Lipstick Of The Day

Hey Guys,

 

I thought I would share the Lipstick I am wearing today. This is the first time wearing it so this post is going to be kind of a first impressions.

 

The Lipstick I am wearing is by Natural Collection and it is in shade Cranberry.

 

 

 

 

It is, as the name suggests, a cranberry-ish colour, a dark fuchsia pink with slight purple tones. Today, I am wearing a neutral eye and this lipstick to add a pop of colour. I don't usually go for bright shades as they can make me look a bit washed out because of my fair skin but this seems to be just the right level of brightness.

 

 

It is a creamy, moisturising lipstick and applies to the lips easily. You could even manage to apply it successfully without a mirror, due to its shaped tip. Although creamy when applied, it does dry out slightly once on the lips and no longer feels as moisturising as it did when applying. However, it isn't sticky at all! The fact that it dries out slightly is actually a good thing as it means that it stays on the lips for longer and won't rub off as soon as you eat or drink. It isn't so dry that it makes your lips look flaky and it does have some shine to it.

 

 

Another point to note about Natural Collection is that all the Natural Collection products are fragrance free and dermatologically tested, this means they can be used on even the most sensitive of skins. 

 

You can buy the Natural Collection range from Boots. Unfortunately, I cannot find any Natural Collection Lipsticks on the Boots website but I am sure they will have them in store as I only bought this a couple of weeks ago. It cost £1.99 and it was in the long standing offer buy 3 Natural Collection products for £5. I love the whole Natural Collection range, it is great value for money and they have some real gems in their range. Definitely worth taking a look next time your in Boots!

 

Have you tried any of the Natural Collection products? What do you think?

 

 

 

My Top 10 Speedy Beauty Tips

 

 

We've all been there, the alarm has gone off and you've repeatedly pressed the snooze button until your running so late you have to sacrifice makeup or breakfast. If you're anything like me, you won't think twice before you decide to skip breakfast. Now, I'm not saying these tips will solve all your problems but they sure might leave you 5 minutes to grab a bite to eat!  

 

 

My Top Ten Speedy Beauty Tips:

 

 

Tip 1 - Hate waiting for your newly painted nails to dry? After applying a top coat, wait 30 seconds before running a bowl of cold water and submerging your hands fully for 1 minute and hey presto, dry nails without the wait.

 

Tip 2 - Do you get a red shaving rash after shaving? One way to avoid this is to stand under the warm shower water for a good 5 minutes. This helps soften the hairs and makes them easier to shave away, meaning no nasty red rash. I also like to apply baby oil before I dry myself after a shower, the oil helps to lock in the moisture and leaves your skin silky smooth. Another good tip for shaving rash, especially under the arms or on the bikini line is to apply deodorant to the area as soon as you have shaved, it will stop the prickly bumps/rash from appearing.

 

Tip 3 - Need your lip colour to last all day long? Try applying foundation or concealer to the lips before applying your choice of lip product. It acts as a primer and gives the lip colour something to stick to.

 

Tip 4- Run out of nail polish remover? Place a clear top coat on the nail and remove with a cotton pad straight away. Make sure to do one nail at a time as it needs to be removed whilst wet.

 

Tip 5 - Can't find your hair serum or even worse you've run out? Don't panic! Use a pea sized amount of baby oil and smooth through the ends of your hair. Shiny silky hair in a flash.

 

Tip 6 - No time to wash your hair? Take some talcum powder or even loose face powder and swirl a brush round, tap the brush to get rid of excess and apply to the roots. This will soak up any grease and nobody will know you slept in,

 

Tip 7 - Just about to head out the door and you break your nail? Don't rip it off and think you have to spend time sorting your manicure out when your already half an hour late. Apply a small amount of super glue over the torn part, wait for it to dry and then buff with a nail file. If you have time then you can go over this with nail polish but if not it should hold until you have time to sort it fully.

 

Tip 8 - Have you woken up with brows that don't seem to want to behave? Take a clean toothbrush, spray hairspray onto the bristles and gentle brush your brows to tame them. The hair spray will keep them tamed all day long.

 

Tip 9 - Have you woken up to a fake tan disaster? Streaky legs and orange arms? Make an exfoliating paste by mixing baking soda with water and rubbing over the affected areas. This should gently start to remove the fake tan and leave you looking a little less Umpa Lumpa. If the baking soda alone isn't enough then you can apply the baking soda paste to half a lemon and rub over the skin.

 

Tip 10 - Looked in the mirror and your face resembles flaky pastry? If your foundation has gone cakey don't panic, use a clean damp sponge all over the face paying to smooth out the foundation, make sure you blend it all in and you're as good as new! 

 

 

What tricks do you use when your in a rush? Would you like to see more of this type of post?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Handmade Soaps Review

A few weeks ago, a lovely lady from a small business known as 'Handmade Soaps & Aroma Beads' offered me some of her handmade soaps at a discounted rate for me to try and review. She is based in Oxfordshire but has a Facebook page (Click HERE) and a website (Click HERE) selling all of her products and for a small fee she will post to anywhere in the UK. As you can see from the name, she sells an extensive range of handmade soaps and aroma beads. There really is something for everyone and every occasion.

 

All of the soaps came beautifully wrapped and in a cardboard box with foam pieces to protect them in transit. Not one of the soaps I received was broken. This just shows the amount of care and time that goes into making these soaps. They would be ideal for presents or even just to brighten up your bathroom.

 

I have tested each soap in the same way and used each one for the same length of time.

1) Berry Cupcake Soap (Comes In A Pink Gift Box) - The design of this soap is AMAZING! It looks good enough to eat. It looks so good that I didn't want to use it! The only parts that aren't soap are the butterflies and the little roses. It's a very pretty girly soap and would make an ideal present. It even comes in a lovely gift box! It has a sweet, summery, berry scent that is strong enough to translate to the skin after washing but it is not too overpowering. It also made my bathroom smell lovely! The soap itself lathers very well and leaves your skin feeling clean but without the sticky residue that some soaps can leave. It also isn't drying but instead leaves the skin feeling really soft, almost as though you have put moisturiser on your hands! There are 3 more scents in the berry cupcake range, Lemongrass, Lavender & Sea Breeze. I haven't tried any of the other scents but I imagine them to be just as brilliant! These soaps are priced at £2.99 each which I think it great value for something so pretty AND handmade!

2) Baby Flower Lotus Soap - This soap comes in two colours, pink & blue, they are each scented with baby powder! I love love love the scent of baby powder! I have had this soap in my hand for the past 10 minutes just smelling it! The scent is such a happy scent and makes me want to smile: -) The design is so sweet, it is a lotus flower with a tiny baby curled up in the middle. This would make a perfect gift for someone who has just had a baby.. pink for a girl & blue for a boy! The soap has an amazing lather and as the petals of the lotus flower are '3D' it acts as a great hand massager. Each time I used this I stood at the sink for ages giving my hands a nice massage. As with the other soaps, it left my hands feeling lovely and clean without drying them or leaving any residue. The best thing about this soap to me is the scent and the fact that it lingers for a long time after using! For £1.85 this is an absolute bargain! I would even just buy this soap to smell!!



 3) Cocktail Soap Complete With Soap Ice Cubes - The cocktail soaps come in 3 scents, Orange, Lemon & Strawberry. I was sent the Orange one to try. Each of them come complete with ice cubes (made out of soap) and a cocktail umbrella and straw (not soapy). This soap has a very strong scent of Orange (well what else were you expecting it to smell of?) and once again the scent lingers on the hands after washing. It doesn't smell as if you have just peeled an orange though which is great as although I like that scent I don't think I would want a soap to leave my hands smelling like that. It does, however, smell of a more summery, fresher, cleaner orange. What I like about this soap is the fact that even after a few uses it doesn't disintegrate and it looks as good as it did when it was removed from the packaging. It lathers just as well as the others and leaves your hands clean and soft. Each cocktail soap costs £3.49 and comes in a gift bag.


  
4) Grumpy Looking Bee Soap - This soap contains real honey and cocoa butter. The smell of the honey doesn't come through straight away but after a few uses you can smell it strongly. If you don't like honey then this isn't the soap for you. But, for those of you who do like honey, this is a great soap which leaves the skin feeling super soft and cared for. This is a great novelty soap and would be great for kids. What better way to encourage your kids to wash their hands than a grumpy bee? This soap had the best lather out of all the ones I tested. This is for sale for £2.50 which is a great price for the amount of soap you get!  

5) Flower Pot Soap - The flower pot soap comes in two different colours, pink & yellow, complete with green moss and a sprinkle of glitter to add a dewy effect. I have the yellow one out of this range. This is a gorgeous soap and looks stunning placed on the bathroom sink. It has a beautiful floral fragrance that makes the bathroom smell lovely, it also makes your skin smell lovely too and as with all of the others the smell lingers. It is very moisturising to the skin and doesn't leave any nasty residue behind. It is also easy to use - by this I mean that it isn't so slippery that you keep dropping it in the sink. It also holds its shape very well and even during the hot weather we have been having in the UK recently it hasn't melted at all. The flower pot soaps are priced at £3.99 each.

 

6) Cookie Soap - This is another soap that I could sit smelling for hours on end. It smells of strawberry jam which reminds me of a Jammy Dodger and I absolutely love Jammy Dodgers!! The smell translates to the skin and lingers. It is such a beautiful fruity, sweet scent. It is an addictive smell and I promise you that you will wash your hands so much more just so you can get your fix of strawberry jam! The design of the cookie soap is brilliant, it is made to look as though it has marshmallow and jam in the middle, of course all of which is soap! The bumps on both sides of the cookie soap also act as a good massage bar. This soap looks and smells good enough to eat and I have had to restrain from biting in to it! As a soap, the lather is brilliant and it leaves your hands feeling super soft, massaged (from the bumps), smelling fruity and not at all dry or sticky. The cookie soap sells for £2.29. 

The amount of love and care that has gone into making these soaps is unbelievable. Some of the designs must take a long time to perfect. I cannot fault any of the soaps that I have tried from this small business and I think they are all great value for money. They are all very high quality and it is clear that a lot of work has gone into making each and every one. There are so many different soaps to choose from and not forgetting aroma beads. The lady at 'Handmade Soaps And Aroma Beads' is very friendly and will always answer any questions you have swiftly.

Please take a look at this wonderful business and help support small businesses in the UK.

 

'Handmade Soaps And Aroma Beads' currently have an offer on. If you spend £15 then you will get FREE delivery to anywhere in the UK AND a FREE gift!!!!  

 

How To Find 'Handmade Soaps And Aroma Beads'

 

Website - CLICK HERE

Facebook Page - CLICK HERE

  
 

 

Laura

Xx

 

These soaps were purchased using my own money but at a discounted rate.

 

MUA Eyeshadow Review

The MUA eyeshadows have to be some of the best shadows I have ever come across. I have a range of different shades in singles and palettes. I have picked out my two most used and clear favourite shadows from the range. These are shade 24 & shade 3. 

 

L to R - Shade 24, Shade 3

Shade 24 is a lovely pinky plum/rose gold shade and this looks great as just a wash of colour or can be built up with other colours to create a smoky eye.

 

Shade 3 is a silver shade and I never thought I would wear silver shadow but this looks great incorporated into a smoky eye with darker colours, it adds such a nice shimmer and sparkle to the eye. Both of them can be toned down to wear in the day or built up for going out at night.

 

Here are the swatches on the back of my hand. That is just swiping the finger across the shadow and then across my hand. (The flash has bounced off the shimmer slightly so its not that clear but there are swatches on the MUA website too)

 

 

 

 

 MUA can be bought in all Superdrug stores and online at the MUA Website. Their products are some of the cheapest on the market but they are such amazing quality! I would highly recommend that you take a look at their range.

 

The single eyeshadows cost £1 each and there are a total of 26 pearl shades & 5 matte shades in the £1 range. 

 

I've said before that I am not keen on the matte shades from this range as they don't seem as pigmented or seem to have the same formula as the pearl shadows, that still remains true but the good news is, I haven't come across one pearl shade that isn't fantastic!

 

They range from natural shades to bold shades and any look can easily be created. You can use one single shadow to sweep across the lid for a wash of colour or use a mix up of shades to create a bold & dramatic eye.

 

The shadows are easy to apply, easy to blend and easy to slowly build up to create the look you want. They are super pigmented and this translates onto the eye lid. You really can just swipe a shadow coated brush across the eye lid and achieve a perfect wash of colour.You can also use the shadows wet to create an even bolder look. 

 

One of the biggest pros of these shadows is that I have barely noticed any fallout, even with the darker colours. The finish is absolutely stunning, the shadows have just the right amount of shimmer, which means that the shadows can be worn day or night. I want to say that they are creamy, and by that I mean that they have the finish and apply as easy as a cream eyeshadow would. 

 

The staying power of these shadows is unbelievable for the price, they look exactly the same 12 hours later as they did when they were first applied, there is no smudging, the colour is still as intense and there is no creasing.. This is all without applying a primer first! £1 for an eyeshadow that does so much! 

 

You can take a look at the whole range HERE .

 

The great thing about the MUA website is that all the shadows have been swatched so you can get a good idea of the shade before buying! What more could you ask for, for £1!!

 

Have you tried any of these shadows? What do you think?

 

Do you want me to do more MUA reviews? What do you want to see on my blog? Leave a comment leaving your request :-)

 

Laura

Xx

My Current Top 4 Drugstore Blushers

Hey Guys,

 

Today, I thought I would share with you my top 4 Drugstore Blushers that I am using at the moment. 

 

All of the Blushers vary in price but I think they are all great value for money and great all round Blushers. I have included an Elizabeth Arden Blusher which I would class as being Mid Range but it was bought from the Drugstore! They are in no particular order.

From L to R - L'Oreal Project Runway, Rimmel Lasting Finish, MUA Blusher, Elizabeth Arden Colour Intrigue.




1) L'Oreal Project Runway Super Blendable Blush In Shade Charming Cockatoo's Blush (425) - This Blusher is unfortunately limited edition and they have now stopped selling it in Drugstores. However... I have found it on Ebay, priced at £3.79 (Click HERE) It is also available in the USA on Ebay for $9.99 (HERE) - It is available in 3 other shade too which are also available on Ebay. This Blusher is a rich warm rosy shade with a slight hint of shimmer, it is a very 'natural' shade which looks beautiful on the apples of the cheeks. It does what all good Blushers should do and adds a natural 'blush' without making you look like you have tons of Blusher on! It is pigmented enough to transfer colour to the cheeks easily but it is not so pigmented that you have to be light handed. I am generally quite heavy handed when it comes to products like this so this is perfect for me. The colour can be built up and it is very easy to blend. The texture of the blush is quite powdery but I found that this didn't transfer to the cheeks. Overall, this is a brilliant product and I would highly recommend it!

 

 

 

2) Rimmel Lasting Finish Soft Colour Blush In Shade Santa Rose (010) - This is another 'natural' warm rose shade. This Blusher looks even more 'natural' on the cheeks as it doesn't contain as much shimmer as the L'Oreal. It is very soft in texture and easy to work with, it blends lovely on the cheeks and can be built up to the look you want to achieve. As with the L'Oreal, it is pigmented enough to get enough colour on the cheeks but you don't need to be careful applying. The finish is sheer yet flawless once applied to the cheeks and the wear time is amazing! Rimmel state that it is long lasting and smudge free, I agree totally! I can usually go all day without having to reapply this Blusher once (I have combination skin.) The only thing I am disappointed about with this product is the size of it! You don't seem to get an awful lot of Blush. It is only £3.99 though and it is great quality which I would personally rather have! Rimmel do other shades in this range which I am yet to try as I love this shade so much! This Blusher and the other shades can be found in most Drugstores, it is currently priced at £3.99 in Superdrug (Click HERE)

 

3) MUA Blusher In Shade 1 - I love this Blusher! I use this when I want to wear a light pinky bubble-gum shade rather than a natural looking rose. It is such a gorgeous pink and looks lovely on my fair skin. I would imagine that it would look great on any skin tone though. This Blusher is very highly pigmented so you do have to be a little bit careful when applying. The best thing about this Blusher is the price. It is only £1 on the MUA website - £1 is brilliant value for such a great blusher! It doesn't last as well as some of the other Blushers and it can be quite powdery when it is first applied. I have found that the powdery finish soon disappears after about 10 minutes of it being on the cheeks. And who cares... it is £1!!! Unfortunately, MUA @ Superdrug have now released 6 new blushers and stopped selling these exact ones - they have even given the new shades names! You can still get this Blusher from the MUA website HERE for £1 (you can also get all of the other old shades from the website too!). The closest match to the shade in MUA @ Superdrug is Bubble-gum and that can be found HERE, also for £1. The other shades in the new range can also be found at Superdrug! So if you fancy introducing a pop of colour to your face take a look at the MUA Blushers.

 

4) Elizabeth Arden Colour Intrigue In Shade Pink Glow (04) - Before I start telling you how wonderful this Blusher is I will just let you know that I can no longer find this exact shade anywhere on the internet! I originally bought mine from Boots for £24 - Although I cannot find this exact shade there is currently a choice of three shades available on the Fragrance Direct website for £4.50 - Nearly a £20 discount! (Click HERE) - Because I cannot find the shade I won't talk too much about it but I will just say that if you can get your hands on the shade Pink Glow then you will love it! It is quite different to the other Blushers that I have as it is a rosy shade yet it also has a pink tone to it. The formula of this Blusher is also amazing. It isn't powdery at all and once it is applied to your cheeks it will stay there for the whole day! As with the L'Oreal and Rimmel, it is pigmented enough to transfer the colour to your cheeks but not so heavily pigmented you end up looking like a Clown! It can be built up easily and it blends really well, it takes very little effort to blend into a natural looking 'blush' look. It also comes with a little brush and a mirror inside the compact which is great for taking out with you. The packaging also feels very hardwearing to me so you can put it in your handbag and not worry about your blusher crumbling into a 1000 tiny pieces! The shade Peach Sorbet would be my next choice as it looks like a lovely peachy/rose shade - that can be bought from Fragrance Direct for £4.50 HERE. I think £4.50 is an absolute steel for this Blusher!  

 

Let me know if you have found any of these Blushers cheaper or if you can find the EA in shade Pink Glow!

 

What are your favourite Drugstore Blushers? Do you share the same ones as me?

 

Laura

Xx