Loreal Volume Million Mascara

This new mascara from Loreal was supposedly designed specifically for British women...so I took it upon myself (as a British woman) to try it out!

I got it for £7.99 on offer in Superdrug, but from what I can see that particular deal is off, but it is now on a 3 for 2 offer (the ordinary price is £10.99)

The brush is a new design with a mixture of short and long bristles, and the idea behind it is that British women want something they can just sweep on in one or two swipes.



The Good

It doesn't flake....very important because I hate getting all those little flakes around my cheeks!

It does only take 2/3 good sweeps and it really thickens and lengthens

It can be built up to provide a variety of looks. One good sweep makes a nice, natural day time look, whereas 3 plus and you get a sexy "night out" set of lashes

It doesn't seem to dry out you lashes- which is something I've found with other drugstore brands.

It comes off very easily with any cleanser or make up remover. Currently I'm using lush baby face and it comes off very very easily. No nasty morning after panda eyes! (Although I don't know the implication this might have for its durability....I haven't worn it in the rain, though I have worn it in a reasonably sweaty club and it certainly stood up fine.)

Here is a picture that attempts to show my lashes. I'm also wearing a slick of mac's liquid eyeliner.




The Bad

Personally, I found the brush a bit fiddly at first and poked myself in the eye. Also, because its such a big/strange shape I tended to hit the skin of my eye/beneath my brow a few times which leaves little black dots needing to be cleaned off!

Layering on more than a few swipes results in an overly clumpy "spidery" look...so beware of going too far!

*************************************************************************************

My ordinary "go to" mascara is Max Factor's masterpiece max, and the effect of this loreal mascara is a very similar look but with less furious arm pumping! I have to say I probably do prefer the long straight brush of the masterpiece max, but I think that is probably because I'm really used to it (I've only had volume million for a week or so.) I think the real test of a mascara comes about 3 weeks into usage though, because some seem to really lose the original effect...so I shall edit if I notice any problems!

All in all really worth a go (particularly if you see it on offer as I did!)

Anyone else tried millionising their eyes yet...??

All my love...

Nivea Visage Day Cream

My moisturiser had began to feel a bit heavy with the hot weather, and make my make up was starting to slide by the end of the day making me look a bit deranged... so I set out with the following brief:

Something very light
Something not overly perfumed
Something with SPF

After a scout around I picked up a bottle of Nivea Visage light moisturising day cream with "UV filters." It promises light moisturisation for 24hrs with lotus extract and added vitamins. It set me back £4.50 from Asda which is reasonable enough.



Did it live up to the challenge?

On the lightness front- most definitely! It really is lovely, fresh and light which makes a great base for summery make up

As far as not being overly perfumed is concerned,this is something I actively sought that because my skin can get quite irritated (angry red patches...LOVELY!)...however, this does have a nice sweet moisturiser smell but is really so gentle and didn't irritate me at all

As for SPF....well I'm not sure what "UV filters" truly constitute....a VERY low SPF perhaps....but saying as I'm prone to burning I've been using factor 30 when I'm outside anyway....and in reality moisturisers tend to have low SPFs (unless you spend a small fortune...which I am not in possession of!!) So it didn't 100% tick the box here , but UV filters must be better than no UV filters.....right? Maybe not, but we can't have everything can we!

Essentially a really lovely summer moisturiser that did (nearly) everything I wanted :)

Any other nice summer products out there..?

All my love...

Aussie Dual Personality Straightening and Heat Protection Spray

As a previous devotee of the GHD heat protection spray.....

ok I lie when I say "devotee" I just got 2 bottles of it for free so its lasted me while...

I was in the market for a new heat protect, so scoured some reviews and decided upon Aussie's dual personality which cost me £4.50 from Boots



I've used it 5 or 6 times now and I have to say I'm really very pleased with it

The Good

Totally non sticky (which I sometimes found if I'd put on too much of the GHD spray)

My hair looks very shiny afterwards

Doesn't weigh the hair down at all so its definitely suitable for use on the roots

I prefer spray applications to serums etc, and this is very easy to use with quite a concentrated spray so there isn't loads of waste just spraying off in to the surrounding atmosphere!

Smell is a nice clean smell without being overly chemical

Good price for what you get

My ends look healthy and nourished (although that could be through continued use of my ojon hair treatment- see earlier posts)

The Bad

Nothing is particularly bad about this product actually....the smell doesn't particularly linger on the hair...but that's not a negative as such


A very good product, certainly going on my "repurchase" list!

All my love...

A lovely little surprise....

I am mid exam fever at the moment which is utterly depressing (I'm so consumed I haven't even fake tanned...shocking I know...most of my friends are walking past me without recognising me as I subtly blend in to pale backgrounds)

However I've been wearing the Pandora bracelet I was given for my 21st for good luck and I thought I'd share my favourite charm...



What I love most is that the tiny little key actually fits perfectly in the lock...too cute! I'm on the hunt for a new charm to mark my degree soon and I have my eye on a gorgeous little tea pot with a golden lid...appropriate because unlike the traditional student norm I've spend ridiculous amounts of time drinking tea...

Got a couple of product reviews lined up for when I'm not so snowed under by examage.

Enjoy your weekend.

All my love...

Lush Jungle Conditioner

Lush' "Jungle" is one of those bizarre products that gets glowing *my life is forever altered for the MUCH better* type reviews, or the kind of *eh? Did I do that right?* style of reaction.

I bought a bar of Jungle solid condition about a year ago and used it for a month or so before moving on to something else. At the time I viewed it as "alright-ish", my hair was shiny enough but possibly a bit greasy at the roots. I decided it was probably a bit rich for my hair which was going through quite a greasy phase.

I dug it out again last night as my hair has been a little dry after a recent home dye job (error- I got engrossed in an episode of Glee and left it on 20 minutes too long...bitter chocolate to goth black..)



Well can I just take this chance to say.....I LOVE YOU JUNGLE

application
I think this is the part that gets most people. Jungle is a solid conditioner bar (probably already inducing some "eh" style responses). This is all very good from an saving the earth point of view. It is also a natural, chemical free conditioner so as you put it on you don't get the instant smooth feeling you get with an ordinary chemical conditioner....this was where I was going wrong....smothering my head in it thinking none was going on. The softness comes as the hair dries, the cue to stop applying it is when you can easily run your fingers through your hair with no tangles (for me anyway)

I rubbed the bar directly on to the lengths of my hair then lathered it up in my hands and ran it through that way.

results
BOOOOTTIIFUULLLL HAAAIIIRRR

yippeeeeeee, the dryness is receding! The smell is a really lovely fruity smell- although not fruity in a traditional "plasticky" way, but in a very fresh way. The smell isn't particularly strong, and you actually need to put the hair next to your nose to smell it, but I don't think this is a bad thing.

The key is working out how much of this stuff is right for you, and possibly it might be more suitable as a once/twice a week for those with greasier hair (also I didn't rub it directly on to the hair nearest the scalp this time, just spread it generally on my hands, and I think this achieved a better result)

All my love...

happy making...

I am an avid fan of the yankee candle range and I came in this evening at about 6 and lit my garden sweetpea candle. The scent is absolutely stunning and even when the candles aren't lit and you just leave the lid off the smell really lingers. Garden sweetpea is a really rich outdoorsy scent and excellent for balmy nights (especially with my marina and the diamonds CD playing!) The large housewarmers (in very pretty glass jars) last absolutely ages- I've had this particular one in my room for about 7 months and I light it maybe every other night. There's about a quarter of it left and the scent is as potent as ever.....delish

Its making me a very happy bunny this fair summer's eve :)



My top 5 yankee scents are...

1. Garden Sweetpea
2. Baby Powder
3. Midsummers Night
4. Blueberry Muffin (light it in the kitchen an hour before guests arrive...smells like you are an expert baker....follow up with some store bought muffins on a pretty plate :p )
5. Sparkling Lemon

No 17 nail polish

As a follow up to my earlier post I just had a quick go with the pink no 17 nail polish I mentioned in my last post. Its a very eye catching pale pink and I'm really quite pleased :) Please excuse the smear on my thumb cuticle- went to get some nail varnish remover to clean it up but remembered I'd lent it to my flatmate who is out at work...doh! This is 2 coats and I really think that would be enough (one was slightly patchy)



All my love...

Goodies

I had a quick trip out yesterday and tried a couple of lovely things so I thought I'd share them with you...

I'm on the hunt for a new summer fragrance. I'm looking for something light, not overly powerful and quite "adult" as I will be working in a mainly male dominated law office this summer and don't want anything that will give people headaches, nor anything too "girly"!
I'd heard really good things about the new Armani acqua di gioia which is due to hit shops on June 30th so I went to have a sniff.



Officially it is supposed to contain mint, lemon, pink pepper, pink peony and aquatic jasmine. To me the initial smell was quite sweet and citrusy, but it dried down in to a really classy , fresh, earthy smell which reminded me of a sunny sea breeze. It wasn't overly powerful but wafting my wrist around did give off a nice smell :) It also had great staying power and sniffing my wrist just before I got in the shower 7 hours later and it was still very much there.I didn't really get the mint smell, which is a shame as I really love mint, but perhaps a second smelling might reveal it...if not I liked what I did smell anyway. All in all exactly what I was looking for, and I'm planning on buying a bottle when it comes out.

I also bought 2 17 mirror shine lipsticks from boots (£4.49 each). One in beehive and one in flirtini (all the colours can be viewed here http://www.boots.com/en/17-Mirror-Shine-On-Lipstick_1055081/)

Really lovely, moisturising lipsticks. I tend to find lipsticks a bit drying but these gave a lovely glossy look and feel. The beehive is a really nice nudey pink- great for every day, and the flirtini was a fun, brighter pink. They also have a 3 for 2 offer on so I picked up a nice sherberty pink no 17 nail varnish to go with an outfit I'm wearing later this week- though no comment on that yet as I haven't tried it.

Also got myself some Aussie dual protection heat defence spray and hoping to do a review of that when I've used it a few more times.

All my love...

Pearl Drops Instant White Brush On Teeth Whitener

So I decided to try this Pearl Drops instant whitener.



It cost me £7.99 from boots and comes in a square plastic tube with an applicator that looks like this



The applicator is a very fine, flexible brush and easy to use. I've used it maybe 10 times now and there is no noticeable dent in the amount of liquid left in the tube. Its not really suitable for a meal out as it will simply wear off, but for a night out its good fun (though I always tend to drink my drinks through a straw, which I would probably recommend in order to avoid washing this off.)

The Good

It really does brighten your teeth- which looks particularly fab with a nice pinky lipstick

The has a lovely minty smell which freshens your breath all evening

It seems very resilient and doesn't come off easily

Brushes straight off with toothbrush and toothpaste at the end of the night

Very easy to apply

As I mentioned above it seems to provide pretty good value for money

The Bad

Not as "bad" as such, but more a word of warning- make sure you give this product adequate time to dry, and by adequate I mean I spend a minute with my lips pulled back from my teeth sucking air through them furiously! Otherwise it flakes off as soon as you close your mouth around your teeth

I had one slightly bad incident where I was drinking a cheap alcopop and it seemed to stick to the stuff and I had to smear it off with my tongue (could be avoided with a straw, and it only happened with this one particular drink..a cherry VK in case you were wondering!)

If you run your tongue across your teeth it feels a little bit grainy...but again...just don't do it and its not an issue!

All in all I really really like this product, and it looks really great in photos. It does what it says on the box, and in my humble opinion does it pretty well :)

All my love...

Heart Kun

Heart Kun the heart marked chihuahua :)

Happy Saturday evening

All my love...

Hair treatment MIRACLE!

Ok so hair, or should I say looking after my hair in particular, is something to which I devote a lot of time and energy (and sometimes money!)

Having heard great reviews I bought myself a pot of:

Ojon restorative hair treatment



This is ojon's signature product and is derived from a nut from the tropical rain forests of Central America. It claims in clinical studies to have created a 64% improvement in the condition of dry, damaged hair in one treatment when left overnight (according to the ojon website anyway- www.ojon.co.uk). I had to try..!!

So its available from QVC and from the ojon website, but I got a 100ml tub from ebay for £15.99.

I smoothed it through my hair spending quite a lot of time making sure all the ends were thoroughly saturated. I left my fringe as its a side fringe that has a tendency to get greasy a little quicker than I'd like, and saying as this was a first attempt I decided to leave without oiling it (but I would definitely just do all my hair in future)

The pot comes with a wide toothed comb to run through after you have applied, which was really great for not pulling/ripping the hair.
I slept with it on over night and washed it as normal in the morning.... OHMYGOSH it was good! I have quite fine, silky hair as it is (which often looks pretty similar following "intensive" treatments), though I do use a lot of heat treatment which can leave me prone to split/dry ends. I examined my hair all over and COULD NOT FIND A SINGLE SPLIT END!

My hair was very soft and really lightweight; it was floating about behind me for the next 2 days.

My one issue was the smell, which a wash later is still lingering slightly. It is a kind of smoky smell, not in a cigarette way, but an ashy outdoors type of way,and a scent possibly a little more manly/natural than what I would chose ordinarily.

However, scent is very personal and whilst I like minty or floral hair smells this will appeal to as many as it wont. Its a case of giving it a go and trying it out for yourself. Although to be honest, I could forgive a very wide range of smells to have hair so glossy and as well nourished as this.
I also put it on my clip in human hair extensions over night and they have come out shining like nothing else :)

The ojon website recommends using ojon oil twice a week, but I will probably use it once a week, if only because my boyfriend might not enjoy sleeping next to a greasy locked maiden too often (though you can leave it on for a minimum of 20 mins, so could do an evening/day time application, or for a few hours whilst in the house. I just decided to do the full overnight treatment as this was my first time.)

If you buy one thing for your hair this year.....make it this!

All my love...

Dior Air Flash Foundation

A friend recently bought a bottle of Dior Air Flash in number 200 light beige
The colour wasn't so great on her (the first issue with these Dior foundations being the tragic lack of colour choice!) so she passed it on to me to have a play with!




The Good...

I've worn it about 5 times now and have tried 2 different methods of application:

I sprayed it straight on to my face (*gasp*) which was..errrmm.....different the first time to say the least (I had the nozzle angled slightly to the side and ended up covering my hair)...however, I've done it a few times now and I've just about got the hang of it. I tend to spray slowly and evenly starting in the centre of my face and sort of rotate my hand and make the circles wider and wider to cover the rest of my face- all in all only spraying for about 20 seconds, but I don't wear heavy foundation and you could certainly build it up for heavier duty coverage. Then I blend with my fingers or a make up sponge. The coverage really is flawless.

I've also sprayed it on to my hands/ a sponge and applied it in the more conventional way. If you prefer to use a foundation brush you could also spray it in to the cap/ on to some cling film and apply it that way (although this could result in waste.) The coverage is also really very good, although applying it like this doesn't quite have the same airbrushed finish as spraying it directly on would.

My skin looks really gorgeous in photographs and I got a couple of compliments on it.

The Bad...

THE PRICE! It cost £32.50 from boots...and I think that is a pretty standard pricing. I nearly fell over when my friend told me. Although I don't really seem to use much, and this could be saved as a special occasion/night out foundation where photos are more likely.

The unpredictability of the spray was an issue for me. You also have no real choice about pencilling your eyebrows in if you want to spray it directly on, as it's very hard to get coverage around the eyes (for dark circles) without covering your eyebrows too. Same goes for lips (although a quick slick of Vaseline and a rub with a cotton bud sorts it out.)

I've also managed to spray bits of my hair...not ideal but it brushes out easily...could be more of a problem if you've done an up do or anything that can't be brushed.

All in all I love the look....but I'm not convinced that it couldn't be achieved for cheaper. I couldn't yet say whether I'd buy it again as I will have to see how long it lasts as to whether it's worth the investment; and I'm really not sure how long the novelty of a "spray on face" will last- it could quite easily become irksome.

The colour is possibly a teeeeeny bit too light for me, and it wont be suitable if I've tanned heavily. The real issue here being the abysmal choice of colours- cameo, light beige and medium beige. For the price I'd really like an exact match...

So the quickie rundown- look like a celebrity in photos, but you better have a celebrity budget to spend (oh, and be lucky enough to have a face in one of only 3 shades...)

All my love...

Teeny little Lush haul

Okey Dokey... had myself a wee trip to Lush today (one of my absolute favourite places and ex place of employment of yours truuuly..;)

So I picked up...



Angels on Bare Skin...my absolute number 1 cleanser. I use this 3-4 times a week, normally in the morning to get me going. You need a really tiny amount, probably the size of a ten pence piece, and the scent is absolutely gorgeous.



King of Skin...now this is an in shower moisturiser and an absolute life saver. You simply stand under the shower, rub this all over and hop straight out. The scent is a sort of warming vanilla/shea butter smell, but to be honest it doesn't really linger on the skin- leaving you free to perfume as you wish...

These are 2 of my ultimate skin care products, and 2 that I always have in stock.

All my love...

St. Tropez

Ok so I had previously been using Loreal sublime bronze tanning gel (at about £8-9 in supermarkets) but found that the smell was really quite strong meaning that the "instant" part was a bit useless in that you had to put it on before bed and wash it off the next morning like you would with most tans anyway, because applying and then going out might result in people avoiding you/questioning where the smell of vegetables was coming from...so I decided to try St.Tropez self tanning mousse.





This has surely got to be one of the most hyped up tan products ever and I was interested to see if it really lived up to its name.

The Good

The smell really is lovely, a sort of aloe vera scent, very delicate

It is totally non sticky and I left it to dry fod about 5 minutes before getting ready for bed

The coverage is even and I left no streaks

It isn't orange after one application- so you actually have a choice about building it up as opposed to being tango coloured after one application

I've used it 3 times now and my 120 ml bottle still feels quite full, so I think it will last quite well

It lasts for about 4 days which actually makes it good value for money (and possibly better than the loreal stuff I was using)

The Bad

It's pretty expensive. I got it from a website for £15.99 but the website now seems to have gone missing..!? To buy from a salon it might set you back £20-£30

It really seems to stain my fingernails and dry out the skin on my palms after I've used it

The design of the bottle means you can't really tell when you are running out (could go to use and it all be gone...disaster!) This is true of most fake tans but because if I were to use this again I'd be searching for an internet deal as it's very expensive in shops being able to pop out and grab another bottle is a bit more of a problem

All in all I liked it and, whilst I'm going to keep an eye on how long this bottle lasts, hope to make a repeat purchase. A nice natural looking tan and it really does avoid that horrible fake tan smell/associated stickyness!!

All my love...

xxxx

All The Lovely Stuff...

So here is my first blog post....
I'm hoping to document some of the lovely stuff I come across/buy/already love
I'm a 21 year old law student with a passion for fashion, beauty, make up and hair
I particularly love purple, lipgloss, cups of tea and hope to review some of the above :)

All my love...
xxx