L'Oreal Pure Clay Purity Mask | Beauty

Oh I am happy to be back in the UK with my beloved high street shops where I can try out all the latest beauty products once again! As soon as I saw the L'Oreal Pure Clay masks released I bloody wanted them, I read so many reviews and knew I wanted the Detox Mask. However I think everyone wants this mask so when I went to Boots, it was sold out, not a single one left in stock but I was bloody leaving with a Pure Clay Mask so I opted for the Purity one. 

I have recently got back into clay masks, my skin is very temperamental I get a lot of spots around my jawline at certain times of the month so I started using the Australian Skin Care cleansing face mask  again and kind fell in love all over again. I think it can be so hard to find a good clay mask that doesn't dry your skin out or make it raw when you try and remove the damn thing. I cannot stand face masks that dry so hard you have to practically chisel it off of your face! 

The first thing I really love about the L'Oreal Pure Clay products is that they come in a little jar, instead of a squeezy tube like so many do. I like to apply my face masks with a flat foundation brush so I'm not constantly rubbing or touching my face. I kinda stumbled on this trick because I bought a flat foundation brush which was just AWFUL for foundation but I didn't want to throw it away so I just used it for something different. As the product is in jar it just makes it very easy for me to get the product with my brush as opposed to apply it on the back of my hand and then my face. 

The Purity Mask is said to purify and mattify your skin, so whilst it doesn't draw out the imperfections as well as I imagine the Detox Mask would I still hoped it would give me a bit of something that could help with some of my spots at least. I haven't used it long enough to give a long term review but I just wanted to share with you my first impression. For some reason I really love the smell, it's so fresh and clean where as some clay mask can smell a bit too "earthy" for my liking. You only need to leave the mask on for 5 - 10 minutes which is pretty good, I tend to leave it on for about 7 minutes because that gives it enough time to dry but not set too hard. I will say that the Purity Mask does dry harder than I prefer but it's not too bad to remove with my muslin cloth. 

I can't say that the mask did anything for my spots, didn't really dry them out but the rest of my skin definitely looked a little more matte and was of course rather smooth so in that respect, it is a nice face mask and I will definitely continue to use it to see whether over time it has a bigger impact. I definitely can't wait to try the detox one as many people have recommended it. They retail for around £7.99 but Boots is currently selling them for £6 as well as Superdrug  so now is definitely a good time to try them out. 

What are your thoughts on the L'Oreal Pure Clay Masks? 

L'Oréal Superliner Eyeliner | Beauty

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love liquid eyeliner, in the last 10 years I have rarely gone a day without it! My favourite for many years has always been the L'Oréal Superliner, I have been buying just the standard version of this product for so long because it wears incredibly well and always looks good.

A big fat "HOWEVER" has to be said now as my fave was sold out, this is mainly because I live in Italy and the beauty shops I go in rarely restock the L'Oréal counters which is damn annoying! This meant that I had to try out a different Superliner which I thought couldn't be THAT bad, it's part of the same range so should just be fractionally different..oh boy was I wrong. I picked up the Superliner from the Black Lacquer range and it's waterproof.

Firstly, when I applied this liner I immediately felt it on my eyelids, it was uncomfortable it felt like every time I blinked it was tacky, I was just so conscious of it all the time. It was almost like there was no movement of the liner it was like I was wearing a sticker on my eyelid. The second and probably most important was that this product wears terribly! Considering it's water proof, I found it leaving weird marks on my eye socket from where my eyes are open! Like I don't have over oily eyelids, but this eyeliner transfers so badly to the point I would have to wipe my eyes several times during the day which is so rubbish.

I was so disappointed with this product, it was a massive waste of my money, I didn't even want to wear it because I didn't want to rub of my eye shadow and actually left the house a few times without the liquid eyeliner on which is a big deal to me.

Sorry L'Oreal, this eyeliner is bad...on every level.

What products have you been disappointed with?

L'Oreal Colour Riche | Beauty

If you have read my Forgotten Make Up bag Haul, you'll know that I picked this up on a whim. I love a neutral lip, I am getting better with pinky tones and slight redder shades but I will never be the girl who puts on a pillar box red lipstick. 

When I was looking for a lipstick I really wanted something from the Rimmel Nude Kate collection but the Boots I was in had an awful range so I wandered down to the L'Oreal section. To be fair, I have been eyeing up these Colour Riche shades for a little while now, there were some really lovely nudes and I did like Eva's one but when I saw the J Lo shade I knew this was the one I had to pick up. I love this lipstick. When I swatched it I noticed that it's actually a very subtle, so that when you put it on your lips it's almost undetectable. This shade in particluar is the most perfect match for my natural lip colour anyway. 

It's got a silky finish and feel incredibly nourishing on your lips. I also must just comment on the scent of this lipstick, it has been likened to a slight "granny smell" which i can kinda see but it doesn't last long once it's applied so it's fine. I know that some people don't like it when lipsticks do smell so I would advise taking a whiff before buying it. It's super easy to apply and it does have quite a soft texture. When I wear it I'm always really impressed with how it goes on and how natural it looks. 

In terms on longevity I'd say it's not the best because it is such a soft light kind of lipstick but again, I don't really mind reapplying. I think with nude shades it's easier to get away with because it's not that noticeable if the lipstick does start disappearing. 

Also, if you want a swatch of this product drop me a message on twitter and I'll take one for you. 

Have you tied any of the Colour Riche lipsticks? 

Top 3 Lip Products I'm Loving Lately | Beauty

Lipsticks and pencils are something I never really used to focus on, don't get me wrong I love my MAC Blankety but other than that I never really invested much thought into my lips. The thing is, I'm an eye gal, it's all about the liquid eyeliner and lashes. However lately I have found myself experimenting more and more, mostly with nude shades but still. 

First up we have the Dr.PAWPAW lip and cheek peach pink lip balm, I am seriously in love with this product. I have tried the original balm and I loved how quickly it restored and nourished my lips but this balm is just so pretty. Depending on your skin tone, it'll either go a pinky shade or a peachy shade. It goes a really pretty pink on me which isn't something I'm used to. It's super long lasting and it really does keep you lips soft all day. I cannot shout enough about this balm.  

Next up is a nude, I know I just mentioned how I am experimenting more with different colour but you just can't beat a nude shade. This is the L'Oreal Colour Riche and it's the J Lo nude shade. This lip stick is stunning, it's a very neutral shade it's like your own lips but better. At first I almost found it unnoticeable because it is such a great colour match to my natural lip colour anyway. I feel like with this lipstick you have to reapply often but I still love it. 

Lastly we have the Nars Satin Lip Pencil which I have already reviewed but of my god, I just love this pencil! It's a lovely red tone but it's the finish i love the most, it really does that that satin look and feel when you wear it.

What are your favourite lip products?

The "Forgotten Make Up Bag" Haul | Beauty

The other week I did a very silly thing of leaving my make up bag at home, which meant that when I got to the gym to get ready after my workout I realised I had not a scrap of make up. What an utter nightmare. If I go to the gym in the morning I will do my liquid eyeliner and mascara before because it doesn't sweat off as I only do weights in the morning, so I don't get as hot. Plus doing liquid eyeliner can take a very long time to do. 

Whilst I was so annoyed that I forgot my make up bag in the Beauty Blogger in me squealed with joy because this meant I had to buy all new stuff, but my bank card was crying. I thought if I have to buy new make up then I should A) Buy something that I am definitely going to use again an B) Buy something new, or at least new to me. Now, I know what you're thinking, did I really need to buy two make up brushes? The short answer is no, but I hate putting foundation on without a brush. I was looking for a new make up brush anyway so I wanted to try out the RT one but the EcoTools Kabuki brush was just too pretty to say no to but a perfect brush for the bronzer ay? 

So the first product I bought was the Rimmel Natural Bronzer in 022 Sun Bronze, I use my contouring palette but sometimes you just wanna add a bit of a glow to your face instead of going contour crazy. This is a really nice shade, not orange at all and it's almost matte. I shone a bright light on it which did pick up some very small shimmer particle but it almost unnoticeable. I was quite surprised when I put it on, it's a very natural glow I just have to remember not to be too heavy handed with it! I also go the Sleek Make Up CC Cream, which you already know I love.

Next up we have another Rimmel product which is the standard Soft Kohl Kajal eye liner pencil, to be honest there's not much to say about this product, it's great, it works, I'm happy with it. The other product I was super excited to try out was the Soap & Glory Archery eyebrow pencil in Blondeshell. I'm very impressed with this product, sometimes I find it very hard to get a good blonde shade for my eyebrows but the main reason I love this is because the nib is so small you can get a very natural look, I don't like over done eyebrows especially on blondes. The little brush on the end is very handy too. 

Last but not least is the L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche in J Lo's Nude, I actually really wanted Rimmel's Kate Nude shade but the selection was incredibly limited in the Boots I visited so I went with L'Oreal instead and I am so happy I did. This lipstick also smells amazing. I'm going to write a separate post about it. 

Have you ever forgotten you make up bag?

Volume Million Lashes Comparison | Beauty

You may have read my previous post about my love for L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes 

where I literally waffle on about how much I love this mascara. I have been buying this mascara for literally years, ever since it first came out. 

But when I was in Boots recently I thought I would try out the Volume Million Lashes So Couture version, I wanted to see whether there was actually a big difference between the two. 

My Noir Excess one does look a little battered but hey, I did need a new one, but I kinda like the purple and gold colours of So Couture though. I must admit I didn't really know what to expect, I thought that they would be either exactly the same or completely different. The first thing I noticed was that the So Couture brush was so much smaller than my Noir Excess brush.

Noir Excess

So Couture

You can see that not only are they two different lengths but they are two different shapes, the Noir Excess one seems to taper in a little about mid way down the brush where at the So Courture one is more of an arrow headed shape. I've got to be honest, I really don't like the brush as much as the Noir Excess one. Though So Couture has a very tapered tip which means you can really get into the corners of your eyelashes I just felt like I didn't really like the way it applied the mascara over my lashes. 

I love the drama round my eyes, my lashes make a statement, they are quite long but I just feel that So Couture doesn't leave my lashes with a POW that I have come to expect from Noir Excess. I believe that the formula may be the same in both mascaras but So Couture is a bit lack luster compared to what I'm used to. 

If I focus on just the product and not compare it to Noir Excess I think it's still a really lovely mascara, the brush does mean you can reach all of your lashes and It does separate the lashes, you 'll have no clumps. It makes them look good in a more subtle way but if you want eyelashes that make a bold statement then I don't think this is the one for you. 

Great product but I need high impact lashes, I'm going to stick with Noir Excess

Have you tried either of the L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes mascara?

Boots Haul | Beauty

Oh yes, it's that time of the month again, payday has just come and gone in the blink of an eye and of course I've gone running to Boots I needed quite a few essentials so I though I would share with you what I picked up. 

Starting with my most needed things and probably a little boring for you guys but I had to get my shampoo and toothpaste. I only recently bought this Go Blonder shampoo and conditioner but I left it in the bathroom when I went to Brighton for a Hen Weekend, I was gutted because I had only just opened them as well, brand new and I bloody left them behind. I can't wait to start using the John Frieda shampoo and conditioner again. My blonde hair is starting to feel a little lack luster, I need my shine back. 

The Oral B 3D White toothpaste is easily my favourite toothpaste, it tastes great and it actually keeps my teeth really white. I get so paranoid about my teeth and want to keep them, white, white, white. In Boots it was two for £5 or £3.49 each so you know I got two!

Now moving onto my favourite facial scrub, Simple Smoothing Facial Scrub. I have been running dangerously low on this stuff. I think because I have been using my Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix exfoliating pads I haven't been using the face scrub as much, but I do find it's good to have a little exfoliation at least once a week in addition to the NIP+FAB products. I think because I use the NIP+FAB products on concentrated areas of my face there are other parts of my skin that get neglected so this scrub just looks after the rest of my face.

Speaking of NIP+FAB...  

Oh boy am I happy to have these little pads of amazing-ness back in my life! I ran out of them and had to wait until payday before I bought some more but here I am and they are back, my skin instantly just looks brighter and my pores are reduced. Amazing brand.

And finally, it wouldn't quite be a trip to Boots without buying some make up. Of course I had to go in for the necessities such as eye liner and mascara but I thought I would try out the new mascara from L'Oreal. I'm a massive fan of the Volume Million Lashes Noir Excess and I have seen the So Couture one advertised I thought I would give it a go. I have started using it and I think I am going to write a review about the differences between the two mascaras, so watch this space. I'm also a really big fan of the L'Oreal Superliner, it probably isn't the most precise and no one makes a big noise about this eyeliner but I love it. 

I also found out that Boots was running at 3 for 2 offer across all brands (or most at least) of make up so I thought I would pick up something considering I was getting two items anyway. I picked up the Rimmel Glam Eye Shadow Quad, I'm not gonna lie I don't really need another eye shadow but I just loved the colours. I'm going to do a separate post for this eye shadow as well to include swatches. 

And there we have it, my little Boots haul. 

What have you bought from Boots recently?

My Makeup Essentials

I thought I would show you what makeup essentials I couldn't be without. I'm a bit of a creature of habit as in, when I find a product that I love I pretty much use it until it becomes extinct aka discontinued which is my biggest heartbreak. 

Most of the makeup tools are new because I've only just discovered my love for makeup brushes but I am on a strict spending ban now and some of the products are a new edition. I thought I would start with what I put on my face before I put my makeup on...

Olay Essentials double action cream is by far my favourite face moisturiser, honestly this stuff is a God send! In fact I did write a review out it and you can read it here. 

I also use the Garnier UltraLift anti wrinkle cream, yeah I know, I'm paranoid about wrinkles already. This product I actually only use on my forehead as I have quite deep frown lines between my eyebrows. I do think it has helped to lessen the appearance of these wrinkles in particular but lets face it, it isn't magic. I only use the smallest amount so it's lasted me ages.  

I got this Balance Me wonder eye cream in July's Birchbox and was quite pleased when I saw it. Does it get rid of fine lines? No. Do I still love the product? Yes. It's so refreshing to put on under the eye and reduces puffiness I shall definitely be purchasing this one. 

Once all my lotions and potions have absorbed into my skin I move onto my lovely skin primer.

This is a tiny sample of the Porefessional by Benefit. I bloody love this stuff! I only use a small amount and the sample size has lasted me ages and the best bit is I have another sample size one unopened for when this runs out so I won't have to buy the actual size for ages yet. 

Moving onto the face...

Foundation :- I'm currently using a combination of two, Rimmel Wake Me Up in Ivory, this was on a recommendation from another blog and I've fallen in love. I also use Max Factor Lasting Performance in Natural Beige, this one is actually a little dark for me but when I blend the Rimmel and the Max Factor together it makes for a really nice base. 

Powder :- Of course it has to be the Rimmel Stay Matte powder in Silky Beige. I think everyone uses this, it's a good all rounder, nothing fancy, it does the job - well. 

Contour and Blush :- The much talked about Sleek Makeup Face Form Palette in Light. I love having all three things in one little palette, you can actually read my review on this one here. 

Onto my favoruite thing, my eyes...

Eyeliner :- L'oreal Superliner I love this liquid eyeliner it's perfect and always shapes my eyes so nicely. I also use a pencil eyeliner along the lower waterline but it isn't in the picture as I don't actually use a huge amount it's all about the drama up top for me. 

Mascara :- It has to be L'oreal Volume Million Lashes right? I don't even need to say more just read my post where I gush about this product here.

Eyeshadow :- Lately I have been loving Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Paint in Rich Russet, the stuff is just so easy to wear. I also have been wearing from the Barry M Natural Glow palette the last to shades on the right hand side (not the blush) this is a cheap and easy palette for beginners, colours are super blendable but aren't exactly ground breaking they do a good job you can read my review here. 

Not to forget...

Eyebrows :- I have incredibly fair eyebrows and get them threaded every month or so. To be honest, I'm not very good at doing my eyebrows and like to keep them fairly natural, I'm blonde it's highly unlikely that my eyebrows are going to be brown or black so I'm not going to draw them on like that. I use the Max Factor Eyebrow pencil in Hazel because it just defines them nicely and they don't look over done. 

And that's about it! Sorry that turned into a massively long post, just look at the pictures. 

What are your makeup essentials?

L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes | Review

One of my earliest posts was about how I do my eye make up which included L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes mascara which you can find here . This month I had to repurchase, and it's something I have been repurchasing for at least a year...probably more, which led me to think I must write a post about this gorgeous mascara.

Trying to explain how much I love this mascara is pretty hard because there isn't a single thing I would change about it. I'm very particular about the way my eyes looks as I feel they are probably my best feature, so I have a set way that I like them to look always. I recently have started experimenting with eye shadows etc. 

I never put mascara on my bottom lashes, ever! I just don't like they way it looks on my eye, I need the drama up top for my lashes 

I love the formula of the L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes mascara, it really is great, I don't have very watery eyes so I don't use any waterproof mascaras but even if my eyes do water a bit I find that this is stays quite well if I pat my eyelashes afterward. 

I get a lot of compliments on my eyelashes, I'm fortunate because I have fairly long eyelashes so I have just to make sure the mascara I use is black and dramatic enough to make them stand out because I do have very fair eyelashes. People has asked what mascara I use because my lashes look separated and defined, which leads me onto my second reason why I love this mascara...The Brush! 

Size definitely matters.

It's a massive brush which means you can get all of your corner lashes which enhances the volume. Another amazing thing about this brush is the way that it separates each individual lash, no big thick spidery lashes for me. 

I have tried the Benefit's They're Real Lashes and I don't even think that comes close to my L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes, it just makes my lashes stand out so much more than any other mascara I've tried. It's one of those mascaras I will continue to purchase until they stop selling it and then I'll have a mild breakdown!

What's your favourite mascara?

Big thick hair with added volume or not?

Today I'm very ill (woe is me) so I'm going to write a couple of reviews, shall we start with shampoo?

I'm happy to try new products if they say they are going to change my hair for the better. Some of you may know from a previous post that I've got fairly thin hair so when I saw this in my local Boots, I thought what's the harm in trying. 

I normally use John Freda's Go Blonder shampoo and conditioner but I know to maintain healthy hair it's always good to try something new once in a while.

Every new shampoo/face cream/make up product claims to have new technology that makes them stand out from the rest. Elvive have come up with a new innovation called Filloxanne which is supposed to increase the thickness of each strand. 

Does it work? 

The short answer is no. As a stand alone product I love it, but it doesn't make my hair thicker. It does however make it super soft and make my hair smell really nice, the scent lasts all day. 

Would I buy it again? 

I absolutely would if I'm looking to break up my routine but I think it's back to John Freda next month.

My eye essentials

To give you an idea on my make up regime, I think it's rare you'll get to see my entire face so I think it's best to focus on areas of my face. Today I'm going to focus on my best feature...my eyes

My eye essentials consist of these 4 things above, nothing more, nothing less. 

•Eyelash Curler from superdrug 

•L'Oreal Paris Volume Million Lashes mascara (Black Excess) 

•L'Oreal Paris Superliner liquid eyeliner 

•Rimmel pencil eyeliner 

The naked eye...

Now you will see that I have a fair complexion and my eyelashes are pretty non-existent and let's face it, my eyes are pretty bug eyed so I always have to wear make up to make them look just a little normal. 

But once I put make up on you will see, I actually have pretty long eyelashes if I don't put on mascara you'd never be able to tell. 

The dressed to impress eye...

Step by step

1. Use eyelash curlers to gently curl the eyelashes into shape. 

2. Use liquid eyeliner on the top lid, starting with a thinner line at the corner then gradually making it thicker towards the outer edge.

3. Use the eyelash curlers once more.

4. Add mascara, my technique for this is to blink it on, I think it gives a better all around coverage

5. Add pencil eyeliner to the lower lid and we're done!

Two things I never do...

1. I never use eyelash curlers on my eyelashes once they have mascara on them. I think it could be quite damaging to the eye lash because it could make them stick to the actual curler so when you release it, it'll pull or tug on the lashes. 

2. I never put mascara on my bottom eyelashes, this is just personal preference, I like having all the drama up top. 

Just remember if eyes are the window to your soul then shouldn't they always be dressed accordingly?