Review: Boots Essentials Cucumber Eye Make Up Remover Gel

A quick review on a product I discovered over the past two weeks when raiding my mum’s makeup and beauty stash!  When I visit my parents to stay for a few days, I never bother taking much makeup or many beauty products with me as my mum always has plenty of new things for me to try! 

On a recent visit, I discovered the Boots Essentials Cucumber Eye Make-up Remover Gel.  This makeup remover is one I have overlooked until now, despite having previously tried several of the products from the Boots Essentials Cucumber range.  It has a gel consistency which is not too thick, (so it is easily dispensed) and  when applied with a cotton pad, it removes stubborn mascara easily, although I haven’t yet tried it with waterproof mascara.

One of the main issues I have with many eye makeup removers is that they leave a greasy, oily film around the eye area and I am pleased to report that there was no oily residue with this product.   It has a slight scent of cucumbers, although nothing too offensive, and is quite soothing to the whole eye area, although be careful not to actually get it in your eye as it will sting a little, so this is perhaps not good for those with very sensitive eyes.  I do prefer liquid makeup removers such as the Garnier Fresh Essentials Eye Make up Remover but this is a useful alternative to have in my rotation and at this price I can’t really find much bad to say about it!

Verdict

A good, hard-working remover which effectively removes everyday eye makeup and mascara.  Those with very sensitive eyes should approach with care, but it is very soothing and even my moderately sensitive eyes had no major issues with it.  It will not replace my beloved Garnier, but it is a great budget product that I was pleasantly surprised by.  I have already purchased my own bottle!

4/5

Price-  £1.42

Where to Buy - Boots

Review: Mac Interior Life Eyeshadow Quad

The Mac Daphne Guinness collection was launched in stores a couple of months ago and I picked up this quad, Interior Life after being drawn to its subtle grey and purple shades, in the hope of creating a neutral, soft smokey look.

It is well-known that Mac’s limited-edition quads have been lacking in pigmentation lately, but these shades looked so pretty in the pan, I couldn’t resist!  The shades included are:

• Stratus – a very pale pink which was very difficult to swatch.  I have been using this mostly as a highlight shade or as a base for other colours.
• Bruised Sky – a mauve / purple tone that I have been using as a subtle wash of colour on my lids for an almost neutral look.
• Interior Life – a medium grey.  This was my favourite of the four shadows as it was very easy to apply and blend.  I have been using it a lot with my Chanel Illusion d’Ombre in Illusionoire, and blending it out a little.  It also works well in the crease with Bruised Sky.
• Heather Belles – a charcoal black which you will probably have similar versions of in your collection.  I use this either to line the eyes or blended in the outer v for a smokier eye. 

L to R: Stratus, Bruised Sky, Interior Life, Heather Belles

The shadows all appear to be of a matte consistency when swatched and applied to the lids, (so there’s nothing here for shimmer addicts!) although only Stratus is actually named as a matte. Bruised Sky and Heather Belles are named as satins, and Interior Life is a veluxe.  They do take a little more effort to use as they are on the whole, very sheer, but when layered and combined, they work well for an understated, polished look.  As with other Mac eyeshadows, these have an excellent wear time and last throughout a full working day for me, without creasing or fading, when used in conjunction with a primer. 

Verdict

For those of you who prefer more pigmented shadows with a good colour payoff, this quad probably will not be suited to you.  However, if you want a subdued look which would go perfectly with a light rose lip, this quad could work well.  It will especially suit those with fairer or cooler skintones and I always find Mac’s quads useful for helping to formulate a complete look for your eyes.  It would also be very useful if you want to branch out into matte shadows as these are all neutral colours which can be adapted for a variety of looks.

3.5/5

Price – £35

Where to Buy – This is now sold out online but I found it at House of Fraser last week so there is definitely still stock available. 

My Week in Photos #2

I hope you have all had a fabulous week.  I am on the last day of my two weeks off work (boo!) so preparing to go back tomorrow :-(   Still, I can feel Spring is firmly on its way now, and that always cheers me up as its my favourite time of year.

There has been a constant theme of food and drink to this week as you can see from my photos - must get back on the healthy eating kick tomorrow!

1) Went a bit mad in the patisserie near me and bought half a dozen macaroons.  They didn't last long....

2) Trip to Edinburgh Zoo to see the pandas!  We used to be members of the zoo but let our membership lapse.  We had so much fun seeing all the animals and in addition to the pandas, we also saw the baby Pygmy Hippo and some super cute otters!

3) A walk in Fife on a lovely sunny, but windy(!) afternoon.  There were great views and some scary-looking Highland Cows!

4) Champagne!  I don't really have much to drink these days but hubby and I had booked a wee break near St Andrews over the weekend.  Our booking came with Champagne and it would be rude not to drink it!  Needless to say after that and a further 2 bottles of wine that evening between us, I felt a little 'fuzzy' the next morning!  A delicious breakfast in the room helped a bit though.

Victoria

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Desires and Deals #2

I hope you are having a fab weekend.  Here are some new releases and deals that have caught my eye this week.

Desires

OPI - Teal The Cows Come Home, £11, Lena White

As part of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, OPI have produced a polish in a gorgeous teal shade, of which £1 from every purchase will be donated to Ovacome, the Ovarian Cancer Support Network.  Members of my family have been affected by this disease, and it is the fifth most common cancer amongst woman.  This looks like a lovely shade, and I always find OPI shades a dream to work with.

Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lip Tint, £6.99, Boots

Available in 6 different shades, this offering from Rimmel includes a felt tip applicator to impart colour and an accompanying balm.  These are supposed to be transfer-proof and long lasting, which leaves me to wonder if they may be perhaps a little drying.  They look similar to Max Factor's Lipfinity lip products but I haven't yet heard much about them.  I've generally had more luck with Rimmel's glosses than their lipsticks though.

Kevin Aucoin Eye Shadow Metal, £22, Space NK

Kevin Aucoin products have only just become available in the UK and are currently available exclusively at Space NK.  There are several of the shades I want to try out but I am particularly interested in Patina and Copper. 

Deals

Harvey Nichols Gift With Purchase, spend £110 in store

You may already be aware of this, but Harvey Nichols are giving away a huge selection of products if you spend £110 in store in their beauty halls.  This sounds like a lot to spend but you could split the products with a friend to make it more affordable, as there are a great selection of luxury brands included in the free gift, such as Butter London, YSL and Clarins.

Moroccanoil Moisture Repair Shampoo and Conditioner, £18.25/£19.65, Look Fantastic

Look Fantastic currently have a great deal on where you can get 40% off the supersize 500ml bottles of their shampoo and conditioner.  It is still quite pricey but you get half a litre of product which will last ages. 

Urban Decay 10% Off - HQ Hair

If you were looking to buy anything from Urban Decay, you can get 10% off at HQ Hair with the code UD10 until midnight Sunday 11th March.  This includes both the Naked and Naked 2 palettes.  

Victoria 

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Review: OPI Holland Collection

I will freely admit that I have an unhealthy addiction to nail polish and I very rarely manage to use up an entire bottle.  For this reason, I love purchasing the mini bottles that are often brought out by OPI and Essie, plus it gives me a reason to purchase several different shades from a new collection!

The Dutch Treats selection consists of four separate shades, inspired by Holland:

I Have A Herring Problem - a shimmering greyed blue

Red Lights Ahead... Where? - a bright coral orange/ red cream

Kiss Me On My Tulips - A rich, almost purple toned pink cream

Pedal Faster Suzi - A shimmering pink with silver sparkles.

From the four shades, I found I Have A Herring Problem the most unique, as I don't own anything else similar.  Pedal Faster Suzi was the colour I found the least interesting, mainly as I prefer more vibrant, punchy shades and I just don't feel it fitted cohesively with the rest of the collection.

Red Lights Ahead...Where? is a gorgeous orange / red hybrid.  However I have several dupes for this polish, as seen in the swatches above, and they are all very similar, with subtle nuances only visible when examined very closely in person. 

Kiss Me On My Tulips is another shade where I had some similar ones in my stash.  OPI's Dim Sum Plum is a touch darker whereas Essie Super Bossa Nova has a pearlescent sheen and is pinker.

As with other OPI polishes, I get several days wear without any chipping and very minor tip wear.   I find OPI's formula to be of medium thickness and very easy to apply.

Verdict

Whilst not offering any particularly new or earth-shattering shades, I do like this collection and it offers a mixture of cream and shimmer finishes.  The stand out shade for me is I Have A Herring Problem,  whilst the noticeably weaker shade is Pedal Faster Suzi as it requires at least three coats for opacity and didn't seem to fit with the rest of the collection.  Red Lights Ahead... Where? and Kiss Me On My Tulips are both strong shades but you may already have dupes in your collection as they are not particularly unique.

3.5/5

Price - £12.95

Where to Buy - Lena White, HQ Hair   Beauty Bay, John Lewis