Sleek Face Form/Contour Kit Review

I was a complete contouring novice before I purchased this Sleek face form kit. I absolutely love my go-to Bobbi Brown rose shimmer brick, but I thought it was high time that I turned a bit more adventurous in the powder stakes. This handy little kit comes complete with contour powder, high lighter and blusher. For £9.99 I really thought that it was worth taking the plunge, and so far I am very happy.

I don’t apply it everyday- just on those days where I want to put in that extra bit of effort- also I had grown so bored of the same old make up routine day in and day out, so this mixes things up a little. I love the colour of the blush with its flecks of gold, and the contour powder is a lovely warm brown. So far I have only been using the contour powder to define my cheek bones but I may delve in to some you tube tutorials to work out other ways of applying it. 

All of the sleek products I have in my collection are such great value for money- the sophisticated, black packaging also seems far luxurious than its price tag suggests. All in all this is a great addition and I will continue to use it.

Percy and Reed Hair Care Review

 

Travel sizes are great when you want to test a new product aren’t they? Before I had bought these two shampoo and conditioner tubes I had already worked my way through a full sized conditioner by the same brand that I had got as a freebie with a magazine. I had thoroughly enjoyed it.. it had made my hair silky smooth and smelling like I had just come out of the hairdressers.

Lo and behold a couple of weeks later when I was in John Lewis I came across a Percy and Reed travel set, complete with miniatures of volumising oil, finishing polish, bodifying cream and the shampoo and conditioner pictured. I immediately thought what a great idea and at £24 I thought it was reasonable enough to give it a go, after all: I had been impressed with their conditioner and already considered them a high end hair product- I also figured that my hair was in need of some tlc, so in a bid to improve my locks I shoved it in my basket. The illustrations on the packaging are also whimsical and unusual for hair products so I was also admittedly lured in by the originality of it.

This was some months ago now and the products still remain in my bathroom, not totally untouched- but I certainly haven’t been reaching for them daily. I found that when I used the shampoo and conditioner together my hair took on a strange texture once it was dry. Strangely, it seemed greasy- definitely not what you want from clean hair, I was thoroughly disappointed but persevered until I finally concluded it just wasn’t working for me.

The saving grace of this set is the oil which smells beautiful and really adds a finishing gloss to my tresses. I would definitely consider purchasing that again, however the shampoo and the conditioner was sadly a bit of a let down.

 

Elle MacPherson Body Brush Review

 

Body brushing was something that I didn’t really understand before I bought this little beauty gadget. When I had seen them in Boots I had assumed that they were some type of loofah that you used in the shower to rub in shower gel… or something. Then I read a review one day that enlightened me to the fact that these brushes help increase circulation, improve metabolism, eliminate dead skin cells and help the body’s natural detoxification process. I have to say- I was pretty much instantaneously sold!

As a body brushing novice the idea of doing this once daily did seem a tad on the laborious side for me, however it must be done regularly in order to seek the full benefits. Thats when I started to do my research and came across the Elle brush- a perfect alternative for those of us that want body brushing in record breaking time and with as least effort as possible. The battery power means that it is less intensive than your traditional, manual brush where you have to do all the work. This is basically a clarisonic but for the body, as soon as I had that figured I knew that I would love this product. 

I use the brush just before I take a shower and it only takes a couple of minutes to sweep it across my body. Afterwards I can tell immediately that my skins appearance is improved- the dullness ebbs away and it feels great too. At £39.99 it is far more expensive than the manual brush, however I really do think that it makes a great improvement to your skin. I can’t imagine it is something that I will keep up religiously all year round, however with the run up to the Summer holidays it is definitely on my ‘essentials’ list for the time being.

 

Tanya Burr Nail Varnish

 

I popped in to my local Superdrug the other day to get my hands on a Tanya Burr nail varnish. I had a specific shade in mind and knew that I wanted to try a product from her range. After some deliberation over my favourite nail varnish brand ‘Essie’ and wondering whether I just just go with what I know is fail-safe I decided that it was high time I tried something new.

Tanya’s packaging is sturdy but also girly and cute. I wanted a subtle shade that I could wear on a daily basis so I opted for ‘peaches and cream’- a peachy/pink shade that I can wear throughout the week at work. It is very, very subtle (as you can tell from th photo) but it has really grown on me and I love how it is minimal effort whilst just adding a bit of shine and general neatness to the appearance of my nails.

I love all the unique names she has given her nail varnishes, particularly ‘mischief managed (for those of you who are Harry Potter fans!)- a beautiful, classic red. The varnish glided on smoothly and hardly took long to dry at all- a huge plus. I would definitely recommend giving them go.

My Top Three Shower Gels

A good smelling shower gel can be such a fantastic pick-me up or indulgence after a long day. I was always a complete Soap and Glory obsessor, ‘clean on me’ is a smell that I have never grown bored of. Throw a body puff in to the mix and a small amount of shower gel can go a very long way and saves it from being lost down the drain.

I love mixing up my scents depending on my mood and the above three tick all the boxes for fantastic smell and super lathering qualities.

Firstly Soap and Glorys ‘Clean on Me’ is my automatic fail-safe, go-to-shower gel that I have religiously repurchased time and time again. It’s creamy, built-in-lotion feels really luxurious on my skin, and its original ‘pink’ scent is what I can only describe as a pretty, feminine smell that is simultaneously soothing.

Second up is ‘Ponche’- the first ever Lush shower gel that I purchased this Christmas, and it has scored extremely well in my books. Unfortunately it is a limited edition so is no longer available in store, however, I will certainly be repurchasing it when next Christmas comes round. Like all Lush products, ponche is made with natural ingredients, how great is that- perfect for when my skin needs some sensitive treatment. This is a real uplifting scent that makes you feel wide awake and energetic! It packs a citrusy punch with a interesting added ingredient of a shot of tequila!

Lastly is my ‘sheer love’ shower gel from Victorias Secret. When I used to go to the States with my work I would lust over the many products in Victorias Secret- feeling a little overwhelmed by the sheer amount of fragrances. Suffice to say I would always leave empty handed. Therefore I was very pleased to receive this in a gift set as a Christmas present. The scent is floral- featuring lily, chamomile, cotton flower and aloe vera. Similarly to Soap and Glory’s ‘clean on me’ it is a very feminine scent but in a completely different way- I would say it’s more of a sophisticated, night time smell- fantastic for using before a night out.

 

 

 

Undisputed Love for my Clarisonic

The longer you leave between blog posts the harder it is to get back in to it- I have fallen victim to this- hence the very long delay since my last internet musings.

Anyway, up until about 5 minutes ago I had been thinking about saying adios to this little blog of mine. Well, I’m back, and hopefully this time I am here to stay!

So, without further ado I am going to jump back in with a current obsession of mine. My Clarisonic Mia First, which I was given as a gift for Christmas. It’s safe to say that as I plod on towards 30 I am reassessing my skincare products and regimes, and taking a far greater interest in my skin and how I look after it.

My skin has never been a huge source of worry- in fact it’s always remained pretty average: just the odd breakout here and there or strange patches of dryness in the Winter.

In the past year or so I have taken massive leaps and bounds in ensuring I remove ALL my makeup at the end of the day. If my skin is cleaned properly before bedtime then it is far less prone to breakouts. Albeit a very simple remedy sometimes it can be such a drag when you’re sleepy and just want to jump in to bed. We’ve all been there and sometimes motivation is difficult to muster at midnight.

Enter the Clarisonic. I love this little machine. If you want squeaky clean skin than this little baby will serve you well, I’m sure of it!

It doesn’t come cheap- anywhere in the region of £99 (Debenhams) and upwards with various different models costing more depending on their functions. I went for the bog standard Mia First. It only has one speed setting, but as a novice I felt this was fine for me. I purchased mine in the States when I was there with work so I managed to get it a little cheaper. I had to shell out a little more for an adapter when I got home and realised the charger was for an American socket. Fail.

In a nutshell this product is fantastic. I don’t use it everyday, perhaps every other day or just when I feel as though my skin needs a pick me up. From the reviews that I have read most people suggest that it’s best not to use it everyday as it could be a little harsh for your skin.

I simply dab a bit of face wash on to the wet bristles and then massage it into my face for the allotted 60 seconds. The face wash lathers up nicely and I can honestly say that my skin has never felt so clean after using it. You can also use it in the shower which is nice and convenient and boring as this may sound- the charge lasts a long time!

Have I noticed an improvement in my skin? Yes! I am a complete Clarisonic fan and will continue loving and using mine for long to come.

Winter Nails: Essie & Revlon

Recently I have been on the hunt for Christmassy nail polishes. I didn’t really want to go down the sparkly red route, as much as I love a classic red nail I wanted something a bit more subtle. I absolutely love Essie varnishes- they go on effortlessly and are pretty good in the chip resistant department too. Mine usually last a good 3 days before I have to start thinking of neatening them up.

Also, the subtler the colour the less obvious it is when they do start to chip- meaning less time spent on topping them up or re-doing them- always a tick in my book.

A trip to Boots and a good while later I had selected my array of polishes. I love how they go together- they remind me of snow sparkling in the sunlight- perfect for Christmas and non-Christmas occasions too. Also, Boots have various offers on at the moment- 3 for 2 on selected lines and free gifts when you purchase a certain amount so it’s definitely worth swinging a bargain.

Revlon:340 Stunning, Essie:Pure Pearification, Essie:Ballet Slippers

 

 

LUSH: Karma Bubble Bar

Today was one of those days where I came home in need of a little pick-me-up and a little indulgence to end a long day. My Lush karma bubble bar has been calling out for a good occasion to be used, so tonight I took the opportunity to give it a whirl for the first time.

 

This was my first experience of the ‘Karma’ scent and I will definitely be repurchasing. As I have no expertise in the description of scents the following is a little blurb from the Lush website: ‘Expand your mind with a hippy trippy bath that envelops you in an orange haze of heady scents. it will last all day and is full of smells, daydreams and anticipation of excitement to come.’

I love the festival vibe that this scent encapsulates and it certainly reminded me of burning incense and a warm summers evening

Additionally the scent really did last all day long, I have been pleased to be catching whiffs of it in my hair throughout the day, so top points for staying power.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with bubble bars you simply crumble them under the running tap and hey presto! you have lots of frothy bubbles. Although it’s not too apparent from the picture below, this bar does turn the water orange too. I love this aspect of Lush products, it may seem a bit child like to be excited by coloured water but I think it makes bath time that bit more exciting and anticipated.

 

There are a whole array of Karma scented products available at Lush- from soap and cream to shampoo and perfume. So, for a touch of Summer during these cold winter months I will be repurchasing this fragrance for a balmy, hazy treat.

A Spot of Shopping

I’m home sweet home 🙂 I arrived back from Kuwait at lunch time yesterday, more on that later. First of all I’ve got to showcase this amazing cat t-shirt that I picked up from River island today. Cats are without a doubt my favourite animals, unlike dogs they’re quite happy in their own company- I couldn’t be doing with needy pets, so in that respect cats tick that box. Besides that they are just utterly graceful, cool and collected. Sadly we cant have pets at our flat otherwise I would most certainly be a cat lady. I’ve already decided what breed/colour cat I want when we move to our next abode (which- top priority here- will allow pets!)

On this shopping trip of mine I also indulged in some lip balms. Being indecisive and also a bit greedy, lets face it- I’ve ended up with 3 lip balms. Initially I bought the Blistex raspberry lemonade (which tastes and smells delicious) but then remembered that Maybelline have a new range of lip care titled ‘Baby lips’ that needed my attention too. I ended up purchasing the mint and intensive care variations, so I am now fully stocked. 

The reason behind this lip balm splurge is because I have been encountering sore, dry lips during my flights. As cabin crew I am often left feeling dehydrated and this has a direct effect on my lips (which are prone to drying out anyway). I purchased Balmi a couple of months ago as an alternative to eos as we can’t purchase them in the UK.

I’ve got to say Im left feeling a bit disappointed. The actual balm was fantastic, I opted for mint flavour which left a tingle on my lips and tasted fantastic. However, the major and quite unforgiveable downside is that the little pot kept undoing in my handbag and smearing its contents all over anything it came across. My iphone, purse, and sunglasses have all had a good old layer of balmi goodness, unlike my lips it didn’t do them much good. Balmi, please sort this defect out! Once you do I will be repurchasing but until then i need a balm that will stay where its meant to!

So far I like these balms, they’re all soothing on the lips- and although they haven’t completely combatted my dryness I’m sure that with more time and use they will.