Product Love: C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine Review

My previous post may have highlighted... possibly? ;) ...that I kinda like C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Shines... So this here post is dedicated to the lovely little tubes of gorgeous glossyness!!

From left to right pictured above is Spearmint, Magenta Mint and Cinnamint Mentha Lip Shine.

They have a price tag of $7.50 USD or if you live in the UK then can be found in a range of flavours for £4.99 at www.bathandbodyshop.co.uk ...and if all else fails try good old ebay ;)

The Reason I love these are that they really do seem to have healing powers over dry chapped lips. Most other products (even the ones that claim to be moisturizing) seem to dry my lips out after a while but this product continually adds moisture to them, plumping them up and giving amazing shine all at the same time as tasting delicious. Due to the yummy minty flavours they actually refresh the breath giving a nice cool tingly freshness - perfect for those times that you don't have any mints to hand but need a little refreshing in the old mouth area. One thing that needs to be noted, which may be a turn off for some, is that the consistency is quite thick but I believe this is what keeps my lips smooth and protected. Lastly, a tube of this seems to go a long way.

The original mentha lip shines are clear in colour but come in different flavours (Mint, Spearmint, Cinnamint, etc) and now the range also includes coloured lip shines. I have tried Coral Mint, Pink Mint and Magenta Mint (Magenta Mint is pictured above.) Each of these add a nice little tint to the lips for some healthy colour but are not greatly pigmented (I found Magenta Mint to have the most impact with regard to colour).

Overall, I have been using these lip glosses for a few years now and swear by them - come winter or shine! Lastly, I must say that my fav has to be Cinnamint. It is just such a lovely smelling yummy flavour!

Let me know if you have tried any of the new flavours, such as Triple Hot Chocolate or Mango Mimosa? These sound quite interesting!

x

NYC C.O. Bigelow Haul

In one of my previous posts I had mentioned my like of C.O. Bigelow (in the 'Product Love: C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve' post.)

It all started with a C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine purchased in Bath & Body Works during one of my trips to visit family in the US...

Bath & Body Works very wisely stock a limited amount of C.O. Bigelow Products and it was there that I sampled one of their Mentha Lip Shines for the first time. That day I bought one of these lippies (the 'Cinnamint' flavour to be precise) and left a happy shopper, not realising the extent of the C.O. Bigelow range that I had never came across before. I brought my little purchase back to the UK with me and found that this quickly slipped into my list of essential beauty items, to be carried around with me at all times. I loved the smell, taste and impact this had on my lips - keeping them moisturised and in good condition. My single tube soon ran dry however and I was desperate to get back to purchase some more!

The next time I ventured over to the good old US of A I hit one of the larger malls and made my way to the Bath & Body Works store for my Mentha Lip Shine beauty fix. It was on my way that I came across an absolute beauty mine! A free standing C.O. Bigelow shop - and a large sumptuous looking one at that! Sleek in black & white and packed full of luxurious looking products. Like a kid in a sweet shop I ventured in with eyes bulging. That day I purchased several more Mentha Lip Shines in various flavours and colours and smelled, touched and trialled a vast range of the other products that lined the shelves. I found the claims and ingredients lists on the bottles to be impressive and enjoyed the majority of the lotions and potions tried that day. I left with one other unexpected purchase - the devine Bigelow Lemon Body Cream and several samples given to me by the pleasant staff. If it hadn't been for my set budget and mid t0 higher range prices I would have bought a lot more on that trip but remained happy with the chance to get more of my highly regarded Mentha Lip Shines!

Since then at my every visit to the US I ensure that I get to a Bigelow store to stock up on Mentha Lip Shines and try out more of their goodies that never fail to satisfy.

Fast forward a few months from my last US trip to visit the fam I find my most recent chance to visit a C.O. Bigelow store, and in no other than the amazing city of New York! With cash to burn and a pre researched list of products in mind that had been eyed up online I found myself purchasing the pictured below;


Here you can see the Bigelow Power Berry Mask, Rice & Bamboo Gentle Dermabrasion, Coconut Body Lotion, Rose Water Skin Tonic and of course a selection of my beloved Mentha Lip Shines (in Magenta Mint, Spearmint and Cinnamint.)


My next posts will give my review on these goodies!

x

New York Trip

"New York, New York (So good, they named it twice)"

Although somewhat cheesy I love that saying, and even more so, I love New York!

It truly is an amazing city which I have had the pleasure of visiting twice now (and hopeful for many more visits!)

From the bright lights of Times Square, to the sleek shopping strip at 5th avenue, the bustling business area of the financial district, to the peace and serenity of the leafy parks and the funky feel of the stylish and unique Soho area. There is the chance to explore, shop, eat, drink and generally hang out in a vast range of ways in what is a truly amazing diverse city.

This post is just a quick little pictorial highlight of the time that I spent in the Big Apple this June with my wonderful Boy :) I will be posting shortly on some of my NY purchases.

Our lovely hotel room ^

Watching the world go by in the city that never sleeps... ^

Times Square! ^

The Financial District ^

A kool view in Central Park ^ We went row boating in the lake above :)

A lovely residential park near Soho ^

And last, but not least, the Haulage...

In my next few posts I will be presenting and reviewing some of the goods hiding in the above bags :)

x

Love of the Moment: 17 Nail Polish

So, I wen't to my fav Boots store yesterday. It's one at a retail park and therefore big and spacious, but more importantly, quiet and always well stocked - a far better shopping experience than the Boots in the city centre. I had originally wen't in for one thing and came out with several more, including these lovely nail polishes...

17 Lasting Fix Nail Polish in Mint Choc Chip, Parma Violet and Orange Soda.
(I also bought Lemon Sorbet, but unfortunately left it at my boyfriends house!)


I love these bright and pastelly colours, especially Mint Choc Chip and Parma Violet :) They apply easily too and seem like they will last a good few days without chipping. Also, they are only £2.99 - not bad at all ;)

x

Lippie Love of the Moment: AVON Ultra Colour Rich Extra Plump Lipstick in Dazzling Pink

My Mum & I are Avon Representatives - something we do as a sort of hobby ever since I started it when I was in high school. We therefore from time to time find little gems amongst the brochures offerings. Like this lippie...

Avon Ultra Colour Rich Extra Plump Lipstick in 'Dazzling Pink';


My Mum ordered this for herself and as she had been raving about it I had to try it out. It was then, in a matter of seconds of it touching my lips, I found myself ordering one too.

It is a great every day lipstick in a beautiful pink colour that is not too in-your-face and seems to really suit my skin tone (for you non pink fans they have several other lovely colours in this lipstick too). The main beauty of this lippie is that it adds volume to your pout whilst providing a lovely rich colour. It has two layers to it - the outside layer being the rich shimmery colour and the inside containing the plumping formula. It slightly tingles on the lips, which according to Avon means its working away at "increasing circulation to improve lips’ fullness," but the tingling is not excessive. I have sensitive lips/skin and unlike some other lip plumpers I don't find this harsh at all. I don't think it greatly largens the lips but it defenitely gives them a lovely plump boost and with it being a sheen lipstick with slight shimmer throughout it makes them look slightly glossy and healthy. Also noteable is the smell...I love the smell of this - sweet and minty, yum! :) Lastly, it contains SPF15, a crucial factor for this time of year ;)


If you have got your hands on an Avon book I would recommend ordering this from your local representative. It is usually £7.00 in the book but often there are deals on so keep your eyes peeled for a little bargain! :)

x

Love of the Moment: Chanel Summer 2010 Makeup Collection

Love the amazing bright summer colours of Chanel's Summer 2010 Makeup Collection. Especially the bright poppin' pink lipstick :) and oh how I would love that excuisite turquoise 'Nouvelle Vague' polish...


Summer beauty.

Product Love: Simple Kind to Skin Purifying Cleansing Lotion & Soothing Facial Toner

From a young age my mum has spoken several words of wisdom to me, and one thing that she told/taught me (that I am ever thankful for) was to cleanse, tone and moisturise every day to keep my skin happy. Boy was she right! I stuck by her advice and I believe that doing this really does make a difference for me. Also, she has got pretty amazing skin so I hope that is indicative of how this tip will pay off in the future! I have tried different ranges of cleansers & toners over the years from drugstore ranges to the more extravagant (always choosing sensitive ones for my skin type,) but for the past year I have been using an inexpensive range that I feel pretty content with.

The Simple skincare 'Kind to Skin' Purifying Cleansing Lotion and Soothing Facial Toner has been my recent cleanser and toner of choice. I have sensitive skin which is quite dry in areas and therefore requires "kind" products, and like the name of this Simple range suggests, I find these to be very "kind". You can buy these from most drugstores, I pick these up either from Superdrug, Semi-Chem, Bodycare or from the Supermarket for about £2.99 each (not bad!).

To start off, the cleanser contains Pro-Vitamin B5 which is said to restore, soften and smooth, along with this it contains added moisturisers and is pH balanced which is important. It is mild and creamy, not harsh at all, and purifies my skin gently leaving it feeling cleansed and moisturised. It certainly removes any left over makeup from my face along with oil and general dirt and pollutants from the day (as I can see this on the cotton wool pad afterward). I squeeze a decent sized blob of the cleanser onto a cotton wool pad and wype this over/into my face, followed by an application of the toner which I dowse on another cotton wool pad, and again, wype over my face. With cleansers I suppose it is personal choice on how to use them. You can go with this method, or you can apply it to the face like you would a moisturiser and then wash off with luke warm water.

Onto the toner... this leaves my skin feeling so refreshed! Some toners feel quite harsh and almost nip my skin, but this does the job gently and just slightly tingles in a lovely clean feeling way. This is probably down to the fact that it is 100% alcohol free, contains soothing chamomile, and again, is pH balanced so it is not harsh or drying like some toners. It contains Witch Hazel which is said to help tone and tighten the pores and from using this I definitely think my pores have benefited. After these two steps I then moisturise.

Overall, I really think doing this has such a positive impact on my skin and I would recommend trying this particular cleanser and toner, which I feel works in harmony with my skin - gently and effectively - keeping it super happy :)

Oh and lastly, I also have the Simple Kind to Skin Conditioning Eye-makeup Remover which I would also recommend.


Plan to try their moisturisers next...

Love of the Moment:: Soft Jewellery

Spotted some great "Soft" jewellery in the fashion mags recently and it seems as though this trend is catching on the high street too! I was browsing the jewellery stands in TopShop and Accesorize and spotted a few lovely pieces, but after asssessing the prices I realised that I might as well make my very own soft jewellery peices using ribbon, strands of scrap material and old broken fashion necklaces that I somehow still have in my jewellery box. I might even possibly end up creating something pretty and unique at little cost :) Keep tuned for my creations!

Also, it looks like I couldn't be more on trend! ;) Elle.com on Soft Jewellery...

"From woven chiffon to braided rope, fabric jewelry is the season's must-have accoutrement"

http://www.elle.com/Shopping/Elle-Shops/Summer-s-Soft-Jewelry

x

Product Love: C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve

I am a great fan of C.O. Bigelow Products. Every time I go to the US I stock up on my fav goodies from this brand, with the Rose Salve and Mentha Lip Shines being at the top of my list... :)

And so, today I show you the C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve.

This little gem has been keeping my lips and cuticles conditioned for a long time now and as I just cracked open a new tin from my stock pile reserves I thought I should devote a lovely little blog post to it here.

The C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve is a multi-purpose balm for the lips, cuticles, elbows, knees, basically any dry areas of the skin! It contains rose extract and smells absolutely gorgeous - of sweet roses! It is a wonder for my cuticles and comes filled into a cute little tin which I keep in my bag at all times for a quick soothing skin fix. It is a light creamy pink and appears quite sheer on the lips, but this is more about conditioning over sparkle or pigmentation.

Retails at $5.50 but the past few times I have managed to get things on offer saving me some pennies :)

Would like to try out their Rose Water Tonic (below) next (Boy, am I glad I am going to the US soon!)




Anyone else like C.O. Bigelow? I think I will post soon about their Lip Shines (my favourite every day glosses.)

Not so in love with at the Moment...

It was only a few days ago that I included the E.L.F. Warm Bronzer as one of my "Product Loves of the Moment..."

Boy is it amazing how short lived 'Product Love' can be :-p Look what has happened...!

Although I do like the E.L.F. Bronzers (I have their Warm Bronzer & Golden Bronzer) and I think they are a good cheap alternative to some of the more expensive brands E.g. Bobbi Brown's Shimmer Bricks, it seems as though the powder inside is not greatly pressed into the pan and therefore tends to crack and crumble into pieces after a week or two of use.

This very thing happened to my E.L.F. Warm Brozner this morning (as pictured above ^_^), creating a horrible mess! And this also appears to be starting to occur with my E.L.F. Golden Bronzer too... Not so ideal.

I understand that E.L.F. is a cheaper brand and are not SO focused on quality, but I would not expect for this to happen to both of the bronzers that I have purchased from them... Maybe I just got unlucky with faulty picks :(

I have come up with a little genious recovery plan though which I will be blogging about soon!



Anyone else experienced this?

Mag Love of the Moment: Harper's Bazaar's June Issue Starring Cheryl Cole

Not only do they have the beautiful "Angel of the North," Cheryl Cole, as their cover star, this month's issue had me in glossy mag heaven for a good while :)

Love the look they photographed Cheryl in, it's so pretty and romantic. I especially love the exotic smokey-eyes, sumptuous lips and locks, paired with soft light pretty fabrics...

St. Moriz Instant Self Tanning Mist / Spray V's St. Moriz Mousse Review

I wen't along to Semi-Chem a few weeks ago in the UK to pick up a new bottle of St. Moriz Self Tanning Mousse and to my surprise found that they also had St.Moriz Self Tanning MIST in stock! I had never actually seen or heard of the so called "Mist" version of this infamous self tanner before and so was pleasantly pleased with my discovery, especially as it was only £2.99 :) and so, of course, I gave it a go...

The St. Moriz Mist is basically a spray, it comes in a 150 ml can with a spray top (akin to a deoderant can) and the Mousse comes in a 200ml bottle with a pump on top which dispenses the formulation in a bubbly mousse (kind of a given, but hey ho!)

After exfoliating and moisturising the dry areas on your skin (knees, elbows, hands etc) you are directed to "Spray the tanning mist lightly and evenly in continuous sweeping movements 6-12 inches from the body" then "Rub gently into the skin to achieve even tan development." I try to do the spraying in the instructed "evenly" way and it becomes apparent that I am not a tanning pro. I am left with a few big uneven strips of wet brownish liquid across my legs. This is quickly solved however by rubbing the liquid into the skin with my hand until it looks acceptable (like the Mousse it is tinted so you can see how it has applied). I then follow quickly with the thorough washing of my hands as I find that St. Moriz leaves horrible staining on them if not rinsed straight away (a bit of a problem if you set out to tan your whole body - I combat this by stopping for a hand wash pit stop after each section of application - leg, wash hands, other leg, wash hands...) The drying is fast and the end result does not differ much from that of the Mousse... It leaves you with a lovely golden olivey-brown tan which lasts for 2-3 days and does not smell pongy like some other tanners :)

In my opinion, the Mist is a good idea and was an exciting discovery, but, I do find the Mousse easier to apply... You simply dispense it in your hand and rub it in instead of trying to control the spray - which you end up having to rub in with your hand anyways.

To conclude, the Mist was good for a change, and if like me you are not an expert in applying tan stick to the mousse.

For you guys also in the UK, St. Moriz can also be found in TX Maxx, Savers and Sally's, failing that there are several reputable online suppliers - check out Amazon, for example!

Product Loves of the Moment...

Bourjois Volume Glamour Ultra Care Mascara in Noir Black

Sephora by O.P.I Nail Colour in 'How Cute is That?'
Benefit Coralista Blusher
E.L.F. Warm Bronzer
Barry M Lip Paint in #147
Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in #54 Beige
Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Lip Gloss in 'Fuzzy Naval'


Possibly a recurring coral theme here??

Late Night Shopping: Ruby London at New Look Studded Bag

Thursday's = Late Night Shopping = Naughty Purchases <3

Loving the soft colour and texture combined with the stud detail.
Detachable strap so that it can be worn as an over the shoulder bag too... I prefer it with just the hand/shoulder handles though :)
Retailed at £55 but I managed to get a student discount bringing my total to £44!

Happy Thursday :)

Lipstick Love of the Moment: Barry M Lip Paint in #147

Providing the perfect poppin' pinky-peachy-coral colour that I was after!

Like most Barry M Lip Paints I need nice moisturised non-chapped lips for this otherwise it applies unevenly due to its drier matte consistency.

Blusher Love of the Moment: Benefit Coralista

Carrying on with my current coral craziness...

Benefit Coralista!


As I own - and have been impressed with - the majority of the Benefit blusher & bronzer boxes, I bought this as soon as it first came out last year. I must admit after an initial product honey-moon period we grew apart only for our flame to be reignited recently...

Not only is the packaging killer and the smell lovely (fruity peaches and cream!) but this ticks several blusher boxes (oh the irony)! It instantly warms my face with a simple sweep over the apples and a tad on the nose. It is a beautiful coral colour with pink undertones topped off with a wonderful pearly sheen of gold running through giving it such great dimension. It is velvety smooth and applies with no fuss, and more importantly, no patches! Not a harsh blusher

Like most, I do not use the little brush that comes along in the box - although it is cute and possibly one day will come in handy when I have forgotten my usual blush brush - I just don't find it to be the best for the job (hard to blend with, etc) so I use another!

Because of the flash on my cam you can't clearly see the colour but here is a rough idea... :)

Surprisinly I have a coral tinted lip gloss on here too, Sehpora's Gloss Ultra-Brilliance in no.12... not the best lip gloss (not pigmented and the applicator is useless) but had the colour I wanted today and is nice and glittery!

Lovely Jubbly!

Hair Care Love of the Moment: Inecto Pure Coconut Oil Hair Repair Treatment

So it is Sunday today and since this is when I usually squeeze in some time to relax and unwind after a busy week and therefore carry out beauty treatments as part of that (face masks, deep hair conditioning, etc) I thought I should write about my new hair treatment love...

Inecto Pure Coconut Oil Hair Repair Treatment.

Firstly, this has such a delicious irresistible smell of sweet coconut (one of my favourite smells!) so from that it was sold to me right from the first sniff :-)

As for the result of the product it only gets sweeter...

I apply it to slightly towel dried hair and leave for 5 minutes - a good generous dollop is needed for my thickness and length of hair. After this time it is rinsed out and I get to the task of blow-drying. The result is wonderfully soft conditioned locks that smell just yum! The initially strong coconut smell does slightly fade once dry but still lingers enough to make me smile when I catch a whiff.

It must be noted that I only use this once a week as like most other hair treatments if I were to use more than this it would lose effectiveness ending with limp greasy hair.



I noticed that Inecto also offer Pure Coconut Oil daily Shampoo, Conditioner & Serum in their range that I may try next!

Have you tried any of these?

Nail Polish Love of the Moment: SEPHORA by OPI 'How Cute is That?' Nail Polish

I am totally feeling coral lips, cheeks, accessories, coral everything at the moment, and so when I came across this beautiful coral-y pink nail polish during one of my rummaging sessions in my uncontrollable nail polish collection, I was pleasantly surprised :)

Meet SEPHORA by OPI Nail Colour in 'How Cute is That?'...

This is a lovely bright and interesting colour, according to Sephora it is a "Vintage Pink Coral," in some lights it appears more orange and in others pink - always with a lovely subtle golden shimmer running through. Whatever the exact colour is I think it is bright & beautiful!

I picked this up in July 2008 on a trip to the US, along with a few equally pleasing SEPHORA by OPI nail colours... Although I love the colours I purchased it needs to be noted that this range is NOT as good of quality as OPI's own brand nail polish. They seem to be a lot runnier/watery and a good 3 thin coats are needed. So if you are looking for a nail polish for applying in a hurry I would give these a miss.

All my own opinion of course :-)



I'm sure I will post about the other colours that I had purchased from SEPHORA by OPI in the not so distant future!

MAC Love of the Moment: To The Beach Summer 2010 Collection: Mini Haul!

I am trying to watch my spending as there has been so many new MAC collections recently and as I should be saving my money for more "important" things :-p I only picked up 2 items...

MAC To The Beach Lipstick in 'Thrills' & MAC Lustre Drops in 'Pink Rebel.'

'Thrills' Lipstick -

I love this lippie! A bronzey frost finish in a beautiful amber rose copper colour... Sort of hard to explain and really quite original, I don't have any other lipsticks like this. It warms my face instantly and makes my lips look full. With its golden bronze shimmers and amazing depth of colour it is certainly not your average dull muted pink lips. When I swish this on I feel like a beautiful beach babe!

Lustre Drops in Pink Rebel -

So I have heard so much about Lustre Drops, but i had yet to purchase my own until now. I debated over buying them in the MAC Style Warriors Collection, but, as at the time I was trying to cut down on my consumption of Makeup, I resisted, and have since wondered if that was the right decision :-p Before I was not sure exactly what Lustre Drops did but now I totally get it. 'Pink Rebel' is a lovely light pink-toned pearly liquid formulation. It is great as a highlighter on my cheeks and brow bone and it instantly brightens my face with its pearly gold shine creating a luminous look. I have yet to try adding this to my foundation or moisturiser like some have suggested but I think this would be an idea :-)


Did you pick up anything from the To The Beach collection?

MAC Pret-a-Papier: 'Light Over Dark' Mineralize Blusher Duo - Swatched

Very pretty, but for me it is a little bit too shimmery for a full on blusher and more like a bronzer... applied with a light hand to the apples of the cheeks (building to preference) it provides a lovely bronze glow with a hint of peach and gold shimmers.

Of course as with all MAC Mineralize Blushers/MSF's's it is pigmented and smooth, blending superbly.


Hmm... I think I will write a post on my favourite MSF's soon ;-)

Mascara of the Moment: Bourjois Volume Glamour Ultra Care (Rant/Review)

Sometimes I find my eye lids becoming slightly red and puffy after a long day of mascara covered lashes irritating them, so when I seen that Bourjois had added a sensitive mascara to their already hefty range I was willing to give it a go and purchased Bourjois Volume Glamour Ultra Care in 'Noir Black' - RRP £8.00, but I believe I got it on offer ;-)

So, I have been using this for a few weeks now and would definitely purchase it again. Within this time I have not experienced one day of irritated eyes, therefore it has obviously been keeping my peepers happy! As far as the actual effect of the mascara I find that it does just the same job as the normal Bourjois 'Ultra Glamour' mascara - creating a decent amount of volume and separation on the lashes which lasts until the end of my working day. Also it does not leave a horrible black creasing/smudging under the eyes after a long day which I see on some womans poor under eyes.

Overall, I would say that I have tried better mascaras as far as volume and 'glamour' go. It is not THE most vollumising mascara in the world but I use this more for general daily wear for a natural pretty eyed look and reserving a more dramatic effect mascara for weekends and nights out. One other less desirable point to note is that this one clumps a little on the brush end, meaning I really have to scrape it off on the top inside of the tube as I pull it out to stop a clump coming out on the end of the wand which would effectively transfer on my eyes creating a not so lovely gloopy clumpy look (I hate when that happens!)

Basically, the main point of me buying this one was for its kindness to eyes and I believe it delivers... :-)

Have you guys tried any other 'Sensitive' mascaras that would be worthwhile?

Drugstore Foundation of the Moment: Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation Review

As far as drugstore foundations go I usually buy Revlon foundations (with Revlon ColorStay being my favourite, followed by Revlon PhotoReady.) But, when I paid my local Superdrug a visit to purchase a new darker foundation due to my skin developing a decent tan from being on holiday in Egypt, I found myself trying out Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation. I loved the fresh look of the model and the fun and fruity design in the ads and as they had it on offer at £7.99 I was drawn to it and thought I would try something new. I went for colour 54 'Beige' which seemed like the perfect colour for my current tan'ness, baring in mind I am usually quite fair skinned.

The first thing I noticed about this is the smell. It has a lovely fruity smell (quite like peaches) that actually lasts on the skin and almost brightens my mood when I get a whiff of it in work. As for the formulation it is'nt runny but has a decent thickness and is quite creamy so when I apply it with my foundation brush it goes on well, settling into the skin as a slightly matte base, leaving my skin feeling velvety smooth with a nice dewy glowing look. This stays put throughout my working day and does not slide/wype off easily. I have sensitive skin which is often dry in areas and therefore I need to be careful of which products I allow to grace it but I found this to be quite comforting for my skin. It keeps it fairly moisturised and does not dry it out or make it feel tight like some other foundations. The benefit about the packaging is that it has a pump which I beleive is more convenient and hygienic, also you can clearly see how much is left in the bottle which avoids you unexpectedly running out. I'm not so sure if the described "fruits" and "vitamins" within this mixture actually have any benefit but if I were to trust what Bourjois say then the fact it contains such components is good also.

Now, for the bad points... I found that on first application it seems like quite a nice colour but then after a little time it seems to oxidise and starts to orange. With looking orange being one of my pet hates this is not so desirable and so I found to keep it at bay I have to apply a lighter tanned powder over the top. I use a discontinued AVON mineralise loose powder for this which I just sweep over my face. The bad things about the packaging is that it is quite cheap and plasticy and not very sturdy. Lastly, after a few days of full usage a few little spots seem to appear on my t-zone - nothing considerate or controversial as this often happens to my skin due to makeup but it needs to be noted :-)

Overall, this is not a wonder product and I will not be swapping my Revlon Colorstay for this temporarily, but it made for a nice little change and as far as drugstore foundations go I would recommend trying this one as it is far better than some.

(Excuse how sleepy I look in this pic - It was taken after a tiring day in work!)

:-)

Have you tried Bourjois 10 hour sleep effect foundation...? Think I will try this next time!

Nail Polish Love of the Moment: China Glaze - Agent Lavender

To satisfy my current obsession with pastel nails I rummaged through my nail polish drawer checking out all of the light colours in my collection. I came across a few forgotten polishes which met my criteria, but one in particular stood out...

China Glaze - Agent Lavender.

This is a pale lilac/light blue polish, it is quite a cold muted colour but bright at the same time (if that makes sense at all) and looks wonderfully powdery and creamy. A gorgeous light tan works a treat with this and it also seems to match a lot more outfits than I had originally thought it would!

I had this on today and after just a few hours of wearing it I had received several compliments which has only increased my love for it now :-)

Also, it needs to be noted that this, like most China Glaze polishes, glides on with little hassle and dries like a dream. However, as it is quite a light opaque polish two coats were needed, which tends to be the norm for me anyways!


Have you tried 'Agent Lavender' or do you have any other pastel recommendations?

Any opinions are welcomed :-)