finishing powder (my Vichy Dermablend Powder loves it). It's miniature size makes it great to travel with - the only problem is that you cannot actually buy it. You can buy the full sized version (here), which I'm super tempted by. 

Invisible Loose Setting Powder
I'm pretty impressed with this setting powder, it sets your makeup and it keeps it in place. I don't think it's quite as good as the Vichy Dermablend powder though! This is the part where I say "this is great to travel with" but actually it's a bit of a pain. The tub is way too small and I end up getting powder everywhere. Annoyingly the little fan brush does not actually fit in the pot.

Black Karat Baked Eyeshadow 
This is a stunning rich eyeshadow, there are hints of black, bronze, brown and gold! It looks different from every single angle which is lovely. Like all Laura Mercier eyeshadows, they are not very pigmented when you use a brush. For the best results I use my finger tip and apply directly to the lid. Using your fingertips you get a rich pigmented black shade with flecks of gold. However, on this particular shade, if you use a brush you get a gorgeous brown/bronze shade. It gives a really nice versatility to the product which I love! 

Have you tried any of these Laura Mercier products? What did you think of them? Do you have any recommendations?
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Tuesday 17 March 2015

Auntie Mims

Here's something a little bit different for you on a Tuesday. I love featuring little gift ideas, because I always like something thats unique. Cheap unique gifts are hard to come by these days! However, I stumbled across Auntie Mims when I was looking for a Valentines Day present for Chris. We don't really do Valentines Day, but I like to get a little something to remember the day.

Auntie Mims is a small business that creates personalised wooden gifts. From keyrings, to coasters, to tools and to spoons, they have a real range of choices. I couldn't get over how cute this spoon was, it's a little bit corny, but I think it makes a great gift! Especially when your boyfriend likes baking as much as mine does!

You can get the Love Spoon here for £5 and browse all the other gifts here. Some of my favourites are the Cupcake Spoon (here) and the personalised love message keyring (here). What do you think of Auntie Mims? Do you have any unique gift ideas?
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Monday 16 March 2015

Best Seller by Leighton Denny



The sun is starting to make an appearance, so I'm loving wearing brighter shades on my nails. This is 'Best Seller' by Leighton Denny*, isn't it just gorgeous? It's name was chosen as it was one of the shades that was picked as a favourite by testers, when the range was first created. 

It's one of Leighton Denny's High Performance Colours which pride themselves on opacity and evenness being unbeatable. I didn't actually know this before using the polish, but after reading it, it's totally true. This polish applies like a dream, it's a completely even application from bed to tip. It's opaque in one coat and it looks really impressive too! As you layer up the coats the colour changes; one coat is a nice bright pink shade, two coats is a deeper pink. You can see in the swatch that the shade is really glossy! You get this effect without a top coat, but with Seche Vite on top, it really is something special. 

You can pick up 'Best Seller' from Look Fantastic for £11 hereLeighton Denny polishes are free from Formaldehyde, Toluene and DBP.
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Sunday 15 March 2015

The Bloggers Made Me Do It



Beauty blogging is never easy on the bank balance, not a day goes buy where I don't feel enabled to buy something. I like to try new things and I like to experiment with lots of different products. More often than not, I feel inspired by other bloggers. Whether it's a YouTube video, a blog post or even just a tweet, I'm talked into trying lots of new products. Today I thought I'd share some of the products I have that are truly enabled purchases.

See By Chloe 
Guilty Bloggers: Fleur de Force, Essie Button & Amelia Liana 
Last year these three ladies went on a trip to Dallas, they all vlogged the experience. I'm a bit of a YouTube addict and I remember watching each of their vlogs about the trip. Whilst in the airport, they all caved to 'See By Chloe' a perfume they all raved about no end. That was enough for me to bookmark this perfume in my head for a later date. It's a really lovely subtle perfume which is wearable for any occasion, you can read my full review here

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Go
Guilty Blogger: Sam from Honey Go Lightly
Lets be honest lots of bloggers have raved about this product, but it was Sam that tipped me over the edge on Twitter. Sometimes you're not sure whether hype is just hype, but a personalised recommendation goes a long way. This went straight to the top of my anniversary wish list and my lovely boyfriend bought it for me. Believe everything that is said about the Charlotte Tilbury products, the quality is fantastic and they are beautiful. 

Laura Mercier Body Butter
Guilty Blogger: Tanya Burr
If I remember my facts correctly Tanya used to actually work for Laura Mercier. Naturally a lot of their products crop up in her blog posts and her videos. I ended up caving for a Holiday Gift Set from SpaceNK a couple of years ago, after hearing her rave about how luxury the products are. I've fallen in love with everything from the set, she's right; the products are gorgeous!

Bourjois Colorband Eyeshadows
Guilty Blogger: Lily Pebbles
Moving on to more recent purchases, this product only arrived on my doorstep last week. Everyone has been talking about how good these eyeshadows are! However, Lily was the one that convinced me in her 'New Beauty Launches Reviewed' video. I popped myself on the wait list at Superdrug and purchased them as soon as they were available. 

Bourjois Healthy Mix Powder
Guilty Blogger: Vivianna Does Makeup
I'm not sure how I resisted this powder for so long, as Anna talks about it a lot! However, I finally caved after watching her '2014 Makeup Favourites' video. I haven't actually been using this for very long but I'm already really impressed. It's a great colour match for my skin and it seems to be keeping oil at bay, whatever the weather!

What purchases have you made that have been enabled by bloggers? I could literally go on forever!

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Saturday 14 March 2015

Roller Lash - A Mascara For Length, Not Volume

Roller Lash Benefit Mascara Review

It's the mascara everyone is talking about, but is Benefit's Roller Lash really worth the hype? Just like most everybody else in the beauty community, I rushed straight to a newsagents to pick up a sample of Roller Lash in Elle Magazine. I've now come to the end of my sample so I wanted to finally share my thoughts.

The Claims
Roller Lash is Benefit's latest mascara which claims to be a "roller for lashes" - giving lift and curls instantly. It's the home of the 'Hook 'n' Roll' brush (patent-pending) which Benefit says grabs and hooks every lash. The brush is plastic and it has a 30 degrees curve to perfectly fit your eye shape. 

The Bits I Love
The brush is great, I'm a big fan of plastic mascara wands and the curve makes it easy to use. It's true that the mascara grabs every lash, from the long ones to the little tiny ones. You get some really impressive lift and an awesome curl that lasts all day (I needed two coats to get the effect you see in the press pictures)! The formula doesn't break down and you don't end up with panda eyes whatever the weather. 

The Bits I Don't Love
Now for the controversial part! The formula isn't very wet, which is great because it means you don't get mascara everywhere. But you do have to move pretty quickly, if you leave too much time between coats, your lashes set and then it's impossible to get a second coat on top. For me I'd like the formula to be a little wetter as I think it would be easier to work with. I'm quite lucky as I'm naturally blessed with very long lashes that are quite curly. So what I need from a mascara is volume, which you just don't get from Roller Lash. So whilst you get great length, it's not a product that really blows me away. 

It's safe to say that They're Real remains my favourite Benefit mascara, as it provides length and volume together and masses of it! Whilst researching this blog post, I read that Benefit suggest using Roller Lash and They're Real together. You would use Roller Lash first for length and then add They're Real afterwards for volume. I haven't tried this myself but I think you'd have to work quickly and I definitely can't afford to have two mascaras on-the-go at one time. In summary, Roller Lash isn't a terrible mascara, it just doesn't work for me. If you want length and curl go for Roller Lash, but if you're looking for volume try They're Real. 

Have you tried both Benefit mascaras? Which one do you prefer?
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Friday 13 March 2015

The Forgotten Blusher

NYX Blusher Pink Brush

I've had this NYX blusher in my collection since I headed to America in October last year. For some reason it landed itself in a drawer and got forgotten about. I then read a blog post by Shannon from Under The Blush and it all came flooding back! 

You can actually get hold of NYX in the UK these days, but it's much easier to get in America. Mainly because it has pride of place in the drugstores and you have loads to choose from. It happens to be super cheap too, so you don't feel guilty as you load your basket! As I wondered around Target a lot of colours jumped out at me, but I ended up choosing Peach. Which is more a deep pink shade than a peach shade, beautiful nonetheless. 

Peach is a pressed powder blusher and it's super pigmented! You just have to give your brush a little dip in the colour and you're good to go. They look beautiful on the skin though, they are really silky so you get a nice natural glow. I will say that I found these quite hard to blend, so it's best to use a light hand. Otherwise you have to fish out your foundation brush and dab it in, which isn't the end of the world! The colour lasts well, I wore this on a four-mile walk at the weekend and it didn't budge.

How this blusher ended up in the back of my drawer I'll never know, but I'm glad I have it back. There are actually 25 shades of these blushers, so there are a lot more to choose from! You can get NYX blushers from their website in the UK (here) and drugstores in the US. 
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Thursday 12 March 2015

Uptown (Funk)

Nails Inc Uptown NOTD Review Pink Nail Polish The Best
Today's nail related blog post is dedicated to 'Uptown' by Nails Inc (I hope I'm not the only one now singing Bruno Mars in my head). It's very rare that I sport baby pink on my nails, I just feel like it's a hard colour to pull off when you're as pale as me. However, there's something about this colour that gives it a bit of depth and I think it looks really sophisticated on the nails. 

Uptown is one of the Gel Effect polishes that just apply like a dream! The gel polishes come with the wide brush which is right up my street. It means that they are really easy to brush on, despite the fact they have quite a thick formula. They dry really quickly, which is just something I expect these days from nail polish - nobody has all day to wait for your manicure to dry. Being a 'Gel Effect' formula it dries very shiny and it looks really glossy. Uptown is just a perfect 'barely there' shade, amazing for when I need to be professional but still want healthy looking nails!

You can buy Uptown directly from Nails Inc here for £14
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Wednesday 11 March 2015

My Beauty Backups



I was recently inspired by Anna's blog post (Best Bits That I've Backed Up), which featured all the products that she has in bulk. I too have a few products that I keep spares of, so I thought I'd share them with you!

The Toner I Cannot Be Without 
Serozinc came into my life last year and now I cannot be without it. The toner contains ZInc Sulphate and it helps fight blemishes and troublesome skin. If that isn't enough, it stops your skin getting shiny in the middle of day and it keeps everything matte. I'm coming to the end of my current can, so I headed straight to Escentual and stocked up with TWO brand new cans. I know that I won't be running out anytime soon!

The Product That Has Transformed My Curly Hair
I've had permed hair for quite a while now and I've tried a LOT of different products. There really isn't a lot of good products around for curly hair. Nothing performed as well as this, it really blows me away. This is the Redken Curvceous Full Swirl, which is a serum and cream hybrid. You can use this on wet or dry hair and it gives you lovely waves! It doesn't feel sticky and it holds the curls all day! 

The High Street Foundation 
I've never tried a high end foundation and why the hell would I need to! This is the Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation and it's beautiful. We're talking high coverage without being cakey or heavy. It lasts well on the skin too, I know I can count on this if I have an important event to go to! It's sweat, heat and humidity proof, which means it works well whether I'm here in the UK or away in America.

The Dry Shampoo With No Residue 
The world and their wife has raved about the Colab Dry Shampoo and rightly so. It's the only dry shampoo that I've tried that truly has no residue. It rescues hair on the second day and even the third day. I have full sized cans of this on my dressing table but I also stock up on the miniatures, as they are perfect for travelling! This one is the London scent which is a blend of bergamot, musk & magnolia.

What products do you stock up on? 
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Tuesday 10 March 2015

Maybelline Brow Satin

Maybelline Brow Satin Eyebrow Product Eyebrows Great Products Swatch


I'm a bit addicted to trying eyebrow products, I'm on the quest for the perfect brow! For me brow products are like mascara, you instantly know if you're a fan. I really like products that I can make an instant impression on. This is Brow Satin by Maybelline, a double ended brow product. On one end you have the pencil which is in a retractable tube and on the other is a powder product that you apply from the lid.

I'm actually a big fan of this product, I take the pencil side and draw in the gaps in my brows. The pencil is very thin which means you can literally draw in little individual hairs. Equally you can brush on the colour in thicker strokes, it's completely up to you! I then follow the pencil with the powder, filling in anywhere that needs a little extra help. The colour is not super pigmented so there is room for error if like me, you're not a brow superstar. The colour is a perfect a match for my hairs (I use medium brown) I literally had to do a double take, it's perfect.

One thing I do not like is that I ALWAYS forget to retract the pencil back into the tube, before I put the lid back on. If I'm not forgetting to retract the pencil, I'm putting the lid on the wrong end, which means the pencil gets smushed! I know these are just personal errors, it's just a bit annoying.

Other than my forgettable nature, this for me is a great product. I recently took it to Germany with me, which meant I one needed to take this one product and an eyebrow brush! You can pick Brow Satin up from Superdrug for £5.99 here, such a bargain! 
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Monday 9 March 2015

Look Fantastic Beauty Box - March 2015



Over the last couple of years I've tried a lot of beauty boxes. However, now I'm just subscribed to two boxes; My Little Box and the Look Fantastic Beauty Box. These two boxes have never let me down and the March Look Fantastic box is no different. The March beauty box is worth a whopping £71! There are six products, three of which are full sized, all for £15! Lets have a look at the contents:

The Wet Brush Squirts
I'm huge fan of the Tangle Teezer but I've never tried the Wet Brush! I've read a lot of reviews of the Wet Brush though so I'm really happy to have one. I have curly hair which can get quite knotted and hard to maintain. The Wet Brush claims to "effortlessly detangle wet and dry locks" and it's supposed to be pain free. This sounds right up my street, so I'm looking forward to trying it! The best bit is that I got a purple one, which happens to be my favourite colour.

Cowshed Lippy Cow Natural Lip Balm
Cowshed is another brand that I don't think I've tried before! This is the lip balm which is packed with essential oils; linden blossom, rose genanium and ylang ylang. Together they protect, calm and moisturise. Normally I prefer solid lip balms instead of liquids, but I'll definitely give this a go! 

Bliss FatGirlSlim
I've tried a lot of fabulous products from Bliss Skincare in the past, but this is new to me. FatGirlSlim is a cream that you massage into the skin to tone and improve body contour. It has caffeine molecules which are quick and targeted for firming the skin. I've never tried a product like this in the past, so it will be interesting to try out. 

Lord & Berry Line & Shade Eyeliner

A few months ago I did not have a single eyeliner in my makeup stash. Now it seems that I'm growing quite the collection. The Lord & Berry Line & Shade Eyeliner is made from a mix of Kajal and Kohl to give consistent colour, whilst being blendable and long-lasting. I'm thinking of sharing an eyeliner edit soon, so I'll test this and report back! 

NUDESTIX Magnetic Eye Colour in Gilt 
By far the most exciting product in the beauty box (for me anyway) is this NUDESTIX pencil. I've heard a LOT about these pencils and I've been desperate to try one! NUDESTIX say that the pencils can highlight, colour, line and prime. They are waterproof and crease resistant which is good as I have quite oily eyelids. I'm definitely trying this first thing tomorrow, I cannot wait to see how it performs.

Nuxe Nuxellence Detox 
Last in the box is a little sample of Nuxellence Detox by Nuxe. This is a anti-ageing treatment which can "recharge and detoxify cells overnight". I'm normally put off by anti-ageing products as I don't think I can really review them properly. However, they say it's good for all ages and all skin types so I'm looking forward to seeing how it performs.

I'm so impressed with the March beauty box, it's got an incredible combination of products. There is something for everyone and the products all have a great reputation. I'm looking forward to trying everything and sharing my reviews with you all! Have you tried the Look Fantastic box? What's your favourite product you've ever received? 
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Sunday 8 March 2015

Mothers Day Gift Guide

Gift Ideas For Mum | Mothers Day | Hope, Freedom, Love





Haven't yet found the perfect gift for mum? Don't panic, I'm here to share with you my suggestions! My ideas are mainly beauty related, but there are a couple of other ideas too, so hopefully there's something for everyone. 

For the Mum who needs more sleep
Is there anything better than the gift of sleep? I'm a huge fan of Neals Yard and their essential oil rollerballs, they really help you calm down and feel relaxed. So I love the fact that they've made a gift set dedicated to sleep. It's called the 'Beauty Sleep Organic Spa Collection' and it contains a body butter, bath milk and skin concentration.  You can actually get 20% off the set at the moment which makes it £28 (here).

For the Mum who loves tea (and baking)
Paperchase never ever let me down when it comes to gift ideas. This year they are rocking the baking gifts; how CUTE are these teapot cutters? I can just imaging these making little shortbread biscuits - so sweet. Also on the tea theme, I'm in love with the tea infuser. I'm actually contemplating buying this for myself, I really want to try loose tea and this is too cute to miss. I featured the personalised spoons from Twinings in my Valentines Day gift guide. I think these are just really nice ideas, as it's just something you can keep forever. The last gift in this category is the Love Birds Measuring Cups from Lakeland. I love how sweet these are, handy for measuring and for baking in! They retail for £16.99 here

For the Mum who likes having perfect hands
I'm obsessed with the Nails Inc gel nail polishes so this set of minis is right up my street. This is the Nails Inc Spring Summer 2015 set and there are six in the collection. They are a variety of colours so there is something for every mum. It retails for £29 (here) and you can grab it from ASOS! I recently gave a full review to the Hand Chemistry Intense Youth Complex hand cream (you can read it here). It's blooming incredible stuff and it fights EIGHT signs of ageing. The beautiful people at DECIEM have provided me with a special discount code for all my readers! If you want to try anything from Hand Chemistry you can save 20%! Just enter HOPEFREEDOMLOVE at the checkout.

For the Mum who needs a pamper
For me Molton Brown are the ultimate pamper brand, the products are high quality and they always smell amazing. My favourite scent is Orange and Bergamot and you can pick up a Orange and Bergamot Limited Edition Hamper from Look Fantastic. It retails for £50 and you can get it here. The best bit is when you spend £50 on Mothers Day with Look Fantastic you get the March Beauty Box for free. Enter BBMOTHERS at the checkout! After a relaxing bath she could slip into some comfy slippers. Now these Fluffy flip flops are unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, but I love the novelty! They are the 'Fluffie' from Ugg Australia so you know they are going to be super comfy!

Feel Unique make a whole range of 'Beauty Boxes' which make the perfect present if you happen to be looking for a gift. My favourite is the 'Thank You Beauty Box' which is only £10! It has a Roger & Gallet hand cream and a rose scented candle, the perfect pamper pair! I had to share a Fleur de Figuier product in this gift guide and I think the Fleur de Figuier Soap Coffret is a perfect gift for Mum. Three soaps that smell incredible and are perfect for scenting your drawers (as well as washing of course)! These are only £13.50 and you can buy them here from M&S

For the Mum who likes something sparkly

If you’re looking for something a little sparkly for Mothers Day, check out this beautiful necklace from Goldsmiths. It’s so pretty and it’s only £20, win-win!
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