Soap and Glory Hand Food Hand Cream

Hello Lovelies,

Today I wanted to tell you about my favourite hand cream - Soap and Glory's Hand Food - It has the lovely distinctive smell of Soap and Glory products that I am literally in love with and comes in the also very distinctive Pink Soap and Glory packaging, I have so many pots and bottles of this, it's ridiculous, I keep one in my handbag, one in my laptop bag, one on my work desk, several at home and several at my parents (probably because I'm such an air head and leave things everywhere). Not only does this hand cream smell lovely, but probably one of the most important things is that it leaves hands lovely and moisturised, but without that greasy feeling a lot of hand creams leave, it's one of my pet hates when you apply hand cream and then can't do anything for 20 minutes while you wait for it to soak in, this absorbs super quick so you can carry on as normal as soon as you've put it on.

When  I first spotted this, well over a year ago, the first thing that drew me to it was that it mentioned it had Marshmallow in it, which immediately sold me on it but it also has Shea Butter and Macademia Oil in it, which explains it's lovely moisturising properties. I'm not going to lie to you, I haven't always been faithful to this lovely hand cream, Unfortunately, I'm quite fickle and have a tendancy to move onto the next shiny thing that comes along, but this is definitely the hand cream I always have gone back to.

This comes in 2 sizes, a handy travel size that is 50ml (£2.35) and a lovely big tube that is 125ml (£5), you can pick both of these up in Boots or grab them online here and here! I find that the little travel size tube lasts me around a month and half so the bigger tube probably has around 3-4 months worth of use!

Have you guys tried Hand Food? What's your favourite Hand Cream?

Soph xx

Benefit Sugarbomb Blush

Hello lovelies,

I have several of the Benefit blushes, and I love them all, they're an amazing way of taking you from plain to wow! They're nicely pigmented, not too strong when you first sweep over but if you need a stronger look with them, really easy to build up and they come in the usual super cute packaging that all Benefit make up comes in. The one I'm going to talk about today is Sugarbomb which has 4 different colours, plum, peach, pink and rose in it, you swirl them together and sweep over your cheeks for the ultimate girly blush, it leaves a kind of pinky peachy colour on your cheeks with a nice sheen, it's the perfect wake up call for your skin, it's one of my go to products when I'm not feeling my best (normally hungover) to make me look healthy and awake! I picked mine up here for £23.50, I think I have one of older versions which comes without the mirror in the lid but I think they now come with the mirror in the lid! One of my favourite things about these blushes is how long they last, I have had this for well over a year and it's still no where near being finished! Big thumbs up!

Which is your favourite of the Benefit blushes?

Soph
xx

Batiste Cherry Dry Shampoo

Hello Lovely People,

I'm a big fan of Batiste Dry Shampoo's, I hate washing my hair every day because I tend to prefer it the day after, it's just so much easier to get it to do what I want to do, plus, I really like not having to spend half an hour every day styling my hair! It's also great for those days when you wake up late and have no choice! The only thing I haven't always loved about them is the smell, I've tried out most of the different scents but I've always found them to be a bit of a musky smell, and I'm not a big fan of musk in any fragrance, I also find the scents to be a bit  overpowering, so I was super excited to try the latest Cherry fragrance they released, I immediately fell in love with it, it's fresh, fruity and light and great for summer! I know a lot of people find that with Batiste that it can leave a bit of a build up and it really "shows" in darker hair, luckily my hair is quite a light Blonde and even when I get roots they're quite light so I can really comment on it from this perspective, but for the build up, I use a harder bristled brush to try and get as much of the excess product out and then I blast my hair upside down with the hairdryer to get rid of any that the brushing doesn't get rid of, it's really helps with when you touch your hair during the day not having half the can rubbing off onto your fingers! (I'm having a brain block day, I'm sure there is a better way of saying that sentence so do forgive me :))

Which is your favourite of the Batiste Dry Shampoo's?

Soph

xx

NOTD - Chanel Vendetta, Models Own Juicy Jules & OPI Servin Up Sparkle

Hi Guys,

Just a quick post today to show you my sparkly nails - I'm not 100% mad about this combo together right now, but it's nice and sparkly, would have preferred a lighter colour underneath so it was nice and bright for the lovely sun we're having! This is 2 coats of Chanel's Vendetta polish, 1 coat of Models Own Juicy Jules and 2 coats of OPI's Servin' Up Sparkle (one half of one of the Serena William's collection which comes with a gorgeous sparkly purple!) I love all of these polishes separately, the Chanel Vendetta is great for work because it's quite a neutral dark purple with a teeny tiny hint of shimmer! The OPI Juicy Jules is amazing because it's an awesome holographic glitter which really sparkles in the light, I always put this under any glitter i'm wearing to add a different edge and the OPI Servin' Up Sparkle is great for adding the chunkier glitter! I think I would have actually preferred this look if I'd done a gradient with the glitter so it wasn't so full on with the darker colour underneath.....but anyway, I didn't, so I'll stop rambling now! :)

Do you guys have any of these polishes?

P.S I'm looking for a bright, strong yellow polish with a good bit of shine, any recommendations?

Soph xx

Biore Skin Combination Skin Balancing Cleanser

I was recently sent some Biore products to try out, I was going to wait a while and test these out fully to give them a chance to work their magic but after having a little bit of a breakout last week, this particular product literally worked wonders so I thought i'd share it with you now. Biore are a japanese brand, that I have seen around but never actually used, so I was very excited to try these out, the whole range has been re-vamped in fresh new packaging, and a few new product launches as well. I used this particular product at night and when I woke up the next morning, my skin was completely clear again, so it's entering as one of my new favourite cleansers, The product itself comes in a pump dispenser bottle, which I love, because it's just so much easier when you have a wet face to pump the product out rather than fiddling around with bottle tops. Just a small pump of this product is enough to fully clean the face, it really foams up when you start to work it in, leaving your face feeling extra clean when you wash it off. My only issue with this product, and it is a slight issue, is that it was slightly drying on my forehead so I had to put extra moisturiser on there, but, to be fair, I have very dry skin there anyway so it's not really the products fault. The cleanser is oil free and claims to "Provide an even all-over clean without disturbing skins natural moisture" which I would agree with, my skin felt very clean and the rest of my face (aside from the forehead) didn't feel dry or tight after using it, which is what normally tends to happen with me when I use clearing cleansers. I've also used this with exfoliating pads and this has been great, for giving a deeper clean, as it really does build up a great foam. I also have quite sensitive skin which I find can get get irritated when I use any deep cleaning cleansers, but I didn't have any issues with this. The whole range has been created to deep cleanse and remove impurities that can lead to a build up on the skin, ultimately, clogging pores. I have a few more products that I will be reviewing soon, so keep an eye out for these, There's a picture below of the range I was sent, so let me know if there is a particular product you want to see a review of first. These products are for sale in Boots, Superdrug and most supermarkets and chemists and are retailing between £4.99 and £7.99. You can check out there website here for the full low down on the brand.


Have you guys tried any of the new Biore range?

Soph xx





These products were sent to me for review, all opinions are however my own.

Revlon Colourburst Lip Butters

Hello Guys n Gals,

There has been a lot of hype around these Lip Butters that had until now, not been released in the UK. I got an e-mail from Boots last week saying that they were being released online a little early. I have been so excited about these, literally, counting down the days and checking in store just in case they were released early, that I got online as soon as physically possible to get some, I picked up Peach Parfait and Creme Brulee. I think I may have overhyped these in my head, because they didn't really live up to my expectations, I was expecting these to be a little more moisturising than they actually were, that's not to say I didn't like them, I think I'd just created a different product in my head and unfortunately, when I eventually got my mitts on them, the product in my head didn't match the real life product! However, onto what they actually are, The Peach Parfait is a pink shade with  small flecks of gold runningh through to give it quite a shimmery look and Creme Brulee is more of a nude colour, and has smaller particles of gold running through so there is still a shimmer but it's more subtle than the Peach Parfait. I really quite like the colour of Creme Brulee, it's quite natural and I think will be lovely in the summer when I tend not to wear so much makeup, The Peach Parfait is also a nice colour, but maybe not favourite, they do only add a hint of colour when first applied which I quite like and can be built up to create a stronger colour. So, all in all, I do quite like these, they are moisturising, they're just not as moisturising as I was hoping for (I guess I was really looking for more of a Lip Balm moisturising effect from them) and I like the fact that you can build the colour up depending on your mood. I bought these from Boots with a special offer of 2 for £10 on Revlon products but they are running out of stock quickly (although they do state that they are replenishing stocks daily).

Have you tried these yet? What are your thoughts?

Soph x



p.s Sorry about the dodgy swatching....



Andrea Fulerton Gemstone Overcoat

So, you may or may not know but I have a bit of a nail polish addiction, It began last year and spiralled out of control, there's just something about having freshly polished nails that makes me happy, so I would literally change my polish every day and spend a fortune each month, I know, a little bit ridiculous, but anyway, I've managed to reign my addiction in now! One of my favourite polishes I own though is this Gemstone over coat, it's similar to a glitter in that it adds that sparkle and shine and doesn't fully cover the basecoat, but, instead, this polish has bigger, thinner flakes of colour running through that when painted on, turn shades of copper, red, gold and green, great over browns and darker colours. Nails Inc do a similar polish that you can buy as part of a gossip girl set, so there are different colours for Serena, Blair and Lily, but I haven't actually tried these yet, one of these is an overcoat that has an electric blue colour running through it which would look great over a black polish! The Andrea Fulerton one is a lot cheaper though, I picked mine up for £4.99 from Superdrug, it's sold out online at the minute but you should be able to pick one up in store, if not, last time I bought it, It was sold out the week before so I think they should re-stock fairly quickly. I love this polish for just brightening up a few days old mani, because it just adds a bit of life and feels like a whole new polish!

Have you used this polish or any like this?

Soph x


P.S - Sorry about the dodgy pictures, lighting wasn't great! x





Loreal Universal Lip Glow

I bought this recently while on the hunt for a new lipstick and really liked the uniqueness of this, it's a sheer translucent pink colour and it states that it -  "adapts uniquely to the moisture within your lips to create a bespoke, individual colour" - I really like this, it's very moisturising and almost balm like when you apply, something that I can sometimes struggle to find in some lipsticks, this applies smoothly and leaves just a hint of pink on your lips leaving them looking rosy and glowy! Having said that, the colour builds each time you apply it, something I didn't realise, so on a night out, I had been applying this and then looked in the mirror and I had bright pink lips, which was a bit of a shocker but the colour was lovely so it wasn't too bad, however, if you're after a more neutral colour for lips, try not to apply too many times! You can buy this at most stores that sell Loreal, but I bought mine here for £8.49 and I think it's currently 3 for 2 on Loreal products at boots!


Soph xx


MUA Eyeshadow Primer

I bought this recently in Superdrug in the hopes that it would replace my beloved Urban Decay Eye Potion primer, I think this could almost be as good but for a fraction of the price. I didn't go in with great expectations to be honest but I thought it was worth a shot after a friend reccomended it to me. It works exactly like the Urban Decay primer, in that it's in a tube format with a stick wand applicator, the product applies smoothly, I normally dot a little bit onto my eye lid then blend with my fingers, it  provides a good 12 hours without eye shadow budging (I haven't tested it for any longer than this yet), The packaging is a quite plain black tube so not as pretty as the Urban Decay eye potion but I'd rather have plainer packaging and not have to spend as much, I have also heard the ELF eye primer is also supposed to be brilliant, so will try soon but this one is definitely a product i'd reccomend!


Soph xx

EOS Summer Fruit Organic Lip Balm Sphere

I recently purchased this after seeing Zoe's review on it - I'm a huge lip balm lover and have wanted this for ages but never knew where to find it, if I'm honest, It was the packaging that sold me on this, it's just kind of cute and different but the lip balm itself is brilliant, it's really moisturising, I had slightly flaky chapped lips, I used this once, and my lips were quite literally smooth and moisturised. I also love the way this isn't the kind of balm that leaves your lips really shiny, a little bit like Vaseline can tend to do, instead with this, it's kind of a matte (if that makes sense?) finish, that just leaves your lips looking natural and healthy. I also find sometimes with other flavoured lip balms that when you put it on, you can sometimes get a bit of a nasty taste, I have one that literally tastes like I have swallowed a tub of Plasticine when I put it on, not nice, whereas, with this, it tastes like it smells, I went for the Summer Fruit one, that comes in the red packaging, and it's got a lovely sweet, fruity taste! Really want to try some of the others now as well. I bought this from CutECOsmetics for £5.95 with free packaging as well (Mine arrived on Tuesday after ordering on Sunday night) - As you can probably tell, I think this is amazing :)

Have you tried these? What's your favourite lip balm?

Soph x

Macademia Oil

My hair takes a bit of a battering day to day, I blow dry it each morning before straightening or curling it for the day, I'm also one of those people that constantly plays with my hair throughout the day which means that it snaps off at the ends constantly! I also have bleach highlights each month, all of this means that I end up with quite dry, damaged hair, I have tried so many shampoos and conditioners to try and help add some much needed moisture to my hair, some that work wonders, others that really don't, but I'll do a separate post on these. Today, I just wanted to spread the love for Macademia Oil, I bought this 30ml bottle around this time last year for about £11 and I still have some left over in the bottle, thinking about it now, I'm quite shocked it has lasted so long, I did have about 2 months where I didn't use it and I don't use it every time I wash my hair but still very impressed with how long it has lasted. I love the way this oil makes my hair feel, it really does make it feel so much softer and more nourished, it also looks stronger and cuts my drying time right down! I was a little worried when I first bought this that the oil would be too much for my hair, and leave it greasy and weigh it down too much but it really doesn't. Lots of love from me for this little wonder! I get mine here normally, although it looks like they may not have the 30ml bottle right now!

Do you use hair oils? Any recommendations?

Soph x

Real Techniques Core Collection

I can't even begin to describe how much I love this little set, in particular, the Buffing Brush that I use to apply my foundation. To be honest I only really wanted the set for the Buffing brush because i'd heard such good reviews about it but I now love all the brushes and they've eached worked their way into my daily routine! I knew with it being created by Samantha Chapman, it was bound to be good but it topped my expectations. The Buffing brush is truly brilliant, it applys foundation flawlessly and leaves you with a completely natural look, the brush is super soft as well so it feels lovely when you apply too! Generally I'm using the Buffing brush to apply foundation, but if I need a little more coverage, I use the foundation brush to apply a base and then add a little more with the Buffing brush to get the more finished look. I'm using the Detailer brush to apply concealer, and it's also great, because it's got quite a small head, it works well to blend the concealer in around the under eye area, and finally, I am using the Contour brush for blending in highlighter or applying blush, again, this has got a small-ish head so it works really well to define on the cheekbones! It's an absolutely great set and I'm now desperate to try the Stippling brush to see what that's like. This set also comes with a handy carry case for when travelling which also doubles up as a stand for wherever you do your make up. Considering the quality of these brushes, I think this is a bit of a bargain at £21.99 you can get this here or in Boots.

Have you tried any of the Real Techniques brushes?

Soph x

OPI Katy Perry Teenage Dream Nail Polish

With all the talk about Nicki Minaj's OPI collection, I suddenly remembered how much I LOVE the Katy Perry Teenage Dream nail polish by OPI, I bought it last summer and completely fell in love with it, after my first time wearing it, I had to buy a few bottles of it just in case I ever ran out of it! I'm a big fan of glitter polishes anyway but this one is just so pretty and cute! I always get asked what polish it is whenever I wear it. The polish itself is a very sheer pale pink with small and larger pieces of glitter running through it, I wear this over a base coat of Nails Inc Brompton Place, just so it's got a bit more depth to it and the glitter stands out a bit more, It also has pretty good lasting power for a glitter, I normally get a good 3 days out of it before I start to notice any chipping happening! I did buy the full Katy Perry OPI collection when it came out but I have to say this is the main one that really stood out for me, I think I could definitely say that this is in my Top 5 favourite polishes (which is saying a lot for me, I used to have a bit of a nail polish obsession and literally have a ridiculous amount of nail polishes!) It's quite difficult to find this polish now but if you google it or eBay it, you can generally get it in the £8 - £15 bracket! Definitely recommend!





Do you have any of the Katy Perry OPI collection from last year?

Soph
x

p.s Sorry the pics are kinda dark, it was brighter in my room than outside when I took these! x

Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner

I bought this as a bit of an impulse buy, It was on offer here for £5.99 Generally, I don't tend to wear liquid liner, I normally line my eyes with Kohl but have been wanting to try a gel liner for a while! I'm kind of half and half on this one, I like the application, you can get a good straight line, but the colour didn't transfer very well, it looked quite faded on first application and I had to go over it several times to get a deep colour, which meant that I ended up with a messier application the more frustrated I got with it. I don't know if I was just applying this wrong, I'll give it a few more goes when I feel like forgiving it, but for now, I'm going to stick to eye pencil!






Have you used this product before or any good recommendations on gel eyeliners?

Soph x



P.S I also bought these earrings which I'm a little bit in love with, what do you think? x


Clinique All About Eyes

I got a sample of this free in a magazine last year and completely fell in love with it, then, as frequently happens with me, something else must have caught my eye and I forgot about until rooting about in the bottom of one of my makeup boxes about 3 weeks ago. I love this product, it makes even hangover eyes look fresh and awake. This product states that it helps reduce puffiness, dark area's and help with fine lines. I don't know about the fine lines because I don't really have any yet, but it definitely works on me to reduce puffiness and dark circles, It's got quite a thick consistency and is quite moisturising so I tend to use this at night before going to bed so I don't get any makeup slippage and a little goes a long way with this product too. I also spotted that this also comes in a roller stick as well which looks good, so will be trying it in this form when I re-purchase!  You can get this from here or here for around £23.

Soph x