A Skincare Routine With Jurlique

Jurlique is a skincare brand that have always been on my radar because of their cult product amongst bloggers, the Rosewater Balancing Mist, yet I hadn't really much experience of them myself. Jurlique have recently opened a lovely new counter in the Chester Debenhams store so I was invited along to see it for myself & have a skincare consultation. 

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation - £31.00 For the longest time I'd been dying to try out a Nars product, with Laguna Bronzer or Sheer Glow that were non-stop raved about by beauty bloggers & not being the biggest bronzer fan it seemed logical to go for the foundation. I popped it on my Christmas gift list this year & my Mum was kind enough to brave the crowds at the Trafford Centre around Christmas to go into Selfridges & purchase a bottle for me. I didn't give too much thought to the shade I'd need as I am always the palest one so my Mum asked the MUA for the lightest one & she was given 'Siberia'. For some reason I always thought 'Mont Blanc' was the palest shade available so when I read Siberia on the bottom of the bottle I did panic slightly thinking it would be too dark for me. However it is actually one of the lightest foundations I've used & suits my skin tone perfectly! It's a neutral shade with a balance of both pink & yellow undertones, which is the right colour combination for me as I don't like my foundation to look rosey but I find yellow based foundations don't suit me either.
Sheer Glow is described by Nars as a glowing, natural radiant finish foundation with sheer and build able coverage that immaculately evens skin tone & completely agree with that description. It feels lightweight yet is able to provide flawless coverage, giving my skin a much needed glow. Thanks to the Nars Complexion Brightening Formula & anti-oxidants being included in the ingredients my skin is provided with the benefits of skincare through a makeup item which is a win-win situation for me. I apply the foundation with either a brush or my hands, depending on what mood I'm in really. I mostly opt for my hands because using a brush tends to leave strokes all over my face, meaning more work to blend it & buff it in & I'm lazy! The satin texture makes my skin feel smooth & soft, with a radiant, fresh look to it. I find that a tiny bit goes a long way, I always manage to get the coverage I desire with a small amount & having used it regularly since Christmas I've still got over half the bottle left. One thing I actually really like about this foundation that others seem to be annoyed about is the fact it doesn't contain any SPF. It means I can wear it on a night out/to a family event & I don't need to worry about sporting a ghost face when I have a photograph taken! If I'm wearing it during the day I apply an SPF anyway so it's not a problem for me. 
Every single time I wear this foundation I receive compliments about my skin & I feel like I'm forever recommending it to anyone & everyone but I really do feel like it's worth the price tag! The one thing I'd change is for a pump to be included but as long as your careful it's not too bad. Next on my list to try is the new Nars All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation but I'd also like to try a blush & one of the Velvet Matte Lip Pencils too! Oh & the Creamy Concealer! 
Have you tried Nars Sheer Glow Foundation?
L x 
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makeup revolution the one blush sticks

Makeup Revolution The One Blush Sticks* - £5.00 As I mentioned in my 'New Beauty Bits' post last week, Makeup Revolution have released a new range of blushers which I've been testing out & it's now time to share my findings! The collection consists of eight shades in two different shades matte & bold and the packaging is even designed to reflect the finish of the product... so matte black plastic packaging for all four matte shades & black shiny plastic packaging for the four shimmer/bold shades. They're multi-use too, meaning they aren't just to be applied to your cheeks but work as a lip product as well! 

The Matte swatches from left to right are: Matte Dream, Matte Pink, Matte Rush & Matte Malibu.

Matte Dream is a very pale pink whilst Matte Pink is a Barbie kinda pink shade with cool blue undertones. Matte Rush is a bright coral colour & Matte Malibu is a warm brown/terracotta shade. Malibu is probably the shade that is the most unwearable for me, as it appears quite muddy on my pale complexion but it would work well on darker skin tones. Matte Dream & Pink are both really pretty shades, with Dream being perfect if you're wanting a little flush of colour/highlight & Pink if you want a pop of colour on your cheeks. Rush, although it looks really bold when swatched is a really flattering blush colour & is also the only colour I'd actually wear on my lips. Whilst all of the colours could be worn on the lips they aren't really my cup of tea when it comes to lipstick shades but I've been wearing more coral/orange/peach tones on my lips since discovering they suit me! Even though these are a matte formula they still have a creamy consistency & apply really smoothly using either a stippling brush or a blusher brush for a less intense look.

Swatches from left to right are: Dream, Pink, Rush & Malibu. (Sorry I really struggled to get Dream to show up well on these photos!) Dream is definitely a highlighter shade, with it's pearly shimmer finish it sits well on the brow or cheek bone. Pink is a blue toned pink but isn't as pigmented as it's matte sister, meaning it is more wearable. My favourite shade from the whole bunch is Rush, being rose gold I loved it instantly anyway & it reminded me of one of my favourite blushers 'Sleek - Rose Gold' which in turn is a dupe of the famous 'Nars - Orgasm'. Whilst I was doing research for this post I discovered that these blush sticks are actually pretty good dupes for the Nars Multiples & in fact Rush is pretty much identical to the Orgasm shade again.  I know I'd rather be paying £5 instead of £30 any way! Again, Malibu is no good for my pale skin but for tanned or darker skin tones I can see it being a great contour product. This formula is really creamy, soft & again applies well with either a stippling or blusher brush depending on what kind of look you what to go for. 
I think these little blush sticks are absolute bargains, especially when you compare them to the Nars Multiples. Priced at only £5 for a push up 2-in-1 blush/lip product combo they're the perfect makeup item to pop in your handbag too! With two formulas and eight shades to choose from their is definitely something for everyone! If you haven't already then I'd highly recommend heading over to your local Superdrug to check out the Makeup Revolution stand, they're becoming one of my favourite drugstore brands with so many incredible products at really affordable prices.
Which is your favourite shade?
L x

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sleek makeup blush - rose gold

Blush in Rose Gold - £4.49

I picked this blusher up in Superdrug a while ago & kind of forgot I had it until I rediscovered it the other day! Firstly, the colour is an absolutely gorgeous peachy coral shade, with plenty of gold shimmer, I personally don't think my images do it justice, even though I used natural lighting this afternoon... sigh. The blusher adds a nice highlight thanks to the gold flecks that gently sparkle when sweeped across your cheeks. It applies like an actual dream, it is velvety soft & well pigmented, I only need to swirl my brush in the pan once & add a little onto my cheeks. Originally I wasn't sure the colour would suit me as I am ridiculously pale, but it is actually a good tone for my skin & gives me a healthy glow! The matte black packaging feels pretty sturdy, especially considering the price & the mirror is a handy feature for on the go touch ups. Finally, I have heard this product is a dupe for Nars Orgasm & looking at the images online I can see a definite resemblance, if you own Orgasm let me know what you think!?

Have you tried any Sleek products?

L x

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MUA pro brow kit

MUA Pro Brow Kit - £3.50

I bought this a couple of weeks ago as I've been using a standard brown eyeshadow to fill my brows in for so long I thought it was about time to buy a proper kit. My eyebrows are naturally quite thin, so I like to give them a little help, no scouse brows though! When I first started paying more attention to my eyebrows I used an eyebrow pencil, but I never really achieved the look I was hoping for as more definition is given using a pencil & my brows were way too harsh. Using a shadow & an angled brush changed my brows for the better, I literally feel naked without filling them in now!

Onto the MUA kit... It contains handy little tweezers & a mini angled brush, along with three colours plus a gel to finish off. I use the darkest shade in the set, and sweep the colour through my brows, with the main emphasis on the arch. I'd never used a gel to complete the look before, but I have noticed that it keeps them in place. When I was only using an eyeshadow I'd have patchy brows at the end of the day, not good! I haven't used the mini brush properly because the bristles are a little coarse, but for on the go it would do the job as I don't normally carry full sized brushes around with me anyway.

Overall I'm incredibly impressed with this little kit, especially because I only paid a mere £3 from Superdrug! It's also similar to the Benefit brow zings & the HD brow kit, which both seem to be raved about alot, although they're pretty pricey. One annoying thing about MUA products is that the writing seems to scratch/rub off, which I think looks super messy, but thats a packaging complaint so nevermind!

Have you tried any brow kits?

L x

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angelica nail polish

(Angelica Nail Polish* - Glossy Top Coat | Foiled Again | Brit Pop | Heartbreaker)

I had been contemplating picking up a few of these products in Primark a couple of weeks ago when I was in Manchester as I had seen them featured on various blogs. I decided not to because I was trying to save money, therefore I am so pleased I was lucky enough to receive these when Angelica Nails selected my blog after asking people to tweet them. They are priced at a very reasonable £2.50 and next time I am in Primark I will definitely be picking up a few more colours, my Mum has also asked me to get her some as she thinks they are fab! Plus my little Sister has her eyes on them, & as she is forever asking me to paint her nails I think I will start her a little collection of these cute polishes!  

I am being completely honest here when I say this, but I cannot believe how well they apply, they're a dream come true... seriously! After applying only one coat the coverage was perfect, the brush is an ideal size & for the first time in my life I didn't get the polish all over the sides of my nails. I did apply a second coat to see if the colour was enhanced anymore, but there wasn't much difference although I prefer to wear two coats as I know the polish will stay on longer. So far I have no chipped nails either... yay! I have tried all three colours plus the top coat, however I am only featuring images of 'Heartbreaker' applied on my nails because I have 'Foiled Again' & 'Brit Pop' on my toes & no way will I ever take an up-close picture of my feet & upload it to the internet! I will say though that 'Brit Pop' is extremely similar to Technic Carnival that I featured in THIS post, which I'm sure lots of you will be glad to know as it is quite hard to track down now... plus this glitter is easier to apply, I found that it gives a more even spread of glitter. I will be featuring these two in a nail of the day post soon though & I'm looking forward to Christmas time even more so now because 'Foiled Again' seems quite festive to me!

When I opened the lovely little box Angelica had sent to me I was very excited to see the shocking pink colour, as I don't have many bright polishes, mainly pastels, but there has been a bit of a neon craze recently! I would describe this as a neon pink, as it really is very eye-catching when worn although it does have blue iridescent shimmer to it. Some people will think this is ridiculously tacky & some will love it, I actually love it alot! It's great for me because I tend to wear quite neutral clothes so this adds a pop of colour to my outfits. I applied the glossy top coat over which added a smooth finish, although I did notice the brush picked up some of the colouring, I managed to wipe it off the brush but I assume it was because the colour is so intense? Anyway it didn't happen when I applied it over the silver polish.

You can find Angelica on Twitter, Facebook & their Website is currently being updated but check it out anyway :)

Do you own any of the Angelica polishes? 

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topshop lipstick | inhibition

Topshop Lipstick Inhibition - £8

I finally bought my first Topshop lipstick a couple of weeks ago, after umming and ahhing over which shade to buy for ages! I went for Inhibition as I tend to suit darker lipsticks rather than nude or pink toned ones. I originally wanted to get Beguiled but noticed Inhibition and preferred the colour of this as it wouldn't be as harsh. 

The colour is a dark plum, I apply it lightly as it's quite pigmented and I don't want to look like a wannabe goff haha! Even when applied lightly it gives a strong colour, I love it though. People often compare the Topshop lipsticks to the MAC ones, I can't really say much though as I only have a lustre in MAC and this is a matte finish. I usually apply a lipbalm over the top to give a slight shine. The quality is great for the price though, I did buy a similar colour to this by the brand 17, it was almost £6 and was awful to apply! It didn't glide on my lips at all so I gave up and have never properly worn it. I do think Topshop makeup is lovely though, I want more of it, I have a blusher which I've had for well over a year, I use it everyday and I've still not hit pan. Their colour range is amazing, everytime I'm in Topshop I'm drawn to their makeup stand, the way they display the nail polishes is just perfect!

Have you tried any Topshop makeup?

L x

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review | ogario restore & shine hair masque

Ogario are currently running an Olympic offer, enabling you to claim a free sample of this hair masque, click here to get yours, the offer ends on August 12th.

The first thing that impressed me about this product was the smell, the lavender and sage go together creating a fresh scent that I can't get enough of! The best thing is, after washing the masque out of your hair the fragrance still remains, even for a few days. I was really looking forward to using this as my hair can be quite difficult to manage as it is so thick and in desperate need of a cut... As guided I shampooed and conditioned my hair, then squeezed the excess water with a towel, this allows the product to work to its full potential. Application of the masque was easy, it smoothed over my hair with no problems. I chose to leave the masque on my hair for around 20 minutes, as my hair is quite dry and in need of some TLC! When I washed it off I was amazed with how soft my hair felt, I left my hair to dry naturally as I'm trying not to use any heat on it at the mo, and instead of the usual frizzball curls my hair had gentle, loose beach style waves. I have used this twice now and have been pleasantly surprised with the results, I never like to believe in something until I've tried it myself but this stuff is honestly incredible! My hair is much easier to handle after using this, appears much healthier with a lovely shine, it has life again!

Ogario retail the masque at £26.50, which seems pricey however this is for 200ml, I was sent a 15ml pot, which I have only used half of after using it twice, so I do think you would get your moneys worth. I think I will be adding this miracle product to my Christmas list!

Have you ever tried any hair masques? How do you keep your hair in good condition?

L x

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lush skincare review | oatifix face mask

When I was in Manchester last week I popped into the Lush store with my friend Abi, as I wanted to purchase a few things. I asked one of the assistants, (who was amazing, seriously the nicest lady I've ever met, she was so so helpful) if she could point me in the right direction of skincare for dry skin. She sat me down and brought over a lot of different products, which she allowed me to test. Firstly she cleansed my skin with Ultrabland, then applied two different masks on each hand. One was the BB Seaweed, the other being Oatifix. After washing off the masks with warm water she showed me Celestial and Skin Drink, then applied these too. There was so many products she introduced me to, a few others were a toner water & a massage bar, but I really can't remember which ones, I have them written down somewhere though! No word of a lie my skin was SO smooth after the treatment, it was awesome! When my boyfriend picked me up about 4 or 5 hours later my skin still felt amazing, I couldn't believe it. 

In the end I purchased the oatifix mask, as I couldn't resist the smell, which is made up of bananas, oatmeal and vanilla, plus the hand she had applied it to felt like it was slightly smoother and more refreshed. I also bought the Whoosh Shower Jelly, as a treat for my boyfriend and this is also AMAZING! Sorry I keep using the word amazing, but I really am amazed by all these products! 

I have used oatifix today and I am really pleased with the results. I have dry patches on my forehead, chin and my nose sometimes, I do feel like my skin is so dehydrated, even though I try to drink as much water as possible and I always moisturise! So far my skin feels fresh and appears to be brighter. I am going to use this again in a couple of days to keep up the fresh feeling it has given me! I expected it to apply a little easier than it did do, but it wasn't frustrating or anything, I just warmed it up in my hands a little and smoothed it on quite thickly. 

The lady who served me also gave me a free sample of the Ultrabland cleanser as she couldn't stop raving about it, she says it had changed her life! I have used this a couple of times, whilst it does the job perfectly at removing all my makeup it does leave my skin feeling very greasy. I have been told the 9 to 5 Cleansing Milk is really good, so I might try that next time. I've also made a mental note to add Skin Drink to my Christmas list as I couldn't justify spending almost £12 whilst I was in Manchester on my shopping trip, I'd already spent a fortune in Primark!

Have you tried any Lush products? What are your favourites?

L x

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MUA lipstick - shade 1 & shade 13

(Top to bottom: Packaging, Shade 1, Upclose, Shade 13, Upclose, Swatches - 13 is the top)

Yesterday I went to Manchester with one of my friends Abi, as she wanted to try on the famous American Apparel disco pants and we thought we would make a day of it! I spent far too much money, especially in Primark, I can't believe how good some of their items are at the mo, I had to be super careful not to go overboard... Anyway this blog post is dedicated to two lipsticks I purchased, after reading sooo many blog posts about them I had to try them out and see what all the hype was about!

When we went into Superdrug there was a lady fussing over all the MUA (Makeup Academy) products, I was talking away to Abi about how I had heard people raving about the lipsticks and the lady turned round to tell me that according to the Guardian they are rated as one of the best quality lipsticks! This made me even more eager to buy a few but I really couldn't decide which ones. I think I actually swatched the whole range, my hand was a beautiful rainbow of pink, red & peach shades! In the end I opted for shades 1 & 13, only now I am realising how similar they are, both being reds, ooops... 

Shade 1 is the darker shade of red and also my favourite out of the two. It has tones of purple, infact I think it applies as a plum colour, so it is a little misleading. I'm so bad at describing colours though, sorry! Check out the swatch images above to get a better idea, shade 1 is the bottom swatch though, I muddled up the order by accident :(

Shade 13 is quite vibrant, however it does have blue undertones so it appears quite pinky when swatched or applied. I'm not actually that keen on this colour when applied, my sister did say it made my skin look really good though... I felt like it washed me out! For only £1 I really can't complain though, I think I'm just not used to seeing myself with red lips!

An extra little feature of these lipsticks is the additional product stored at the bottom, which indicates the shade. These simply unscrew to reveal the extra lipstick (I say simply, but I can't get the bottom off shade 1) but still its a pretty awesome way of displaying the shade and when the actual lipstick runs out there is always the little pot left! 

A downside to these lipsticks is that they always seem to be out of stock! I've been into a couple of Superdrug stores in various places of the country and the stands are always a complete mess (sort it out Superdrug!) with about 4 or 5 of the shades completely missing ): a n n o y i n g! Finally I'm not a fan of lipsticks being referred to as numbers, I find it much easier to remember names, it becomes a little bit confusing, especially as earlier I muddled up the lids, which have the shade numbers on, leading me to be unsure which one belonged to each lipstick.

Have you ever tried anything from the MUA range? I think my next purchase will be the Heaven & Earth palette, an almost perfect dupe for the Urban Decay Naked palette's! 

L x