Primark Black Silver and Pink Nails

Another nail review from Primark...

These little babies cost just £1 from Primark! After the last set of perfect nails which I also reviewed I decided to give these a pop. These are slightly shorter which is a bit more comfortable for me, means I can type and use my phone as normal, not to mention change my sons nappy without scratching or eye loss on his part...

Here is how they look:

Upon close inspection I have noticed a few imperfections, which I am guessing is why they are £1 but it really is on close inspection and I doubt anyone else would notice; such as a smudge on one of the black lines but I challenge you to find which one on the picture!

All in all I think they are great value nails, I'm not sure how long they will last as just had them done so will update this post when they come off, but I suspect a while as they are on nice and tight and the previous pair were fab.

Another great Primark product, rush out and bulk buy!

UPDATE: They lasted 8 days! 8 days for a pound, WOW!

Sure Crystal Clear Pure

One of the products I use on a daily basis without fail has to be deodorant. I worry if I'm not wearing and feel self conscious. This is by far my favourite deodorant to wear and here is why.

It claims 48hr protection, even for the most active women and I definately agree with it. I apply it in the morning when I get out of the shower and that's it until my next shower, I never smell or feel sticky under my arms. Infact, (TMI) when I do actually start to sweat the deodarant kicks in and smells really nice. I cant quite place the scent of it but it is a very powdery smell almost like baby powder. It also boasts white mark protection like most deodorants these days, and I have never had a problem with white marks on black clothing while using it. One bottle tends to last me about 2 weeks of using every day so I do think its great value for money, it retails at around £2.10 for 150ml.

Here is how it looks:

If you are after a very nice smelling deodorant that's long lasting I would definately buy this! Its normally on 3 for 2 in boots, or just this week I managed to pick up 3 for £5 at Asda. ;)

St Moriz Fake Tan Mousse

I will admit it to you all now, I don't general wear fake tan very often. I am happy with my skin tone and when the sun comes out I am blessed with a nice tanned glow. However, when the sun doesn't come out for a while I get a sickly pallor which would make even the Cullen's feel queasy. So when the time comes, I reach for St Moriz.

I haven't used this product in a while, the last bottle I purchased myself was from TJ Hughes for £1.99 and since the closure in Plymouth I thought I was doomed. But hooray for Bargain stores, its now on sale for £2.99 at Savers for 200ml.

Heres how it looks:

If you wear fake tan, certainly reach for this product, seriously. I get the best results when I ex foliate and moisturise the day before, but its up to you... Its a mousse texture that you just rub on to your skin, you don't have to worry about being too even with it as long as its all over and there are no marks. Go to bed, or wait at least 8 hours, then jump in the shower. While in the shower you will notice any of the nastiness coming off and leaving a lovely sun kissed glow. I only like a little sun kissed glow so one application is fine for me and last a good week or so, great for those nights out. I find it doesn't leave you looking like a baked bean, orange, or any other variant of Katie Price skin tone you can think of.

In all, its a great product just be careful once its open to leave the product upright or you may end up with a nasty leak on your carpet ;)

Suddenly Madame Glamour

Well, I was in need of a new perfume. My favourite bottles were all empty and my Mum is an avid Chanel wearer. She heard about this perfume on a YouTube video promoting the perfume. It is claimed that the perfume smells just like Chanel and you are even challenged to smell the difference!

The best part of it, it retails at £3.99 for 50ml which is an absolute bargain but not only that we managed to get it on offer for £1.99! Arghhhhhhh!

Here is how it looks:

Im not going to lie, the packaging doesn't make me wet my pants in anticipation. It looks like a standard sort of perfume you can pick up in Wilkinson's... 

Now for the smell, I personally cant tell the difference between this and Chanel Coco Mademoiselle. No seriously. At all. My Mum however can tell the difference but only just, and to be fair she's been wearing the perfume steady now since we bought it...

The only down side I can see is that the perfume doesn't really have lasting power, at the end of a long day of wearing it it does get a sort of stale-ish smell. Not noticeable to someone who isn't sitting on your lap but still, stale perfume isn't great.

All in all, a really great find, its an amazing product for the price, especially if you want a designer smelling product for less than a tenth of the price. Amazing. ;)

Dove Go Fresh Revive Body Wash Pomegranate

Empty product review coming up!

I actually love this product so much, it smells absolutely divine. It retails at around £1.20 for 250ml which I think is a fairly reasonable price. The packaging is synonymous with Dove, the standard shaped white bottle with a picture on the front that explains what is inside. Simple.

Here is how it looks:

Now I dont generally buy into the hype about moisturising body wash, I just want a body wash that washes me and makes me smell as good as I look (eye roll) but I really did notice a difference with this body wash. It made my skin smooth and silky and made me feel like it was doing my skin good. The colour of the product itself is a slightly pinkish purple colour which I thought was lovely. 

But the thing I loved the most about this product... the smell! It made me instantly fall in love with it. Its a lovely fruity scent that isn't too over powering, its just perfect. Ill be getting another bottle soon! 

To sum up its a great product and I think Dove have done fantastic. The smell is amazing, the price is great. ;)

VO5 Plump It Up Dry Backcombing Spray

Received this product from Miss Glossy Box to trial and review. Its 200ml and retails at around £3.89 which personally I think is a bargain!

This is how the product looks:

First off the smell:

Its gorgeous! I actually sprayed it on my hair just because I liked the smell. It smells a little bit like Flower Bomb perfume by Viktor and Rolf. For people that don't know the scent of Flower Bomb its very florally, with a slight fruity smell to it. Reminds me a bit of Impulse, but I cant remember which one! All you need to know, its gorgeous!

Feeling: 

It feels light on your hair, not only is it a back comb spray but its a dry shampoo. When spraying on hair it immediately doesn't feel like anything is on there. Not sure whether that's good or bad...

My favourite dry shampoo which I couldn't live without is Batiste Blush, I love the product and use it regularly between washes. This is a close second, although slightly more expensive. 

All in all, if Batiste was discontinued, this would be my regular dry shampoo. ;)

INSTAIN Blush

Eeeeek I'm so happy I received this product from Birch Box to trial and review. I have heard so many rave reviews about this product and as I have used stains before (although never a powder) I was very obliged to give it a go. I like to wear heavy eye make-up, just a little kissed blush, and nude glossy lips so the small size of 0.018oz suits me fine as I know it will last a while.
Heres how the sample looks:

The packaging is adorable, with a magazine type front cover then opens like a book onto a small sample of the powder. I had no problem applying it with a standard blusher brush. I found it best to use a brush as once its on your face you need to blend it very quickly. Dont forget that it is a stain, not a normal powder. 

Although it is a slightly different product than those on the market, I didn't really find any benefit in using it rather than a standard blusher, other than its long lasting ability. I use a primer under my make-up which makes it long lasting anyway... 

The full size is 25.5g and retails for around £12. I wouldn't pay this for a blush/stain no matter how good it was...

All in all, good product, too expensive. ;)

Dead Sea Spa Magik Silky Smooth Body Lotion

So..... 

Received this product from Birch Box to try and review. Its a body lotion which claims to leave your skin feeling silky smooth. The trial size I received was 25ml but the full size is 350ml and retails around £7.70 in shops such as John Lewis. As I have mentioned before I'm really not a fan of using moisturisers regularly and generally use a new one for a few days then it goes in the drawer never to fulfil its destiny. 

Heres how the product looks: 

The product itself looks pretty much like any moisturiser you can get your hands on, white and lotion like. I have heard the smell being likened to "old lady" smell on other blogs, but I actually really like it. It reminds me of Turkish delight and rose petals. I thinks its a really nice smell and would definately use this product just for the floral scent. It left my skin feeling silky smooth, it was non greasy and just soaked in fairly quickly. I would definately buy this product when the sample runs out. ;)

Coola Mineral Sunscreen SPF 20

Hurrah for Glossy Box! I received this one in the middle of a heat wave and desperately in need of a gentle face sun screen as the sun cream I was using wasn't suitable for the face (thanks Nivea... not!)

The product I received was a 7ml tube, but the full size is around 1.7fl oz and retails on places like Amazon for around £30. Here is how it looks:

But lets get down to it...

I really dislike this product. It smells quite funky and not in a good way. I can just about smell the cucumber in it but the rest is just a mix of unpleasantness. It is also a tinted moisturiser which is perfect for my skin tone, but it leaves a mark on my skin similar to that of a snail trail, if you know what I mean. This is a short review as I really don't want to waste any more time on the product.

To sum up, its not my kind of thing, it smells funny and leaves a weird trail on my skin. Yuck. ;)

Ciate Paint Pot Colour 203

Warning! Rave review coming up...

This product was received from Glossy Box to try and review and it retails for around £7.50 for 13.4ml which is about the standard nail varnish size. This is not a brand I have heard of before but it is a brand I will certainly look at buying it in the future. 

Here is how the product looks: 

Its a nice sort of beige colour which looks great on tanned fingers. It has a nice finish, lovely and shiny and a nice colour. The bottle as you can see has a lovely little bow on it which is both very pretty and extra feminine. I'm not sure if the bow on mine will stay that pretty as it will probably have a few spills on it with my clumsiness but its the thought that counts... What you cant see is the shape of the bottle, its shaped a bit different at the back and it feels very nice in the hands. The glass is nice and thick so will likely with stand any drops, which is helpful for me and the carpets...

The only faux pas with it is that it did chip an awful lot, but then again it was worn in the garden while gardening...

All in all I think it is a charming product, with really pretty packaging. I would definately buy this in the future! ;)

L'Occitane Angelica Hydration Cream

I received this item from Glossy Box to try and review. I have to say, the product retails at around £30 per 50ml (Gulp!) so straight off, this put the expectations pretty high!

Here's how it looks: 

A very attractive little pot but most of the writing is in French. Helpful for the French but not particularly helpful for me... It does explain in English on the packaging also however. Upon applying the product I immediately noticed the smell, its not really to my taste but my Mother really liked it. Its got a very natural and light smell which I cant quite place but I'm guessing its the essential oils and the Angelica Water. Its a very light cream, it feels very luxurious on your face. I applied it to just one half of my face so I could feel the difference and I have to say I was not disappointed. The side of my face I applied it on felt lovely and smooth, non sticky, non greasy and very soft. 

I wouldn't pay the price for the product, but my Mother would. I am reluctant to spend that amount of money on a product that doesn't knock my socks off. 

To sum it up, great product, over priced. ;)

BalanceMe Extra Care Wonder Eye Cream

As my readers (if there are any of you?!) will know by now that I do suffer with the appearance of my eyes, I'm 23 but I have tired looking eyes with black bags and discolouration that I have suffered with since I was a child. When I received this item from Glossy Box I was quite excited as I have heard about this cream before and its given 5 stars on the site. 

Its a very hefty priced product for us little people, at around £20 for 15ml (what?!) and I certainly wouldn't pay that price even for a "Miracle Eye Cream." 

Here is how it looks: 

Perhaps I was slightly cheeky straight off saying I wouldn't spend the money on it, as it really is a good product. It smells very pleasant for an eye cream, its made from 99% natural ingredients, and it feels lovely on the skin. Within seconds of applying the cream I felt a nice tightening affect around where the black bags generally live, and I could see a slight noticeable difference where my eyes looked a bit brighter straight away. I seemed to be the only person who noticed this however, so it might be mind over matter...

All in all a great product, the smell lingers for a while after which I loved, and the tight feeling lasted about 15 minutes. I like the product, but I wouldn't buy it simply because of the price. ;)

Derma V10 Re-energising Caffeine Roll On

A product I seriously need! I have suffered with black bags and a slight discolouration around my eyes since I was a child, it always makes me looks tired even when I have gotten 10 hours (which isn't very often any-more!)

I have tried other products very similar to this, mainly the Garnier Roll On (forgive me as I cant remember the exact name) and I have to say there isn't much difference. It comes in 15ml size and believe it or not, we got it for £1 at the Pound Shop!

Here is how the product looks: 

I am always slightly sceptical when it comes to products from discount and bargain stores and so I wasn't expecting alot for the money. My favourite part of the product is the metallic tip which really does refresh tired eyes as its cooling, especially before that first cup of coffee! The main difference between the two products I have tried is that the Garnier version leaves my eyes feeling slightly sticky and dewy where this product dries nicely and doesn't leave any kind of residue behind. As far as getting rid of the black bags under my eyes, that's a lifelong battle that I don't think will be resolved any time soon., but its a nice refreshing product for the price.

I will definitely continue using this product as it makes my eyes feel that little bit less tired and refreshed. ;)

John Frieda Frizz - Ease Original Hair Serum

I received this product to try and review and I have to say, this was a bit of a blast from the past for me. I used to have my hair permed when I was at school, and used to use this serum when I couldn't be bothered to moose and scrunch (terrible I know.) Back then I used it religiously and I have to say it was one of my desert island items, when my hair was permed if I wanted to wear my hair straight even a little bit of moisture would make me look like a cave girl, this helped.

So back to the now. The size is 50ml and it retails at around £6.29. This might seem like alot of money but I have found in boots they normally do a 3 for 2, so you can buy the shampoo and conditioner as well as the serum for about a tenner which isn't too bad.

This is how it looks: 

It is a fairly small product for the price, but believe me a little goes a long way. Just put a pea sized amount in your hand, rub your hands together and run through hair avoiding roots. If you put it on your roots it does tend to weigh it down and make it feel a little greasy. 

Its nice and silky and pretty much does what its supposed to, it stops my hair from going frizzy when I cant be bothered to do my hair after the shower, which seems very often now little man is 8 months old!

To sum it up, I love the product and would definitely buy it regularly if I needed to! ;)

Anatomicals Spray Misty For Me Facial Spritz

I recieved this facial spritz to try and review and I love it. Its a great product for use as a facial moisturiser and also a cooling spritzer for the heat. Used in the middle of a heat wave with temperatures reaching 30 degrees celcius in the UK we are all melting.... Apart from me :D

Containing peppermint for a cooling and refreshing spritz its a great product. It has a scent I cant quite place, but it is a nice and pleasant almost natural smelling spritzer.

I mainly used this product when I remembered that I had it in my handbag and it did provide some refreshing moments, although it didn't relieve my complaints completely (well I am a woman so what else can I say...)

I love the packaging, its simple yet eyecatching. Heres how it looks:

On the back there is an amusing little paragraph which did make me chuckle, reminiscent of the old paragraphs on the back of Innocent Smoothies and Vitamin Water. I wont ruin it for you, run off and purchase for yourself! RRP £6 100MLS.  

Model Co Lip Gloss

I received this lip gloss for free and I am not usual a "Lip Gloss" wearer. I find them too sticky and I hate to reapply make-up throughout the day. I am a "Apply and Go" sort of girl and since I had my son I don't wear make-up very often any more...

That said, here is my review of Model Co. Lip Gloss.

The product packaging is great, I love the handiness of the pot. Its perfect for handbag/pocket and not only that it comes with a mirror attached to the side!

Here's how it looks:

The colour I have is a sort of peachy natural colour which suits me fine as I usually do heavy eye make-up with natural lips and cheeks.

The gloss itself smells pleasant and has that sort of normal lip gloss taste, I wouldn't say it was unpleasant but then again I'm not fussy!

The part I really liked about the gloss was that it has an almost matte feel to it once applied so it doesn't leave that horrible sticky lip gloss overload. I will use this product on my next night out when James is 18 (eye roll) and will definitely be buying this product when it runs, if it gets chance ;)

Jerome Alexander Liquid Silk Under Makeup Primer

Time to reveal my "I cannot live without" Make-up article. For years now I have been using this product and its my life line. It really does what it says on the tin. You apply it before you apply any make-up as a base coat, it glides on like silk and I have even used this before without make-up as a sort of moisturiser because I love the way it makes my skin feel. 

The product retails at around a tenner on-line and it seems to be increasingly hard to get hold of. Here is how it looks:

The packaging looks very professional and makes you feel you are using a professional product. It feels lovely on my skin and doesn't clog my pore or cause spots. I would not apply my make-up without using this first.

Off I go now to panic buy some more from E bay (Other Shopping Sites Available) ;)

Alterna Haircare Bamboo Style Boho Waves Tousled Texture Mist

I was really excited to receive this to try and review from Glossy Box, I have used similar product to this before and have always been left slightly disappointed with either the feeling of hair afterwards or the way it ways my hair down. Its worth noting that my hair is now above shoulder length in a inverted bob and so its not as useful now as it would have been a few months ago when it was longer, but still!

I received a sample size of 0.85fl and its worth to note that this product retails £23 for 125ml so its quite a wallet buster!

Here's how the sample looked: 

Ok so down to the nitty gritty. The product is one of the best of its kind that I have tried and its safe to say I have tried around 3 of these type of "Tousle Sprays" as I love the beach wave look. 

I am not too keen on the smell of the product, it reminded me of a Bergamot shampoo I used when I was pregnant and now the smell actually turns my stomach a little bit, but once the product has been sprayed and scrunched into your hair the smell honestly does subside quite alot and so its not that bad. I sprayed quite alot of my hair over the few days I used it was the middle of a heat wave and I really did not want to blow dry and straighten my hair. 

I was very happy with the effect of the spray, it gave me pleasant waves very similar to when a perm is growing out and that's exactly the look I was after. It left my hair slightly crunchy but that's to be expected as it held all day! 

So to sum it up:

Pro's

• Long lasting hold
• Beach wave effect
• Easy to use
• Did not weigh my hair down

Con's

• The smell was hard for me to stomach
• THE SAMPLE SIZE WAS TOO SMALL!
• The price of the full size is far too much

I would definitely buy this product, if it wasn't for the price. Thumbs up for the product, thumbs down for the price!

Simple Hydrating Facial Moisturiser

I will admit it to you all now, my deep dark secret, my skeletons in the closet... I do not moisturise! I am a typical woman, I get enticed by the advert of the woman running on the beach complaining about dry skin who then raves and smiles about a new brand of expensive moisturiser so off I trot to buy it. I typically use it the week I buy it religiously, then forget all about it. 

Here is how it looks: 

So when I receive a free bottle of this Hydrating Moisturiser I got excited to use it, I have seen all the adverts about the natural, kind to skin formula which makes Simple unique.

I used it for about a week, and honestly do use it on and off still now. I found this product to be great. The moisturiser itself is very light, non sticky, no greasy. When you apply it and rub it in, you honestly forget in minutes that you have put it on, unlike other brands I have found where your hair sticks to your face in the wind! It has no smell, and it feels like it is actually doing your skin good. It feels gentle and moisturising all at the same time. Its RRP is £3.79 for 125ml and I will definately be buying this product when mine runs out, if it ever does ;)

Primark Butterfly Fashion Nails

One of my best finds yet! Whilst browsing through Primark for the latest accessory haul with the Mother we stumbled upon some glue on nails. As somebody who is an avid nail biter and has tried everything in the book to stop, I really liked the look of these nails. Its worth to note that I actually used to get acrylic nails applied every few weeks or so, so I am not an amateur nail shopper!

These nails looked very pretty, simple black packaging but gorgeous French tips with little butterflies printed on and some strategically placed black lines and glitter. The best thing of all, and what made me slightly sceptical... £1 for a pack that may last for two applications depending on nail size. I have very petite nails and so for me this was just suitable for one application, but still, £1!

Now for the price, I would have been more than happy with them if I had applied them and they lasted just for one night out, but these lasted 6 days until I bit them all off (oops!) but I can honestly say when I removed them they were all on tightly still apart from the baby nail and may have possibly lasted another week or so. But please don't quote me on it!

This is the finished look: 

All in all I am extremely happy with these nails, the price, the look and the lasting power. Well done Primark these are fantastic and we have already stocked up on 3 more boxes of various styles!

Nivea Protect and Refresh SPF 50

In the middle of the Great British heat wave of 2013 I found myself desperate for some relief from the heat. I saw an advert for Nivea Protect and Refresh, so off I trotted, bank card in hand, shut up and take my money! I luckily found it in boots on offer for £6 (RRP £16!) for 200ml SPF 50.

I eagerly sprayed the product on my shoulders, arms and chest and waited for the "refresh" to kick in. Nothing. I have to say, for a "cooling" sun block which is supposed to refresh and cool you down, I am disappointed.

The product has a strange aerosol smell to it which makes me reluctant to spray indoors, plus, it has a greasy finish which does not go away until you rub it in. In my eyes this takes the point away from using a "spray on" sun cream.

After just 2 days of use the bottle is nearly empty!

Not least to say, I got burnt! I reapplied the product 4 times on the beach, before and after going in the sea, and I have weird sunburnt patterns all over the areas the sun block was supposed to protect me!

I will not be using this product again, and I implore you to not spend your precious cash on this waste of time and money.

Back to using boots own brand it is for me...

P.S. DO NOT SPRAY WHEN WINDY. Eye accidents may occur... ;)

Live XXL Max Blonde

OK so I decided to go from reddish brown to bright blonde a few months ago and here is my journey from start to (disappointing) finish!

First off I did lots of research through Google and also calling my regular hairdresser for help and advice. She suggested using a bleach based product with "lightening and lifting" power. So off I went to Boots and bought 4 boxes of live xxl max blonde. The reason I bought 4 boxes was because I knew it would take at least 2 boxes per lightening session, if you have short hair you should get away with just 2 boxes!

Before:

So the journey began... 2 boxes of max blonde on the top and my hair, all over, for 45 minutes.... I eagerly awaited the results... PEACH! My hair was a bright peach colour from about half way down to tips, with my roots being bright blonde. Bugger! 

The following day we put another 2 boxes on top avoiding roots, this went all over blonde but then turned a more of a caramac colour. 

I was starting to go into despair, my hair was not even, bleached twice, and I was terrified. I then called back my hair dresser who said to go for an ash colour over the top of the two bleaches as this would even out the slightly orange tint. So off I went, bought an ash blonde, and it went ash blonde! I was still unhappy with the colour as after about 2 days it seemed it was still developing and finally settled on a very strange colour. I then chucked a champagne blonde over the top, and I was happy...!

After:

For one day... I then chucked a black over it...

But all in all, my hair is still in fantastic condition after 2 bleaches and 3 dyes in little under a week.

Lesson learned: Don't go blonde at home, go to the hairdresser! It cost me in total £40. I should have just forked out to the hair dresser ;)