Review: Benefit Hoola Bronzing Powder

I have to confess that prior to purchasing this, I knew almost nothing about bronzing powder or how to use it.  It just never figured on my radar and living in Scotland, you get used to not looking bronzed!

I found this on Buyapowa and promptly snapped it up as I had heard many bloggers raving about it.  I thought that if so many people praised it, it must be super versatile and easy to use.  So were they right?

The bronzer itself comes in a standard box which is used by Benefit for all their blushes, bronzers and face powders.  Many people are big fans of Benefits cutesy 50s-style packaging but its not really to my taste.  I find these boxes bulky and impractical for transporting and would much prefer something sleeker.  It is also a major pain if the cardboard gets wet...  A brush is also included with the bronzer, however I rarely use the brushes that come with makeup, preferring to use my own tried and tested ones.  I did give this a quick go but it was promptly discarded for a bronzing / blush brush as I found it picked up far too much of the product.

The powder itself is a matte dark brown which you cannot see that well in these pictures.  Believe me when i say it is quite dark and if you have very fair skin, I can see that it could turn quite 'muddy' looking on you.  it is super pigmented!  I did find it quite powdery and dusty, although it blended easily.

The swatches above show one swipe with my finger and also a picture of it blended in.

I've experimented with a few different ways of applying this and eventually settled on just dusting a tiny amount on my brush and then tapping it off before applying.  A light, light hand is the best option for this.  I have been applying a slight dusting over my cheekbones and temples and following it with some blush and I have found it gives me a healthy glow.  When blended out this looks lovely, but I cannot stress enough that a little goes a long way.  I can see this bronzer lasting forever, which makes it seem better value as it is usually £23.50, although I think I paid around £17 for it from Buyapowa.

Verdict

Is it a holy grail product?  I'm not so sure and it is certainly not a must have for me, merely a nice product to own which adds an additional dimension to my makeup.  However, with practised application, I can see this becoming almost a staple during the summer and it will last forever.

4/5

Price - £23.50

Where to Buy - Benefit, Boots, Debenhams, John Lewis, ASOS, Feel Unique

 

Review: YSL Rouge Volupte in 9, Pink Caress

YSL’s Rouge Volupte lipsticks are frequently touted within the beauty community as being some of the creamiest, smoothest lippys around. This is the only lipstick from the range that I own, but I would say that it lives up to the claims.

The packaging of the product is super heavy and luxurious and I love the addition of the small mirror on the lid and the fact that the shade is visible on the outside of the tube so you can see at a glance which one it is rather than having to root around in your make up bag. The product itself is indeed very creamy and you do need to be careful when winding the tube up and down to avoid smooshing it against the side - as you can see I have done in the picture above!

As you can see from the swatch, it is a lovely blue toned pink, with a hint of warmth, which goes on fully opaque on the lips. It is half way between a matte and a slight sheen finish and I often top it up with some clear gloss for a juicy look For those with sensitive noses, there is a very slight mango-ish scent. I find wear time to be no more than 2 hours so it is a very high maintenance lipstick, mainly because it is so creamy. You may also find that you need to use a lipliner to ensure there is no bleeding or shifting of the colour on your lips. I don’t have a problem with this but I believe it is a problem with some of the darker shades from the line.

Verdict

YSL’s Rouge Voluptes are very easy to wear and they glide on easily, with only one swipe needed for full opacity to be reached. Those with very thin lips or who have issues with bleeding may prefer to try this out at the counter before buying

4/5

Price – £22, but it is currently available for £18.70 at Debenhams

Where to buy – Department Stores,Boots, Debenhams

Review: Nails Inc 3 week manicure

From Elle.co.uk

I don’t often get my nails done professionally as I tend to prefer to do them myself, despite being not that great at it.  However for special occasions such as weddings and holidays, I do like to pamper myself and now that Long Lasting Gel Manicures are widely available, these are my manicure of choice.

I first tried the Nail’s Inc Champagne Nail Bar at Harvey Nichols when I was given a gift voucher for it and consequently, had no idea how much it cost!  I also chose to have a 3 Week Manicure for my wedding as I knew I would chip or smudge my polish if I had a regular manicure.  As I am going on holiday for a couple of weeks, I wanted to have my nails done properly so that I didn’t have to worry about touching up the polish or changing it whilst I was away.  I always wear nail polish and I very rarely have no polish on my fingernails, so  the sound of having perfect nails for a few weeks sounded fantastic!

The Nails Inc Bar at Harvey Nichols is situated slap bang in the middle of the Beauty Hall and it isn’t really the most relaxing place for a spot of pampering.  However it is a champagne bar and therefore champagne is part of the experience so a glass or two does help to relax you a little.  If you prefer, they also have water or orange juice but really, when Champagne is on offer, what are you going to choose?!!

The manicure begins as usual with any residue polish being removed and your cuticles and nails being tidied and shaped.  I have quite short nails through choice as otherwise the click of them on the keyboard drives me mad  - I have no idea how anyone manages to do anything when they have long nails!  A base coat is then applied and then the gel is applied.  3 coats are required and after each hand and coat is completed it is put under a UV lamp to set.  A topcoat is applied and set and then you are ready to go with no worries about sitting around for hours waiting for your nails to dry.  It was a revelation the first time I tried it!

I went for this gorgeous metalic purple colour, The Mall, which is also available to buy as a regular polish.  They have a good range of colours in the Nails Inc range which is why I tend to prefer them to simlar products such as Gellish and Shellac whose ranges I find are rather limited in colour, but fine if you just want a normal red or pink.  Nails Inc do, the whole spectrum from green, blue, nude to a lovely ‘Rouge Noir’ type colour which I have had before and which looks very polished and professional. 

The manicure lasts about an hour, which is a good amount of time to manage a couple of glasses of champagne.  I went with my bridesmaids the day before my wedding and as they were having regular, non-gel manicures, they had to sit in the ‘drying area’ drinking champagne for quite some time and between us we managed to finish off 2 bottles!  Well it was my wedding weekend!

Verdict

Although not a particularly relaxing experience, it is much better than a regular manicure and did I mention the price includes champagne?!  It is, however, not cheap and not something I cold afford on a regular basis, although I think they do a loyalty card  which gives you a manicure free if you go regularly and you also get free soak offs which are usually £20.  For a one off every so often, or a special occasion it is worth shelling out for and it would make a good gift, as you can buy vouchers on the Nail’s Inc website.   

4/5

Price - £65 - ouch!

Where to purchase – Harvey Nichols, Some Debenhams stores