Peugeot Nail Wraps?!

Hello!

So these were not what I was expecting in this months Marie Claire! Maybe this new marketing campaign will work but in the mean time I will put the nail wraps to a first impressions test as I have never tried a product like this before. I have never really felt the need seeing as I have plenty of nail varnish but who knows I may like them!
I'll keep you posted as to when I use these.

I Xxx

On the fence: Rimmel Apocalips

Hello!

I didn't own anything of the nature of a liquid lipstick before I found these in boots and after reading some great reviews I decided to give the shade 'celestial' a go. It seemed to be the most natural shade however once I tried it I found that none would look natural as the opaque colour also gave a plastic like sheen. This wasn't to my taste however once I blotted it with my finger I found I could achieve the look I wanted to give a 'your lips but better' effect.

I think the packaging is great and the applicator can hold the right amount of product to ensure it is quick and easy to apply. It has a slight smell which I find more pleasant than unpleasant, and no taste once on the lips.

My main concern is the longevity because it can look great but once it starts to wear off it becomes patchy and so makes the lips look rather dry. This is my reason for not buying any brighter colours that would make this effect more obvious.
I would recommend this to people willing to keep touching up though out the day as apart from this I think its a good individual product.

I like to blot it down to a matte finish.

Do let me know If you've tried this.

I Xxx

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder Vs. Soap & Glory One Heck Of A Blot

Hello!

As I have combination to oily skin I am one of the people who must use powder to avoid unwanted shine at the end of a long day. I also don't like to take make up into school (except lip products) so the powders I use must be long wearing. I recently finished a Rimmel powder and thought it was excellent for £3.99 so I repurchased the 'translucent' shade.
Soap & Glory's transparent powder caught my eye in Boots after hearing excellent reviews so I purchased it at £11.
So does a cheaper high street product match a more expensive, but still high street, product?


I use a Cath Kidston powder brush for both products but you could use a small brush for precision powdering.






Rimmel-
I think this product is excellent value and I would recommend it to anyone on a budget. It will suit any light skin tones and one can buy different shades as well as translucent for a little more coverage. There is amply product in the pan however the packaging leaves a lot to be desired as the lid tends to come off in make up bags as there is no clasp. This product can keep me mostly matte during a long day however as the product isn't as finely milled as One Heck Of A Blot when doing any retouches it can look a tiny bit cakey...but thats just me being picky!

Soap & Glory-
This is expensive for a high street brand however I think it lives up to the price tag as the powder is soft and very finely milled and will keep me matte for longer than the Rimmel powder. When doing retouches it also looks perfect. I don't use the sponge that it comes with as I find it too small and difficult to hold but it could be useful for on-the-go. The packaging is great as there is a large mirror in the lid and the case feels very solid. I would recommend this one more if the price is no issue however I  also love the Rimmel powder.

A*s all round!

I Xxx

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paints

Hello!

When summer came around I realised that I was in need of some new bright or pastel nail varnishes so I decided to try three of the new Barry M Gelly polishes as I had heard some good reviews.
At the moment they are 2 for £6 in super drug but usually they are very affordable anyway.

Prickly Pear, Papaya & Blueberry

 The first layer can go on slightly streaky as I feel the brush is too thin for the thick consistency.

One coat

However two coats can achieve the opaque finish and there is certainly a high-shine to the finished look.

Two coats (can apply three if necessary)

The shade range is great so I have my eye on a few more colours. They last on my nails for 4-5 days without chipping and that's without a base or top coat (as they don't stain my nails).

I Xxx

Rimmel Instant Tan Vs. Garnier Summer Body

Hello!

So as it is never sunny for long during the British summers I always end up turning to fake tan to give the illusion that I have actually seen the sun this year. Depending on how fast I want to build up a tan I will use either the Rimmel Sun Shimmer Instant Tan + Gradual Glow in medium matte or the Garnier summer body moisturising lotion in "deep sun-kissed look".

 My thoughts:

Rimmel Instant Tan-
This is the one I will turn to for fast results as the colour doesn't need to develop and as I use medium and not light the effect certainly is 'instant'. I would recommend using a tanning mit with this product otherwise you will end up with stained hands and rather streaky areas on your body. I use a £2.50 one from Tescos and it does the job just fine! It does have a fake tan smell but its not as obvious as some others I have tried and as usual you will need to exfoliate beforehand to prevent it sticking to dry areas. I bought this for roughly £4 on asos so I would say for the price it is great for everyday use or just special occasions.

Garnier (left) & Rimmel (right)

Garnier Moisturising Lotion-
I will use this moisturiser everyday for a week before the day I want to look tanned for or I will use it everyday in the summer for a subtle tanned look but I'm not sure I would use it in winter as I think it could look a little orange on paler skin. However this suits me in summer as I have yellow undertones to my skin when I tan anyway! I agree that it is moisturising and it smells lovely sue to the extracts of apricot in the product. I find it easy to apply with my hands without streaks and it is budget friendly compared to St Tropez.

Happy Holidays!

I xxx

Living up to the hype?- Maybelline Baby Lips

Hello!

When I found these in Boots I was rather excited to find out what the fuss has been about in America and other countries where Baby Lips are stocked. For their price tag of £2.99 they won't break the bank  so I felt no guilt in immediately trying two, Cherry Me and Pink Punch. These were the only two coloured ones so I was drawn to those over the mint flavour, intense moisture treatment and another paler shade.
I am a massive fan of lip balms as I feel my constant use of vaseline as a child has led to my lips feeling incredible dry if I don't have one near! So lets see if they can deliver moisture and colour...

Pink Punch (left), Cherry Me (Right)

Cherry Me-
This is a deep pinky red shade and I must say I do like the packaging however the bubble writing does look slightly juvenile, but hey we come from the age with popular coca cola lip smackers back in stores!
It does moisturise my lips while giving a sheen to them. As the colour is in the same shade range as most peoples lips I find they only look slightly redder but the colour pigment doesn't get caught noticeable in any dry patches of the lips.

Pink Punch-
I really like the bubblegum pink colour of the product and this does seem to transfer well onto the lips, at least for what is essentially a tinted lip balm. However I would recommend you exfoliate your lips before applying this colour as it does get caught in dry areas which gives an uneven finish.
I find that this colour is perfect when you want a pink lip in a hurry and you don't have time for lipliner and lipstick as it gives a subtle pop of colour. You can even apply lipgloss over each to intensify colour.

One thing I would mention is that like most products claims to last a certain number of hours this doesn't quite live up to its 8hr longevity for me. I found my lips felt comfortable for 5hrs however the colour will wear off once you eat or drink.
Both smelled amazing as well (of cherry and then Pink Punch smelled of Fanta Fruit Twist!).

I will look into purchasing the intense moisture version and maybe more, what do you recommend?

I Xxx

Full Face Review: Pretty In Pink

Hello!

So today I am starting a feature on this blog called Full Face Review where I will review the products in a look I have been loving that month/week/whenever! This week I have been loving pinks as they go nicely with a tan and it really is a fool proof colour scheme for any skin tone.
Please let me know in the comments your thoughts on this series and any improvements for future Full Face Reviews (FFRs).

Base-

I used my revlon colour stay foundation in 150 Buff to give a flawless face and to take out any redness in the skin that we don't want, ready to put colour back in with the pink products. I then concealed only where the foundation couldn't cover or I knew it would wear (for me around my nose) and in areas I wanted a matte highlight effect (I have combo/oily skin so I use a light concealer down the bridge of my nose). For this concealing I use the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in shade 1 and 2 (If you have dry skin so want more radiance I recommend the Maybelline dream lumi touch concealer).
I then set this with One Heck of a Blot, a transparent powder by Soap & Glory. I will also take this with me during the day for touchups as it doesn't look cakey and comes with a good sized mirror however I feel the puff that comes with it is too small so a travel brush is needed.

Cheeks-

I find the Benefit Hoola bronzer a great contour powder and also a good colour for warming up the entire face without looking muddy. Alternatively the new Bourjois bronzing primer is a great mousse like product that can give a warm glow over foundation (before powder!) and is a cheaper substitute for the Chanel cream bronzer.
For blush I used a sleek power in Pink Ice (In the blush by 3 Pink Spirit palette). Their blushes are extremely pigmented so a light hand is necessary to avoid looking like a clown however it can give the most beautiful pink flush when properly blended and it has great lasting power.
I then used Benefit's High Beam to give a pale pink glow to the top of my cheekbones, however I do find that this product doesn't last as long as its price-tag suggests!

Middle-Pink Ice

 Eyes-

As a eye primer/base I used the Maybelline colour tattoo in Pink Gold as this provides a hint of pink while giving the eyeshadow that is to come a good "24hr" base. I find the eyeshadow will only slightly crease after a 7hr day so this is pretty good going for the price user £5!

I then use a quad of Benefit eyeshadows from the Most Glamorous Nudes Ever kit. 'It's complicated' is a lovely peach shade which I used as a wash of pink over the entire lid and to intensify the base. 'Kiss me, I'm tipsy' makes a perfect contour colour for the socket and to darken the outer corner of the lid. As all the eyeshadows contain shimmer they blend easily and 'call my buff' is a perfect inner corner and brow bone highlight. I find that these shadows don't fade and if you didn't want the look to be as pink then there are two different neutral bases in 'birthday suit' and 'my two cents'.

Call my buff (top left), kiss me I'm tipsy (top right),
It's complicated (bottom left) & gilt-y pleasure (bottom right)

For eyeliner I used a Rimmel soft kohl eyeliner in White on my waterline to open and brighten my eyes and then the Estee Lauder Pure colour kajal eyeliner in 01 Blackened black to softly define my upper lash line and the outer half of my lower last line. This can be substituted for a brown liner but I love the Estee Lauder liner as it glides on smoothly and will last without fading.

Lips-
Prep your lips with a lip balm, I used Vaseline (creme brûlée flavour!), as the mac satin lipstick I use can be drying without one on first. The lipstick is the pink shade (not sure of the actual name) in the Nicki Minaj Viva Glam collection (all proceeds to an AIDs charity) and it can be used as a subtle stain with a light hand and blotting or as a full on pink pop on the lips.

An optional extra is lipgloss so I applied a pale pink shade by Benefit in 'Life on the A list' (found in the 'She's so jet set kit') in the centre of my lower lip for a plumping effect. Both these lip products have fab smells and good lasting power.


And so you have it, Pretty in Pink! This look is especially lovely in the summer months with bright clothes but also on paler skins in the winter!

If you enjoyed this please request future looks and don't forget to follow! :)

I Xxx

Good Afternoon Ma Cherie!

Hello!

My name is Izzy and this is my first ever blog post so here goes...

I'm 17, living in England and during the summer holiday I decided to start this blog to give myself an area to share my thoughts and opinions about beauty, hair and maybe other things I get up to.

I found this quote in The Week magazine a while ago and its been up on my wall ever since as I think everyone can relate to it and who knows it might tweak you for the better? So just as an ice breaker I will share it with you!

"Fear less, Hope more; Eat less, Chew more; Whine less, Breathe more; Talk less, Say more; Hate less, Love more; and all good things are yours".

Xxx