Sainsbury's Boutique Lip Gloss My Lips Are Sealed*

Hi All

Hope if it was your first day back to work it wasn't too bad.

Lately I've been loving a glossy lip (only when my hair is up though). I'm also a fan of a dark lip so have been looking for a dark gloss with a great pigmentation.

When Sainsbury's launched there make up range I was really keen to try it but not living near to a sainsburys meant I hadn't gotten around to it. I've tried a few polishes from the george make up range so I was interested to see how another supermarket brand make up was.

I really like that the packaging has been kept simple across the line. You can't go wrong with classic black. It's also held up well in my handbag and doesn't look tatty. These photos were taken after it had been in my bag for about 2 months. It has the traditional doe foot applicator which picks up a good amount of product without overloading the lips and making it hard to work with.

My lips are sealed is a gorgeous deep berry toned purple/red. The pigmentation immediately impressed me but I wasn't sure how it would transfer on the lips.

In natural light

with flash 

It gives a great colour on the lips and applies smoothly! It gives a great even coverage.

Something I hate is a sticky gloss. This feel soft and the lips and is really comfortable.

So far I'm impressed with the gloss. It comes in at a reasonable £6. I'll definitely be picking up the lipsticks when I'm in a larger Sainsbury's store.

Love M

Xxx

Review: Elf Studio Eyebrow Kit

Hi 

Hope you all had a great New Years Eve and are feeling ready for the New Year. L and I had a night in with a Chinese, cider and films. We decided to have a chilled one as neither of us our fans of New Years Eve and had drunk a little too much on the weekend.

It was really nice to wake up today and not be hungover and feel positive for what the year brings. I've even been for a run today. Now I just need to keep it up. I'm so excited for this year already. I'm feeling in a much happier place with lots to look forward to including the prospect of buying a house, seeing my brother get married in Cyprus, Glastonbury with some of my closest friends and a few challenges including tough mudder and a half marathon. What plans have you got for the New Year?

Anyway onto today's review. I'm always on the quest for perfect brows. Being pale skinned with lilac/blue/pink (it's a mess) hair at the moment I aim for blonde brows as I think they suit me best. I always like my brows to look well defined with good shape but not too drawn on, powdery or dark for me. Two of my favourite products are BrowZings and New CID I-Groom brow pencil. I love both of these but had heard good things about the ELF brow kit and like the sound of the gel as I thought it would help soften my brows.

With ELF opening up in Cardiff I couldn't resist a sneaky purchase. I tend to not order make up online that I've not been able to look at in person so had been put off until the store opened. I was a little put off by the staff as customers around me seemed to be getting more assistance than me but it did save me money as I only got what I wanted. I'm excited to go back and try the cream bronzer though.

The brow kit has a slight rubberised packaging and comes in an impressive 4 colours. It does get dirty but it is a bargain at £3.50.

I went for the shade light. I'd be keen to see ash in person as I'm not sure which would suit me more. It comes with a brown gel and a light coloured powder. It also comes with a brush which I tend to ignore in kits like these. It had a few stray hairs on it so went straight in the bin.

I was excited to try out the gel. I love that it lightly tints my brows, holds the hairs in place and adds a soft amount of colour that looks natural and not heavy. I then add a small amount of the powder to set the brows and add a bit deeper colour. 

Here are a few photos of my brows done with the elf brow kit.

The kit has really impressed me. The colour is great. It gives light brows without them looking powdery. Below you can see it next to BrowZings. The gel is a light consistency than the wax and the shadow in the ELF is lighter. I still love BrowZings and when I dye my hair on Saturday will probably end up using the gel from the ELF kit and the powder from BrowZings.

Overall I'm really impressed with my first elf purchase and will definitely be repurchasing it though I can see it lasting me a long time. 

Have you tried the Eyebrow kit? Any Elf product recommendations? Are the brushes any good?

Love M

xxx

Best of 2013

Hi all :)

I hope you all had a great Christmas. I was unfortunately working, struck down by the flu and had a million things to do so my blogging got left by the way side for the week so apologies for my lack of posts last week.

Today's post is a summary of my favourite product discoveries of 2013. I've trawled through all of my posts from the past year and picked out my favourite products for one reason or another. I tried to pick an even number to satisfy my OCD but I came out at 17 so I hope you enjoy!


1) China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy

Love this pastel neon colour, it was one I'd seen many times on Pinterest so had to snap it up in the end. It was a good buy and I can see myself having to buy it again if its going to decrease at this rate!

2) Vichy Dermablend

Many bloggers have bought this and in the end I had to try it....and obviously fell in love just the same! Perfect for good and bad skin days this covers all types of blemishes, scars and uneven skin tone.

3) OPI Liquid Sand Bond Girls in Jinx

This was one of my first Liquid Sand polishes and the coral and gold glittery combination made it a perfect one for me. Look at it glimmer! I wore this all summer and upgraded to a full size after initially buying the miniature set.

4) MAC All That Glitters Eyeshadow

I picked up a palette from MAc so that I could depot all of my previously owned eye shadows into one easy to carry palette. All That Glitters is a beautiful shimmery nude, described as a beige with a gold pearl. It's nude enough to be worn every day without being too glittery yet shimmery enough for a night out also, a very versatile shadow.

5) Clarins HydraQuench

The Hydra Quench range was something I'd never tried before but having tried the cream and masque this year I can safely say I'm a fan. I'd like to repurchase this in future but I think the price will put me off. There are others that I have used that are just as good for less so I will probably stick to those whilst I'm saving!

6) Dr Organic Eye Serum

This was an unexpected love for me; I love Dr Organic products but had never tried an eye serum before. I have really sensitive and dry eyes so try to moisturise them as much as possible to help. This product has been a nice little saviour for me and I can see me buying it again and again; great product, great price and its organic.

7) Lacura AQUA Complete Serum

The Lacura Aqua Complete Skin Serum was an absolute bargain from Aldi. I was looking for a cheaper one to save my from spending cash I don't have, and this was less than £4 and contains hyaluronic acid, glacier water and aloe vera. Its an amazing bargain buy and I will be getting it as soon as I get to Aldi next!

8) Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream

This eye cream was in one of their Christmas sets this year called Love Me B.right and after treating myself to it, it was great to find that the eye cream really worked even on my sensitive eyes. It's so hydrating and the pot is actually pretty big for an eye cream so it's worth the pennies.

9) Benefit Erase Paste Concealer

Another Benefit love! As a general fan of Benefit it can be hard to pick out specific products but the Erase Paste concealer is perfect for undereyes, blemishes, scars and just about anything you can think of. I would not be without it!

10) MAC Desert Camouflage Full Face Kit

This was a buy from Cosmetics Company Outlet, the Desert Camouflage Full Face kit has 4 eyeshadows and a compartment underneath containing a creme blush which is more like a creme bronzer due to the colour. I wear these colours every day as my go to palette for work as its so easy to blend and isn't too over the top. If I ever go somewhere straight from work its just a case of reapplication and a heavier hand with the darker colours!

11) Real Techniques Brushes

Having finally cottoned onto the hype, I snapped up every set in the range over the year in different deals from different shops. My make up wouldn't be the perfectly applied masterpiece it is today without them. They're pretty, easy to use, fairly priced and can be washed back to whiteness....winner.

12) Label M Protein Spray*

We may have mentioned this a few times over the past few months...this Protein Spray from Label.M is unbelievably lightweight, conditions hair without leaving it greasy and lasts a very long time. My long hair wouldn't be without it!

13) MAC's Insanely It

One of my best all time buys from CCO; this Sheen Supreme lipstick is a beautiful pink that makes my teeth look whiter, my complexion brighter and it can be worn for any occasion. 

14) Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation

I was extremely excited to try out Silk Creme after hearing lots of hype about it. Initially i was disappointed, my skin was really bad at that point and nothing seemed to cover it enough. As my skin has slowly improved (thanks to the skincare products in this post I hope) this has been amazing. It covers without looking like its caked on, matches my skin very closely and definitely makes me look a whole lot better whilst giving me that 'is she wearing make up?' look. Love. The only downside is the price at £33. but I'm almost certain I'd pick it up again during a weak moment on pay day.

15) Antipodes Divine Oil

This has been a revolutionary product for me. I had never used an oil before this and it completely changed my perception of them and my skin has thanked me for it. At £18.50 for an organic product I'd recommend everyone try this! It hasn't overloaded my oily skin at all but has rehydrated my dry skin and helped scars fade dramatically.

16) Murad Cleanser

This cleanser is one I use 2/3 times a week to polish off the dull bits of skin. It's not abrasive at all yet leaves my skin with a glow. It's comparable in results to Origin's Modern Friction which is another favourite of mine and although the tube costs £34 it has lasted me such a long time that it's worth every penny.

17) Origins Make A Difference Rejuvenating Treatment

The smell, the texture, the results = LOVE

I picked up the Origins skincare set for Christmas just so I could own this lovely product again (and the others obviously!) 

Totally changed my skin and I wouldn't be without it now. Plus it smells like heaven in a pot.

So there we have it, my favourites of 2013. A hell of a lot of skincare, what a junkie I am!

However as at the beginning of the year I had acne and was stressed to the max I think it have played a massive part in getting my skin to what it is today. I still get spots (obviously!) especially those annoying under the skin bumps which just don't seem to go (RAGE) but it's still 10 times better than it was.

I hope 2014 brings me even more product joy (after a considerable 3 month ban though...its feeling necessary after my Christmas indulgences).

What were your favourite products of 2013?

We're you a skincare junkie? Lipstick lover? Nail addict? Or a Palette Queen?

I'd love to see what your favourites were, maybe they could be mine for next year!

L xxx

Murder Mystery!

Hope you all had a great Christmas and are enjoying the festive period. Unfortunately for me it's my last day off and I'm now back in Cardiff before work starts again tomorrow. It really has been a great Christmas though and I've enjoyed seeing lots of family and friends.

On Friday L and I were invited to a friends house near Brighton for a murder mystery party. Although it was a bit of a trek for both of us we hadn't seen him for a while and both decided we'd head down.

We both had a bit of a nightmare travel down. L had to work in the morning then got stuck in traffic and one of my trains had gotten cancelled so I arrived late. We were both a bit rushed getting ready in the end.

The theme of the night was Vegas. The decorations around the house were amazing and there was even a welcome to Vegas sign. Unfortunately neither of us got many photos but we wanted to share a few with you.

It was definitely one of those things were the more all out you go the better it is. Everyone had put effort into their costumes and some people looked great. As we didn't really know anyone other than the birthday boy it was a bit nervous at first but turned out to be great fun.

L was Security Sam and I was Hot Slot Sal! We both tried our best to get all the bits for our costumes and L even had a security arm badge and ear piece!

Neither of us guessed the murdered but it was so much fun. I'd definitely recommend having one of these types of parties as it was so fun. 


M xxx