Beauty | Soap & Glory 'Feel Good Factor' Translucent BB Cream

Now I may have missed the mega-hype surrounding the initial launch of BB creams (and then CC creams), but admittedly I'm only starting to come round to the idea of them. This Soap and Glory BB cream has been languishing in the back of my make up box for a while now because 1) it's translucent so what's the point of wearing it and 2) IT'S TRANSLUCENT, I might as well go bare faced and nobody wants to see that! But I'm happy to hold my hands up and say 'I was wrong, this IS something you want to swap into your summer makeup routine'.

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water - £4.99
(Currently available at Asda for £3.33)

I've always struggled with finding an effective make up remover, most them - even Simple - are far too harsh for me and dry out the delicate skin around my eyes leaving them feeling tender and painful.
Micellar Water was the beauty buzzword a few months back, with every blog raving about them and every company releasing one, but this is the first time I've actually tried the product. They contain micelles, which act as magnets to draw away make-up, dirt and impurities from the skin. I picked up this one by Garnier in my local Asda store for the bargain price of £3.33. To be honest with you, it was a bit of an impulse purchase. I knew I was running out of make up remover and I couldn't see anything on the shelf that took my fancy, and met my sensitive skin needs.
I've tried out this cleansing water for the past few days now and I have to say it is on it's way to becoming on of my favourite cleansers of all time! A big claim, but this stuff really does the job. I use this Micellar Water at twice a day as part of cleansing time - a third time if I've just come back from the gym - and it so gentle and refreshing, perfect for even the most sensitive of skin types. I find that one or two cotton pads dampened with Micellar Water is enough to remove all traces of make-up, including waterproof mascara.
Another thing I love about this product is the size of the bottle. Most make up removers come in tiny, little bottles which I go through in no time at all where as the Garnier Micellar Water comes in a whopping 400ml, enough for 200 uses - or so the bottle claims.
You can buy Garnier Micellar water at your local Boots or Superdrug store, or online here for £4.99.

Have you tried Micellar Water before? What's your favourite brand?

Beth xx

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo*

Corrective and unclogging spot treatment*

3ml sample size*

I can never say no to a freebie! If an email lands in my inbox telling me about a free sample, and all I have to do is sign up to the website, then I'm there! Of course it means my inbox gets buried in newsletter emails and like, but on the plus side it means I get to test out some fab products like the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo.
This is one of the best quick spot treatments I've ever tried and, trust me, I've tried a lot. As I've mentioned before I've suffered from acne for the past five years so a lot of my top spends are on skincare which promises to clear your skin and leaving you blemish free. I've tried endless bottles of face wash, lotion, creams and toners and it's very rare that'll you find one that will consistently work for you. Now I'm 20 a lot of the highstreet ranges targeted at blemish prone skin are far too harsh for me, because they're designed for teenage skin which can face a bit more of the oil-stripping tendencies they come with.
This is the first time I've tried something from the La Roche-Posay range so I was excited when this sample landed on my doorstep. I've heard nothing but good things about the brand throughout the blogosphere so my expectations were high, and I have to admit I was not disappointed.
The Effaclar Duo is a targeted spot treatment designed to help unclog pores and correct imperfections. It has the same texture and consistency of a light everyday moisturiser, and I apply to this a particularly bad spots at least a couple times a day. Unlike other highstreet spot treatments it doesn't leave your skin feeling dry and tender, in fact my skin has felt much softer and smoother skin I started applying this cream. The light consistency also means I'd have no trouble dabbing this on over make-up if I felt a spot coming up in the day.

La Roche-Posay have just released a newer version of the Effaclar Duo, called Effaclar Duo+, which I can't wait to try. You can buy the new formula in Boots stores and online, or from the Escentual website.

Have you tried the La Roche-Posay range? What's your favourite product?

Beth xx

Max Factor Whipped Creme Foundation

I hope you all had a great pancake day yesterday! I was by myself this year, but I still whipped up a stack of pancakes which I ate while watching When Harry Met Sally - not as fun as last years pancake day, but still a nice evening. Today I'm sharing my thought's on Max Factor's Whipped Creme Foundation, a product which I have been using for a couple of months now.

Max Factor Whipped Creme Foundation

Swatch: Light Ivory (40)

This foundation reminds me of the first time I bought my first proper "grown-up" foundation, the Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse. I think I must have been about 15, shopping with my mum and swatching loads of foundations to try and find the right shade for my skin tone. I remember being so excited to be allowed to wear actual make up for the first time - the truth is I was so nervous putting it on that it probably looked like I was wearing nothing anyway!
Unfortunately I did my usual blogging thing with this product: bought it and got so excited about using it that I forgot to take any pictures! So I'm doing more a look-back review, and seeing as I use it everyday I feel I know everything about this foundation.
I've always loved mousse foundations, they're light, easy to apply and really blendable. The only downside is sometimes they can get a bit cakey if you try and layer it on. Although the website recommends applying it with a foundation brush, I prefer to blend it with my fingertips because otherwise the coverage is far too heavy for me. The hydrating formula means it's perfect during the winter when your skin can start to dry out (unsightly dry patches? Anyone else?) but it's light and dewy enough to keep using right throughout spring/summer. As an added extra bonus it's also oil and fragrance-free, so suitable for even those sensitive types. I loved this foundation so much that I've already picked up my third pot - my sister pinched the second one for her make up stash, so it must be good!
You can pick up a pot from Superdrug or Boots stores or online here and here.

What's your favourite type of foundation? Have you tried the Whipped Creme Foundation from Max Factor yet?

Beth xx 

Empties #1

On regular basis I buy a lovely little of haul of beauty goodies, but then I get so excited to try them out that I forget to take any pictures before I rip them out the packaging. And more often than not I'm halfway through a product before I realise "I meant to blog about this!" Well, there's no need for that product to go unshared - I rounded up a few of my used up, or nearly used up, beauty products to share with you.

Dr Brandt. Pores No More Vacuum Cleaner: sample size
I actually received this sample in my first order from Beauty Bay. It's a great service, they offer free standard delivery but if you pay £1.50 they'll pack a couple of extra samples into your order before they ship it off - even if you only order one thing like me. After using this several times I still have mixed feelings about it. You are supposed to apply a thin layer to anywhere you suffer from blackheads and enlarged, wait for it to turn blue and wash it off - supposedly taking away the dirt and shrinking your pores. The first time I used it I was waiting for it to turn a bright, smurf shade of blue when it reality it's more a pale blue-grey. I'd like to think my skin looking smoother and cleaner after each use but not enough for me to fork out £31.64 for a full sized tube. I'll stick to nose strips thanks.

Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer: £6.99 from Superdrug
This is my go to drugstore primer. Cheap as chips and it really works. I bought this one after I used up my sample tube of Smashbox primer, I was umming and ahhing over whether to shell out nearly £30 for Smashbox (which really is an amazing primer) or just to pick another. As much as I'd love to have picked up the Smashbox one there wasn't really a spare £30 in my budget at that point. This primer really is a good budget alternative, it tackles shine, blurs imperfections and really helps your make up to stay in place for longer. I currently have four primers in my make up stash and I always like to mix and match them but this one will always have a special place with me.

Benefit The Porefessional: £24.50
You can read my full review of this amazing product here. This was the first full size Benefit product I ever bought and I have not been disappointed. I bought this tube back in February when I was getting my brows shaped and despite the fact that I have used it nearly everyday I am still managing to squeeze a little bit out of the tube everyday. So although spending £24.50 in one go on one product may look like a lot, it's definitely made it's money back from the amount of uses I've got out of it. This is hands down the best primer I have ever used, it feels silky soft when you apply it, it blends away enlarged pores, imperfections and oiliness and provides the perfect base for any foundation or BB cream. I can't wait to buy my next tube.

Bourjois Express Eye Make Up Remover £4.99 from Boots
I've always struggled with eye make up remover, no matter how sensitive the formula it just seems to dry my eyes out. I even find the Simple one too harsh sometimes as it completely dries out my eyelids and leaves them sore and irritated. This Bourjois has been slightly better because it has more an oily consistency. Okay, that doesn't sound very pleasant, but rather you shake to combine two formulas and you get a formula which is lighter than normal eye make up removers. I do like this one from Bourjois but I do think I will be exploring other brands to try and find a gentler one. If you have any recommendations let me know!

Have you tried any of these products?

Beth xx

Premier model skin toner

Premier Model Skin Toner created by Monu - £11.69 (in Look Fantastic Sale)

This toner featured in my Look Fantastic Haul last week and you may think this is a bit soon to feature the product but it's quickly become one of the favourite steps in my morning and evening skincare regime.
I'd been looking for a toner for a while when I stumbled across the Premier Model Skin toner in the Look Fantastic sale and bought it on a whim really. According to the website it promised to revitalize skin and tighten pores, I really struggle with and oily t-zone and enlarged pores by my nose so I was sold.
I've been using this toner twice a day since it arrived and I can say, in combination with my other skincare products, it really has started to help my skin tone, quality and acne.
The toner by Monu Skincare contains sodium hyaluronate to plump up the skin, vitamin C for radiance, aloe vera to soothe and vitamin B5 to help promote moisture balance - it's also paraben free which is always good for any beauty product. Because of the mix of gentle an natural ingredients I think this would be suitable for any skin types, even you sensitive ones.
This unlike any toner I've used in before in the fact that it's a bit like cleanser. You can either warm it between your hands and apply to your face, or use a damp cotton wool pad - which is the option I usually go for - and it foams up a little bit on your face. I love it because it makes my face feel so clean after! You'd think after using make-up remover and a cleanser that your face would be free of make-up, but sweep the cotton pad across your face and you'll still see the faintest traces of foundation. It does make you think how clogged up your skin must be after several days of wearing full make up.
The only problem I have had with this toner is the bottle. I can never seem to do it up tight enough, meaning it leaks and has now ruined the cardboard box it came in - you can probably see the watermark in the picture above.
While I am really impressed at this product paying £11.69 in the Look Fantastic sale was enough for me. I don't think I'll be paying out the usual price of £20.95 but that's only because I rarely spend over £20 on any beauty product.

Have you tried any of the Premier Model Skin range yet? You can buy the toner in the Look Fantastic sale here or on the Monu website here.

Beth xx

Collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer

COLLECTION 2000 CONCEALERS

My little sister actually introduced me to this concealer after seeing beauty vloggers rave about it on Youtube. Personally, I think it's nice to see beauty bloggers raving about a drugstore product. Everyone is so caught up in high end beauty pieces that they forget that there are some really good high street products out there as well. At £4.19 this a concealer that everyone can afford, and one that actually works. 

Now apologies for the bad picture, I wanted to take some of my own but unfortunately the black writing on the tube has already started to smudge with continued use. It's quite disappointing, considering I've only had the concealer for about 3 weeks, but that is the downside sometimes of high street beauty products - the packaging isn't as always a good quality as some of the more expensive items.

This liquid concealer provides good medium coverage that can be applied directly to problem areas with a foot applicator. This concealer is best at covered up dark circles and red marks rather than spots, as too much coverage can make it look cakey. I prefer to use my Revlon Photoready concealer, which is a thicker stick consistency to cover up any raised blemishes. I've also found that this concealer really does last, with some you can find them slipping after only a few hours and revealing the imperfections you wanted to hide, but with Collection 2000 I don't need to worry. I can apply my make up in the morning and go about my day without worrying if my blemishes are on show. This has also been excellent at hiding my dark circles, an unfortunate by products of late night studying at uni.

There are four shades available, light, fair, medium and deep. I usually class myself as fair skinned but even I found the light and fair shades fare too pale for me so I went for medium instead. Again there might not be as many shade choices as some higher end brands but if you are looking for a good basic concealer that can actually, well, conceal then this one will do the job for you without breaking the bank.

Have you tried the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer?

Beth xx

Sally Hansen No Chip Acrylic Top Coat

A top coat was never something I really bothered with, I mean I only recently got in on the whole base coat act after being fed of having stained nail beds. But having a top coat really does help your nail polish last the whole week so on one of my visits to Boots a couple of months ago I decided to pick up this top coat by Sally Hansen.
Now there's a reason why I've waited so long to post this review, because I really wanted to give this polish a chance but unfortunately it just isn't working for me. Every time that I've applied this top coat it has made my polish crack which just makes it peel off easier. Not at all what I was expecting from an Acrylic Top Coat. I actually dithered between this and another Sally Hansen top coat for a few minutes, knowing me I probably walked round the store with both bottles and then made an impulse choice between them at the checkout.
I have tried this polish over Barry M, Models Own and Essie nail polishes and nearly every single time it has made the polish crack and completely ruined the look. My housemate tried it out over a Models Own polish and was also disappointed to find her nails ruined.
Like I said, I waited to post this review because I really wanted to make sure that the top coat wasn't working. I checked my nails were fully prepped, the colour polish was completely dry and tried several brands but the same problem keeps happening. Perhaps it's only meant for Sally Hansen polishes, but I do wish it had said that on the box!

Have you tried any better top coats? Or is there somewhere I'm going wrong with this one?

Beth xx

Benefit creaseless cream shadow

Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow - My Two Cents *

I love Benefit products but unfortunately they're often out of my price range, that's why I was so pleased to find this eye shadow in my work experience goodie bag.
The creaseless cream shadows are part of the new Colour... by Benefit range, which also includes longwear powder shadow, ultra plush lipgloss and hydra-smooth lip colour.

My Two Cents is a soft, bronze colour which is perfect for everyday wear. I've worn it a few times now and find that although for a cream shadow it has good staying power, it lasts much longer when paired with an eye primer - I like to use Urban Decay's eyeshadow primer potion. The cream shadow is also great for creating a smoky eye I also like to layer the cream shadow with other neutral and dark brown shades from Sleeks' palette. I always think brown and bronze smoky eyes are much easier to pull than a harsh black and white. Plus a brown smoky eye is much more casual, taking you from work to bar without looking over or under done.

Prehaps my favourite thing about the Colour... By Benefit range though is the beautiful packaging. I love the little round box that my eyeshadow came in with it's green, blue and chocolate brown pattern. The eyeshadow itself comes in a lovely round pot, with a glass top which makes the eyeshadow look suspended in the middle and a ridged, plastic bottom.
There are ten shades n the creaseless cream shadow range, all of which are very wearable for any skin tone. Next on my wish list are Birthday Suit - a light creamy pink which would look great dabbed into the inner corner for a wide eyed look - and Bronze Have More Fun - a dark burnished bronze which would work well in the crease of the eye.

You can buy My Two Cents online here or at any Benefit counter for £15.50 

Beth xx

Bourjois blush

Bourjois Blush £7.49

Now here's a product that you won't see on my blog very often, it's not that I have anything against blusher it's just because I don't wear it very often so I'm wary off ending up looking like a clown! Maybe I should just learn to apply blusher properly and then I wouldn't have this problem. A couple of weeks ago Superdrug were running an offer where if you spent £12 on Bourjois you could get a free little round blusher pot, seeing as I needed to get some face powder anyway I thought I might as well make it up to the amount and then I would get to test a new product out for free.
First of all how cute is the packaging! Bourjois is celebrating it's 150th birthday - 1.5.0 that is amazing - so they have bought out these really cute little vintage pots, it's the same design as their regular little round pots of blush (or eyeshadow for that matter) but with a new silhouette sticker. Personally I think they should keep it like this for all their products but it's nice to own something a little different.

I also love that the little brushes are included with the blush, one less think to try and pack into a make up bag, and the little mirror makes it perfect for touch ups on the go. Because the brush is rounded it not only sits perfectly in the pot, it also picks up just the right amount of powder to sweep on to the apples of your cheeks. The product also has a lovely, subtle rose scent, which I only realised recently, but it's a nice touch.

As you can see from the swatch - and apologies for the poor quality - Rose Ambre is a fairly light, dusky pink that doesn't leave a pink stain on your cheeks. You need to layer it up to get a rosy glow but I don't mind that because it allows me to control how much I want to wear. I really love the shade of this blush though, I think the pink tones really suit my fair skin and bring out a natural glow where as some blushers can be really heavy. Because of the baked texture, the powder is ultra-fine and extremely easy to blend on to skin.

Apologies for the picture, it's the only decent one I have of me wearing the Bourjois blush. Recently I've been layering it up with the Revlon Baby Stick to add a highlight to my cheekbone, but you can read my review about that here.
All in all I'm very happy with this blush and I'm glad I tried it. It's much better than the one I was using before from Neal's Yard Remedies, it was a lovely colour I'm just not a big fan of loose powder products.
You can buy Bourjois blushers online from Superdug or Boots and also in store, for £7.49, there are 12 shades available so I'm sure you will be able to find the right shade for your skin tone.

What's your favourite Bourjois product?

Beth xx

Barry M gelly hi shine nail paint

Hello lovelies, now I'll let you in on a secret - I absolutely adore nail varnishes but I am rubbish when it comes to painting my nails, so much so that it reached the point where I would ask anyone to paint them for me, my friends, my mum, even my brother. I have to say I'm getting better with practice but I still manage to get varnish all round my cuticles and miss half my nail at the same time... how?

Anyway my collection of nail varnishes now stands at nearly 50 bottles! I think the bottles all look so beautiful but at the moment I keep them in a giant box from paperchase as it's less hassle than keeping them all out on display

My "small" collection of nail varnishes including ones from Rimmel, Revlon, Barry M,
H&M, M&S, Maybelline, Bobby Pin and Accesorize!

My latest purchase was from Barry M, it was buy 2 and save £1 and that was all the encouragement I needed. I have to admit I tend to have a love/hate relationship with Barry M, they do such a huge range of colours, everything a girl could want or need - pastels, brights, dark, glitter, e.t.c. - but their polishes seem to take an age to dry! I don't know whether I'm just impatient, but I seem sit still for ages and then I make a tiny movement and then BOOM, smudged, all my hard work ruined.

Now Gel manicures are incredibly popular at the moment but they also happen to be incredibly bad for your nails, ruining the nail bed and making them weak if you have them on a regular basis. It's also quite an expensive habit to upkeep to if you're looking for an alternative or just want to try a gel effect then this is the perfect nail varnish for you. Like all Barry M products, this gel effects nail varnish is very reaonably priced at £3.99 and comes in a range of shades - which I think is great considering this range is pretty recent.

I went for this lovely pastel purple colour called "Prickly Pear". I absolutely adore pastel shades, it's one of my favourite trends and I am so pleased to see it is back again for S/S13. The only problem with pale shades, and this is synonomous with any brand, is that you have to really layer up the coats to get a good even colour and hide the whites of your nails. I'm happy to report that after 3 coats of Barry M I achieved a colour that matched the bottle, the nail paint went on very smoothly and created a lovely glossy, smooth coat. I found myself glancing at my nails all day long and admiring the colour. 

So what do you think? Have you tried the Gelly Effects range yet and, if so, what's your favourite shade?

Beth xx

Benefit the Porefessional

Hi guys can you believe it's March already? Where is the year going? Sorry I've kinda been MIA vis a vis blogging for the last week. I've had a super busy week at uni and I've been doing overtime at work so blogging has fallen to the bottom of the to-do-list. It's a shame because I love blogging but it's just what happens sometimes.

Anyway, as I wrote about a couple of weeks ago, I had a free mini makeover at my local Benefit boutique after having my brows shaped - you can read about that here . They let me road test some of their everyday products and needless to say I was hooked, on all of them! Unfortunately I couldn't buy them all then and there, it would've been over £100, but I couldn't leave the store without at least one of them so I picked the POREfessional and I am so glad I did.

The POREfessional by Benefit -£23.50

I think every girl needs a decent primer in their make up bag and this is my go to one. Before I bought the porefessional I was using one from Rimmel, which was great considering it was under a tenner but it just can't compete with the Benefit one, not surprising when it's the UK's best selling primer. Although it comes in a nude shade (sorry I couldn't take a picture, the flash on my camera just kept draining the colour out of it) it blends easily with any skin tone. I've also found the oil free balm to be incredibly long lasting, I work part time in a kitchen which as you can image is busy, stressful and hot, so I often find my make up starting to slip off my face but the Porefessional helps keep it in place just that little bit longer. You can actually apply this one over your make up as well, which is really useful if you just need a quick touch up on your way out.

You can buy the Porefessional at your local benefit counter or online here for £23.50  

What is your favourite Benefit product?

Beth xx

Save the nail - toughen up base coat

Hello everyone, I hope you're well.

It's been absolutely freezing today, we've even had some snow but unfortunately it wasn't heavy enough to settle so looks like we won't be having a snow day tomorrow!

Anyway as you've probably all noticed nude and natural nails are going to be huge this Spring/Summer and I noticed mine were in need of a bit of TLC. Working it a kitchen is definitely puts a strain on your hands and mine are always looking damaged. The hot water dries out your hands and leaves you nails looked tired and ragged. I've lost count of the number of times I've bent my nail back or ripped it halfway down the bed (ouch!). 

This base coat was a bit of an impulse purchase, I was browsing in Boots with a good friend and this cheeky little product caught my eye. The packaging is so cute - covered in hearts (perfect for Valentines Day) and seeing as it was on offer how could I refuse? 

 

Like all other products by Nails Inc., gets a lovely (and very appropriate) name "Save the nail". It contains silk powder to add instant strength and mineral complex with added protein to helps nails grow stronger and longer. The idea is that you apply a coat every 7 days and then on the 8th day you clean your nails and start again. I've only been using it for a few days but I can already see difference in my nails. They look smoother and healthier, and the whites are much lighter.I definitely think I will keep using this base coat, and I'll report back as to whether it's made them any better to deal with the strains and stresses of a working kitchen!

 

 

Apologies for the bad pictures of my hands, the camera isn't the greatest. Also if my nails look slightly blue it's because the house is so cold!

Save the nail toughen up base coat is available from Boots and online here for £7.50

Have you used any other products from Nails Inc.? What did you think?

Beth xx

Lush "mint julips" lip scrub

Tis the season for cracked, dry lips! The bitter cold weather mixed with indoor heating is a recipe for disaster where you lips are concerned and I don't know about you but mine have definitely been suffering lately.
I picked up this cute little pot when I was browsing in Lush a couple of weeks ago, my lips were feeling red raw and one sniff of the gorgeous minty chocolate scent was all I needed to convince me to purchase it.

The scrub is incredinly gentle, as it's made from castor sugar, but still effective at stopping your lips from being dry and flaky. The jojoba oil will then keep your lips moisturised and prevent them from immediately drying out again. It's great value for money as well, because you hardly need any scrub to get your lips in tip top condition, I've been using mine everyday and hardly made a dent in tub.

One of the best things about this scrub is the fact that it's made from all natural ingredients - you can actually recognise most of the ones on the label. I know people always wonder when they wear lipgloss or lipstick, "what am I putting into my body everytime I lick my lips" but with Mint Julips there's no need worry. Infact the instructions even say on the back that you can lick off the excess. I've tried it, it's good but I wouldn't recommend eating the entire pot.

You can pick up a lip scrub in store or buy it online here for just £5.25 - also available in Bubblegum and Popcorn scents

Have you tried any other lip scrubs?

Beth xx