Now I’m usually all
about the dark vampy reds, purples and navy’s this time of year but this OPI
polish has caught my attention and I cannot get enough! This stuff has not left
my nails for longer than two days since I got it a month ago and I can’t see
that changing anytime soon!
If you have read my
Manicure Essentials post you will know that I usually forego coloured nail
polish on my fingernails and save it for my toenails. This is because I cannot
stand chipped nail polish or more likely, my obsession with then picking the
rest of the polish off! This stuff however is on a whole other level and the
little nail combination I have been using has ensured this is the longest
lasting manicure I’ve ever had, lasting a good four days before chipping which
is a lifetime for me!
As usual, I apply my OPI Nail Envy as a base coat, this is
the most amazing nail polish ever and I often wear this on its own because it
gives the most amazing shine to my nails and really strengthens them. Nail Envy was actually
the only OPI nail polish I had tried prior to getting this one but I have a
feeling this will change as I love the formulation of the two I have so much!
I first sawOPI My Very First Knockwurst on my
friend at works nails about a month ago and had to know what it was! She
couldn’t remember and wrote it down for me that evening and I had it ordered
before break time at work the next day! It is the most perfect nude-y, pinky,
pastely, chic, sophisticated shade of nail polish I have ever owned and I am
obsessed with it! I mentioned that I have been so impressed with the wear time
which could be down to the top coat I've been using (I haven’t tried it
without).
Now I know Seche Vite hasn’t got the best
ingredients in it but boy does it dry fast! Gone is the endless flapping of my
hands to try and dry my nails quicker only to hit something by accident and
smudge my whole nail anyway! Overall, this has become my nail dream team and I
can’t stop wearing it!
What nail colours have
you been loving recently? Do you like this one or is it too nude for you?
As a big fan of Eucerin
skin and body products I was excited to give this a try when it arrived a few
weeks ago! It promises to provide deep 24 hour hydration to dehydrated,
sensitive skin. This is right up my street this time of year when my usually
oily/combination skin starts to play up with the change in weather/heating etc.
and dry patches pop up! I recently took a reaction to a face tanner I used and
my skin got really dry and flaky and none of my usual moisturisers were working
so I gave this a whirl and have been so happy with the results! At first,
although this moisturiser has SPF I though it would be too rich for me during
the day but since my skin was so dry I piled it on anyway and was surprised by
how well it soaked in, soothed and smoothed my skin. I didn’t use a primer and
felt it gave a good base for my makeup too! I love the fact it has both UVA and
UVB protection and will definitely be taking this on a short trip away next
month (thank God for hold luggage)! There is a whole scientific explanation as
to how this hydrates involving the skins aquaporin’s which you can read about
here. The Eucerin range can
be found at Boots, Look Fantastic, Escentual, Feel Unique and some independent
pharmacies!
I got this in a set last
Christmas and its one of the first Origins products I've tried and loved. The
activated charcoal in it is meant to act like a magnet to draw out anything
clogging your pores like dirt and pollution through daily life. I like to use
this about once a week for a real deep clean and my skin always feels amazing
afterwards! It really softens it and seems to draw out any impurities by drying
up spots and blackheads! Plus I love how quickly it dries in! I like to rinse
this off just in the sink with my hands, I found when I used a facecloth it
stained really badly and didn’t come out in the wash but other than its great! I’ll
then follow up with a moisturiser like the Eucerin one I’ve mention above as I
find it can dry my skin out a bit but it’s totally worth it!
Top to bottom - Avene Triacneal, Eucerin AQUAporin Active SPF 25 UVB + UVA Protection, Origins Clear Improvement
This has become my Holy
Grail spot product! It’s pricey at £23 but it lasts ages! The product itself is
a yellow paste that is not greasy in the slightest and helps eliminate severe
imperfections. I use this over active spots at night where it helps to dry them
out and also over old acne scars which I find it helps to fade. I have a funny
feeling this is being discontinued as unfortunately as it’s out of stock on a
lot of sites, this seems to have happened to a lot of products I love over the
past few months! Avene did just bring out a new product called Triacneal Expert
and their Cleanance Expert is also targeted towards spot prone skin so they
would work well too!
Alpha H Liquid Gold RRP £33.50
This is one of my
favourite treatments and I have gone through various bottles of it! It’s an
overnight chemical exfoliator and I bloody love it! It claims to resurface the
skin and help to diminish wrinkles, pigmentation and sun damage. I totally
bought this because of the hype and its one I’m happy to say completely
delivers on its claims! I can’t quite put my finger on it but my skin just
looks better the morning after I’ve put this on. It’s clearer, more even, and
plumper and my old acne pigmentation doesn’t look as pronounced. Couldn’t be
without this now! Available at Beauty Bay, Cult Beauty and Look Fantastic among
others!
Have you tried any of
the products I've mentioned? What are your skincare saviours?
P.S. I also just got Twitter and Instagram and they are embarrassingly empty at the minute but links are below if you feel like saying hello :)
*denotes
a PR sample that was sent to me. All opinions are my own.
A lovely friend of mine recently came back from a year in America and
before she returned, I placed a sneaky order with ColourPop for her to take
back home for me! Here’s what I got…
Ultra Matte Lip in Donut
This is a bright peach colour that is a lot brighter/neon than what I
was expecting! This is definitely more of a night out colour for me but to be
honest I find the formula so drying on my lips I don’t know if I could get make
it out the door with this! It’s the quickest drying of any matte cream formula
of lip product that I’ve tried so it’s got that going for it but I just could
not get on with it! I did try putting a little Carmex over it like I do
with a lot of matte lipsticks to make them more wearable for me but this did
not agree with that at all and turned into a bit of a gloopy mess!
Lippie Stix in Crunch
This is one of my favourites! It’s a peachy coral colour that lasts a
long time on my lips keeping them nicely moisturised and it really brightens up
my complexion! I am completely in my comfort zone with shades and formulations
like this and it did not let me down! It’s sheer but it’s buildable and I absolutely
love it!
Lippie Stix in Lumiere
Another ColourPop lip
product I am obsessed with! This is a dusty mauve pink created by Kathleen
Lights who I actually never really watch on Youtube but this shade was so hyped
I had to try it for myself! I’m so glad I did, it’s like nothing else I own and
although I don’t usually get on too well with matte products this one is a
different story! It’s creamy and it doesn’t dry my lips out or accentuate dry patches
(although I always use a lip scrub before applying lipstick for the day!). This
lasts ages on me before I start getting a tell-tale outline around my lips and
have to reapply! I love the size of the nib of the lippie stix too as I can be
more precise when applying!
This is a neutral pink colour with a satin finish and I actually
struggled with this in the beginning because I couldn’t get a brush that would
pick up enough product for me! Since upgrading my old No7 blush brush to the
newer version I have been having more luck with this and love the flush of
colour and healthy sheen it gives me. The formulation of this, the bronzer and
eye shadows is absolutely amazing and like nothing give ever felt before! It’s
so soft and malleable and just a dream to touch!
Super Shock Cheek Bronzer in Skinny Dip
ColourPop describe this as a warm
tan bronzer which I think is very light and perfect for me to contour with when
I have no tan on, it’s very natural looking and I love it! I don’t find it
overly warm either and I think it would be impossible to go overboard with it!
The super shock shadows were where I think I made a few rash decisions!
I was in a rush so had about ten pages of google images of swatches laid out in
front of me and decided to go with all mattes because I wear them every day. To-a-T is a mid-tone warm brown that
looks pretty much identical on my skin tone to Intoxicate from the Rumer Has It
Collection (not available anymore). Mittens
is a deep warm brown with a red violet undertone. Now when it comes to
eyeshadows I like them cool and taupey/brown/grey so these are slightly on the
warm side for me for everyday wear! I do have blue eyes so by rights they should
suit me and I think they will if I have lots of liner and mascara on to balance
out the warmth of the eye shadows so all is not lost! They are so inexpensive
too I’m not that upset I panic bought and didn’t read the descriptions properly
before buying!
I went with the photos on ColourPop’s website which I found really
helpful as they show the shades on fair, medium and dark skin tones but maybe
should have looked up some more close up swatches and read the descriptions or
I would have stayed away from the warmer tones! Sometimes swatches can be
deceptive!
The stars of the show for me were definitely Crunch, Lumiere, Birthday
Suit and Skinny Dip! Have you tried anything from Colourpop before? Or have you
seen anything you like? I hope they get shipping to the UK sorted soon!
Hi everyone! I've got a few quick reviews and swatches today of some of
my old and new favourites from Boots own brand SEVENTEEN! Keep reading to see
what I love from the brand!
First up are some old favourites of mine that I absolutely love. The Phwoarr Paint heavy duty under eye concealer in Fair (£5.49) comes in two shades of which I have the lightest. It is a very thick
and creamy concealer that covers dark circles really well! As with other cream
concealers I have, I like to use this with my ring finger in order to warm it
up and blend it under my eye. I really like setting this with a separate powder
I will talk about later in this post but this ensures it doesn’t settle into
any fine lines around the eyes and that it lasts throughout the day. I also
sometimes use it to conceal spots too and it does a good job at this as well!
Brow’s That! brow kit £5.99
I feel like this was the original drugstore/highstreet brow kit! It was
the first brow kit I owned anyway and I got it in one of Boots’ trusty free
gift offers a few Christmases ago! I was actually using it to do my make up for
New Year’s Eve at my friend’s house and she pulled out the same kit – we can’t
resist a Boots bargain! It only comes in one shade but I find the colours are
very cool toned and a great match for me, the wax and powder are not overly
pigmented so perfect for an everyday look if you just want to define your
eyebrows a bit. They can be made a little more dramatic if you also use the
pencil before filling in with the wax and powder and I love the fact it’s so
easily buildable and the highlight shade has a lovely shimmer to it that’s not too
obviously glittery!
Mirror Shine lipstick in Beehive £4.79
I first bought this a few years back (when it was in the blue packaging
– anyone remember?). Vivianna Does Makeup raved about it so I picked it up to
see what all the fuss was about and fell in love with it! It is the perfect my
lips but better nude, sheer, natural looking, glossy, moisturising lipstick and
it’s a long standing favourite of mine! I haven’t done a top five favourite
lipsticks yet but this would be on it! I love the new packaging too, when you open
the lid a mini mirror pops out which is handy for on the go! I could apply this
shade in the dark but it’s maybe more useful for the other shades in the range
which I definitely need to check out!
Stay Pout lip colour in Audition* £4.49
These are SEVENTEEN’s long wear lip colours and Audition is a gorgeous bright
pink blue toned colour (which makes your teeth appear whiter)! I am completely
in my comfort zone with pinks as well as corals as opposed to reds and this
lipstick applies so smoothly and sits so comfortably on my lips it doesn’t dry
them out at all! It’s not totally opaque and I find I still have a little bit
of slip on my lips which is probably why I like the formula so much as its not
drying. It lasts a really good amount of time on me and you can layer it on for
a really bright pink colour which I would for a night out or apply it lightly
for a gorgeous stain that lasts hours and really brightens up the face!
Lip Crayon in Bold* £4.99
I love lip crayons like this for throwing in my bag when I want a bit
of colour, moisture and don’t have time to look in a mirror to apply! It’s a gorgeous
coral colour with loads of shine that’s so easy to top up throughout the day!
Like I said, pink and coral colours are my go to, they suit me and I look
healthier with a bit of colour on my lips! Saying that, I do want to give the
berry shade a go next!
Define and Conquer contour kit in Medium* £5.99
I was so excited to receive this as I have eyed this up in Boots many a
time and swatched the shades only to find they were all sold out! It seems to
be one of SEVENTEEN’s most popular products and rightly so! I could not wait to
get this out of the packaging! It comes in two shades, of which I have the
darkest and originally I thought it was going to be too warm toned for me but
thankfully I was wrong! This is buttery soft and blends like a dream leaving a
realistic shadow on my cheekbone and no harsh lines! What I love most about
this kit though is the fact the highlight shade is matte! I will get so much
more use out of it and have been using it to set the my Phwoarr paint concealer
under my eyes where it brightens really well! I love the sleek black packaging
too!
Falsifeye HD mascara in Blackest Black*£6.99
Finally, we have the Falsifye HD mascara! I love the plastic wand which
has two different sides, one with shorter bristles and one with longer. This
really coats my lashes evenly and I like to twist this as I apply which really
separates and fan out my lashes! It doesn’t clump at all and the wand easily
combs through my lashes. I always do two coats with any mascara I use and this
gives me so much separation and length! Although I would usually choose the
waterproof version of any mascara I’m using, I've been so impressed with the staying
power of this one! I don’t often put mascara on my bottom lashes but the size
of this mascara wand would make it perfect if you did!
So there we have my old and new favourites from SEVENTEEN! They are
always on offer in Boots and there really is no reason not to have a swatching
session when they have so much choice at brilliant quality and reasonable prices!
They also have a ton of new releases
making their way into stores and I for one cannot wait have a look at the new makeup
brushes and powder blushers!
SEVENTEEN have also recently launched their Blogger Network which is
free to sign up to and includes loads of product information, news, makeup
trends and tips!
What’s your favourite SEVENTEEN product or what would you most like to
try?
Hi everyone! I have another empties post today and I can’t
believe this is my 4th so I will get straight into it as its product heavy as
usual!
Bodycare
Soap and Glory Whipped Clean Shower Butter 250ml
At risk of sounding like a broken record, while I love Soap and Glory, I usually stick to my two favourite scents, Original Pink and Mist you Madly, as I’m not a huge fan of their other scents. This shower butter is scented of pistachio, almond and sweet vanilla and while I’m sure most people love it I get sick of it quite quickly! I got through this tube really quickly and definitely prefer the pump body washes which I think last a lot longer. This is however nicely moisturising as it has cocoa and Shea butters, grapeseed, sweet almond and macadamia nut oils and is great to use if you are shaving your legs! I wouldn’t repurchase this but I happily use it up when I have it!
Soap and Glory Clean on Me shower gel mini 75ml
This is one of my favourite scents! I regularly go through the big ones of these too but had a mini lying round in my back up supply (lol) so thought I may as well as use it! Constant repurchase!
Nivea Soft
moisturising cream 300ml
This stuff is a constant repurchase for me! I won’t bore you
to death because I've spoken about it a few times before but in short I love
this! It smells fresh and clean and absorbs really quickly!
Hair care
Mane n Tail Shampoo
355ml
I picked this up around Christmas last year as I’d heard
using horse shampoo was meant to give you really shiny hair. I found the consistency
of this a lot like the Aussie shampoos and I didn’t mind the smell although it
was quite different to the normal shampoos I use. I didn’t find any drastic difference in my hair while using
this and it didn’t make it any shinier than other cheaper shampoos so I will
not repurchase!
TRESemme 24 Hour Body Root Boosting Spray 250ml
I’m so glad I have finally finished this! That's not to say I didn't like this but this stuff was never ending and I'm currently working on finishing another product from the same range that I've had for ages too. I love the smell of this and it didn't weigh my hair down or make it greasy but as I have long hair with long layers nothing gives it volume so I don't think this did much! I would definitely repurchase this but I'd rather it came in a smaller size as I got a bit bored of using it constantly!
REN Oat and Bay
Conditioning Shampoo 50ml
I got this in a mini REN travel kit and only got round to
using it recently. As suspected I didn’t get many uses out of it but I’m glad I
didn’t have more to use as I really didn’t like it. I wasn’t a massive fan of
the smell and I found it very hard to lather in my hair so I wouldn’t
repurchase.
TRESemme Salon Finish
Freeze Hold Hairspray 250ml
I really liked this hairspray; it didn't leave my hair
crispy or tatty and kept it straighter for longer when I sprayed it. My hair
doesn't hold volume well in general but definitely did for a lot longer with
this! It’s not my favourite scent and I’m not overly loyal to hairsprays so I
will probably try a few before picking this up again!
Skincare
Nivea Lotion 260ml
This is my first choice first cleanser in the evenings and
is a habit passed on from my mum who loves the stuff too! I find it lovely and
cooling on the skin and it does a great job of removing most of my makeup
without dragging my skin. I will follow this up usually with an oil or balm
based cleanser. Already repurchased and using!
Emma Hardie Amazing
Face Moringa Cleansing Balm 50ml
I love this stuff! I bought it in a set at Christmas but
only started using it a few months ago and was surprised at how long it lasted
me considering the tub is tiny, but a little goes a long way with this! I don't
love the scent, it's quite orangey, but the balm is so soothing on the skin and
used with a warm flannel leaves my skin really soft and well cleansed. I have a
few sample sizes of oils and other cleansers to use up but I will 100% be
repurchasing this in the future even with the price tag! Definitely one that’s
worth the hype!
Garnier Express 2 in
1 Eye Makeup Remover 125ml
I've spoken about this before in another empties post too
but I love this stuff! It’s so gentle and doesn’t pull my eyes. I find it to be
really effective at removing my waterproof mascara and eye makeup because of
the oil in it. It doesn’t burn my eyes which can be quite sensitive and get dry
easily as I wear contacts daily! Already repurchased and using and if you are
in the market for an effective eye makeup remover this is your guy!
Makeup
Maybelline The Colossal
Volum’ Express Waterproof Mascara
I really like this mascara and its one I consistently go
back to when it’s on offer or I need the third thing in a 3 for 2 offer! The wand
is big and bristly and gives me a nice amount of volume without clumping my
eyelashes together. I featured this ages ago in one of my first posts about
products I wanted to get used up because I have had it for ages (way longer
than three months) but it just didn’t dry up and was making my lashes look so
good! I decided enough was enough though and eventually put it to the side
because the length of time I had it was getting a bit ridiculous! Will
definitely repurchase!
Max Factor Clump Defy
by False Lash Effect Water Resistant Mascara
False lash effect is my favourite mascara ever so I thought
I would try this clump defy version for a change. This also featured in the
post about products I was trying to use up because again, this would just not
dry up and was making my lashes look so good I couldn’t bear to throw it away!
It has a plastic spoon wand and really separated and lengthened my lashes. Will
definitely repurchase!
Collection Lasting
Perfection in Fair 1
I don't understand the hype with this concealer! Don’t get
me wrong I do like it but I definitely don’t love it and prefer concealers such
as NYX HD concealer and Soap and Glory Kick Ass over this! It is a great budget
concealer which I use for spots more so than under the eye but I do go over my
spots again with a second concealer as it doesn’t cover them completely. I do
however have a backup of this so maybe I do believe the hype haha.
Sleek Brow Stylist in
Dark
I really like this brow pencil! It has a spoolie on the end
which is so handy (I lost the cap ages ago) and a slanted twist up nib that
gives good colour payoff so you don’t need a sharpener. It’s quick and easy to
use and give me defined brows quickly! I have already repurchased this but as
you will have seen in this post, I have quite a lot of other brow products on
the go at the moment so I haven’t opened it yet!
So there we go, another ridiculously long empties post!
Sorry! Have you tried any of the products I’ve mentioned? What did you think of
them?
Hi guys! Short and sweet review today on a new Rimmel release, their “The Only 1” lipstick! I picked this up on Tuesday after spotting it in a local
chemist and armed with a voucher one of the girls I work with gave me, swiftly
bought it at half price! Couldn’t let the voucher go to waste now could I?
I think there are meant to be fifteen shades in the new range but I had
about six to choose from and after a swatching session decided on #700 Naughty
Nude. Now I’m no nude lipstick fan but I find this to be quite a pink shade! Rimmel
describe this as a no compromise all in one lipstick that provides long lasting,
high impact colour, comfort, moisture and wear. All in all, I would have to
agree!
The staying power is great with this lipstick, I’ve applied it at 8 o’clock
the last two mornings and it has stayed on my lips through copious water and
tea drinking to around 12 o’clock. I’ll then top it up with a bit of Carmex lip
balm to extend the wear a little further as the colour which starts out opaque wears
off very evenly and leaves a tint behind!
I find the Rimmel lipstick scent so nostalgic; I think I maybe got
given the end of one of my mum or aunts lipsticks when I was younger so it
always reminds me of that! I personally like the smell but if you are sensitive
to scents this may not be for you!
The lipstick has a slanted bullet unlike the usual Kate Moss etc.
versions which have more of a tip. I find I have to take a bit more care when
putting on this lipstick just to make sure I don’t go horribly over the lines
but it’s nothing major!
These are priced at £6.99 which is slightly more than the Lasting
Finish and Moisture Renew lipsticks so if you were thinking of getting one I
would definitely wait to get them on offer, Boots currently has buy one get
second half price on their makeup!
I think Cheeky Coral could be next on my list! Have you tried these
lipsticks? What was the last lipstick you bought?
