April Glossybox

I'm sure by now everyone has seen what came in the April box but here we go...

A Little Topshop Make Up Haul

I've heard so many good things about Topshop make up but unfortunately, since I live in the middle of nowhere my Topshop is too small to stock it (I feel like I say something along those lines rather often...maybe it's time to move...).

The Ramblings of a Stressed Out Student...

Well hello there!

OK so I've been M.I.A over the last week or so. This is mainly due to having written my dissertation, sitting lots of exams, and STILL having no internet connection. Add to all this the fact that I at some point need to re-enter the 'real world' and get a job and a place to live and a Volvo (only serious people own Volvos) and I've been pretty much rocking in a corner for the last week.

The Primark Eyelash Curler

Maybelline Colour Tattoo Cream Gel Eyeshadow

So I picked these up in the Boots 3 for 2 offer the other day...

Review: Biore Make Up Removing Wipes and Pore Strips

Ok so picture the scene: You've rolled into the house late after a night out, you're so tired (or in my case have had one too many G&Ts) that you just fall into bed, make up and all. You wake up the next morning feeling none too pretty. Thanks to having slept in your make up, you don't look too pretty either (maybe that's just me!)

Most of the time I remain faithful to my Clinique 3 Step, but for these occasions, or even before cleansing it is so handy to have some make up removing wipes by the bed.

My favourite right now are the Biore ones. They're brilliant at getting even the most stubborn of mascara off and they don't leave that funny residue on the skin that other wipes tend to. Most importantly, they don't irritate my skin or break me out.

Sorry about the stock photo. Biore is going through a bit of a re-brand at the moment and I can't seem to find these anywhere! I'm making do with Primark wipes at the moment (they're ok but not as good as these).

Another product I'm loving from this brand are the pore strips. They're brilliant for dealing with stubborn, clogged pores that my normal cleanser can't shift.  I would definitely recommend these if, like me, you suffer with blackheads as they do leave my pores much clearer after use. Biore have released a short YouTube video on how the strips work and I thought I'd share.



You can find the make up removing wipes (£3.99) and the pore strips (£7.99) in Boots and Superdrug. Hopefully they should have stocked up by now!

Happy Sunday everyone!

:-) xxx

Sudocrem: A Mini Skincare Miracle

No, I'm actually not joking. That's right, the stuff you use on babies when they get nappy rash. No, I haven't gone mad...actually...that's debatable.

I can genuinely say I don't know what possessed me to slap this on my face before bed the other night but I'm certainly glad I did. My skin had been a bit spotty (combination of stress and flying long haul I think) but also really dry in some places so I wanted something that would treat the dryness without making the spots any worse. This happened to be in the bathroom cupboard so I dived in.

A word of warning, this stuff is really thick and REALLY white. It is not a day cream. It is not even something I'd use if there was the slightest chance that anyone would see me. I looked like I was channeling Edward Cullen, and not in a good way.

Anyway, the next morning I woke up to find my dry skin was much, much better. As an added bonus this seemed to somehow take the redness out of any breakouts. It is antiseptic, promotes healing, suitable for sensitive skin, and gives the skin moisture without that greasy feeling many intensive moisturisers have. Well that's not entirely true, your skin will feel very greasy when you apply it but this settles overnight and my skin was quite matte the next day.

The best part? It's really cheap!

I wouldn't call this my 'go to' night cream exactly(!) but it works wonders when my confused face doesn't know what skin type it wants to have.

:-) xxx

Review: Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

I know, we've all read so many raves about this product but I haven't read many reviews about how this works for oilier skin types so I thought I'd wade in with my two cents worth!

Now Rimmel obviously knew they were on to a good thing as there was a sample of this glued inside every magazine you picked up for a good few months. Usually anything that claims to give me a 'Radiant Glow' I generally wouldn't get near with a barge pole. I'm a heavy duty, apply with a trowel, mattifying foundation kind of girl really. What attracted me to this however was the 'anti-fatigue effect'. If there is one thing I have in abundance, it's fatigue.

This really does what it says on the tin in that it perks my skin up a bit and makes me look like I've had a lot more sleep. I really like using it. The coverage I'd say is medium but it can be built up. I apply it with my fingers and that seems to be the best way I've found so far. Considering it's not really meant for my skin type it lasts pretty well I think. It does need to be powdered on my skin and I feel like I need to re-powder a bit more than usual throughout the day but I'll put up with that for the lovely awake, radiant look it gives the skin. There's one drawback and that's the 'sparkle issue'. Daytime you really don't notice it but under artificial light...

This photo was taken by literally putting the flash straight against the bottle. I tried a swatch on my hand to see how 'glitterball' it actually goes when using the flash.

All in all it's really not that bad. You can make out a bit of shimmer but I think it appears much scarier in the bottle to how it looks on the skin. For night time I like to mix this with a bit of Revlon Colourstay to dilute the glitter a bit and give it more staying power. 

On another note, I am aware that this foundation is not a colour match for my hand. One day in the sun attempting to ski has left my face a very different shade to the rest of me. Fake tan is being deployed...

:-) xxx

New MAC Lipstick Favourites

Creme Cup                 Please Me

I purchased these around 3 weeks ago but what with going on holiday and spending the rest of my time propped up in front of my laptop trying to get this bloody Uni work finished, I haven't really switched up my make up to try them. In a moment of extreme procrastination the other day I decided to give them both a try. Well now I'm in love: they've definitely been my most reached for lipsticks over the past week.

Starting with Creme Cup

I really wish I could pull off a true nude lip, unfortunately I either end up looking like a walking, talking corpse, or a reject from TOWIE. This is about as nude as it gets for me. It's a very light pretty nude pink which looks lovely on the lips. Even better than that, I actually look like a living, breathing being when I wear it. I find that always helps. The formula, being a cremesheen, is sheer but build-able and not drying on the lip at all. The only problem is that I've heard this formula tends to melt in the heat. I MUST remember to keep this out of my handbag when the sun (eventually) comes out.

Please Me

I think this is going to be a firm summer favourite. This applies as a lovely rosy, almost peachy toned pink. It is much brighter than creme cup and looks really good on sunny days. I think this would make a really good shade if you're a bit scared of the bright lip but are getting a bit bored with the light pink/nude colours. It is quite drying on the lips being a Matte formula. I tend to use a balm before I apply this.

Swatches?

Top: Please Me, Bottom: Creme Cup

Well I now feel pretty glad that I abandoned any type of productive essay writing/revision in the pursuit of the perfect lip.

Anyway, better get back to it...

:-) xxx

Lush Think Pink Bath Bomb

I (like pretty much everybody else) am a massive fan of Lush products. I tend to go for their super sweet, sugary scents (think Snow Fairy shower gel). This does have quite a sweet scent but with a kick of citrus. The fragrance itself, according to Lush is a combination of Tonka and Vanilla but with a hit of Neroli. I've been putting off using this one purely because the scent is a mixture of comforting and uplifting and had been making my room smell lovely!  Since Lush products do have a shelf life it did need using.

It fizzes away in the bath and turns the water a pretty pink. What I was not expecting was the tiny pink and lavender love heart shaped confetti that fizzes out and fills the bath. I tend to only take baths in times of dire distress and upon finding myself in a pink bath surrounded by little love hearts, I decided that life was pretty damn good after all! Another little surprise with this product was the moisture it gives the skin. Normally if my skin is a bit dry I tend to go for a Lush bath melt but this really did the trick on the more dry areas such as my elbows.

The only downside I found was the tragic loss of one of the flowers on the top (there's supposed to be three). Lush products are all handmade though so occasionally you will find little 'flaws' such as this and really it's no biggie.

I'd definitely repurchase this product, it makes for the perfect Spring bath.

:-) xxx

Review: Maybelline Dream Nude Airfoam Foundation

OK so I wrote this post a few weeks ago and have been stalling to put it up as it isn't exactly a rave review...actually, it's quite the opposite.  Can I just say that normally I'm a big fan of Maybelline cosmetics, this just really didn't float my boat I'm afraid.  Anyway, on with the post.

Now I’m usually a fan of a fuller coverage when it comes to foundation so you can imagine my surprise when I found this in my Boots carrier bag.  I’m at a bit of a loss to explain how it came to be there.  Having spent quite some time thinking about this, I’ve come to the following conclusions:

1. My skin had been better than usual and I maybe thought that light coverage would now work for me.
2. Summer is on the way, and who needs heavy foundation in summer right?
3. It was a mousse. I fell for the gimmick.
4. I walked into Boots and blacked out.

Now lets face it, as a lover of Revlon Colourstay, I was never going to like this product.  The thing is, even if I was more of a ‘barely there’ kind of girl, I’d still not be loving this.  I wouldn’t call this light coverage; I’d call it zero coverage.  The other problem with this is the amount of product it dispenses, because it’s a mousse (think what you put on your hair) it’s not very easy to control the amount that comes out with each pump.  This means that half of what does come out ends up wasted.  Not economical at all.  If your skin is so good that you can get away with this kind of foundation then here’s my advice: spend the extra 2 minutes in bed in the morning and skip foundation altogether.  Also, I’m jealous of you. There are so many amazing lighter coverage foundations/ tinted moisturisers/ BB creams on the market for the same money. I just think that this product is all gimmick and does absolutely nothing for the skin.

Sorry for the kind of negative review, as always with foundation I’m sure this works wonders for some (maybe), but just not for me.

:-) xxx

I Heart MUA

For those of you that haven't heard of MUA, it's Superdrug's £1 make up brand. I've bought a few goodies from them before and have been amazed at the quality of the products for such a low price.

On a recent trip back to see The Parents (my local Superdrug doesn't stock it. Boo.) I picked up these little lovelies

There's been a lot of hype surrounding the MUA Love Hearts collection and unfortunately I think I picked up the few remaining products and as far as I know the collection is no longer available.

I got 2 nail polishes in the shades 'Love U 24/7' and 'U R Fab'.  Let's face it, any product that tells me I'm 'Fab' is going to get purchased!

I have to admit that I didn't really have high hopes for the formulation of these but I was prepared to cope with the chipping/peeling/general 'naff' feeling of them on account of the colours being so pretty. On application I was pleasantly surprised. They were both opaque after 2 coats and they seriously LAST.

Wearing 'Love U 24/7' with a coat of Miss Sporty Sparkle Touch over the top.

These polishes were a little more expensive (I think they were £2.50 each) but for the money I was very very impressed.

My final MUA purchase is one I just can't stop looking at...

Ooooooh.....

This is the MUA Professional Mosaic Blusher In English Rose. MUA Professional are slightly more expensive and this was £2.50, yeah I know, the word 'expensive' is applied loosely here. This is such a beautiful product consisting of a mosaic print of lighter peaches, pinks, pure shimmer, lilac, and rose coloured powders.  The pan is big enough to get a good 'swirl' going on with your brush and it looks a pretty, shimmery light rosy pink on the cheeks. OK so obviously the colour payoff is not going to be amazing but it's buildable and not chalky at all. Because of this it's really quite foolproof and great for anyone just starting out with make up or those that aren't too confident applying blusher. This gets at least a weekly use from me and although not my go-to blush (as I have quite a few) I do open it just to stare at it on a daily basis...simple pleasures and all.

You can find MUA products at Superdrug and if you haven't already I really recommend checking them out.

:-) xxx

Review: Clinique High Lengths Mascara

Be warned.  I’m about to rave.  I’ve been using this for a good month now and think it may be my new make up love.

I first received the product in sample size as a free gift with another purchase and put off using it for a little while due to the…well…weirdness of the brush.

Usually I tend to go for the fuller natural bristle mascara wands so I really didn’t think this would be for me.  The brush is entirely plastic, curved, for some reason lime green and the bristles are tiny.  To be honest I just thought this was one of those odd shaped gimmicky mascara wands that come out from time to time but don’t really do anything for the lashes.  Well this was all until I went to see my parents for the weekend, forgot my usual mascara, and was forced to use this.  I honestly can’t rave about this enough.  Not only does it do exactly what it says on the tin/tube and give my lashes amazing length but it also gives lots and lots of volume.  Now for some reason, most mascaras seem to do either one or the other. I don’t know why but many cosmetics companies have not yet cottoned on to the fact that we girls want both.  This doesn’t claim to give volume but trust me, it does.  I will warn you however, I’m not the kind of girl that wants her lashes to look in any way natural.  Unlike many, this doesn’t clump and does a pretty good job of separating the lashes but it doesn’t exactly look ‘barely there’. This is why I love it. Anyway I’ve spent some time freaking myself out looking at photos of my own eye so I can show you what it does for my lashes:

I have a feeling this will be repurchased…a lot.

Happy Friday everyone!

:-) xxx

March Glossybox: The Harrods Edition

After the last 2 months’ Glossyboxes not having been much to write home about, this little gem landed on my doormat on Saturday

For anyone that is already subscribed to this you will have seen the hype begin in last month’s box and continue throughout the month on Facebook and Twitter.  I have to say that this was a brilliant bit of marketing and when all was revealed I could totally understand all the fuss.  All the products included in the box can be found in the Harrods beauty hall.  This means all the products are super high end and really quite ‘faancy’. Well for me anyway!

Wanna see what I got?

Molton Brown Heavenly Gingerlilly Moisture Bath and Shower

This. Smells. Amazing.  I’m saving it for an impending trip to Canada to see the boyf in a week so the travel size will come in rather handy.

YSL Forever Youth Liberator Serum

Ok I’m not getting any younger so this can only do good things.  I’ve wanted to try a serum for a while so I’ll keep you posted.

Clarins Extra Firming Body Cream

I’ve already tried this and I have to say that I’m a little bit in love.  It makes my skin feel so soft and smells of cucumbers.  A definite win.

Burberry Beauty Lip Mist in Copper No 202

This is just so cute! The formula is more like a balm than a lipstick which makes it ultra wearable.  The colour is not really all that ‘me’ but I may keep it just to look at the pretty packaging now and again.

Narciso Rodriguez For Her Eau De Parfum

 The standard perfume sample.  I hate to be controversial but I quite like getting a perfume in my Glossybox.  Firstly it’s always good to try a new scent and they're also handy for taking out and about.

I do love a special edition Glossybox and this is right up there with the December box.  Whilst there were no full sized products, everything I received was high end and to me, this is what Glossybox is all about. It’s a great chance to try some things I wouldn’t normally fork out full price for.  Having said that, I’d definitely look into the Clarins Extra Firming Body Cream, and may be putting the Molton Brown bath and shower gel on my birthday list.

All in all this little lovely brightened up what happened to be a very dull and dreary Saturday morning.

It's always nice to get things in the post :-) xxx

Where Have I Been?! A Little Update

From weheartit.com

So I get home to my Uni house after to Christmas only to find…WE HAVE NO INTERNET!!!  This makes blogging more than a little difficult.  Actually it makes everything more than a little difficult!  Couple this with the fact that I have a dissertation due in a matter of weeks and yes, I’ve been MIA for the last few months.  Right now I’m in the library using University facilities to write this post (I feel like a naughty child especially since I should be working on said dissertation). 

In other news, I have a box full of products to review, coupled with a recent Glossybox and a fair few trips to Primark so expect plenty of posts to follow…

After all, what else is a third year student supposed to be doing…? Wait…

J xxx

A Mini Lip Haul: Sleek and MUA

Hello me dears!

Hope you all had a lovely NYE and 2012 is going well so far. I thought I'd start the new year with a trip to Superdrug. The only problem was that I had no more than just over £10 with which to ease my post-Christmas blues. Luckily there is some amazing budget make up out there!

The first thing I got was the Sleek Pout Polish in 'Frosting'

This is essentially a tinted lip balm. It contains jojoba, avocado, and sweet almond oil and is surprisingly moisturising. The colour is very sheer and very pretty:

I'm planning on getting this in the colour 'Scandal' which is a bright red. I think this would be a good way to experiment with brighter colours.

The next thing I stumbled across was the MUA stand. I honestly think I have a new make up love! Pretty much everything  is £1 apart from the eyeshadow palettes which are £4 and the eyeshadow trios at £2.50. Four lipsticks for £4? Yes please!

From left to right: Shades 12, 11, 2, 5

Both the formula and the colour payoff of these lipsticks is surprisingly good:

Shade 12

Shade 5

Shade 11

Shade 2

Again, the perfect way to experiment with colour without paying a fortune. My favourite shade is number 12. I think this will be perfect for summer (or if I need cheering up on a rainy day!) 

All in all I am very happy with my little purchases and would strongly advise anyone with a spare tenner and a need for lipstick to head down to Superdrug!