Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks

When it comes to this product, I am ashamed to admit I have only just got around to sharing it with the world. As mentioned in a previous gift guide post, I had my eye on this Laura Mercier gift set for a while, and was over the moon to receive it as a gift myself. The appropriately named, Caviar Sticks for their luxurious feel and look, come in a range of shades. This particular set provided a selection of colours that create a neutral or more dramatic smoky eye, all  of which  have a pleasant shimmery effect to them. A creamy like textured eye shadow is not something I would usually go for, but with these sticks it is so subtle it does not feel heavy or sticky and refrains from transferring to the eyelid. The stick itself makes it incredibly easy to apply, although I personally like to smudge/blend it in with my little finger to create a more polished look. In terms of ways to wear the shades both, Rose-gold and Moonlight are good base colours and highlighters that I like to use all the way to up to my brow bone and in the inner corner of my eye. Amethyst is a lush one to combine with Rose-gold,  applied to the outer of your eyelid and blended in through the eyelid crease is a lovely look for the day or understated night time. For a more night time appropriate look I  use Moonlight as a base, Amethyst into the crease, then Khaki or Cocoa on the outer of your eyelid (either are appropriate to underline also) and to finish, Rose-gold to highlight the inner corners. Depending on the look you want to go for the shades are very flexible in the way that you can almost get two colours out of one stick (particularly the darker shades) as once blended a more subtle faded tone is created. I have yet been too afraid to use the Copper Caviar stick as I feel it completely disagrees with my skin tone, so if you have any suggestions please do share!

The only slight downside I would give this product is that it is quite difficult to remove. Although this is a major bonus when wearing it as you are guaranteed it will last the day, I have found that rubbing my eyes with a makeup wipe for a good few minutes can become a little irritated. To avoid irritation I would recommend removing the majority with a wipe then using a kind to skin cleanser with a dampened cotton wool pad to gently remove the rest.
Unfortunately this particular set was limited edition so is no longer available in the shops at the limited price but they are all still available individually at Laura Mercier stocking stores for approximately £22 each.

Also if someone could recommend a really good gradual tan that would be great as this post made me realise how ridiculously pale my arm is!

Have you used any shades of the Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks?

How do you wear them?

I would love to hear from you!

   Ellie

Lush Review: Ro's Argan Skin Conditioner

Hello all! So according to my last post I have not blogged in nearly a month, where did that time go?! Hopefully I can be forgiven by providing the following review for you all...

 After receiving one of lush's lushest Rosie packages as a gift a couple of months back, I finally got around to testing the first of its contents. Living in a student house it's not often that I have the luxury of a long, hot, relaxing bath so I guess I was savoring the moment to open this gift box until I could really appreciate it at home. I am not a religious buyer of lush products, she says shamefully as they are so ethical, but I guess have been too comfortable with using my normal bathing and beauty products that I haven't taken the plunge, so I was very excited to receive this gift! I was most eager to use the Argan body/skin conditioner as I have used argan products before of my hair and LOVED them. And as I occasionally suffer form pimply arms I was hoping this product would help soften my skin as effectively as Argan products had done for my hair!  As described on the pot, you apply and rinse the product the same way as you would on your hair. However, the word rinse is used fairly lightly as I did find some of the product remaining on my skin the first time I used it so I would recommend paying more attention to the rinsing process if you were to use this product yourself, in order to achieve the best results. I have been using Ro's argan body conditioner for about a week now and I have found that as well as leaving a lovely almondy scent after use, my skin is noticeably softer and my pimples less apparent,  so I am confident with continuous use this product will continue to please.

Fighting animal testing, Hooray for Lush!

This product alone retails at £16.50 for a 225g tub (please note the one in my images is 45g) which may seem a little pricey but worth it for all the natural goodness that is jam packed into it! Or you can purchase it as part of the updated version of the Rosie gift box for a reasonable £21.25 just in time for Christmas.

I also plan to use up the other lovely goodies in this box soon so keep an eye out if you would like to see another review!

Have you used this body conditioner before?

what Lush products are you loving?

Love,

Ellie

The Ultimate Nail Polish Remover

If you have not yet heard of this product then it is my pleasure to introduce to you the the ultimate, hassle free, no mess nail polish remover from Bourjois that has become an essential in my make up bag. This handy little nail polish remover pot is filled with foam that you literally just dip your nail into and twist to remove all polish. I must admit when first saw the packaging and read '1 second removal' I had my doubts but it really does get rid of the polish in seconds! All of the product is soaked into the foam so it very easy and clean to use, and nothing goes to waste, I always get a bit carried away and seem to drown the cotton wool pad in nail polish, oops! It is slightly more awkward with toes I found I had tip the pot slightly which cause some of the product to drip but for finger nails it is a must have, perfect for when your in a rush to remove and nasty chipped nails! For a nail polish remover this product also smells quite nice, although nail polish removers will always have a bit of a pungent smell due to the chemicals however I noticed this product has a subtle vanilla scent and shortly spotted on the packaging that it is enriched with nourishing almond oil, red fruit and vanilla.  I can safely say this will be my go to nail polish removing product from now on. Retailing at £4.99  a tad more than the standard nail polish removing product but in my opinion a worthwhile purchase, this product is available direct from the Bourjois website, but I have also spotted it in Boots and I am sure you can find it in other drug stores or retailers that have a Bourjois stand.

Please note my giveaway has now ended but thank you to all those who entered and congrats to the winner, I can't wait to do the next one!

Ellie

All Hail Argon Oil Shampoo & Conditioner!

So the latest product I am to rave about is this bargain Argon Oil shampoo and conditioner by Xpel. I was just picking up some essentials in Bodycare when I came across is and I had always wanted try an Argan oil product but not wanted to splash out too much in case it wasn't for me. So this product is perfect in terms of value if you are just wanting to try it. I know some people can be put off buy a beauty product that has the word 'oil' in it as we are usually trying to get rid of oily skin or greasy hair, but I have tried and tested it and can confirm your hair will be grease free. I wasn't expecting to be wowed as it was only a value product, but I was amazed at how good the results were! I understand that all hair types are different but for my hair, which is normal to dry and medium thickness, after a wash it will always feel soft and smooth once I have reached the brushing and straightening stage. But even just after blow drying it my hair felt amazing and unbelievably soft making my hair feel a lot healthier and split ends appear disguised.This feeling also lasted until the next wash which for me is usually 2 days later. In terms of applying the product I filled my palm with a generous amount of shampoo which when massaged into the scalp lathered well. Since trying the product I use less conditioner now as I found my hair was almost too silky to style! I feel guilty for complaining and it's fine for straightening but when I want to put a few curls in they seem to hold better this way. However despite using less conditioner than shampoo, like all the other brands I use, the tube of conditioner always seems to run out first, why?!

I am intrigued to try out other, more up market brands to see if they work as well as this one, but when I got such a great result for such good value I can't seem to bring myself to do so. This brand, Xpel, also offer other argon oil products such as tubs of conditioning treatments and pure argon oil drops, which you can also buy from Bodycare and various places online! I am yet to try these but as for the shampoo and conditioner, it's a thumbs up from me. And if you like the sound of this shampoo and conditioner, stay tuned as I hope to feature it in my upcoming giveaway!

Have you used Argon Oil products before?
 If so what brand?

And what did you think?!

   Ellie

The perfect palette: My Urban Decay Equivalent

When money is tight it’s harder to part with £37 without feeling guilty. But many would say would say it’s worth the guilt for a Urban Decay palette, well what you say if I told you you could get a Urban Decay Naked 2 palette equivalent for a fraction of the price? That’s right, I recently discovered whilst browsing in Superdrug that MUA do a brilliant eye palette with gorgeous matte nudes, shimmery and smoky shades that are almost identical to Naked. I wasn't sure if the quality was going to be up to the standard of Urban Decay but for £4 you cannot complain! I had to give it a go and I was very pleased with the results, with 12 different shades you can create a variety of standout smoky or minimalist nude looks. To put on the product I used my favourite body shop eye shadow brushes and I found the the powder applied really nicely, feeling very soft. I firstly applied the flesh toned shades right up to my eye brow and into the corner of my eye, in order to highlight. Then going over top of, to the edges of my eye lid and under my brow bone I used the slightly shimmery bronze and darker shades to complete the look. I quite like natural make up and what I love about this palette is that its suitable for everyday use as well as more glam night out look, so it’s a win win really! I had never bought anything from the MUA brand before but I will definitely be a returning customer, along with many other make up articles, they had a wide selection other eye shadow palettes as well as this one; so if you prefer a bit more colour, darker tone, or shimmer, no matter your skin tome; I’m confident there is a palette for everyone.
If you like the look of this palette, stay tuned as I hope to feature it in my next giveaway!

Have yo used this Palette before?
What do you think?

   Ellie

#TheWinterProject : Favourite Winter Make Up

After a bit of catching up I am now up to date with #TheWinterProject topics! So for this weeks post I will be showing you my favourite winter makeup, we all know everyone loves to get dolled up at Christmas time with all the parties and events, and these following products are what I like to use most to create that festively glamorous look...

Firstly, when applying a full face of makeup I always like to apply highlighter to my cupids bow, cheekbones and brow bone. In particular I have grown very fond of seventeens newest WOW highlighter, it adds a really nice shimmery effect to the areas you apply it to, particularly when the light shines on it.

Over the top of this I apply my favourite foundation, Skin Illusion by Clarins. I especially love this product as it has such a lightweight consistency so I never feel caked even when wearing a full face of makeup! And perfectly for the winter season, this foundation has the benefit of not drying out my skin! For best results and a smooth finish, apply with a foundation brush.

In these winter months I always suffer from getting increasingly pale, so this natural bronzer by Rimmel London is one I have used for years to hide that. It has the slightest shimmer but not enough for it to look unnatural. I apply it lightly, dusting my whole face with a large bronzer brush, then once again to my cheeks, brushing from the cheekbone inwards.

At Christmas time I always like to make a bit more effort for parties and events, this shimmery eyeshadow does the job very nicely, adding a nice Christmasy shine to the eyelids. I apply the powder right up to the brow bone so it catches the light really nicely. This shade from The Body Shop is a nice natural bronze like colour with purple pigments, it is quite natural so is also suitable for everyday wear. Visit The Body Shop website for more gorgeous shades.

Now for the final touches, these eyelashes by Ardell from Boots are a lovely natural lash that add that extra pop to your makeup, they have extra length and a slight curl at the edges which is great for enhancing your natural lashes fullness. I love wearing them when dressing up at Christmas! To apply them I use Shu Uemura eyelash glue which is hands down the best I have ever used, it also last ages as I have had it for about a year and its still as good as the first time I used it!

It's rare that I leave the house without a bit of lippy on even if its just a neutral shade. But recently I have not been able to take off this lipstick I purchased from MAC earlier in the season, this shade 'Prepare for Pleasure' is from the limited edition Divine Night collection. I found that everything from this collection had a real Christmasy feel to it and I couldn't leave without buying this gorgeous lipstick which really brings some excitement to winter makeup.

Is there any makeup that you particularly like to wear at winter or Christmas?

Are any of you taking part in #TheWinterProject?
Ellie

                                                                                        

Product of the week: Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's Maybelline

When it comes to eyelashes, in my case I am definitely not born with naturally gorgeous ones so it is most definitely Maybelline I have to thank. Since using their Volum Express Lift Up mascara I'm afraid to say that I find it so hard to branch out and try new ones as I'm too attached to it and have never been able to find a competitor! In the past I have used Dior Show which was lovely but I found it didn't last that long and was it bit too pricey to be buying every few months so I was just saving it for special occasions, but even my use of that fizzled out with my love for my Maybelline one overpowering! Yes you may say I'm a little too attached to my mascara but let me just explain why...

Firstly, the curved brush. For some reason it seems so rare now to find mascaras that have a curved wand, this being something I always look for in a mascara. This is because I find that it really helps to give a natural curl and lift up your eyelashes making them stand out.

Secondly, unlike some of Maybellines other mascaras the consistency of this mascara isn't too thick and gloopy so it applies really nicely, evenly separating the eyelashes. It's also great for adding length wheres some of the other maybelline mascaras seem to add mainly thickness. I focus particularly on my corner lashes when applying it and the length you get is great and natural.

Furthermore, its perfect for all occasions. If you read my blog you'll know that in terms of make up I prefer a more natural look and this product fits my brief really well. However I have found that it is not just appropriate for everyday use but also when worn with a slim line of black gel eyeliner on top of the eyelid and and a bronze eye shadow it creates a really simple yet striking evening look.

And finally, at £6.99 it doesn't even scratch the surface so it's a guilt free purchase every few months. So never mind product of the week, this mascara is pretty much product of the year.

Have you ever used this mascara?

Can you recommend any other curved brush mascaras?

What is your favourite mascara?

                                                                                Ellie

Seventeen haul

I am a sucker for an offer however this was one I just could not miss! Seventeen are currently doing a fab 3 for £10 deal on any products so it really is a great saving!

I read about a couple of these products on Life of a Trainee Journalist, a great blog which if you haven't visited yet I suggest you do, I really trust Nicole's reviews so was instantly tempted to go and check out the products for myself.

To start with I picked up this CC cream, I have been wanting one for quite a while as a substitute for foundation. I currently wear a Clarins foundation that which I love but since becoming a student, at £25 a go I find I'm slightly reluctant in using it for everyday. This texture of this cream is almost mousse like but is really light and blends really well with both your hands and a foundation brush. To say its not actually a foundation, the coverage it gives is very good and I find it lasts really well. The only downside about this product is it only comes in two shades, luckily for me the medium tone matches my skin well however for people with different skin types it might be more difficult to find a match. But overall, a really nice everyday product.

My Witch concealer has just ran so I decided to go for something a little different this time with this under eye concealer. With the description 'Heavy duty' I though it would provide maximum covergae however you can still vaguely see a darker tone under the eyes but when foundation or the CC cream is applied on top it does make a difference. I applied the concealer using my fingers and it went on nice and smoothly to say it was quite thick which was an advantage! It also gives a nice matte finish which is what I look for in face makeup so I was happy with this. Not the best I've used but it certainly does the job.

Finally, the product I initially went for and was most excited about using is the 3 way highlighter. With this product a little goes a long way as its quite thin so spreads really well over the skin. It just adds a really nice shimmery effect acting as a primer that when applied under your foundation to your cheek bones, brow bones and the dip above your upper lip makes your face makeup look a lot more glowing, particularly under the light. And although I have never used a highlighter before so have nothing to compare it to I was very pleased with the results, I love it!

Altogether I saved a whopping £8.67 so it really is an offer you cannot miss!

Have you used any of these products before?

What would you buy using the offer?

Ellie

                                                                                

Product of the week: Clarins Cleansing Gel

Since last Christmas I have been using this product and thought it was about time that I shared it with the blogosphere! This product came as part of the daily energizer range from Clarins along with a moisturiser and a 'wake up booster' liquid solution, however the cleansing gel is what I favoured out of the three and will definitely be purchasing it again individually.

Containing morgina extract it seems like quite a natural product, which is what you want when applying anything to your face. On the bottle it advises you to rinse with cool water in the morning and warm water in the evening, however I use it morning and evening when I shower with warm water, as it goes all lovely and soapy it's easier to rinse off. The fab thing about this products is that it's really good value for money, you only need to squeeze a small amount onto the finger tip which is sufficient to cleanse the whole face. Not only this but it removes any excess makeup really well and also leaves the skin feeling so soft and smooth after every use. As a result of this I felt no need to use to moisturiser every day after cleansing and simply used it on odd days when my face felt a little dry. Overall I think it is a really worthwhile every day product that leaves you thoroughly cleansed and completely fresh faced. I love it, well done Clarins!

The cleansing gel retails at an affordable £12 or if you would like to try the whole range you can purchase a set of minis for £15.

Have you tried the products from this range before, if so what did you think?

Are there any other cleansers you would recommend?

                                                                                 Ellie

My Perfect Nude: What's Yours?

I've forever been a fan of the Kate Moss lipstick range for Rimmel London however not purchased a nude shade until recently. I have been on the search for the right nude for quite a while but have found it difficult to get one with the right amount of shine, moisture and I've also wanted one with pink pigments; as I most often wear natural face makeup I thought this would liven it up a tad. Some might say I'm just a little bit picky! But thanks to Rimmel and Kate I was able to find all this in one of there lippies. Shade 03 is a lush nude colour with a hint of pink that matches perfectly with my skin tone. When applying lipstick I always brush on some excess foundation which provides a nice base for the lipstick and brings out to full colour as you test it on your hand. This lipstick is part of the 'Lasting Finish' range but I do find that I have to re apply it quite a lot during the day, even though this acts against what it's labelled to do, it feels so nice and moisturising that this doesn't bother me at all!

For only £5.49 it's an affordable everyday lipstick.

I would love to hear what your favourites and recommendations are,so please leave a comment below, I will always reply within a few days!

Ellie