Bumble and Bumble: The Surf Set

Hello lovelies,

As mentioned in my previous post I was recently tempted in to purchasing the Surf Travel Set by Bumble and Bumble. The set costs £18 and contains a 50ml bottle of surf spray, a 60ml bottle of surf foam wash shampoo and a 60ml bottle of surf creme rinse conditioner.

Surf Foam Wash Shampoo full size bottles cost £18.50 for 250ml buy here. This smells really lovely, it has a beachy kind of smell but it is far from overpowering. I thought it would foam a little more but it did lather well and not too much product is needed. I have very long hair and used about a cap full. My hair looked and felt really clean and my second day hair felt much cleaner than it would normally, the dry shampoo was redundant. This is a very expensive shampoo but it would be a great for travelling when beachy waves are top of the agenda. 

The Surf Creme Rinse Conditioner costs £20.50 for the full size 250ml bottle buy here. Im not too sure why the conditioner is £2 more expensive. To be honest I'm least happy with this product. The website claims "This lightweight conditioning rinse imparts airy softness and texture" but my hair did not feel soft at all after using this. When the product is in your hair it does feel soft but once washed out I felt as though I hadn't used conditioner at all. Perhaps if you had really naturally greasy hair this would be a good conditioner, but at £20.50 this will not be a re purchase.

The full size Surf Spray is 125ml and costs a whopping £21.50 buy here. Said to give 'Sexy, salty, sun-dried, windswept styles' I can confirm this is the case. I love this stuff. If like me you love the whole I woke up like this hair, but normally spend up to an hour achieving it, this is like a little bottle of awesome. This can be used on damp or dry hair so perfect for making second day curls look tousled and beachy. This is an expensive product but out of all the Bumble bits I've tried this by far the best.

One thing I would note is that this is drying on the hair. Of course salt drys out everything so I really would suggest using a nourishing conditioner and not using this product daily. 

Let me know what you think of these products, and am I the only one who thinks hair products should never be over £15. Would it not be nicer to just go to a salon? I don't know just my thoughts on the ever expensive world of beauty. 

Ciao

  xxx

Bumble and Bumble: The Ultimate Blow Dry

Hello beauties,

Maybe I have just been watching too many Vivianna does makeup videos but Bumble and Bumble seem to be in the limelight of many rave reviews at the moment. That along with the cute little travel size sets Boots has started placing by the till point I couldn't resist but pick up the Blow Dry set. I may have picked up the Surf Set as well but we'll save that review for another day :)

The Ultimate Blow Dry set retails for £7.50 and contains 30ml of thickening hairspray and 15ml of their straight blow dry balm. 

The Straight Blow Dry balm costs £23 for 150ml buy here. I don't consider myself a pro at anything and blowdrying my hair into any kind of style is really not my forte. Honestly, I haven't managed it yet. Still with my increasingly stubborn curly hair anything with straight in the title is worth a shot. 
Although this smelled rather nice and felt nice on my hair, it did not seam to make a difference to my natural waves. My hair is strait till about my shoulders then it is very wavy and there was no change after using this balm.
It doesn't feel like a heavy serum, it is very light in the hair as though you have applied no product at all. It made my hair feel lovely and smooth and look nice and glossy once it had been straightened, so this product does have its uses.
I would not buy this again but perhaps if you already have relatively straight hair this works well.

The Thickening Hairspray costs £21.50 for the full size 250ml spray buy here. Unlike other hairsprays this is more of a liquid than a mist. I suggest holding this at a 40cm distance from your hair to ensure that it sprays over all your hair and not in concentrated areas.
It works best when applied to damp hair. I applied this in the middle of blow drying my hair as the heat helps the spray thicken your hair. If I have curled my hair I spritz a little of the product through my curls and again give it a quick blast of the hair dryer. this will set the curls perfectly and make them look a little more natural and volumized. If you leave your hair loose over night your hair will keep its curls for second day hair, just run through it with a large comb and hello perfect hair.
I am always sceptical with thickening, volumizing products but this made my hair feel so thick and look so full I was pleasantly surprised. The best thing about this is that your hair does not feel as though it has lots of product in it. It does feel a little dry so I will be using more conditioner when I use this but this is a great product if you love big hair. At £21.50 I would consider buying this again, but maybe use it sparingly just for occasions.

Let me know in the comments if you have tried these products and what your thoughts are.

Ciao
  xxx

Summer Favourites

Hello beauties,

I thought instead of doing a monthly favorites for June, July and August I would do a collective summer favourites of all my must have beauty products to have to hand in the sun. From tan to lip products here's my summer guide to all things beauty...

TANNING

St. Tropez Self Tan Express Bronze Mousse This lasts for about a week but does fade a shade each time you shower. I leave it on for 2hours to get a medium tan prior to showering. I find this really sticky and horrible while it's developing but once showered, no smell and and no tan on to clothing or bed sheets makes this a must.

Rimmel Instant Tan Air Brush Effect This is perfect for topping up on your tan as it is soo quick to use. It does have a little tan scent to it but nothing too overpowering.
Rimmel Sun Shimmer Instant Tan Matte I really love the Rimmel wash off tans, they don't rub off on to your clothing, they dry really quickly and they smell nice.
TIP: I always use a mitt to apply my tan but if you do get any patches of tan you want to remove a little baking soda in water or lemon juice will remove it instantly. 

FOUNDATION

For base it is all about something a little lighter, I have been enjoying:

MAC Face And Body Foundation I mix a little of this in to my body moisturiser when applying it to my legs. Who doesn't like to look airbrushed? Review

Jour Moisture Tints The matte tints are great for preventing shiny skin but the luminous tints will be fine for dry to normal skin. I have been using different shades as my foundations and bronzer/contour. Review

BLUSHER

MAC Powder Blush Immortal Flower I think this shade may have been discontinued but any subtle pinky coral just seams to give a natural flushed look without looking like your pink from the heat. 
NARS Blush Sex Appeal Another subtle blush, this time just a baby pink shade. Both blushes are matte which will help to combat any shine you may get from the heat. Review

LIPS

MAC Frost Lipstick- Angel Simply the perfect summer pink. 

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm- Complex The perfect handbag product. Matte lips makes any look more sophisticated, and this shade looks great for light to medium skin tones. It is the perfect nude lip for summer.

Laura Mercier Lip Glace- Bare Beige This shade brings out your tan by drawing your attention to the warmer tones in your skin. Review

Lancome Gloss In Love- Peach Show Orange is another great colour to bring out your tan and this subtly bright coral will makes your lips look fuller and beautifully glossed.

EYES

Urban Decay Naked Palette I love browns and golds in the summer and I like to keep my make up fairly natural looking. I have just been doing a subtle cut crease with different shades. Naked is great for very subtle eyes, buck is perfect to really define the crease and buck and a tiny bit of half baked or smog looks great for day to night simple eyes. 

realTechniques duo-fiber eye brush this is just the perfect crease brush, dabbing it just lightly in the eyeshadow and just blending in a small amount of shadow is perfect for cut crease eye makeup.

MASCARA

bareMinerals Lash Domination If you didn't know I have fallen in love with this mascara then where have you been. The applicator is amazing and totally unique, it makes your lashes look perfect with no effort at all. Review

Clinique High Impact Mascara I got this free in a magazine and while I do find it a little clumpy, I like to apply one coat of this just on my top lashes and then do a second coat with the Lash Domination mascara. I find using this as a 1st coat just helps makes things look a little more voluminous. 

So these are my current summer faves, I would love to hear yours! Please comment bellow and tell me what your 1 summer must have beauty buy is. 

Ciao

  xxx

Laura Mercier: Just Bare Lip Glace Collection

Hello beauties,

If like me you love a nice gloss but hate it when your hair sticks to your lips and ends up looking gelled, may I please introduce you to Laura Mercier Lip Glace. 

Space NK recently had a sale and while I had never tried this brand before I have only ever heard good things. I currently own far to many face products, and although my lip collection is vast I don't have too many glosses so these seemed the perfect option. I chose the Just Bare Mini Lip Glace Collection but if you would like to see the range of Laura Mercier Lip Glacé click here; there some really lovely shades.

They retail for £19.50 each and unfortunately I can only now find the set on Amazon here, but if you like them individually the links to each of the shades are: 
bare naked     bare beige
bare baby       bare pink

The glosses are not highly pigmented, they do provide a subtle pigmentation on to the lip but I would not say the colour pay off is that high. As you can see below the glosses all have a really subtle colour to them preventing them from looking streaky while still adding a touch of colour to your lips. 

Bare Naked looks like a beautiful shimmery gold in the tube which I thought may look a little strange once applied. Above you can see there is no strange gold shine, just a natural looking shimmer that lightens your lips natural pigmentation. Bare naked and bare pink I would say are nice alternatives to a clear gloss and a nice addition to the set but maybe not worth the £19.50 price tag individually. Bare beige and bare baby however are lovely shades that may be worth the splurge.

The glosses have reasonable durability, they stay in place for a good few hours if you are not eating and drinking, but will need a touch up through the day if you are having lunch. 

In honesty I would not have bought the set had it been full price, however, I will consider buying bare beige when this mini runs out as I think the gloss is really good quality and the colour complements my kind of skin tone really nicely.

Let me know your thoughts on these glosses, and tell me what is the most you have spent on a lip gloss before?

Ciao

  xxx

mini Lush Haul/ Reviews

Hello beauties,

Another first on the blog, can you believe I have never reviewed a Lush product before. Well I thought I would kick things off by reviewing 2 products in 1 post oh you lucky lot. 
I really like lush as a company; they use natural ingredients, hand make all of the products and give some of their profits to charity. It's nice when we don't have to feel too guilty with our spending.

Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub  £7.25- 120g  £13.25- 250g

Well the name kind of gives this one away, it is a sea salt exfoliating scrub that you can use on your face and body. First things first, I have to say how amazing this smells, it really is like being at the beach. 

The scrub works like a soap and a scrub, as you can see below, once rubbed in the avocado butter and lime wash your skin and lather slightly, while the larger salt crystals stay intact and exfoliate. It makes your skin feel so smooth and fresh and removes all dead skin. 

The only thing I would point out is that while this is face and body, I'd say it leans more towards body use. Especially if you have sensitive of broken skin the salt crystals can be a little rough. I just use this on my cheeks and chin where my skin is a little firmer. This is an amazing exfoliator for legs and I would definitely recommend trying this product.  

Bohemian Soap  £3.10- 100g

While I am not fanatical about skin care I do strangely have a thing about soap. I love soaps that lather well and smell beautiful, and I stay well clear of oily textured ones. This soap got a big thumbs up on the fragrance test. It has a gorgeous lemon sorbet scent, and a beautiful lemony creamy pattern.
This does not lather as much as say Dove Beauty Cream soap, it does bubble a little but I would not say it has that nice creamy soap texture. It is nice to freshen up with but I have not been using this as my main body wash as I just don't think it cleans as well as others.
It does leave some of the zesty smell on your skin but it still smells a little soapy and it is not too overpowering. I think this is a lovely soap to give as a gift, but I'm not so sure I would repurchase it over trying out other soaps.

Let me know your favorite Lush products and what you think of these two if you have tried them.

Ciao
  xxx

NARS Blush sex appeal

Hello ladies,

A shocking revelation today, this is my first NARS product purchase! I like to take my time when buying expensive make up, I try things out in store and get samples before I even think about parting with my cash. When it came to NARS I was really in between buying a eye shadow duo or a blusher, but as my make up collection is a little shadow heavy I decided to go for a blush.

I purchased mine from SpaceNK where the NARS blushers retail from £22.50. If 'Satellite of love' is your shade, you can purchase this a little cheaper at £21 at the moment at Selfridges.

I went for shade 'Sex Appeal' I think it is the most subtle shade they have. It is a mix between a soft pink and coral which creates a beautiful spring summer flushed cheek.

Now I know most of you will probably wonder why I went for such a subtle shade when NARS are so well known for their vibrant blush shades. If you have read any of my blusher reviews in the past, you will be aware when it comes to blusher, for me its just about adding that natural flush back on to the skin after foundation has been applied. I would certainly never make my blusher the focal point of my makeup.

The texture is rather powdery, it is relatively finely milled but I suggest using a soft fluffy brush with this, not one that holds too much product. I love the realTechniques blush brush, but I think a duo fibre brush would be good for application also. 

Let me know what your favorite NARS product is in the comments, and please follow my blog if you are enjoying my ramblings

Ciao

  xxx

Yves Saint Laurent Souffle D'Eclat Loose Powder

Loose powders are relatively new in my make up collection. I've always loved to add a little extra coverage with a pressed powder, but for now a matte complexion is top of my agenda. 

Yves Saint Laurent Souffle D'Eclat Loose Powder retails at £38 for 15g which you can buy here.

This is a very fine powder, almost translucent, but there are 4 shades available to allow you to match up your skin tone preventing it from looking powdery once applied. 

This makes your  skin feel so smooth, applied over foundation or straight on to your skin it feels like silk all day. I apply this with a realTechniques blush brush; I find that its long bristles allow for minimal powder to be applied. The powder is so finely milled that little product is needed. A soft fluffy brush like this is perfect for applying an even amount all over the face.

I personally love the feel of this over Le Teint Touche Eclat foundation also by YSL (pictured above). I think because of the dewy feel of the foundation the powder makes it last longer and it prevents your complexion looking shiny, whilst maintaining the natural finish the foundation gives. The same can be said for other dewy foundations, just this is my foundation of choice. 

Let me know your favourite loose powders. I have also been loving the Estee Lauder Double Wear loose powder, but this one makes the skin feel much softer. Of the two the Souffle D'Eclat is probably better quality, and is ever so slightly cheaper.

Ciao
  xxx

The Body Shop Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream

 Hello beauties,

With a never ending quest for nice skin and natural looking make up The Body Shop finally takes it's place among my endless testing, or shopping as my mum like to call it.

BB creams are not my favourite base products, I often find they lack the coverage I crave and can make the skin look a little shiny as the day goes on. That said, heavy foundations also cause a little shine in the summer heat, so I thought one with skin purifying qualities was worth a shot.

The Tea Tree BB Cremes retail for £8 for 40ml of product and can be purchased here.

The website claims the product has three main advantages; 

1)  Blemishes and imperfections are instantly covered.

2) A lightweight formula that gives shine-free complexion.

3) That the 3 shades available blend seamlessly into all skin tones for natural-looking coverage.

In honesty, three shades is very limited. With countless BB creams available on the market I think most people are likely to find there perfect match else where. I was in between buying the lightest and medium shade, I went for the lightest as I think it is easier to add colour than to take away. However, the fact that I was in between shades shows that if you have a darker skin then this product will probably not work for you. Really I think the majority of people would struggle to blend this in to a natural looking shade. 

This has a very thick consistency when first applied. It does blend in flawlessly but the coverage is not as full as other BB creams I have used. From the bellow picture you can see from the coverage on my, very annoying, burn scar that this is a good medium coverage. The trouble is some of the coverage wears away throughout the day.
If you are looking for something with medium to full coverage, with better staying power, I would direct you towards Jouer Cosmetics Moisture Tints; see my review here. 

The only real problem I had with this product is how oily it made my skin look as the hours past. I normally use The Body Shop's tea tree skin care products to combat excess oil and blemishes, but this product seemed to do the opposite. Due to it's thick consistency it looked and felt too cakey if I wore a powder over this. I therefore feel that if you do have oily skin then this is a no go. For now I am just using it on my cheeks where I do not have a problem with excess oil.

Overall I would say this product is okay, but I would not repurchase this. It is reasonably priced but I would rather spend a little more on a product that looks just as good in the evening as when first applied.

Let me know what you think if you have tried this product, and what your favourite BB creams are.

Ciao

  xxx

Review: Oskia Renaissance Mask

Hello lovelies,

As you may know my least favourite beauty practice is skin care, it is just such a faff, and there are too many products out there! Even with reviews, it can be a little bit of trial and error; never a good thing when some of the best things can be incredibly expensive. 

Rant over, I received a free sample of the Oskia London Renaissance Mask from cultbeauty when I purchased some other items, and have officially fallen in love with my new silky skin.

Price £48.50 for 50ml  buy here You receive 2 free samples with orders above £40 and free delivery on orders over £50 at cultbeauty.

First things first, this is said to be suitable for all skin types. As I have combination skin, with very sensitive skin around my eyes, I can confirm this. Whilst it does not seam to combat dryness or excess oils, this does leave your skin feeling nourished, smooth and fresh. In fact I actually noticed a decrease in the red pigmentation in my skin after using this. I would not say the effects are long lasting, but with each use you are guaranteed to see a vast improvement to skin luminosity.

This actually works by increasing the turnover of skin cells, this therefore minimises blocked pores in turn reducing their appearance. It is also supposed to reduce the appearance of finer wrinkles, thankfully I have none as yet so I cannot comment on this. 

The mask contains Passion fruit and papaya enzymes which ex-foliate the skin, removing the dead skin cells and exposing fresh skin. Your complexion really does look brighter after using this, I much prefer this to ex-foliating as this is lovely and gentle on your skin and leaves it feeling and looking nicer. It also contains prebiotics which will help to fight blemishes by removing bacteria on your skin. 

By far my favourite thing about this mask is it's amazing smell. I can't put my finger on which of the ingredients this smell is, but just yum is all I can say. It really is a pleasure to wear.

As you can see when applied it is just a thin white layer, it is really soft on your skin and comes off very easily with a little water. The same as if you were washing soap off your face. It is not the kind of mask you have to get off in the shower.

Hope this has been useful beauties, let me know what you think of this mask, or what your favourite mask is if you have another.

Ciao

  xxx

Review: Jouer Moisture Tints

Sorry it has been a while, life can get in the way sometimes but I am back, and I'm feeling summery! For those that have been around a while you will know I'm a strictly full coverage girl, this will never change, but BB creams and tinted moisturises have. Last summer I gave up looking for a lighter base for warmer months but as I'm slowly reaching 23 it's about time I stopped clogging up my pores and wore a base with a decent spf and moisturising qualities. Step in Jouer Cosmetics Moisture Tints.

I have really fallen for this brand, everything they sell is really high quality and makes you feel really made up in a natural looking way. I would like to say I knew I would love these tints but honestly I was skeptical. Luckily CultBeauty offer 2 free samples when you spend over £40 so I tried out the Pearl and Deep Bronze and was pleasantly surprised by the coverage they gave.

Both of the moisture tints are oil free, the only real difference I have found is that the luminizing tints are slightly more nourishing on the skin, where the matte tints can be a little drying on the skin if you wear them too often. I apply a mix of the luminizing Pearl and matte Porcelain all over my face as a base then blend in a little of the Deep Bronze on to my cheeks, nose and forehead. This gives a really nice tanned summer look as well as it carving out some cheek bones. I use this sparingly though, a pea size amount is more than enough for full face bronzing.

As you can see all pigmentation is covered, and even though the sun was glaring, there is no shimmer on the luminizing deep bronze tint. I have combination skin and have not needed to apply a powder to keep back any shine. If I were to wear the aluminising tint alone then perhaps a little blotting throughout the day but the matte tint is amazing at holding back excess oily. The The longevity of the tints is what really impress me. I did not think a tint would actually last me a proper working day, but the product just dries on to the skin instantly and stays in place just as a foundation would.

Bad news is there are no pretty Jouer stores or counters in the UK, but these can be purchased online here for £30 from Cult Beauty. And if you are worried about finding a shade to match your skin tone, but are tempted to buy the deep bronze shade four contouring, simply mix a bit of the bronze into one of the lighter shades and create your perfect match as your tan develops or fades throughout the year.