SUMMER BEAUTY: EOS LEMON LIPBALM WITH SPF

I love the Evolution of Smooth (EOS) lipbalms. The packaging is super appealing, especially as I can find it with ease in my hand bag! No more rummaging around the flosam and jetsam that are the contents of my bag.

My lovely work colleague picked me up the EOS lemon lip balm whilst on a trip to the States earlier in the year.
Perfect for the Summer, this fresh scented balm is formulated with spf15 to ensure your lips are well protected whilst out in the sun :)

Am not usually very keen on Lemon scented/flavoured lipbalms and this one took me a while to get use to. Was hoping it would be more like lemon sherbet but it's not as sweet!


Still...a lovely addition to my eos collection. Now I just need the tangerine one...

Which one is your favourite eos lipbalm? Leave a comment and let me know!

LADY GAGA WEARS IT - THIERRY MULGER WOMANITY PERFUME

The one thing I always notice about Thierry Mulger's fragrances is how different they are.
One sniff is all it takes to distinguish their distinct blend.

Perhaps it is this uniqueness that makes Thierry Mulger's latest fragrance, "Womanity", one of Lady Gaga's perfumes of choice.

Described on the box as a "woody, sweet and savoury eau de parfum" Womanity is a blend figs and caviar. Yep...caviar! A very strange and unusual cocktail of fruity, woody and salty all rolled into one.

To me it smells of coconut and vanilla with an underlying scent that I can't quite pin. That would be the caviar throwing me off *nods*


It's a funny fragrance and I haven't quite made my mind up as to whether it's one I like. I think it's the sweetness that I can't quite embrace, but having said that I LOVE Thierry Mulger's "Angel" and for years I despised it!
Womanity lingers around all day, it's the kind of fragrance that has so much going on, super sweet and sickly, and then really intriguing...definitely not a fragrance for those who like delicate scents...this one packs quite a punch.


I own the 30ml bottle that is a beauty to behold, loving the chain collar and the fact that it's refillable (new fragrance is intended to minimize its impact on the environment as much as possible).

Hmmm...*sniffs bottle*. It's definitely a fragrance to spark debate me thinks. SO what do you think? A yay or nay? Let me know your thoughts on this one!

SPONSORED POST: POPPY KING FOR BOOTS NO7

Poppy King, aka The Lipstick Queen, has teamed up with Boots No7 to release an exclusive range of seven lipsticks and seven lipglosses.
Originally hailing from Melbourne, Australia, Poppy's fascination with lip products started from a young age with the "Magic of Lipstick" range inspired by the different eras of make-up. 
Below is a short video from Poppy King introducing the collection:





I was recently sent the "Intrigue" lipstick to try which is described by Poppy as "...a great universal shade that suits everyone".

Upon first inspection it's not the type of shade I would usually pick for myself. However, once I applied it I found it really flattering and ideal for day time wear. It's a very subtle colour, giving a lovely pretty pink tint to the lips so would be perfect for anyone who is lipstick shy!
Top pic shows my bare lips, second pic with "intrigue" on.

Heres a swatch of Intrigue so you can see the colour better:

Whilst I tend to favour lipsticks that have a more intense coverage, I'm not a huge fan of lipglosses so the sheerness of this lippy makes a welcomed change for me :) I also love how it applies, you don't really feel like you have anything on and it seems to moisturise well too!

Boots No7 really seem to be upping their game with the recent collections they have been releasing. Whilst not as eyecatching as Poppy King's own brand, Lipstick Queen, the Boots No7 collaboration comes in a super sweet lilac aluminium case. At first I thought it was a mini lipstick but the bullet inside is a full 3.5g.

I wish Boots would repackaging their core range like this! Classier finish and less bulky than the permanent No7 lipsticks. 

The Magic of Lipstick range is available to buy now with the lipsticks retailing for £12. 

Visit the Boots website to view the full range.

Disclosure: Sponsored post. All views and opinions expressed are my own.

NOTD: EYEKO PASTEL POLISH...YAY FOR BLUE SKIES!

We had GLORIOUS sunshine in London over the weekend! London is a different city when the sun is shining, so many people happy and outdoors, lots of blossoms in bloom...and blue skies!

Taking inspiration from the weekend weather I decided to don sky blue nail polish *nods*
You can't really tell from the images below but I love the very subtle blue shimmer in this seemingly creme polish...

I applied three coats to get a opaque finish.
I really like the Eyeko polishes especially the cute slimline bottles and streak free formulation :)

BEGONE FOUL CUTICLES! INTRODUCING NAILTIQUES CUTICLE CARE OIL.

The one thing I struggle with in my whole nail care maintenance is dealing with fugly cuticles. They drive me NUTS and are always flipping drying out and looking all grim and gross.

Fellow beauty bloggers especially will understand the need to maintain good cuticles because NOTD with hangnails and peeling skin...EW!

Over the years I have invested in many different types of cuticle moisturisers, Burts Bees deliciously scented cuticle cream, Qtica Intense cuticle repair, Lush's Cuticle Butter and the infamous Solar Oil to name a few. ALL of which I love but none of them are practical when it comes to using one on the go. 


Nail care experts, Nailtiques, have a super convenient and bag friendly treatment that comes with a very handy rollerball applicator. Just pop the top off and roll around your cuticles, rub it in a hey presto! DONE!

The oil blend of sunflower, safflower, avocado and hemp seed oil feels light and sinks into the skin with ease and most of all without feeling greasy. 
The only thing I am not too keen on is the fragrance. It smells a bit too artifically sweet for me but isn't a deal breaker so won't put me off this product.
I love how small and practical it is and carry it with me everywhere. I think my cuticles love me now :P


Visit the Nailtiques website here: www.nailtiques.com
(pr sample)

FLIRTY FUN WITH EYECANDY LASHES

I'm not blessed with long curly lashes *shakes head*
Mine are poker straight and really rather meh so I am a huge lover of false lashes!

I was kindly sent some of the new Eye Candy lashes to try out and absolutely LOVE these ones *points below*

They are super kawaii no? Feel like a Harajuku girl wearing these 50s style dramatise 007 lashes :) Only teeny tiny gripe I had with them is that you have to go over the lash line with some eyeliner to hide the seam. Other than that they are fab lashes and are incredibly light and easy to wear. 
All Eye Candy lashes are hand made and great value for money at £4.99 each.


Eye Candy have a wide range of false lashes as well as false nails and you can visit their website here: www.eyecandybeauty.co.uk


(pr sample)

SUPER COLOURFUL HAIR STRAIGHTENERS FROM STYLERUSH - AS GOOD AS GHDs!

Last week I was kindly sent a pair of super pretty straighteners from Stylerush.

New to the UK market, Stylerush straighteners are hugely popular with hair conscious lasses in the Asian market, with manufacturing and design done in Korea.
Available in two sizes, standard and super cute mini size, what I love the most about these straighteners is the colour choice! There is the bog standard black but why choose this one when you have three vibrant choices to choose from? Lime green, sassy orange and flirty pink...all of them so girly!

The straighteners I received were the standard full size ones with pink ceramic plates. Unfortunately you can't see it in the photos but the white of the straighteners has a lovely pearl finish to it:

Click to enlarge image:

Heating up takes next to no time and they glide through my hair with ease. It's super quick to straighten and there is no need to go over the same area more than once as they do a fab job!

I would have loved it if there was a temperature control on them but it does come with nifty accessories such as a heat guard to place over them as they cool down and a travel pouch to keep them neat and tidy. 

Am also loving the super long cord as I can finally style my hair close to my mirror for a change!


Priced at £79.99 they are a great alternative to the popular GHDs of which I also own. The Stylerush straightener feels well made and of great quality and do just as good a job as GHDs and for a better price.


For more information visit the Stylerush website here: www.stylerush.co.uk


(pr sample no affiliate links)
Huge thanks to Beautywowza for the recommendation

SKIN SCIENCE - NORWEGIAN SKINCARE AVAILABLE @ HARVEY NICS

Last month I was invited to attend the Harvey Nichols (UK luxury department store to my readers abroad!) launch of Norwegian skincare brand, Skin Science. Unfortunately I couldn't make it but I was kindly sent the Bio Active Renewal Complex Cream to try out.


Here's what Skin Science have to say about this product:

Older skin that lacks elasticity will benefit from this nourishing moisturiser which contains Lex™, a compound shown to increase collagen production by 600% in just eight days.

It also contains Spermine™ for powerful protection against oxidative stress and UV damage.

Increases skin collagen production by 600% in 8 days

Increases your skin fibroblast growth by 40% in 5 days

No 1 collagen booster in skincare

As this cream is formulated for mature skin, my lovely mum has been trialing this out for me for the last month.
For reference my ma is in her 60s and she's been religiously applying this product every day and has really been enjoying it. She's raved about how it's made her skin soft and "plump" and how easily it absorbs into the skin. She said she thinks her wrinkles are looking better too with her skin feeling well moisturised and hydrated.

Skin Science is a luxury brand and the Bio Active Renewal Complex Cream comes with the luxury price tag of £95 (!).


To find out more about the complete range, visit the Harvey Nichols website here

(pr sample)

NO!NO! 8800 HAIR REMOVAL = week 8 final thoughts

Tonight is my last entry for the No!No!8800 trial. If you've been following from the start you will know that I have been trialing out this system for the last 8 weeks.

The No!No!8800 uses "thermicon" technology, where heat is used to remove unwanted hair. The No!No! website says the following:

Thermicon™ works on the thermal principle of heat transference. A gentle pulse of heat is conducted down the hair follicle. The hair is then separated close to the skin while the signal continues to travel down into the follicle where hair growth takes place. The more often this happens, the more effective the treatment is.
Click here to find out more 

Throughout the last 8 weeks I've compiled a small list of pros and cons which you can find below:


Pros 

• Painless to use. If you fear waxing or epilating then this would be a good option
• Easy to use on legs
• Wireless
• Compact and portable, ideal for travel
• Long battery life
• quiet!

Cons

• Can be a bit smelly to use. As the No!No! works by singing the hair, the scent of burning hair can be slightly off putting. 
• Takes a while to remove hair, meaning in one session you have to go over the same patch a good few times to ensure you catch athe unwanted hair
• You need patience to see results. Think I will need to use it for a while longer before I am fuzz free
• Can be difficult to use on armpits
• It's expensive!

I think I will continue to keep using this over the next few months, perhaps in conjunction with an epilator as I am still to this day struggling to remove all the hair from my arm pits. I found myself going over the same patch quite a few times to try and fully remove the hair and not always succeeding. Having said that fellow beauty blogger I Heart Cosmetics is having lots of success with hers so perhaps it is just me!
In the areas where I have succeeded, I have definitely noticed that the hair is growing back more slowly and the regrowth in general is patchy.
Which brings me to the last photo update! 

I hope that this little experimental diary has helped those of you who have shown an interest in the No!No! It did take some time for me to see results so I would recommend that you check out some more blog reviews to see how others have fared. 

You can find out more about the No!No! here
The No!No! is available to buy in the UK from Selfridges and selected Boots.

NO!NO!8800 HAIR REMOVAL TRIAL = week 7

It's week 7 of my No!No! trial and there does appear to be less hair growing back...woo hoo! Fab news and definitely worth the patience :)

Am still having the same issues with the device in that it's not getting close enough to the hair root to really destroy it, despite how ever many times I go over and over the same patch. Big shame but in the areas that it IS getting to it seems to be doing a good job.

I do find that the No!No! does take a lot longer to use than say an epilator or shaver as you have to go over the same patch a few times to ensure that the hairs have been removed. Does take a bit of patience but wayyyy less messier than waxing and not painful like epilating!

As always here are the updated pics:

 

 It's my last update next Monday so check back for my full and final review :)

 

HALF MOON MANI TUTORIAL: LIQUID PALISADE REVIEW

Liquid Palisade has got to be one of the best nail products I've come across in a while. It's such an ingenious idea, yet so simple, you wonder why no one had thought of it earlier!


Like liquid masking tape for your nails, it's perfect for creating various nail art designs or simply to just make painting your nails that little bit easier.


My immediate thought when I received it was to try out a half moon manicure. I don't often do this mani as when I do; I freehand it and painstakingly at that!


Use the fine brush to paint it on the areas you want to mask off:

Let it dry and then paint polish over it:

Whilst the polish is still wet you simply peel away the Liquid Palisade away:

Hey Presto!Half moons! 

Am so impressed and can't wait to try out more nail art so watch this space!

Liquid Palisade retails for $22 USD with free shipping for a limited time only. To find out more visit the website here: www.liquidpalisade.com

PUCKER UP FOR VALENTINES: OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE COSMETICS LIP TAR NSFW

I bought a few of the OCC Lip Tars at last years IMATS with NSFW high on my wish list.

The shade is a lovely bold and classic red, not too orange, not too blue...if this were porridge and I were Goldilocks it would be just right :)

A little goes an incredibly long way with the formula packed with pigment. 
I do find that they can be a little drying and they do feather and bleed quite a bit too, so a primer (like Urban Decay's lip primer) is best if you want it to stay in place. 
That being said they are so rich in colour and really give a WOW factor to the lips. I think I got this for around £6.50 at the time so it's also a complete steal given how little you need per application.

Visit the OCC website here: www.occmakeup.com

I've got a few more of these so will post more swatch up soon!

PRODUCT LOVE! HYDRATING NO FUSS, NO MESS, FACE MASK

Now before I get into this review I'll fess up...I'm not very good with face masks. It's not that i don't like them, but mostly because I am constantly busy and don't have the time, or I am hopeless at remembering!


I was given the Organic Surge First Class Face Mask last month and it's such a pleasure to use. I'm use to the clay based masks, you know, the ones that tend to get a bit messy, can get in your hair and are a bit fiddly to remove. However, the OS mask is a milky clear gel, making it easy to apply and wash off...no more fussing about! 

Formulated to deep cleanse the face, leaving it nourished and hydrated, I love that you can leave this mask on for as little as 5 minutes or even overnight for a more intense treatment.

I really find this mask a pleasure to use. Not only for it's sheer ease of use and mess free application, but also for the delicate clean fresh scent...hinting at lemons but oh so lightly.

Will definitely be using this product regularly, am super impressed with it. Much love!

The Organic Surge First Class Face Mask retails at £6.99. Visit their website for more info: www.organicsurge.com

Have you tried any products from Organic Surge? Any you would recommend? Am keen to hear your recommendations as I'd love to try more from this brand :)

(product = pr sample)

NOTD: MAVALA AQUAMARINE no 154

I love this colour! It's bright and cheerful and makes a lovely change to the taupes that seem to saturate this Winter.

I've never tried any of the Mavala polishes before and they go on streak free with two coats enough to give decent coverage. Chipping was minimal and I love the dinky little 5ml size of them :) So cute.

Mavala polishes are available in John Lewis and Debenhams.

Have you tried any of the Mavala polishes? Would love to hear your recommendations!

(pr sample)

S FACTOR HAIR CARE ON ACTIVEBEAUTY.CO.UK

I was recently given the opportunity to try out some S Factor products and having heard so many good things about the "Body Booster" and "Flat Iron Spray"(namely on Zoella's and Xsparkage's blog) these were the ones I chose.

I'm not usually a hair product fanatic, mostly because I am lazy with my hair, but also because I cannot stand the feeling of having physical product in my hair. Am so happy to say that neither of these products produce that effect and both smell of yummy strawberries...mmm!

The Body Booster does exactly what it says on the bottle and it is so easy to achieve voluminous hair! All I do is spray some of the product on slightly damp hair, close to the roots, then blast my hair with a hairdryer and viola! 
I have fine hair and have found this product makes a noticable difference, so much so that I've had a few people compliment me, in particular my boyfriend ;)
It won't give you hair like Cheryl Cole but then we know that's half fake anyway. What it will give you is a natural looking lift.


The S Factor Flat Iron Spray is a huge favourite with beauty bloggers and youtubers alike and it does do a fab job at protecting your hair from the heat of hair straighteners.
I have naturally straight hair but I straighten my unruly fringe so this product is great for that as well as helping me achieve poker straight hair for special occasions. I noticed that it took me less time to straighten my whole hair, without the need to have to go over the same area a few times (and I use GHDs).
I've heard that some reviews say that this product can be a bit greasy if sprayed too close to the hair so I took note of this before using this and didn't have a problem.
  
You can get both products from www.activebeauty.co.uk with the Body Booster retailing for £8.95 and the Flat Iron Spray for £9.95. Both fantastic prices compared to salons.

Other leading hair care brands include MOP, Bumble & Bumble and TIGI as well as skin and body care offerings from the likes of St. Tropez, and Neal’s Yard Remedies, often with savings on the RRP and always with free UK delivery!

(pr samples)

MASCARA LOVE! COLLECTION 2000 BIG FAKE FALSE LASH EFFECT

I first saw this mascara whilst watching a pixiwoo youtube video (AMAZING tutorials go check them out here) and after seeing the effect it had on Nic's lashes I had to dash out and grab one for myself!

Available for the bargain price of £4.99 this mascara is fantastically cheap and makes my lashes super big.


If you are a regular reader you will know that I usually only purchase waterproof mascaras, finding that non waterproof has a tendency of weighing my lashes down.


However, with the help of a fantastic japanese primer (review to follow soon I PROMISE) I've since been able to use regular mascaras without any problem...horray!

The Big Fake False Lash Effect has a nice big fat brush with the formula on the dry side, applying smoothly, separating lashes and without any clumps. 

I love that you can easily build up the volume of your lashes with this and it doesn't dry all crunchy and hard...yay for soft flexible lashes :)
I've not experienced any smudging whilst using this and it lasts all day with ease.


Anyway, without further ado, here are the before and afters...!

I bought this from my local Boots but you can also find it in Superdrug.
Visit the Collection2000 website here

NOTD: KIT AUSTRALIA NAIL POLISH IN "LET GO"

My boyfriend recently brought back a lovely haul of Australian makeup and skincare with a few products from the brand "Kit".
I LOVE this bright, fun nail polish in "let go" and I've had lots of compliments :) I don't own many pink polishes but after trying this one I think I shall have to add more to my collection!

The formula is really smooth and two coats was enough for full coverage that was streak free. Very impressed with it.

I jazzed my ring finger up with a little bit of nail art. Was tempted to do all of my fingers but yeah...took a bit of time to get them right so settled for just the two!

I also got a matching pink lipgloss in my haul which I will review soon.
You can visit the Kit website here: www.kitcosmetics.com.au

Have you ever tried this brand? What's your favourite product? Would love to know!

REVIEW: BENEFIT FULL FINISH LIPSTICKS

I am a huge lipstick lover so when the lovely team at Benefit surprised me with a parcel of lipsticks to try I squealed with utter delight.

The lipsticks have recently been repackaged, with the original lippies weighing in at 3g. The new ones are 3.6g so you get a little bit more for the same price :)


So what are they like?


The lipsticks are superb. They glide on with ease, feeling light on the lips whilst keeping them moisturised. There is no real scent or taste to them which for me is ok as I can easily get put of lipsticks if they smell bad!
I gave one to my mum to trial for me and she just came back from holiday telling me how much she loved it. She doesn't wear much make up these days but she was really pleased that she took it with her on holiday, wearing it every day and praising it for it's how nice it felt on her lips. I noticed she had it tucked in her reading glasses case. Any product stuffed in there has pride of place as she carries her glasses everywhere so she must really love it!
She said she would give me a quote for this post bless her but shes still jetlagged so I'll add it tomorrow ;)

On to the swatches!

Finders Keepers:

 Saucy:

Shy:

 Wanna?:

 Espionage:

My favourites are Shy and Wanna? I love the raspberry sorbet colour of Wanna? and Shy is perfect for day time wear.

The Benefit lipsticks retail at £14 each. www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk

Have you tried any of the Benefit lipsticks? Which one is your favourite?

(pr samples sent for review consideraton)