Thursday, 12 September 2013

KIKO Dark Heroine Face Brush





Finding the right brush can be a bit of a pain. I don't know about you guys but whenever I take to the shops brush hunting, I can be left feeling a little bit overwhelmed and sometimes dissatisfied. Real Techniques have been my "go-to" brushes for quite a while now and knowing that they work for me means I haven't strayed far from the brand. However, the latest instalment to the KIKO brush collection is a good 'un.

The Dark Heroine Face Brush* was born into the Limited Edition Fall Collection and I can't tell you how grateful I am to have been introduced to such a wonderful brush. As the brush is double sided, it's perfect for travelling and taking out and about with you. It's compact, sturdy and you can tell it's well made. The smaller "kabuki-esque" side is perfect for stippling, buffing and blending cream formulations into the skin - think foundation, concealer and cream blusher. It gives the skin a flawless finish as the bristles are incredibly dense. I love using this to stipple concealer over my scarring as it gives the concealer full, industrial coverage that looks natural. The bigger slanted side is absolutely divine when it comes to applying powder products, in particular bronzer. As you can tell from the images, the brush is quite thin which means that it fits into the hollows of the cheeks so perfectly that contouring the skin becomes faultless. The combination of the brush and the Loud Night Bronzer in Supple Satin Honey* (review here) ensures that when bronzing up the complexion or contouring it, you end up with a professional finish. 

The bristles themselves are synthetic and incredibly soft. They wash nicely, dry pretty quickly and so far, I've experienced no shedding from them. This face brush is now the one that I reach for most often as it's one that I can do all of my base make up with. Foundation, concealer, powder, blush, bronzer and highlighter? Check. This face brush can be purchased in KIKO stores (which the UK desperately needs more of) and online here where it retails for £15.90.

What are your thoughts on this face brush?
*PR Sample
Written By Unknown at 9:53 am
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Wednesday, 11 September 2013

LIFESTYLE | The 90's tag

My Emma Bunton doll - RIP

My sister and I with our cousin

Me and my sister with our grandad

Me and my grandad

Me and my sister

Me, my cousin and my sister with our grandparents


Ever since I saw the 90's tag, I've wanted to do it. I'm a big 90's kid, a huge fan of the decade and I absolutely loved my childhood so reminiscing on it sounds like a wonderful thing to do. I've seen this tag an awful lot on YouTube but not so much on blogs sadly however, I decided to "bring it into the blogging world." If you've previously done this tag or you're going to, please leave a link below in the comments so we can reminisce together.
  
Favourite Disney film?
Surprisingly, this is a hard question. I absolutely adore Disney and my favourite film now I'm older is definitely Lion King. However, when I was younger I have no idea what I used to watch all the time. So I asked my mum and she said that me and my sister were addicted to Lady and the Tramp, Pocahontas and Mary Poppins, much to her annoyance. Another little story that I should probably tell you is that my sister's favourite Disney film was Pinocchio and she used to have it on video tape. One day, I put it into our fish tank so it obviously broke and she was incredibly upset. Which kinda leads me onto the next question...

Favourite music artist?
The Spice Girls. Without a doubt. I was obsessed. So you can imagine how incredible it was when I got to meet them. I was three years old when they first came out and they were my first ever album. I had it on cassette and I used to listen to it constantly on my purple boom box. There are literally so many videos of me as a child on hotel balcony's and on the beach dancing and singing to the Spice Girls. I was obsessed. I had everything of theirs. The reason that my little Pinocchio story lead me onto this question was because my sister did end up getting her own back on me. I had an Emma Bunton doll (first picture) and she pushed its head down so it had no neck. I was absolutely gutted and I've still never forgiven her! And then of course in 1998, my love transferred to Britney Spears. I was a true pop girl and I still am twenty years later.

Favourite candy/sweeties?
Literally no sweets will ever come close to the original Pic N Mix. One of the shops near our house used to have the best selection ever and my parents would send me and my sister down there with 50p each and we'd come back with 50 mini sweets as they used to be 1p each. Actually incredible. And sometimes we'd lie a little bit and say we had 50p's worth when really we had 55p's worth - such mini thieves!

Favourite game (board game, school game etc)
Me and my sister used to make up our own games. One of our favourite games was to play "hotels" and we'd have this elaborate hotel on our street and we'd show potential guests around our "showroom" which was our parents bedroom - it was so good. We had notebooks filled with booking information and everything. We also LOVED playing banks and Post Offices and every summer we'd become some form of tennis stars when Wimbledon was on. As for board games, Fib Finder was actually the best ever. 

Favourite McDonalds Happy Meal Toy?
Happy Meal toys have most definitely gone downhill. I used to love it when they did the toys for boys and the toys for girls. So the boys Happy Meal would have something like a Hot Wheels car inside of it and the girls one would have a mini Barbie - they were amazing. I also loved the TY Beanie Babies but my favourite ever ones were the big Snoopy dogs. I wasn't a Snoopy fan at all (not as far as I'm aware) but the toys were huge and there were so many different Snoopy dogs to collect from all around the world.

Favourite book?
For Christmas one year, my dad bought me a Jacqueline Wilson book boxset and from that moment on, I was addicted to reading. I literally read all of the books in a couple of weeks - I couldn't put them down. I think I've read every "old school" Jacqueline Wilson book that was out and I absolutely loved her. Ones that I remember when I think of her are: The Diamonds Girls, Cliffhanger, Vicky Angel, Tracy Beaker, Double Act, The Bed and Breakfast Star, Buried Alive and The Girls Collection. But I could literally go on and on and end up naming them all.

Favourite clothing store?
Without a doubt Tammy. Our Tammy store used to be joined onto the back of New Look so my mum would be browsing New Look and me my sister would say: "we're going to Tammy" and we'd spend forever in there picking things that we wanted. My favourite clothing trend as a child was skirts over trousers - I absolutely loved that trend and I was so excited when I got some of my own... I don't think I ever took them off. I also remember flares being HUGE and wanting jeans with writing on the back of them like "boys suck, girls rule." So cringy now.

What would you watch when you got home from school?
Disney Channel was definitely big in our house and me and my sister loved That's So Raven and Lizzie McGuire, of course. But we also used to love watching Dexters Laboratory on Cartoon Network. My absolute favourite shows though were the ones that were on CITV such as Get Your Own Back and 50/50. Get Your Own Back was amazing and it was when children "got their own back" on their parents. Their reasons used to be ridiculous like "my dad smells" or "my mum doesn't let me stay up past seven on a school night." I used to dream about taking my parents on there.

Are you a 90's kid? What was your favourite thing about the decade?
Written By Unknown at 10:16 am
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Tuesday, 10 September 2013

BODYCARE | Johnsons Baby Light Oil Spray



I've been a big lover of Johnson's Baby Oil for a lifetime now. My mother used to use it on me as a child and it's something that I've continued to buy throughout my years whenever I've seen that it's on offer. It's a cult product, a favourite and something that seems to be a necessity in the family cabinet. However there's always been an issue with the product's design - the bottle used to have a pour cap which made is extremely messy making using the product hard and quite frankly, horrible. Until now. Thankfully Johnson's have released the Baby Light Oil Spray* which is basically the same product in a spray bottle. This bottle makes applying the baby oil easier, quicker and most important of all, cleaner. Gone are the days of the slippery bottle. Now this product delivers beautifully soft, gorgeously smelling skin that's gentle and trusted. It doesn't leave behind a nasty film and it sinks into the skin instantly leaving your skin feeling moisturised and as soft as a baby's. Perfect.

You can buy this product here where it retails for £3.11. Boots always have some kind of offer on the baby section (3 for 2 at the moment) so it's definitely worth having a look next time you're in store.

Have you tried the Johnsons Baby Light Oil Spray before? Are you happy they've finally put the product in a spray bottle?
*PR Sample
Written By Unknown at 12:02 pm
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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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