Showing posts with label Boots Expert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boots Expert. Show all posts

Monday, 9 September 2013

Disappointing Products #1




This is my first ever "disappointing products" post. Can you believe I've never wrote one?! Me either. But personally, I don't get disappointed easily and I find myself liking products because most of the time, I do a lot of research before parting with my money. However, a few have managed to slip away and I've been sucked into the hype and needless to say, I've been left disappointed and dissatisfied.

I bought this in the Boots clearance section as it was only £1 a bottle. No, scratch that. I bought three bottles of this in the Boots clearance section and now they're just laying around, unloved and unused. I've never found a dry shampoo that I didn't like - they all tend to do the same job but for different prices. This one however, is shocking. For me, dry shampoo mops up oil and injects a bit of volume and oomph into the hair. Don't get me wrong, this one isn't bad - it doesn't make my hair greasier or anything - it just doesn't do anything. I spray it into my hair and well, it looks the exact same. A complete waste of time.

I was so excited for this foundation when it first came out - I'm a lover of the Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid - but I was left extremely disappointed. To say that this foundation is supposed to "fit me" and be a perfect colour match, I struggled to find a colour that wasn't overly orange. The coverage is also not to my taste and I find that it barely covers scarring and can't be built up without looking cakey. Another major thumbs down is the fact that it's very hard to blend and I end up looking like a five year old has applied my foundation.

I hate to say this because I know so many people love this product but I really do hate it. It's sticky, bleeds, tastes disgusting and looks a mess. Is there a special way to use this lip lacquer? Am I missing a trick? If so, please do let me know because I'd love to love it. The colour above is Celestial which many bloggers branded as a colour to suit all but it doesn't suit me. It looks awful.

This isn't a bad product and I know many people love it but £7.99 for 2.5g's worth of product?! Yikes. I believe that the MUA One Direction Cheek Tints are much better and they're just £3 for 4.8g of product. I won't be repurchasing this (and I will be doing a review of the MUA 1D Cheek Tints - sneaky). For reference, the shade above is 02 Healthy Glow which is a gorgeous colour no doubt.

I bought this on holiday a couple of weeks ago because I ran out of my cleansing balm and needless to say, it's a product I actively dislike. It doesn't remove make up easily, it stings my eyes and it dries my skin out. To say that this is "ideal for normal to dry skin" it's a shocker considering I have combination skin. The No7 Melting Gel Cleanser is 1,000 times better (and a lot cheaper with the £5 No7 skincare vouchers).

I'm going to keep this nice and simple: for a minimum of £11 a nail polish these are an absolute rip off and the Sinful Colors nail polishes (that retail for £1.99 each) apply more evenly than the Nails Inc ones do.

When I first tried this, I loved it. I wasn't an oil lover and this converted me. It's a dry oil so it doesn't leave you feeling or looking greasy and it's extremely versatile - you can use it on your body, face or hair - and it smells divine. However, for £27 I don't believe it's worth it and since then, oils that do the same job for a fraction of the price have been released that I've fallen in love with.

So there you have it. I feel a bit mean right now. I'm going to go out and donate to charity to make myself feel better haha. Sorry products. I'd love to love you but I just don't.

Which products have disappointed you? Do you like any of the ones mentioned above?
*PR Sample
Written By Unknown at 10:07 am
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Friday, 6 September 2013

The bag of essentials







I'm not someone who touches up their make up throughout the day. Mainly because I don't really go out anywhere for long periods of time - a quick workshop here, an hour long lecture there and I'm back home. However, I do like to carry a bag of essential products and items with me everywhere I go. I've done this since the beginning of summer and I believe it's about time I showed you the products that have ensured my life is that little bit easier.

Lady essentials
Of course, these had to be in there. The case comes with Bodyform packs from Boots which are currently on offer for £1 - a bargain if you ask me. The case makes sanitary towels discreet, pretty and easy to carry around with you.

Soap & Glory Mini Hand Food - £2.50
My hands don't tend to get all that dry but I do like to keep them moisturised and nourished. This is my favourite ever hand cream as it smells delicious and sinks into the hands pretty quickly. I love the mini version as it's perfect for carrying around with you and just to let you know, I have two bigger tubes of this dotted around the house as well. I just can't be without the stuff!

Halo Handy Hygienic wipes* - £1.09
A definite must! If you're going out for the day then you aren't always guaranteed a sink to wash your hands in. These hand wipes come in handy all the time and I love the Halo ones because they aren't drying on the skin and smell delicious. I love how convenient they are and although I was worried about the pack drying out, I haven't had any issues with it thus far and I used these all the time whilst on holiday. I've also stocked up as they're currently on offer at Boots.

Toothbrush Holder - £0.50
I do have braces so carrying a toothbrush around with me is most definitely essential. Inside my holder I carry a Boots Expert TePe 0.7mm Interdental Brush - £3.09 and a Wilko Kids Toothbrush - £0.70. The kids toothbrush fits inside the holder better and allows me to get a close clean when it comes to my braces. I also carry around a Boots Smile Mini Toothpaste - £0.50 as I like to brush my teeth after meals regardless of where I am.
John Frieda Full Repair Touch-Up Flyaway Tamer* - £10.99
This product is quite new to me but I absolutely adore it. As a fan of the Full Repair range, I was dying to try this out when I saw that it was released. It uses Inca Inchi Oil to smooth down flyaways and frayed ends to ensure that your hair is looking healthy and full of volume throughout the day. The applicator is the same as a mascara wand which makes brushing the product through your hair easy peesy and the small tube is perfect for my essentials bag. I have little baby hairs around my fringe and when I haven't blowdried my hair properly, they stick up like crazy which looks awful. This smooths the flyaways down without weighing the hair down or leaving it feeling crispy - perfect.

I have long hair that gets tangled easy and lacks volume so a comb is a must. I'd love to have a brush in my essentials bag but unfortunately, one won't fit. This comb is compact and does a good job at backcombing my hair throughout the day. It takes a while to get the knots out of my hair but I can cope with that.

Like I've mentioned, I don't top up make up throughout the day but I do take a face powder and brush with me to eliminate any shine that manages it sneak its way onto my face. I love this bronzing brush as it comes with its own carry case so it doesn't get dirty in the bag. My face powder of choice is the No7 Crème Touch Face Powder - £8.50 basically because I need to use it up. It isn't my favourite but it does eliminate shine and add a teeny bit more coverage.
My nails are pretty brittle which means that unfortunately, they break easily. This tends to happen when I'm out and about and for me, there's nothing worse than an uneven nail - they just look so awful and it makes me want to bite them even more, disaster! So I carry this nail file around with me for emergencies. I also love the fact that it comes with its own carry case.

Compeed Heel Blister Plasters* - £5.99
I suffer from blisters badly regardless of if I've been wearing heels or new shoes. I recently went on a Twitter rant about blister plasters as I've always used and bought Compeed ones which are quite expensive. I picked some up from Wilkinsons the other week and they were an absolute bargain at £1.35. However, they aren't the same as my trusty Compeed ones. The Wilkinsons ones were essential plasters but bigger and they needed changing everyday. Compeed Blister Plasters last forever and they won't remove themselves until the blister has heeled itself and disappeared. A complete must have.

An essential bag wouldn't be an essential bag without lip balm and this is my current one of choice. It nourishes the lips, adds a bit of a sheen and tint and smells and tastes delicious.

Swiss Army Knife Victorinox travel spray holder*
This was a limited edition item that  PR company sent me and I absolutely love it. Not only is it pretty but it's also convienient and I use it to top up my perfume all the time.

Other essentials: a mirror, hair band & grips
Of course! My mirror is a Hannah Montana one that I've had forever, my hair band is from Primark and my grips are from Boots. Definite essentials.

What essentials do you carry around with you on a day-to-day basis?
*PR Sample
Written By Unknown at 1:10 pm
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