Wednesday 30 May 2012

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter!

I finally caved and treated myself to one of the new Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters while they were £2 off in Boots.

I opted for the shade Tutti Frutti, which in the bullet looks a bright orange colour. I wouldn't usually go for orangey tones, but I have a lot of pink and red toned lip colours and thought orange could be a nice change for the summer, and would be something a bit different.
I tend to get very dry lips, and thought the texture was great for that - moisturising and it didn't seem to cling to any cracks or any rough bits on my lips. The formula contains mango, shea and coconut butter and claims to 'boost lip moisture by 156%.

I actually really liked the colour. I'm quite fair skinned so was unsure if the colour would work on me but I really like it. The formula is sheer but buildable for a more bold look, and I think this shade would work really well for a lot of different skin tones and is very versatile.
Because I found this gel formula so great for drier lips I would love to try some of the other shades, and I know this product and some other shades are very popular amongst bloggers and youtubers, however I'm not sure if I would buy another at the full price of £7.99, especially the more generic pink shades where very similar colours can be found in other brands. I also really like the packaging, and that it is the colour of the lipstick, which is really handy for storage and finding it easily.

I am loving Tutti Frutti at the moment, and despite normally being a fan of pink lip colours, this is what I have been wearing every time I've been out since I bought it and I enjoy experimenting with different make-up looks with it.

Let me know how you find the Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters for you and if you have any recommendations or tips for dry lips!

xxx

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter - £5.99 on offer from Boots (Normally £7.99) http://www.boots.com/en/Revlon-ColorBurst-8482-Lip-Butter_1252852/

Monday 28 May 2012

NYC All Day Long Foundation Review!

I recently bought the NYC All Day Long Smooth Skin Foundation in an attempt to find a good bargain drugstore foundation.


I have pretty dry skin most of the time, but as things warm up for Summer my skin tends to get more moisture to it and become more of the 'normal' skin type.
When I began using this foundation the weather was a bit cooler and grey, therefore my skin was a bit dryer. Although I always moisturise before applying my foundation, I found the product was a bit cakey on my dry areas and dried in any lines or on blemishes.

Luckily, the weather got brighter and a lot warmer and, unlike a lot of pricier foundations you find in drugstores, I felt this is where it excelled. I found it blended really well on the skin and didn't feel heavy or too much for the skin in the hot weather. It gives a more matte finish than I normally go for, but it didn't make my skin look dull.

As a paler girl I found the colour great for my skin tone. A lot of paler foundations I've tried have been too pink for the tone of my skin.


It lived up to it's 'All Day Long' promise and stayed put on my skin all day, despite being in the sunshine and walking around a lot (and let's be honest, sweating a bit! - Sorry!). I liked that after a few days of using it I could put it on in the morning and not worry about it melting off and being left too shiny.
It has no SPF but I use my Superdrug Vitamin E SPF 15 Moisturising Day Cream everyday before applying.

While it might be too matte for me personally in other seasons, I'll be using this in the warmer weather for a non-moving, reliable base. I think it's a great buy for the price (£3.99 from Superdrug), but possibly not for you if you have particularly dry skin.

Let me know if you've tried it and what you thought or if there's any cheap drugstore foundations you'd recommend!

xxx

NYC All Day Long Smooth Skin Foundation - £3.99 from Superdrug http://www.superdrug.com/foundation/nyc-all-day-long-foundation-classic-beige/invt/380850/&bklist=

Superdrug Vitamin E Skin Care SPF 15 Moisturising Day Cream - £2.99 from Superdrug http://www.superdrug.com/superdrug/superdrug-vitamin-e-spf-15-moisture-cream-100ml/invt/398217/&bklist=

Friday 25 May 2012

Girlz Only Dry Shampoo....

Dry Shampoo is a beauty must-have of mine.
I'm regularly having highlights and root touch-ups, so my hair isn't always in the best condition.
I'm always trying to do what I can to keep my hair healthy and stop it getting so dry so I try to avoid washing my hair daily. My hair is quite thick, so unless it's been heavily styled with a lot of product, it will generally be fine the next day (even if it's not, I'll often stick it in a bun or a ponytail). But a spritz of dry shampoo before I go out and 9 times out of 10 I'm good to go, and looking and feeling fresher. Sometimes I'll even just dry shampoo for the third day (don't judge me!).

I had only ever used Batiste dry shampoo in the past, and it's always a product I try and keep in stock. It's cheap (200ml bottle retails at £2.99), effective and I like the scents they come in (I tend to use Blush).
But I'm always one to give new products a go, especially cheaper alternatives, so when I saw the Girlz Only dry shampoo range in Tesco, I knew I wanted to try it.



I bought it it in the scent 'Hazy Days', which smells pleasant, but I do prefer the 'Blush' from Batiste. As far as the quality of the product, it works really well, and just as well as other dry shampoos I have used. Brunettes and darker haired people might have the problem of the white residue that can happen with dry shampoos, but that happens with a lot of drugstore dry shampoos.
At £1.50 for 150ml bottle, I'll definitely be buying it again!

Let me know your thoughts and any hair tricks you have for keeping it healthy!

xxx

I've only found Girlz Only Dry Shampoo on sale from Tesco - £1.50 for 150ml - http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=268396108&sc_cmp=pcp_GSF_67656538

Batiste is available at most high street beauty stores and supermarkets - £2.99 for 200ml.


Wednesday 23 May 2012

It's Raining Men!

I popped into Lush the other day on the hunt for a new soap/shower gel. I was torn between Honey I Washed The Kids soap or It's Raining Men shower gel as I really love sweet scents, particularly honey and vanilla (although I find it really hard to find any vanilla scented soaps/shower gels in Lush).

After a demo of both and much deliberation, I opted for It's Raining Men, and I was not disappointed!
This smells amazing! In the bottle it smells like pure honey heaven! Then when you use it in the shower it releases not only a gorgeous honey scent, but all these citrusy undertones. The assistant in the shop said it was meant to have an exotic floral scent, but I didn't really pick up on this, which is good as I'm not a huge fan of flowery products.



It's really rich and moisturising, and left my skin smelling beautiful... Love, love, love.
However, I only picked up the 100g bottle (for £4.50) which I don't see lasting too long, and I'm not sure I'd want to keep replacing it at the prices it sells for. But we shall see how we go, and if you can afford it and enjoy these kinds of scents, I heavily recommend it!

Also, I have to say the ladies in Lush (Victoria Station) were absolutely lovely and so keen to help and provide their genuine opinions on preferences, which was refreshing and helps brighten your day when you're waiting on tired feet for a delayed train! They also threw in a free sample sized Honey I Washed The Kids soap anyway, so I'll see how I like that when my shower gel is gone.


Let me know if you know any good vanilla smelling products from Lush, what your faves are, and if you know of any similar cheaper alternatives! I'd love to know!

xxx

It's Raining Men Shower Gel - https://www.lush.co.uk/product/233/It's-Raining-Men-Shower-Gel-100g
Honey I Washed The Kids Soap - https://www.lush.co.uk/product/204/Honey-I-Washed-the-Kids-Soap-100g


Tuesday 22 May 2012

Beauty Bargain Hunting...

Is it just me or do all your beauty essentials seem to run out at the same time?
Although these must-haves might not be pricey individually, when you have to buy a handful of things at once, it can easily add up. So when I began to run low on a few things lately I thought I'd give some cheaper alternatives a go.




NYC All Day Long Smooth Skin foundation - £3.99 from Superdrug  
NYC Showtime Volumising Waterproof Mascara - £1.99 from Superdrug
2true Effortless Waterproof Eyeliner - £1.99 from Superdrug
Superdrug Vitamin E Skincare SPF 15 Moisturising Day Cream - £2.99 from Superdrug


A new foundation, mascara, eyeliner and moisturiser for less than £11 isn't bad at all. So I'm going to give these a go in my everyday routine and see how we get along. I don't expect miracles from cheaper brands but fingers crossed for some good results! 


Let me know if you've tried any of these and what you thought, or if there's any other cheaper brands you'd recommend!


xxx

Monday 21 May 2012

Minty Fresh Nails...

I've loved mint green nail polishes for a couple of years now, and as Spring/Summer comes around it becomes my go-to colour.

Until recently I had been all about Barry M's Nail Paint in Mint Green. I love the Nail Paints. They comes in a fantastic range of colours, and at £2.99 you can't go wrong. However, I am a chronic nail chipper, and as soon as one chip appears I set about peeling the rest of my polish off. So when looking for a new mint nail polish the Rimmel Lycra Pro polish in Peppermint tickled my interest with their claims to provide 'long lasting, chip resistant, anti-fade colour' and 10 days of professional finish wear.


While I can't claim 10 days with no chips, I have gone 4 or 5 days without a single chip and without having to worry about the state of my nails, which is miraculous by my standards.
The 'maxi brush' makes a good, neat application really simple and means you aren't left having to go back around the sides of the nails or cleaning up imperfections. It also dries quickly which is a huge bonus in my books as I'm massively impatient and my painted nails have suffered countless times due to this!

Although the price tag is slightly higher at £4.59 a bottle, I believe I'll be returning to the Rimmel Lycra Pro polishes when I'm next on the nail polish prowl.

(As a side note, I have looked at the Essie polishes that have recently come to UK drugstores, but am yet to try them as I personally wouldn't want to spend £7.99 on a nail polish that has had mixed reviews. However, I know the shade Mint Candy Apple is hugely popular amongst bloggers and Youtubers and what I have seen (in the shops and from online photos) I think that both the Barry M Mint Green Nail Paint and the Rimmel Lycra Pro in Peppermint would make great purse friendly dupes...)

I'd love to know what you think and if there are any other drugstore summer colours you would recommend?

xxx

Rimmel Lycra Pro Colour Memory polish in Peppermint (500) - http://www.boots.com/en/Rimmel-LYCRA-PRO-Colour-Memory-Nail-Polish_1211374/

Barry M Nail Paint in Mint Green - http://www.superdrug.com/barry-m/barry-m-nail-polish-mint-green/invt/561621/&bklist=

Sunday 20 May 2012

Why, hello there...


I'm Sarah, a 21 year old lover and stalker of beauty and fashion bloggers and youtubers, who thought she'd give it a whirl on a long and empty Sunday afternoon.


I love reading a whole variety of blogs, about high end products, or drugstore bargains, however I don't always have the money I'd like to spend on beautifying myself so I thought I'd blog about drugstore/high street/lower end beauty products I have tried/loved/loathed and find out any that you're fans of that I could give a go.

It could be rubbish, but as a newbie please be nice and I hope to have some posts up soon that hopefully someone will enjoy!

xxx