Anastasia Beverly Hills ‘Self-Made’ Eye Shadow Palette Review.

Hi Everybody,

I have never tried any Anastasia Beverly Hills make-up range or even the famous eye brow products. I received this eye shadow palette as a gift from my sister.

The packaging is simple but looks classy. It has a textured finish and a magnetic opening. It has a nice wide mirror and is flexible as well so you can stand it easily if needed. It also includes a two ended brush to use. The blender is not very good but the stiff ended brush to apply eye shadow is quite good. To be honest these brushes in these palettes are not good so you might as well use your own brushes.

The palette contains 14 colours (each shadow has an interesting name) from a beige to purple, green and black so you can be creative with this palette. All colours have a buttery texture, pigmented and are easy to blend. I put the make up on around 7-00 this morning and over 12 hours later the pigment is still strong and the colour still looks good. (I did use Urban Decay eyeshadow primer) I pictured myself using ‘Pink Champagne’ over my eyelid and on my crease I blended ‘Blossom’. To create a smoky feel to it, I applied ‘Metallic Plum’ on the corner of my eye. Lastly I applied on the brow bone the colour ‘Buttery’ and blended to create the finished look.

This is a great palette with a nice range of colours to create any look for any season. This palette was a limited edition and has sold out but if you can find one, lucky you!

 

 

Molton Brown Fragrance Discovery Collection.

Hi Everybody,

Molton Brown is a British based company established in 1973. They make bath, body and beauty products. Their products include perfumes, shower gels, body lotions, candles and hand care. They blend exotic ingredients with a touch of British eccentricity for bold fragrances and bright colours that stand out from the rest.

This Fragrance collection was purchased via the Perfume Society. ( this collection is still available from the Perfume Society) The collection is eight samples of 1.5ml per Eau de Toilette to try their new range of perfumes. These are blended with sought after ingredients and collaborated with some of the world’s most respected perfumers.  These little samples are great to try first time and also great if you are travelling so you have a wide selection of different fragrances for different occasions and tastes.

The eight scents are Re-Charge Black Pepper. This is quite masculine as it is strong. More of a male fragrance in my view.

Second scent is Fiery Pink Pepper. Pink Pepper is a grown up fragrance, fresh, spicy and warm.

Third scent is Mesmerising Oudh Accord & Gold. This is smoky, woody and very masculine too. A man’s scent.

Fourth scent is Ylang-Ylang. My favourite. A floral, fresh warm scent.  A perfect summer fragrance.

Fifth scent is Heavenly Gingerlily is a floral, spicy and fresh scent. A little bit heady in my view.

Sixth scent Blossoming Honeysuckle & White Tea. My second favourite. Fresh, floral with a hint of mandarin.

Seventh Orange & Bergamot. Orange is not my favourite scent in perfumes. Too much orange overpowers the bergamot in this.

The last scent is Bushukan which is a nice zingy, lemon, fresh scent. Also has a touch of grass in there as well. A pleasant EDT.

Overall nice to try but at £39.00 each for a EDT bottle there are a few more fragrances out there I would like to purchase before I buy any of these in a full size version.  But at £10.00 ( for VIP subscribers) for a sample box, that is good value for money to try different scents and  to improve your skills in smelling! This will travel with me when I go back to visit Latvia ..

Rxx

 

Olay Regenerist Facial Cleansing Brush.

 

Hi Everybody,

We all need to exfoliate our skin with a good cleanse but sometimes the manual way of cleansing doesn’t get deep enough so we do need a helping hand. This is where electronic cleansing brushes can help you.

There is so many electronic brushes with different price points in the market. Clarisonic, Magnitone, Philips and Boots No7 range all now have their own range of cleansing brushes.

I choose the Olay Regenerist Facial Cleansing Brush but there is so many to choose from. I decided on Olay’s version because It is a good brand name, affordable and a safe choice to see if they are as good as people say without breaking the bank. You can even use it in the shower as it is waterproof.

This is easy and enjoyable to use with immediate results as after just a couple of days of using it in the evening, the skin looks brighter and felt softer to the touch and bump free. The rotating brush gently works the cleanser (provided in the box is a small tube of Olay Skin Perfecting Cleanser but of course you can use any cleanser you have) into the skin for a deep-clean while giving the face a gentle massage. My skin felt so clean after using it. I am delighted that I have this little gadget to use in my skin cleansing regime.  It is in a compact package ( some brushes on the market are not so compact) and what’s even better it was on sale in Boots. One thing I don’t like is that I wish there was a cap to protect the brush.

Overall these electronic brushes really do work and this Olay version is a really good example to try. You don’t have to buy the expensive products as this budget example proves that they work really well too!

Rxx

 

No7 Early Defence Eye Cream.

Hi Everybody,

The effects of everyday living (pollution, lifestyle etc)  and our biological clock means we have to look after ourselves more. We can’t prevent everything but we can slow down and make ourselves older beautifully! We are looking for protection to help skin look younger for longer!

The eye area is so delicate, gentle and sensitive but it shows our age quicker. You can help yourself by looking after this area of your face by starting to use eye creams and face products. Of course, it won’t completely disappear but you can slow down the process.

I have been feeling that my eye areas are getting dryer as I do use face creams but I felt that it didn’t feel right. I  felt that I needed something extra for my eyes as face creams are not right for the eye area.

I went to Boots and started to look for eye creams. No7 do a range of products suitable for different age groups.  I picked up the No7 Early Defence Eye Cream. It is high in vitamin A and with Lipopeptides which help reduce the first fine lines on your delicate areas around your eyes. It is also high in Vitamin C for reducing puffiness and dark circles and make skin brighter. It is also Hypo-allergenic, so good for those of us who have sensitive skin.

It is in a squeezable tube so you don’t need to put your fingers in it. It is also good that it can sit under your foundation and make-up. I also like the fact that it has no scent and it is a light cream formula so it sinks into your skin so quickly with no sticky or greasy feeling to it. My eyes now feel moisturized and no dryness at all around the eyes. At the moment it is helping to boost my protection and gives brightness to my skin.

It is great value at £13.50 and I use it everyday, twice a day, mornings and evenings. For people who want to start using an eye cream, this is a great product. Highly recommended.

Rxx

Escada Agua Del Sol EDT.

Hi,

Every year Escada bring out a new limited edition EDT for the summer. It follows a pattern: Exotic name, fun and colourful packaging and a floral, sweet scent! Of course I always look forward to smelling it!

This years product is called Agua Del Sol and it doesn’t disappoint. Escada always bring a perfume, that no matter how bad the weather and how you might feel, that cheers you and lifts the mood. You can look forward to the summer, think of holidays and the feeling of happiness.

The packaging is superb as always, fun and flirty in fact. Summer in a bottle in fact you could say.

I love the fruitiness and floral scent of it. They are like twins, they are perfect together.The fruit notes has raspberry, pineapple, pear and mandarin. Sorbet and ice-cream is there of course. Although it is a very fruity scent, it is not sickly or overpowering.  The middle notes has rose with a hint of apricot. The base notes has tonka bean which gives warmth and white musk. Longevity is good, sprayed it one day and I could smell it the next day so that is good.

Escada Agua Del Sol captures summer and holiday in a bottle perfectly. I love it!

Rxx

Luxury In the Bathroom!

 

Hi everybody,

I bought this Laura Mercier Body & Bath Tarte Au Citron set from the SpaceNK  two years and I have been saving it ever since! I just couldn’t bring myself to opening it but what’s the point of having all these products and not using it? After all, I’m not a hamster that stashes all the nuts!!

The set contains 5 items: body souffle, shimmer body mist, honey bath, body scrub and a wooden honey dripper for the honey bath. They are all decently sized jars for a set. The scent is deliciously sweet and lemony.  The body scrub is creamy and leaves the skin so smooth and soft. The body cream has a nice moisturizing feeling with no sense of stickiness and absorbs easily into the body. The shimmer is sticky when you apply it onto your skin and it leaves a slight shimmer on it. I think this would be great for the summer. I haven’t tried the honey bath yet. After using the products you don’t need to use perfumes or other scents because the scent is strong and remains on your body. The other benefit is that your skin feels so soft, I feel like Cleopatra afterwards bathed in the lemony, sugary goodness!

I bought this set for £25.00 from the SpaceNK sale and is no longer available. You can buy the body cream but I haven’t be able to find the other products. I presume they have been discontinued. This is the first time I have used Laura Mercier products from the body range and I have been impressed by the quality of them. The products are beautiful quality and a great gift for anyone who loves pampering. After all we all deserve a little luxury in our lives!

Rxx

 

March Favourites!

Hi,

March has gone so let’s go through what I used..

SKINCARE

Vichy Normaderm Deep Cleansing Purifying Gel – After my first cleanse, I use this as my second cleanse routine. It is a thick gel which I use to cleanse my face. It is very good for people who are prone to breakouts. I used this every day and I have found it does help in improving the skin.  It is also soap, alcohol and paraben free and I think it is good value.

Clearasil Ultra Rapid Action Pads –  Pads for your face and not for anywhere else! They cleanse, exfoliate and help clear spots. They are pads soaked in the formula and I have found that they have worked for eliminating spots and calming them down. The downside is the amount of alcohol used in the product so I only apply directly onto the affected areas. A good product if you are aware of the alcohol it has.

HAIR PRODUCTS

Tresemme Keratin Smooth Heat Protection Shine Spray –  I do like to try different heat protecting sprays, they always smell nice and they feel good in the hairs. No tackiness or stickiness or floppiness to the hair. Before I dry my hair and have been happy with this. Tresemme are always good with their products, so far never been disappointed. I like it and my hair likes it too!

L’Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Clay-To-Spray Dry Shampoo – This has an invisible finish with a lightweight finish. It has a refreshing scent and is good if you have oily roots. This is new to the market and L’Oreal are always good quality and you never see the white patches that you see with other makers dry shampoos. I also bought the shampoo and conditioners but haven’t used them yet but I’m hoping they will be as good as the dry shampoo.

BODY PRODUCTS

Sanex Dermo Invisible Anti White Marks Deodorant – Before I used roll-on deodorants but I found they left me with painful bumps on the skin. I switched to Nivea but found their scent had changed and became quite sickly. I then changed to this Sanex product and have found it works for me. No more bumps and good for the skin while keeping me fresh all day.

Madara Protecting Hand Cream – As you all know I love my hand creams! First of all the scent is divine to me. Northern Plum and Linden Flower. To me it smells of marzipan! It leaves a velvet feel on your hands and absorbs very quickly into the skin. It hydrates skin and strengthens and I make sure my nails are coated with it too.  It is a Latvian product and is available to order online in the UK.

Rxx