Loved but Overlooked

I was dithering over what to call this post as I wanted to encapsulate the idea of products that I love, that other bloggers either seem to overlook or dislike.  Here are a few of them:

Bobbi Brown Cream Shadows

I adore these little pots of cream shadow from Bobbi Brown.  I seem to hear so much about Benefits Creaseless Cream Shadows but there never seems to be much love for Bobbi Brown's versions.  Perhaps it is because Bobbi Brown tends to produce 'safe' neutral colours or perhaps it is just because people don't know enough about them, but I love these and wouldn't be without my small, but ever growing, collection.

Chanel Rouge Coco Shines

I own two of these to date and love them both dearly.  I adore their super light hydrating formula which provides a sheer wash of colour to the lips.  General consensus seems to be that these are too sheer, especially for the price, but I find them to be perfect for giving a subtle, neutral look without much effort, especially during the Summer months.  

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Eyeshadow Base

Estee Lauder is another brand that is not written about to a great extent within the blogsphere, probably because it had a reputation for being rather mumsy at one point.  One of their staples that I have been using for several years now is their eye primer.  It comes in a small pot but it lasts for ever and helps my shadows stay put all day.  I would recommend their face primer too.

Cowshed Bath Oils

Cowshed are very well known but I never really see much posted about them.  Yes, they are pretty pricey but their products are priced similar to other luxe bathing brands such as Neom and Aromatherapy Associates and I believe they are just as good too.  My favourite items are the bath oils (I love a Lazy Cow!) but I have tried pretty much everything from them at one time or another.

Bomb Cosmetics Bath Bombs and Melts

I've posted about my love for Bomb Cosmetics previously and it shows no sign of wavering.  For  me, these are the more grown up versions for Lush's bath products and I find them infinitely more moisturising.  The presentation of the bath melts are gorgeous too with some disguised as mini cup cakes!

Are there any products that you love that you feel don't get enough attention from the blogsphere?  

March Favourites

This will be a quick post this month as I haven't really been using many new products, although I have been using a lot of old ones up.  Plus I am still feeling the after effects of a long day with lots of wine at a friend's wedding yesterday!  Thank goodness it is a short week this week - I can't wait for a four-day weekend!

Estee Lauder Pure Colour in Crystal Baby - review here

This has been my go-to shade for those days when I just can't think if what lipstick to wear.  It imparts only a bare minimum of colour but helps to give a more groomed appearance.  

OPI Holland Collection, Kiss Me on My Tulips - review here

I liked OPI's Holland collection and I wore this plum / fuchsia hybrid quite a few times over the past month.  The quality of OPI polishes is, as always, superb and I love the mini bottles as I never finish a full one.  

Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Flush

A fab blusher which gives a gorgeous, soft pink dewy look.  This was my first watercolour blush and I am intrigued to try some of the others.  A review and swatches of this will be coming up later this week. 

The Body Shop Chocomania Body Scrub - review here

Despite the fact that this scrub can cause a right old mess if you are not careful, I love this as it is sufficiently 'scrubby' whilst feeling very moisturising and the smell is amazing.  It is a love it or hate it scent though so I would recommend having a sniff of it before purchasing.  I think this is limited edition but itshould be available in stores until June.

Charles Worthington Full Volume Shampoo and Conditioner - review here

A great shampoo and conditioner that when used daily give sufficient volume to the hair, without weighing it down. They have not replaced my Tigi Dumb Blonde but I am very impressed with their performance, especially for the price.

What have been your favourites this month?

Review: Estee Lauder Pure Colour in Crystal Baby

I’ve always seen Estee Lauder as a bit ‘mumsy’ but over the past few years they have really upped their game, especially since Tom Pecheux got involved with their collections.  I’ve been recently hunting around for some dependable nudes to add to my collection and when Crystal Baby came up on Buyapowa, I decided it was time to take the plunge. 

Crystal Baby is one of the signature nude lippies from the Pure Colour Crystal Collection which consists of a whole range of shades from understated nudes, to bright and vibrant plums and berrys.  The formula itself is said to be both sheer and moisturising, providing a hint of colour rather than a full-on opaque lip. 

Estee Lauder’s packaging certainly veers towards the luxurious side with a predominantly gold tube featuring the Estee Lauder logo, with the bottom of the tube illustrating the colour of the lipstick.  The colour of the Crystal baby tube is a shimmering, almost iridescent peach which looks quite unlike the colour of the bullet, but I do like how the colour is displayed.  I wish more companies would do this as it takes me forever to find the Mac lippy in my makeup bag that I am after each morning! 

The colour in the bullet is of a brown / peachy nude which is predominately warm toned.  When swatched, it certainly appears to be more peach than brown and has a significant shine.  When applied to my well-pigmented lips, it takes upon a my-lips-but-better hue, not making a huge difference but certainly giving a more polished overall appearance.  If you have less pigmented lips, it may appear slightly brighter on you, although these lipsticks are not meant to be opaque, and are part of the ongoing recent trend for liptick / balm hybrids.

Due to its lack of pigment, I would imagine Crystal Baby  would suit most people and it is so easy to wear with a variety of different looks.  I have been rocking it with a dark smoky eye, or simply for a work-friendly look with neutral, understated eye shadow, often Chanel’s Illusion d’Ombre in Emerveille.

Sorry for blurred pic - it was the only one that captured the colour accurately.

The formula is fantastic and it glides onto the lips very easily.  I love the fact that it doesn’t feel like I am wearing a lipstick as it is so light and it is very moisturising compared to many other lipsticks I own, although it obviously doesn’t replenish moisture as a lip balm does.   It imparts a subtle sheer shine on the lips and is very comfortable to wear, however this comfort comes at a price which means I only get up to two hours wear from it before it vanishes.  One other thing I must mention is the scent which is very noticeable.  I think it may be rose (although I am rubbish at discerning fragrances and notes which is why you are unlikely to see a perfume review from me!).  Whatever the scent, you will notice it on applying, although after a few minutes it does dissipate. 

In terms of dupes, there are probably a lot of them out there as any sheer, slightly peachy lipstick / balm hybrid would be similar. 

Verdict

I enjoyed using this lipstick and couldn’t really find much bad to say about it other than it is probably fairly dupable.  However, if you love nude lippies and want a comfortable, moisturising formula, then Estee Lauder have done an excellent job with this.

3.5/5

Price  - £15

Where to Buy - Boots, Debenhams, House of Fraser, Selfridges, John Lewis

Saturday Samples: Estee Lauder BB Creme and Nicky Clarke Volume Shampoo / Conditioner

Today’s Saturday Samples are a quick look at Estee Lauder’s new BB Crème and Nicky Clarke’s Volume Shampoo and Conditioner

Estee Lauder BB Crème SPF35

You have probably seen reviews of this already on other blogs so I will keep this fairly brief.

This is the newest offering to the array of BB creams available within the UK market and at £32, it is one of the most expensive too. As I am sure you are aware, BB creams are meant to provide a halfway house between a tinted moisturiser and a foundation. They generally give a light-medium coverage, moisturising properties and include an SPF as standard.

Estee Lauder’s BB Crème is only available in two shades, light and medium and the light is not particularly light so those with a fair skin may find it too dark. I found it quite thick to spread, especially over my dry areas of skin. I would say it gives a fairly light coverage though as it sheers out quite a bit. It also smells fairly strongly of watermelons which is fine if they are to your liking but it is rather pungent if you are not a huge fan!

Quick Verdict

Its good to see BB Creams becoming more widely spread within the UK and I have no doubt that there will be many people who find this works fabulously for them.  For me, it is a little too thick and unforgiving on my combination skin, especially my dry patches.  The price for a full-sized tube is also way too high, comparable with a high-end foundation. 

Nicky Clarke Volume Shampoo and Conditioner

As someone with fine, coloured hair, I am always looking to add more volume to my locks and I don't always feel like tipping my head upside down at 6am whilst using the hairdryer in order to achieve volume!

This shampoo and conditioner are fairly lightweight to use, and leave my hair feeling clean and easy to manage without any flyaways.  I managed to get 4 washes out of these sachets (I had two each of the shampoo and conditioner) so I felt as though I gave them a fairly good test over the past week.  Whilst I didn't see any major volume improvement, my hair didn't feel limp either, so I felt this did a reasonably good job.

Quick Verdict

If you have fine hair, this shampoo and conditioner are a good option to try.  They will not give you major volume (only a good blow-dry and / or some heavy-duty volumising products can achieve this) but they will stop your hair looking lank and give some much-needed body. 

Have you tried either of these products?  

Have you tried any good BB creams?