Beauty Product Reviews

So far so lovely

So I decided to begin a new skincare routine which would tackle a little issue I have with uneven skin tone and pores. I had previously been really neglecting my face in terms of pampering and was using just general drug store concoptions off the shelf at a quick grab effort.

My skin now absolutely thanks me..Im sure of it!

I got Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial Wash offline and within instantly using it I could tell that my skin was in for a treat. The smell is utterly divine and the texture of the wash itself is silky smooth. I literally find that I am massaging my face for ages in the mirror with this because it's really hard to stop!

So after washing off the product, skin feels instantly super clean, and in my case, I even felt that it began to tingle a little...but not...uncomfortabley or in an agressive way...but much like when you have a really good toothpaste and after rinsing your mouth feels all clean and fresh and...tingley? Like that...only on your face...

Its a really indulgent wash and one I shall be using for a while to come. I've had comments already on week 2 of use (day and night after a foam cleanser - I find that the Elemis wash is more of a Skin Treatment and so i feel that it's active properties are a little wasted on just removing my make up at the end of the day...so i use it on freshly cleansed skin with a foam cleaser to ensure that i get full advantages from it all into my skin) on how my skin dosn't look so matte and "dull" anymore...and how it glows without looking greasy.

I totally agree, my skin looks fresher, much more even, and the tone is drastically increased. My cheeks feel so supple in comparison to before; im literally over the moon with it.

Im just super excited to see how much further it can improve my skin with longer use.

All the bestest x

Gives a dewy look but not great with coverage

I totally agree with the other girls who have reviewed this product in that the concealer really does not give enough coverage to really tackle problematic areas of the face however I've found that it does give a nice dewy look to the skin if used more in the way of a highlighter.

I got it in Light, which i believe is one shade lighter than my normal skin tone simply because I really do like that under eye bright look (but without being too light bulb luminous of course) and again, as I and the other girls have said, the concealer part just seems to disappear rather than blend in.

I find the product on both sections extremely watered down to the point that when Im blending it into my skin, Im often wondering whether any of it is "sticking" or whether im just wiping it off and it's absorbing into my brush.

Finger application was worse because I swear that most of it just absorbed into my finegrs on application.

However...I really do like to use the highlighter on my brow bone and on the inner corners of my eyes. There is no great shimmer to the product and so the highlighter just gives a white-ish tint to the skin, making it a little more luminous in the areas applied.

The staying power isn't great..I've found that it's usually all dispersed by midday, and usually if I apply my HD powder over the top the effects of both ends of the product are depleted.

However the price is super affordable, and if you havn't particularly got really noticable dark circles or problematic areas to conceal then this isn't a bad little "fixer-upper" for on the go...But I'm sure spending that little bit more or experimenting with other drug store brands is the way to go for more impact.

All the bestest! x

Beautiful scent and does not ruin make up :)

RMK has recently been added to the room of cosmetic counters at Selfridges here in England and at first try I've fallen in love. There's lots to say about the rest of the line of products but for now I simply have to review this purse item of the season for me...and who knows, it could stay in my bag all year!

So i got this spritz in "rose". It's listed as one of the "calming type" and is simply luxurious.

You know those days where you're sitting in the office or on the train or in a stuffy built up place and your face just feels so "uncomfortable" and you lose that fresh feeling of your make up as the day draws on? I totally do because 8 hours a day running around an air conditioned office really plays havoc with my skin and make up so I really needed a quick remedy and a pick-me-up.

So i go this RMK Herb Mist in Rose and as soon as my face starts to feel under strain, I pop it out of my bag and spritz the mist twice across my face at about 30 cms away.

Instantly my face feels fresh and I am awash with a beautiful subtle rose scent which lingers on the skin for hours. The scent doesn't linger potently, it's like every 15 minutes or so, or spontaniously every now and again you just get a breeze of it as your working or on the move; it really lifts your mood and does as it says; calms wonderfully...and guess what...the mist is so fine that it in no way interferes with make up! Natrually if you over-spray your face then perhaps it will end up more damp than it should and effect foundations that way, but, using it as instructed means that I rarely even pat it dry these days! I actually really like the dewiness that it gives to my skin when it's sprayed on and left. It's then gradually absorbed into the skin as the minutes go on and youre left with, still, perfectly applied make up.

So I thought, "You know what? Even if this product doesn't live upto the skincare potential that it claims then I don't actually care because its just really lovely as a boosting mist" BUT the mist actually had supported my skin.

In two weeks of use (2 spritz's daily) I've noticed an increase in suppleness of my skin, instant moisturization, and increased luminosity.

I actually will say that this is my new daily essential of this kind. Its wonderful for on-the-go girls or office ladies needing that extra perk of a day.

**try it too on just washed/showered skin before applying make up if you're having a "lazy day" to reap the skincare benefits even more!!**

All the bestest xx

Satin smooth with a yummy smell

- and I can totally agree with the other girls here in that this lipstick is super creamy from the cery first application! For me it really did feel like a soft balm in a stick as oppose to a general lip stick.

I've only got the one and its in 148 - Summer Pink

The packaging is simple but...actually...even though its kind of just a berry-ish transparant plasic cover orver the metallic applicator, its really quite pretty and is really great for your purse.

I found the colour to have more of a reddish tone than the pink swatch on the base which was maybe a little bit of a shame BUT that's not to say that it's not a great colour. It's really vibrant and dosn't need re-applying.

Really great purchase in a lipstick, especially as i have really undecided lips as to whether they want to behaive one moment or dry up the next, it works well with them and stays on great.

Gorgeous smell too!

Fantastic little £2/$5 (ish) find!

I'd heard some really good things about Cover Girl cosmetics but it really isn't a brand easilly found in the UK (if at all!), but when i was online having a look for a quick fix pressed powder after being unimpressed with the 17 one i was using (makes me sad when powders tinge muddy at times :( )I came across this one from Cover Girl on Ebay for literally £2. So I thought i'd dive on it and give it a go whilst I had the change.

The powder is really rather creamy to the touch and using a soft brush for application as oppose to the puff actually didn't produce any fallout unlike other pressed powders I've found, there's been at least a bit..

In contact with the skin it almost has like a mineral veil type effect whereby you cant see the powder on your skin but you can see the effect of it, for example I found worked into my foundation base as oppose to it creating a "cover" over the top.

This lasted all day with no touch ups. Im pleasently suprised indeed and will most definitely consider a repurchase because it's simply great to pop in your purse to grab on the go should you need it.

Cute little mirror too!

Great at how little you need but i expected more POP :D

Im currently still on the look out for a dupe of MACs Dollymix just to tide me over until the end of the month but so far I havn't done too well. In a previous review of Maybelline Mousse Blush in the shade Whipped Strawberries I say how I find this to be the closest high street shade to briefly skim Dollymix but with a need to not blend so well as the pigment really dosnt like to stay if you go too heavy on the blending once applied.

So at the Bare Escentuals/Bare Minerals counter i sat down having caught out a look at the blush shade "Fruit Cocktail". The counter assistant was more than happy to apply me a tester to my cheeks to see whether I had found "the one" for now..

...Maybe not...BUT only because for some reason it turned out an almost coral shade on my cheeks after about 30minutes of wear. Im not sure whether skin can change the appearance of the colour once it's settled with a mineral product but Ive never really had this happen with powder or a cream.

Maybe it's because i had my own makeup on from this morning which wasn't really taken off to a great extent.

I'm still marking this high though because the amount you need for the pigment to show is next to nothing on the brush, incredible value for money and the staying power so far seems unbudgable.

Regardless, maybe next month I'll purchase a pot and apply it myself, fitting it in and around a fresh make up application to give the colour more of a chance to stay true as oppose to warp with bronzers or powders i may already have on my skin.

Great :)

Kanani Loving!

Just popped into my local House of Fraser to stock up on my Double Wear when i saw the Bare Escentuals girl putting out new stock! My lips were so dry at the time so i apologised to her about it as she tested out some highlighter on me. Nicely she asked whether id tried the Buxom lip glosses..she then said something about cupcake flavour and i was all over it. She recommended Kanani because of my "pink pop" look im going for these days and i have to say...i fell in love (with the gloss, not the girl...don't think my boyfriend would have been best pleased if i had...and id have been majorly confused O_o)

Its a sticky texture on the lips, and as the other great girls here have said, it may not be for you if you prefer a smoother more sleeker feel on the lips but personally i love to feel a gloss on...it reminds me its there and doing its job. There's a menthol tingle to it on application which is still going on now about 15 minutes later. The smell is utterly divine..like sweet vanilla...and the taste is exactly the same, very sweet; really have to stop myself licking it all off.

I cant say ive ever had a lipgloss where i can actually smell the product whilst its on my lips; a really lovely touch!

Its the perfect pop of pink for lips to give that dolly look without looking too made up - its "pretty".

Gloss of the season for me? Found :D

Favourite high street primer so far

I'd heard hype about this primer from a guru or two so decided to give it a go. I was a little guilty over the £20 price tag but It was a good month and I was due a treat hehe. So what I liked about this primer unlike the 17 one I tried it that it's got a fleshy tint to it, like a tinted primer but with the texture and mechanics of a primer. With only a small amount skin was left silky and pore size was reduced a little, although not miraculously as the product claims but then again, I really do have slightly larger than normal pores...all be they only on a small area of my face theyre still pesky... Along with this after a little time resting on the face, foundation glided on beautifully with a brush and my skin was left airbrushed when set with powder...and...yeah i can say it lasted until 5pm and the drive home from work! Sadly because of the price tag with other cosmetics to consider at the moment, I havn't been able to repurchase, but i DID use the whole tube and would definitely rebuy in the future.

Always up for new suggestions on primers! So girls if you have any then definitely wall post me :D

Better once its softened :)

I had my look out for for a white eyeliner for my waterline to brighten my eyes up for some time but didn't really know where to turn. Walking through Boots I noticed they had a 3 for 2 offer on Models Own and as I'm currently obsessed with their nail polishes I decided to take advantage so bought the white pencil in with the deal.

I found it very snazzy. The cap end had a built in sharpener, and the base end a liner blender...very cool if it works i thought!

Both do work very well however on first application I found the liner to be scratchy and several "coats" needed applying. It was pretty uncomfortable and the line pretty much disappeared by the end of a work day...so i was left a little disappointed.

However i decided to give it another shot the day after now that the pencil had been softened up from the use before and voila! Very nice coverage in one..(well maybe two for luck) application!

Looking at my eyes today after applying, the liner is still looking strong..I think it was a case of the liner being "fresh" that it was a bit of a disappointing first attempt but so far from now it looks to be performing well.

I'll keep a look out for another good quality white liner though, just something a little creamier.

Suggestions welcome :D

First try, pretty nice!

I was really hesitant to try high street/drug store mousse blushes simply because I really wasn't sure how they would blend into my skin... I suffer with some quite prominant pores on my cheeks...about a 5penny piece size patch on either side of my inner cheeks...so annoying...so i thought a cream blush would just cake a little here. However I found this quite nice and realised that infact my powder blush was the one that was a little cakey in comparison which i'd never noticed before. A little dab of powder sets it nicely.

Now I'm not sure but i got the shade "Whipped Strawberries" from ebay..a shade I'd never seen before in the UK. It's a dolly pink...and it's been duped (a little) in comparison to MAC dolly mix in pot colour but naturally it takes a lot more work to build up the pigment with this Maybelline one. This shade also seems to be more pigment and less shimmer...is this a US one US girls?

Heres the shade pic <a class='textlink' href='http://img.makeupalley.com/6/3/9/0/1670695.JPG' rel='nofollow noopener' target='_blank'>http://img.makeupalley.com/6/3/9/0/...</a>

At a wonderful buy of around £4 (7$ ish?), trying it out really didn't break my purse or my guilt barrier on buying yet another blush to try after not even finishing the last two. I'm sure I'll keep using it and possibley repurchase...but only if i dont get distracted by another (and if my bank account allows me to repurchase Cabanaboy then i'll be doing that hehe)