Midweek Mask - Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Peel Off Face Mask

The mask is a very clear liquid slightly tinted green but just looks shiny on my face

So I'm a day late with my mask but I was so tired yesterday I forgot. When I smelt the mask it took me back to been a teenager in fact it's probably 99% likely that this is the very same one. At the time I don't think masks had really taken off and as far as anything expensive I sure didn't have the money. This is 99p for one sachet containing 10ml. If you buy the bigger size in a bottle it works out alot cheaper but I don't think it will be a repurchase of mine. It supposedly takes 10-15 minutes to dry but I had it on for over an hour and it's seriously hot in this house at the moment so unless the humidity is stopping it I thought it would be alot quicker if anything. The smell is very medicinal and the liquid is super sticky. I managed to avoid getting it in my hair which kinda hurts a bit once it dries and you have to pull it out. I also kept finding bits of the mask on my face after I'd peeled the main piece off which was annoying. Other than that it's just a bog standard peel mask. My face kinda feels tacky like my face isn't clean after it which is odd and still feels a bit tight after it. I think I will be moving on to another next week.

Anti Bacterial Hand Gel That Smells Gurly - Cuticura

Firstly yes I writing about hand gel. Why? Well seen as you've asked because who else would. So on with it this is Cuticura Passion Flower & Mango and it's £1.30 for 100 ml at Boots in store (but not on line but Superdrug do here but it's £1.49). It dose exactly the same as every other anti bacterial hand gel. It gets rid of 99.9% of bacteria. The big thing is that yes it dose contain alcohol but no it doesn't smell of alcohol. I really can't stand the hand sanitiser in Hospitals and I know it's there for a reason so I do use it. This I can't even describe it other than it smells like gurls. Its a fresh feminine but light scented. I haven't found any other ones like this and I think for the bit extra in price my hands don't smell clinical or simply nasty. This dries as fast as the others but it's just a personal preference to use this over others.

Seventeen V's Maybelline - Cream Eyeshadows

Seventeen - Wild Metallic Eyes in Wild Nude

Maybelline - Color Tattoo in On and On Bronze

So I've already talked about the Color Tattoo (here). My love for this has not died but finding another colour from the range that is wearable any time has. Color Tattoo has great lasting power with a strong pigment that stands out or can be layers with eye shadow on top. I saw the Seventeen version and it's the first item I've bought from this company. To be honest it's the first one that's caught my eye. I really like the simplicity of cream shadows but beyond going to brands like Benefit or Mac which I know I can't afford right now there isn't much choice. In this crazy heat I expected the Color Tattoo to melt but it didn't , I always use a primer first so maybe that makes the difference after all. So moving on I did swatches of all of the Seventeen colours in Boots and this was by far my favourite. Wild nude is metallic without being glittery and more natural day make up the consistency is creamier as well. It did crease a bit after a days wear but that was in the crease of my eye so unless I was closing my eyes often its not noticeable.

On the left is Color Tattoo in On and On Bronze and the right is Seventeen Wild Metalic in Wild Nude

The Color Tattoo is £4.99 and the Seventeen is £3.99 so not a huge price difference, I think I will always prefer the Color Tattoos but in both ranges there just aren't enough wearable colour or nearly enough choice.

Black V's Nude Eyeliner - Scadaleyes Waterproof Khol Review

versus

Both these eye liners for me work well and define the eyes but with one swipe of either it 

completly changes the whole look. I've always been an big fan of black eye liner it's just classic and bold and it draws all the attention to the eyes. I stuck with this from when I was younger and this is the first time I've ventured away from my past goth inspired style. Rimmel Scandaleye products seem to be popping up all over Youtube but it is a rarity to find another nude eye liner on the market that isn't breaking the bank. This is just £3.99 so for me its a very good price the closest to this in my price range are the white eye liners and I just don't like them there too stark and just remind me of the sixties.

On the left I've used Maybelline Eyeliner-matic 

which until I changed to gel eyeliner was my go too liner.

I picked this for comparison as it has a similar

application and texture. I feel this look it more suited

to going out at night look .

It's edgy, strong and frames the eye.

On the right I've used the Rimmel Scandaleyes,

its a nice creamy texture the glides on without

irritating my eye and covers up 

any redness along the water line. It is a 

natural day look that perks the eyes 

up making them seem bigger and brighter.

This is a look I'll be wearing more 

often in the summer months.

Mini Boots Haul

So I went to Boots with the intention of getting some new make up. I looked at the Color Tattoos I wanted to swatch the pink gold as I'm still fancying it and there was no tester pot so will try somewhere else, I wanted to try the Rimmel scandleyes eyeshadow pencils and the only colour I liked had been "tested" out as in everyone in that colour had been used. This is the most frustrating thing about Boots and Superdrug I know its people nicking them or just being ignorant but it's also the shops choice then to replace them otherwise I won't buy them if I can't test them out. I was contemplating the N07 offer where you buy 2 cosmetics products and get the bag of minis free. I then got ignored blatantly by the woman in charge of the stand which I always love. I tried the samples out as there was a primer and mascara I could have trialed but the eyeshadow was like crazy glittery and it looked so nice in the pan. 

So anyway mini rant over here's what I got:

1. Top Left - Seventeen Wild Metalic Cream Eyeshadow £3.99
2. Below This - Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Khol £3.99
3. Middle Left - Peanut Nougat Bar - 60p
4. Bottom Left - Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Peel Off Face Mask 99p
5. Bottom Right - Cuticura Anti Bacterial Hand Gel - Passion Flower & Mango £1.30
6. Bottom Right - Boots Offer - Double Points Valid Until August 11th
7. Top Right - Boots Large Sectioning Clips

Midweek Mask - Montagne Jeunesse - Anti Imperfection

I think we all need a pick me up mid week. Its that ache in your back and seeing forward to everything else we have to get on with and finish. I say what better way to treat ourselves than to chill out after a hard days work put your feet up and get cracking with some self pampering. So from now on Wednesday will be my mask day. Its not so much hiding behind a mask and more about getting ready to face the rest of the week head on. 

This is a Montagne Jeunesse face mask and is called Anti-Imperfection. The mask is around £1.30 in shops but can be purchased here. It has a very medicinal smell to it with the main undertone coming from the Aloe juice. It is grey in colour so who knows which one she was using that day but its easy to apply and very thick in consistency. I also think there is a lot of product for the cost with it being 20g in a sachet. If I'd thought more before I put it on I probably could have got two uses out of it.

This is the quote from the website:

Enliven your skin and help combat unsightly blemishes with our Aloe Vera and Willow Blemish Mud. Our special blend of nature’s remedies naturally targets your problem areas for a clear and clean complexion. 

So all there is to it now is to get on with using it just rinse face with warm water then apply over face & neck avoiding the eyes and lips. Next sit back and relax for 10-15 minutes or until the mask has dried. Then rinse of with warn water and pat dry.

This feels like I can barely move my face to the point where I can't even talk but I guess that happens a lot with mask. As it dries I can see spotty patchy on my nose which I believe are where my pores are so maybe this could be doing something.

I tried smiling but I couldn't move my face  because as soon as I did it goes like crazy paving across your face. When I did rinse it takes a bit of elbow grease to get it off as it is so thick but worth that bit of effort.

So this is me afterwards my face feels a bit tight but also feel super clean as for the blemishes I think long term use it could have a good effect but short term I can't see my blackheads on my nose so I think it really dose give a deep cleanse to my pores. It also felt drying and I have dry skin to begin with so I did moisturise once it was all rinsed off.

Understanding Symbols On Your Cosmetics

Most make up made for the British market is under the governing European Laws on Cosmetics. These to begin with are the symbols that must be on the packaging. Just beyond the name, past the details of what miracles it will perform are these vitals pieces of information.

To begin with labelling requirements must include this information

List of ingredient - This has to be in order of highest quantity unless it is less than 1% then they can be in any order at the end. Everything is on here with the exception of perfume compositions are named parfum.

Name or address of the manufacturer or supplier - This is so contact can be made if further information is required and should be on the item itself and any extra packaging.

Country of origin - this is if it is produced outside of the European Union and has to be the last place a substantial change was made to the item this includes the mixing of the ingredient not where it was put into its final container.

Date of minimum durability (Best Before Date) or a period after opening (POA) - this is the important bit to us when it comes to make up. 

Just so you know this is from a sample of Charity Pot by Lush its empty but I reuse the pots for travelling, this is an example of how the best before date really should be on all cosmetics and the period after opening before the item should be stopped being used. Fair enough Lush is not cheap but it's because of the fresh ingredient they use but at least they are being clear when labelling what we need to know and I can applaud them for that.

This is on almost all items and is required to show the best before date based on the number of months it is good for after it had been opened. So the 24M is 24 months use from opening. 

Batch number or lot code - The information above is useful but if you don't know when it was originally made how can the information be relevant. This is where the batch code comes in useful. It is usually a 4 character code as companies don't want it easily readable to put you off purchasing it. But if you go to http://checkcosmetic.net/ they have a list of companies that follow similar coding to each other and when you enter the code it tells you how long you've got. The other function is if something is wrong with the product that batch can be recalled.

I checked this out with a recent purchase from a few weeks ago of Benefits Porefessional. The first photo has the 4 character code 2V02 when I put this in it tells me that it was made August 2012 and lasts 36 months from month it was made. So I have 25 months left on it and from opening I am to use it in 12 months. This is useful to know as I could theoretically still keep it sealed for another 13 months before opening it and still have full best before date to use it by. It also means I can use this to check other items I have that are older to see if I should still be using them.

Warning statements and precautionary information - this is usually the "this is not edible" label on the Cherry Body Butters , kind of obvious but it all has to be covered and I'm sure somebody got sued before this was on everything that smells good. It dose of course have the serious use to give information on chemical,preservatives and UV filters.

Product function where needed - What the product or item is used for , that's all folks!

The weight or measurements of the item must be declared - have we ever wondered what the 'e' means after the weight well its to show us is the guarantee that the net content is correct to what is specified on the item. So you get what you paid for! 

As its on the photo above the pretty ying yang style arrows are usually assumed to mean recycling which literally complete rubbish and to UK customers is redundant. It's just a hallmark in relation to waste management of the product under European legislation.

This is the actual recycling symbol

As for all lettering on the packaging it must be visible, indelible and easily legible. I'm all for this but indelible means that which cannot be removed,washed away or erased. So can somebody explain this to me please...

Can you tell me a "youtuber" that doesn't have trouble remembering the name of the cocealer because all theirs looks like this as well. The other is a clear mascara with the same issue.

Porefessional Results

This is my holy grail of primers.....for my nose. This is not to say it can't be applied everywhere which it very much can be. I have used my freebie sample from May 2012 which I scrimped and saved all this time with still a little bit left to use. At first I applied it all over my face and loved it. It goes great under all my foundations I've tried including the Max Factor Colour Adapt Foundation which without Porefessional used to settle in any line it could find. Some days I use it all over but usually I put another primer over my face then use Porefessional just where I need it the most. This may sound ridiculous to some but I have many evil large pores on my nose that love to hold blackheads. I clean my skin regularly, use masks,exfoliate and use decent moisturiser but I haven't been able to fix it yet.

Porefessional has a silky smooth texture and is tinted but blends in well giving that extra coverage. It sits smoothly on the skin filling and disguising my pores and the same time with a nice matte finish. It minimises them visibly but then when I apply foundation its as if the problem was never there. Its love at first use and I convinced myself out of this many times as the price is usually £24.50 for 22 ml but if the sample has lasted me this long then getting the full size should keep me going a very long time. 

Soap & Glory - Hand Food for Hard Working Hands

yes this is very pants picture

This is Hand Food by Soap & Glory and it's been neglected. It usually appears in a random make up bag then forgotten about. Every time I find it I pop the lid open and have a sniff which is a very nice scent that I remember liking from previous occasions. I can only describe it as similar to all the other Soap & Glory products as I can't work out what it is but it's nice. 

My automatic reaction to this is to squeeze some straight into my hand which I then realise is a bad idea. This is because the main cream product separates from the liquid in it making it near impossible to get the lid back on without spilling it. I always forget to shake the bottle, every time without fail I do this. But past this I also have to say only use it after either you've done everything you intend to that day or are going to bed. This is due to it being quite greasy on the hands so makes typing near impossible and smear your touch screen phone. It sounds like I'm not enjoying this product I know but for all the minor niggles if I use this before bed I wake up with really soft hands. It dose the job it's just not made for day time use. If you have rough hands like mine it really will make a difference.

This is the 50ml size and is £2.50 from Boots

The Dress I'm In Love With.

This right now is the dress I can't live without. If I'm just popping to the shops or going out for the day and have no idea what to wear I put this on. Its super soft and comfortable. It sits nicely over my very curvy body without being clingy. Its thick enough to wear in normal British weather but airy enough in summer time. I have more than one blue dress but this is my favourite it is from Dorothy Perkins and is £19 (here)

Freebies Post - Part 2 - Herbal Essence Bee Strong

This is a sachet of the Bee Strong Range from Herbal Essence. You get 10mls of the Shampoo & Conditioner which was enough over my just past shoulder length hair. As for smell I honestly couldn't tell if there was one. The shampoo in application is fine but as I rinsed it off it was less clarifying and more stripping which I didn't like. The conditioner was much better and there was easily enough to test it out, this felt nice on and washing it out was easy. It felt like this was doing a lot more for me and my hair did feel reasonably soft once it dried. They are both £3.89 which even for a cheaper brand overall seemed allot for what they did. Herbal Essence have better ranges and I don't think I'd purchase this in the future.

Sanctuary Kyphi Body Butter - This is Heaven

This is amazing, It's one of the many body butters I own and have only got round to trying because I got bored with a different one. I get a lot of body butters at Christmas so they usually last me the year out but it means some get lost along the way. I'm really pleased to say I'm glad I found this little beauty.

It was part of a set of three so I don't believe you can get this on it's own so I'll be looking for it at Christmas. It has more of a thick jelly like quality to it rather than opaque and creamy like most body butters I have. This seems to soak in really well and I use it all over my legs and arms. It smells gorgeous but I can't work out what the smell is. It's not like a perfume type scent more a luxurious richness to it. I feel indulgent using it and I love it after a shower to rehydrate my skin. In my search to find this online I've only tracked it down on Amazon at £10.99 for 300ml (here). But I did find a travel size here of the Sanctuary Travel Body Butter in 50ml for just £2.40 if you wanted to test the brand out, this was also in the set and was just as good.

Summers Sorted Make Up Kit + Other Bits

These are the things I can't do without for summer, I've not included body SPF as that I think that should be obvious.But everything above is my go to list of items. Most of the make up I've already reviewed the main new thing I've bought is my Brita Fill & Go Bottle which has kept me hydrated through these crazy hot days. The Links below are to the other reviews I've done.

Batiste Dry Shampoo

Color Tattoo On & On Bronze

Art Deco Eyeshadow

Dr.Jarts+ Water Fuse BB Cream 

Smashbox Primers

Maybelline Gel Eyeliner

Freebies Post - Part 1 - Balance Me Lip Salve

I got this in the August edition of Glamour Magazine it is Balance Me Shine On Tinted Lip Salve and is worth £12. So for £2 quid you can't go wrong even if your not interested in the magazine. It smells really nice and application is easy. Its not too strong it flavour just a hint a raspberry which I like. The tint is sheer but adds a bit of dimension and shine. This has done well to stop my lips from drying out which this summer is necessary. There are also three other freebies from Balance Me, a face wash, body wash and rich moisturising cream.

The Benefits of Samples

When I went to Debenham's last week I was given  few samples to try out along side my purchase of Porefessional. These include the Triple Performing Facial Emulsion its oil free with SPF 15 to hydrate, protect and comfort the skin. The new Stay Flawless 15 Hour Primer Base to act like a magnet to lock on your foundation. And last but not least Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Foundation in Ivory. I love that the samples aren't super small so I can get a few applications out of them which is what I've done.

Keep in mind as I write this the temperature today is a high of 28'C. I decided I would test run these samples on the hottest day of the year so far. I think I will have another try on a cooler day as I think the temperature made my make up eventually melt. The above photos were take at 8 am and it was 20'C at this point I was already too hot at this point. Yes, yes I really did wear a almost all black on a freaking hot day in summer!

The Triple Emulsion felt nice on my skin but too thick for under my makeup this would be better for days when you don't want a full face but still want my skin in good condition. 

I don't love the primer, to me it felt too sticky although I'm thinking I may have applied too much. In summer my skin needs to breath and it felt clogged up after applying this. 

The foundation however this is the second application. The first time I used it was with the Smashbox Primer last week and it looked great , it was warm weather but it stayed in place and I liked the smooth finish. This time for some reason I think my skin was already too hot and it felt like it was smearing over the primer then the powder just made it go cakey which I only noticed an hour after I'd left the house. Lucking most of my face make up came off due to the crazy weather we are having so it wasn't so bad. I'm going to go back to a minimal make up kit with my BB cream and leave foundations for Autumn/Winter. I think these products will be better suited then. As for primer I'm sticking with the Porefessional and Smashbox ones for now. The onlt makeup that laste all day was my now very trusted Color Tattoo in On and On Bronze, Blackest Black Great Lash Mascara and Eye Studio Gel Eyeliner all by Maybelline.

Art Deco at Debenhams

This is the statement Artdeco have made about their company overview...

ARTDECO is present in more than 88 countries. It is the number 1 brand outselling Chanel, Givenchy, Mac across Europe!!!!

Artdeco are the trendsetters in couture makeup.

ARTDECO COUTURE offers an amazing professional quality brand with many completely unique colours and products.

Ive only bought an eyeshadow to see what the products are like. This was in the colour pearly medium beige. I was wanting something compact for travel and quick and easy to use. I put this on with my finger but I was in a rush and could have been done with a brush as well as I blended this with Maybellines Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze. I liked the look but fancy trying it with the Pink Gold instead. This is a really nice colour its pearly without being overly glittery. I would probably use this with very natural summery looks in future and really want to buy some more. I also love the Refillable Beauty Compacts for traveling with and just keeping them together in genral , they look very glam and retro.

Good Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cup Flavour Lip Balm

This is a random purchase I made at Cyber Candy in Birmingham last weekend. They had all the usual items American shops have but this I hadn't seen before. This is the page for all the lip balms they sell online at cybercandy.co.uk. The one I picked was Pillsbury Peanut Butter Cup flavour it smells edible not that I would suggest eating it by any means but it dose make you want to lick your lips. I like it because I can smell in while its on my lips and its more like a natural peanut butter flavour. Its a general lip balm as any other would be its just got an American twist to it which I personally love.

Magnetic Attraction - Make Up Academy

Sometimes I just can't help myself. These are the Make Up Academy Magnetic Nail Varnishes for £3.50 each. So when they were on offer in Superdrug (here) at 3 for 2 it was inevitable. Once I had time to sit down and and try them out I couldn't help but try all three new ones as well as my first one called Mayfair. You can read my original review of Mayfair (here). So the three colours are Park Lane this is a dark rosy red base with dark burgundy over it, Leicester Square is a blue grey base with dark grey and the Regent Street is a vibrant lilac with deep purple. The Mayfair in the photo is a deep blue with navy.

All the varnishes dry really fast and can be worn as one coat because they are fully opaque. They are a good consistency and the brushes are great too. My favourite is Regent Street (the purple one) as it very bright and and really pops . I also love the grey Leicester Square with the circle effect like when water ripples and because now I can mix and match the magnets and varnishes. These are good value you get 6.8ml in each and my original Mayfair is being used more than any of my other varnishes and still going strong. I also had found that even if you make a mistake like dip the magnet on your wet nail accidentally or it doesn't do the pattern strong enough I could easily stick a coat straight over it and try it again and it would still dry. 

To BB Cream or Not BB Cream That Is The Question? - Dr.Jart+ Beauty Balm

They've flooded the shelves of drugstores everywhere with BB creams. Every company seems to have to a version all of there very own. Most come in three shade ... Shock! But what are they? Where do they come from? And how are they different?

"BB cream stands for blemish balm, blemish base, beblesh balm (apparently because of a trademark in Korea on the word "blemish"), and in Western markets,beauty balm. It is a cosmetic item sold mainly in East and Southeast Asia, although larger beauty brands are increasingly introducing BB creams to Western markets." (Sourced here)

The way I see it is as a multipurpose face balm designed to cut down on the number of products needed by combining them into one. They usually are a light coverage and in my view are a lite version of foundation without feeling bare. I think this makes them perfect for summer when the skin really dose need a chance to breath. I searched through all of the drugstore versions and couldn't make my mind up on which would be best until a saw a video on Wildkatmakeup Youtube channel (here). I decided if I was going to get one then why not pick a company that's been doing it all along. 

I picked out of the four available Dr.Jart+ Water Fuse BB Beauty Balm in Boots on offer for £12 instead of £18. It also is a 50 ml which I think is a decent amount compared with many others being around 30 ml. It is coloured but much more translucent when applied. It has a dewy finish which I did apply powder to after ward but this didn't go cakey. It has an SPF 25 so protects my skin in the sun while being hydrating and oil free as well. It evened out my skin tone giving a very natural appearance allowing me to use less concealer and other fix it products. I would definitely recommend this and the others in the range where it suits skin types as apposed to three skin shades.

It's Your Prime - Smash Box

This is the perfect size minatures of primers for being able to try a product before you buy it. I also found out this weekend just past it's great for travelling with as well. To buy the set it's £14 so by no means cheap but I didn't wish to fork out the £25 for the full size as I'd never used it before. But I also thought why pay £12.50 for the travel size on its own if I could then get the 5 ml Photo Finish Under Eye Primer (worth £10) and the 0.5 ml Photo Finish Lid Primer (worth £3) extra for another £1.50. So in total that's £25.50 worth of product for £14 , it's already sold out on line but I picked mine up from Boots so they may still stock them.

So I've had a small amount of time to test them out. As it's summer I'm going for a less is more approach to my many layers of makeup. I switched to a BB cream or just powder foundation lightly depending on my mood or laziness. So when it came to the idea of three primer I'm not sure what I was thinking. I can honestly say they really help to make my skin look better. I think the Photo Finish Primer did well with my BB cream and also tested it under foundation and the results looked good. It doesn't fix my evil large pores but it smooths my skin so that anything on top glides on my skin that much easier. It's got a slightly greasy feel to it but is colourless and can't be seen on the skin if I do only put powder over it.

 I love the Photo Finish Lid Primer as it is a great base and evens out the skin tone while covering the blue vein lines which I usually cover with concealer which sometimes goes caked on if I use too much. This fixes that and is so light you can't feel it's there. Then I used the Photo Finish Under Eye Primer to perk my eyes up making them look brighter and more awake. Its light silky texture glides on easily and all these small touches make a big difference to how the rest of my makeup sits. 

This is a great starter kit if you haven't tried primers or wish to try a higher end brand without spending full price or just if you want a treat.

My Poor Nails What Have I Done To You - Nu Nale

So I already gone over in an earlier post (here) that I'm having trouble with my nails. I think it's down to wearing too many polishes and taking them off too often that's weakening my nails. I saw this on another blog and for the very reasonable price of £3.60 in Boots I had to give it a try. It says to apply it 2-3 times a day until nail condition improves then just carry on once a day after to keep them strong. Its a little greasy but dose soak in quite fast, I can feel my nails bending less but they still seem to be peeling but I've not been using it long enough to tell. So I will keep you informed of how things progress.

O.P.I Goth Camo for My Nail Nightmare

My nails have started peeling at the tip of the nail in the last week they are so thin that they bend and I just don't know what to do. This is the first time this has happened so I don't know whats caused it. I've started using Sally Hansen Continuous Treatment Growth which is a clear varnish , it dries super quick which is good so I put two coats on with no trouble. I bought this at Xtras for £2.99.

While I was there I saw O.P.I Nail Laquer. There is no way I could part with £10.99 for one nail varnish so when I saw these at £5.99 in Xtras. The one I finally picked was Vampsterdam which is a deep purple shimmer lacquer and it is gorgeous. Completely not summery but the colour is definitely me. 

So I decided at the same time I would show you the Headline colors Varnish as well in Spotlight that I got in my Beauteco Box in June. It is normally £9 so I can compare the two varnishes. The O.P.I first coat looks like it dosn't cover but the second coat makes it completly opague and I can't even see where the peeling is so has disguised that very well. You really do have to give it time to dry out between coats but it's worth the wait. The Headline color is a silver with a slightly lilac tinge the coats dry quickly but I need a third coat to get the same block colour as the other was. The other thing I noticed was with each brush stroke on this one you can see the lines in the colour whereas the O.P.I is smooth across my nails. Vampsterdam is the winner and I think I will get the most use out of it. Here's hoping my nails improve over the next few weeks.