I am so happy we can finally get Essence in the UK! In case you didn't know, Essence is now being sold in Wilkinson. My small local branch only has a small display, but I popped into a bigger one that had a much bigger one. Today I want to show you what I picked up as well as a couple of other bits from Topshop, Superdrug and Boots.
So from Essence I got these cute nail stickers for when I'm too lazy to do some stamping, and a nail polish called Laser Show which is a glitter topper with silver microshimmer and black glitter. From Topshop I picked up two glitter polishes called Dreamlike and Myth.
Also from Essence, I got their Blush Up powder blush that bears a very strong resemblance to Mac's blush ombres. It's very pigmented, just great for summer. I also got the new Sleek palette, Rio Rio and Chanel Illusion D'Ombre in New Moon, one of the new summer shades. I have another shade to show you, which I'll be writing a full review on very soon.
Have you been buying any make up or nail polish lately?
Showing posts with label boots. Show all posts
Showing posts with label boots. Show all posts
Monday, 14 July 2014
Monday, 24 June 2013
NOTD: Models Own Blooming Pink with Barry M Pink Sapphire Glitter
I have a nice cheerful mani to share with you, this is Models Own Blooming Pink topped with Barry M Pink Sapphire Glitter polish.
I applied two coats of Models Own Blooming Pink which had a very nice, easy to apply formula. Then followed by two coats of Barry M Pink Sapphire Glitter which was a little hard to get to apply evenly. Two coats did the trick and the result was this shimmery, glittery pretty pink mani.
Both polishes are permanent, so easy to find and are both very cheap, Models Own polishes cost £5 each and Barry M glitter polishes cost £2.99 each, but there's usually some sort of an offer on these either at Boots or Superdrug.
See more pictures after the jump!

I applied two coats of Models Own Blooming Pink which had a very nice, easy to apply formula. Then followed by two coats of Barry M Pink Sapphire Glitter which was a little hard to get to apply evenly. Two coats did the trick and the result was this shimmery, glittery pretty pink mani.
Both polishes are permanent, so easy to find and are both very cheap, Models Own polishes cost £5 each and Barry M glitter polishes cost £2.99 each, but there's usually some sort of an offer on these either at Boots or Superdrug.
See more pictures after the jump!
Labels:
Barry M,
boots,
glitter,
models own,
nail polish,
nails,
NOTD,
Superdrug
Monday, 29 April 2013
My Recent Nail Polish Hauls Part 1
As you'll have noticed, make up reviews have been few and far between on the blog lately. I managed to do just 4 of them in the last 3 weeks. I don't know why, I'm just not that drawn to make up at the moment, and what little I've bought I hardly had time to photograph, swatch and test out. However, I have been buying nail polish like it's going out of fashion (I have long given up on my nail polish no-buy as you might've suspected). Over the past couple of years I have discovered many great brands and have been spending my time looking online, stalking launches and getting excited about lovely colours. So I thought, I might as well show you all my lovely nail polish hauls. Enjoy!
As the title says, this is part 1, there were just too many pictures to fit into one post. Part 2 coming soon!
See more pictures after the jump!
![]() |
Layla holo polishes |
As the title says, this is part 1, there were just too many pictures to fit into one post. Part 2 coming soon!
See more pictures after the jump!
Labels:
beauty base,
boots,
drugstore,
haul,
Llarowe,
nail polish,
nails
Sunday, 31 March 2013
Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter New Shades Part 2 - Review and Swatches
The other day I showed you 3 of the new Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter shades and today I have the other 3 to tell you about. As I said in my other post, I didn't buy Brown Sugar because I'm not a brown lipstick person, so I won't be showing you that one. The ones I have in this review are Pink Lemonade, Sugar Plum and Red Velvet.
I ordered these shades unseen because none of my local Boots seemed to stock them, and I was a bit worried about how Pink Lemonade would look on me as it is a very light pink shade. Turns out it's actually pretty okay, mainly because it's not very opaque, so it mostly just looks like a glossy light pink sheen on my lips. Brown Sugar is a nice, slightly sheer mauve colour and Red Velvet is a burgundy red. It isn't massively opaque, but as it's a darker colour, it is the most pigmented of them all. I don't need these lip butters to be very pigmented as I like to just throw them on when I'm exercising or just at home, instead of wearing lipstick or lipgloss.
As I've said before, I don't find these lip butters very moisturising, but they're comfortable to wear. They need reaaplying after 2 hours or so and don't last through eating at all. They are pretty much scent and taste free which I love.
Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters cost £7.99 each, but there's often a 3 for 2 deal on them, which is currently on in Boots.
See more pictures including swatches after the jump!

I ordered these shades unseen because none of my local Boots seemed to stock them, and I was a bit worried about how Pink Lemonade would look on me as it is a very light pink shade. Turns out it's actually pretty okay, mainly because it's not very opaque, so it mostly just looks like a glossy light pink sheen on my lips. Brown Sugar is a nice, slightly sheer mauve colour and Red Velvet is a burgundy red. It isn't massively opaque, but as it's a darker colour, it is the most pigmented of them all. I don't need these lip butters to be very pigmented as I like to just throw them on when I'm exercising or just at home, instead of wearing lipstick or lipgloss.
As I've said before, I don't find these lip butters very moisturising, but they're comfortable to wear. They need reaaplying after 2 hours or so and don't last through eating at all. They are pretty much scent and taste free which I love.
Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters cost £7.99 each, but there's often a 3 for 2 deal on them, which is currently on in Boots.
See more pictures including swatches after the jump!
Labels:
boots,
colorburst,
drugstore,
high street,
lip butter,
lipstick,
review,
revlon,
swatches
Friday, 29 March 2013
Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter New Shades Part 1 - Review and Swatches
I'm supposed to be on a lipstick no buy, but I decided to make an exception to Revlon lip butters because I really like them and very often reach for them, especially on days when I'm not wearing full face make up but still want some colour on my lips.
Revlon have released 7 new shades this spring and I've bought 6. I passed on Brown Sugar because I'm not a brown lipstick person. In this post I've got Juicy Papaya, Wild Watermelon and Sorbet to show you. Juicy Papaya is a sheer orange-coral shade, Wild Watermelon is pinky red and Sorbet is bright pink. I find Wild Watermelon and Sorbet to be a lot more pigmented than Juicy Papaya, but I also really like it as it's such a lovely shade, so the sheerness doesn't bother me. All 3 shades last on me for 1-2 hours depending on whether I drink and what I do while wearing them.
While I don't find these lip butters terribly moisturising, they are very comfortable to wear. I often use them if I go running or to the pool as they don't look to full on, but still give my lips some colour. I also like using them at the weekend when I'm not wearing full face make up or not planning on leaving the house. I don't usually wear lipstick at home, but these are just the right products for me on these occasions.
I love it that Revlon lip butters don't have that hideous chemical smell some drugstore/high street lipsticks have (Maybelline I'm looking at you!), which is another reason why I make an exception for them.
Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters cost £7.99 each, but there's often a 3 for 2 deal on them, which is currently on in Boots.
See more pictures including swatches after the jump!
Revlon have released 7 new shades this spring and I've bought 6. I passed on Brown Sugar because I'm not a brown lipstick person. In this post I've got Juicy Papaya, Wild Watermelon and Sorbet to show you. Juicy Papaya is a sheer orange-coral shade, Wild Watermelon is pinky red and Sorbet is bright pink. I find Wild Watermelon and Sorbet to be a lot more pigmented than Juicy Papaya, but I also really like it as it's such a lovely shade, so the sheerness doesn't bother me. All 3 shades last on me for 1-2 hours depending on whether I drink and what I do while wearing them.
While I don't find these lip butters terribly moisturising, they are very comfortable to wear. I often use them if I go running or to the pool as they don't look to full on, but still give my lips some colour. I also like using them at the weekend when I'm not wearing full face make up or not planning on leaving the house. I don't usually wear lipstick at home, but these are just the right products for me on these occasions.
I love it that Revlon lip butters don't have that hideous chemical smell some drugstore/high street lipsticks have (Maybelline I'm looking at you!), which is another reason why I make an exception for them.
Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters cost £7.99 each, but there's often a 3 for 2 deal on them, which is currently on in Boots.
See more pictures including swatches after the jump!
Labels:
boots,
colorburst,
drugstore,
high street,
lip butter,
lipstick,
review,
revlon,
swatches
Saturday, 16 March 2013
Barry M Bold Purple Waterproof Eyeliner Review and Swatches
A little while ago I told you about two shades of the Barry M Waterproof Eyeliners, Bold Gunmetal and Blue (click the link for my review), and now it's time to tell you about the purple one. I think this one is my favourite of the 3. It's a gorgeous purple with fine micro glitter, absolutely stunning.

In fact I've found that it's a nearly exact dupe of Mac Designer Purple Pearlglide eyeliner, which is one of my favourite purple eyeliners. The staying power of this one was slightly better than the other two as well. I didn't test whether it's waterproof, but it did stay on my lower lashline all day without smudging or fading, so that's good enough for me. Luckily the micro glitter doesn't irritate my eyes, in fact the pearlglides sometimes do, so in that respect I like this eyeliner better than Designer Purple.
These eyeliners cost £3.99 each and are similar size to the Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners, although it doesn't say anywhere on the product or the Barry M website. I'd estimate it to be between 1 and 1.2 g.
A lovely, soft, creamy, long lasting eyeliner at the fraction of the cost of other brand's very similar product. What's not to like?
See more pictures including swatches after the jump!

In fact I've found that it's a nearly exact dupe of Mac Designer Purple Pearlglide eyeliner, which is one of my favourite purple eyeliners. The staying power of this one was slightly better than the other two as well. I didn't test whether it's waterproof, but it did stay on my lower lashline all day without smudging or fading, so that's good enough for me. Luckily the micro glitter doesn't irritate my eyes, in fact the pearlglides sometimes do, so in that respect I like this eyeliner better than Designer Purple.
These eyeliners cost £3.99 each and are similar size to the Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners, although it doesn't say anywhere on the product or the Barry M website. I'd estimate it to be between 1 and 1.2 g.
A lovely, soft, creamy, long lasting eyeliner at the fraction of the cost of other brand's very similar product. What's not to like?
See more pictures including swatches after the jump!
Labels:
bargains,
Barry M,
boots,
eye pencils,
eyeliner,
Mac,
pearlglide,
review,
swatches,
waterproof
Friday, 8 March 2013
Barry M Bold Gun Metal and Bold Blue Waterproof Eyeliner Review and Swatches
I bought these Barry M eye pencils a little while ago when they had a 3 for 2 offer in Boots and there was a very pretty nail polish I wanted to get. So you know, started looking at other things to make use of the promotion (as you might have noticed, I do that very often!) and came across these eyeliners. I thought for £3.99 each (well, one was actually free) they were worth a try. Luckily I was right.
They are very similar to Urban Decay 24/7 eye pencils, soft and smooth, very easy to apply, but dry down quickly and don't budge for hours. The shades I got are Bold Gun Metal which is a shimmery silver/grey colour and Bold Blue which is a shimmery medium blue colour. Bold Blue has slightly more micro glitter to it, but it's by no means glittery. I also bought Bold Purple subsequently which I'll be reviewing separately.
Both eyeliners stayed on my waterline fairly well, probably for about 4 hours, and on my lower lashline all day. These are supposed to be waterproof and I have tested Bold Gun Metal in the swimming pool and it did smudge, not terribly badly, but it did. I'm not that fussed, but if you are looking for a truly waterproof eyeliner, these might not be the ones for you.
Bold Gun Metal isn't too similar in colour to any of the Urban Decay 24/7 eye pencils I own (it's quite a bit darker than Gunmetal and less shimmery), but Bold Blue is a dupe for Deviant, I swatched them side by side and you can't tell the difference. If you like blue eyeliners, this may be good news for you, as these are similar size to the Urban Decay ones (doesn't actually say anywhere, but I estimate between 1 and 1.2 g) and only cost £3.99 each, plus there's bound to be an offer on them at some point.
All in all these are nice, creamy, long lasting eyeliners, but not as waterproof as they claim to be.
See more pictures including swatches after the jump!

They are very similar to Urban Decay 24/7 eye pencils, soft and smooth, very easy to apply, but dry down quickly and don't budge for hours. The shades I got are Bold Gun Metal which is a shimmery silver/grey colour and Bold Blue which is a shimmery medium blue colour. Bold Blue has slightly more micro glitter to it, but it's by no means glittery. I also bought Bold Purple subsequently which I'll be reviewing separately.
Both eyeliners stayed on my waterline fairly well, probably for about 4 hours, and on my lower lashline all day. These are supposed to be waterproof and I have tested Bold Gun Metal in the swimming pool and it did smudge, not terribly badly, but it did. I'm not that fussed, but if you are looking for a truly waterproof eyeliner, these might not be the ones for you.
Bold Gun Metal isn't too similar in colour to any of the Urban Decay 24/7 eye pencils I own (it's quite a bit darker than Gunmetal and less shimmery), but Bold Blue is a dupe for Deviant, I swatched them side by side and you can't tell the difference. If you like blue eyeliners, this may be good news for you, as these are similar size to the Urban Decay ones (doesn't actually say anywhere, but I estimate between 1 and 1.2 g) and only cost £3.99 each, plus there's bound to be an offer on them at some point.
All in all these are nice, creamy, long lasting eyeliners, but not as waterproof as they claim to be.
See more pictures including swatches after the jump!
Labels:
24/7,
bargains,
Barry M,
boots,
eye pencils,
eyeliner,
review,
swatches,
Urban Decay,
waterproof
Tuesday, 5 March 2013
Maybelline Superstay 14 Hour Lipstick Review and Swatches
So I was in Boots the other day looking at make up and found a new shade of Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadows (review coming soon) that I really liked the look of. But since there was a 3 for 2 offer on Maybelline make up, I thought I might as well take advantage of it and ended up buying two of the new Superstay 14 Hours lipsticks. I got 430 Stay With Me Coral and 160 Infinitely Fuchsia, the two brightest shades.

First of all I'd like to point out, that I'm not a muppet and wasn't expecting these lipsticks to last for 14 hours. The blogger in me was very curious and of course had to get them. So, do they last for 14 hours? Of course not. Now that's out the way, let's see what the lipsticks are actually like.
I'm pleased to say that they are actually pretty nice. They are creamy, vibrant, they smell gorgeous (this I was worried about as most drugstore/cheap lipsticks smell hideous with a few exceptions) and feel lovely on. Infinitely Fuchsia feels smoother on, Stay With Me Coral seems heavier and doesn't look as smooth either. They both apply very opaque in just a couple of swipes and last for about 4-5 hours depending on whether I eat or not. I tested them both for wear, they were both okay for 3-4 hours with little eating/drinking, and then practically disappeared when I had a proper meal. The sheen starts to disappear after about 3 hours and I've found that the lipstick starts fading from the inner part of my lips first. They last well for a regular lipstick, butu definitely nowhere near the advertised 14 hours!
On the plus side they feel really nice on, they're not at all sticky and don't feel drying at all unlike a lot of long lasting lip products. I didn't need to apply any gloss or balml on top, or even afterwards, my lips were fine. Won't say they're actively moisturising, but definitely not drying.
According to Boots they come in 20 shades, but I can only see 11 on their website and my local store only had about 8 shades on the display. There are lighter, more muted shades as well, but I like mine bright.
These lipsticks cost £6.99 each (I don't know what size they are as it doesn't say anywhere) and there's a 3 for 2 offer on all Maybelline make up at Boots at the moment.
See lots more pictures including arm and lip swatches after the jump!

First of all I'd like to point out, that I'm not a muppet and wasn't expecting these lipsticks to last for 14 hours. The blogger in me was very curious and of course had to get them. So, do they last for 14 hours? Of course not. Now that's out the way, let's see what the lipsticks are actually like.
I'm pleased to say that they are actually pretty nice. They are creamy, vibrant, they smell gorgeous (this I was worried about as most drugstore/cheap lipsticks smell hideous with a few exceptions) and feel lovely on. Infinitely Fuchsia feels smoother on, Stay With Me Coral seems heavier and doesn't look as smooth either. They both apply very opaque in just a couple of swipes and last for about 4-5 hours depending on whether I eat or not. I tested them both for wear, they were both okay for 3-4 hours with little eating/drinking, and then practically disappeared when I had a proper meal. The sheen starts to disappear after about 3 hours and I've found that the lipstick starts fading from the inner part of my lips first. They last well for a regular lipstick, butu definitely nowhere near the advertised 14 hours!
On the plus side they feel really nice on, they're not at all sticky and don't feel drying at all unlike a lot of long lasting lip products. I didn't need to apply any gloss or balml on top, or even afterwards, my lips were fine. Won't say they're actively moisturising, but definitely not drying.
According to Boots they come in 20 shades, but I can only see 11 on their website and my local store only had about 8 shades on the display. There are lighter, more muted shades as well, but I like mine bright.
These lipsticks cost £6.99 each (I don't know what size they are as it doesn't say anywhere) and there's a 3 for 2 offer on all Maybelline make up at Boots at the moment.
See lots more pictures including arm and lip swatches after the jump!
Sunday, 27 January 2013
NOTD: Models Own Tropical Sun
This is one of the second batch of Beetlejuice polishes Models Own released and I regret to say, I'm still not blown over by their duochrome formula. These polishes looked amazing in the promo pictures, but every one I've tried so far has been rather disappointing.
Tropical Sun is a coral pink polish with subtle orange duochrome and tiny silver sparkles. The duochrome was only more of a tint, it looked orange most of the times and only looked more pink in the shade. The formula was a bit disappointing as well, it was pretty sheer and it bubbled up on my nails quite noticeably. It lasted quite well on me though, only had some slight chips after 2 days which is the better end of average for me.
Models Own polishes cost £5 each and you get 14 ml for your money which isn't bad. Boots often has a 3 for 2 offer and the Models Own website has some offers to if you buy more than one polish.
See more pictures after the jump!
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Taken without flash in shade |
Tropical Sun is a coral pink polish with subtle orange duochrome and tiny silver sparkles. The duochrome was only more of a tint, it looked orange most of the times and only looked more pink in the shade. The formula was a bit disappointing as well, it was pretty sheer and it bubbled up on my nails quite noticeably. It lasted quite well on me though, only had some slight chips after 2 days which is the better end of average for me.
Models Own polishes cost £5 each and you get 14 ml for your money which isn't bad. Boots often has a 3 for 2 offer and the Models Own website has some offers to if you buy more than one polish.
See more pictures after the jump!
Labels:
beetlejuice,
boots,
duochrome,
models own,
nail polish,
nails,
NOTD
Wednesday, 9 January 2013
2012 Favourites - Part 5: Skincare and Haircare
Okay, I know this is possibly the least exciting post of the 2012 Favourites series, but I wanted to do it anyway because now that I'm getting older, I'm finding it increasingly important to have a good skincare routine. Mine isn't really complicated, especially because I'm always so late going to bed, I never have the energy to do a lenghty routine. I do have a good cleanser and make up remover, and also a good serum, night cream and eye cream, with the occasional scrub and mask thrown in, so that's fine. In the mornings I just use a face cream having washed my face in the shower with clean water. I don't have time for more, it's as simple as that.
I did a video about my skincare routine back in April and although some products I'm not using anymore (have run out or have decided to change), it gives you a good idea about which products I enjoyed using in 2012. Check it out here.
I'll start with cleansing. I usually use Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover (old style, this has now been rreformulated) followed by Simple Kind To Skin Facial Cleansing Wipes. The two together work very well for removing make up and dirt from my skin. I haven't found a cleanser I am that chuffed about, I just can't really get excited about a cleanser, but every one I've used so far does a good enough job. I'm currently using a L'Occitane cleanser with the longest, most complicated name that I refuse to copy. I also really like Lancome Bi-Facil and will probably use it instead of the Boots one because I've heard that the new, reformulated version isn't very good.
See which other products I loved in 2012 after the jump!
I did a video about my skincare routine back in April and although some products I'm not using anymore (have run out or have decided to change), it gives you a good idea about which products I enjoyed using in 2012. Check it out here.
I'll start with cleansing. I usually use Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover (old style, this has now been rreformulated) followed by Simple Kind To Skin Facial Cleansing Wipes. The two together work very well for removing make up and dirt from my skin. I haven't found a cleanser I am that chuffed about, I just can't really get excited about a cleanser, but every one I've used so far does a good enough job. I'm currently using a L'Occitane cleanser with the longest, most complicated name that I refuse to copy. I also really like Lancome Bi-Facil and will probably use it instead of the Boots one because I've heard that the new, reformulated version isn't very good.

See which other products I loved in 2012 after the jump!
Sunday, 30 December 2012
NOTD: Barry M 344 Magnetic Gold Sparkle / Moon Dust
I'm still on the fence about magnetic polishes, even though I always get lots of complimentents when wearing them. I'd only owned 3 of them so far (one Nails Inc and 2 17 ones), and decided I wasn't going to get any more. I don't hate them but they can be quite fiddly. However, then I saw the recent shades Barry M had come out with and decided I had to try them out. I also like it that they come with different pattern magnets, so you can mix and match.
Magnetic Gold Sparkle (or as it's now been renamed Moon Dust) is an antique gold colour polish with gold sparkle. None of my other magnetic polishes had sparkle, so I thought this might look quite interesting. I didn't anticipate just how gorgeous it would look once I've put the magnet over it, in fact both my daughter and I exclaimed when we saw the result, it's truly striking.
You get silvery stripes as well as darker gold ones with sparkle, neither colour actually resembling the colour of the polish in the bottle. It's like two colours had been mixed together and then separated by the magnet. The effect is almost 3D, and it appears to move as I move my hand. I have had many compliments when wearing it, the beauty of these magnetic polishes is that they look like you've had your nails done whereas you can do them quite easily yourself.
I do find them a little fiddly to use, sometimes the design doesn't come out as sharp and sometimes I manage to touch the nail with the magnet. I also found that the stripes got a bit messed up when I applied the top coat, I don't know if maybe waiting a bit would've helped. Wear time wasn't that great, it started chipping on me within the first 24 hours. This isn't unusual, but not every polish chips on me on the first day, so I'm still not too happy about it.
I used two coats on most fingers, but some of them I had to redo several times, so I just kept applying extra layers. It dried fairly quickly and other than the top coat's brush leaving slight marks in the design, the polish was pretty easy to use.
Barry M magnetic polishes come in 5 shimmery shades and 4 non-shimmery ones, and they come with 5 different magnets (one each). They cost £4.99 each and you get 10 ml for your money. Of course there are usually deals on in either Superdrug or Boots, so keep an eye out!
See lots more pictures after the jump!

Magnetic Gold Sparkle (or as it's now been renamed Moon Dust) is an antique gold colour polish with gold sparkle. None of my other magnetic polishes had sparkle, so I thought this might look quite interesting. I didn't anticipate just how gorgeous it would look once I've put the magnet over it, in fact both my daughter and I exclaimed when we saw the result, it's truly striking.
You get silvery stripes as well as darker gold ones with sparkle, neither colour actually resembling the colour of the polish in the bottle. It's like two colours had been mixed together and then separated by the magnet. The effect is almost 3D, and it appears to move as I move my hand. I have had many compliments when wearing it, the beauty of these magnetic polishes is that they look like you've had your nails done whereas you can do them quite easily yourself.
I do find them a little fiddly to use, sometimes the design doesn't come out as sharp and sometimes I manage to touch the nail with the magnet. I also found that the stripes got a bit messed up when I applied the top coat, I don't know if maybe waiting a bit would've helped. Wear time wasn't that great, it started chipping on me within the first 24 hours. This isn't unusual, but not every polish chips on me on the first day, so I'm still not too happy about it.
I used two coats on most fingers, but some of them I had to redo several times, so I just kept applying extra layers. It dried fairly quickly and other than the top coat's brush leaving slight marks in the design, the polish was pretty easy to use.
Barry M magnetic polishes come in 5 shimmery shades and 4 non-shimmery ones, and they come with 5 different magnets (one each). They cost £4.99 each and you get 10 ml for your money. Of course there are usually deals on in either Superdrug or Boots, so keep an eye out!
See lots more pictures after the jump!
Friday, 21 December 2012
Festive Nails Part 5 - Holographic Silver
Holographic silver nail polishes always remind me of wrapping paper, don't they? This one is 17's new holo polish which I actually won in a giveaway from the lovely Liloo. (Check her fantastic blog out here.) As I'm a sucker for holographic polishes, I had to try this out asap!
The holo effect on this one isn't the strongest I've seen, it's probably up there with the GOSH holographic polish, maybe a little weeker. It's very pretty though and the formula was very nice. Application was a bit messy, but that's probably my fault. I did 2 coats then top coat then an extra coat to make sure the top coat didn't dull the holo effect. The only thing I didn't like about it, which I've not experienced with any other holo polish before, is how it faded by day 3 and was very dull at the end of my fingers. It lasted pretty well though, with only a few small chips by the end of day 2.
I like 17 nail polishes, they're cheap, but qood quality. You get 10 ml for £3.99 and at the moment there's a buy one get one half price offer on selected 17 cosmetics at Boots.
See more pictures after the jump!

The holo effect on this one isn't the strongest I've seen, it's probably up there with the GOSH holographic polish, maybe a little weeker. It's very pretty though and the formula was very nice. Application was a bit messy, but that's probably my fault. I did 2 coats then top coat then an extra coat to make sure the top coat didn't dull the holo effect. The only thing I didn't like about it, which I've not experienced with any other holo polish before, is how it faded by day 3 and was very dull at the end of my fingers. It lasted pretty well though, with only a few small chips by the end of day 2.
I like 17 nail polishes, they're cheap, but qood quality. You get 10 ml for £3.99 and at the moment there's a buy one get one half price offer on selected 17 cosmetics at Boots.
See more pictures after the jump!
Monday, 5 November 2012
FOTD: Clothes and Jewellery Inspired Look With Urban Decay Book Of Shadows
I have pretty much run out of things to blog about other than a few random nail polish posts, due to the fact that it's been half-term school holiday and I haven't been able to take any pictures and do swatches. But fear not, my children are back in school and my husband is back at work tomorrow, so I will spend the day taking pictures, swatching products and there will be many new product reviews to come (because I have been buying things nevertheless!).
But for now, here's a look I did a month or so ago. This was actually inspired by the colours on my top and the necklace I was wearing that day. Do you do looks inspired by clothing/accessories?
To create this look I used the following:
Eyes:
Too Faced Insurance Policy
Urban Decay Shattered eyeshadow in the inner corner of the lid
Urban Decay Scandal eyeshadow in the middle of the lid
Urban Decay Last Call eyeshadow in the outer corner of the lid and the crease
Urban Decay Virgin eyeshadow on the browbone to highlight
Urban Decay Electric and Rockstar 24/7 eyeliners on lower lashline
Cargo Lash Activator Mascara in Black
Mac Brow Set in Show Off
Face:
Boots No 7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream
Guerlain Voilettes Invisible Skin Fusion Loose Powder in 03 Beige Naturel
Mac Pet Me Mineralize Blush
Lips:
Guerlain 166 Shalimar Rouge Automatique Lipstick
See more pictures after the jump!
But for now, here's a look I did a month or so ago. This was actually inspired by the colours on my top and the necklace I was wearing that day. Do you do looks inspired by clothing/accessories?

To create this look I used the following:
Eyes:
Too Faced Insurance Policy
Urban Decay Shattered eyeshadow in the inner corner of the lid
Urban Decay Scandal eyeshadow in the middle of the lid
Urban Decay Last Call eyeshadow in the outer corner of the lid and the crease
Urban Decay Virgin eyeshadow on the browbone to highlight
Urban Decay Electric and Rockstar 24/7 eyeliners on lower lashline
Cargo Lash Activator Mascara in Black
Mac Brow Set in Show Off
Face:
Boots No 7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream
Guerlain Voilettes Invisible Skin Fusion Loose Powder in 03 Beige Naturel
Mac Pet Me Mineralize Blush
Lips:
Guerlain 166 Shalimar Rouge Automatique Lipstick
See more pictures after the jump!
Saturday, 6 October 2012
Too Faced Perfect Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner in Perfect Peacock Review and Swatches
Too Faced has been releasing some really nice products lately (including the gorgeous Return of Sexy palette which I will be reviewing shortly). I picked up this gorgeous teal eyeliner during a recent visit to the one and only Boots that sells Too Faced products near me (one of the Debenhams nearby has a tiny Too Faced stand, but the brand isn't available online anymore, so I'm guessing they're also not stocking new products).
Too Faced Perfect Eyes eyeliners are said to be waterproof, budgeproof and smudgeproof and they promise an 8-hour-long wear. Perfect Peacock is a medium dark teal with very fine pearl. It's not really shimmery, but there is a very tiny bit of pearl in it. On the eyes it looks more matte than shimmery for sure. The eyeliner is very creamy and glides on easily without tugging, however it does set quickly and stays put once on. On the waterline I didn't get 8 hours out of it, but it worked much better on my lashline. It did smudge a bit, but it was still definitely there 8 hours later. I really like this eyeliner, it's very creamy, but pretty long lasting as well, removal wasn't a problem and Perfect Peacock is a really lovely colour.
The pencil is double ended, it comes with a slanted smudger at the other end. I have not used this as I don't normally smudge my eyeliner, so can't comment on it. You get 1.2 g for £14.50 which is similar to the Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner pencils. In the UK these come in 6 colours, but the Too Faced website shows 9 shades. You can buy Too Faced from Boots, Beauty Bay and Lookfantastic in the UK.
See more pictures including swatches after the jump!

Too Faced Perfect Eyes eyeliners are said to be waterproof, budgeproof and smudgeproof and they promise an 8-hour-long wear. Perfect Peacock is a medium dark teal with very fine pearl. It's not really shimmery, but there is a very tiny bit of pearl in it. On the eyes it looks more matte than shimmery for sure. The eyeliner is very creamy and glides on easily without tugging, however it does set quickly and stays put once on. On the waterline I didn't get 8 hours out of it, but it worked much better on my lashline. It did smudge a bit, but it was still definitely there 8 hours later. I really like this eyeliner, it's very creamy, but pretty long lasting as well, removal wasn't a problem and Perfect Peacock is a really lovely colour.
The pencil is double ended, it comes with a slanted smudger at the other end. I have not used this as I don't normally smudge my eyeliner, so can't comment on it. You get 1.2 g for £14.50 which is similar to the Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner pencils. In the UK these come in 6 colours, but the Too Faced website shows 9 shades. You can buy Too Faced from Boots, Beauty Bay and Lookfantastic in the UK.
See more pictures including swatches after the jump!
Friday, 27 July 2012
Simple Kind To Skin Facial Cleansing Wipes
After finishing the Primark Tea Tree Cleansing Wipes I decided to try something else, and on a trip to Boots I picked up these Simple Facial Wipes.I didn't like the smell of the Primark ones, but luckily these Simple ones have no scent.

They contain pro-vitamin B5 that "actively restores, softens and smoothes", and have no alcohol, oil, perfume or colour, so should be suitable for sensitive skin. They work well for me, although my skin isn't actually sensitive. They clean well and I like it that even the last one is well soaked through with cleanser, so 25 days after opening the pack the last one still feels as moist as the first one did (I do store them upside down to make sure the top one doesn't dry out either).
All in all, I like these cleansing wipes and have already replaced the packet. They cost quite a bit more than the Primark ones, you get 25 wipes for £3.20 (although there's currently a 2 for £5 offer on at Boots) which is still very reasonable.
See more pictures after the jump!
They contain pro-vitamin B5 that "actively restores, softens and smoothes", and have no alcohol, oil, perfume or colour, so should be suitable for sensitive skin. They work well for me, although my skin isn't actually sensitive. They clean well and I like it that even the last one is well soaked through with cleanser, so 25 days after opening the pack the last one still feels as moist as the first one did (I do store them upside down to make sure the top one doesn't dry out either).
All in all, I like these cleansing wipes and have already replaced the packet. They cost quite a bit more than the Primark ones, you get 25 wipes for £3.20 (although there's currently a 2 for £5 offer on at Boots) which is still very reasonable.
See more pictures after the jump!
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows Review and Swatches Part 8 - Glistening Garnet
As you know, I love L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadows and I'm always in search of new shades. I picked up Glistening Garnet from eBay as this shade is sadly not available in the UK. (I'm also awaiting the arrival of two other non-UK shades, so I'll review those as soon as I can too.

Glistening Garnet is a darkened fuchsia shade that looks quite dark in the pot, but applies quite a bit lighter. I used it with a blending brush in the crease and it applied and blended really nicely. It's a really pretty shade and I would love it if they released it in the UK too.
I bought this for $7.95 on eBay and with postage it cost me around £7.50 which isn't too bad. In the UK they cost £6.99 (obviously not this one).
I have a recap post with links to all my prevous reviews of L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadows here. There is also a website with a brilliant list comparing all the shades available in different countries here.
See more pictures including swatches after the jump!

Glistening Garnet is a darkened fuchsia shade that looks quite dark in the pot, but applies quite a bit lighter. I used it with a blending brush in the crease and it applied and blended really nicely. It's a really pretty shade and I would love it if they released it in the UK too.
I bought this for $7.95 on eBay and with postage it cost me around £7.50 which isn't too bad. In the UK they cost £6.99 (obviously not this one).
I have a recap post with links to all my prevous reviews of L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadows here. There is also a website with a brilliant list comparing all the shades available in different countries here.
See more pictures including swatches after the jump!
Labels:
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ebay,
eyeshadows,
infallible,
l'oreal,
review,
Superdrug,
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Sunday, 15 July 2012
Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover Review
I had to pick up Bourjois's Magic Nail Polish remover after all the raves I saw on other blogs. When something says magic in the name, you just feel like you have to try it and see just how magic it really is. Well I do anyway. So I tried it out, both with regular and glitter nail polish.

But firstly, let me explain what it is. You get a plastic tub with a black sponge inside soaked in nail polish remover with a hole in the top that you put your finger in, then twist and remove to find all the nail polish has disappeared. Sounds magical, doesn't it?
Well, it doesn't quite do what it promises. With regular nail polish it works rather quickly, but I still need to put my fingers in for a second or even third time to get all the nail polish off. So make that more like 5-6 seconds. Which is about how long it takes me to wipe a nail with cotton wool soaked in nail polish remover. With glitter nail polish it takes a lot longer than 1 second, but I was expecting that. It probably takes about 30 seconds per finger and I need to keep putting my finger in and twisting and pulling out and again and again. What I like though is that unlike with cotton wool, it doesn't stick into the glitter as it dissolves. You do end up with a few flecks of black sponge, but that's all.
The product is heavily scented, the scent reminds me of raspberries, so it's not unpleasant, but rather heavy. I do not like the sticky, greasy residue on my hands afterwards though, I have to wash them a few times with soap afterwards to get rid of the sticky feeling it leaves behind. At least it's not drying, although I haven't used it long enough to see if it makes my weak, peeling nails better or worse in the long run.
All in all, I'm not blown over by this product and it's certainly not magic, but I can see it being very useful if you're travelling and don't want to bother with a bottle of nail polish remover and cotton wool pads. Plus it does work quickly, and it does make glitter nail polish removal much easier. However, due to the sticky residue I will be only be using it for glitter nail polish removal in the future. I'm perfectly happy with my Sally Hansen nail polish remover and a cotton wool pad for regular nail polish.
You get 75 ml which I believe is all soaked into the pad (as the pad goes all the way down) for £4.99 which makes it a lot more expensive than my regular Sally Hansen nail polish remover. It is available from Boots, Superdrug and whereever they sell Bourjois products.
See another picture after the jump!

But firstly, let me explain what it is. You get a plastic tub with a black sponge inside soaked in nail polish remover with a hole in the top that you put your finger in, then twist and remove to find all the nail polish has disappeared. Sounds magical, doesn't it?
Well, it doesn't quite do what it promises. With regular nail polish it works rather quickly, but I still need to put my fingers in for a second or even third time to get all the nail polish off. So make that more like 5-6 seconds. Which is about how long it takes me to wipe a nail with cotton wool soaked in nail polish remover. With glitter nail polish it takes a lot longer than 1 second, but I was expecting that. It probably takes about 30 seconds per finger and I need to keep putting my finger in and twisting and pulling out and again and again. What I like though is that unlike with cotton wool, it doesn't stick into the glitter as it dissolves. You do end up with a few flecks of black sponge, but that's all.
The product is heavily scented, the scent reminds me of raspberries, so it's not unpleasant, but rather heavy. I do not like the sticky, greasy residue on my hands afterwards though, I have to wash them a few times with soap afterwards to get rid of the sticky feeling it leaves behind. At least it's not drying, although I haven't used it long enough to see if it makes my weak, peeling nails better or worse in the long run.
All in all, I'm not blown over by this product and it's certainly not magic, but I can see it being very useful if you're travelling and don't want to bother with a bottle of nail polish remover and cotton wool pads. Plus it does work quickly, and it does make glitter nail polish removal much easier. However, due to the sticky residue I will be only be using it for glitter nail polish removal in the future. I'm perfectly happy with my Sally Hansen nail polish remover and a cotton wool pad for regular nail polish.
You get 75 ml which I believe is all soaked into the pad (as the pad goes all the way down) for £4.99 which makes it a lot more expensive than my regular Sally Hansen nail polish remover. It is available from Boots, Superdrug and whereever they sell Bourjois products.
See another picture after the jump!
Saturday, 7 July 2012
L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows Review and Swatches Part 7 - Metallic Lilac
I wasn't going to get this. Honest. But then somehow it ended up in my basket in Superdrug. You know how these things are. I am happy I got it though as I really like the L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadows and Metallic Lilac is a very pretty shade. It's a silvery purple shade (more purple than Flashback Silver) with pretty pink flecks in it. The pink doesn't really show up in the overall colour, but it's ever so pretty to look at in the pan.

The texture and longevity is pretty much the same as the other L'Oreal Infallible shadows I own (except for Smoothie Kiwi which isn't that great). If you would like to check out the other reviews I have posted on here, please click on the links below:
Part 1 (Purple Obsession, Flashback Silver, Goldmine, Bronze Divine)
Part 2 (Permanent Kaki, Sahara Treasure)
Part 3 (Infinite Sky, Amber Rush)
Part 4 (Naughty Strawberry, Innocent Turqouise, Sassy Marshmallow, Magnetic Coral)
Part 5 (All Night Blue, Time Resist White)
Part 6 (Forever Pink, Smoothie Kiwi)
As always, these eyeshadows acost £6.99 and available from Boots, Superdrug and other places that sell L'Oreal make up.
See more pictures after the jump!

The texture and longevity is pretty much the same as the other L'Oreal Infallible shadows I own (except for Smoothie Kiwi which isn't that great). If you would like to check out the other reviews I have posted on here, please click on the links below:
Part 1 (Purple Obsession, Flashback Silver, Goldmine, Bronze Divine)
Part 2 (Permanent Kaki, Sahara Treasure)
Part 3 (Infinite Sky, Amber Rush)
Part 4 (Naughty Strawberry, Innocent Turqouise, Sassy Marshmallow, Magnetic Coral)
Part 5 (All Night Blue, Time Resist White)
Part 6 (Forever Pink, Smoothie Kiwi)
As always, these eyeshadows acost £6.99 and available from Boots, Superdrug and other places that sell L'Oreal make up.
See more pictures after the jump!
Labels:
boots,
eyeshadows,
high street,
infallible,
l'oreal,
review,
Superdrug,
swatches
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
L'Oreal Glam Shine Miss Candy Lipglosses Review and Swatches
Along with the new shades of the Infallible eyeshadows, L'Oreal has also come sout with some rather pretty looking glosses for the summer. They are part of the Glam Shine line which I own quite a few of already, and the collection of 6 shades is called Miss Candy. The glosses are made up of swirls of two colours.
I bought Tart Lollipop and Pink Treat, they seemed to be the most pigmented of the six. Tart Lollipop is a mix of sheer watermelon red and shimmery fuchsia pink, mixed together resulting in a shimmery sheer pinky red shade. Pink Treat is a mixture of shimmery pinky beige and glittery pearly pink (with multicolour glitter), mixed together resulting in a shimmery-glittery pinky beige colour. While they show up quite well when swatched, on the lips they mostly just add some shimmer to the lips. Pink Treat is more opaque, making it actually rather too light for me. Tart Lollipop is mostly just sheer pink shimmer on me.
The glosses are non-sticky and feel very comfortable to wear. Because they're so sheer, they disappear within an hour to 90 minutes, depending on whether I drink at all (they completely disappear if I eat while wearing them). They come with their unique raindrop applicator (which Lancome uses as well) that is very handy for applying the gloss neatly. You get 6 ml and they cost £7.65-£7.69 depending on where you buy them.
For me these glosses are a little on the sheer side, I prefer my glosses to have better colour pay off. They do look very cute though and if you like sheer glosses, they might be for you.
See more pictures including swatches after the jump!
Tart Lollipop, Pink Treat |
I bought Tart Lollipop and Pink Treat, they seemed to be the most pigmented of the six. Tart Lollipop is a mix of sheer watermelon red and shimmery fuchsia pink, mixed together resulting in a shimmery sheer pinky red shade. Pink Treat is a mixture of shimmery pinky beige and glittery pearly pink (with multicolour glitter), mixed together resulting in a shimmery-glittery pinky beige colour. While they show up quite well when swatched, on the lips they mostly just add some shimmer to the lips. Pink Treat is more opaque, making it actually rather too light for me. Tart Lollipop is mostly just sheer pink shimmer on me.
The glosses are non-sticky and feel very comfortable to wear. Because they're so sheer, they disappear within an hour to 90 minutes, depending on whether I drink at all (they completely disappear if I eat while wearing them). They come with their unique raindrop applicator (which Lancome uses as well) that is very handy for applying the gloss neatly. You get 6 ml and they cost £7.65-£7.69 depending on where you buy them.
For me these glosses are a little on the sheer side, I prefer my glosses to have better colour pay off. They do look very cute though and if you like sheer glosses, they might be for you.
See more pictures including swatches after the jump!
Labels:
boots,
glam shine,
l'oreal,
lip gloss,
miss candy,
review,
Superdrug,
swatches
Thursday, 28 June 2012
L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows Review and Swatches Part 6 - The Hungarian Edition
I know, there seems to be a neverending supply of these reviews, but I just can't get enough of these amazing eyeshadows. Nowadays I really don't buy a lot of eyeshadows from high street brands, but if I find something real good I'll keep going back for more.

In this post I have Forever Pink and Smoothie Kiwi to show you. I bought these during my trip to Hungary earlier this month as these shades aren't available in the UK for some reason. Forever Pink is a lovely shimmery light rosy pink colour, Smoothie Kiwi is the only matte shade I own, it is a light little bit yellowy grass green. Forever Pink is very similar to the other shades I own, smooth, pigmented, easy to blend. Smoothie Kiwi is actually quite hard to work with, it's quite sheer and needs a few layers to show up as intense as it looks in the pot. It also fades rather quickly. It's a lovely shade, but I would love it more if it was shimmery (not a big fan of mattes) and as easy to use as Forever Pink.
As I said, I bought these in Hungary and I really can't remember how much they costs, but they were similarly priced to UK prices (currently £6.99, although I'm sure there's some sort of an offer going somewhere).
If you would like to check out my reviews on all the other shades I own, here are the links:
Part 1 (Purple Obsession, Flashback Silver, Goldmine, Bronze Divine)
Part 2 (Permanent Kaki, Sahara Treasure)
Part 3 (Infinite Sky, Amber Rush)
Part 4 (Naughty Strawberry, Innocent Turqouise, Sassy Marshmallow, Magnetic Coral)
Part 5 (All Night Blue, Time Resist White)
See more pictures including swatches after the jump!

In this post I have Forever Pink and Smoothie Kiwi to show you. I bought these during my trip to Hungary earlier this month as these shades aren't available in the UK for some reason. Forever Pink is a lovely shimmery light rosy pink colour, Smoothie Kiwi is the only matte shade I own, it is a light little bit yellowy grass green. Forever Pink is very similar to the other shades I own, smooth, pigmented, easy to blend. Smoothie Kiwi is actually quite hard to work with, it's quite sheer and needs a few layers to show up as intense as it looks in the pot. It also fades rather quickly. It's a lovely shade, but I would love it more if it was shimmery (not a big fan of mattes) and as easy to use as Forever Pink.
As I said, I bought these in Hungary and I really can't remember how much they costs, but they were similarly priced to UK prices (currently £6.99, although I'm sure there's some sort of an offer going somewhere).
If you would like to check out my reviews on all the other shades I own, here are the links:
Part 1 (Purple Obsession, Flashback Silver, Goldmine, Bronze Divine)
Part 2 (Permanent Kaki, Sahara Treasure)
Part 3 (Infinite Sky, Amber Rush)
Part 4 (Naughty Strawberry, Innocent Turqouise, Sassy Marshmallow, Magnetic Coral)
Part 5 (All Night Blue, Time Resist White)
See more pictures including swatches after the jump!
Labels:
boots,
eyeshadows,
infallible,
l'oreal,
review,
Superdrug,
swatches
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