Review - MUA Pro- Base Eye Primer

It is well documented that I have incredibly oily eye lids, I don't know why and I haven't found anything that stops it, so primer is a must. I had previously only tried higher end products so after hearing good things about the MUA one decided to give it ago. 

It claims to help you 'achieve vibrant crease-free colour that lasts' oh how I wish this was true. I really didn't get on with this at all. I have read so many good reviews that to be honest the first time I thought I must have done something wrong. I always put my eye primer on then do my base to let it dry and then apply shadow, this had actually creased before I even applied my eye makeup. I then tried applying my eye shadow straight away and this didn't work either.

Not one to give up I thought I would try with my Maybelline Color Tattoo and well the results of that little test were pretty grim, my boyfriend said after about 4 hours 'is that stuff meant to melt off your eyes' and he didn't notice when I had about 4 inches off my hair. The color tattoos actually last better without this.

I really wish that this had worked as it's so cheap and so many other bloggers seem to love it but I think my lids are just too oily for this. 

It is available from superdrug.com for £2.50

Has anyone got any recommendations for a drug store eye primer?

Nails - Boltons Place Nails Inc

After going through my nail polishes recently I realised how many nail polishes I have that I have never used tut tut. I came across this in stash and thought it would be a nice change for the pinks and nudes I have been wearing recently.

It is a gorgeous taupe metallic shimmer. I think what stopped me from trying this the metallic formulae as the only other one I have tried didn't apply evenly and highlighted every ridge on my nail.

I am happy to report that this applied like a dream no streaks, no brush marks and not a ridge in sight. The only down side I have found with the formulae is the staying power isn't as good as their normal polish. It still lasted a good 3-4 days without chipping.

As always I applied two coats with Kensington Caviar Base Coat and Albert Bridge Top Coat.

The set is still available from qvcuk.com for £28.76 plus p&p for 6 polishes.

Sample Sunday - Avon Ideal Flawless Skin Loving Beauty Balm

I got a sample of Avon's Ideal Flawless BB cream with this months (June 13) Marie Claire and was interested to see how it compared to my Dr Jart+ BB cream which I reviewed here and have since bought and wear daily.

Unlike the Dr Jart there are six different shades available luckily I got Ivory and I was very impressed with the colour match. The second big difference I found was the texture, this is a lot thinner much more like a traditional foundation/tinted moisturiser.

In the interest of fairness I applied exactly the same as I do the Dr Jart. I used a primer first as I find that products sit better on my skin and applied with my fingers. I wasn't expecting much coverage wise but was really surprised at how this evened out my skin tone. I thought because the Dr Jart is so much thicker it wouldn't cover as well. In actual fact I think that this might be better as it is lighter in formulation, so is easier to build up without going cakey. I still needed concealer as I am suffering a couple of break outs on my chin and have circles under my eyes, but if my skin was in better nick would have happily skipped the concealer.

I have read some reviews that said that this had some sparkle to it but to be honest I didn't see any then again it was raining heavily all day so not sure I actually saw my face in direct sun light so can't really comment.

Unlike the Rimmel BB cream which is the only other one I have tried, which you can read a full post here, I liked the way this looked on my skin. It was very natural not cakey and didn't just sit on my skin. I also found the longevity impressive although this might be due to the primer but either way could definitely wear to work, it would need touching up if I was to go somewhere after but 8-9 hours is pretty damn good in my book. It also didn't wear patchy so if you couldn't touch up would not be the end of the world.

Wish I had a bigger sample of this to try but atlas I don't. Overall I was impressed with the product, and it is nearly half the price of the Dr Jart so think I might buy this instead of replacing my Dr Jart when the time comes.

You can buy this directly from avonshop.co.uk for £12 or through an your Avon Representative. If you don't know yours can search for one here

What's In My Bathroom - No7 Cleansing Body Polish

After using up my Treacle Moon Warm Cinnamon Nights I wanted something to help get my skin ready for the warmer weather. I decided on the No7 Cleansing Body Polish. I got this ages ago as part of a gift set that was on sale after one Christmas.

This has the same scent as the No7 Sumptuous Bath Soak which I have reviewed here. In this incarnation I don't mind the scent, it just reminds me of baby wash.

I tried to get my camera to pick up the tiny exfoliating particles in this but it just couldn't. This is really my kind of product I love giving my skin a good old scrub and do it more frequently then I should, I often end up looking a bit pink. The great thing about this is that it gentle enough to use daily but still feels like it is getting rid of all the dead skin.

This is really great for using before shaving as well as I didn't find it irritated my skin as some rougher products can.

This has definitely got my skin ready for the warmer weather, just waiting for it to stop raining so I can start showing a bit more flesh. The only con I think is the price. I think that there are a load of similar products out there which are a lot cheaper. I would buy this again if this was on offer but definitely not willing to pay £9.50.

This appears to have been repackaged and is available from boots.com for £9.50 for 200ml.

Has anyone got any good cheaper alternatives?

Nails - Totes Pink by Nails Inc

After picking up this months InStyle magazine I decided to try out the polish I got free from Nails Inc the aptly named Totes Pink.

I have to say that my camera does not pick up just how bright this is. It's a lot more of a bright baby pink then the pictures show.

I like the colour of this but think that the formulation really lets the polish down. I have a lot of Nails Inc and this does not reflect the quality of the majority of my stash. This came out quite streaky and required three coats to get an even coverage. I am not sure if they used a different formulation for this shade as honestly shocked by the difference. I didn't pick up either of the other shades available so not sure what they are like, but if you have let me know what you thought of the quality.


As always I used with my Kensington Caviar Base Coat and Albert Bridge Top Coat.

This is an exclusive shade and can only be purchased with a copy of this months (June 2013) InStyle in shops now.

Pay Day Haul May

After the stress of last month I decided the best way to cheer myself was to have a little splurge, admittedly I did need a couple of things, mainly a cleanser and some jeans but I may have treated myself to a few other things tut tut. I will start with one of the items I needed.

I have been wanting to pick up the nspa Hot Cloth Polish since I saw it feature in one of Ruth Crilly's YouTube videos ( I can't find the original post but she has since mentioned in her New Budget Beauty Finds video which you can view here) I have high hopes for this cleanser and I am very interested to see how it fairs against not only the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish which I have reviewed here but also my current favourite drugstore version from Superdrug which I posted about here. It is available from asda.com for £7 or most of the range is on two for £8.

Due to the offer the second product I picked up was their Skin Renewal Gel, I haven't seen anything about this product, but am intrigued to try a chemical exfoliator as opposed to a manual one. I do love giving my skin a good old scrub so will be interested to see how I get on with this. Again this can be bought from asda.com

Whilst I was in Asda I saw this gorgeous quilted bag in cream. The strap is adjustable so can be worn across your body or just on your shoulder. I knew I had to have it as I am planning on going to Royal Ascot this year and think this will go with whatever I plan to wear and also the perfect size to fit all your essentials. You can pick this up from asda.com for £7.00 it also available in black.

Another need was some new jeans. I am lucky to be able to wear whatever I want to work so live in jeans and really wanted a lighter wash for spring summer. After declaring my love for Warehouse denim in my Autumn Haul my black ultra skinny jeans really let me down. They faded and stretched really quickly. They no longer sell the ultra skinny jeans which is annoying as I love my indigo pair. After browsing online they do sell Superfit Skinny which apparently are made from 'premium' denim meaning that they will last longer however they are £8 more. Anyway back onto what I actually bought I got the Super Skinny jeans. There is a lot more give in them then the Ultra Skinny so expecting them to lose their shape pretty darn quick, if only I saw the other ones in store. Anyway I will see how well they last and let you know.  They are £40 from warehouse.co.uk

I had a a voucher for Topshop so decided to see what jeans they had, as I think another reason the last pair didn't last as long is due to their constant use. I bought a pair of Leigh Supersoft Ankle Grazers. They are incredibly soft and like the length for this time of year as will look great with some gladiator sandals. They were two pounds cheaper and I am interested to see which pair lasts longer. I think these are the wash I got although there are several different washes available.

As my Topshop voucher was £40 I picked up this gorgeous bracelet in the sale for £3.50. Unfortunately I can't find on their website but I also saw it in white. I picked up the nude colour as I think it will go with more things.  I rarely wear bracelets as they tend to irritate me but thought that this would look great on a night out.

Now onto the really naughty makeup treats. After seeing Sam apply the Laura Mercier Undercover Pot in this video I knew I had to try it. Well I was amazed after it was applied in the store, honestly my dark circles are a nightmare, no matter how much sleep I get or cream I apply they don't budge. The difference with this was so noticeable so I had to buy it. I got mine from Jarrold & Son in Norwich which unfortunately you can't buy online from but this is available from Johnlewis.com for £29.00.

I was only going to buy the concealer but Jarrold's had a free gift with purchase of 30ml of the Foundation Primer with two or more purchases so I had to find another product to get the free gift. I have heard so much about their primers that it was an offer I couldn't resist. I am not sure whether it was only Jarrold's doing this as I can't find any other stockists but you can buy this from johnlewis.com for £18.50.

The other product I bought to get the free gift was the Tinted Moisturiser, which is another product I have read great things about. I am hoping that this will be a million times better then the last tinted moisturiser I had which was You Rebel Lite by Benefit which kind of put me off tinted moisturisers. I was shocked to find this is more expensive then my beloved Chanel foundation (which I will write a post about one day) for less product fingers crossed its worth it. You can get this from johnlewis.com for £33.00.

Has anyone tried any of the Laura Mercier products - are they worth the price tag? And which are the best jeans on the high street?

The Big Read - The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald #2

I am just about to start chapter five so thought I would do a little post about the first half of the book seeing as though there are only nine chapters.

I can't believe I am half way through the book as to be honest don't feel a great amount has actually happened. I think because I knew it was only short I was expecting it to be more of a quick action packed story. Maybe the second half is going to be more griping or if I listen to my mum maybe not.

The strange thing is I still can't wait to see the film, I think it is going to be gorgeous. All the visuals that have been realised look amazing, the sound track also sounds like it is going to be one of the albums of the years, and the actors involved are seriously acting royalty.

Sorry for such a short post but honestly couldn't find much to say about the actual story, here's hoping the second half gets a bit more interesting.

Nails - Kate by Nails Inc

I recently found this whilst sorting out my nail polish for my spring nails series which you can read here and realised that I have never worn this. I decided to give this a go and I really don't know why it has been thrown to the back of collection. This was released when Wills and Kate got married (which was two years ago now) and I bought this along with the Will polish. I remember at the time being a bit disappointed with this shade, just seemed too pale and a bit meh.

Oh how times have changed and this is why I don't tend to throw things away as I now adore this shade. It looks so chic and one of those shades that makes you feel grown up and put together. Admittedly I do have rather a lot of these kind of shades now but am definitely glad this didn't get thrown out.

This was quite sheer and did require three coats but think that the end result is worth the extra coat. As always I used along with my Kensington Caviar Base Coat and  Albert Bridge Top Coat

Magazine Madness - June 2013

Just wanted to start by apologising for there being no post last month if you read my recent random ramblings post you will know that I haven't been too well and also had quite a stressful month. I did (well my lovely boyfriend bought it for me) get one magazine last month with a free Ciate nail polish so you guys didn't miss much.

Anyway back to this month I picked up a copy of InStyle, Elle and Marie Claire. I also thought I did well  to only pick up one of each as usually I do tend to buy multiples to get one of everything.

With InStyle they were giving away free Nails Inc, there were three shades available and I opted for Totes Pink. I know I have a lot of baby pink shades which I put in my Spring Nails post which you can read here, but the other options were a peach or a red and I have really been loving these kind of shades recently. If you are trying to build up your nail polish collection I would highly recommend buying three copies as I love Nails Inc but I really don't need any more nail polish.

Elle are giving away Benefit They're Real mascara which I nearly bought when replacing my Maybelline The Falsies however they don't stock Benefit in my local Boots which I had a gift card for. Anyway this has been recommended to me by a very trusted friend so I have high hopes.  You don't get a huge sample but will be perfect for travel, I am going away for a few days in mid June after my exam so I will let you know my thoughts.

Marie Claire had a selection of Avon products this month I picked up a Glimmerstick which I thought was a eyeliner but turned out its a brow definer. Talking of brows today I went to Benefit's Brow Bar and got them to shape them. My brows have always been on the bushy side and after trying to shape them at home with little real success decided to call in the professionals. I chickened out of getting them tinted so will give this a go now I have a shape to define.

There was also a sample of the Avon Ideal Flawless BB cream. I am really loving Marie Claire as just remembered last month as well as the nail polish there was also a Jergens Ultra Healing Body Moisturiser. Fingers crossed more magazines will start giving away multiple products.

Did anyone pick up any good freebies this month?

Mini Boots Haul

This post is a bit late I actually bought these a couple of weeks ago using a gift card. If you read my random ramblings post you will know that there was an issue with my bank which left me with very little money so thank fully due to the brilliant invention of gift cards was still able to go shopping. The issue has still yet to be resolved but have been paid now so not as dire.

The first thing I picked up was some TRESemme Heat Defence Styling Spray, I have used this for years as I love how it doesn't leave any residue in my fine hair or make it sticky. I have noticed that I seem to be getting quite a few split ends at the moment, so was tempted to try Redken's Extreme Anti Snap but at over £14 decided to stick to good old TRESemme which is only £4.69 from boots.com

The reason I actually went shopping was I needed a new mascara as noticed that my Maybelline The Falsies was starting to dry out. I always wanted to try a new mascara not that I didn't love the Maybelline one but I might be missing out.  Revlon was and still is on offer so I thought I would try the Grow Luscious mascara. I haven't seen a great deal about this mascara but if it can help make my lashes longer its gotta be worth a try. It is currently £9.99 from boots.com

As Revlon was on 3 for 2 I decided to finally take the plunge and get a Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain. I have read so many great reviews of these and seen them appear in numerous YouTube videos so decided to finally give in and try one. I went for 001 Honey which appears to actually be the exact same colour as my lips. I have worn a few times but will get some swatches and write a full review. You can pick these up for £7.99 from boots.com.

The last thing I bought was a Colourburst Lip Butter in 063 Wild Watermelon. I do have another Lip Butter which I bought last year when I went to Oxford,but I haven't got round to reviewing that yet.(naughty blogger) Anyway safe to I really like these. I decided to go for a brighter colour then my usual nude pinks and it's safe to say this is a lot brighter then I am used to. So far not ventured out of the house wearing it. Its so much brighter then what I normally wear that when I first tried this out at home my boyfriend noticed that I had something different on my lips! These are also £7.99 from boots.com

Since I have been paid I have actually treated myself to a few (too many) other things which I will share in another post.

Blogroll

I really want to include a blogroll on here, but not being that tech savvy not sure how to do this in a tab along the top of my blog.

So here is a list of the blogs I follow, through bloglovin.com 

15 Steps, Then A Beauty Blog

A Beauty Junkie In London

A Little Beauty Luxury

A Polish Addict

A Thrifty Mrs

All Made Up

All-Made-Up-21

A Model Recommends 

Caroline Hirons

Blushworks

Buy Now Blog Later

Fleur De Force

I Covet Thee

Leanne Marie

Life of Khi

MakeUp Guinea Pig

Miss Budget Beauty

Sprinkle of Glitter

Tanesha Marie

The 6 Inch Stilettos

Vivianna Does Makeup

If you have any recommendations for blogs I should check out please free to leave a link