May empties

We all have our little "rules" for when it's ok to buy and use new products and although those rules may not make sense to everyone, the main thing is that they make sense to ourselves. Some people are really disciplined and don't buy anything until they've finished up something else, so the net amount of products really remains the same. I can't claim to be that good; I have a huge stash of things that I can't wait to use, and my excuse is that I don't want to risk running out of something - well, there's no chance that will EVER happen... At any given point I probably have 5-6 hair care items on the go, 6-7 skin care products and as for makeup - well let's just skip that part, BUT I am very good at keeping this modest (hrmmm...) level of products, and I don't open anything new, until I've finished something else. So this month is a great month for me because I have emptied 9 different products,  just imagine how many new ones I can finally start to use, happy happy joy joy!

You'll know by now that I usually have at least one dry shampoo in every monthly empties, so let's just get this month's product out of the way straight away. Although I am a big fan of Batiste I do like to try other brands as well every now and then and the Dove Style + Care Dry Shampoo (£4.59) is a good alternative to Batiste. It has the same oil controlling qualities, it adds a nice texture for a tousled look and it has a lovely light and fruity scent, but the biggest difference is that the formula is less powdery so there's less of the white fall out when you massage it in the roots and brush it out. If you're tempted to try a dry shampoo but concerned about the powder, then this might be ideal for you. When it comes to body butters there are not many brands that can compete with The Body Shop and as you probably know they have a wonderful range of sweet, savoury and fresh scents to choose between. One of my favourites is The Body Shop Body Butter in Chocomania (£5), a deliciously indulgent, yummy and authentic chocolate scent which is pure bliss! The consistency is not quite as rich and buttery as a lot of the other body butters but it's still creamy and makes the skin feel very nourished and pampered, so if you're a chocoholic, then treat yourself to this little guilt free pot of cocoa heaven. As much as I like a luxurious shower gel, a shower gel is after all only a shower gel and you really don't need to spend a fortune to get a great gentle, moisturising and gorgeous smelling product, which Radox Berry Burst Shower Cream (£1.99) certainly proves. It has a lovely smooth and creamy consistency that cleanses without stripping your skin of moisture and it smells amazing of warm sun kissed summer berries - budget buys just don't get any better than this.

If you read my post about Herbal Essences Moroccan My Shine Nourishing products, you'll know that my faith in Herbal Essences is slowly being restored and it's thanks primarily to the absolutely amazing Bee Strong range that uses honey and apricot as its main ingredients, both well known for their moisturising properties. I've used the Herbal Essences Bee Strong Mask (£4.79) regularly every week and it's really helped to keep my hair silky soft, smooth and detangled and although it could be my imagination, it also feels as if I have fewer split ends after using this for a good few months. I love the heavy rich golden consistency and the light tropical scent and would highly recommend it if you're looking for a great hair masque on the high street. You may have noticed that for the past few months I've had a fragrance included in every Empties post since I've really focused on finishing up a lot of those bottles with just a tiny little bit left in them, and this month I have a scent that isn't very well known, but that definitely deserves mentioning. If like me you love to flick through glossy fashion magazines, you'll know that DSQUARED2 is famous for its whimsical outfits combining glam rock chic with lumberjack, but what you might not know is that the fashion house also has an interesting range of perfumes. The DSQUARED2 Potion for Women EdP (£36), like the other Potions from DSQUARED2 (available both for men and women) is inspired by alchemy and days gone by when perfumes were blended and created with a specific purpose in mind, and this modern version of a love potion is a very feminine mix of traditional seductive scents like vanilla, rose, jasmine, amber, patchouli and musk. It's a sensual floral fragrance with a slightly green and fresh undertone of blackberries and a nod towards the oriental with the amber. It's a very distinct fragrance and what I call a Boudoir scent with its unmistakeable powdery vanilla notes, in the same vein of Jean Paul Gaultier's Classique. For me this EdP is at its best on cooler days since the ingredients are quite pronounced and on a warm day, they're just a bit too much for me - but if you love warm, feminine vanilla based scents, then this is the one to try!

One of my staple items is the cult classic, Caudalie's Beauty Elixir (£10.95). Not only do I love the aromatic and calming herbal scent of rosemary and mint, but the fine mist is a wonderful and easy way to refresh your skin throughout the day in any climate to add some moisture on the go. I have gone through more bottles of this than I can count, and I always make sure that I have one with me in my handbag when I'm out and about. It's a luxurious little treat that will make you feel special, and your skin will thank you for it, so if you haven't already tried it - add it to the top of your shopping list for next month. I am a firm believer in the benefits of using a serum as part of your skin care routine, and you can find one of the best ranges of serums from the lovely high end French skin care brand Gatineau which offers products for all skin types and needs, in combination with effective anti-ageing ingredients. One of the best serums for my dehydrated skin is the incredibly refreshing Gatineau Aquamemory Moisture Replenish Concentrate (£48.50), which is a lovely Tiffany blue serum with a fresh marine scent in an almost gel like consistency that absorbs instantly into the skin. You only need the tiniest drop under your moisturiser for an immediate intense hydration boost, making your skin feel plump and smooth. The technology behind it is intended to not only add hydration but to help the skin retain just the right level of hydration for your specific skin needs as well. Even though I mainly use the concentrate as a serum, I also sometimes use it as an intense masque, applying quite a few pumps of it on my face, and then letting it absorb naturally over night and in the morning the skin feels perfectly restored and revitalised and I will definitely reinvest in this amazing product again very soon.

Another product that has a firm place on my bathroom shelf is the gorgeous Lush Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter (£6.50) which I have mentioned several times before so I apologise for repeating myself. This wonderful rich whipped butter is amazing for nourishing your hands and nails, and the zesty sweet lemon scent is so enjoyable that I just can't stop smelling my hands when I've massaged it in. I have used this daily for well over a year and have noticed a big difference on my nails and cuticles; they are stronger and healthier and my nails even seem to grow quicker, although that could also be because of the Sally Hansen Miracle Nail Growth that I use. or maybe these two products just form a nail dream team. Last in this fairly long line of empties is the Seventeen Falsifeye Mascara (6.49) which is a brand I hadn't tried before. I am a very fussy mascara wearer and Falsifeye promised a lot - volume as well as long flared lashes, my absolute favourite look so I was cautiously optimistic when I bought this. Unfortunately this mascara and I never really got on; first of all the wand is absolutely massive so it's quite chunky and with the squared shape it's also a bit uncomfortable to hold in your hand, secondly the brush is probably the thickest brush I've ever seen and because it's also so stiff it's very difficult to reach all the lashes for an even coverage without a lot of smudging, in addition the consistency was very wet and unusually so even towards the end of its life, and last but not least while the mascara might give length to the lashes the volume was definitely missing. As you can tell there were a lot of things that didn't work out, and even though I am open to take a risk with unknown products, in this case it didn't pan out and I definitely wouldn't repurchase it.

So nine items in total in May's empties - not bad if I may say so myself, and since I have actually been really good and not bought very much, you could probably say that I'm on plus this month, although I'm not placing any bets on that it will last into June...

Makeup look of the month

After having indulged in quite heavy and elaborate makeup over the winter months, the month of February has been like a cosmetic detox for me and I've worn a minimum of products. Most days I've gone for the no makeup look using exactly the same products that I talked about in the Natural Edition, and when I've needed something a little bit more on the eyes and lips, I've worn the look that I'm showing you today - a time-saving minimal effort look that is still put together enough for work, or an evening out.

Starting with the eyes, I've kept it simple by applying the MUA Colour Blast Eyeshadow Tint (£3) straight from the stick all over the lid, blending it up towards the brow bone with my fingers. The color - Bring it back, is a beautiful golden dark bronze and it's perfect for a light wash across the lid as a base or to use on its own as I have. To add some more depth, I've used the Rimmel Scandaleyes Micro Liner (£5.49) in Black as close as possible to the upper eye lashes. I wanted a very subtle and precise look so I kept the line very thin, starting immediately in the inner corner of the eye and then making it slightly thicker towards the outer corner to define the eyeshape. If like me you're still improving when it comes to eyeliner, this product is great to use since it has a very thin felt tip and I feel that you have a good control over it when you apply, so you get just the right amount you need. After that I've applied lashings of the Seventeen Falsifeye Mascara (£6.49) in Black to get really long, whispy and flared lashes which this mascara is great at creating, even though it's not strong on volumising the lashes. Finishing the eye area, I've at least temporarily gone back to using a trusted eyebrow pencil after a less than successful detour into eyebrow mascara country - best to be forgotten... At the moment I'm still using the Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil (£2.99) in Hazel 2, and for this look which is groomed and well shaped, but not too dark - this pencil works well since it's easy to use to get the right definition.

Moving on to the face, I've kept it very fresh and natural with a dabbing of the MUA Bronzer (£1) in Shade 1 in the hollow of my cheeks and on the sides of my nose for some basic sculpting, and then a light sweep of it on my forehead and chin, where the sun would naturally hit the face. This shade is just right for me - it's golden without any orange or dirty brown undertones and it blends beautifully into the skin. I know I've talked a lot about MUA lately, and for good reason. MUA has made such an effort to make great quality product at affordable prices available to us and they keep expanding their range - enabling us beauty junkies, but I'm only too happy to be enabled when nothing is more expensive than £9! I've applied a little bit of the Bourjois Little Round Pot Blusher (£7.99) in shade 16 - Rose Coup de Foudre, which is a gorgeous muted coral with a slightly burned undertone and a hint of shimmer to it. I've placed it a bit higher up on the cheekbones rather than straight on the apples of my cheeks for some more definition and it's beautiful for a fresh rosy appearance. Last but not least I've lightly placed some of the gorgeous MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighting Powder (£3) that I talked about earlier this week just above the blusher on the cheekbones for a dewy, light shimmer.

To finish the look and to balance out the eye makeup I've used the No 7 Moisture Drench Lipstick (£9.75) in Mulberry. I'm very surprised that this lipstick isn't mentioned more often, although of course competition is stiff when it comes to lip products but it really does deserve to be mentioned since it's incredibly moisturising, long lasting and gives a lovely satin finish. There's also a lovely range of shades available and Mulberry is a beautiful dark rusty red shade with just the right depth when you want a red lip but nothing too vibrant or too vampy - it's simply very easy to wear. That's the most worn makeup look this month - it's straight forward, but chic and appropriate for most occasions. I hope you like this type of post since I'm planning on doing them more often in the future so I hope you'll let me know in the comments what you think and I'm really looking forward to reading them. Have a great day everyone!

Falsifeye mascara by Seventeen

A few weeks ago I was in Boots for the sales, not really looking for anything in particular when I passed the Seventeen stand and there was an offer on mascaras - which was perfect since my L'Oréal Butterfly (review here) is about to run out. I've never really tried much from Seventeen in the past, however they've re-branded themselves, vamped up their packaging and released some new products e.g. the lip crayons that have really impressed me. Since I couldn't decide which mascara to get and they had a great offer I ended up getting two, an one of them was the Seventeen Falsifeye Mascara. There are so many mascaras that promise to either lengthen or volumise the lashes, but just to be difficult I want my mascara to do both those things and if it also flares out the lashes - then even better. That's exactly what Falsifeye promised, so I was very excited to see what it was like. The mascara comes in 3 shades - blackest black, black and brown and I went for black, which gives enough contrast for me, although I think that blackest black would be really lovely for a more dramatic evening look.

From left to right:

Falsifeye Mascara Brush

YSL Baby Doll Mascara Brush

L'Oréal Falselash Flutter (Butterfly) Mascara Brush

Let's start with the packaging. Packaging definitely isn't everything and although I probably will be drawn in by a sleek, stylish looking product, for me in general it's not nearly as important as e.g. the scent of a product. Having said that though, if there's something about the packaging that effects the practicality or use of it, that will be a minus point in my book and that's exactly the case with this mascara. The packaging is quite chunky and because it's rectangular as well, it takes up a lot of space in your makeup bag or in your makeup storage, and more importantly - and this probably sounds like a silly detail, but the handle of the wand doesn't sit very comfortably in your hand since it's angular and pointy.

Most mascaras don't really come into their own until after you've used them for a good few weeks, but after almost three weeks of use, the formula of Falsifeye is still quite wet and in order to volumise the lashes, you have to work at it for quite a while, but this could also at least be partly because of the brush. The brush is very VERY thick, and personally I think it's too thick. In theory a really thick brush should give great lash coverage, but when it's too thick like this one and the wand is also very stiff, it's difficult to get to all the lashes from the tiniest ones at the inner corner of your eye, to the outer ones. In short the coverage isn't great and when you go back in to cover the inner corner lashes, you have to be very careful not to smudge all over, since the angle is a bit tricky and there is zero flexibility of the wand. With a brush of this width I think it could benefit from having some kind of flex function, to make it easier to work with. On the other hand, it's probably this stiffness that helps to easily extend the lashes and create a wonderful fanning effect that really opens up the eye, and is flattering on everyone.

Even though the mascara isn't water- or smudge proof, it still lasts really well throughout the day and it's very easy to remove without any pulling on the lashes. To sum it up, the mascara does lengthen the lashes and the fanning effect is lovely, however for a volumised effect you really need to put in some effort. Overall it's an OK mascara and it's an ambitious attempt at a product that does it all - lengthen, volumise and fan, but for me it does fall short especially when you look at competing products in the same price range from Maybelline and Max Factor.

A cheeky little beauty haul

The after Christmas sale is dangerous ground for someone like me, and I'm like a kid in a candy store looking at all the wonderful offers and discounts, trying my hardest not to get too carried away. Despite all the dangers lurking, I did tempt fate and braved the sales early one morning to beat the worst thing about sales - the crowds, and I ended up getting one or two things, well ok... maybe a few more than that...

After years of having played around with makeup but never really thinking about the tools that I was using, I fell in love with Real Techniques brushes last year, and I'm guessing I'm probably not the first one this has happened to. Previously I use to be content with using whatever little hard sponge applicator that came with the product, but having tried the amazingly fluffy, soft and pliable Real Techniques brushes, there's just no going back to anything less than this. Since I still can't quite get used to working with brushes to apply foundation. I decided that it would be better for me to invest in some more brushes for eye makeup and I ended up getting two of the Real Technique Shading Brushes (£7.99). I'm so looking forward to using these brushes with some new eye shadows that I got recently and I'm still completely enamored with Real Techniques brushes. and I have a feeling this new relationship will last for quite a long time to come.

One thing that I will do better this year is to take better care of my growing collection of quality brushes, so I definitely needed to pick up a brush cleanser, and I ended up getting the No 7 Makeup Brush Cleanser (£8). The cleanser is more of a quick fix between uses and it comes with a pump dispenser, so you can spray it onto some tissue paper and then wipe off the brushes. Sounds good to me and although I know I should cleanse the brushes properly at least once a month, this is a great stop gap for me and definitely a step in the right direction when it comes to brush cleansing - all I need to do now is to actually use it...

After these little essentials I passed the stand for Seventeen products and the range of mascaras caught my eye. I don't mind paying a bit more for a super quality mascara, however since I go through them at rocket pace I am always open to a bargain. When I saw what these picks from Seventeen promise to do for my lashes, for a fraction of the cost of what I would normally spend on a mascara, I just had to try them. I crave long, volumized, curled and preferably flared lashes. That's a tall order and that's what the Seventeen Falsifeye Mascara (£4) claims it can do - well I have actually started to use it and I'll do a review of it very soon, and we'll see how it did. The second mascara - the Seventeen Dolld Up Mascara (£4) also promises beautifully curved, volumised lashes for a wide eyed look that lasts 24 hrs and of course I just had to get that as well. I have never managed to get hold of a great mascara for less than approx. £8, but I'm keeping an open mind and let's see if any of them can give my beloved YSLs Baby Doll Mascara a run for its money.

The last product to hit my shopping basket in Boots was a cheeky little lipstick that I have been hunting high and low for, Estée Lauder's Pure Colour Vivid Shine Lipstick (£20) in the gorgeous shade Hot Lava. I love Estée Lauder lipsticks - they are beautifully moisturising, the shine is incredible and they have super wear throughout the day. Hot Lava is a creamy, glamorous, and timeless deep red wine shade that is simply stunning and despite the richness it's not too dark for Spring.

As you know for me no shopping trip is complete unless I get something new for my nails, and this time around I ended up with products that all speak to the OTT side of me (and believe me, there's absolutely no point in trying to quiet that side down). When I quickly browsed through Primark I accidentally spotted some very interesting caviar mixes and the price (£2) each was so low it would have been plain rude not to buy them. Both sets come with a base shade and a caviar mix and although I may not get much use out of the base shades or have very high hopes on the formula, at least I have two very interesting mixes to play with. The first one is a gorgeous and balanced mix of black, silver and gold and I just can't wait to try some different looks with this, and the second one is a lovely mix of different blues; navy, cobolt, deep sky blue, turquoise and silver. I imagine it would look amazing with a tan in the summer.

After that accidental purchase I wandered on to Superdrug where I found a great deal on Models Own products - 2 for £8, which was just too good an offer to refuse, and I ended up getting something I hadn't tried before - the Models Own Artistix Duo (£6) in Terra Crystal and Ember Red. It's the same principle as with Revlon's Moon Candy products, so it's basically 2 products in 1 with a plain base shade at one end and then a different effect top coat at the other. In the first one, Terra Crystal, the base shade is a muted bark brown and the effect is a glitter polish with pink and black particles in different sizes and together they create a very gritty but sparkly look. The base shade in the second one, Ember Red is a deep maroon and the top coat a shimmer mix of lustrous  bright red, orange and gold - I'm so looking forward to experimenting with both of these.

My last stop of this little treasure hunt was Debenhams, where a big sales sign at the Lancome section made me go a little overboard and I ended up getting a few Lancome Ombre In Love Eyeshadows (limited edition - £9.50). The shades are all beautiful shimmering pastels in pink and green with tempting names like Romance Tagada, Pistachio Cream and Cosmopolitan Mint and they looked soooo pretty. The eyeshadows had been taken out of the packaging so what I didn't realise was that they come in a slightly flimsy paper packaging. I really don't like it and it's not at all what I would have expected from Lancome, but I'll just take that in my happy blogger stride hoping that the formula won't disappoint.

I haven't tried any eye makeup from Lancome in a very long time so I kind of look at this as research for the blog, which we all know has to be done - hrmm... and as you may have seen from the Spring & Summer collections 2014, these shade will be VERY useful and I've been very good to plan ahead. Despite my disappointment in the Lancome packaging, I'm still quite happy about what I got overall and I look forward to start testing everything out and I'm planning on publishing the first review in a week or so.

Chubbymania

Since Clinique launched the original chubby stick, we now have chubbys for eyes as well as cheeks and lips, and every self respecting brand has joined in and come up with their own version of it. Initially I wasn't actually that keen on the format, but that was before I had tried any of them, and now I'm completely bitten, smitten and can't get enough of them. When the time came for me to update my lip colors for this season there were so many new releases of the lip chubby that I ended of with quite a selection of shades from different brands.  

Let's start with the product that really ignited this passion for the lip chubby for me, the Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon (£7.99). I've mentioned the Bourjois Lip Crayons and how much I love them soooo many times before so I'll try not to go on too much about these, but they have an amazingly moisturising formula that feels so light and lovely to wear. Regardless of which color you get (and I know since I have the entire range now), the finish is smooth, highly pigmented and glossy without being sticky and it's very long lasting and in the evening the lips feel nourished and soft. I bought both of the new shades for the season and the first one is Prune - a dark plummy purple red. This is much darker than I would usually wear, and I was a bit sceptical to start with, but it actually works really well with a fairly bare eye for a "Russian princess in the winter" kind of look and it's not too vampy or gothic either. The second Bourjois shade is in Rouge, which is a creamy, smooth rich venetian red that is very glamorous and I like to wear this with neutral brown eye makeup for a vibrant statement lip. A beautiful shade for the Christmas season!

 

From left to right (Indoors in artificial light):

Bourjois Colour Boost - Prune

17 Lip Crayon - Heartbreaker

Bourjois Colour Boost - Rouge

Rimmel Colour Rush Balm - Not an illusion

 Isadora Twist Up Lipstick - Sugar Crush

From left to right (Indoors in natural light):

Bourjois Colour Boost - Prune

17 Lip Crayon - Heartbreaker

Bourjois Colour Boost - Rouge

Rimmel Colour Rush Balm - Not an illusion

 Isadora Twist Up Lipstick - Sugar Crush

Next up is a 17 Lip Crayon (£4.99) in the shade Heartbreaker. I bought this because the description made it seem very similar to the Bourjois Lip crayon, and I was curious to compare the two. This is also very moisturising, it feels lovely on the lips and it gives a lovely natural shine. The main difference is that the 17 Lip Crayon isn't as pigmented as the Bourjois ones, so you need to apply quite a lot to get a good coverage. Another thing that set them apart is that the 17 product doesn't wear or fade very well, and while the Bourjois fades evenly this one leaves more of a patchy look after a few hrs of wear and tear. Saying that though, the shades in the range are lovely e.g. Heartbreaker is a beautiful muted burgundy red that looks gorgeous on, and since it's not strongly pigmented the finish is much more wearable and subtle than it looks in the crayon. I really like the shade and would definitely recommend the 17 Lip Crayon as a purse friendly option.

Another chubby newbie (at least for me) is the Rimmel Colour Rush Balm and I have the admit that the reason I got this was because of this gorgeous shade called Not an illusion. Rimmel have an amazing range of high quality lip products so I'm not at all surprised that they also have a wonderful lip chubby. It hydrates the lips, is barely noticeable on the lips, has long lasting wear and the pigmentation is great. This shade is a nice warm dusky rose shade that is so wearable and works with most looks and outfits.

The last chubby today in my growing collection is one I reviewed previously at the start of November - the Isadora Twist Up Gloss Stick. Similarly to the others the formula is very moisturising and plumping, however it doesn't have the same great coverage as some of the others, although it wears well and it gives a lovely natural and glossy finish. The shade Sugar Crush is completely different from the others in that it's a much more delicate, and I guess in a way, summery shade. It's a warm, sheer and slightly shimmery salmon pink with a slight blue undertone that looks lovely with a heavy, smokey eye. 

All of these products are wonderfully moisturising and long lasting, and most of them have great pigmentation to create a lovely satin look and as you can see you can see there's a wide range of shades available. Clinique may be the original chubby stick, but as there are so many great quality budget friendly options available, there's no need to splurge unless you really want to.