I got this in my Christmas Stocking after some serious hinting. I have heard so much about Caudalie and was so excited to try out some of their products in these little minis.
To be honest this wasn't one of the products I had heard a great deal about but when looking through my collection of moisturizers I decided to give this a go. This is seriously lightweight but strangely the wettest moisturizer I have ever used, if that makes sense. When I squeezed some out onto my hand I thought that this wouldn't be moisturizing enough but when you blend into your skin it so hydrating.
It doesn't leave any form of residue and sinks in very quickly which I love. It doesn't include any SPF but seeing as all my foundations do I can forgive it this. It can be used both day and night, I have only been using the in the morning but would imagine that this would be great at night time too.
There is a faint scent to this which is very fresh and which I like but if you are sensitive to scented products I would take that into consideration. The brand is free from parabens, mineral oils, SLS and many other nasty things.
I will definitely be purchasing the full size of this when I have used up all my moisturizer stashed away. I can safely say that this is one of the best moisturizers I have tried.
This is available from feelunique.com for £19.55 in the sale, usual price £23 for 40ml. Alternatively if you want to try a selection of their products including 10ml of this. This set is available in the sale for £10.44 usually £12.
As it was my best friends birthday this week, I decided I needed some amazing nails. I wore a green skater dress with black and gold accessories so went for Nails Inc Chelsea Embankment.
This is a serious full coverage glitter polish. I am wearing three thin coats, as if you apply too thick can take forever to dry. I also don't apply a topcoat to help make removal a fraction less traumatic.
One thing I love about this polish apart from just how stunning this looks is that it doesn't feel like sandpaper and catch on everything. It is also perfect when you are in a hurry, as you don't have to worry about being mega neat with textured polishes.
Wear time with this was slightly shorter because of the lack of top coat but still remained chip free for 4 days.
The only con with this is the removal, honestly removing glitter polish is a pain in the rear. I saw the funniest pin on pinterest which said 'Men will never know the agony of childbirth, menstrual cramps, or taking off glitter nail polish' which I think sums it perfectly.
If you can handle removing glitter polish then I would recommend this, it is available from nailsinc.com for £11. For those of you who just can't deal with the hassle I would strongly recommend Ciate Sand Dunes which I reviewed here.
I got this with the August 2012 (yes 2012) Glamour magazine and only just got round to trying it out. I am not sure why I took so long to try this as heard so many great things about it. I was even more interested in trying this out after using Benefit's B.Right It's Potent Eye Cream which I reviewed here.
First up I hate the packaging. I know some people love these tubes but they drive me insane. You can't see how much of the product you have left and you can't get every last drop out. This is only a sample however, and it seems that the full size product is packaged differently, so I guess this point is moot.
Now onto the product, this is fragranced. It's kind of a floral potpourri smell which I am not that keen on. Unless you apply loads, which you don't need to, its ok though. It's a light cream which absorbs quickly and feels very hydrating.
I must be honest I didn't notice the same results as I did with the Benefit. That said I don't think my circles have got worse, so maybe my eye area is as bright as it's ever going to get.
Would I purchase this - I don't know to be honest. I am definitely going to be buying the Benefit eye cream ,as I was blown away with the results. To me this just didn't compare, that said this is a nice product.
This is available from lookfantastic.com for £20 for 15ml
As you may know by now if you have read any of my posts on my hair. I have very fine hair and not loads of it, so I am always looking for something to give it a bit of volume. I decided to give this a try as I hadn't been having much luck with higher end products. I also liked that this included heat protection, so would save me using two products. I would usually start with the positives but other then this is cheap there isn't much going for it.
The first issue I have with this is the nozzle, its useless. It doesn't spray an even mist over your hair, it just squirts it onto one bit. I am not sure if the nozzle cause the next issue but brands need to stop using these useless nozzles.
My second issue is that this simply doesn't work. I don't notice that this added any volume to my hair at all. It didn't even add a bit that then fell out within a few minutes. It was also very sticky and made my hair look greasy.
I would make the bold statement that my hair actually looks better without using this. It made my roots look lank and greasy and it definitely didn't add any volume. I can't even bring myself to use up the rest of the bottle, so say goodbye as this will not be featuring in an empties post.
After falling in love with Essie's Naughty Nautical which I have done a full post on here. I decided to try the less hyped colour in the collection Full Steamahead.
Like Naughty Nautical this includes some shimmer. This is more noticeable in the bottle then on the nails. Unfortunately my camera didn't pick up either very well, but it is there honest.
I do like the colour, but understand why it hasn't received the hype as the other shades. The other two are much more vibrant and just scream summer. This on the other hand is more pastel, and to me is more of a spring time shade.
I am still loving the wider brush. This also applied like a dream and is still going strong on day 4 at the time of writing.
As always I have used two coats with my normal Nails Inc base and top coat. Talking of base coats, does anyone have any suggestions for a good one, as I am on the hunt for a new one.
This is available in the mini collection, including two other polishes for £12.99 from boots.com or on its own for £7.99 here.
When I saw this on amodelrecommends.com I knew I had to try it. Ruth said that it was a good budget alternative to Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish, which was actually the first product I reviewed here. Long story short I loved my Liz Earle until I discovered how much I was paying annually to wash my face. I have tried three cheaper alternatives to varying degrees of success so wanted to see how this fared.
I would say that out of all of the products I have tried I felt that this was closest to Liz Earle's, although it is quite a bit thicker. It doesn't smell the same but many of the ingredients are the same.
There are two main differences one is that this isn't suitable for the eye area and two the texture. I did always used to take my Liz Earle over my eyes but recently have been taking off the majority of my makeup with Micellar water so this wasn't really an issue. That said with the Liz Earle it is the only cleanser you would need, whereas you would need eye makeup remover with this.
The second difference is the texture, this is quite a bit thicker. It is still creamy but when you apply to your face this feels thicker, whereas the Liz Earle almost disappears.
The results are incredibly similar, although obviously I didn't test this with mascara. Your skin is left feeling clean and doesn't feel at all tight. I would also say that like the Liz Earle that this is suitable for any skin type as doesn't dry out the skin or leave any form of residue.
Overall I was impressed if I had tried this first I think I would have been more enamoured, however I just don't think that this is as good for my skin as the Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser which I have reviewed here.
I would definitely recommend this if your skin is oily or not dehydrated like mine. Price wise this is £7.00 for 150ml whereas the Liz Earle is £13.25 for 100ml so the value for money is a lot better. This is also always on some kind of offer too so can pick up even cheaper too.
This is available from Asda here
This month's magazines have been a bit of a let down to be honest. I have only found one magazine with any freebies. If anyone else spots one please let me know. To make up for the lack of magazines I decided to add a little haul to the post.
The only magazine with a free gift appears to be Elle which has a Bumble and Bumble Thickening Hairspray. If you have read my blog before you will know that I have very fine hair and am struggling to find a good volumising product. I have never tried anything from Bumble and Bumble, but have read so many rave reviews on the brand, that I have high hopes. I will let you know how I get on with this.
So this post isn't mega short I thought I would share a couple of recent purchases. First up is this amazing smelling Sparkling Wine Natural Lip Balm. I only bought this yesterday from a shop in Holt which I love, I don't think I have ever come out empty handed. They have a website which you can check out victoriagoss.co.uk but I would seriously recommend popping in if you are ever in North Norfolk. I can't comment on whether this is any good but it smells amazing.
Next up is actually a gift I received from my mother in law, who recently went to America. She bought me some Chanel nail polish in 657 Azure. I was absolutely over the moon to get a Chanel polish, I mean who doesn't love a bit of Chanel. It wouldn't have been a colour I would have picked for myself, but I have worn it and I love it. I will write a full post but honestly hand on heart this colour is absolutely stunning.
In fact I loved it so much the following week I went out and bought another Chanel polish in 583 Taboo. I haven't worn this but the sales lady said it had the same finish as Azure. I can't wait till the Autumn/Winter time to rock this bad boy. I really need to get on with culling my nail polishes as I have over 100 but I just can't resist sometimes.
After I past my last exam I decided to treat myself and bought the Summer 2013 Mini collection. I had been thinking about getting it for a while but I am meant to be trying to stream line my collection not add to it. That said after trying this bad boy I do not regret my decision, well maybe a little as now I want more Essie.
I was dubious about the brush as this is much wider then I am used to. However it is so much easier to get a neat manicure with a wider brush. I think I now prefer wider brushes, it is a shame that 99% of my collection don't have them.
This also applies like a dream, even and practically opaque in one coat, I did use two. I have found the Nails Inc polishes to be a bit hit and miss recently, but this was amazing and dried really fast too, with no bubbles. The wear was also good I think I wore for a good 5-6 days with minimal wear.
Now onto the colour this is a perfect for the summer its a teal green with a hint of shimmer. The shimmer does show up better in the bottle then it does on the nails but it is still noticeable. It can also be removed easily as it's not huge chunks of glitter in there.
I am so impressed with Essie the quality is just as good as Nails Inc, perhaps in some instances better yet cheaper. I am slightly concerned that with these being limited edition I might use up the mini and might not be able to replace.
You can buy either the mini set which included this plus two other shades for £9.99 from boots.com or the full size for £7.99 here
What are your favourite Essie colours?
Last month I felt like I used up a lot of products, so lets get right into what I used up.
Sanctuary Body Wash I love this stuff my only complaint is that I seemed to get through it rather quickly. It smells heavenly with the Sanctuary signature scent and is leaves the skin feeling beautiful. I would definitely buy this again and recommend to anyone who suffers with dry skin. I have written a full review which you can read here.
L'Oreal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Micellar Solution I have wanted to try Bioderma for some time, but what with it being hard to get hold of and lets face it expensive, I have never taken the plunge. Instead I decided to try the L'Oreal version, and I am impressed. First up it has removed everything I have worn easily, secondly it doesn't leave any residue on my skin and thirdly I love the bottle. I know that is a random thing to love about a product, but I think more products should be rectangular. I am planning to write a full post as well as a comparison with the other Micellar water I have, so keeps your eyes peeled for them.
Soap & Glory Girligo Spray-On Body Moisturising Mist these seem to breed in my cupboards, I don't ever remember buying them, but yet somehow I have ended up with loads. This has the gorgeous Soap & Glory fragrance and is really good for a night out. Not only does it moisturise but also helps you smell divine. I don't need to buy anymore as still have at least one stashed away but if you love the original Soap & Glory scent I would recommend this. It is available from boots.com for £6.50 for 250ml (mine was only 100ml)
Molton Brown Energising Seamoss Bath & Shower I received this as part of a gift ages ago, and to be honest this was my least favourite scent in the set. I would say that this is the most masculine scent, although most definitely still unisex. This scent aside Molton Brown do make lovely bath/shower gels, you hardly need any and they lather up beautifully, meaning that they last ages. They also work well as both a bubble bath and a shower gel, unlike a lot of cheaper alternatives. I wouldn't probably buy myself any Molton Brown but do buy my boyfriend the Re-Charge Black Pepper Bodywash as a gift, as I know he loves it. My personal favourite is the Ultrasmooth Coco de Mer which I just adore.
Clinique Repairwear Lift SPF 15 which was my last post which you can read here. Fortunately for me this seems to have disappeared off the face of the planet. I really didn't like this product as not only did I not feel it did anything but it also smelt awful. It really smelt like damp, so not sure why I felt I had to finish but I hate throwing things out.
Sure Aloe Vera Sensitive Anti-Persirant which seems to crop up in most empties, still love the fact that this has no real smell, still not loving the white marks but overall happy with it. I am not sure whether these compressed versions actually last as long as the bigger size, but if they are cheaper I pick them up.
Ed Hardy Original Woman EDP this was a Christmas gift years ago which although I don't dislike, didn't fall in love with. I really want to get through all my scents that I am not that keen on and try and have a smaller collection of fragrances I love. On the subject of fragrances I love, would it be weird for me to wear Bleu de Chanel? I honestly love that scent and could sniff it all day, but my boyfriend thinks I am crazy. Anyway back to the Ed Hardy this is a fruity floral which I just feel is a bit meh. It isn't overpowering or offensive, but isn't a scent that really excites me either.
nspa Hot Cloth Polish I got this after it featured on amodelrecommends.com as a good budget alternative to Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish, which at one time was my Holy Grail cleanser. This is a good budget version in my opinion too, it isn't exactly the same but very similar. I do still perfer Liz Earle's but would recommend this to anyone with normal to oily skin, if you have dry or dehydrated skin I would recommend the Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser which I reviewed here over both. I will write a full review on this, I did plan to I just ran out of time.
Philip Kingsley Scalp Toner not a very glamorous product but one I know I should really use. I have mentioned on here several times that I have always had a problematic scalp. My scalp has never been completely clear and I hoped that this would help. To be fair to this product I have never used consistently. If there is one thing that I have learnt from my skincare, it is that you need to use products regularly and to give them a chance to work. I just found that if I was in a rush that this was an easy step to skip. I have decided that I need to pay my scalp and hair more attention. Instead of just shampoo, conditioner and a heat protection I need a proper routine. I might do a series of posts on the subject as have a number of concerns but basically at the moment I am at a lose. What I really need is a Caroline Hirons for haircare. If anyone knows of anyone please let me know.
I don't remember when I got this but thought I would try this out as it is claims to help 'block and mend' the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. As I'm not getting any younger I wanted to see if this helped. I am really starting to notice my eleven lines between my brows so hoped that this might help.
This is for dry/combination skin and is quite a but thicker then creams I am used to. It also has a very interesting aroma, by interesting I mean kind of funky, almost a damp smell. It is safe to say the smell really put me off.
Due to the texture I did find that I didn't need to use a lot of this as it is so thick. I do prefer lighter formula's, I do think that this just sits on the skin instead of sinking in.
I didn't notice any difference in my fine lines perhaps because I don't think that this actually went into my skin. I am not sure whether this is targeted at older skin but it definitely didn't work on my skin.
I can't find this in stock anywhere online so thinking it may have been reformulated and repackaged, or maybe just discontinued. If it had been available I wouldn't have repurchased as it just did nothing for my skin.
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