Disappointing Products #2

I'm an impulse buyer. I wish I was the kind of person who could see something they liked, walk away from it, research it and go back if I liked it or leave it has bad reviews. I just can't do that. I have no will power, and if I see something I want I get it. That, unfortunately, leads to me being disappointed a fair ol' few times because I haven't read up on anything. So, today I have my disappointing products part 2. You can read part 1 here.

  Lets start with hair products. I have two at the moment that just aren't impressing me. I actually mentioned one of these in my last one, but I photographed it again without realizing it. I won't say much about that one, you can just go and read the last post! 

Nicky Clarke Endless Waves Leave In Conditioning Spritz

This just doesn't do anything to my hair. Maybe my hair is too curly or dry or something, but it does nothing. I like that it's a spray but it doesn't give my hair any kind of conditioning. The Gliss Liquid Keratin is much a better option if you want something like that, or even This Is 10 products if you can afford them. 

Kerastase Soleie Overnight Restorative Treatment 

It does nothing. That's all I say! Check out my last one for a better description.

Daisy Eau So Fresh By Marc Jacobs 

I love this perfume, but I regret spending so much money on it because I don't wear it. The scent is like Parmaviolets, which made me want it. But I just can't find occasions to wear it like I can with perfumes like Lola or Wonderstruck so it just sits there. It looks nice on the dressing table, but that's about it.

Soap and Glory Lid Stuff in Off The Wall Flowers

I think I've raved about these in the past, but after trying other shadows I realize these really aren't that great. It's partly my fault for getting a palette with a couple of colours I wouldn't use to often, but it's partly the product because they aren't that pigmented, and they aren't that easy to work with. There are much better shadows out there like MUA or Sleek or even NARS. 

Sleek Blush By 3 Palette in Sugar 

 This is my fault really because I probably picked the worst colour range for my skin tone. These blushes are great, but they aren't as great as some as the single blushes I've tried. The matte ones tend to go on a little patchy, and the shimmery one is just not the right colour for me. 

Collection Cover & Go Foundation and Concealer Duo 

This isn't good. I reviewed it here is you want to give it a read, but to sum up I just don't like this. The foundation goes on really strangely. It offers little to no coverage, and lasts about an hour. The concealer is very sticky and doesn't dry or set in any way. It offers a little coverage, but not enough for a concealer and it's just not creamy enough for me. 

Miss Sporty So Matte Perfect Stay Foundation

This claims to wear 14 hours. It doesn't. This claims to be a matte finish foundation. It's not. It claims to give you a flawless looking complexion. It doesn't This offers very little coverage. It doesn't go on very well, and it doesn't go matte. It's not really dewy, but it's not matte by any stretch of the imagination. If I can get it to look acceptable on my skin, it doesn't last anywhere near 14 hours, or 4 hours for that matter. 

 

Lipcote This stuff stings like a bitch, for lack of a better phrase. I just cannot even bare to put this on my mouth anymore. Even if my lips are not chapped, or cracked (which is barely ever) it hurts, but even the smallest crack on your lips ensures that you want to rip this stuff off your face. It doesn't really keep my lipstick on longer either. It creates this strange texture on your lips, and if you rub your lips together the lipstick comes off in a weird balls of products. 

Estee Lauder Pure Colour Gloss in Quartz

 This is okay for a gloss I suppose, but it's not good enough for the price you pay. I just find that it doesn't offer enough gloss, if that makes sense. When you pull the wand out, there isn't enough product on the wand to even do a one lip, and feels greasy on the lips. Whilst it feels greasy on the lips it doesn't offer any kind of highly glossy finish. Just not worth it in my opinion.

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Lush Lip Scrub | Mint Julips

Lush Mint Julips Lip Scrub, £5.25 for 25g link

I'm sure we've all read a million and one reviews on these fab little lip scrubs, but I just couldn't use up another pot of these goodness without sharing it with you! My lips are disgustingly dry all the time and it makes the skin area around them very dry and red! While this little scrub cannot fix the redness it keeps them and the skin around them from getting flaky and it leaves the area free to put on my favourite lippy! 

I've always been one to pick up the Bubblegum flavour because it tastes amazing but I thought I would change it up a little this time an picked up mint julips. The scrub, which is super simple to use, tastes like mint chocolate and sugar. It contains peppermint, vanilla and tagetes oil for the lovely taste and scent. It only contains 7 ingredients in total, and as far a I know they are all natural and world friendly.  It's also preservative free, and completely vegan. 

  All you have to do it rub a little onto the lips, rub your lips together a few times and then lick it off. You can, of course, wipe it off but it's safe to lick off. It doesn't irritate my lips after I use it which some other scrubs can, and it leaves  them feeling smooth and slightly moisturized. 

Overall I would highly recommend this Lush Lip Scrub, and cannot wait to try the other flavors they have alongside Mint Julips and Bubblegum. 

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Winter Lip Must Haves | Lipsticks, Balms and Seals

I'm a bit late with this post, but we've still got some of the winter time left so I thought I would still put it out there. I wanted to share my favorite winter lip products so lets get on with it!

I have some major lip issues so good balms and moisturizers are essential for me. I tend to use a combination of products like these to help keep them looking a little nice. I reach for long wearing products and products to help keep the lipstick feathering when if I have cracked lips and dry skin around the lips . love a good dramatic lips in the winter time so I tend to pick darker lips colours, but also if I play up my eyes when I do a look, I like to have a nude in my makeup bag as well.

  

These are the lipstick colours that I've been reaching for this winter: 

Barry M Lip Paint in 156

Does it make sense if I call this colour my bright dark lippy? It's a nice pink/berry colour that gives a nice pop of colour on the lips while keeping on trend. I like the Barry M Lip Paints, and this is no exception . It lasts a fair amount of time, and doesn't dry out my lips too badly. 

Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick Sloane's Plum 

This is my purple lipstick favourite. It's the perfect plum for me and it stopped me picking up a much more expensive lipstick from MAC which I think is similar to this. I's not drying, and it lasts a nice amount of time too. It can be put on quite sheerly or built up and it looks great either way. 

 

Rimmel London Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in 107   

Everyone and their mum is talking about this, so I won't say much but it's a nice nearly matte really vampy red that looks good on just about anyone. It can be a bit messy to apply but with a good lip liner it lasts a long time and stays on the lips. 

 

Revlon Colour Burst Lipstick in Creme Brulee 

This is my go to winter nude at the moment. It's a balm and a colour so it keeps the lips from drying out and it's easy to apply. This has replaced my Blankety lipstick from MAC which I adore, but it snapped so this is my go to nude now!
 

 

To keep my lips looking soft and nice I've mainly been using three products, along side a lip scrub: 

Blistex Relief Cream 
I apply this morning and nice ad it's the Blistex Relief cream. It's a thick cream products with a cooling menthol feel and it keeps my lips moisturized through out the day.
 
Balmi Lip Balm in Coconut 
I use this through out the day over or under lipstick. It gives me a shot of moisture on the lips, smells great and the packaging is really cure too. 
 
Balance Me Rose Otto Intensive Lip Salve
I use this as a gloss/balm. If I want to add some shine to my lips I'll add this over the top. It keep my lips moisturized and it makes them look a little glossy too. It smells like rose, which I'm not a fan of but I can get past that. It give the lips a nice little tingle and does what it says on the tin.

The other two products are kind of random, but I love using them especially in the winter. 

ELF Lip Seal 
This is a product I've never seen anywhere else, but I wouldn't be without it! It's a clear, balm like substance that you apply either to your lips as a primer of sorts, or around the edge of your lips (outside the lip line) to enure that any lipstick you are wearing doesn't bleed, and stays in place on your lips. I think this is brilliant because when my lips dry up lipstick bleeds more than normal and it's not a good look. This is a total savior for me! 
 
Max Factor Long Lasting Lip Colour 
The colour has come off of this one in particular, but I've been loving this formula from Max Factor. It lasts a long time and they have a nice selection of colours. They do tend to go a little crispy, like most long wear lip products but with a gloss or balm they look great all day! 
 
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Skincare Routine | Night

So, if you haven't already seen my day/morning skincare routine you can see it here. It's a bit of a long post but it tells about all the pesky skin problems that I'm trying to combat with my routine. I have a slightly different routine at night than I do during the day so I thought I would share that with you today! 

Biore Warming Anti-Blackhead Cleanser link, Clean and Clear Refreshing Facial Scrub link, Tea Tree Cleanser and Toner link, Good Things Stop That Spot Treatment Gel link, Purity Overnight Regenerating Moisturizer* link, Lancome Bi-Facil link, Clinique All About Eyes link & Blistex Relief Cream

A few of these products are interchangeable with other products, but the idea is all the same. 

The first thing that I do is take of my eye makeup, and any other stubborn makeup I may have on my face like lip stains of anything like that. I find that an oil based makeup remover works better for this and at the moment I'm using up a small Lancome Bi-Facil that I got free when I brought a mascara. It's a really good makeup remover and you only need a small amount, once you've shaken it up, to remove both eyes. I just put a little on a cotton pad, rest it over my eyes for a few seconds and the wipe away. 

After I have got that off, I will was my face with one of my scurbs. I find using these at night works best for me so I alternate between two scrubs. The Biore Warming Cleanseris a brilliant scrub but I find it to abrasive to use every day so I use this twice a week, and all the the other times I will use the Clean and Clear Refreshing Facial Scrub. 

The Biore Warming Cleanser is meant to warm on contact with the skin, which is does, and help clear away those pesky blackheads and clean out your pores. I think it's a brilliant scrub and really helps keep my problem blackheads at bay. 

The Clean and Clear Refreshing Facial Scrub is a great every day scrub. It is just abrasive enough that I feel it's doing something but not to abrasive that I can't use it everyday. It gives my skin a good clean and gets all that gross dirt and grit out of it. 

 After washing off the scrub, I'll put some of the Tea Tree Cleanser and Toner on a cotton pad, and run it all over my face. This gets off any dirt that might be left and also tones my skin. I don't really love this cleanser/toner, but it's working for the moment and I will use it up. It's great for an affordable option, but the peppermint smell isn't something I'm a fan of putting of my face and it tends to make my eyes start watering if I get anywhere even close to them. 

After my face is totally clean, I will put on my night time moisturizer which is the Purity Overnight Regenerating Moisturizer. This this is amazing. It's super thick so it's quite intense, but it doesn't make any oily patches worse, and it helps out those gross dry areas. It's all natural which is great, and the stuff seems to be lasting for forever. You don't need too much considering it's so thick and it's cheap too which is a huge bonus. 

Next, I put on my eye cream which is exactly the same as my day/morning one. I layer it on a little thicker now just to give more moisture but as I said before I'm not sure it's a miracle worker and I just use it because I have it. 

After than I put on a nice thick later of the Blistex Relief Cream. This really gives my lips a boost, and helps them for being all dry and gross. If I have a lip scrub at the time I will give them a scrub before putting this on to get away that dead skin. 

If I have any spots, I'll put on a bad of the Good Things Stop That Spot gel, but if not the lip cream is the last thing and I head off the bed.   
  
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January Favourites | Candles, Concealer & More

It's been a while since I've done a monthly favorites, but I want to start doing them every month  so this marks the start of something new on the blog! I'm just going to jump right in to the products because I can imagine this being a long post! I hope you enjoy. 

 Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey 
I'm not sure I need to say much on this. The balm stains are a big blogger hit and Honey seems to be the most popular shade. It's a 'my lips but better' colour that leaves lips with a nice hint of colour that lasts a good amount of time on the lips. 
 
MAC Lustre Glass in  Sinnamon 
I'm in love with this lip gloss. I'm not normally a lip gloss girl but this one is just amazing. I love the colour, the formula and think it would look great on a number of skin tones. I use this all over the lips, over lipstick or alone and I also use it in the centre of the lips just add the illusion of a bit more fullness. 
 
Yankee Candle in Peppermint Swirl 
I love candles. I can't have them a university because I live in halls and I can't burn candles without the firs alarm going crazy so over the holidays I went candle mad at home and this is my favorite by far. I used this one more in January and thought I should include it. It's a really nice sweet peppermint smell that leaves the room smelling gorgeous. I think the candle looks great, and it lasts a long time when you burn it. 
 
Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid Foundation
I ran out of foundation, and went in search of the cheap but nice drugstore foundation. I have heard some great things about the Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid  and it was only £4.99 at the time. I'm so glad I picked this out. It has a nice colour range, and a colour pale enough for me. It gives a nice coverage, and the finish it leaves on the skin is what I'm always searching for. It give a slightly dewy finish but it's also a little matte so that you don't look oily or shiny. 
 
Naked Skin Thirst Aid Moisturizer 
I've done a review on this before and actually said I wasn't a fan of it but after starting to use it again (just to use it up) I've found that after my skin has cleared up a little it now works really well. It's keep my skin moisturized through out the day, and it leaves my skin in a nice way for makeup to sit on top of it. Over all, it;s a great moisturizer.
  
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer 
I don't need to say anything when it comes to this so I won't. I'll just say it's a great colour match, and it last a long time of blemishes.
 
Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer 
I have only just discovered the benefits of having a specific under eye concealer. I used to just use the Collection concealer if I needed to and that was that. After getting this, I've now seen the error of my ways. This concealer gives my under eyes a brightness that nothing else has, and it just looks great. It covers and darkness under there really well, and lasts a long time too. 
 
MUA Pro Base Eye Primer
I haven't always been one to use an eye primer. My eyeshadow never really used to crease  but lately it has been so I picked this up. I think MUA have had one for ages, but they have recently repackaged it. It was like £1 off so I grabbed it and I love it. It makes my shadows pop a bit more and keeps them from creasing and fading like they did before.
 
Solait Bronzer in Golden Glow
I speak about this too much but I love it. It is my perfect bronzer, and I wouldn't be without. I've hit pan quite a bit so might need to pick up a new one soon. It's matte, the right colour and super cheap too. It's huge as well.
  
Lush Mint Julips Lip Scrub 
I haven't had a proper lip scrub for a while and love having one back around. I love the lush scrubs because they taste great, really work and you can lick them off after using them. They aren't that expensive and last for a long time. I used this every other day and it helps my dry lips to no end. It gets rid of the dead skin and tastes like chocolate mint! What more could you want from a lip scrub? 

Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara   
I adore Lancome mascaras. They are expensive but I think they are amazing. They keep my lashes curled and give them volume and length. My all time favorite is the Hypnose Star mascara, but after seeing the Drama on sale I picked it up to give it a go. It took some getting used to because it's very dramatic but I've gotten used to the wand and the amount of product you get and I'm in love. It makes my lashes look very black, full and long. That's what I want from a mascara, and this one does it amazingly well. 
      

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Skincare Routine | Day/Morning

I put off doing this post for quite a while because I've never had a set routine. I mixed things up quite a lot and never really stuck to something but this year I want to clean up my skin! I'm fed up with looking at my giant pores, having them get clogged constantly and having breakouts all over my chin. Since getting into a routine, and ditching the dreaded makeup wipes my skin is better.

 I have a tricky skin type in my opinion. It's very dry, and if I don't have a quite intense moisturizer then I get flaky patches. I also have breakouts around my chine area and on my nose. My pores are huge and get clogs easily too. That's quite a tall order for a skincare product to try and help. Most products for dry skin will not stop/help spots and pores, while products that help clear spots and minimize pores dry out the skin. 

So, I've tried out a few too many products, and have settled into this routine at the moment. The products are working for me, so I thought I would share them with you! I'm going to start with the morning routine that I have going. I tend to use differing products at night because I can use something slightly more intense but for the day time the products aren't too abrasive or intense. It makes it easier for makeup to sit nicely, and it doesn't agitate my skin and make it gross and all red. 

You can see my night time routine, and some random additions in the next few days. I was going to put them all in one post, but this is already to long! Check back soon if you want to know a night routine! 

Botanics Pore Perfecting Deep Clean Mousse, LUSH Tea Tree Water link, No7 Beautiful Skin Blemish Defense Serum link, Good Things Stop That Spot link, Garnier Moisture Match for Dull Skin link, Clinique All About Eyes link & Blistex Relief Cream.

So, the first thing that I do is wash my face. I try to use pore minimizing wash and at the moment I'm working my way through the Botanics Pore Perfecting Mousse face wash. It's not my favourite, but I need to use it up and it smells amazing! I would recommend the Clean and Clear Pore & Shine wash over this, but I want to use this up.  

Next up I spritz some of the Tea Tree Water all over my face, and then take a cotton pad a wipe of the excess. It just helps minimize the pore a little more, and it helps treat any spots as well. It doesn't smell the best, but the scent doesn't stick around for long. 

Next I add my serum which is an optional step for me. If I feel I need an extra boost I'll apply a thin layer of the no7 Blemish Defense Serum. I'm not sure if this does anything, but it does fell nice of my skin.

After I let this sink in, I add my moisturizer and eye cream. I'm in love with my moisturizer, which is currently the Garnier Moisture Match for Dull Skin. It's a gel formula that is meant to wake the skin up as well as moisture it. In my opinion. it's a dupe for the Clinique Moisture Surge. It's got a similar formula and it leaves the skin feeling pretty similar after. I will think twice before getting the Clinique version now I know about this.  

My eye cream is not something I fussy about. I don't need any of that anti aging stuff because I'm only 19, and I just want something that is going to decrease my puffiness. The Clinique All About Eyes is meant to do that but I can't tell a huge difference. It adds some nice moisture to the eye area which is a bonus but I don't see a decrease in the puffiness.

 After letting the moisturizers settle into my skin for a while, I'll add the Good Things Stop That Spot treatment to any problem areas if I need too. I can't say I've noticed an huge difference with this, but we can live in hope that something will help my spots. It doesn't leave anything dry of flaky so it works great for a day time treatment. 

The last thing in this routine is the lip cream. I have the worse dry lips, and I actually have severe redness below and above my lips lines. I have tried everything to try and sort it out and nothing has but I find that using this relief cream keeps is moisturized enough through out the day so that it doesn't get gross, dry and flaky. I think this is meant to be for cold sores but it keeps lips really nice, and the cooling feeling you get when you put it on makes me think it's doing something. 

So, that's my day/morning routine and be sure to check back in the next few days for the night and random parts of this!   

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