AUGUST FAVOURITES

Is it just me or is this year flying by? I don't remember last year going this quick!? But here we are again, another month and another set of monthly favourites so let's crack on!

If you've read my most recent review, you'll know I'm a fan of the Rimmel Wonder'Full mascara. It gives good volume with lots of definition whilst still leaving my lashes feeling like they've had some much needed love. On the topic of TLC, in comes Sally Hansen's Maximum Growth Nail Polish. I won't say too much because I'm planning on giving it a full review soon but it's really improved the condition of my nails recently and I love it so much. Another polish that's had a lot of loving lately is Topshop Nails in Wide Awake. I completely forgot I had this shade but I've fallen back in love and it's been my mani all month! The formula of Topshop nail polishes are fab and the colour range is amazing.
Peach is one of my favourites colours so there's no surprise that the Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Blusher in Onamatopeacha has been my blush of choice this month. If you want to know more, you can read the full review here.
When it comes to skincare, I'm constantly trying out new products - mainly miniatures I receive in beauty boxes - in order to create my perfect skincare routine. I seriously cannot get enough of the Urban Veda Purifying Exfoliating Facial Polish. I've just purchased a full sized tube because I absolutely adore it. Nothing leaves my face feeling so fresh and clean like this does and it's so gentle on my skin, which is ideal for the forever changing weather we're experiencing in London! Maybe this 'one minute it's sunny, one minute it's pouring down' is to blame for my extremely dry hands. I've mentioned my love for this before in my The Good, The Bad and The Best series and honestly, it's amazing stuff. It always leaves my hands feeling soft and nourished with the most sweet and delightful scent.

SHOP THE POST

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Blusher

Urban Veda Purifying Exfoliating Facial Polish

Topshop Nails in Wide Awake

Sally Hansen Maximum Growth

Rimmel Wonder'Full Mascara

The Body Shop Almond Hand & Nail Butter

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

REVIEW - RIMMEL WONDER'FULL MASCARA

I am forever on the hunt for a new mascara that I'll love more than the last because I quite clearly have commitment issues when it comes to mascaras. I'm on a journey to find the holy grail of mascaras, and I've come close before, so I'm determined I will find it! But in the meantime I'm trying out a few new ones that I really enjoy using. One that I haven't put down lately is the Rimmel Wonder'Full mascara*. When it comes to everyday mascara, I'm looking for something that gives me definition but can still look a little natural but also something that I can build, and I've found the Wonder'Full mascara does exactly that. The formula is very wet and lightweight, which is something I normally don't like, but it works really well to give a much more natural looking lash. It claims to give "zero clumps and feather-light volume" and I really can't disagree. The mascara adds a little amount of volume at the root of the lash and there isn't a single clump in sight, yay! If you want a more noticeably defined lash, a few more coats can be applied whilst it's still wet, and that is what I tend to do.

For me, drugstore mascara will alway triumph, and this one is just another that proves my point. If you want a lightweight mascara that leaves your lashes looking more defined and feeling conditioned, this is the one for you.

SHOP THE POST:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rimmel Wonder'Full Mascara with Argan Oil

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ALMOST GONE #1

Today I'm talking about some products that have had some serious loving lately, resulting in them being almost gone, so it's time they had a mini review.
I've been on a bit of a spending spree lately, buying loads of new products to try so it's taken me some time to almost used them up, but nevertheless, here they are!

I've loved the No7 Lash Impact mascara since it was first realised. It grabs every lash, lengthens and volumes and doesn't smudge all over my face. When I first started using it, I claimed it was my 'holy grail' mascara but I'm starting to eat my words. Don't get me wrong, it's a fab mascara but I've found ones that I love just as much.
I really like the Nivea Daily Essentials Double Effect Eye Make-up remover and I know it's just an eye makeup remover, but it manages to get every piece of mascara off with ease - even waterproof mascara. I never feel like I have to scrub my eyes to get it off, but I would suggest you give it a good shake first!
I'm a lazy person when it comes to moisturising my body so I normally stick with Vaseline Spray & Go but I've really been enjoying using the Superdrug Vitamin E All Over Body cream lately. It smells fab, sinks in quick and leaves my skin feeling so soft. I cannot tell you how much I love the La Roche-Posay Effaclar A.I, it's seriously heaven in a bottle! If you've read my full review (available here) you'll know how much I rave about this product. It clears my skin up instantly without being harsh on my skin. If you haven't tried it, you need to!
My hair has been so limp and lifeless lately, it is like all the volume has disappeared. For a month I've been trying out the Amara Volume Boost Spray and I've really noticed a difference. It just gives a natural looking boost without it being obvious and leaves no residue. 

The Nivea Daily Essentials Light Moisutrising Day Cream for normal/combination skin is nothing fancy but it sure is effective. This moisturiser is refreshing, leaves my skin feeling soft and ready for makeup. It sinks into the skin quickly and never clogs my pores.
I'm pretty sure I've told you about the Umberto Giannini Frizzi Hair Mask before but it honestly is my favourite hair mask by a mile and you can read the full review here. My hair is really dry and the only thing that helps is this. It nourishes in seconds without leaving my hair heavy and banishes frizz away! One mascara that has had my attention lately is the Maxfactor 2000 Calorie Mascara. It can really hold a curl and adds so much volume and definition. It doesn't smudge or flake and if I want a fuller look, I can easily add more layers without it clumping.
I can't believe I've almost run out of this polish, I hardly ever use up nail polishes! I love the effect of the Barry M Aquarium Nail Paints and Treasure Chest it my favourite shade by far. It looks gorgeous by itself and over other polishes as it has different size flecks of gold and rose gold pink sequins running throughout. Oh but p.s. it's a pain in the backside to remove! Other than that, it lasts ages and looks so nice.

SHOP THE POST:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Barry M Nail Paint in Treasure Chest

Umberto Giannini Frizzi Hair Mask

Maxfactor 2000 Calorie Mascara

Nivea Daily Moisturiser for normal/combination skin

Nivea Eye Make-up remover

La Roche-Posay Effaclar A.I

Amara Volume Boost Spray

Superdrug Vitamin E Body Cream

No7 Lash Impact Mascara

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE BEST --- NAIL POLISH

Back to another The Good, The Bad and The Best post; and this time its nail polishes. I don't know about you, but I'm fanatical about nail polishes, and when I say fanatical about nail polishes I mean absolutely crazy and my collection is beyond a joke. But anyways, I've had a rummage through my stash and have picked out the ones that I think are good, brilliant and meh.
QUICK DISCLAIMER - just because I may love/dislike a product doesn't mean you'll feel the same way so if you want to give them a try, don't let my opinion put you off!

THE GOOD
L.A Colors Color Craze
I've mentioned these before about a year ago, but for those who don't know, LAC make amazing nail polishes which you can pick up for as little as 99p in places such as BeautyBase. I really like these polishes, they're cheap with a good formula and the colour selection is to die for. They do tend to chip after three days but for 99p, there's not much you can ask for. My favourite shades are 'Hottie' and 'Perfect Plum'.
Mavala Mini Colours
I really like these nail polishes, it's like super glue for your nails, no chips in sight! Mavala have such a good colour range with tons of different finishes which I love and adore. The only thing I'm not a massive fan of is how long they take to dry. I always paint my nails before bed so there's nothing more annoying then waking up with a pillow printed nail because it took forever to dry, but it's still an amazing polish!

THE BAD
MaxFactor Glossfinity
With everyone raving about this nail polish, I was so excited and had even convinced myself that I would love it. I was wrong. Despite the stunning colour range and promises of 'glossy nails for up to seven days' my nails were having none of it. Firstly, I found the formula quite gloopy and thick and then there was the issue of it chipping within an hour of me painting my nails. It was all going okay until I put my hair up and bam it was all chipped, so no thanks MaxFactor, I'll have to give this one a miss.

THE BEST
Essie 
For me, Essie just blows any other polish out of the park. They make such lovely shades with clever names that really do last. On me, I can get a good five to seven days wear out of this polish before it starts to chip! The formula is like no other, quick drying, chip resistant (for a few days) and they're so highly pigmented. Essie offer a bunch of colours in all types of finishes for under £8 a pop! I love them all!
Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint by Barry M
Barry M polishes are fab, especially the Gelly Hi-Shine. I adore the formula of this product so much and it leaves my nails looking perfect and professional. With every shade known to beauty blogger, there's not much you can criticise these polishes for. They do take a while to dry on me, although it is still quicker than others, but the wait if definitely worth the wait because they're so glossy and opaque, This is a must have nail polish for sure, and if I was you I would definitely get the shade 'Sugar Apple'; it's the perfect mint green!

SHOP THE POST:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Essie - Rosebowl

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine - Sugar apple

Mavala Mini - Graphic

L.A. Colors Color Craze

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ARE THE REVLON COLORSTAY MOISTURE STAINS WORTH THE HYPE?

 As soon as I spotted the Revlon Moisture Stains in my local Superdrug, I had to pick one up. My local store is really rather small and only stocked three shades so I picked up 'Shanghai Sizzle', a very vibrant red shade. It was love at first swatch, or at least I thought it was.
The Moisture Stains are extremely glossy with an amazing amount of pigment and they're so opaque in just one swipe.
But hold your horses, I've found some faults. Firstly, I've found it can go quite gloopy. Now don't get me wrong, the formula is great but it becomes sticky if you add more than one coat. Then there's the problem of the colour 'bleeding'. The thing with me is I like to wear these kind of lip products when I want a bold lip but I'm in a rush, aka I don't have time for a lip liner and all that jazz. Although with a liner, something like MAC Cherry lip liner underneath, it's gorgeous and lasts so much longer without any bleeding.
They are super comfortable to wear though, last at least six hours and once the gloss has worn off it leaves a nice subtle stain upon the lip.

Despite the problems I've had, I do really like the ColorStay Moisture Stains and I may even have to pick up a few more colours (and a few matching lip liners too)!

What do you think of the ColorStay Moisture Stains?

SHOP THE POST:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Revlon ColorStay Moisture Stain

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

REVIEW - BELLA & BEAR EYE AND MIGHTY EYELASH CURLER

When the Eye and Mighty Eyelash Curler* from Bella & Bella dropped through my letterbox, I was full of excitement. After trying the Hair She Goes Facial Hair Remover Kit from the same brand, my standards were high. Bella & Bear offer amazing products at an amazing price. The quality is phenomenal and they offer a lifetime guarantee, and if that wasn't good enough, the people behind the products actually care and show a real interest, they're just fab! 

Let's just say this is one hell of an eyelash curler. I always double curl my lashes, once at the root and once about mid length of the lashes to make them look extra curled, but with these I didn't need to. This may sound weird but I'd even say they spaced out my lashes too.
For the past year I've been loving my Emite Eyelash Curler, but compared to this, it's nothing. With the Emite curler I really have to pump the curl into my lash, it's basically a workout! But with the Eye and Mighty, they just curl perfectly with no effort required and I really like how it has a little hook on the end to rest you pinky finger, it just feels so comfortable. My lashes when they haven't been curled are limp and lifeless but a quick curl with the Eye and Mighty and they're completely transformed. I've really noticed a difference since using the curler and even my friends and family have even picked up on it too. I'm thanking that to the ergonomic design!

Bella & Bear created an amazing product once again and I'm labelling it the holy grail of eyelash curlers!

*pr sample (opinions are completely my own)

SHOP THE POST:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eye & Mighty Eyelash Curler

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

REVIEW - SOAP & GLORY SEXY MOTHER BLUSHER

Whilst I was browsing my local Boots store the other week I noticed Soap & Glory had an offer of three for two and this stick blusher really caught me eye. I've never been a massive fan of cream blush but I thought I'd make an exception; one because Soap & Glory never disappoints me and two because it's in stick formation. I secretly prefer products that come like this because they're perfect on days when I want to wear makeup but I can't be bothered!
Also, can we all take a moment to appreciate the name of this product. If 'Sexy Mother Blusher' wasn't clever enough, they named this shade 'Onamatopeacha'! Genius! And the blusher itself? Amazing.

Onamatopeacha is a gorgeous coral pinky orange cream blusher with tiny flecks of gold shimmer running throughout, which creates such a lovely glow upon the cheeks. Like most cream blushers it dries to a powder finish and is super easy to blend. It creates almost a glowy stain which I personally love.

I'm sure this shade will suit every skin tone and the formula is faultless! Let's just say I'll be popping down to my local drugstore in about thirty minutes to pick up the other two shades...

Have you tried the Sexy Mother Blusher? What did you think?

SHOP THE POST:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SMB Onamatopeacha

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

JULY FAVOURITES

I know everyone says it every month, but seriously, is it just me or is this year is going so quick? Another month down means another month of favourites and I haven't really been using anything out of the ordinary this month, but I have been trying out new products. Without further ado, here are my July favourites:

For those who don't know, blue is my favourite colour, so when summer comes around I need every blue nail polish in sight. Recently I've been adoring the Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine nail paints in the shades Blueberry, Sugar Apple and Damson. Like all Barry M polishes, the formula is fab with a great selection of colours.

One perfume I can't get enough of this month is CK In2U by Calvin Klein. My lovely friend Jess gave me this for my belated birthday present and I just love it so much. I'm rubbish at describing scents but it has a really fresh smell that is so uplifting and lasts a good few hours.

This month I've also loved using my new ebay brushes. They are the 10 piece 'kabuki style professional makeup brushes' and considering I paid less than £10 for 10 brushes, I'm amazed. The set comes with five face brushes and five brushes for the eyes. I've always preferred synthetic hair brushes and these are so soft! I find they blend makeup with ease, are easy to clean and feel so lovely on my skin.

Those who are regular readers of my blog will know I'm a lazy person when it comes to moisturising my body but I've promised myself I would get out of the bad habit. I've been loving The Body Shop Body Butter in Shea because its creamy, nourishing and I'm not waiting long before it's sunk into my skin. I just love the smell and consistency of this butter!

And finally to finish of the month of July are a pair of tweezers that I have fallen head over heels for. Let's just say I have stubborn eyebrow hairs that even Tweezerman's have struggled to remove in the past. But for these? It's a walk in the park. I got these in a set from Bella and Bear (see full review here) and they get every last tiny hair. Heaven in the form of tweezers? Oh I think so.

What were your favourite products for July?

SHOP THE POST

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

eBay makeup brushes

Bella & Bear Hair She Goes

CK In2U 50ml Eau de Toilette

The Body Shop Shea Body Butter

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paints in Damson, Blueberry and Sugar Apple

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------