Beauty Wishlist #2

So, considering I haven't bought anything from my last wishlist (not through lack of trying.. I WILL find that MUA palette) it seems a bit odd to have another wishlist already. Oh well... this is what I want this week:

 

1. Crealine Sensibo H20 Micelle Solution - Bioderma - £12 (on ebay)

I'm falling into the blogging hype. Good lord. In all honesty I do want to try it as if it's as good as they say then it's worth having. Might wait until it appears in Boots (it's bound to surely?) so I can get some points :p

2. Clean Start Wash Off - Dermalogica - £14.30

I got a sample of this is a Glossybox and good lord its FAB-U-LOUS. The skin feels like velvet - so soft, so smooth! Will definitely repurchase at some point but am trying a few high street versions first (anyone have ideas?)

3. Clarifying Lotion 2 - Clinique - £16

Another thing I've used in sample size and I love it. My elder sister swears by clinique and still gets ID'd at 30 so something good must be happening.

4. No Clogs Allowed Deep Pore Detox Mask - Soap and Glory - £11

Am in the market for a new mask, I love the lush ones but they do go off (the last one I had went off before I had a chance to finish it) and you have to keep them in the fridge so I'm thinking of something I can put in the bathroom to make sure I do use it.

5. Express Hydration Primer - Nivea - £3.99

A time saving product? If this means I can do two things at once then it must be worth a go? I think it's more the case of remembering to buy it rather than the price aspect (who can argue with £4?!)

Any suggestions on what I should try skincare wise? Any of these products work for you or just get left on the shelf not being used? Let me know.

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NOTD Nails Inc St Marks Square & Fantasy Fire

I change my nails like I change my socks: everyday. If I don't have painted nails I feel naked but I can go out without any make up.. weird right? That is why I have ANOTHER nail extravaganza to show you.

Nails In St Marks Square is a lovely purple metallic with shimmer. Lovely on its own! Add Max Factors Fantasy Fire to the mix and it turns into something really special. When the light hits it the colours of the Fantasy Fire shine! If they had made Fantasy Fire like this the first time around would have been amazing, right?
 

Max Factor Fantasy Fire £3.99 here and Nails Inc St Marks Square £8.50 here (ebay)

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Battle of the Drugstore Nightcreams

I've been using two pretty cheap nightcreams for a while now, and whilst I am not totally into my skincare I understand its importance. So if you are like me and would like to start a simple night routine, without spending serious money, have a read.

So here are the contenders:
Boots Botanics All Bright Hydrating Night Cream 50ml - £4.99 here
Described as being a rich moisturising night cream with hibiscus and hylarunic acid so brighten and renew. It hydrates overnight to leave soft skin.

Superdrug Naturally Radiant Renewing Night Cream 75ml - £5.99 here
Formulated with kiwi fruit and mulberry extract, it 'delivers rich and long-lasting moisturisation whilst helping to refine skin's texture as you sleep'. It brightens, helps even out skintone and softens skin.

So I'd say they are pretty fairly matched, do you agree? So onto the battle!

Price
Both are currently on offer, the Boots product being £3.49 and the Superdrug one being £2.99. With the Superdrug one though you get more for your money, so Superdrug wins this one.

Smell
If I'm going to sleep with this on my face, it has to smell nice otherwise it's going to become irritating. The superdrug cream smells fresh very earthy whereas the boots cream the hibiscus really comes through and it smells a lot sweeter. This is down to personal preference but I vote for the Boots night cream.

Moisturisation
So I've used these individually but for the purpose of testing, I wore them both last night. Yep, I had half and half face. In on application the boots cream sinks into the face quicker wheras the Superdrug cream leaves an oil sheen on the skin which is a bit annoying. In the morning I tried to feel a difference in the skin but they felt the same! I'm going to go with Boots Botanics as the winner because it didn't leave an oily residue.

Brightening
Both of these claim to be brightening but in all honesty (and I've used these for weeks now) I can't say they do.

Ethics
The Superdrug cream is suitable for vegetarians and vegans and is certified by Cruelty Free International and this is clear on the packaging. The Boots night cream, as stated in their policy here 'No animal testing of any kind is undertaken or commissioned by Boots or its subsidiary businesses'. On the website it states that  Boots have tried to reduce the 'impact on the planet at every stage in this product's journey'. For transparacy I vote that Superdrug with the battle of the ethics.

Results
Out of the five categories there is a tiebreak. So I'm going to be controversial and say that my favourite is the Boots Botanics. The feel of the skin and the smell are two important factors, after all that is why we want to use a night cream right? The results of both are the same so whichever you choose, be safe in the knowledge you are helping your skin be as lovely as it is now it ten years time... hopefully...

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Beauty Wishlist #1

1. Undress Me Two palette - MUA Cosmetics - £4.00
This is on my wishlist as it's more trying to find it in store rather than not having the funds. The colours in this palette are perfect for day, night and the transition look. And of course the obvious dupeness about it.
2. Apocalips Nude Eclipse - Rimmel - £5.99
I do not own a nude lipstick as I've been scared of the whole 'concealer lips' look. Plus I want to try the formula of these so I'd rather get a colour I don't have. Plus if I love it it is a BRILLIANT excuse to buy more.
3. Telescopic Clean Definition Mascara - L'Oreal - £.10.99
I've heard brilliant things about this mascara and I do want a new one. I will buy this one day (when I have used up the many many MANY mascaras I have on the go currently).
4. The Porefessional - Benefit - £23.50
A very pricey product indeed. I've just finished up Rimmels primer and am looking for the next best thing. Plus the benefit (ha, see what I did there?) of covering pores appeals to me and my rather obvious nose.
5. Fit Me Foundation - Maybelline - £7.99
I need a new foundation as I only have my YSL Touche Eclat which I cannot afford to keep replacing. I like to change it up every now and then so another foundation is needed. I may invest in the concealer and powder at a later date?

All I need is 3for2 at Boots/Superdrug then I'm sure a few of these will be added to my collection! Do you agree with any of these? Or have these not worked for you and I should spend my money on something else?

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NOTD Nails Inc Valentines Style

Regardless if you love it or hate it, today is the day where it seems controversial not to wear hearts on your nails. There are many valentine inspired nails out there but due to my laziness (and the fact I can never make my right hand match my left) I opted for something easy.

  

After 3 coats of Nails Inc Blenheim terrace (I let it dry overnight) I created hearts with an old makeup brush with Nails Inc Convent Garden Market which is a fabulous, one coat glitter (I blobbed on 3 circles then joined them together). To add a bit more jazz I added some stones which I bought from eBay for 99p . Add a top coat and you are pretty much done!

Anybody else tried a valentine manicure?

P.S. Today is the day of love, so if you are feeling lovely, why not follow the blog? ;)

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Real Techniques Starter set for £13?!

Hello everyone, just a quick heads up about bagging yourself a bargain. Everyone loves Real Technique brushes, the price is right for the quality of the brushes but everyone loves something for cheaper. So head over to iherb.com, who sell the whole Real Techniques range for bargain prices.

 Currently, for first time buyers, using the code BJS685 you'll get $5 off an order under $40 and $10 off an order over $40.

So I bought the starter set for $17.99 (which came to $12.99 with the discount) plus $6 postage to the UK. Meaning for postage and the item it came to a bargain £13.90. The more you buy the better the bargain. (Beware of custom charges for orders over $23ish).

Will you be taking advantage of this offer?

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Lush Love Lettuce Face Mask

Today I'm going to tell you all about my experience with Love Lettuce. As we all know, skincare is subjective, so what I say here may not work for you. However, that does not mean you shouldn't read it :p

I find fresh face masks are the best for tired skin. They wake your skin up. They are cool. They smell devine. So what does this one do? Lush says:

'This mask is a seaweed gel with exfoliating granules through it. 
Ideal for those who want to clear away dead skin and brighten the face, whilst also gently treating it to softening ingredients.'

 

I say: Yes, I agree. You do have to gently rub this into the skin otherwise you can really irritate it (those ground up almonds really do pack a punch!). I left it on for about 30 mins whilst faffing around with other beauty routine related tasks and washed it off with a muslin cloth (an old one, I don't think a white cloth would return after that!) for extra exfoliating goodness. It does feel quite heavy and cakey so it can become a tad annoying. Just think of the end result ladies!!

It made my skin feel lovely, very clear albeit a bit red but that subsided after slapping a generous amount of moisturiser on. It cleared away the dry bits around my nose without problem. With this tub you can get a fair amount of usage out of it, I used it about ten times but I didn't cake it on.

Overall I would repurchase. It does what it says on the tub, and for £5.95, I wouldn't say that pricey considering what it is and the ingredients in it. Buy it here.

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Beauty Bloggers Tag

Beauty Bloggers Tag

#1. Why did you start blogging and how long have you been blogging for?

I started blogging simply because I wanted to have my say. That sounds really, really narcissistic, but it is one of the only ways I could really express myself and talk about something I enjoy. Plus it means I could stop boring my long suffering friends... if they wanted my advice they can just read it all here.

#2. Whose blog did you fall in love with first?

I fell in love with Adrienne’s at The Sunday Girl. The swatches, the range of products, the details and the honest reviews all made me want to read it all the time.

#3. What was the first blogosphere hyped product you bought? Was it worth the hype?

I think it was the Maybelline Colour Tattoo. I don’t tend to buy a lot of products that are new simply in case I don’t like them and it’s a waste of money. Plus if I did I would have no money/space in my house.

#4. What are your 5 favourite things about being a beauty blogger?

• I like to think I’m saving people money – if my reviews help someone decide on a product then it’s a win in my book!
• It gives me a place to put my thoughts on products, by writing about a product it really does help to see if it is worth re buying or trying something different.
• I like having something I can call my own- everything on my blog is authored and created by me.
• It is nice to interact with people who genuinely have the same interests as you, not your friend who is agreeing with you because they don’t want to be mean :P
• As you can see from my sporadic posting I find it difficult to stick to one thing. So even if only I read this, it is showing that for once, I am dedicating myself to something. Self improvement let’s say.

#5. What have you learnt from being a beauty blogger?

I have learnt that comparing yourself to others is not how you want to judge yourself. By doing this you are restraining yourself from developing as a person! Someone will always have better blog/better products/more money/more readers than you.
Even if one person reads my blog, it will make me happy.

#6. Have you changed anything since becoming a beauty blogger?

I have taken a lot more interest in my skin. I always used to moisturise, but make up removal was a swipe of a makeup wipe. Naughty naughty!

#7. What advice would you give to a beauty blogger starting out?

Don’t worry if nobody reads your blog! :p
Right that sounds odd. If you don’t get a million gazillion of views don’t sweat it.
Oh, and sign up to hello cotton, I’ve discovered some amazing blogs that way.

#8. Name your top 5 make up brands.

Rimmel, 17, MUA, Nails Inc and No7.

#9. Recommend your top 5 beauty products.

YSL Touche Eclat foundation – this illuminates your face, gives a beautiful finish and is very much what I class as good value for money.

HD brows palette – Since discovering the art of brow taming, this palette has made my life so much easier. I use this palette every day. Without it I would feel bare!

Mac lipstick in Plumful – the colour of this lipstick is just what you need from a lipstick- light enough for everyday but dark enough to jazz up a night look with heavier makeup. The finish on the lips is fantastic and the pigmentation a dream.

Real Techniques Core collection- Regardless of the make-up you use, if the tools to apply it with aren't up to scratch it's going to look iffy. The core collection changed all my base woes and I can now do my base it about a minute. And it looks good.
Vaseline - This is an odd one I get it, but with all the hype in the blogosphere about hyped up, new fangled products and technology some of the basics are overlooked. It sorts your lips out, helps your eyebrows grow, works on dry patches and hands. It is a staple product. Everyone should have one!

So there we go. A little bit of an insight into my beauty blogger thoughts or whatever. Has anybody else tried this tag? Let me know :) I'll have a little read, of course :)

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