Empties #4

I haven’t done an empties post in a little while so here is what I’ve been using up lately....

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Foundation – this is my third tube of this foundation. I really do love it and find it’s not too heavy on my skin. I prefer a natural looking Foundation and this definitely ticks that box. However I’ve decided to be brave and try a new foundation, which is a big step for me, as a beauty blogger I am pretty rubbish at trying new products and shaking up my routine as when I find a product I love I tend to stick to it! I do have a funny feeling I may come back to this foundation though!

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer – I have received tube after tube of this stuff in various different beauty boxes and I am finally all ran out! I have to say I’m actually disappointed as I do like this primer. However I do love Benefits Porefessional primer a little more so I think that’s what I’ll be investing in next!

MAC Satin Taupe Eye shadow – I bloody love this eye shadow! It’s my perfect shade of brown and is the one I tend to wear day to day.  I have to admit I already have bought a replacement as I just can’t possibly be without it!!

Stila Smudge Proof Eye Liner – This eyeliner was one I received in a beauty and box and wasn’t sure at first as it’s a very solid black. It has really grown on me and has been a regular product in my make up bag however I think I will be replacing it with a cheaper alternative as I have used better eye liners.

Steam Cream – another product found in a beauty box (yes I subscribe to waaay to many boxes!), I was intrigued to try this as I have heard so much hype about it. It has a very strong herbal scent but once you get past that it’s been fantastic for my skin which is usually super sensitive at this time of year.

Revlon Professional Coconut Uniq One All In One Hair Treatment – BEST HAIR PRODUCT EVER!! I know that’s a ridiculously bold statement but as someone who dyes their hair regularly and suffers from crazy matted hair on a regular basis this stuff has been a miracle worker. It has really helped improve the condition of my hair.

Have you tried any of these products? How did you rate them?

MAC Haul and Face of the Day!

Before I begin today’s post I just wanted to point out something that made me giggle. Recently I spotted someone complaining on twitter that they hated when bloggers wrote ‘Haul’ posts as a haul actually means a load of stolen goods! This made me laugh out loud as I hadn’t thought of it in this way and now feel I need to put some form of disclaimer in front of any haul post! Although I would like to point out to that moaning Minnie on twitter that a haul also means ‘a large number’ which is the way I am using it today or pulling something heavy! So dear twitter moaner, please don’t be so pedantic!

A few weeks ago I was given a voucher for House of Fraser for writing this post, if you know me well, you know my first thought was going to be along the lines of oooh which makeup brand shall I spend this on?! Yep I’m kind of a predictable beauty blogger in that respect! My beloved Benefit Hello Flawless foundation was running out and I needed some more, but a few weeks prior to this when I was last in London I had spent a good hour in the MAC store in Covent Garden and was recommended a good Foundation that I decided would be the replacement. So as luck would have it you can buy MAC products on the House of Fraser website so I decided to treat myself using the voucher to a couple of pieces.

So first as already mentioned I purchased some MAC Mineralize Moisture SPF 15 Foundation in shade NW18. Ive never really been fussed by MAC foundations before as always find them super heavy and thick which is not something I like at all. I like my foundations to be super light and natural looking, so I was pleasantly surprised when I was introduced to this one in the shop. It’s exactly the type of foundation I like and is a perfect match to my skin tone and as an added bonus it actually stays put all day long! For £28 it is ridiculously expensive and if I didn’t have a voucher I don’t know if I would have paid for it but I have been seriously impressed with it so far and you only need a small amount so I think it is going to last me quite a while.

Next was a repurchase of my favourite eye shadow of all time the MAC Eye Shadow in Satin Taupe Frost. It’s a gorgeous brown shimmer with a purple tone, it’s a really warm shade that suits my skin tone. I have spent many hours trying to find a cheaper alternative to this but I have found nothing that matches its good pigmentation and how long is stays put. I can’t live without this shade and for £13 it’s not cheap but its well worth every penny!

If you pop by this blog often enough you will know I’m a sucker for a bright pop of pink lipstick, so my final MAC purchase is a little out of character for me! The last item I bought is a MAC Mineralize Rich Lipstick in Splurge for £20, if I didn’t have a voucher there is no way I could justify that much money on a lipstick!! Splurge is a deep purple pinky shade and looks a bit vampy, it’s not a colour id usually go for but I really do love it! Oh and as an added bonus it is super moisturising and stays put for hours!!

I put all my new products to the test last Saturday when I went for dinner with a few girlfriends....

FACE: The Balm Cosmetics Time Balm Face Primer, MAC Mineralize Moisture SPF 15 Foundation in NW18

EYES: MAC Eye Shadow in Satin Taupe Frost, Rimmel London Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer in Noir, Benefit They’re Real Mascara

CHEEKS: Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Rose

LIPS:  MAC Mineralize Rich Lipstick in Splurge

What do you think?

The Fabyouless Card & a Giveaway!*

Today’s post is a little different, it’s all about Fabyouless* which is a discount card. They recently got in touch and asked if I’d like to work with them have one of their discount cards. Fabyouless is a UK savings card focusing of hair, beauty and fitness. All subjects you know that I’m a little obsessed with!

With a Fabyouless card you can enjoy thousands of offers from leading beauty salons, nail bars, tanning salons, hairdressers, spas, clinics, gyms and personal trainers nationwide across the UK.  These offers mean a guaranteed 25% off or 2 for 1 deal and your membership is valid for a year.

I am usually pretty sceptical when it comes to these kinds of schemes especially when the card costs £49.95. However I spent a good bit of time checking out their website and reviews of their service online and I have to say I’m pretty impressed! Lots of big brands are affiliated and there are 5 beauty places affiliated in my local town alone and that’s impressive as I come from a small town where we are usually the last people to hear of things like this!

So to use your card all you need to do is hop onto their website and search where will accept your card and what offers they have on. You then contact the venue directly and mention your Fabyouless card when booking! Easy! 

My friends and I made a resolution this year to look after ourselves better and treat ourselves a bit more to a good pampering. So far this year I have had a few massages and I look forward to having more especially now I have this card which will make me feel less guilty about doing so!

The lovely folk over at Fabyouless have kindly offered a card to one of Lipsticks and Lashes lucky readers! If you would like a chance of winning a Fabyouless membership card just enter your details in the Rafflecopter below! This giveaway is open until the 23^rd April so Good Luck!!

Do you use any savings cards or websites like this?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Natural Skin Shop Review and Discount Code!

Firstly, hello! Sorry for the silence over here lately, lots been happening that I’m sure I’ll be filling you all in on soon. However it has meant my lovely blog has been taking a back seat but not anymore! I am back to blogging 3 times a week and I’m so excited to be back, boy have I missed it!

So today’s post is all about the Natural Skin Shop which is a website which sells a huge range of skin and beauty products, none of which are tested on animals (wahey!). I love their ethos and was super excited when they asked me if I’d like to try out some of their products out for myself. Here is what they kindly sent me...

Alpha Light Skin Bright Microdermabrasion – this stuff is meant to reduce marks and
Scars, uneven skin, age spots etc. To use it all you do is dampen skin with warm water and slowly massage onto your face for one-two minutes. They suggest using it once or twice a week and personally I have been using it twice a week. It’s been such a great find! I was a bit worried at first as my skin is a big mix of spotty, dry, sensitive and is constantly changing but my skins reacted really well to it. It really removes all the dry patches and leaves my skin feeling so lovely and soft, my skin looks so much healthier now. I will definitely be replacing it when I run out!

Primesse Anti-Aging Copper Complex – So I’m going to a bit of a shit sandwich here, hate saying negative things about products but my skin just didn’t react well to this one. The ingredients in this product are meant to help rebuild the skins barrier to lock in moisture, smooth out wrinkles and restore prime fullness. To use all you need to do is massage into face morning and evening. I really wanted to love this but it just made my skin so sticky! It didn’t seem to want to sink in and just left a tacky residue.

Arganistry Argan Hair Repair & Shine - I love this product soooo much! If you read this blog regularly you will know that I’m a fan of Argan Oil and that I’m quite good at trashing my hair with bleach on a regular basis. I am always keen to try new products out to see if they can help bring life back to my dry ends. This product states that it will sort out dry, damaged locks, split ends and frizzy locks. To use all you need is to pump a couple of drops into your hand and rub in to damp hair. Personally I just use it on my ends and find it really has put the moisture back in to it, so it looks lovely, smooth and healthy!

Over all I’ve been very impressed with the products I’ve received from the Natural Skin Shop and shall be purchasing from them again!

The lovely folk from the Natural Skin Shop are kindly offering ‘Lipsticks and Lashes’ readers $10 off any order with the promo code L&L10 that is valid now through May 31, 2015.

Treat your hair, treat yourself

Todays post is a GUEST POST!! I am so excited about this, I haven’t had a guest poster on ‘Lipstick and Lashes’ for a good 10 months. I have quite enjoyed having it as my own little space but I also love collaborating with other writers and spicing things up abit around here. When the gorgeous Nika emailed me asking if she could guest post, then made me giggle by sending this buzzfeed article entitled ‘If Disney Princesses had Wet Hair’ I was sold on the idea!....

Women often see their hair as a reflection of their identity because it represents them in public. For many women a bad hair day equals a bad day: when a woman's hair is too fine, too frizzy, too dry, turning grey or falling out, her self-esteem is affected. Is every day a bad hair day for you? Then it’s time to do something about that.

Rapunzel, let your hair down! (Image source flickr.com)

How to take care of your hair?

The first step on that road is to dedicate some time to your precious hair, and take god care for her. When you are drying your hair, make sure that you don’t use the hottest setting on your hairdryer especially if you're pairing it with another hot tool, like a flat iron. Taking care of longer tresses requires frequent trims (every six to eight weeks) and conditioning the ends every other day to prevent dry out. As for brushing your hair, it’s better to choose a natural hair brush, because it’s less damaging. Your hair is its most fragile when wet, so avoid excessive brushing or combing until it's most dry.

Do not flat iron on a daily basis. (Image source flickr.com)

Hair products

It is very important to choose hair product that matches your hair type. As for shampoos, no matter what your hair type is, you should try using shampoos that do not contain sulfates or parabens. Curly hair probably needs frizz-minimizing and softening shampoo. Straight or oily hair needs a gentle shampoo designed for daily washing. For colored or treated hair use a shampoo that's fortified with extracts or amino acids, because treating your hair is essentially damaging it. Dry hair probably needs shampoos with glycerin and collagen to help restore moisture into the hair. It is the same principle when you are choosing a conditioner. For full recovery of your hair you can try products with Moroccan oil. It softens hair, helps hide split ends, and adds shine. Basically, it's a miracle product, especially if you have dry, coarse, or damaged hair.

DIY hair care

If you think hair care is expensive and not everyone can afford that, guess again! There are some great hair care products in your own kitchen. DIY hair masks are becoming even more popular, because they are healthy and contain only natural ingredients. A true hair care miracle is a raw egg, and it works with all hair types. You can combine it with yogurt, olive oil or honey. Dairy products also work great for dull hair, they give shine and softness to your hair. A lemon juice and olive oil mixture will moisturize skin on your head. To add body to hair, reach for an unlikely beauty beverage: beer!

Your friend can be your hairdresser too (Image source flickr.com)

Hair diet

Healthy diet is an important factor for healthy hair. To have stronger hair, consume eggs, milk and dairy products, fish, nuts, carrots, dark-leaf vegetables, legumes and grains. Also, make sure you intake minerals and vitamins.

There is no excuse for neglecting your hair, especially when it’s so easy to take good care of it. Beautiful and shiny hair always leaves good impression, which is why proper hair care is important.

 

- You can find Nika on twitter here, and I can’t wait for her to start her own blog!

Chemist Direct Haul

I haven’t done a good old haul post in forever! I haven’t had a massive shopping blow out in ages, don’t get me wrong I still am a shopaholic but my spending has been a little here and there rather than one big haul!

So when Chemist Direct recently got in touch and offered me £50 to go mad and purchase whatever I would like in their online store, I got ridiculously excited! They have a huge range of beauty, hair, body and health products at pretty bargainous prices. I spent an evening browsing the site and ended up with £569.75 worth of items in my shopping bag. Whoops! I ended up going on a bit of a cull and getting it down to £60.50 with postage and packaging.

So here is what made the cut...

Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Natural Bronze Tanning Lotion – I love the smell of this stuff and I don’t know about everyone else but I’m feeling ridiculously pale and pasty this winter so anything that will add a hint if colour is a must for me right now!

Bare Minerals Nude Beach Glimmer Eye shadow – I have used this shadow before and recently ran out. It’s such a pretty shade, I may do a separate review on this at some point.

Garnier All in One Skin Perfector BB Blemish Balm in Medium – lately I have been using BB creams instead of foundation, I find it a lot lighter on my skin and can’t wait to give this one a whirl!

Carmen Copper Curling Tongs – I’ve recently had 3 inches chopped off my locks so it now rests on my collar bone. I really like the messy hair look, you know that tousled beachy hair style, and I’m hoping these curling tongs will help me achieve that!

Beckhams Signature for Her 75ml EDT Spray – this could have gone terribly wrong as I had never smelt this scent before, but I wanted a new perfume so I thought id risk it! Cue, sigh of relief when it arrived and smelt lovely! I’m not sure this scent would be for everyone as it’s quite a musky manly one but I quite like that about it!

OPI Muppets Most Wanted Gaining Mole-Mentum Nail Lacquer – such a pretty colour!

Inecto Pure Coconut Oil Conditioner 6 pack – err yeah, 6 whole bottles, I know that seems a little excessive bit I find coconut conditions work wonders on the dry ends of my locks!

Have you tried any of these products?

January's Birchbox

This month Birchbox have hooked up with Women’s Health Magazine to create the ‘Hit Refresh’ box, a box of revitalising treats to help you kick start the New Year!

So what did I receive?

Stila Lip Glaze in the shade ‘glamour’ – which is a deep pink/purple tone that’s quite a neutral colour. I really like it and find the Stila Lip Glazes quite moisturising on my lips.

Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle – Having fine hair that easily knots especially when it’s wet, I am pretty excited to see how this works on my locks!

REN – Glycobiotic Radiance Renewal Mask- I’ve received this mask before and found it left my skin feeling lovely and clean so I’m happy to find it in this month’s box.

HealGel Body – I have heard a lot about this body lotion but have not tried it yet – I’m intrigued to see how it works on my skin as I really suffer from dry skin during these cold winter months.

Activbod Feel Great Shower Concentrate – this smells really refreshing, I can’t wait to try it in the shower!

Embrace Matcha Green Tea – a powder you mix into hot water to create Green Tea. I drink a lot of fruit and herbal teas but I just can’t stand the taste of Green Tea! It’s gross! So I think I may be passing this a long to someone else to try out!

Birchbox Pilates Band – I love that Birchbox now throw in a lifestyle treat to their boxes! I have recently started Pilates and love it so can’t wait to try this band out!

For £10 plus £2.95p+p, it’s a pretty great box considering ill use the majority of the products received and am really pleased with it! As a bonus the theme really fits in with my motivated mind set at the moment.

Do you receive any subscription boxes?

Benefit They're Real Push-up Liner

Benefits They’re Real! Push-up liner has been out for a little while now and is a lash-hugging gel eye liner pen. When it was first launched I was really keen to try it but then I saw really mixed reviews about it and with a price tag of £18.50 I decided to give it a miss.

Then recently I popped to my local Benefit counter to pick up some more They’re Real Mascara and noticed for the price of £19.50 I could get ‘The Real Steal’, my mascara plus a mini ‘They’re Real Push-up Liner. A bargain! So of course I made the purchase.

I am so glad I did as I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the push-up liner. It’s pretty easy to use, you twist the nozzle to push up the gel liner to the tip. The top bit does dry out so I now squirt the first bit of gel onto a tissue. Then you slowly guide the tip along the lash line.

I found the slanted top meant I could apply it evenly to both lash lines – wahooo! I use to end up with one thick line and one thin when I’ve used brushes to apply gel liner in the past.  It does also get into those spaces between lashes and is really long lasting and stays put all day! The only thing I didn’t like was the texture of it, it’s a but chalky and seems to dry out quite easily, I’ve found a few times that  mid application it will come out lumpy and just fall off, making it hard to apply smoothly.

I absolutely love the applicator and hope other brands expand on this style, I’m just not 100% sold on the consistency of the gel, so I’m not sure I will be investing in a larger tube.

Laqa & Co Sheer Lip Lube In Menatour

I received this Laqa & Co Sheer Lip Lube way back in Julys Birchbox. Now purple isn’t a colour id normally wear so was a bit ‘meh’ about it at first however a few months later it has definitely grown on me and I do wear it regularly now!

The shade is called Menatour and is a bright purple and when you look at the pencil it looks a little garish to me. However this didn’t completely put me off and I decided to try it out anyway. I am so glad I did as once on its a little more pinkish and is quite flattering. It is still pretty vibrant so may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

It glides on pretty easily, I start by lining my lips with it then filling in the rest after. It’s not sticky or tacky and it actually stays put for hours! Its long lasting, smooth and non drying, all points that make me very happy with a lip product.

A bonus point is gained for the fact it smells like peppermint! Add a little lip gloss and I really like the results. I would never have chosen this colour myself, but I LOVE it and it’s made me more open to trying new shades!

Laqa & Co Sheer Lip Lube in Menatour can be bought from the online Birchbox shop for £14, this is the only thing that puts me off buying it as I think it’s a little expensive for what it is.

Beauty Blog Sale!

Welcome to my blog sale! Forget going to the shops for the Boxing Day sales when you can check out the goodies I have here instead! Being a beauty blogger I have a ton of products that I’ve only used once, never used or have replaced with something else. Therefore I thought I would see if any of you lovely lot would like to purchase some of it! I’ve done 2 of these before but haven’t done that well from them so I am hoping 3^rd time lucky!

I am going to put a few pieces up to begin with and see how this goes! If I do sell some bits I will add more products so keep checking back!

Okay so here is how it works...

If you want anything or want to ask me anything, just leave me a comment. It’s going to be on a first come first serve basis.  

I only accept PayPal and all payments must be made within 24 hours. Please note: If payment is not made within 24 hours, any offers will be withdrawn!

UK postage is £2.80, whether you want one item or 10 it will be this standard price. I will post items within 2 working days of receiving payment.

I will post internationally, but please contact me before hand for postage costs

I'm afraid that I am not at fault if the package goes missing in the mail and I won’t be accepting any returns. All sales are final.

Hair...

Bed Head Tigi Superstar Queen for a Day Thickening Spray – 320ml – Brand New - £8  (RRP £13.95)

Umberto Giannini Volume Mousse for Big Hair-200ml- Brand New - £3 (RRP £5.59)

Lee Stafford Hair Growth Leave In Treatment - 100ml - Never been used! - £3

Face...

Dr.Jart + Most Moist Water-Act Skin Mist -150ml-Brand New- £10  (RRP £18)

Elemis Herbal Lavender Repair Mask – Used Once - £18 (RRP £29)

The Body Shop Vitamin E Over Night Serum-In-Oil- Used Once - £8

WITCH Naturally Clear Blemish Stick – Brand New - £1 

Body...

Rimmel London Sun Shimmer Instant Tan in Medium – Brand New - £2                                 

Avon Femme Body Lotion – Brand New - £2

Cath Kidston Provence Bluebell and Jamsine Hand Cream – 30ml – Brand New - £1.50

Makeup...

 Laura Mercier Foundation Primer- 30ml – Brand New - £5

MAC Powder Blush in Coppertone – swatched twice - £6

17 Blow Out Volumise Sculpt Tease Mascara –Brand New -£3 (RRP £6.29)

Bourjois Paris 1 Seconde Mascara in Black – Brand New - £5 (RRP £9.99)

Nails...

Avon Star Dust Enamel in Polished Plum – Brand New - £2

Avon Opal Top Coat in Opalesce – Brand New - £2

Avon Gel Finish Nail Enamel in Creme Brulee – Brand New - £2

Avon Gel Finish Nail Enamel in Fabulous – Brand New - £2

Models Own Nail Polish in Blizzard – 6ml – Brand New - £2

Models Own Nail Polish in Pink Cocktail – 6ml – Brand New - £2

Models Own Nail Polish in Golden Green – 6ml – Brand New - £2

OPI Nail Lacquer in Coca-Cola Red -15ml – Brand New - £4

Essie Nail Polish in On A Silver Platter – 13.5ml – Brand New - £4

           

Not happy with the prices? Then make me an offer!

Empties #3

I seem to have run out of quite a few products in the last few days so though I would share a few of them in an empties post! I’ve not done one of these in so long....

1.    Organix Renewing Moroccan Oil – check out my review of this hair oil here. I love this stuff! I use it daily on the ends of my hair before drying it and it really helps keep it in a fab condition.

2.    Biore Warming Anti-Blackhead Cleanser – I have been using this a couple of times a week. It heats up when on your skin which is a funny sensation and it leaves my skin feeling pretty refreshed. Good if you are having a breakout!

3.    The Body Shops Tea Tree Skin Clearing Cleanser – I found this tended to cause me breakouts and was a little too harsh on skin so I think I will be sticking to my go to Lush toner water from now on!

4.    Elemis Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser – I recently reviewed this a while back, which you can find here! I absolutely love this stuff! It’s done wonders for my skin and its smells of those sweets, parma violets!

5.    The Body Shop Deep Sleep Dreamy Pillow and Body Mist – I know this isn’t a beauty products but beauty sleep is important so I am using that as my excuse to include this! I have used this for years on my pillows. It is made from camomile and essential oils and has such a comforting scent. I will definitely be buying more of this!

Have you tried any of these products? How did you rate them?

My Christmas Nails!

I haven’t done a nail post in soo long! But I am ridiculously excited about my Christmas nails so I just had to share them with you all! As you can probably tell from my recent posts I am really getting into Christmas this year which is a bit odd for me, I’m not a complete Grinch but I’m usually pretty laid back about it all but this year I am properly getting into the swing of things!

I have been getting gelish done for the past few months as my local beauty salon, as a nail biter I find it’s the only thing that’s stops me biting them! I also love the finished shiny look of them! So when my gorgeous beautician asked if I wanted to try some nail art this year I could resist!

I went for a mix of things, candy cane stripes, snowflakes and a crazily cute Santa’s hat! They are all done in gelish and she did them all by hand! No stencils involved! So impressed with them!

How are you getting into the Christmas spirit? Have you got Christmas themed nails? 

My Little Cosy Box

‘My Little Box’ is definitely my favourite subscription box by far at the moment! I am in love with the illustrations they use and all the goodies that arrive inside it! This month’s theme is ‘My Little Cosy Box’, the same as Novembers disappointing Birchbox, but I think ‘My Little Box’ has covered this theme pretty well!

Each comes with an A5 illustrated quote, and I have framed a few of my favourites, and I think this month’s is pretty cute and spot on! Inside my box was an espresso mug with a cute illustration and the quote ‘how is your day gonna be?’ which I adore! I haven’t drunk coffee for 7 months now so will another use for this gorgeous mug!

My favourite item has to be the red and white polka dot little cushion that you can heat up in the microwave! I can’t wait to start using this! In the little beauty bag I received a mini Essie polish called ‘cute as a button’, My Little Beauty Volume & Care Mascara and an Aracancil Starliner Black Waterproof Eyeliner, all items I will definitely use!

This box never fails to surprise me and for £11 plus p&p a month, I think it’s a fab price for the quality of goods you receive!

What subscription boxes do you recommend? 

MAC Retro Matte Lipstick in All Fired Up

 

MAC is a funny brand, people seem to either love it or hate it. I am quite happy to state that I am a fan, I have been using their eye shadows for years and am yet to find anything that matches there staying power and finish. I have also recently become a little hooked on their lip glass glosses and their infamous lipsticks.

Due to this naughty habit I can no longer walk pasta MAC store without purchasing. So when visiting my sister last in London, I couldn’t resist popping into their Covent Garden store and ended up treating myself to their Retro Matte Lipstick in All Fired Up. If you pop by this blog regularly you will know that I can’t resist a bright pink lip!

This is such a gorgeous lipstick! It's a very beautiful bright dark pink-red with blueish tones that looks so vivid and pretty. This is a great night-time color but I feel you can really pull this off in daytime as well.

The color leaves a stain so it survives eating and drinking pretty well. Since it is a retro matte formula, this color lasts the whole day, I usually get about a 6-hour wear of this lipstick without any touch ups which is pretty amazing. I’ve had no issues with smudging either and it’s got awesome staying power! The wear is great even when paired with a gloss.

I know a lot of people complain about Matte Lipsticks as they can be quite drying, I’ve had no issues at all with this lipstick and think it has quite a smooth finish, although if you have dry lips already I’m not sure I’d recommend it as it would probably highlight any imperfections. I exfoliate and moisturize my lips religiously so I wouldn't expect that to be an issue with most lipsticks.

Highly recommend this lip color as its high quality and I think it would suit most skin tones! At £15.50 it’s not cheap but this is definitely a classic lipstick that I know I’ll be repurchasing when I run out!

Are you a lover of MAC? If so what’s your favorite product of theirs?

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

I have wanted to try Liz Earles Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser for a ridiculously long time now. However even after reading many raving reviews about it I could never quite justify the price tag so just kept it on my lust after list. So lo and behold, I was beyond excited when it turned up in a Birchbox one month and then I was lucky to receive it again my Glamour Beauty Power List 2014 box.  After using both samples I thought I would share a review, so here are my thoughts...

Before I start I just want to share with you all that I HATE flannels/sponges etc. Hence why I’ve not been jumping onto the Hot Cleanser band wagon that I’ve seen so many of my fellow raving about. I just think they harbour germs and are unhygienic! Anyone else feel like this or am I being ridiculously OCD?

This stuff is really easy to apply, the first step is to massage onto dry skin, all over your face and neck. It smells lovely! It’s a gorgeous eucalyptus, citrusy, summer garden scent which is so refreshing. You need to work in circular movements from the centre of your face outwards, gently massaging over the eyelids last so you avoid spreading your eye makeup all over your face. Next you rinse the pure muslin cloth in hand-hot water and wring out before gently wiping off the cream. You then rinse and repeat, using a clean section of the cloth for each bit of your face.

As you can imagine the cloth gets coated in mascara – they do recommend keeping your cloths fresh and cleaning by placing in a 30 degree white wash every few days and allow them to dry naturally. I’m going to assume that if you buy a full size product it would come with more than one cloth?! Therefore if that’s the case I can bypass my hygiene issues around it! – I sound neurotic, I promise I not!

In terms of results, it removes all traces of makeup without you having to properly scrub like you do with some products! Even after the first use my skin felt a hell of a lot smoother, cleaner and fresher! My skin feels really hydrated and I can see why it’s so popular!

For £24.75 which gives you 200ml, it’s a bit out of my price range but it has improved my skin so I have been impressed. It’s a little out of my price range but I think I will be adding it to my Christmas wish list and see if anyone treats me to it!

Novembers Birchbox

I HAVE NO WILL POWER!! So this month I have re-subscribed to both Birchbox and Crown & Glory’s Gliteratti subscription boxes! I am hopeless! However I am a little glad I when this month’s Birchbox arrived on my doorstep with the theme of ‘Cosy at Home’ that’s what this time of year is all about, right? I love getting home into my pjs, doing a bit of pampering and getting cosy on the sofa. These dark evenings have to be good for something!

So here is what I received inside November’s Birchbox...

OPI Coca Cola Red Nail Polish – I have been lusting over OPIs limited edition Coca Cola collection for a few weeks so was really happy when this arrived! I love fire engine red nails so this is perfect for me and I can’t wait to try it out!

Beauty Protector Protect & Treat Hair Mask – I am on a mission to have healthy happy locks so am looking forward to giving this a try! I received 2 little tubs of this so can try it a couple of times.

Dr. Jart + Most Moist Water Act Skin Mist- it’s nice to receive a full sized product! I’ve really got into using Toners lately so am looking forward to trying this out!

Lord & Berry Mini Bronzer in Sunny – it’s a bit too much of an orange shade for me!

Weleda Pomegranate Creamy Body Wash – this smells gorgeous!! I wish it was in a bigger tube!

Drinkwel – Err this is a bizarre one!! A multivitamin you take before and after drinking alcohol to help with hangovers?! Think I’ll stick to my mars bar and lucozade works every time for me!

I have to say I was a little dissapointed they didn’t do more around the theme of ‘cosy at home’ I’m not sure half these products really sum up being cosy at home??! I think they could have popped a chocolate bar or a face mask in, maybe that’s just me though? Let’s see what next month’s box brings!

Do you subscribe to any beauty boxes?

My Autumn Snail Mail Buddy!

During the Autumn round of Bloggers Snail Mail so many wonderful bloggers signed up to join in, I was so overwhelmed and excited by the numbers! There was also an even number of sign ups which meant I was unable to join in, boo!

I mentioned this in one of my posts and the wonderful Kezzie who blogs over at KezzieAG commented saying she would love to be my snail mail buddy! This was such a kind gesture, so getting to know Kezzie over email it didn’t surprise me that she is such a lovely person and all round good egg!

It’s been really fun getting to know each other and finding out that we share common interests such as Doctor Who, vintage things and shopping! I think it’s my favourite bit of The Bloggers Snail Mail project!

 

I was beyond excited to get home this morning and find a package from Kezzie! Enclosed were some amazing treats and a gorgeous handmade card. Please can we all take a moment to coo over the stunning Vintage style perfume bottle, I am in LOVE with it! I want to find a vintage style mirrored tray to display it on now! Kezzie also sent me a 3D manicure set which I can’t wait to play with, some gorgeous green shimmer eye liner for Christmas and some pretty daisy hair clips which are in my hair as I sit here typing. She also sent me this stunning amethyst gemstone belt, I think I’m going to use it more as a necklace though and layer it with a few others. Finally the last item I pulled out of the package was a pebble painted with a shimmery blue/green heart which she recently picked up on a trip to the beach.

They are all such thoughtful gifts and I feel so spoilt. I would like to say a massive thank you to Kezzie for being such an awesome snail mail buddy!

If you like to sign up for the winter round of #TheBloggersSnailMail check this post outhere. Signups are open till Friday 28^th November!