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.

Boots Expert Dry Shampoo - £3.49

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.

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation - £7.99

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.

Rimmel London Apocalips Lip Lacquer - £6.49

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.

Bourjois Cream Blush* - £7.99

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.

B. Clean Melting Gel Cleanser - £6.99

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).

Nails Inc Nail Polishes - £11.00+

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.

Caudalie Divine Oil* - £27.00

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

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The Escentual Micellar Blind Trial results

You may remember this post from a few months ago. I first wrote about the Escentual Micellar Blind Trial in May and after trialling the waters and reporting my thoughts back to Escentual, the results have been published. You read the full results here but I thought that I'd also give you all a little run down on my thoughts - more in depth reviews if you'd like.

A: Dior's Instant Cleansing Water £20.40

I enjoyed using this cleansing water and it's something that I would use again. Its cleansing power was okay however it took three cotton pads to remove the bulk of my make up. If you're an avid waterproof eye make up user though, I'd highly recommend this as it removed stubborn eye make up lovely. Texture wise, it felt nice on the skin and really cooled and calmed it down. I wouldn't say that this cleansing water was moisturising but it definitely balanced my skin out.

Branded "the divine one" by bloggers and received a total score of 3.8/5

B: NUXE's Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Petals £14.50

This was definitely the best cleansing water when it came to eye make up. It was one of the best ones I've ever used and it removed eye make up instantly. It felt nice on the skin but the smell really put me off - I hate the scent of roses. It was however, very moisturising and my skin felt beautifully soft afterwards. Despite the scent, this is something that I'd considering repurchasing and it removes make up wonderfully.
Branded "the calming one" by bloggers and received a total score of 3.6/5

C: Caudalie's Make Up Remover Cleansing Water £8.10 - £13.50

To be quite honest, I didn't really have an opinion on this. I thought it was okay but it wasn't spectacular in anyway. It was nice to use but it didn't blow me away. However, I didn't hate it and it didn't strip my skin. I wouldn't repurchase it as I don't believe that it did much for my skin. It smelt beautiful though!
Branded "the sensuous one" by bloggers and received a total score of 4.1/5

D: Avene's Eau Thermale Micellar Lotion - Cleanser and Make Up Remover £11.25

I was heartbroken to find out that this was by Avene. I love Avene and I usually find their products very pleasant to use but this one was awful. It's good at removing eye make up but it stung my eyes badly. It was very drying on my skin and it smelt extremely alcoholic. I have combination skin but after using this, I had to switch to hydrating products for a few days as it completely stripped my skin.
Branded "the soothing one" by bloggers and received a total score of 3.9/5

E: La Roche-Posay's Physiological Micellar Solution £10.20

This was awful at removing make up and it took forever. On the other hand though, it would make a lovely toner as it felt cooling and calming on the skin. The smell was very fresh and it balanced the skin nicely. After using the Avene Micellar Lotion, this calmed my skin down excessively so as a toner, it's perfect.
Branded "the radiant one" by bloggers and received a total score of 4.2/5

F: Bioderma's Sensibio H20 Micelle Solution £4.50 - £14.50

I definitely noticed that this one was Bioderma as soon as I used it despite never trying the product myself. It's a blogger favourite and I can definitely see why. It balanced my skin nicely and removed my make up efficiently. It didn't irritate my skin in anyway and it's definitely something that I would repurchase. In fact, I'm trying out their oily skin version right now!
Branded "the amazing one" by bloggers and received a total score of 4.5/5

G: Vichy's Purete Thermale Calming Cleansing Micellar Water £9.55

My absolute favourite! This was a pleasure to use and it removed my make up perfectly. It didn't spread the make up around the face but dissolved it instead. It cooled and calmed my skin and left it feeling beautifully soft. I really, really love this product and I'm glad that it's one of the cheaper ones as it means that it's affordable to all. Vichy are really doing it for me at the moment - such a lovely brand.
Branded "the sensitive one" by bloggers and received a total score of 4.3/5

Before this trial, I'd never tried out a micellar water. In fact, despite never trying them for myself, I really didn't like them. Although I'm a big lover of the double cleanse, I'm a cleansing oil fan but micellar waters definitely come in handy when you want to remove your make up quickly. A couple of sweeps over the skin (with certain micellar waters) and your make up has been dissolved and your skin has been balanced. Think of them as a nicer alternative to face wipes.

What's your favourite micellar water? Have you tried any of the above?
*all bottles were sent to me free of charge however, until a few days ago, I had no idea which micellar waters were in which bottle
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CHRISTMAS: Beauty Blogger's Top 5 Picks by Perfectly Polished

I've already done a blog post on John Bell & Croyden this Christmas but I wanted to do a separate post for their wonderful Beauty Blogger's Top 5 Picks by Perfectly Polished (£81) set. This set is a handpicked, bespoke selection of John Bell & Croyden's in-house beauty blogger's pick of the ultimate beauty products.

So many beautiful products have been included in this gift set including the Caudalie Beauty Elixir which I've tried before and fell in love with. It aims to smooth, tighten and create a radiant complexion. It also smells beautiful and really just perks the skin up. It's like a drug! You also get an Eylure Lash Food which is a revolutionary liquid that has been formulated by cosmetic scientists for thicker, stronger lashes in just one week! This is perfect on the run up to Christmas and New Year as imagine all of the parties you'll get to go to false lash free. This is a product that is exclusive to John Bell & Croydon. Another exclusive is GiellyGreen's Volumising Shampoo and this naturally adds strength, thickness and shine to your hair whilst removing treatment residues and cleaning your scalp. As well as these you get the OPI Golden Eye Nail Polish from the Bond Collection and this polish is a sparkling gold glitter shade that was released to celebrate the release of the new James Bond film, Skyfall. And finally, you also get some Bodytox Foot Patches which help to draw out toxins from the body whilst you sleep. These are definitely perfect with the amount of late nights that you get over the Christmas period! 

It is an expensive gift set but it's definitely one for all of the beauty junkies out there!

xxx

CHRISTMAS: Caudalie

When I hear the name, Caudalie I immediately think "luxury." It's a beautiful brand that I'm always researching into, especially when it comes to their skin care. Everything just looks and sounds so wonderful and after trying out their Beauty Elixir, I'm hooked. 

When it comes to their Christmas gift sets, they don't disappoint. They have a range of giftsets including shower gels, fragrances, hand sets and skin care. But today, I will be writing about their beautiful Divine Oil Gift Set* which is one that I believe is suitable for all of your loved ones who love to pamper themselves. 

First of all, the box that this set comes in is very sturdy and it definitely doesn't feel like some of the useless cardboard boxes that a lot of Christmas sets come in. In this gift set you get 50ml of the Caudalie Divine Oil which I've briefly reviewed here. This offers everything you need to make your skin positively exquisite. It's a multi-use miracle oil and it's ideal for hair, nails, baths and massages. It's definitely something that everyone needs in their collection. You also get a mini Crush Cabernet Scrub which has coarse granules and it leaves your skin delightfully smooth and nourished. It's also a boost for your slimming regimen as it contains 6 organic anti-cellulite and draining essential oils! And last but definitely not least, my favourite, the Divine Oil Candle. The fragrance of this is very suitable but it will make you swoon! It's the scent of Moroccan and Bulgarian rose with a burst of grapefruit and sparkling spicy pink pepper and cedar, vanilla and white musk. Phew! It basically smells so beautiful and I wish it was the full sized version as I can't seem to find it anywhere. So I'm slowly burning it down and hoping to make it last as long as possible!

This gift set is available here for £28 and SpaceNK. This gift set is definitely the definition of perfect and it's great for pampering with. You can view the entire Christmas range here.

xxx

*PR Sample

What I Use On... My Legs

When it comes to nights out, I always try and make sure that my legs look good and I thought it'd be interesting to show you which products I use on them as I think I've found some true gems!

Dove Summer Glow + Soft Shimmer* £4.99 - I use this to top up my fake tan throughout the week. I probably use it two-three times and it's the only gradual tanner that doesn't leave the skin looking streaky. It also has a pleasant smell that doesn't smell like nasty biscuits. It's great on the legs because it adds subtle shimmer.

Jergens Original Beauty Lotion* £3.49 - This is the only body lotion I'll ever use. It's definitely my go-to one as it's my favourite ever smell, cheap and it does the job. It sinks in nice and quickly and doesn't leave a nasty film on the skin. The moisture also lasts a while as I only need to use it once a day.

L'Oreal Perfect Slim £6.95 - I use this a couple of times a week to tighten up and tone my thighs and arms. It's a nice gel formula that's quite cooling. I'm not sure if it works but it feels nice so I continue to use it.

Dr Ceuticals Leg Tone & Shimmer* £8.49 - This is another toning moisturiser and I use this whenever I go on a night out as it adds a lovely amount of shimmer to the skin which really highlights the legs.

Xen-Tan Mousse Intense* £23.99 - My perfect fake tan! When this runs out, I need to get the lotion version as I prefer lotions to mousses but this is amazing. It leaves the skin a natural olive colour and although it has a green guide colour, it doesn't stain bedsheets. It's also very easy to use, doesn't leave streaks and lasts for around a week while fading evenly. Perfection!

Ministry of Waxing Ice Cream* £21 - Even though this is supposed to be used after waxing, I use it after shaving if I ever accidently cut my legs. It cools the skin and stops little nicks from irritating it.

diego dalla palma Spray on Tights* £22.61 - I hate tights with a passion! But I love how they leave the skin looking perfect. So I've found a middle ground. This Calze Spray is pretty much a foundation to the legs and if I have a bruise on my legs, I'll spray this before going out and it lasts all night and covers it up perfectly.

Caudalie Divine Oil* £25.00 - As well as using moisturiser, I also enjoy using oil. This is a spray bottle so it's easy to apply and it leaves my skin looking glowing, healthy and feeling soft and smooth.

Soap and Glory The Breakfast Scrub* £9.50 - My favourite body scrub! This smells beautiful and does a great job as keeping my skin smooth. Whenever people ask me why my legs are so soft, I say it's because of this beauty! 

What products do you use on your legs? Have you tried any of the above?

xxx

*PR Sample

How to Relieve Exam Stress

It's that time of year again, the time that all students dread; exam time. If you're like me then you're one of those people that revise as much as they can but still end up in the exam room nearly in tears as you've forgotten everything. Yes, I panic and worry about exams. More than I should. So this year I'm taking a more 'relaxed' approach and instead of cramming revision in, I'm just doing 1 to 2 hours a day for the next 3 weeks. 

These three are my must haves for revision.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir - yes, I caved. I saw this all over my blogging dashboards and I just couldn't resist as everyone has been raving about it. When I first used it I can remember thinking 'oh, is this it?' But then the addiction started. Gem from GemsMaquillage described it this best; 'crack in a bottle.' And that's what it is. I've had it a week now and already you can see how much I've used. Although I don't think it has that much of a big effect on your skin (it just tightens the pores a little bit) it does smell incredible. So incredible. The smell calms me down and puts a smile of my face and I find myself using it so much. I use it as a toner, I use it as a make up refresher, I use it as a drug. It's my drug.

Britney Spears Baby One More Time Album - music means a lot to me, especially music by Britney. When it came to me choosing an album to listen to whilst revising I immediately went to this one. It's Britney's debut album and whilst there are some wonderful, upbeat pop songs, there's also some calming, beautiful ballads. But not only that, just looking at this album puts a smile on my face. It reminds me of my childhood and it shows me how far Britney's come. 14 years on and she's still here making music and regardless of what she's been through, she's stronger than ever. And it inspires me to never give up. The perfect revision album.

Ikea Flardfull Scented Candle - I have a candle obsession! So much so that even though candles are banned in student halls, I break the code and still burn them - I'm bad. This one is wonderful and smells like lemons and citrus which really uplifts me and makes me feel wide awake. It was also very cheap, under £3 and although I've burnt it for many hours, it's barely gone down!

Another thing that's making me revise is the Moddershall Oaks Spa*. I've given myself an incentive; if I pass this year then I will treat myself to something at this spa. It has 10 luxury spa suites and it was award 5 bubbles by the Good Spa Guide. Also perfect for the summertime, the spa has launched their 'British Summertime Spa Treats' which is a package that includes a relaxing Shirodhara Head Massage, Gerard's Green Tea Abdomen Treatment for a flatter bikini tummy, The Bamboo Massage for an A List no effort workout and Lava Shells Full Body Massage for the warmth of the tropics which is the perfect selection of summer time treats. The package helps you to achieve that summer holiday 'lighter' look and feel. This package includes a welcome tour and complimentary drink, use of the spa facilities, robes, lunch with a fresh fruit smoothie and a 55 minute summer treatment. Prices start from just £105 per person. You can also get this as a break package which includes everything in the day package plus extended us of the spa and an overnight stay in a 5 star suite based on 2 people sharing and the use of the outdoor hot tub. Prices start from £145 per person. You can find out more about the spa here. 

Moddershall Oaks Spa Manager, Penny Holland said that; 'All of us will feel the effects of stress at some point in our lives. It's different for all of us and so it's important that we tune in and listen to our bodies. There are many simple, small and effective steps that we can take to significantly reduce our stress levels yet they are often overlooked. I would recommend the following as my fail safe tips to restore your happy self:

1. Commit to a regular practice of yoga, tai chi or mediation. The predominant focus is to life the mind, body and spirit.

2. Enjoy the great outdoors - often getting some fresh air and being surrounded by nature puts things in to perspective.

3. Book in for a treatment with an expert therapist. I am always amazed by the difference many of my clients feel after having a treatment like a head massage.'

How do you relax and relieve your exam stress?

xxx

*I was contacted by a PR company regarding this spa and the Summertime Spa Treats package but they are not offering me the incentive. If I pass my exams and visit this spa I will be paying for it with my own money.