A Long Awaited Haul!

After a self-imposed curb on beauty product spending, I've recently found my shopping mojo again and this week, I've had a lovely selection of goodies come into my possession.

I went a bit crazy on the nail polish front and purchased 6 Essie polishes - the entire Mirror Metallics collection, and Lilacism, which I've had my eye on for quite some time.

I won a giveaway from the lovely Sukie at A Little Bit of Everything, of one of the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Stains which I have been dying to get my hands on, along with a Lancome Juicy Tube in Mandarin and a No 7 Lip Liner in Nude.  I'm so excited to try all of these out as I am a total lip product junkie!

And finally, Charlie at Lady of the Lane held a blog sale earlier in the week where I picked up two items - a Mac Lip Gelee in Lush & Bright and a Chanel liner in Platine.  

Let me know if there are any items you would like to see reviewed.  I'm off for a play with my new goodies!

June Empties

How can it be 1st July already?!  The year is flying past!  I've had another good month trimming my stash of products and haven't bought an awful lot either due to other expenses so, at long last, I actually have some space in my beauty draws!!

 

• Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Face Wash (review here) - a well-priced face wash that I found particularly suited my oily / combination skin.  I think if you have normal / dry skin it would be a little harsh for you though.  I wouldn't repurchase, simply because I didn't think it was overly special or unique.  
• The Body Shop Chocomania Body Scrub (review here)  - Loved this, it had just the right amount of scrubbiness present to exfoliate the skin and contained enough nourishing oils to ensure my skin was left supple and  moisturised.  I believe this is limited edition and will not be around for much longer so if you fancy trying it get along to a store soon!
• No 7 Triple Protection Tinted Moisturiser in Medium / Fair - I've blogged about this tinted moisturiser from No7 many a time as its my go-to tinted moisturiser.  I love how it has SPF15 in it too.  I've lost count of how many tubes of this I have got through and I already have 2 back ups purchased with the Boots / No 7 vouchers, making it a bargain £7 a tube.  
• Benefit They're Real Mascara (review here) - I have  a love / hate relationship with this mascara.  On the one hand it leaves me with lovely looking long lashes but on the other hand it is a nightmare to remove!  Despite my best efforts I still find traces of it on my lashes two days later.  I also found that it was making my sensitive eyes quite sore recently so it has been relegated to empties pile despite the fact there is still some product left and I've only had it a few months.  I would not repurchase as I think there are better and cheaper mascaras available.

• Label.m Protein Spray - I've had this for ages and I think it originally came in a Christmas gift set a couple of years ago.  It is essentially a heat protectant spray which I found did the job well but no better than other similar sprays which are noticeably cheaper.  For this reason, I wouldn't repurchase.  
• Cowshed Wild Cow Bath and Body Oil -  I don't think there have been any Cowshed products I've tried (save for the lipbalm) that I haven't loved and this bath oil is no exception.  Cowshed are my favourite bath oils due to their super-moisturising properties.  I think I already have a back up bottle of this waiting in the wings!
• Batiste Blush - A handbag staple for me, I don't go anywhere without a mini can of Batiste these days.  Blush was a new scent for me and, I have to admit, not my favourite.  I much prefer the Tropical scent as it reminds me of holidays.  I will repurchase Batiste but not Blush.  

• Lavera Hand Cream (mini review here) - a nice, quick absorbing hand cream.  It wasn't anything out of the ordinary but I did like that it was a natural product.  I would perhaps repurchase if I wasn't so in love with my L'Occitane hand creams! 
• No7 Quick Thinking Wipes - I think these have replace the 4 in 1 wipes that No7 used to do but I can't really see any noticeable difference between the two.  I get through a ton of these, both for removing swatches and for refreshing my skin after exercise.  I usually stock up on them when the Boots / No 7 £5 voucher is floating about but I don't think they are particularly any better than most other wipes.
• Clearasil Overnight Serum - I wouldn't normally purchase anything from Clearasil as I've previously found them rather harsh and stripping for my skin.  However I won this from their facebook page a while ago and I have to say I rather like it.  You only need to apply a tiny amount to any blemishes and it totally dries them up overnight.  You will need to ensure you apply a good dose of moisturiser the next morning though to ensure it doesn't leave you with very dry skin, but in terms of reducing blemishes and redness quickly, it does the job well.  I would consider repurchasing but I also want to try out the Origins Blemish Treatment Gel.
• Olay Complete Care Daily Cream with SPF15 - A fairly standard moisturiser which includes added SPF15 as a bonus.  I found this did break me out a little as it was a little too rich for my combination skin.  I ended up using it on my dry elbows which actually worked quite well!  I wouldn't repurchase.
• Dr Hauschka Hand Cream (review here) - a thick, but non-greasy hand cream.  This was a small travel-sized sample but unfortunately I couldn't abide the scent so I won't be repurchasing.
• Dr Hauschka Quince Body Moisturiser (review here) - Another travel-sized sample which really wasn't enough to test properly.  Again, I wasn't overly fond of the scent so won't be repurchasing. 

Have you tried any of these products?
What have you finished up this month? 

April Empties

 

Another month, another large pile of empties amassed!  I'm actually quite proud of myself for finishing off so much!

Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Daily Scrub (review here) - I didn't mind this, finding it quite gentle, although a little drying.  However I wouldn't repurchase.

Nina, Nina Ricci Body Lotion - receieved as part of a gift pack, it had a very strong scent.  As I often find with perfumed body lotions, it wasn't overly moisturising.  Wouldn't repurchase.

Tigi Dumb Blonde Shampoo - Love this and always have a tube on the go - I've already repurchased!

Lush Cinders Bath Bomb - this came as part of a Christmas gift set.  I like it but its not my favourite of the Lush Christmas bath bombs. I prefer the Abombinaball and Satsuma Santa!

Vaseline Essential Moisture Clean Feeling Body Lotion (review here) - a decent basic body lotion for normal skin but I prefer more heavy duty body butters. Wouldn't repurchase.

Marks & Spencer Spa Collection Ultra Energising Shower Gel - This came as part of a gift pack. It had a lovely minty menthol scent, great for waking me up in the morning.  Would maybe repurchase.

No 7 Cleanse & Care Eye Make-up Remover (review here)- really disliked this.  Would not repurchase.

Garnier Fresh Essentials Eye Makeup Remover - My staple eye make up remover.  I've already got two backups!

L'Occitaine Hibiscus  Hand Cream - I love L'Occitaine hand creams as they are rich and non-greasy.  Will certainly be looking at others in their range.

No 7 Quick Thinking Wipes - I always pick these up when the £5 off Boots vouchers are floating about.  I don't think they are worth the £7.50 full price though.

Charles Worthington Full Volume Shampoo (review here) - again a decent highstreet shampoo which cleansed my hair and left it feeling shiny but sadly didn't deliver on volume.  May repurchase.

Laura Mercier Full Blown Mascara in Black (review here) - Really liked this natural-looking, lengthening mascara.  I will certainly be repurchasing once I get through my current mascara stocks!

Bobbi Brown Touch up Stick in Warm Sand - my everyday concealer, I have already repurchased.

Have you managed to finish any of your stash this month? 

Have you tried any of these products?

January Empties

I haven’t made a bad attempt at finishing things off this month and there have even been a couple of full sized products finished for a change!

Label.m Resurrection Style Dust – review here

I love this and was upset to run out as I probably use it a couple of times a week when I am planning to be out all day or if I’m going out after work.  I have decided to try another similar product – the Tigi Sugar Dust so I will see how that works for me as it is a little cheaper.

No 7 Quick Thinking 4 in 1 Wipes

Not much to say about these, just standard wipes that I use if I am feeling too lazy after a late night (I know, tut tut!)

DP London Body Lotion - quick review here

I liked this but it wasn’t particularly remarkable and I certainly wouldn’t pay full price for it.

Clarins Multi-Active Day Early Action Wrinkle Correction Cream – quick review here

This was a decent day cream that went on quite thick but seemed to moisturise well without leaving me too oily.  I would perhaps consider purchasing a full-sized version or another product from the range.

YSL Belle d’Opium

Didn’t like this at all.  Heady and very powerful, it was not to my taste, and was used instead as a room spray!

Clinique Mild Liquid Facial Soap

This was a sample that I think I probably received as part of Clinique Bonus time which I always seem to get sucked into!  I wouldn’t say it was particularly mild and I certainly wouldn’t use this on a  daily basis, but it was good to use after I had been for a run and really left my skin feeling clean.  I would suggest following up with a good moisturiser though.

Body Shop Sweet Lemon Shower Gel

I love the scent of this and always buy a bottle of it if I am going on holiday.  I adore pretty much any citrus scents as they are so fresh and light and certainly very summery.  I have a body butter in this scent too that I have yet to try  - I really must make an effort to get through my body lotion stash!

Dr Organic Bioactive Skincare Organic Rose Otto Skin Lotion - quick review here

This was a decent body lotion and it would certainly be suited for those who love rose scents.  However, it was not really to my liking as it was a little strong for me, and I have rather a lot of other body lotions to work my way through first!

Review: No7 Cleanse and Care Eye Make-up Remover

A staple of any make up addict’s products is a hard-working eye make-up remover, and as I wear some form of eye makeup most days, I tend to get through make up removers quite quickly!

I purchased the No 7 Cleanse and Care Eye Make-up remover when Boots had one of their frequent £5 off No7 offers and I am always loathe to let these go to waste! The usual price for a bottle is £7.25 but at only £2.25 with the voucher I thought I would give this a go!

The bottle contains 100ml of liquid and has a pump for dispensing the correct amount of product. That is if it works! My pump managed about 4 days before resolutely giving up and refusing to work any more. This meant that in order to use the product, I had to unscrew the cap each time, and this also resulted in the rather tricky management of how much liquid came out! It was mostly either too much or too little – never exactly the right amount!

Now that I have got that packaging grumble out of the way, what about the actual product? Well I have to say I wasn’t overly impressed with this. It is a dual mixture product which you need to shake before applying and if I had realised this before purchasing it, I’m not sure I would have purchased it, as I find these formulations tend to be on the greasy and oily side. It took a couple of wipes to remove my makeup from each eye and afterwards, I was left with an oily residue on my eyelid and my eye area which I am not overly fond of. I also found out it fogged up my vision slightly for a minute or so after using, although my eyes did not sting, so in that respect it would be suitable for those with sensitive eyes.

Verdict

I would wholeheartedly not recommend this product, unless you especially like oily removers and you have sensitive eyes. The packaging and formulation of the product were both major fails for me and even at the price of £2.25 with the No 7 voucher, I found this poor value for money. If you are looking for a cheap make up remover, I would recommend either the Simple Conditioning Eye Make up Remover one or Garnier Clean & Fresh Gentle Remover, both of which are excellent products which are gentle enough to use on sensitive eyes, yet manage to remove all traces of make up.

(A very generous) 2/5

Price - £7.25 (or £2.25 with No 7 voucher)

Where to Buy - Boots

2011 Favourites: Part 1- Makeup

I’m a little late with this but I wanted to do a short list of my highlights of the last year. There are some gaps, especially around the skincare and bodycare, mainly as there have not been any stand out superb items this year in these categories. I am still searching for these!!

 

Perfume of 2011 – Viktor & Rolf, Flowerbomb

http://www.julietinton.com/

I adore this and chose it as my wedding scent in June. It is a lovely sweet floral scent with an undercurrent of pepper to it and is very distinctive. I am on my second bottle of it already!

 

 Lipstick – Chanel Rouge Coco Mademoiselle(review here)

 

Bought on a whim, and my first foray into Chanel’s Rouge Cocos, this is a neutral, easy to wear shade which goes with everything. It helps me to look polished and pulled together in one easy swipe.

Lipgloss - Benefit Ticket to Glossytown (review here)

There has not been one outstanding lipgloss for me this year, however I have enjoyed using Benefit’s Ticket to Glossytown set, which was a set of 6 mini lipglosses from their permanent line, suitable for all occasions. 

Lip Balm- Carmex Moisture Plus Ultra Hydrating Lip Balm in Peach  

I reviewed this in full here but it has been my staple through all of summer, during my holidays and into the winter. It keeps my lips feeling super smooth and provides a hint of colour which warms up my skin.

 

Eyeshadows – Chanel’s Illusion d’Ombres (review here)

I started with one and swiftly bought another two shades, and I have a feeling there will be more purchases in the future…. These are really easy to use and stay put for hours. I reviewed these here.

 Mascara – L’Oreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara

 

This was the mascara that finally made me shift my allegiance from Max Factor False Lash Effect. It applies easily, has a wand that I haven’t managed to poke myself in the eye with yet, and stays on all day without flaking or smudging which is a rarity for me!

 

Foundation / Tinted Moisturiser – No 7 Triple Protection Tinted Moisturiser (review here)

 

This was a winner for me and I’m onto my 3^rd bottle! I have been using this daily for over a year as it evens out my skin tone and provides a small amount of coverage for those days when I don’t want to wear full foundation.

 

Blush – Benefit Coralista

 My go-to everyday shade for an easy flush of colour without too many sparkles. It is very similar to Nars Orgasm.

 

Concealer – Bobbi Brown Touch up Stick in Warm Sand

A HG product for me, I have been buying this for several years now. In stick form, it is very handy for touch ups throughout the day and blends effortlessly to cover blemishes and imperfections whilst never caking.

 

Nail Polish – Chanel Graphite

I did a recent NOTD using this for New Year’s Eve and it is the polish I have worn most over the past 6 months. I never have a problem with wear time with Chanel polishes and this glides on beautifully and is unique to my collection.

What were your makeup hits of 2011?

November Empties

Not a great attempt this month but I am so close to finishing quite a number of products so I predict December will be good, unless I get sidetracked!

No 7, 4 in 1 wipes x 2, £7 - I got through a ton of these in Thailand and wouldn’t travel without them. I always pick some up when I have numerous No 7 £5 vouchers to spend.

Green & Spring Relaxing Body Lotion, £22, 300ml - This was a travel size that I received in a gift pack. It has a very strong lavender fragrance, so if you are not a huge fan of lavender I don’t think this would be for you. I used it in the evening, before bed, and found the scent very relaxing, however it does stick around for quite some time. The consistency of the lotion is rather thick so it does take some time to rub in and absorb and I didn’t find it particularly moisturising, and I expected better for the price. I would not repurchase, mainly as I have heaps more body lotions to work my way through.

Soap & Glory, Scrub Your Nose In It, £7.40 - I reviewed this previously here (Review – Soap & Glory Scrub your Nose in It) and my opinion of it has not changed. It is a perfectly acceptable scrub but I think there are probably better ones out there, especially for oily skin and I wouldn’t repurchase this. As an aside, I have yet to find a Soap & Glory product that blows me away, as I find most of their products fairly average. But then again, perhaps I am not trying the right products?

Nivea Had Lotion Express Hydration  , £3.05 - This was reviewed last month here (Review – Nivea Had Lotion Express Hydration) and now that my hands are less cracked and dry, it does seem to be a very good lotion which is not oily or greasy. I do still prefer scented hand products but I would repurchase this as it does the job well for a very reasonable price.

Cowshed Lippy Cow Natural Lip Balm, £5 - I really disliked this! I received it in a Cowshed order some time ago and it is everything I don't like in a lipbalm – greasy, oily and it just sits on the lips and provides no moisture at all. It has no discernible scent and although it goes on clear, it doesn’t particularly give an attractive sheen to the lips, it looks greasy and not at all attractive. This This is the only Cowshed product so far that I have disliked and I would definitely not repurchase it.

November Favourites

This month’s favourites is a bit of a mish-mash due to being on holiday for a large proportion of November. I realise that sun cream won’t be in many other’s November favourites!

Armani Eyes to Kill, 15 - I’ve only had this just over a week but I have worn it most days. I reviewed it recently here (Review - Armani Eyes to Kill, 15) and it is just so easy to use and lasts all day. I’m definitely going to buy more of these.

Peppermint Foot Spray, The Body Shop - A necessity in hot weather, this leaves my feet feeling cooled, refreshed and smelling much better! I used this constantly on holiday, and it was really refreshing after jungle treks in hot, stifling shoes, and also on my flip-flop-wearing toes by the pool. I get through several bottles of this every summer.

Carmex Moisture Plus Ultra Hydrating Balm in Peach - As I didn’t tend to wear much makeup on holiday, it was easy to just slick on some of the Carmex lip balm to give my lips a little colour, and to protect them as it contains SPF15. I reviewed both this and the pink tint here (Review – Carmex Moisture Plus Balm) and although these are sheer, they are not just for summer. I have been wearing them in the wind and rain recently as they keep my lips super moisturised.

No 7, 3-in-1 Wipes - I’m sure you have tried these when thinking of things to spend your No7 vouchers on! I always have a surplus of them as I think you cannot have too many and they were a godsend when the outside shower at the Elephant Sanctuary we stayed at in Thailand proved to be too ‘character building’, even for me! Some dry shampoo and copious wipes managed to save the day until I could get access to a hot shower!

They are also fab for long flights and leave you feeling a little more refreshed after attempting to sleep upright for several hours. I would never travel without them and they are a bargain when the No 7 vouchers are around, at only £2 for a pack of 30.

Liz Earle Shampoo - A great cleansing shampoo that I have been using several times a week. I have coloured hair and this has kept it in good condition, despite subjecting it to chlorine on many occasions over the past couple of weeks. It is also SLS-free.

Riemann P20 suncream -A friend suggested this suncream to me earlier in the year after I complained that I always burn in the sun easily and that I forget to re-apply protection every couple of hours. It is not cheap (although I managed to find mine in the end of summer sale at CheapSmells for £10 off!) but it really does last the entire day, assuming you apply it liberally in the morning about 20 minutes before you get dressed. I didn’t get burnt once when using this and we were in direct sunlight at 32 degrees on many occasions whilst out and about. Highly recommended, I just wish I had known about this earlier!

Review: No 7 Triple Protection Tinted Moisturiser

I love the ritual of applying my makeup when I have time, but on weekday mornings at 6.30am, I really can’t face putting on full foundation and spending ages blending and applying it.  This is when I reach for my tinted moisturiser, and for the past 6 months or so, this No 7 one has been my first choice for easy application in a morning.

As I mentioned in my ‘October Favourites’ post, I initially discovered this product through a friend who swears by it.  So much so, she buys it even when she doesn’t have a Boots £5 off No7 voucher!  I didn’t think anyone actually bought anything from No 7 without one of those vouchers! 

The main reason I love this is its ease of application.  Less than a pea-size amount will cover your whole face comfortably, evening out skin tone and helping to cover minor blemishes.  I still need to use concealer for those pesky breakouts on my chin but this does help to make them much less noticeable.  In the summer, I tend to use only this in the morning as I have oily / combination skin which doesn’t require too much moisturising.  In winter however, I use a light moisturiser such as Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel first, and then wait 10 minutes for it to sink in before applying the tinted moisturiser. 

 There are 3 shades available:

• Fair
• Fair / Medium
• Medium

I use Fair / Medium on my NC20 skin and it gives me a nice glow without making me look unnaturally tanned or orange!  One of the main benefits of this product is that it contains 5 star UVA protection and has  SPF 15 included.  Now I know you are supposed to wear high protection sunscreen all year round, but I live in Scotland where the sun hardly ever makes an appearance, and therefore a SPF of 15 is quite sufficient for me for the majority of the year. 

You can't really see much from the swatch below, but it blends out nicely without being shimmery. Wear time is about 9-10 hours for me as it is still there at the end of the day, although I do touch it up a little if I am going out after work.  After about 6 hours, I usually need to blot or apply powder as shine does start to appear on my T-zone, but I have yet to find any tinted moisturiser or foundation that can keep me shine free without a little intervention. As is common for a tinted moisturiser, the finish is fairly dewy but not too shiny, although in warm weather you may need to blot or powder more often.   The packaging is standard as with the rest of the No 7 line, in a 50ml tube from which it is easy to dispense the correct amount.

Verdict:

At £12, or £7 if you have a No 7 voucher, this is a great deal.  It is perfect for those days when you just want to make yourself look a little more human before you pop to the shop to pick up some milk or for a quick and easy application on early mornings. 

5/5

Price –  £12

Where to buy - Boots