Review: La Roche Posay's Effaclar Duo

A good few weeks ago I picked up some La Roche Posay (LRP) products as I'd heard a lot of great things about 1, and couldn't resist picking up another!

My main reason for going in was to pick up the Effaclar Duo, the much raved about product to help with blemishes, acne and any other complexion woes.

Many bloggers have tried and tested it including Tanya Burr who gave it her seal of approval after it helped her get rid of her blemishes that nothing else would on.
It contains 4 active ingredients to combat imperfections and sebum blocked pores, and the thermal spring water helps to soothe any irritation.

The product is a white cream you can apply to the entire face or to specific areas for targeted results. When applied the cream does not feel greasy at all, it's actually very matte but also hydrating and therefore creates a perfect base to start your day.

This seems to dry out the spot slowly and I was really impressed and how it felt on the skin as I expected it to feel drier due to the matte feeling.

The nozzle makes it so easy to apply the exact amount to wherever your spots are. I have applied this to my face and had no bad reactions other than my skin being a little dry after a few days application.
This is mostly down to my skin being drier than it was previously, so for me applying it to my whole face would be too much, but on specific spots it works a treat.

I have also applied it to a really random spot that inconveniently appeared on my chest and it helped it go down quicker than it would have otherwise. It's not a miracle cream by any means, but i was pleased with the results and would recommend that if you were having trouble controlling your blemishes it is definitely worth a go.

If there's one thing I know, skin is so subjective!

The images above show how the cream disappeared into my skin leaving a matte finish and easily allows make up to be applied over it.

This was a worthy purchase for me but not a miracle worker. It helped to reduce the size and number of my blemishes but it didn't work overnight so don't expect it to! Give it time though and it will work a treat!

Have you tried Effaclar Duo? What did you think? What's your favourite LRP product?

L xxx

OPI - 007 Bond Girls Liquid Sands

I've mentioned a few times how obsessed I am with James Bond. And how obsessed i am with nail collections.

Obviously when the Bond Girls Liquid Sands collection came out I had to snap it up.

I only picked up the mini collection though (slightly redeeming myself...) which contains 4 out of the 6 polishes. This leaves me wondering why on earth they didn't just do a mini set of all 6, or split it into 3?

I'd have still bought it and most others would too. I love some of them so much I've requested my Americna friend to send some over for me, assuming they get through the post GODDAMN INTERNAITONAL MAIL RULES.

This mini collection contains Jinx (Halle Berry), Vesper (Eva Green), Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman) and Solitaire (Jane Seymour) and all are Liquid Sands, the latest in nail decoration to hit the masses.

First up is Jinx.

This is my absolute favourite and request number one from my friend.

Just LOOK at it.

It's corally, with a gold shimmer and a beautiful texture.

It looks like fire, and part of me wishes that Hunger Games could get a few of these liquid sand polishes out for the next film as seriously, wouldn't Catching Fire make a great liquid sand polish??

Wondering aside, this beautiful polish was the first Liquid Sand polish that i have tried and subsequently have fallen in love with them all. Sometimes a fad just hits the part where you were wondering why on earth so many variations of nail art existed and you totally understand.

It actually mesmerises me and I've put my order in for a full size so I can continue to coo over my own nails like a weirdo!

Below shows the first image of Solitaire.

Solitaire is a shimmery white liquid sand polish that is described as being a 'diamond white'

Please excuse my appalling application in these pictures as I was far too excited to concentrate.

Diamond White is definitely the correct description for this polish as the silver glitter in it perfectly sets it off.

I'm not one to wear a shimmery white polish as it reminds me too much of my nan who thinks she's very cool for wearing it, but i will take all of that back for this beauty. If only i had a tan to set it off with! It would look even better then!

Pussy Galore is as you would expect, a cute baby pink shimmer.

This was super easy to apply and was completely foolproof. The others were easy to apply too and mostly I only needed 2 coats for each, but this polish applied like a dream and instantly looked great.

I'm also not much of a baby pink girl, I prefer hot pinks and reds but this is a very welcome addition to my collection and will certainly get a lot of use over the summer.

I've even worn these to work and haven't had any comments, which is good as my neon colours have caused quite a stir! The Bond colours are clearly more acceptable ha.

Below is the final in the collection, Vesper.

In the films, Vesper is one of my favourites. She's so British and I think Eva Green is beautiful, she's also in the first film with Daniel Craig as Bond, which means I love Casino Royale more ;)

This purple perfectly matches the dress she wears in the film.

This one was a little harder to apply and I think 3 coats would have been preferable for the perfect finish.

Having said that it is a beautiful aubergine purple and will be perfect for autumn and winter when berry colours take over (possibly my favourite time of year!)

You can see in the picture above where the polish looks thinner. It's not so apparent in reality but you can just see it, which means in my opinion that a third coat is needed.

This one is also not glittery which is probably why it shows up flaws more as the light is being diffracted all over place distracting your eyes!

Overall as my first mini OPI collection I was very impressed. I also bought the OPI Oz mini collection too which will be in an upcoming post.

Jinx was my ultimate favourite and as I've mentioned I will be getting it in the full size. Pussy Galore and Solitaire are the shock likes in this collection as I didn't think they'd be anything more than pretty nude colours, but I was proved wrong. Vesper will have to be brought back out at winter time as its such a deep purple, but then it will definitely be used and I'm looking forward to it.

Also in the collection is a gold called Honey Ryder (also on my list to come from America!) and Tiffany Case, a really pretty baby blue. I won't be trying Tiffany Case as I'd have to buy the full size to try it, but you never know, I'm a sucker for owning a full collection!

I hadn't thought to try nail art with these yet, but Polish You Pretty did the most amazing ombre effect with Vesper and Honey Ryder that I had to show you....AMAZING!!

What do you think of the Bond Girl collection? Do you like the Liquid Sand effect?

L xxx

Review: MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in 'Insanely It'

This was a sneaky purchase from CCO in Swindon's designer outlet, and one I do not regret in the slightest!!

Not that I often regret my purchases, but they can sometimes be a little rushed with the 'product rush' I get, you know, too many endorphins etc.




Insanely It is a Sheen Supreme lipstick and one of the first of that kind that I've owned. There was a tester in the shop so after swatching it on my hand I did like how moisturising it felt and still had a decent wash of colour.





I love the sleek black packaging as always and love that this type of lipstick is slightly different to the bullet shape of other MAC lipsticks.

The cap closes nice and tightly with a satisfying click so you know that the lid isn't going anywhere at the bottom of your hand bag.

The lipstick is lightweight and according to MAC is the perfect combination between a lipstick and a lipglass.

Insanely It is a beautiful pink colour that looks bright but doesn't look overly shocking when on. It has a slight shimmer running through it but this doesn't translate to a shimmery lipstick, more like just giving it the lipglass effect that is the entire 'Sheer' point of the lipstick!

It has a slight blue tone which means it's great for paler individuals and for making your teeth appear brighter, win win!

You can easily build this up or use it as a wash of colour, and it lasts for around 4 hours. It's quite moisturising but I do feel the need to use lip balm, mainly as my lips crave moisture 24/7.

You can see it in the picture below where I've applied it as I normally would. This is a full application, though you could build it up a bit more if you wanted to.

I absolutely love it and it has become a firm favourite in my hand bag!

It's bright and summery but flattering too and I've worn it to work, lunches and nights out. What's best about it is the fact that due to its slightly darker pink as opposed to something like MAC's Nicki Minaj lipstick is you could wear this in Autumn/Winter too where you want to brighten up the dreary weather!

What do you think of the Sheen Supreme range? I'm very interested in trying more of them....

What do you think of Insanely It?


L xxx

Review: Good Things Deep Pore Anti Blemish Cleanser

Hi there!

A bright and early post from me today, it's apparently summer so I thought I'd get in early with this very fruity and summery cleanser from 'Good Things'.


Good Things is a brand that I have funnily enough, heard good things about. But having never tried a product from them I didn't know this for myself and just had to believe the hype.

Whilst picking up presents for an American friend (for a swap) Boots conveniently had a 3 for 2 deal on skincare so I obviously got something for myself in the 'free' part.

As I'm on a ban this was debatable as to whether I'd broken it...but as it was free and I ensured this product was cheaper than the ones I was getting for a friend I considered it acceptable...do you agree??

What shocked me most was the price of this one!