February Favourites

Hi Guys I thought you might like to see my February Favourites video I've mentioned a few things that are really helping with my foot problems, and a few things I've either reviewed already, or that I'm going to review shortly



Hope you enjoyed - if you've any questions please let me know and if you have a You Tube account I would really appreciate it if you subscribed too xx

Alva Naturkosmetik Coleur Fluid Foundation - A Review For My Pure*

As you know over the past few months in my reviews for My Pure, I've been trying out a few products from natural, organic make up manufacturer Alva, this month I decided to try one of my staple products, a foundation. Alas my skin just isn't good enough to even contemplate going bare faced, so I took the opportunity to try the Alva Naturkosmetik Coleur Fluid Foundation.

Containing all sorts of natural ingredients such as Evening Primrose, Macadamia Nut Oil, Chamomile and Vitamin E, this foundation like all of Alva's other make up products is Paraben Free and is certified Organic

Packaged in quite a stylish black squeezy tube with silver lettering, and a silver tone lid, the product dispenses easily through a long nozzle

The colour I chose after reading the My Pure site was 1 Light

I have to say this is my first issue with this product, it only comes in 2 shades 1 Light and 2 Medium, my skin is pretty pale but not porcelain, and very pink toned, and prone to redness. This foundation as you can see from this swatch is not exactly pale and it's quite yellow and golden in tone

It doesn't have too much of a smell really the only thing I vaguely got was something, maybe oily or nutty. The texture of the foundation also confused me, described as a fluid it's a lot less fluidy than say something like Nars Sheer Glow, in fact it almost has a creamy feel to it. I tried a few ways of applying this product including a damp sponge, and a foundation brush, but I found the best way with to apply it with my fingers like you would apply a tinted moisturiser, I wonder why that worked so well? This is where my next gripe comes in, the coverage, to be honest I found that you needed to use an awful lot to get any form of cover. My Pure describe this as ideal for smoothing the skin and covering irregularities, well not really in my opinion. On my skin it gave much more of a tinted moisturiser feel rather than a true cover foundation, it also didn't leave me with the matte complexion that it promised my skin was actually left looking pretty glowy, and I definitely needed to powder down, and conceal after application. Time for some hideous befores and afters

Before - Bare Skin - lots of redness!! yuck!

Afterwards - just the foundation no concealer or powder

OK I have to admit the after does look a bit better there is certainly less redness but this is after about three squirts of  the foundation. You can also see that my skin doesn't exactly look matte hmm. I have to say though that despite the scary colour in my hand it doesn't look too bad on my face, it's definitely not a winter colour for me though, I may be able to get away with it a bit more in the summer. It does last OK but after a while it did tend to make my pores a little more obvious, this was improved slightly though by using a primer underneath. My big bugbear with this foundation though was the oxidisation - after an hour or so on my skin it tended to turn a bit orange - you can see this on my hand here - the foundation had been on for just over an hour and you can see how orange it's going.

I have to say in case you haven't already guessed I didn't like this foundation at all, the colour was way off, the coverage and texture just didn't work on me and it basically it didn't do what it promised. If you have a more yellow toned complexion, slightly drier skin, or you don't want or need much coverage this might work for you but at £18.85 for 30ml it isn't going to be something I would repurchase. As I say I'll give it a go again in the summer to see if the colour works better then but to be honest the colour range at the moment is just too limited for me. Alva Naturkosmetic Coleur Fluid Foundation now comes in 3 shades and retails at £19.50 for 30ml from My Pure. Any questions please ask x

*Sample

Farewell To February

Well that's two months of the year down already, where the hell is it going eek, admittedly February is the shortest month of the year but still!! Well February hasn't be too different from January as far as life in LouLou was concerned - OK I wasn't in hospital but my spending still never really happened. In February I spend just £5.82


GOSH Holographic Polish + Postage - £3.65
Hello Kitty Konad Plate - BornPretty - £2.17
Total - £5.82
£34.18 Under My Limit!!!

Yes you've read that right I was £34.18 under my monthly limit I did even better than last month - result. To be honest again I haven't really wanted anything online and I haven't left the house, hopefully by the end of March I might be able to get olut and about it bit so this may change next month, but I am still a long way off a Primark spree, which is something I want more than anything at the moment, I'm beginning to feel as though the walls are coming in on me :( Never mind I have to look at the positives and not spending money is certainly that for me.
Trimming My Stash well it wasn't a vintage performance this month but I still managed to finish 7 items

The Body Shop Nutmeg and Vanilla Body Butter 200ml
L'Oreal Elvive Nourish and Shimmer Highlights Shampoo 250ml
Collection 2000 Big Fake False Lash Mascara - Ultra Black 17 - 8ml
L'Occitane Honey and Lemon Hand Cream 15ml
Lacura 3 in 1 Facial Cleansing Wipes x 30
L'Occitane Fleur Cherie Hand Cream 30ml
Primark Beauty 4 in 1 Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes x 25
Total - 7 Items 

Given the short month I don't think that was bad going especially since I finished another item towards Project 10 Pan, and I'm nearly done with a few other things so hopefully March will be better x
As to my little challenges this month I am going to shop my stash and have a real look and play with my make up so I can see what gems I've been ignoring - quite a few I can imagine lol I'll probably stick a video on my you tube channel and maybe stick a post on here to show you what I've found. Any questions give me a yell and I hope you all have a fabulous March x

Goods and Bads :)

It's that time of the week again time for LouLou's goods and bads of the week :)

Bads

• Just the one bad this week the foot need I say more - it seems that since the cast has came off I am pretty much back to square one, I am having to start learning to walk with my frame again let alone unaided and to make it worse the splint rubs right on my scar, and my foot keeps swelling :(

Goods

• Despite a few ups and down and melt downs on my part my mum has been amazing as per usual. As well as lots of hugs, and home baking she bought me some lovely carnations this week (excuse the awful Blackberry pic) and this lovely silver and mother of pearl turtle necklace - it's from the South Western Silver Collection at QVC and represents Wisdom which is written on the back :) I love tiny pendants and the sentiments behind this one :)

(pic taken from QVC)

• My families health nightmares are hopefully nearly at end, my Auntie still has a way to go after her surgery after Christmas but my Godfathers shingles is clearing up and he is feeling much better
• Blogging and You Tube - I think I have my mojo back - after coming out of hospital I felt a bit disheartened but I am feeling brighter and more motivated and ready to tackle my coming soon list x Thank You x
• Make Up - Don't get me wrong I never went off make up but I have well and truly got my mojo back and I'm starting to shop my stash - at the same time I am also discovering things I'm probably not going to use so expect a revised blog sale soon x
• Nigella's Crunchie Nut bar  - I have just had Nigella's Kitchen out of the library and I have to say it's a fabulous book every page had me drooling this is one of my favourite recipes I made it at Christmas after copying the recipe down from the TV series and it's fabulous I am going to make some tonight yum yum x

I hope you've all had a good week, if not here's hoping this one is better xx

Nails Of The Day - GOSH Holographic

I said I couldn't wait to get this on my nails so last night I gave it a go. I have to say I did have a few application issues but I have to see the final effect far outweighs a few initial streaking problems. I have to say this is nothing  like any holograph polish I've tried previously - the effect is truly magical - I love x

A'kin Eucalyptus and Tea Tree Hand Wash - A Review For My Pure

I have to be honest with you my dear readers for one of my February review items from My Pure I chose something I've actually used before. I hope you don't mind that I did that but it was a product I'd used in the past and that I really rated. I just wanted to try it again and see if it was as good as I remembered.
The product in questions was from the Australian brand A'kin, I've reviewed a few of their products so far for My Pure and I have to say it's a brand I've come to really rate, with all of their products certified organic, and sulfate and paraben free.

The product I chose was the A'kin Eucalyptus and Tea Tree Hand Wash, packaged in an interestingly shaped pump action dispenser to make it super hygienic and easy to use, the hand wash is a clear gel like consistency then seems to thin down when it's dispenses

You don't need a lot and it gives a lovely creamy foam, created by botanical ingredients such as Coconut and Palm.

Containing both Australian organically grown Eucalyptus, and Melaleuca Alternifolia Tea Tree which as well as being anti bacterial means it smells super clean and fresh.

 The key things about this hand wash though is that I don't find it at all drying, it just leaves my hands feeling super clean.
I have to say this is as good as I remember it, it cleans the skin well without drying and it smells amazing. I love hand washes they are so much more hygienic than a bar of soap, and yes I know you have to press the pump down but I usually find you can do it with your forearm - nothings perfect lol This would be great either in the bathroom or at the kitchen sink for super clean hands. The A'kin Eucalyptus and Tea Tree Hand Wash comes in a 240ml pump action bottle and retails for £9.99 from My Pure  . Any questions please ask xx

(The A'kin Eucalyptus and Tea Tree Hand Wash Was Provided By My Pure For Review Purposes)

With Thanks To Anna x

A few posts ago I mentioned that I really wanted the famous GOSH 549 Holographic Nail Polish, alas I'm not able to get to Superdrug at the moment because of you've guessed it the stupid foot,and added to that the fact that it has now been discontinued and is proving hard to find I thought my lust would go unsatisfied. Salvation however came in the form of the lovely Anna

She had bought one already and kindly offered to go back and get one for me - It doesn't look that spectacular in the bottle but despite the iffy opinions regarding the application - in all the pics I've seen it looks amazing - I can't wait to sort out a good base coat and give it ago, Thanks Anna xx

Curly Lashes With Boots No7 Exquisite Curl Mascara?

Like many other bloggers I was recently sent the latest mascara offering  from Boots No7. I have tried their mascaras before but normally in the mini sizes that you get with the GWP, and I have to say nothing has really wowed me so far OK but not amazing if you know what I mean whether that's down to the size I really don't know, I do have the full size Exceptional Definition mascara in my stash to try but this was my first go with a full sized No7 mascara.

As the name suggests this is a curling mascara, to be honest curled lashes don't really bother me that much I have eyelash curlers but I very rarely reach for them so I was interested to see what this mascara could offer me. Well they obviously claim that this mascara will enhance the natural curve of my eyelashes, I've always wondered how a mascara alone can do this but according to No7 it's all down to the brush

I have to say that I thought the brush on this mascara would be a lot bigger but it's just an average sized fibre brush, but the big difference is it's curved. The brush has an inbuilt curve which perfectly fits the contours of you eyes and of course your lashes.

Along with an inbuilt curl setting polymer to keep the curl in place all day Boots claim your lashes will be curled by at least 90°, giving you a wide eyed look, well I've always fancied looking a bit like Bambi so I gave it a go.

The formulation of the mascara seems quite thin, I have to say I like this I hate dry, clump mascaras this one applies easily with very little clumping, it also seems to dry pretty quickly which is another plus point in my book. So what does it look like on - pic time - apologies that some are a tad blurry :)

Before - yes I do have lashes here somewhere

1 Coat

2 Coats

4 Coats

Impressive eh! - The difference is even more pronounced though with a side view
Before - you see I do actually have lashes - they are OK nothing special a bit paler on the tips

After 4 coats you can really see the difference - curved, longer and blacker

I have to say that this mascara gets a big thumbs up from me, my lashes appear longer, thicker, and definitely more uplifted which in turn makes my eyes appear much wider. I also love the fact you can layer this mascara up even with 4 coats there is barely any clumping or bobbling, and above all the lashes don't feel clogged or heavy - no matter how much you apply the lashes still remain quite flexible and not at all hard or crispy. My one complaint with this is a tiny one - I personally had a tiny bit trouble applying this to my bottom lashes without spotting, I always have a problem using big wands on my lower lashes, although I have to say the curved nature of the brush did make it easier than some of the thick wands I've tried. so not really much of a negative was it ;) According to Mummy LouLou this mascara gave me lashes like spiders legs and to be honest that's good enough for me x  Boots No7 Exquisite Curl Mascara comes in 2 shades Black and Brown/Black and retails at £13.00

(Boots No7 Exquisite Curl Mascara Provided For Review Purposes)

Free, Kind Of ?

Well today was my hospital appointment to check the progress of my ankle. First up out came the circular saw and off came the cast, then it was off to x-ray cue me eeking as I had to put my full weight on my bad foot, and jam it again an x-ray plate !!! Then it was back to the waiting room where my consultant was running over an hour late :( Eventually I got to see him and he was happy with my progress, it's healing well hurrah! I was then wheeled off to physio to be shown a few exercises, and then I was given a removable splint which I have to wear for the next 8 weeks before seeing my consultant again. What that does is basically provide support and protection for my ankle bones while they finish healing - slightly yack picture!

Thankfully I can take it off and I will be able to have a proper bath and a shower now! I will also be able to plaster it in moisturiser before putting my socks on :) You can probably see from the picture but my skin is beyond gross, it is soooooo dry and flaky. My scar isn't looking too bad thankfully but it still has a bit of healing to do then I can start moisturising it, I thought of trying Bio Oil but if anyone has any scar fading tips I'd love to know x All in all I am pretty pleased with how today went I've still got a little way to go yet and it's going to take some time to start walking normally again, and to build up the strength in my ankle but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel even though my shopping trip to the Metro Centre is still on hold x Thanks again for all the sweet messages on here and on twitter I really appreciate it xx

NOTD and A Query

Just a little Nails of the Day post for you - I fancied something a bit different so I had a delve in my nail polish drawers and came up with this

Rimmel 60 Seconds in 610 Pompous - a gorgeous dark purple with glitter shot through it that you can hopefully see here

It applies really well, this is two coats and each coat only took about a minute to dry. Only trouble is I don't think the colour is  showing that well in my pics, what do you think? Oh and sorry for the bad paint job ;)

See all the things in this picture are purple my toe nails. my cast, and the quilt underneath yet they don't seem to show it - I get more of a blue tone

How do you get the colour purple to show correctly in pics ? I have my purple nail polish collection to do soon and I would love some advice xx