Sunday, 17 February 2013

Rimmel Apocalips | Nude Eclipse

Rimmel Apocalips in Nude Eclipse
Rimmel London Apocalips Lip Lacquer in Nude Eclipse £5.99 link









 






















 I don't get it! Let's just jump right into it and put it out there. I don't understand the hype of this product. Maybe it's the colour I've got but I've swatched the other shades and I still don't get it! 

The applicator is great, and it's really easy to use.  You get the right amount of product on the wand, and the shape works with my lips at least. 

The packaging is nice. I like the cap being all mis-shapen like a meteor and the faded black effect on the tube is gorgeous. 

From my understanding, these are essentially meant to be liquid lipsticks, or a hybrid between glosses and cream lipsticks. I guess they are like that, but there isn't anything special about them that differentiates them from other products. If I wanted a gloss, I would get a gloss. If I wanted a creamy lipstick product I'd grab a lipstick or perhaps the cream puff lip creams from Collection.  

They are pigmented but, this one at least, goes patchy on my lips, fades fast and just isn't worth the craziness that follows these things around. 

Saturday, 16 February 2013

Cybercandy Zotter Chocolate Bar | Thoughts

   I'm a big child. I really am. I don't want to sound ungrateful because I can see how this could come across but when it comes to products I can't have, I want them all the more. It's the same with sweets/food from other countries. When I heard people on blogs/youtube talking about things from the US or Europe, I want them all the more than anything I can get easily in the UK. 

 Cybercandy help me suppress my need for things I can't have. I first discovered the shop, near Coven Garden, by mistake when I was lost and I fell in love with it. You can get sweets and things like that from almost every country, and some really bizarre things too.   

cybercandy zotter chocolate bar
Zotter Chocolate Bar, 70g £3.59 link

I got the chance to try the Zotter Christmas Crackling chocolate bar, which is a product of Austria. It sounds totally intriguing to me because I've never really heard of chocolate bar quite like this one.

It's a milk chocolate bar that's filled with apple, honey and cinnamon! I adore anything with cinnamon so that was a win from the get go. It does contain alcohol, which is a downside for me because I'm not a fan of alcohol in sweets but the combo of apple, chocolate and cinnamon make up for it. 

When I first cracked this open, it smelt like warmth and winter and all things good. The cinnamon is really prominent and I love that. It's not too sweet but it's sweet enough to satisfy the need for chocolate and sugar. 

cybercandy zotter chocolate bar
It's fair trade, and organic which is great. I've heard so horror stories about  the things that can happen when cocoa beans aren't fair trade, so I love that this one is. It's hand-scooped and bean to bar which is all good stuff. 

cybercandy zotter chocolate bar

You can get this bar from here, and I would recommend checking out the cybercandy website for sweets and food you can't get a hold of over here like Lucky Charms!


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Friday, 15 February 2013

Lush Charity Pot | Hand and Body Lotion

Lush Charity Pit Hand and Body Lotion
Lush Charity Pot Hand and Body Lotion from £1, link

 I feel bad saying I don't like this because it's a charity thing and it was quite cheap. I didn't go looking for this, but at the counter the lovely Lush lady offered it to me and I couldn't say no! I mean it's for charity. 

I'm not drawn to these kind of lotions because I don't like the vanilla/chocolate scent you get from cocoa butter. I know people go mental over the scent but I hate it. I knew it smelt like this but I can't say not when people offer me stuff, especially when it goes to a good cause. 

This lotion is decent. It does what it says on the tin, but I can't get past the scent. I've relegated to this to foot lotion because it's far away from my face. I tried it on my hands and I loved how it left them soft but the scent was not good. It lingered around a lot and I just couldn't even...

If you like to cocoa butter scent, then go for this. It keeps the skin soft and the scent lasts a long time. A little goes a long way so even this little 10g pot lasts a while. It sinks in quick which is a big plus for me and it's totally vegan

All of the money made from this  (minus the VAT that to government demand) goes to charity. It's not just the profit which some products like this are. The entire amount of money you pay (minus the VAT) goes to charity. I love that, and it's refreshing to know all of it not just 2p or something silly like that is going a good cause. 
Tuesday, 12 February 2013

Lush Lip Scrub | Mint Julips

Lush Mint Julips Lip Scrub
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

Lush Mint Julips Lip Scrub

  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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Thursday, 7 February 2013

Foundation Routine | Great for Dry, Pale skin.

foundy routine
Solait Bronzer link, Collection Sheer Loose Powder link, MeMeMe Beat the Blues link, Rimmel Wake Me Up Shimmer Touch link, Rimmel Fix and Perfect link, Soap and Glory Hocus Focus link, Vivo Highlighter link, Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid link, Bourjois Flower Perfection primer link, Sleek New Skin Revive foundation link, Collection Lasting Perfection Concealers link and Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer link.

I finally have a foundation routine that I'm happy with and thought I would share it with you. It works for my dry skin, and helps cover up the extreme redness and blemishes and scars I can get. The products I use are also pretty good for those who are Casper the friendly ghost pale like myself. I'm going to jump right into this because I have a feeling this is going to be a long post! Thanks for reading.

I've only just really found some good drugstore primers that work for me. For some reason, most of the primers that I tired made my skin feel great but my foundation (or BB cream or anything else really) wouldn't sit well on top of it. It made it look streaky and horrible so I gave up my search. 

But after getting the Bourjois Flower Perfection Primer in a Secret Santa present I thought I would give it a try. To my surprise it works really well. It smooths out my skin, and helps mask some of my pores. It leaves my skin feeling really soft and smooth, and the foundation I used sits on it really well. It helps the foundation last a long longer, and it doesn't have a matte finish which is great for my dry skin. At little dew is great.  

The Rimmel Fix and Perfect is another great primer that works very similar to the Bourjois one, and I love it all the same. I think if were to repurchase though, it would be the Rimmel product. It lasts a long longer, and is cheaper. 

I swap and change these when I feel like it so, obviously, I don't use both at the same time. 

foundation 

I use Hocus Focus from Soap and Glory to add some glow to any foundation I use. It's great to mix in with foundation because, as I already said it gives it a nice glow and if it's thick full cover foundation like I tend to choose it makes it a little more liquidy and easily blendable on the face. I mix it with both Dream Satin Liquid and New Skin Revive, which I use on different areas of the face. 

I use the Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid in Light Porcelain in the centre of the face, and it works really well. It gives me a nice coverage, and it's just a touch lighten than my skin so it gives a highlighted effect as well. It's easily blendable and while it does last a long time it doesn't give that super matte finish like others can. The finish is quite natural and leaves my skin looking fresh and just all around nice. 

I use the Sleek New Skin Revive in Sand on the outside of my face and it's just s touch darker than my skin. It makes the Dream Satin Liquid look a little more highlightery (is that a word) and creates some natural shadows without it being horribly obvious.  It offers a similar coverage and finish to the Maybelline foundation so they work well together. 

I apply these with either a Real Techniques Buffing Brush, a Stippling Brush or a Beauty Blender sponge (damp, of course). 


 concealer

Concealer is my faithful friend. It helps hide the sins on my face, so what more could I ask for. My favourite concealer ever is probably no surprise to anyone because it;s raved about my everyone and their dog. It is of course the Collection (or Collection 2000) Lasting Perfection Concealer. I have two shades of this because I use them in different areas of the face.The lighter shade is used to cover the inner portions of the face, while I use the darker shade (still really light thought) on the outer portions of my face. It covers well, lasts a decent amount of time and doesn't break the bank so a winner on all counts. 

The Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer (in Ivory)  is probably the only concealer that I have found that does a light enough that it actually makes the area under my eyes brighter and lighter. It really does wake me up, makes my dark circles a thing of the past for the day and doesn't crease. It's not to expensive, and the shade range is pretty good for the pale people out there. It's doesn't have that may darker shades though so be aware of that.  

I just blend these products in with my fingers. I have tried using brushes but they just don't work for me. My fingers leaves the products nice a warm so it blends into the face well and it leaves the finish looking pretty natural too which is great.  
highlight

I always highlight. I think I have quite dull skin so I use whatever I can, whenever I can to get some radiance back. Highlighter is a subtle makeup products, but in my opinion makes all the difference to a look. I've been loving liquid highlights best since the winter hit but in the summer I'm partial to a powder highlighter of two because my skin isn't quite as dry.   

The first highlighter I love is one that I got 'free' with an eyebrow kit form Vivo. It's only a small little thing and I hope you can buy it on its own because it's great. It's a white highlight in the tube, but when blended out it's almost translucent but it leaves a lovely pink iridescent shimmer on the face that looks gorgeous.

The second highlight I love is great for when I want a more subtle highlight. It's the MeMeMe Beat the Blues Highlight This looks quite yellow/gold but it blends out to almost nothing just leaving that 'glow' everyone wants on the skin. I believe it's a dupe for Benefit Moonbeam, and it's much cheaper than that. It works just as well (I've tried High Beam) lasts a decent amount of time on the skin and doesn't cause my foundation to go cakey

The last of the highlighters that I've been reaching for recently is the Rimmel Wake Me up Instant Shimmer Touch in 004. This is the least subtle highlight that I use, and for that reason I only tend to use this on nights out or bronzed days. It's a nice gold/bronze highlight that has more a shimmer/glitter than the others. It highlights beautifully but it's a lot more noticeable.  
   
I blend these over the tops of my cheekbones and down the nose with my fingers or a Real Techniques Stippling brush.  

powder

 Finally we come to the end process. I'd give yourself a pat on the back if you made it this far! The last things that I do is pop on some bronzer, blush and powder. The blush changes day to day, so I didn't include it but the bronzer and powder rarely change so I thought I'd say a little on them. 

The Solait Maxi Bronzer in Golden Glow is a brilliant bronzer for the pale girls. It's not too orange or to dark. It's not full of shimmer (in fact it's matte) and it looks great on the skin. I used this to half bronze/half contour. I don't hard core contour but I do add a little under the cheekbones  and chin to add some shape to my round face. I then add some around the outside of my face, focusing on the temples and blending it to my forehead . I used the 3E technique that people talk about to make sure it's blended and to add some definition to the face. 

The powder that I reach for most of all is the Collection Sheer Loose Powder. I's just a nice fine powder that sets the foundation without adding coverage and caking the foundation up. It's only £2.99 and this pot is seriously lasting me forever and a day. It's so worth it. 

I use an angled blush brush from Forever 21 to apply the bronzer, and either RT Blush brush or Powder brush to dust the powder over my face. I use light downwards stroke for the powder to make the foundation look a little more flawless.  

PS: Sorry this was so freaking long but I hope this helps in some shape or form. This is for 'full makeup' days, and I don't do this everyday but this is my full routine. Hope you enjoyed. 
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Wednesday, 6 February 2013

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!
winter lip must haveI 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.
 Pwinter lipstick must have 
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!
 
  winter lip must haves

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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Tuesday, 5 February 2013

Skincare Routine | Random Additions


Skin Routine Randoms

I have recently shared my skincare routines for day (link) and night (link). I didn't include some things in those posts because I don't use these things specifically day or night. I tend to use them when I'm having a shower, want a good ol' relax and pamper or have some spare time. 

I love a good face mask and try to do one atleast 2  - 3 times per week. I use them in the shower/bath and probably leave them on two long.  

One that I use only once a week is the AMAZING Fab Pore Facial Peel from Soap and Glory. It's an amazing clay mask that you can leave on from 5 to 15 minutes, and it clear out clogs pore, helps treat those pesky breakouts and leaves the skin feeling beautifully clean. I find I can only use this once a week of it gets a little too much for my skin. It's an amazing mask, but if you have sensitive skin this might not be for you. 

The other times in the week when I use a face mask I tend to use a range of miscellaneous ones that I've got as a sample or perhaps the sachets masks from Boots and Superdrug. The ones that I have on the go at the moment are the Sanctuary Thermal Detox Mask and the Montagne Jeunesse masks. I tend to stick to clay and moisture masks, because peel of masks tend to fail on me. 

I also use pore strips twice a week. These are just the little strips that stick to various part of your face to get rid of really clogged pores. I tend to stick to the nose area but if the forehead or chin is look awful I will use one on them. I just pick up the cheapest ones from places like pound land or when they are on offer at Superdrug. They all work the same in my opinion, but I couldn't be without them. It's kind of gross and fascinating all at the same time when you take it off your face and see the gorssness that comes out of your pores. 

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Monday, 4 February 2013

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! 


Night Time Skincare Routine
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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