An Ode to Revlon

Revlon have always been one of my favourite high street brands, the Photoready foundation is my go to for my everyday base and their recent blush releases are gorgeous, I recently picked up a few new products in the Boots three for two offer as you do, after reading so many good things about the Photoready Skin Lights Face Illuminator I knew I needed it for my collection, I chose the shade 'Bare Lights' as it looked like a perfect match for my skin tone, the other shades were either too pinky or too golden, this shade has a beautiful pearlescent sheen to it which gives the skin a really radiant finish and helps to create the perfect base when worn under foundation.

I also picked up the Revlon Colorstay Smoky Shadow Stick in 'Torch Incendiaire', I thought this would be the perfect product for an on the go smokey eye, the formula is really creamy and blendable, I love using the nude shade on my brow bone as a highlight and the darker shade under the eye for a subtle smokey effect. My last purchase took me a while to choose and I walked out of Boots with an arm full of Revlon Colourburst Matte Balm swatches, I eventually settled on the shade 'Unapologetic'  - a bright neon pink, I felt my collection was missing a statement pink until I got this bad boy, the formula is really long lasting and for a matte product my lips stay nice and hydrated whilst wearing this, I like to pair this with a neutral eye and classic cat flick liner.

I cannot wait to see what Revlon bring out next, they have been so impressive as of late. What have been some of your favourites?

Keep on Scrubbin'

Exfoliation is the key to a glowing, radiant complexion. I like to use a good exfloliator on my body at least once a week to remove dead skin cells and renew my skin. But when it comes to my beauty routine exfoliation is a step I am always skipping, through sheer laziness of course, I mean there are so many amazing facial scrubs on the market, two of my favourites are from the wonderful brand Soap and Glory. 'Scrub Your Nose In It' is a scrub specially formulated to make pores appear smaller and prevent blemishes, it really brightens up the skins complexion, this is also marketed as a scrub/mask duo and it is recommended that you apply this and leave it on for two minutes allowing enough time for it to work its magic. The second scrub is the 'Greatest Scrub Of All' this one is for all skin types and it is great for un-clogging your pores after a week of wearing make up everyday, this is my favourite of the two, as with all Soap and Glory products these both smell amazing. I know they have recently re-packaged alot of their skincare range but I think they have kept the names all the same.

What are your thoughts on the new packaging?

A Bath Time Favourite

We all know spending can get a little out of control when it comes to bath and beauty products, but every now an then we come across and absolute gem that doesn't cost the earth, enter Radox Muscle Soak, rich in minerals and blended with thyme this smells lovely and it really does help you to relax after a stressful day, it also promises to ease tired and aching muscles so it is perfect after a class at the gym. The best thing about this product though is the price, £1 will buy you a box of the stuff, and you only need a few spoonfuls per bath so I can see this actually lasting quite well. I'm not mad on the packaging so I poured it into a pretty jar which looks much nicer alongside my other bath time essentials in the bathroom.

Oh and one more thing, this beauty bargain turns the bath water a lovely shade of blue... need I say more??

Botanics Eye Cream Review

Botanics Skincare range always impress me, I cannot get enough of the Rose Water Toner and my latest Botanics purchase is no exception. I picked up the Hydrating Eye Cream a few weeks ago now and I have been using it religiously morning and evening as directed, it contains rosehip which nourishes the skin around the eye area. I wouldn't say I have particularly dry under eyes but sometimes I find my concealer can cling to the slightest hint of dryness so I was definitely in need of a little hydration. 

I love the fact that this product is 80% organic, the eye can be such a sensitive area for me so natural skincare products are a must. This eye cream also promises to reduce the appearance of fine lines which is a plus! You get 15ml of product for £8.99 in Boots which is a very good price for a skincare product, I think the tube will last well too as you really only need a little.

Have you tried this yet?

Glow and Prime with Seventeen

I have been on the look out for a high street radiance primer style product for some time now but I have had trouble finding a product that primes and gives the skin a gorgeous glow until now .. enter Seventeen's Wow! Skin 3 Way Highlighter. So what are the three ways you can use this? Well firstly Seventeen suggest using this underneath your foundation as a primer, or you can mix it in with your foundation and the last suggestion is using this after foundation on your cheekbones to give the skin a radiant finish. Having tried all three techniques I would say my favourite way to use this is to apply this before foundation, I don't find it too shimmery, I think it adds just the right amount of glow to the skin.

If you want something subtle for the daytime I recommend just dabbing this onto your cheekbones, coners of the eye, brow bone and cupids bow for a natural finish. The product itself is a pearly shimmery liquid, you only need a little so use sparingly. The best thing about this product has to be that it retails at £5.99 in Boots.

Have you tried Seventeen's 3 Way Highlighter?

Benefit Brow Shaping Kit

Benefit's Brow Zings is a complete brow kit to keep those unruly brows in check, it contains a handy pair of tweezers for any stray hairs, an angled brush, a blending brush, powder and a wax. The first step to perfect brows is the shape, so use the tweezers to pluck any rouge hairs and then with the hard angled brush and the wax shape your brows as desired, once you have your ideal shape then take the blending brush and the powder and fill in any gaps or sparse areas, this powder will also help set the brows in place.

Now for a brow product I think this is really quite pricey at £23.50 for the kit, I do love the packaging and I think it is great that it includes the tweezers and brushes but for me the overall results isn't much different from when I use Maybelline's Master Shape Brow Pencil, review here and this only costs £2.99 from boots.

Have you tried Benefit's Brow Zings? Do you think it is worth the money?

Burt's Bees Trio

Whilst wondering the aisles of Boots the other day I came across the Burt's Bees section, I have heard alot of great things about this brand so I picked up this trio as I thought it would be a great introduction into the types of products they have. Plus it came in a sweet little tin so I just had to have it. Burt's Bees products are 100% natural so I couldn't wait to start using them. I purchased the Hand Salve which is an intensive balm that moisturises and treats rough and dry hands, this smells lovely and really does the trick. The trio also includes the traditional Burt's Bees Beeswax Lipbalm, this contains almond oil and emollient lanolin which help to care for dry and cracked lips which is something I definitely suffer with during the colder months so this will come in useful this winter. My favorite of the three products has to be the Lemon Cuticle Cream which contains beeswax, sweet almond oil and lemon oil, all which help to keep those cuticles looking in top tip condition. To use this I just rub it into my nail bed pushing the cuticles back at the same time.

This is the perfect little set for a gift or if you just fancy treating yourself. What do you think of Burt's Bees products?

Vichy Dermablend Foundation

I love trying new foundations, so I have sampled a fair few in my time. The Vichy skincare range is so lovely and when I found out they also did foundations I was really excited to try it. I picked up the Vichy Dermablend Fluid Corrective Foundation in the shade Nude (25). You really do only need a little bit of this as a little goes along way, for me I find it to be quite full coverage, it conceals any redness and sorts out uneven skin texture leaving a satin finish to my skin. I apply this using my Real Techniques buffing brush, and really work it into my skin.

This foundation is my go to for a night out as it isn't too dewy as long as I use a little finishing powder and it gives a really flawless finish. The foundation itself claims to last 16 hours but after wearing it to work a few times I'm not so sure I can say it lives up to those claims, it tends to get a little oily around my T-zone, nothing that a little powder can't sort out though. It also contains SFP 20, so that's great if your planning to wear this in the day time.

For such a good quality foundation I find the price to be really cheap, at £15.50 for 30ml at boots it really is a bargain.

You can also purchase it online here.

'He's a Rebel and he'll never ever be any good'

 

This tinted moisturiser 'You Rebel' by Benefit Cosmetics has been in my make up stash for ages! It's a product that I have used a lot but for some reason has fallen out of my daily make up routine. I think I had replaced this for something with fuller coverage, however now the weather is lovely I don't want my face to have much product on it so I've dug this back out. 

Obviously being a tinted moisturiser this does have little coverage, it is enough to even out my skin tone and adds a little sun protection with SPF 15. This product comes in only two colours, and 'You Rebel' is the darkest of the two so I'm not sure the shade range is going to suit everybody. 

This, along with a little concealer is the perfect 'no make up' make up, it does give my skin a nice glow so if you have slightly oily skin you may need a little powder. It also has great staying power so keeps you looking great all day. Compared to some other tinted moisturiser products this one is a tad more expensive at £24.50 in boots, I do think it is worth the extra pennies for the quality of the product, and as I said I have had this a while now and think I still have a third of the tube left (with a few squeezes!!!) 

Are you a fan of 'You Rebel' and Benefit?

Under £5 Beauty Buys

£5 doesn’t get you much especially when it comes to beauty products I think I have found some real gems that all retail at £4.99 leaving you a bit of change! First up is a product that I loved so much I used it up and just had to re-purchase a new one! Botanics Rosewater Toning Spritz is 100% organic and claims to cleanse impurities and leave your face feeling refreshed, well it certainly does that, I use this product after cleansing to get rid of any last scraps of make-up that may have got left behind, the smell is so fresh and it leaves my skin feeling clean and soft all ready for a blob of moisturiser! Vaseline Spray & Go New Body Moisturiser Aloe Fresh is the perfect moisturiser, it doesn’t leave you with that sticky can’t get dressed feeling, you spray over your body, rub in and it is instantly absorbed. It leaves your skin feeling so soft!

Up next is the L’Oreal New Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution , Being a fan of Bioderma Micellar Water I was interested to try L’Oreal version as it is quite abit cheaper, at £4.99 it comes in under our £5 budget! It claims to dissolve make-up, unclog pores, remove impurities, and tone and soothe skin. Like Bioderma you use with a cotton pad and sweep across the face without needing to rub and make-up comes right off!! This product is suitable for sensitive skin as well which is a plus. I hope more brands catch on the this Micellar water/solution craze, I like it!

Love Danielle