Hi Guys x I hope you're all having a nice weekend, although this post is going live a little later than I intended it to, today sees the return of my Luscious Lips series, which is basically a little mini series, when I talk about either some of my favourite lip products, and I try out a lip product that is new to me. Today's post is probably a bit of both, something both new to me, and something that I really like
Let's take little trip back to 2020, No? Okay I don't really blame you if you want to forget that 2020 ever existed, 2020 to put it mildly was a bit rubbish, but when we were eventually set free, and shops and online retailers started opening up again, I ended up picking up a few beauty bits including this Christmas 2020 set from Benefit Cosmetics.
Showcasing one of their most recent introductions, California Kissin' Club contained 5 Mini California Kissin' Moisturising Lip Balms, in 5 of their most popular shades, which were perfect for the festive season. I'm huge fan of kits like this, that give you a chance to try a few mini products for around the same price, or sometimes even less that it would cost for the full size, plus who doesn't love a mini!
Packaged in slightly different packaging to the full sizes, these lip balms come packaged in super cute, mini silver black and clear bullets, with a typical Benefit style girl illustration.
To call these babies just lip balms though is a bit of a disservice - containing hyaluronic and wild mango butter, these balms not only promise softer, more hydrated and smoother lips, but they also claim to give up to 8 hours of vibrant, cushiony soft colour - so no they aren't just lip balms, they are tinted lip balms, and boy do I mean tinted!
From Left To Right - Berry 333, Spiced Red 11, Wine 222, Ruby 22 and Cherry 00
As you can see these certainly aren't one of those wishy, washy tinted balms that you can buy, the pigmentation levels, and colour pay off is insane. Just one swipe produces a swatch of smooth, creamy vibrant colour, that probably more resembles a moisturising lipstick rather than a tinted balm.
With a gorgeous fruity, mango / peach type taste and scent, these balms feel nice and smooth and moisturising on the lips without feeling overtly sticky or slimy. Since these have a slightly curved, flat tip, it is a little difficult to keep these highly pigmented balms within the lip line, so if you want a really precise finish then I would probably apply them with care or with a lip brush.
As you would expect from such moisturising bold colour there was a little bit of movement and transfer. I'm not sure about their 8 hour wear time claim, but for what in essence is a lip balm, the wear time wasn't bad. Whilst the initial sheen wore off in an hour or so, there was still a hint of colour left on the lips and they still felt moisturised and protected.
Berry 333
Spiced Red 11
Wine 222
Ruby 22
Cherry 00
Are these the longest wearing lip colours in the world? no probably not, are these the most moisturising lip balms that you'll ever use? also no. Despite that though I really, really like these, they taste and smell yummy, the quality is superb, the colour payoff is amazing for a tinted balm, and they feel really, really nice on the lips.
The colours in this set are some of the most vibrant and bold within the California Kissin' range, with Berry and Spiced perhaps being the most wearable ones, but if these shades aren't for you there are another 11 shades to try.
This particular kit is no longer available, but there are a couple of other mini kits that you might be able to get your hands on, including Kisses & Wishes, which contains 4 shades including Ruby and Spiced Red, as well as two new shades, Nude Rose, and Rosewood. This kit is probably the hardest to find now as it was a Christmas gift set from last year, but I did manage to get my hands on it in the Boxing Day sales, so I'll be sharing a review of both Nude Rose and Rosewood in a future post.
One mini set that does seem to still be pretty easy to find thought it the Pucker Up, & Peace Out Lip Balm Trio, which contains mini sizes of Spiced Red, Ruby, and Berry, With an RRP of £19.50 it's available from a few retailers including Boots, Feel Unique, Look Fantastic, Debenhams, All Beauty, NEXT, Escentual and Cult Beauty. If you're interested in this particular kit though I would shop around a bit if I were you, and this particular kit does appear to be on sale on a few sites.
If minis aren't your style though or if you've already tried these lips balms and you already love them, then you can get a full 3g full size in one of 16 different shades, packaged in fabulous sculptural packaging for a recommended retail price of £19 from all of the retailers that I've previously mentioned as well as direct from Benefit Cosmetics, John Lewis, and House Of Fraser. Again though being the bargain hunter that I am, I'd shop around as quite a few retailers have some pretty decent discounts either on the whole range or on selected shades.
Are you a fan of tinted lip balms? Let me know your favourites in the comments, and don't forget to contact me either via the comments section, or via social media if you have any questions x
*This Post Contains Automatic Affiliate, Added Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links.
I'm late again with one, so much so that we're now almost in the middle of April argh! I honestly don't know where this year has gone, Easter is next week, and then it's my birthday and then it summer arghhhhh! I'm sure time seemed to drag more when I was younger. Anyway because time is short I'm going to get straight down to it and talk about my March empties.
AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Shampoo - 250ml Yes To Grapefruit Rejuvenating Body Wash - 500ml** The Body Shop Glazed Apple Shower Gel - 60ml The Body Shop Glazed Apple Body Butter - 200ml Benefit Roller Lash Super Curling And Lifting Mascara - Black - 3g Benefit Gimme Brow - Light / Medium - 3g Beauty Pro Foot & Callus Peel - 40ml - 1 x Pair Single Use Booties Freedom Pro Studio Brush Bath Sanitising Brush Cleanser - 100ml
Total - 8 Items
At last a decent month! It took 3 months but I finally achieved a monthly empties total that I can be proud of. Not only did I manage to finish 8 items, making it my best month of 2019 so far, but I also managed to finish a nice variety of items. I didn't manage to finish any skin care products but I did manage to finish a good assortment of body and hair items, and shock of horrors I managed to finish a couple of make up products, which almost never happens. Go me!
1. AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Shampoo - 250ml
I've already talked about this at length in quite a few posts, so I'm really going to try and not repeat myself much. What do I think about this product? well I love, love, love it and I can't be without it, so much so in fact that I've already got a couple of bottles of the shampoo and the matching conditioner in back up. I do switch things up a bit when it comes to shampoos and conditioners but I just keep coming back to this one and I probably use it at least once a week. Containing keratin, bamboo extract, wheat protein and peppermint, it's especially designed to strengthen the hair and to reduce hair loss. It smells gorgeous and I think it's made a real difference to my hair, and unlike a lot of anti - hair fall shampoos it's really affordable, with a 250ml bottle retailing at around £2 directly from AVON or via your local AVON representative.
2. Yes To Grapefruit Rejuvenating Body Wash - 500ml**
Next up a product from the popular Yes To range. I was lucky enough to try a lot of their products when I wrote regular reviews for My Pure and this was one of them - You can read my original review here. x If you've never tried anything from Yes To before than I'd highly recommend that you do. The entire range is petroleum, SLS, paraben and cruelty free, and this particular product is 98% natural, and contains both apple and grapefruit extracts, and coconut. As you would expect from the name this is a very refreshing, and zingy shower gel, with a noticeable but not overpowering grapefruit scent. It's not drying on the skin and just a tiny, tiny amount creates a lovely creamy lather, making this huge bottle a very economical buy. Alas My Pure no longer seem to sell the Yes To range range but this particular product is still available and retails at £7.99 for a 500ml bottle from various retailers including Look Fantastic, Feel Unique, and Fragrance Direct
3. The Body Shop Glazed Apple Shower Gel - 60ml
4. The Body Shop Glazed Apple Body Butter - 200ml
I don't know about anyone else but there is something very satisfying about finishing a beauty product, and seeing those empties stack up - I can honestly say that I normally relish finishing a product but in the the case of these two items though it made me feel a bit sad. In pretty much every other empties post that I've ever written I've shared my love for The Body Shop's festive collections, I've loved so many over the years but the stand out for me have to be their Glazed Apple range from around 2014. It's not the obvious apple scent that you'll ever smell but it's sweet, juicy, sugary and almost candyfloss inspired - for me it's simply mouthwatering. Add an amazing fragrance to The Body Shop signature shower gel and body butter formulations, and the combination of the two products left the skin clean, soft, and deliciously scented. Unless I find another forgotten stash of beauty products hiding somewhere in my house, I'm nearing the end of my The Body Shop Glazed Apple stash. I think I have one full sized bottle of shower gel and that's it :( The range was obviously discontinued some time ago now so unless I succumb to some of the ridiculously priced pieces on ebay, I'm on the verge of saying goodbye to Glazed Apple for good - So you know what The Body Shop needs to do? Bring it back of course!
5. Benefit Roller Lash Super Curling And Lifting Mascara - Black - 3g
Now I'm going to try and keep this short, because I do intend on doing a full review of this mascara in the near future. I'm a huge fan of Benefit Cosmetics, and I do love their mascaras, this is their curling mascara, which aims to separate, lift and curl the lashes, it water resistant and long lasting. I love using this alone but it also works really well with Benefit They're Real, you get the length and thickness from They're Real and the curl and separation from Roller Lash. This is a mini but it has the same size brush as the full size. As I say I have a full review coming soon but if you're interested Benefit Cosmetics Roller Lash Super Curling And Lifting Mascara retails at around £22 for the 8.5g size, and at around £11 for the 4g travel sized mini.
6. Benefit Gimme Brow - Light / Medium - 3g
Next up another Benefit product and I'm not actually sure where this one came from, I think it got lost in my stash somewhere but in case you don't recognise it, it's an old Gimme Brow that I found and finished. For years and years I didn't really bother about my brows, I plucked them without ever knowing really what I was doing, I lost my natural shape and my brows ended up an over plucked skinny mess. Then a few years ago now I was offered the chance to try out the Benefit Cosmetics Brow Services and the rest as they say is history (read about my experience here). I now have regular brow waxes, and occasional dye treatment, and I now have all sorts of different brow products in my collection. A product that I keep coming back to though is the original Gimme Brow and now Gimme Brow +. It super quick and easy to use, and as well as adding a hint of colour, it add thickness and volume to the brow hairs, and it sets and tames all of those stray hairs. I've used every shade from light / medium in the early day, to everything now from 3.5 to 4.5 and it's something that I will continue to use. The full 3g size now retails at £21.50 with the 1.5g travel size retailing at £11.
7. Beauty Pro Foot & Callus Peel - 40ml - 1 x Pair Single Use Booties
If you are a regular reader of my Trimming My Stash posts then you'll know that I am a little bit obsessed with this type of foot peeling socks, they are gross but at the same time so, so satisfying. Beauty Pro are mask specialists and whilst they are probably best known for their face masks, they also produce a range of hair, hand, and foot masks. Containing 16 botanical and fruit extracts including sage, anise, kiwi, lemon and lime, vitamin E and both salicylic and glycolic acid, these foot masks are paraben free and they contain no mineral oil, lanolin or petroleum. Inside the packet you get a pair of thin plastic socks, with a paper like lining, and an adhesive strip to keep them in place. They aren't the sturdiest socks so I ended up putting on a pair of slipper socks over the top to keep them in place. These socks contain a lot of liquid, these were very wet, and they had an astringent slightly fruity scent. All you do it wash and dry the feet, and pop the socks on for around 90 minutes, before rinsing any remaining liquid off with plain water. Unlike some of the similar socks that I've tried there was no real tingling sensation just a cool feeling, and there was no redness. After about 6 days the skin started to peel off my feet, that lasted for about a week, afterwards my feet were a lot smoother with only a small amount of dry skin still visible on my heels. I've tried quite a few different brands of peeling socks now and I was pretty impressed with these ones and I would definitely consider buying them again in the future. You are advised to leave at least 6 weeks between these type of treatments, and next up I have some AVON ones to try. The Beauty Pro Foot & Callus Peel socks retail at around £7.95 directly from Beauty Pro, and also from various retailers including NEXT, Fabled, Feel Unique, and Fragrance Direct.
8. Freedom Pro Studio Brush Bath Sanitising Brush Cleanser - 100ml
Last but not least, a discontinued product, that some may argue doesn't belong in a beauty empties post but hey I think it does. Brush cleaning is one of my least favourite beauty tasks, and I tend to avoid it for as long as I can, in fact I think that's probably one of the reasons why I own so many brushes, I just buy more instead of washing them. As much as I hate it though this product definitely made it a bit easier, it basically a solid brush soap, wet your brush, swirl it in to the soap, squeeze, rinse and dry, simples! This had a gorgeous fresh fruity, floral scent, and it really made cleaning my brushes easier and a little less time consuming. Unfortunately like the entire Freedom beauty line, it's been absorbed and re branded under the Revolution Beauty label, and it's being replaced by a product called the Revolution Pro Hygiene Sanitising Solid Brush Cleaner which is £5. It's a very similar product just with a slightly different rose based scent. and it's available direct from Revolution and from Superdrug.
As you may have gathered I'm pretty happy about March's total but I've got to keep at it and make April another successful month x If you have any questions on any of the items that I've mentioned then don't forget to leave me a comment x
*This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links
Over the last few months or so I've been sharing my thoughts on the various subscription boxes that I subscribe to, and bar a few dodgy items, and a few hiccups here and there I'm still a huge fan of the concept, I love trying new things and I love the whole surprise element. Given the financial outlay and the risk element though, I can completely understand why some people don't like them. If you like the idea of trying new things but you aren't keen on the surprise element though there are a now a few options that able you to enjoy the beauty box experience without as much of a risk.
A lot of the beauty box companies such as Glossybox, Cohorted and Latest In Beauty do a lot of limited edition one off boxes, as do various beauty retailers including QVC UK, Debenhams, and even ASOS. The contents of these boxes is either clearly listed so you know exactly what you're buying or in some cases you can even choose what you want in your box. The fact that you know exactly what's in the box takes away that surprise element but since you can choose whether or not to buy it, it definitely takes away some of the risk. One thing it doesn't tackle though is the price issue, and if anything some of these one off boxes can actually work out more expensive than a regular subscription box, just having a quick look online the cheapest one off box I can find at the moment is £20 for QVC UK's TILI, not cheap and potentially still a pricey way to try something new. Fear for those of you who are watching the pennies but you fancy trying something new beauty wise, then there is another option.
Now if you read my February empties post or if you've ever watched any of my You Tube videos, and then you'll already have heard about the Feelunique UK Pick 'n' Mix. I don't know about you but I love Feelunique UK, their site features beauty products from over 500 brands including Clarins, Charlotte Tilbury, HUDA Beauty and Anastasia Beverley Hills, it really is a beauty junkies paradise. Apart from the sheer amount of choice on the website one of the reasons that I really love Feelunique is because of their fabulously proactive sampling policy. As well as the popular "try me" policy on certain items, you also get 2 samples on every order over £40, and they offer a fabulous Pick 'n" Mix service.
It's exactly the same as buying some Pick 'n' Mix at the cinema only without the terrifying price tag. Feelunique UK allows you to pick 5 samples a month, from an extensive and ever changing list of everything from perfumes, to make up, and skincare products from all of their most popular brands for only £3.95 shipping and handling. It sounds a lot but after your samples have been dispatched you then receive an email from Feelunique containing a code, which entitles you to £3.95 off your next purchase, so it's pretty much risk free.
Now I'm going to be honest some of the samples are quite small, they usually have not for sale printed on the packaging, and they are often samples that you could get on counter if the assistant was feeling generous that day. The website clearly indicates though the type of sample that you're requesting for example, a vial, a tube, a sachet or a card, and the size.
I'd the first to admit that I don't get a Pick 'n' Mix every month but if I see something that I've wanted to try for a while, or even smaller or mini of products that I already love then I'll go for it. Now by looking at the sizes and so on you can often really good sized products such as the Sol de Janeiro Body Buff Smoothing Scrub 'N' Mask that I talked about in February's post. I've had all sorts from mini eye pencils, to decent size fake tan sachets and mini lip glosses, it really it worth keeping an eye on it to say what's new. If you have a look at my You Tube channel then you can see some of my previous samples but today I thought I'd share this month's selection with you. I haven't had a chance to try anything yet but I thought it might give you an idea of what was on offer.
Now you don't get any fancy boxes with these, your samples will either come in a padded envelope or in a cardboard box / envelope like what you can see in the picture above. It's not about the packaging it's all about the contents and this is what I chose in March 2019.
RMS Beauty Living Luminizer - 0.04g
Even if you're a relatively new reader than you'll probably know that I have a bit of a thing for highlighters, so when I saw this one from RMS Beauty, I thought that I'd give it a try.
Now I've tried anything from RMS Beauty before but I'm really liking their philosophy, their aim is to transform the way that women use make up, their products are made from organic, non toxic ingredients and designed to heal and nourish the skin.
Containing almost skin care like ingredients such as castor seed oil, coconut oil, beeswax and rosemary leaf extract, this product apparently has a cult following, and promises a translucent, sheer, dewy, satin pearl finish.
It's a carded sample so you don't get a lot, but there should be enough for a couple of uses on the cheekbones and maybe on the brow bone. The full 4.8g size retails at £36.
Glamglow Glowstarter Mega Illuminating Moisturiser - Pearl Glow - 1.5ml
From an out and out highlighter to a multi use product that can add glow and luminosity in all sorts of different ways.
Founded in 2010 Glamglow are famous for their face masks, but this is something a bit different, it's a moisturiser and illuminator in one.
It contains a mixture of botanicals including jojoba, Shea butter, and green tea ceramides, and hyaluronic acid, to add moisture, hydration and radiance to the skin. It comes in 3 different shades and this one, Pearl Glow appears to be the lightest shade and in swatches online it appears to be a shimmery creamy, white. You can use it as a moisturiser, and use it under the rest of your make up or you can wear it on its own, or you can use it as a highlighter and apply it to the cheekbones and where ever else you want to glow.
This is a decent size sachet so hopefully I'll be able to get a few uses out of it. The full 50g size again retails at £36.
Clarins Instant Poreless Mattifying Primer - 3 x 1.5ml
Next up an item from Clarins - I used to use a lot of Clarins products but bar a few products, it's a brand that I don't really pay that much attention to any more, so I thought that this might be a nice way to try a new product, and to try and tackle a few issues that I have with my skin and make up at the same time.
Despite being now in my early 40's (cry!), my skin can still pump oil out like it's going out of fashion, and you could still on occasions drive a truck through my pores, so if a product promises to the matte the complexion down, and minimise visual pores and imperfections, I'm all over it .Containing organic strawberry tree fruit extract, this cream gel primer, apparently turns into a powder on contact with the skin and absorbs oil and sebum to minimise shine.
Bring it on I say, and with 3 sachets, I've got plenty of product and time to see if it lives up to all of its promises. A full size 20ml tube retails at £24.
Benefit Gimme Brow + Brow Volumising Fibre Gel - 3 Neutral Light Brown - 1g
As much as I like trying new things, I've sometimes used Pick 'n' Mix to pick up minis and travel sizes of products that I already love, and I do love a bit of Gimme Brow. It's the perfect lazy girl (or shattered, time pushed girl!) product, it add a hint of colour, thickness, and definition to the brows, as well as taming the strays, and stragglers and covering the occasional white hair!
I'm usually a 4 / 4.5 in Gimme Brow now but this colour is perfect for when I don't want and obvious or full on brow or for adding a bit of definition and highlight. This is a good size tube and it would be ideal for trying the product for the first time, without too much of a risk. The full 3g size retails at £21.50.
Finally a product from Guerlain, now despite the fame and cult status of their Meteorites, I think I've only ever owned one of their products and that was a lipstick, so when I saw this, being the mascara junkie that I am I added it to my sample selection.
Again it sounds really impressive, it's designed to intensify and enhance the eyes, by adding condition, thickness, and volume, and all without running or smudging.
I can't wait to give this a go and whilst mini tubes like this don't always give you a true picture of the wand, it will definitely give me some idea of the formulation. The full 8.5ml size retails at £28.
As I say I haven't had the opportunity to try any of these products, bar the Gimme Brow yet, so keep an eye on my Instagram, and my future empties posts to hear my thoughts x I hope that this has given you at least some idea of some of the items that you try with Feelunique Pick 'n' Mix. The selection is constantly changing and every day there seems to be something new, so it's well worth keeping tabs on the website. I know this post probably sounds like a bit of a ad but I promise you I just love the concept x If you want to find out more about Feelunique and the Pick 'n' Mix service, then check out their website to find out more x Are you a fan of samples? Let me know xx
*This Post Contains Both Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links
I'm a bit late with this one I'm afraid, nothing new there I hear you say but I've had a bit of a busy start to the month and it's showing no sign of slowing down. I've had a few outings, lots of family time, and I've got a few projects on the go that needed some attention. throw in the horrendous light over the last week or and that's why I'm posting my October empties on the 10th November! Maria Nila True Soft Conditioner - 100ml NIVEA Daily Essentials Double Effect Make Up Remover - 125ml Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser - 100ml Benefit They're Real Beyond Mascara - Black - 3g Benefit Stay Flawless 15-Hour Primer - 15.5g AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Conditioner - 250ml Boozi Bodycare Cocktails Mango & Ginger Margarita Body Wash - 50ml Boozi Bodycare Cocktails Cheeky Woo Woo Body Wash - 50ml Beauty Pro Nourishing Collagen Mask With Olive Extract x 1 x 23g Sheet Mask The Body Shop Frosted Berries Exfoliating Sugar Body Scrub - 50ml
Total - 10 Items
As I hope you can see though this post was worth waiting for. In October I managed to finish 10 beauty products including skincare, body care, hair care and even a couple of make up items. I make no apologies that this post is going to be pretty epic but I managed to finish a lot of products that I loved and a lot of products that I've never mentioned before and that equals a pretty long and descriptive blog post..so lets quit the rambling and get started!
1. Maria Nila True Soft Conditioner - 100ml
According to a lot of people I'm a bit strange, I can live with that who wants to be a sheep after all, being weird and a bit different is fun, and one of the ways in which I'm bit different is that I go through way more shampoo than conditioner. A minor thing but apparently I'm in a minority, using more conditioner than shampoo doesn't make sense to me at all but hey ho, more people still seem to do it, so what do I know? It's always the way with me though I finish a bottle of shampoo and it's usually a month or two later before I finish the corresponding conditioner. That's why there are conditioners in this post and no shampoos.
The first one I'm going to talk about is from ethical Swedish brand Maria Nila. I talked about the shampoo back in Septembers countdown (read it here), and it was something that I received in the May edition of Glossybox (you can watch my unboxing video here). I was immediately attracted to the brand on ethical and environmental grounds but the products themselves definitely didn't disappoint either.
Again containing Maria Nila's exclusive colour guard complex, and nourishing and protecting argan oil, this vegan, sulphate and paraben free conditioner is specifically designed for drier hair types. It wasn't too thick and it had a lovely creamy consistency, it wasn't too heavy and it was easy to apply evenly throughout the hair and it was easy to rinse. This conditioner instantly smoothed and detangles the hair and left it with a similar fresh, fruity, floral scent that was similar to the shampoo only with a bit more of a zing and a bit of astringency. Again myself and Mummy Lou really enjoyed using this product and it's something that I would definitely consider buying again.
2. NIVEA Daily Essentials Double Effect Make Up Remover - 125ml
From something that I loved to something that didn't quite make the grade. I bought this product as part of my seemingly never ending quest to find a good budget eye make up remover. I've lost count of how many that I've tried but at last I think I may have found the one but unfortunately though it isn't this one.
I've talked about my love NIVEA as a brand recently and seeing as I'd got on with quite a few dual phase eye make up removers (mainly Lancome Bi-Facil - a classic and a multi award winner) I though that I would give this cheaper alternative a go.
Basically it's a 2 phase formulation, this means that the bottle contains two liquids with different consistencies that you shake together to combine, the water based element is designed to refresh, protect and care for the lashes whilst the oil based liquid is designed to remove even waterproof eye make up effectively and without rubbing. It is suitable for contact lens wearers and it contains cornflower extract.
Despite the fact that the two phases have been designed to minimise oiliness, I did find it quite greasy on the lids and unfortunately I did find that it made my eyes smart and water. Not only that but I also found that it did struggle to remove stubborn mascara. Whilst it isn't waterproof Benefit They're Real can be quite tricky to remove, and this product did struggle to remove every last trace of it, hence I woke up a few times with those horrid black eye bogeys in my eyes, bleurgh!! not what you want to be greeted with in the morning!
It's unfortunate but this product isn't for me I may consider trying the NIVEA Daily Essentials Extra Gentle Eye Make Up Remover in the future but even despite the pocket friendly retail price of £3.89 I certainly won't be buying this one again.
Well what can I say about this product that hasn't already been said by the thousands and thousands of people that swear by this cleanser! It's won countless awards (over 125!) and with good reason. If you haven't tried this or at least heard about it - where have you been! Designed for all skin types it was one of the original hot cloth style cleansers and it has many imitators. The original formulation contains cocoa butter, rosemary, chamomile, and hops extracts and eucalyptus essential which all give that signature scent and texture. Simply massage a small amount over your dry face to start dissolving make up and grime, and then remove it with warm water and the cotton muslin face cloth, for a thorough cleanse and exfoliation all in one simple step. I've used this on and off for years and years and it's something that I will continue to use and repurchase on a regular basis. I do on occasions find the eucalyptus a touch stimulating and it can cause a little bit of redness on my skin so I'm definitely looking into try some of the new limited edition varieties but in the winter months when you're feeling tired and under the weather that is really nothing better than that hit of eucalyptus.
4. Benefit They're Real Beyond Mascara - Black - 3g
I've already briefly mentioned this in this post, and how well it wears is one of the reasons why I love it. I've written a full review of this mascara which you can read here, which explains in full just why I love it but at the same time just why it drives me mad. It really does annoy the hell out of me at times when it clumps, but most of the times by having a lash comb at hand I can live with it, so it's something that I will continue to use either alone or alongside Benefit's Roller Lash to give my lashes length, volume and curl ( I will be talking more about both Benefit Roller Lash and Benefit Bad Gal Bang in the future).
5. Benefit Stay Flawless 15-Hour Primer - 15.5g
Benefit are famous for a lot of things including their mascaras, brows, and boxed blushers but something else that they also do pretty damn well are primers. Without a doubt their most famous primer is the original Porefessional but this particular one also created a bit of stir when it was first launched.
Unlike a lot of primers on the market this one isn't a cream or liquid instead it's a solid balm like waxy stick, which melts on contact with the skin. All you do is rub the stick all over your face or just on your t-zone depending on your skin type and where you usually apply your primer. It goes on relatively clear but you can almost feel a tightening sensation on the skin where you've applied it. Some people say that it's best to apply foundation straight away and whilst it still feels tacky but personally I like to give it a minute or two to set before I start applying my foundation.
Obviously Benefit recommend that you use this alongside one of their foundations but I've used it with quite a few other brands and it's mostly been fine. The key I've found is not to use it alongside too thick, too heavy or some mattifying foundations. If you chose to dense a consistency it results in a cakey, mask like finish, teamed up with pilling, and roll off!
For me this isn't for you if you don't have oily skin, if you have dry skin this isn't going to work at all for you, and if you have a more combination skin only apply it to your oily areas. Don't apply too much and use it with either a light weight foundation or on its own as a shine minimising product. Using it like that definitely helps with shine and it helps your base to last longer. I'm not sure that it quite lives us to Benefit's 15 hour claim but in my experience helped my make up to stay on longer. I'm not sure I would repurchase this particular product again as the price (£27) is quite prohibitive but I do like the stick primer idea and I'm definitely on the hunt for something similar and more purse friendly, so if you've seen something similar let me know in the comments x
6. AVON Advance Techniques Anti Hair Fall Conditioner - 250ml
Ahh, another conditioner finished way later than the corresponding shampoo, which in this case I finished way back in July (read about it here). What can I say? Rave, rave, rave! I love, love, love this range, this shampoo and conditioner combination has made a huge difference to my hair and all at a super affordable price point. I've spoke about both products at length but to put it simply this conditioner smells amazing, fresh and floral with just a hint of mint; it contains keratin, arginine, bamboo and peppermint extracts. It's a fortifying conditioner that is designed to strengthen and repair the hair from root to tip, so you lose few strands of hair. It's creamy yet lightweight and it easy to apply and rinse and the hair is left smooth and tangle free.
Since your hair goes through different phases you're always losing strands of hair here and there, and some of us certainly seem to loose more than others. Therefore it's always difficult to say whether or not an external product truly makes a difference, all I can see though is that since I've stopped using both the shampoo and the conditioner, and despite using excellent quality products, I've noticed a lot more loose strands and clumps in the shower and on the floor! So it goes without saying that I'm going to repurchase both products asap and I've going to start reusing them regularly, which I think is recommendation enough!
Although they have their faults and their critics I am partial to a subscription box or two, and one of my favourite is most definitely Pink Parcel. Designed to make that time of the month just that little bit easier, they contain sanitary protection, and a little something to cheer you up, including beauty product, snacks, tea bags, and sometimes a jewellery or lifestyle product. I look forward to my box coming every month even if it does mine that my period has either already arrived or it's on it's way.
One of the things that I love most about beauty boxes in the discovery aspect and the opportunity they give you to try new things, that you otherwise might not have heard of let alone tried. One of my favourite ever beauty box discoveries the Boozie Bodycare Cocktails Cheeky Woo Woo Bodywash, came in March 2017's Pink Parcel - You can watch my unboxing below or via this link x
Boozi Bodycare, are a British, Berkshire based company that produce a range of cocktail inspired body, hand and lip care products, that are paraben free, not tested on animals and made in the UK. Their quirky line of products is all based on tropical fruity, cocktails. Of course they don't contain any alcohol, so don't go drinking them but they are ideal if you're not a drinker and you still want to experience some fruity fun.
The first one I tried was Cheeky Woo Woo, a fabulously fruity combination of sweet peach, and juicy cranberry, and after one sniff I was hooked on the line and I went on to buy a mini set the Boozi Bodycare Cocktail Party Body Wash Collection which contained a large variety of mini bottles, I ended to split them up as stocking fillers last Christmas bit I actually ended up keeping most of it for myself! The Mango And Ginger Margarita again was a feast for the senses, with a fabulously juicy sweet mango scent with just a hint of spicy ginger!
The scents are truly mouthwatering but as good as they are these body washes have so much more to offer, they are quite thick gels so you only need a tiny amount to produce a fabulous creamy leather with an even more fabulous scent!
These body washes are amazing and are perfect for transporting you back to the cocktail on that tropical beach even in the depth of winter. They would make a fab treat either for yourself or as a gift for someone else, and the prices aren't out of the way either at only £5.95 for 250ml body wash. I've had a little look around online and unfortunately the brand brands social media and website is no more so if you want to these products for yourself you buy a small selection on Fragrance Direct, as well as on Amazon and if like me you're based in North East England Fenwick in Newcastle did, and I'm hoping still do have a small selection in store but if you're interested move fast.
9. Beauty Pro Nourishing Collagen Mask With Olive Extract x 1 x 23g Sheet Mask
Next up another Pink Parcel item this time from the September 2018 box x I've had a couple of these masks in various beauty boxes but this is the first one that I've tried. Made in the home of sheet masks South Korea Beauty Pro sell a wide range of masks for different skin concerns. This one is an anti ageing and nourishing mask, that is designed to boost skin firmness, and to improve texture, clarity, tone, and elasticity. It contains pomegranate, witch hazel, aloe vera, and olive extract, and it is mineral oil, lanolin, petroleum and paragon free.
Now at first glance my skin doesn't scream that I need nourishment, but as I get older my skin in definitely changing, I used to have oily skin, but now it's much more combination, I get the occasional dry area that's exacerbated by extremes in temperature and it can be quite easily sensitised. Seeing as the temperature seems to have dropped so much over the last month on so I thought that my skin could probably do with a bit of a moisture boost so I gave this a go.
All you do is apply the fabric / paper sheet mask to your face for 15 minutes. The first thing that I noticed was just how wet the mask actually was, it had a subtle green, fresh scent, and it felt very cooling on the skin. After I'd removed it there was a lot of liquid left on my skin so I massaged into my face, my neck and my decolletage. It actually felt quite tacky and sticky on the skin and it did take quite a while to absorb but most of it did end up sinking into the skin. There was no immediate improvement in the feel or the softness of the skin but my face definitely looked plumper, and it had a slight glow to it, it also looked less tired and it didn't feel quite as tight.
I'm not 100% sure that I would purchase this particular mask but I would definitely consider trying out some of Beauty Pro's other masks. This particular one has an RRP of £4.95 and is available from the Beauty Pro website, Amazon, Fabled and the NEXT website x 10. The Body Shop Frosted Berries Exfoliating Sugar Body Scrub - 50ml
Finally a body scrub and one from The Body Shops Frosted Berries range which was one of their festive collections in 2016. This has been one of my favourite festive scents in recent years, so I took the opportunity and stocked up when I could. It has a lovely not too sweet, juicy berry scent that works perfectly with The Body Shop's amazing sugar based body scrub formulation. Thankfully I still have a full sized tub to use up, but alas like my favourite apple based scents this one doesn't make an appearance for Christmas 2018 so I'm hoping that I like at least one of their new festive introductions, I'm thinking either Berry Bon Bon or Vanilla Marshmallow could be the ones for me as I'm not really a big fan of mint based scents so I don't really sure about Peppermint Candy Cane but you never know it might surprise me x If you've tried any of the new festive introductions then let me know your thoughts in the comments x
Phew that was a bit of an epic post wasn't it but I hope managed to stick it out until the end x I was super pleased to have finished 10 items in October and whilst November hasn't started that well empties wise fingers crossed I can have another good month and end the year on a high x
*This Blog Post Contains Affiliate Links Other Than Those From Skimlinks
I disappeared again, didn't I? I promised you some more posts and then I went AWOL again! I'm sorry that I haven't been the best blogger lately but if you follow me on Instagram or You Tube then you'll know that I haven't been completely absent from social media.
I've always tried to establish an all round social media presence, my aim is to make all of my channels work together, so if you see something on my Instagram, or on my Twitter or on my You Tube channel, then at some point it will probably pop up on my blog.
Although like many users I recently lost the ability to monetise my videos on You Tube, I still enjoy making them and having another mouthpiece for thoughts and ramblings, and dare I say it sometimes it's easier to make a video then it is to take and edit a kazillion pictures for a blog post!
It's always difficult to find content that other people will watch and hopefully enjoy, so at the moment I just seem to be sticking with the old tried and tested, hauls and unboxing videos. I definitely went to switch it up a bit though so I'd love to know what type of content you'd like to watch so please leave me your suggestions below x
In the meantime though I've recently posted a couple of haul videos that I thought I share with you, the first one is a Dorothy Perkins haul which you can watch below or via this link. I recently took advantage of one of their 25% off everything weekends and picked up a few jewellery pieces, and a couple of pairs of cute socks, so have a watch and let me know your thoughts.
As well as a fashion based haul, I also recently uploaded a very, very late, post Christmas beauty sale haul. Yes I know we're now in April but better late then never eh? Yeah I was pretty ill over the Christmas period but I still managed to make a couple of online sale buys from Benefit, Clinique, Tarte and Marc Jacobs Beauty. You can watch my haul video below or via this link if you are on a mobile device.
Although a lot of the kits and the holiday sets that I talked about were limited editions, I still think that this video was worth sharing with you. Why? well a lot of the kits also contained a lot of permanent items and permanent shades some of which I'll be reviewing on the blog in the next month or so, and if you're a Tarte fan then make sure that you're following my blog because I might have bought a few extra sets to giveaway.
Again I hope you've found these videos useful, as I say I have quite a few reviews to come but if you have any questions on any of the items that I've mentioned in either of these videos then please leave me a comment below, and of course don't forget to subscribe to my You Tube channel if you haven't already x
I've never made any secret of the fact that Benefit Cosmetics are one of my favourite make up brands. I know some people are put off by their fun and quirky persona but take my advice and if that's not your thing, get past that and see what lies beneath the cartoons and the colour.
I've lost count of how many Benefit products that I've tried over the years, but something that I always keep coming back to are their boxed blushers and bronzers. From long discontinued blushers like Georgia and Thrrob, to newer kids on the block like Rockateur, and Dandelion, it's pretty much always been love at first swipe.
Why do I like them so much? well not only do they come in a wide variety of colours to suit all skin tones, but they also smell amazing and those little boxes seem to go on forever and ever. I love them but they aren't always the easiest things to store - don't get me wrong I love the design of those cute chubby boxes even more so now that they've included a mirror in the lid, but they are a bit chunky and if you want every single one that they do they can take up a bit of room.
Obviously you could depot them and stick them into a magnetic palette but if messing around with flat irons and magnetics isn't really your bag then there are other options. Knowing the popularity of their boxed blushers and bronzers Benefit sometimes release handy palettes contain several different shades so you can increase your cheek colour collection in one go, and this time of year is the perfect time to get your hands on some Benefit cheeky loveliness.
As per usual Benefit have gone all out for Christmas, and you can currently get your hands on a couple of cheek themed gift sets and palettes include the Benefit Cheeky Stowaways Make Up Gift Set, which contains a palette with a mini Hoola, Coralista, Rockateur and Dandelion, and mini mascara and eyeliner which retails at around £31.50 and if you're more into bronzing, highlighting and contouring then you can also get your hands on The Complexionista Face Palette for around £26.50 which contains two shades of their famous Boi-ing concealer, as well as Hoola and Hoola Lite bronzing powders, Watts Up cream highlighter, and Dandelion Twinkle powder luminiser.
Kits like those are great for travel or if you want to try some new shades or even try out Benefit for the first time, but none of the products in these kits are full size, and as much I love my minis sometimes I want a little bit more for my money.
The Benefit Cheek Parade Beauty And The Beat Kit came out in the Spring of this year, and I'm not going to lie, it's pretty hard (although not impossible! ) to get your hands on now, if you can find it though it's well worth picking up and I'm sure it would make any make up junkies day if they were to find this under their Christmas tree in just less that a fortnights time!
Even if you can't find it though, you can still buy ever colour in this palette individually in their own cute little boxes, but to be fair if you can find this kit why would you buy them separately?
The value of this kit in its simplest terms is insane, and that's probably why it doesn't seem to be a permanent item. This kit contains 5 FULL SIZE Benefit cheek colours, which when bought individually would retail at around £122.50 (that's around £24.50 each!) compared to the retail price of this kit which is just £49.50.
So what are you getting for your money and where's the catch? Well in it's simplest terms there doesn't seem to be a catch. The brightly coloured solid cardboard palette features a magnetic fastening, a tips and tricks leaflet, and a good sized mirror, you also get a full size version of Benefits famous square box cheek colour brushe.
In the palette your getting a nice combination of amazingly fruity scented (odd but true) blushers and bronzers, old favourites, and new products, to try. On the top row you have Hoola, Galifornia, and Rockateur, and underneath you have Hoola Lite and Dandelion
I've spoken many times about my love of Hoola bronzer but I think it may have been overtaken in the bronzer love stakes by it's paler cousin. You can read all about my love of the original Hoola here and here, but in summary despite being a pink toned pale person, it just works for me, it isn't muddy, it isn't orange, and it isn't sparkly, it's just gives me a bit more colour, and my face a bit more of a shape. I'm not gonna lie though, in the winter months, I can only wear it, by being super light handed and by blending it in really well, I guess that's why Hoola Lite has become my new best friend.
You can see the difference between the two products from the swatch above, if you're pale and you thought that bronzer and contouring was a no, no, then try Hoola Lite! Obviously it's lighter, it isn't as warm, and it's perfect for giving my face just a hint of warmth, and for doing that invisible contouring thing that just makes your face just look better. It isn't that obvious from the pictures below just how well this works on my skin tone, but I can assure that it really does make a difference and since this was pretty much a tan free year for me, I've been using this an awful lot just to get rid of that blue, grey, ill look that I can often get to my skin.
Hoola Lite isn't the only newish product in this kit, it also gave me the opportunity to try Galifornia. Released in the UK this year just in time for the spring and summer season, Galifornia is the perfect summer colour. It's a lovely mix of peach, gold, pink and coral, alas the golden sunburst is an over spray but it's still beautiful even without the extra golden hit. Again my picture isn't doing this justice at all but hopefully you can see even just a hint of the peachy, golden pink.
Alongside the Hoola cousins, and Galifornia, you also have two mainstays in Benefits boxed blush collection, the beautiful brightening pale pink of Dandelion
and the pink, nude, rose gold tones of one of the best selling blushers currently in the UK, Rockateur.
Although you can't see them too well on my face, the pigmentation in all of cheek colours is spot on. They are smooth and almost creamy and velvety to the touch and they apply and blend like a dream. Sometimes you get the impression with some palettes that the contents is slightly compromised to make it better but not in this palette, the quality and shades seem to me to be identical to the individually packed products.
I was lucky enough to get this palette for my birthday way back in May and although I've just got around to talking about now it has been one of my go to's. Yes I know I'm one of those people who likes to switch up a bit but for some reason I've just kept coming back to this palette. Maybe it's the convenience of having everything in one place, or maybe it's down to the wearability of all of the shades, I'm not really sure but one thing that I am sure of is just how pleased I am to have this palette in my collection.
As I say it isn't going to be the easiest thing to track down now but have a little search online and you may just find somewhere that has the odd one or two left. This would make a great gift for yourself or for someone else but even if you aren't lucky enough to find it, hopefully this post has given you a few ideas of some other Benefit gift sets or even boxed cheek colours that you could buy for presents or to treat yourself. Do you have a favourite Benefit boxed cheek colour? Let me know x
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