Beauty: Make up Revolution Newtrals 2 Palette

Hey All

Long time no post, L and I have lots going on at the moment but hopefully we'll be back to posting regularly soon. 

Today I wanted to share my new favourite palette, if you're a long term reader you'll know I had a big love for Mac Cranberry eyeshadow which I lost after I'd gone cruelty free and I've been looking for a dupe ever since and Make up Revolution pulled this beauty of a palette out of the bag.

Too Faced Born This Way Foundation Review

Looking for a new foundation can be difficult, do you agree?

Finding one that fits my criteria can be a chore. It has the right consistency, the right finish, is buildable, lasts at least 12 hours and has the perfect skin colour in the range. I like buying new foundations when they turn out right, but otherwise it feels like such a waste of money especially when you don't have it to waste.

Spending £20+ on something that turns out to be rubbish is not for me, but I couldn't resist trying Too Faced's Born This Way foundation. It has some great reviews and some friends recommended it too, so I thought it might be a good one to try next.

Beauty: W7 Absolute Lashes Mascara

Hey All

Since going cruelty free I've been needing to find alternatives for some of my favourite non cruelty free products. I've always been a big fan of Benefit They're Real (and many of they're other products) and not being able to repurchase is a shame but I've actually started to find some good alternatives.

Review: Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette

Good morning!

I'm sure you've probably read a few posts on the fabulous Anastasia Beverly Hills palettes by now but I'd still like to add my own thoughts to the mix.

I bought the Modern Renaissance palette with some money I had pre Christmas and couldn't wait to share. The colours are perfect for this time of year so it was the best time to treat myself.....right?!

The Greyhound Inn, Letcombe Regis

As you know I travel with work so I stay in many hotels, and hotels can be memorable for many reasons. I've stayed in some pretty ugly ones but I try to forget those...when you stay somewhere good it makes it all the more memorable.

Cue my recent stay in The Greyhound Inn, in Letcombe Regis. I don't think I have ever written a hotel review so be nice! I just couldn't resist but share some pictures from my stay, so grab a cuppa and see why I decided to share them this time.

Lush Breath of Fresh Air Toner Water Review

Hey All

There are probably going to be a lot of lush reviews from me over the next few weeks as I've been picking up some old faithfuls and some new products to try, today is an old faithful I loved for a while. The breath of fresh air toner water is a lush product I've probably been using now for about 5 years, it's even mentioned in early days blog posts so when I picked up a new bottle I thought I'd share a new post on it.

NYX Cosmetics Brow Gel in Brunette

We all know that brows are big business, and after the myriad of products appeared on the market how do you even begin to start with purchasing the correct brow products for you??

I've been doing my brows now for the last few years, mine have always been black anyway so were always present on my face but having them 'done' makes such a big difference to my face. However I still haven't tried all of the different brow products that are available so I decided at the NYX cosmetics event in Cardiff a few weeks ago to try their Brow Gel.

The lovely Jade gave us a demonstration of a few products and this was one that caught my eye, we were told it may need some practice to get your brows right with this as it can dry really fast and be a bit pigmented.

With this in mind I didn't rush home and try this as soon as i could. I waited until I had some spare time and plenty of micellar water around just in case I ended up with eyebrows like Hagrid (subtle Harry Potter reference there!)

Following Jade's instructions I put a tiny but on the back of my hand, filled in the main section of my brows from the bottom with strokes moving upwards and outwards to the end, and then came back to fill the front in with whatever was left on my brush so I didn't have the dreaded Sharpie effect.

I got this right first time with these instructions so I'm really pleased (and thankful!) to Jade for taking us through the tips!



I did find that the tiniest bit went a long way, and it does dry quite fast although not as fast as I originally thought (I pretty much squeezed some out and gave myself a few seconds before thinking it would be dry!)

It all depends on the look you go for really, but I find outlining the bottom of the brow to give a clean line and then blending upwards and outwards in strokes gives a natural but defined look without being too heavy which is what I prefer for work. I have a few small patches at the front of my brows which are a bit sparse but it didn't look like these had been blocked in which was a small concern!

After using the brow gel to fill in i then either use a spoolie brush to blend the brow hairs or a product such as Benefit's Gimme Brow to set the hairs so they don't move. There's nothing that annoys me more than drawing my brows on and then the actual hairs (particularly at the ends) stick out in any direction later on in the day!

So how does it look on? Let's get very close to my face:

I find this easy to work with and I'm surprised, as normally I've always used a pencil or a product like Gimme Brow where the gel is on a brush already and simply needs to be brushed through.

Although this does take a little work I like drawing my brows on in the morning and I don't feel like it takes much longer either.

As far as longevity goes once this sets it does stay for the day. I have managed to smudge it at the end of the day (forgot I had it on and rubbed my temples after a long day - somehow managed to smudge the end off one brow at the same time!) so as long as your skin isn't too oily and you don't rub it I don't see any reason for it to move.

The NYX brow gel costs £5.50 and is available in 5 colours. I really think this is worth every penny and will definitely be back to try more from NYX.

This was the first product from them that I have properly tried, and I have a few more to review in the next few weeks including the infamous Lip Lingeries. I've been impressed so far especially for the prices, what do you think?

What's your favourite products from NYX? Have you tried the brow gel?

L xxx

English Tea Shop: Detox Me

Happy Sunday morning!

I don't know about you but we love tea, all types and flavours and we love trying new ones even more.

I've always been a big fan of TK Maxx and Home Sense but recently I've found myself going there more often and particularly to the food and book section. You can never go wrong with buying books and tea right? It's like they are made for each other!

I've seen the English Tea Shop brand quite a lot and so decided to give some of their blended teas a try. Today's post is about their Organic Detox Me tea, but rest assured I also have 2 other flavours to tell you all about - I just can't help myself and keep going back!

The Detox Me tea contains Peppermint, Spearmint, Elderflowers, Fenugreek and Rosemary, and the box contains 16 pyramid style tea bags.

I've been loving trying loose leaf teas recently but sometimes it's great to be able to ust grab the tea bag and let it infuse without messing around with measuring it out.

This tea you simply need to add to boiling water water and infuse for 2/3 minutes, and then maybe add some sugar if you think it is necessary. I didn't need to add any sugar at all and I really liked the refreshing taste.



Sometimes the detox type teas can smell and taste a bit vile, or contain a large amount of licorice and green tea, or even give you some undignified side effects (we've all tried those teas by now I'm sure!).

I didn't find I had any of those with this tea and found it quite refreshing due to the mint. You can see the colour of the tea in the image below, served in one of my favourite Alice in Wonderland mugs from Whittards. I have the full set of these mugs thanks to some lush relatives, definitely have the tea pot on my list for Christmas though as it is also gorgeous (it's not too early for the C word right?!)

I have quite a few teas in my collection now as you can see by my shrine in the image above- maybe you think I'm obsessive but I just love trying out different types!

This particular tea cost me around £2.50 from Home Sense, but is available from Amazon for £5.82 at the time of posting. They aren't cheap but really worth it for the quality of the taste and the blends. They have quite a few I would love to try and the Peppermint Loose Leaf tea is a firm favourite of mine anyway - it lives on my wishlist for future repurchasing!

Have you tried anything from the English Tea Shop? Do you have any flavour recommendations?

Are you a loose leaf or a bag fan?? I think each have their time and place!

L xxx

Tangle Teezer

Hey All

A few weeks back it was my birthday and I was spoiled with some lovely gifts. When my brother's wife asked me what I wanted I instantly thought of the tangle teezer. It's something I've been meaning to get for ages but just never got around to buying! L got one for Christmas and you can read her review here.

I got the purple and pink one. I wasn't fussed on colour so didn't ask for one in particular. I'd heard so much about them but I'm someone who doesn't usually brush there hair much in between washes. I know I'm lush ha!

As soon as I got it I couldn't wait to rip it out of the packet to try it out and started brushing my hair straight away. Since dying it lots it's really dry but the tangle teezer just smoothed through my hair with ease. The biggest difference I've noticed over the past few weeks of using it is that I actually brush my hair a lot now. The tangle teezer feels good against the scalp and I can't stop brushing it.

It says you can also use them on wet hair. Again I was intrigued. I was always told you should only ever comb wet hair. When my housemate was struggling to de knot her hair after the shower she tested it out and it breezed through her hair too. It's like a little de tangling wizard.

The two lengths of teeth seem to just smooth all hair. I also tested it out on my nieces at the weekend. It de tangled their hair without hurting them and made brushing their hair easier.

I also find it makes my hair softer, smoother and makes it look healthier!!

I'm a total hair brush convert already and can't imagine not having one! The only downside it the sound it makes! When I brush my hair it does almost sound like it's ripping through it!

Are you a tangle teezer fan?

Love M

xxx

They're Real Dupe

Morning All

I'm sure most of us have tried or at least heard of the legendary They're Real. L and I are both fans of the mascara and Benefit in general. I'm so skint at the moment but so always after an alternative to my high end items work as well. As I was applying my Bourjois Fan-tastic Volume mascara the other day I realised it gave similar results. On the photos below TR is the eye with They're Real on and FV is the eye with Fan-tastic Volume on.

Here is one coat of each.

After one coat Fan-Tastic Volume hasn't added much volume but has really lengthened my lashes. They're Real has added more volume and darker the lash line more.

After two coats Fan-Tastic volume starts to add volume and really thicken the lashes. They're really has added more volume at the lash line.

This shows how messy the eyes get. I find I always get mascara along my lash line.

After three coat Fan-Tastic volume really looks great. It completely separates the lashes and adds volume without clumping. With They're Real I think three coats is too much for my taste persoanlly and looks clumpy.

This picture really shows the difference in the length they add to the lashes. It's not the best quality as it's from my front facing camera. Sorry

I will say I think my They're Real has only been open a few weeks so is still a little wet but I can say I now definitely prefer the Bourjois version. It adds so much length and volume to my lashes and doesn't clump. I do prefer it when it's been open a few weeks but for me this is the way with all mascaras. At £9.99 it's cheaper and it's a lot easier to remove!

Here is the original review of Fan-Tastic Volume. L has reviewed They're Real here. You can see They're Real on my lashes here and here.

Are you a They're Real fan? Would you consider this dupe?

Love M

xxx

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Avon SuperShock Mascara

Hey All

Hope you're having a good day! I always find Tuesday the worst day of the week and the one to drag the most but tonight I'm off to a gig and still trying to decided whether to finish work early! I think I need to get a new hobby for Tuesday's so I have something to look forward too.

I'm an absolute mascara junkie. I'm currently working my way through a ridiculous size stash *cough* 20 *cough*! Every time a new mascara comes out I want it. I always want blacker, longer and more volumised lashes. 

Avon SuperShock is one of Avon's best selling mascaras! It claims to offer super big, volumised lashes. The packaging is as you'd expect from a mascara. Simple black with blue writing. It is wider than normal mascaras!

The supershock mascara comes with a plastic brush. Which I am warming up to lately (here's Avon's Infinitize Mascara that converted me to a plastic brush!)! It is wider than most brushes but doesn't seem to go everywhere when applied.

Bare lashes. As my lashes are so fair. I do struggle to photograph them!

With one coat, lashes are well separated, lengthened, have a good colour to them and perfect for a low key make up day.

With 2 coats, the volume starts to build and lashes are lifted more.

With 3 coats lashes have loads of volume are well lengthened and not too clumped. I do find 3 is the limit with the mascara unless they are light coats. I love the effect after 3 coats and find it's perfect for me.

The mascara doesn't promise curl but I find it does add a small amount of lift to my lashes. This does last well through the day!

I love how supershock lengthens my lashes, and adds volume. I'm always on the hunt for a new mascara and have been loving using this as an everyday mascara. It lasts well, doesn't transfer into my concealer through the day and when applied doesn't leave a black line at my lash line or transfer to my eyelid!

Another great Avon mascara! Are you as fickle as me with mascara? I'm the same with foundation too! I always think there is better!

Love M

xxx

Bourjois Fan-tastic Volume Mascara

I'm a huge mascara junkie! I have ridiculous amounts and it's the one thing I can't resist getting especially when something looks a bit different. I'd only tried one Bourjois mascara before this one and absolutely loved it so I was hoping it wasn't a fluke.

Today I thought I'd share my thoughts on Bourjois' Fan-Tastic Volume Mascara. I like the purple packaging, it's easy to spot in my make up bag and it's much flatter in shape than most mascaras.

Here is where it gets different. The brush only has bristles on one side. At first I wasn't convinced. I was sure it would be hard to apply and surely I couldn't coat all of my lashes with only half of a brush.

It's also quite a wet formula and a plastic brush which I don't normally prefer. The bristles do have good separation between them though and a fan shape which claims to grab the lashes and provide volume.

Here you can see the before and afters. It really lengthens my lashes and gives good volume through the bas of my lashes. This is after a few coats. I love that it really doesn't clump and gives a good black colour pay off. 

Even though the formula is wet I don't find it transfers to my upper brow or under my eyes which mascaras have been lately. I also find the brush surprisingly easy to use. I was worried it would only give good results on one side as I wasn't sure I'd get the angle right on the other eye but it really is a great everyday mascara.

I find myself reaching for this on a daily basis but for a night out I do prefer a bit more volume.

Have you tried fan-tastic volume?

Love M

xxx

Revlon Lash Potion

When the Lash Potion first came out I couldn't resist going to pick it up. The almost sparkly like packaging, pink lid and just general prettiness drew me in. Especially as it was on a 2 for £10 offer when it first came out and it was £9.99 on it it's own. The other item I picked up was Mauve it Over lipstick which I absolutely love (review here).

Lash potion is meant to me a volume and lengthening mascara. What more could a girl ask for. Knowing L didn't get on with grow luscious I was a bit dubious.

As I already said above I love the packaging. It's girly without being tacky. It just makes me think of magic almost and then makes me think the mascara must be amazing!

The brush is my favourite type of brush. I'm definitely a bristle over plastic brush type of girl. I just find they work much better on my lashes. It's a standard size and shape brush. Nothing fancy or initiative here.

Here is two coats of the mascara. The first picture shows the lift it gives my lashes. I wash surprised by this. I hadn't used eyelash curlers yesterday when I took the photos to show the curl it gives. I love how it perfectly separates the lashes and doesn't clump.

I find it gives my lashes a good amount of volume for everyday without it being over the top. It's easy to apply without clumping and definitely helps them to appear longer. As the day goes on I do find my lashes become more fluttery and some of the mascara does come off. One of my bad habits is picking at my mascara at the end of the day and this is one of those that does come off. So rubbing tired eyes with this on does give my slight panda effect.

I do also find I can only wear this as a top lash mascara. Not a huge problem for me as for ages I always used a different bottom lash mascara. I find it leaves black smudges in my concealer if I apply it to my bottom lashes. As the photo above shows I also find it transfers to my upper lash line and is visible if I wear it and I'm not wearing eyeshadow. 

I do like the effect of the mascara but it's tendency to transfer does put me off. I will probably pick up the waterproof version to try at some point as it is a good everyday mascara that gives reasonable volume, curl and length all in one which can be hard to find.

Have you tried Lash Potion? Did you have any transfer issues?

Love M

xxx