beauty reviews

 Bourjois Ultra Shine So Laque Nail Polish in Bleu Fabuleux 60, Mavala Lipgloss in Bubble Gum 28*, Alison Claire Remarkable Mango Body Butter £7.99 for 50ml*, TRESemme 24 Hour Body Shampoo & Sleep In Rollers Princess Gift Set £19.96*.

Bourjois Nail Polish: I have been loving this colour! It’s such a beautiful blue colour. It’s bright, but it’s not neon, and it’s also muted, but not pastel, so it’s just perfect. I would say you could apply 1 coat for a light shade, and 2 for fully opaque. It does chip unfortunately, and quite easily, so if they could just improve the formula, it would be perfect, as it has a great size brush which means easy application. Rating: 7.5/10

Mavala Lipgloss*: I got sent this ages ago for a gift, and at first I didn’t really like it. I think it’s a marmite product, where you’ll either love it… or you’ll hate it. The colour is quite nice, and for me who isn’t generally allowed to wear such a bold lip, it’s great. I like to dab it down to stain my lips, then add a sheer lip balm over the top so it is less vibrant. On it’s own though, it isn’t too sticky and it isn’t too matte, so overall it’s pretty good. Rating: 8/10

Alison Claire Body Butter*: I have finally found a body butter I like, well actually, I think I love this one. There are several reasons, 1 being the fact that it doesn’t leave your skin feeling sticky, it seems to soak in well, and with this boiling hot whether, it’s pretty darn good that it doesn’t. Secondly, the smell is quite nice. It reminds me of the fruit salad sweets, sort of sweet but sort of sour. I like. Finally, it’s perfect for travel. The size of the bottle is great, and it has a handy pump so it won’t leak everywhere. Rating: 9/10

Tresemme Shampoo: This shampoo is amazing! I love it! On my hair, it doesn’t exactly add too much volume, but it does make it feel very revitalised and fuller than usual. The texture is like a gel texture so it actually soaks into the hair. It’s been helping my hair from getting tangled as much. Rating: 8/10

Princess Sleep In Rollers*: Okay. I’m not quite sure what to say. I’ve been interested in these for ages, and when I got to test them out, I was pretty glad I didn’t have to buy them. Unfortunately they didn’t work. I did exactly what it says on the pack, which was to use on dry hair, roll them in and grip them in place, then sleep. I did this, in fact I did it well. I rolled them in tightly, and I gripped them in tightly, AND, I slept all the way through the night. I woke up, took them out, gently brushed my hair to de-frizz the, ‘what were meant to be curls’ and the below picture is the result. Yup, that’s me the morning after. I wasn’t satisfied, but I think perhaps it could be the fact my hair is so limp and thin. Rating: 4/10 🙁

Voodoo Girl Crop Top*, Zara Shorts, Peace Popband*

I hope you enjoyed this month’s ‘The Beauty Reviews’! I really enjoyed doing this one, because I got to do product shots with the new camera! Woop! Hehe, sorry I’m a bit over excited about it! I am actually not going to be here on Monday, well I am just not blogging, but a post will be up then to explain. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

(Any products which were sent to review, or were sent to be featured in this post are marked with a *. All opinions are 100% honest.)

Beauty is not generally a subject on my blog, but after a good think I thought of a way to squish it in. At the end of each month, I will be a doing ‘The Beauty Reviews’ which include 5-10 products I have been loving or have been sent. This will be the only beauty post I will do, but I think it will be a nice way to keep you beauty lovers reading! So, enjoy the first instalment!

nSPA Jojoba and White Vanilla Body Butter*: I have been trying to find a nice moisturising body butter for a while now, and when I received this I was happy! It is really thin and creamy which I prefer to thick creams. It doesn’t leave your skin feeling sticky or slimy which is a bonus. The one thing I would say is that it doesn’t smell that great… it has a hint of the classic ‘holiday’ scent, but also a hint of deodorant. Rating: 6.5/10

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr Cream Eyeshadows in 85 (Light in Purple) and 05 (Eternal Gold): After seeing Ingrid (Miss Glamorazzi) go on and on about these, I finally got my hands on them for my birthday! I got 4 different colours, but these 2 are my favourites! #85 is a very nice grey, purple blue colour and looks great with a tight lined eye. #05 is a shimmery gold colour which looks really nice in the inner corners of your eyes, or all over for a summery look. They are non-scented and are very creamy, with a very long lasting power. Rating: 8.5/10

Amie Spring Clean Cooling Clay Mask £4.95*:  Yes, okay, I look like an idiot in that picture!! You probably know that I am NOT a clay mask person, or in fact a face mask person at all. I decided to try this one out and  I am sorry to say but I still feel the same way. It was super duper refreshing which I loved but I just hate the fact that the clay goes hard! I know that is what clay masks do, but it was really disappointing, but if you do like clay masks then this is definitely good one, just not for me! Rating: 7/10

Amie Skin Shield Daily Moisturiser with SPF15 £5.95*:  I have used this a few times and it is quite light and it does definitely give you moisture and it doesn’t leave your skin feeling sticky either. The one thing which again, I personally don’t like, is the tiny glitter particles in the cream, it made my skin look quite ‘muddy’ like some highlighters can do, but I think it would work well on tanned skin. It’s floral scented which I quite like and it isn’t too strong. Rating: 7/10

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous: Just like the Color Tattoos I have been wanting this for ages! I also got this for my birthday and I LOVE it! I swatched this in a shop and was surprised as I never knew that a coral or orange could actually suit me! The colour is quite sheer but can be built up to a vibrant orange. When I got it, it felt so smooth on my lips and I don’t know how, but I have really seen an improvement in them! Again like the body butter, the scent is slightly disappointing. It is minty yet it sort of smells like cabbages… Rating: 8/10

If you don’t know already, I secretly started a new addition to my blog! Welcome in… Posh Pairs! Unique and handcrafted earrings! From £6 incl. P&P! Check them out here! (Blog Review Requests welcome!)

(Products marked with a * were sent for reviewing purposes or were gifted to me. All opinions are 100% honest and are not biased in anyway.)

This year I really want to dabble a bit more into the Skincare circle, because I have pretty much changed climates, so I think my skin might change a bit, and I thought maybe trying out some products might help. One of the things I haven’t tried out though, are things like Day Creams & Body Butters. I have seen many reviews on them, so here is mine!

The first products I have are the Ylang Ylang Day Cream (Normal to Combination Skin) and the Coconut & Comfrey Cleansing Milk (Combination Skin).

This is a Cleansing Milk, i.e a cleaning liquid for your face. It can remove make-up, and just general oils which build up during the day. It can also be used to refresh in the morning too. If you like scents which linger with you for a while, this is for you! The scent is a sweet coconut smell, which really did stay for a while. It is quite a watery liquid, so not much like a cream, which I am used to in cleansing products. I think there is a plus side to that, because it means it can soak into your skin more easily, but it also means that it can be harder to apply. After I wiped it off, my skin felt completely different! It had already made an impact on how my face felt. It was so much softer and lighter, and I think it would be good for people who maybe have oily skin, even though it’s for combination skin.

This is the Day Cream, i.e a moisturising cream for the day! The scent of this is quite a sweet, but floral tone, but more of a natural floral tone, like a flower is actually in the bottle! It’s like a normal cream, but I found the tiniest of bits went a very long way! For me, it was a little bit too heavy, and quite cloggy on my skin, but I think for someone with dry skin it would do just fine. Unfortunately, I found it a little sticky at first, which I don’t like, but I rubbed it in, and I found it became more of a velvety feel, which changed my mind on the product. So, I am not 10o% sure on this, for my personal liking, but for others it maybe perfect!

The other 2 products I have are the Avocado & Caramel Body Butter (All Skin) and the Lavender & Frangipani Hand Cream (Dry/Mature Skin).

This is the Body Butter, i.e a butter for the skin?! The scent of this product is like popcorn! I don’t generally like popcorn, but I actually, don’t mind this scent! The Avocado gives it a more of a fresh smell, and takes the sweetness away from it, but if you like popcorn, then you’ll love this! I used it after a shower, and my skin just felt amazing! It stayed amazing for at least another day. I would say that it works in making your skin feel a bit more luxurious rather than heeling it, or keeping it from drying up though. I tried around my face and neck, but unfortunately I didn’t like the scent when it was too close to my nose. I sometimes get headaches from scents like this, so I think I’ll keep using it on my legs and arms. Although, I didn’t like the smell on face & neck, I will try and re-purchase this when I run out.

This is the Hand Cream i.e, do I really need to say?! (haha). This smells of Lavender, just like it says on the tin! It really is a Lavender smell! We have Lavender in our garden, so I know how to compare it with the real thing, and it is spot on! It has the same consistency of the Clarins Hand Cream which, I love, but it smells so much better! I would say the strength of the smell was the same as the L’Occitane Hand Creams, which again is a bonus! After using my hands for a while, they actually started to begin to smell, just like the L’Occitane Date Hand Cream?! Which is awesome! My hands felt soft, and in no way sticky! YAY! I will be getting this again!

Overall, I think that these products are great. I don’t know whether they are for me as my skin is just normal, but I think they would be great for anyone with dry/oily skin. My favourite products out of the above, are the Lavender Hand Cream and the Body Butter. I think that the others were a little bit too heavy on my skin, but again, they could work for someone else. I really like the packaging of the products, as it is very simple and plain. Unfortunately the lids of the small pots were broken, which I think could have been due to delivery, but over all that didn’t effect me. The products above are all the Travel Size products, so they aren’t as big as the full size ones. I think everyone should give these products ago, because they work well for different people. You never know, you might find your new favourite product!

(These products are * marked. I am very grateful to receive these products from Beauty Bootique. All the opinions in this review, are 100% true, I wouldn’t lie to you, would I? I hope that Beauty Bootique, have a great year, and they continue to be successful in what they do. If you would like your product to be reviewed by me, please fill in the Contact form, here.)

Have you tried Beauty Bootique? Are you thinking of now? What are your favourite Skincare products? Make sure to click the ‘Leave A Comment’ button, to tell me!

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If you’ve been reading for a long time, you will know that sometimes I review things from my mum’s stuff as I find some of her stuff a lot of you will relate to. One of these things is Foundation. Now, my mum has naturally oily skin, and finds it hard finding a Foundation to stop her looking shiny. So recently she did a bit of a bulk order of bits and bobs, and found a Foundation. This one is the Rimmel London Wake Me Up SPF 15 Foundation in Ivory.

This Foundation is one of those things which is perfect for some people and the worst product to use for others. For people with oily skin is great, because it can make your skin look naturally matte, and not powdery. My mum finds it hard to pick out ones which don’t turn out looking ridiculously pale, but this one looks great. It says on the back… ”Our first foundation that visibly reawakens and illuminates skin with a radiant glow and a flawless natural-looking finish. Instant anti-fatique effect with peptides and a Vitamin Moisturising Complex.” The packaging is also nice, it is small and sleek, and is a nice colour. I generally have been in love with Rimmel recently.

As you can see (hopefully), there is a really nice shimmer too the Foundation. It also spreads out really well, and is really blendable. It also smells quite nice. It has a similar smell to the Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter, which is good because you don’t want a horrible smell on your face, which can sometimes put you off a really good looking Foundation. It is also really light, you don’t even feel like you’re wearing it after a while.

BLEND-ABILITY: 8/10 – Blends well, and spreads out well.

COLOUR & TEXTURE: 8/10 – Nice colour, very natural and feels light and smooth. Plus, it has a nice shimmer to it.

SCENT: 7/10 – A nice scent, similar to some S&G products.

OVERALL: 8/10 – Very good product, especially for oily skin.

For Christmas I got given the new Artiste Collection by MUA, which was actually free, but I was still very grateful 😉 Haha. So, here’s my review! (Sorry about the pictures, my arm looks really creepy…)

(See what I mean about my arm?)

I am really sorry I didn’t take a picture of the Pink Sparkle, Primrose etc, as they are blushers and bronzers so I just left them out. Sorry! Haha. Anyway, the first thing I love about this set, is that it has a highlighter!! I have been wanting and wanting one, and now I do! It is such a pretty coulour! It is Shimmer Kiss the first colour on the last picture. It is so nice, and is very natural. The second thing I love is the iridescence of all the colours. The marble effect is so beautiful, but, unfortunately after using a couple of time, it kind of mixes together. I think my favourite eyeshadow colour is Pistachio, because it is really bright, but very soft at the same time. My favourite blush of the two, is probably Primrose. The blushes are very similar, but this one just has a slightly more natural undertone to it. I feel all the products go on like, creamy? They look very sharp, not all powdery, and for free, come on that’s pretty good?! The bad things are… the two brown shadows. I feel that these let the palette down, as they are very metallicy and if you’re trying to create a soft look, they can be quite harsh.

COLOURS: 8/10: Nice colours, but some are a bit too harsh.

FEEL & LOOK: 8/10: They look great, and feel very nice, not powdery at all.

OVERALL RATING: 8.5/10: For the price it is good. It includes a highlighter, and all the essentials.

This new year, it’s a good time to stock up on those things that you know will last you the whole year, so why not get some advice? Here’s a list of things you should get stocked up on…

Bioderma Sebium H2O Micelle Solutions 500ml £17.95 (Amazon), 5 Piece Try Me Skincare Set £18.00 (Stila), Lypsyl Strawberry Lip Balm £1.49 (Superdrug), Neutrogena Visibly 2in1 Face Wash Mask £3.99 (Superdrug), & Garnier Caffeine Anti-Dark Circles Eye Roll On Light 15ml £5.09 (Superdrug).

• Bioderma – This brand and product has had a lot of great reviews this year, and is selling fast. Grab it whilst you can!
• Stila Skincare Set – Stila have also become very big this year, and there Skincare range is new. So grab this amazingly priced set whilst you’re out and about!
• Lypsyl Lip Bam – Lypsyl soothes, tints and smells great! For less than £1.50 as well!
• Neutrogena Face Mask – Neutrogena protects sensitive skin & makes your face feel great!
• Garnier Roll On – For touching up your dark circles for just popping out this is great! It protects, covers up and heals! WOW!

Unfortunately, this post really, only relates to those in France, or any other country in which this product is sold, so UK residence, you may find it hard to try out! Anway, on with the show…

Garnier Ultra Doux Coconut Butter & Oil Spray – Around €3 – 4.00

Me and my mum were trying to find a cheaper hair oil for my knotty hair, we had been using Orofluido, but because we have moved, we can’t get it without paying of €40 or paying the UK price and postage, so we then found this. As I said, you cannot buy this in the UK, but you probably can get it delivered using the FR site of Garnier. So, what it is, is a Coconut Butter & Oil but in a spray, so it is much finer, and you generally don’t get big oily patches. Also, you don’t have to rinse it out, and it has an amazing scent. I usually use it by spraying it in when my hair is still wet, or using it when my dry hair is a bit knotty. I make sure I comb it through otherwise it will make my hair greasy all over! I have found that it’s formula means it will work for over 2/3 days, because I have found my hair easier to brush through since I have used it. The unfortunate thing is, that it can leave oily patches, especially on the crown of your head (i.e the place in which at the top of your head before your skull drops down and around?!), which is really annoying, so I am definitely not going to put too much on again, I will now use around 3-5 spray/use. Compare to Orofluido, it works quicker, and works for longer. So for the price it is so much better. But you must be careful about applying too much, even if you think 1 spray is nothing! This stuff is powerful!

EASE OF USE: 8/10 – The spray makes it very thin and it goes along way in 1 spray!

OILY: 7/10 – Again, 1 spray does a lot so it can make your hair oily!

LENGTH OF TIME per USE: 8/10 – It seems to be still working, it has been working for 2 days now!

OVERALL: 8/10 – It works well, it is thin, it does everything right, and it last long! Well Done Garnier!

Sorry for the UK Folk you can’t get it, but I could always set up a store… haha! No joke… if you do want it, just ask! 😉

About 4 weeks ago I bought my first Lush product. I had been wanting one for ages, and the time finally came! I haven’t had the time to have a nice relaxing bath until now, so haven’t been able to do a review, so here it is now…

First of all, I want to talk about the customer service in Lush. When I first entered the store they ignored me, even though I was the only one in the store, which was maybe the size of some people’s bedrooms. They didn’t recommend any products, which would’ve been helpful, as I had no clue on which one to buy. Secondly, the reason I chose this bath bomb, was because it was the biggest of the cheaper bath bombs. I thought it was about £2.50 at first, and then it was £3, so you might want to check the prices. This bath bomb smelt very faint in the store, but once I was out, it smelt quite strong. It is a purple/blue/pink colour, and it is actually quite big. It says ‘BOMB’ on it, and is supposedly meant to have something in it.

When I put it into the bath, it fizzed really well. The colour was very strong, and the smell was more blackberry like, than out of the water. The bath was purple by the time it had completely fizzed (By the way, I was using half.), and the water felt amazing! In other reviews on this bath bomb, people have said it makes the water feel silky, and I thought, how can it make the water feel silky? But, it does! It feels amazing! If you do want to use the whole bath bomb in one use, seriously don’t, because it will be a waste, as half is quite enough! My skin doesn’t feel much different which was a let down, because I was expecting it to have some sort of moisturiser, but I think that is what the ‘bath melts’ are for.

I would definitely, highly recommend only using half for one use. You can do this by cutting it down the middle mould line, with a sharp knife. If you want a stronger smell, then either use the whole, or don’t go for this bath bomb.

Overall, it is very good, very silky and smells quite nice, and is a very good size.

Size: 9/10 – Big, and can be used twice.

Scent: 8/10 – Nice, but not the best, and not very strong.

Style: 7/10 – Plain and simple.

Overall: 8.5/10 – Nice, and good for your first try of a Lush Bath Bomb.

Would I recommend: Yes.

My mum is clearing out a load of make-up, so I decided to some reviews on a few things, that she had recommended.

This set is great! It includes everything for great feeling skin. I especially love the Moisturising Mist, and Body Lotion, as they both smell great, and feel amazing. The Mist is like a toner, but does more. The Body Lotion is great for dry skin, and is great for just relaxing! I have the smaller Body Butter myself, and I love it. It is great for after showers and baths, so you can lock in all the moisture!

Scent: 8/10 – Nice, fresh smell that is great for when you want to feel special.

Look: 9/10 – Soap & Glory always make their products look vintage, which I love!

Overall:  8.5/10 – This set is great, especially for gifts, or just for yourself!

Dior:

My mum loves these Dior products. The Airflash gives a healthy glow, and a natural tint, and is also very easy to apply. It is great for light skin, and oily skin, because it has a silky matte finish. The Bronzer is great as it only comes out very fine, and you can add however much you want!

Application (Foundation): 8.5/10 – Good, but not the best as a spray. (Bronzer): 8.5/10 – Again, good, but not the best as a spray.

Tint (Foundation): 9/10 – Light, natural, silky matte finish. (Bronzer): 8/10 – Good amount of tint and colour.

Overall (Foundation): 8/10 -Would recommend, but not the best. (Bronzer): 8/10 – Again, would recommend, but not the best.

Chanel:

My mum has some other Chanel Foundations, which she loves, so she recommended this one, because it is very compact, and small, meaning it is great for your handbag! It has great coverage, and goes on really well, and it has a nice matte colour.

Application: 9/10 – Goes on well, and the coverage is great.

Tint: 8/10 – Good colour, but not very strong. You may need to set with powder.

Overall: 8.5/10 – Nice, and natural, would recommend.

L’Oreal:

This is quite a good spray tan, but it doesn’t really go on very well. It can streak if you aren’t careful. It is a nice colour, which is a healthy bronze, and not a tanned orange. It runs out quickly, so if you are very pale, I would go for a bigger one.

Tint: 9/10 – Healthy, bronze tint.

Spray: 7/10 – Can be streaky, so be careful

Overall: 8/10 – Good, but I would only use it for a ‘touch up’.

Garnier:

This is a very good spray tan. It goes on well, it is a nice colour, and it doesn’t come off easily. It lasts a long time, and looks very natural. You may need to wipe around your ankles to blend the colour, because otherwise it will drip, and look like a tan line.

Tint: 9/10 – Healthy, natural tint.

Spray: 8.5/10 – Easy, and good coverage. Be careful on the ankles.

Overall: 9/10 – Very good, and natural. Also, very long lasting

I hope you enjoyed these short and simple reviews, and that you get some idea of these products!

This Nailfinity Polish by Max Factor is one of my favourite polishes. It has such a nice metallic shine, and it goes on amazingly. I am not sure whether they sell this exact colour any more, but I know they sell the same but in Reds and Pinks. It cost about £5.99, which is quite a good price. Unfortunately, the metallic shine, means that if you go wrong, or you get a bit of mess around the nail, then it is quite easy to see, especially if you smudge the nail. You don’t really need a top coat for shine, because it is very shiny in itself, but you may need a top coat to protect it from chipping. It doesn’t dry very quickly, as it is one of those polishes which become sticky after 2 minutes of drying, so you have to be very careful. In a way it can create small swirls on your nails, if you look close enough, but also if you put too much on, those swirls can look like drips. Overall, it is a very nice polish, but you need to be careful when applying, and also when drying.

Overall: 8.5/10 – Very nice, but you can see every detail or mistake.

Colour: 9/10 – I love the colour, but the metallic is quite shiny, so you have to be careful.

Ease of Application: 7.5/10 – It goes on smoothly, but again, you have to be careful on how much you put on, otherwise it will be a mess, or it will be too light.

Smudging/Chipping: 7/10 – It smudges easily, even when it is pretty much completely dry.