UK Beauty & Lifestyle Blog

Products I wouldn't repurchase // August 2012

I've already found another stash of products hiding in my room that I will never repurchase again, most of the products are from brands that I normally can't fault. Are there any products you love, that I hate? 
1. Natural Collection Lipstick - Apple Blossom - Why an earth I picked up a nude lipstick back along is beyond me. I'm incredibly pale and this makes me look so ill. It's mostly my fault, however I'm going off all my natural collection lipsticks, I know they're cheap, but there's cheaper and much better!
2. Maybelline Pop Sticks - Pink Sugar - I've blogged my hate for this product already but it's still lying around in my house. They are the most pointless product ever created. Every brand is creating their version, they don't moisturise, have no colour and the glitter doesn't even show. It's only use is to look pretty. 
3. FashionistA - The Double Collection - 2 Step Mascara* - I normally love this brand but sadly this mascara isn't for me. I'm fussy when it comes to mascara's and I haven't come across a two step that works, I hoped this would, but it doesn't lengthen at all. Short lashes, clumps, feels sticky & heavy on the lashes.
4. Urban Decay - Waterproof Eye Pencil - Perversion - I picked this up in April when my usual Zero was running out. Zero was out of stock everywhere I looked, bloggers told me Zero was discontinued, it hasn't, they just sold out, blacks popular. Perversion is another black and it's awful, smudges as soon as you apply. 
5. Lush - Jungle Conditioner - I just can't get it to work on my hair, it just sits in a block in it's tin.
6. Percy & Reed - Moisturising Shampoo - This came free with a magazine so at least I haven't wasted much money on trying this product. It's horrendous. So horrendous I will never try the brands other products. If a product has moisturising in it's name I expect it to actually moisturise my hair, it left my hair feeling drier than it was to start with, yet also left this weird sticky feeling, despite being completely washed out. Smells horrid too. This is the one hair product I'll let my brother steal without a fight, now he's back living here.
7. Models Own - Wah Nail Art Pen - White, Black & Pink - I used to like these pens. I think they appeared in one of my favourites, they also appeared in one or two nail designs. Lately they've turned to utter rubbish and I now agree with all you that bash them. The polish itself is brilliant, the design not so great. The pink leaks, my hands have turned pink every time. The black brush has always been split a little. While the white's brush likes to hog the polish all the way to the cap so much that it drips everywhere, I have to wipe the stick before I use. Just awful. Thankfully I have my own nail art tools.
8. Lush - Charlotte Island - This is long gone now, Lush discontinued it ages ago but mines still lying around. It was their first go at a fake tan. It smells gorgeous, but just turns you into a mucky orange colour and very streaky. It also leaves  bits on your skin. Thank god they discontinued.
9. Nivea Visage Young - Purifying Toner - I still have this lying around, it should really be in the bin but I kept it to mention on my blog months ago. I'd use this every day and night until I started a fresh bottle, which wrecked my skin with spots, dryness, sore skin & redness. 
10. No7 - Hot Cloth Cleanser - This is raved about so much on blogs but when I came to use it, I hated it. It didn't do anything to my skin, thankfully I paid £5 because I had a voucher. Still money down the drain. So many people love it but I can't see why. Let me know if you want a barely used hot cloth cleanser.
Disclaimer: Products marked * were sent for review consideration
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.

Monthly Favourites // August 2012

I normally moan about how fast the months go by but now August is over I can't wait for A/W, I'm prepping my wardrobe, my nail polishes and makeup. I'm definitely a winter girl. August has been a much better month for me, there's no point moaning and dwelling. There's been quite a few new every day additions and the two Lush items return quickly, I picked them up half way through July, at the end of August I still adore them, even more. How's your August been?
1. Vivo Lacquer Shine Lipgloss - Angelic* 
2. Revlon Lip Butter - Lollipop - Most worn lip butter, I've loved bright lips.
3. Bobbi Pin Lipgloss - No idea of shade* - Hadn't used before, adore this shade!
4. Look Beauty Nail Pop - Cool Britannia* 
5. Maybelline  Cream Dreamy Foundation - Discontinued, I'll miss this foundation.
6. EOS Lip Balm - Strawberry Sorbet - Favourite flavour, also matches my iPad.
7. FashionistA - Custom Palette* - All I've used, review is coming!!
8. FashionistA - Eyebrow Kit* - All I've used to do my eyebrows, must review.
9. Batiste Dry Shampoo - Wild - Most used Batiste scent this month & cute can.
10. Lush Body Conditioner - Ro's Argan -  Ultimate Lush product.
11. Lush Shower Smoothie - Turkish Delight - Paired so well with Ro's Argan.
Disclaimer: items marked with * are either gifts or sent for review consideration.
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.

Go Lush Yourself // Ro's Argan Body Conditioner

this has become one of my most loved Lush products this past month and a half. I picked this up while shopping after my birthday, I don't normally get persuaded by the Lush staff, but while in the Bristol store the woman was so lovely, gave me a demo and a hand massage. I had to purchase, I was hooked! Ro's Argan Body Conditioner retails at £15.50 for 225g, not the cheapest of Lush's lotions and potions.
Body conditioners are basically body wash and moisturiser combined, they allow you to skip moisturising in the morning & are a lot more effective than the regular shower smoothies. Ro's Argan contains lots of Argan Oil, Argan oil is very popular right now, it's rich in vitamin E and many think it contains anti-ageing properties, not that baby faced me needs to worry about that. Along with Argan Oil you'll find, Almond oil, Brazil Nut oil, Shea butter, Cocoa butter & Rose oil to name a few. Ro's Argan Body Conditioner is moisturising heaven.

I love the scent of this product, I know rose scents are not to everyones liking, but this isn't your average granny rose. This is delicious & sweet, not floral. It's the exact scent of Rose Jam bubbleroon, vanilla, rose and lemon. I can't get enough of it, more products using Rose Jam please!?

Packaging comes in the larger size of the famous black Lush pots. It's a shame you can't purchase a smaller size tub for those who worry about being sensitive or can't afford to try. However as always save your black pots, clean them and take 5 back for a free face masks.

If like me you hate waiting for moisturisers to sink in, especially when it's cold in the mornings, then body conditioners are the way to go. They have instant results that last. Simply use just like a hair conditioner, after bathing or showering smooth over your body, massage a little before rinsing off. 

My skin is left feeling like silk for a couple days after, let alone smelling beautiful all day long. Rose Jam is my favourite scent at the moment, I'm buying the bubbleroon all the time, along with Rose Queen. All three products make me smell incredible. The scent lasts all day yet isn't at all overpowering. This is a quick product to use and possibly the best product Lush have ever made.

Ro's Argan Body Conditioner is worth every penny, have you tried!? 
Disclaimer: my own purchase

Herbalife // Soothing Gel

Along with the two products I've mentioned, this Soothing Gel is part of Herbalife's new Herbal Aloe range. This lightweight gel formula is packed with Aloe Vera and the botanicals the other 5 contain. Unlike other Aloe Vera gels on the market Herbalife claim theirs is fragrance free, paraben and sulphate free & the best part...non greasy! This will absorb into the skin a lot quicker, providing faster relief & comfort. A 200ml tube retails at just £8.63.

Packaging again is the exact same that all 6 products come in, all that varies is the colour of text on each tube. Together all three items I have here look great stood on my dressing table.

This has been a saviour while it's been incredibly humid, the gel itself isn't sticky. Most Aloe Vera gels take forever to sink into the skin and require sitting in the fridge for a few hours before...the product..not me actually cools your skin. The soothing gel will be coming with me if I do get a winter getaway this year. I miss having multiple holidays each year, especially as it's pouring down with rain as I write this. I concentrated on dry patches of skin and with the other three products I've noticed a big difference to how smooth, moisturised and nourished my skin looks and feels. I love my Aloe Vera products, I blame my Mum!
Disclaimer: sample
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.

Herbalife // Hand & Body Wash

This Hand & Body Wash is one of six products in the all new Herbal Aloe range from Herbalife that's been designed to leave you glowing from top to toe, thanks to the cocktail of vitamins and minerals. This Hand & Body Wash retails at £9.25 for 250ml. 
A sulphate and paraben free body wash that smells delicious? This will leave those with the driest of skins clean and hydrated as well as giving you the healthy glow you're missing.

Packaged just like the other 5 products in this range, this hand & body wash comes packaged in Herbalife's green and white plastic tubes. It may not be pink & sparkly but I do like the packaging, it's simple & fits in great with their naturally inspired range. Product is easily dispensed being a squeeze tube, a little too easily at times. You really don't need a lot of this to lather up.

I've been using this mostly as a body wash because at almost £10 I'd rather use on my body than my hands. This lathers up well, you don't need much and definitely leaves you feeling squeaky clean and refreshed. Just like the lotion the scent isn't the typical sickly sweet scent a lot of Aloe Vera products have, it's fresh and fruity. You'll smell it on your skin, make the bathroom smell delicious but it's not overpowering at all. If you too have sensitive skin, looking for a wash that's moisturising and 100% sulphate free this is a great option. I'll repurchase when I've used up my other shower gels & washes, I've been leaving this in the bathroom & I'm sure my families been having a few sneaky uses as usual.

Disclaimer: sample
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.

Weekly Haul // Bans for spending bans

I shopped again, I had no intentions of shopping, but after popping into the smelly post office I deserved a treat, waiting in queue of B.O and booze smelling locals fresh air was a treat alone.

I've been pretty good when it comes to Lush, I buy a lot, I have a lot, but I use it all. I ordered online, my store lacks the 'Lush atmosphere' as you know. Bathos (purple bubble bar) & Happy (blue bubble bar) are both retro items and can only be purchased online or by phone.
Creamy Candy & Think Pink are items I've always used from Lush since day one and I rarely get them these days, they're a must for the ultimate girly bath.
Dream Time & Geophyzz are my next purchases, they're not so pretty but are amazing. Geophyzz is the spa bath bomb of Lush. Volcano foot mask is a must after being on your feet or shopping, while Grease Lightning is for my brother, it works wonders for me, hopefully it does for him.

Despite having a lot of foundations I'm not really liking them at the moment but the one I do, Maybelline have discontinued. However Max Factor have one just like it, same packaging, different colour. Boots currently have £3 off Max Factor, so I snapped it up. Dream Creamy was a great foundation for dry, pale skin in winter so hopefully this is even better.

More Kleenex facial cloths, they're still on offer while food shopping, I'll continue to buy them while they're half price. I know you can get cotton pads cheaper, I own a whole jar of them. But I love using these compared to a couple cotton pads.

I had a pair of Boots in the Christmas sales from Newlook and wear them to death. They were from the 915 range, size 2, yes 2, my feet are ridiculously small, my 4 year old cousin is catching me up. I went to see what they had for this year. I looked in the adults before going to the Teen section, the adults boots are definitely missing something. For £22.99, these are suede or like and studded. I picked up size 3, the only 3 they had in!? In the Teen range!? The adults normally lack 3's not the Teens.

I love my jeggings, I hate skinny jeans because they never fit me properly. I'm not a fan of the leggings that have the denim print either, tacky. Finding jean jeggings to fit my chickeny legs is hard, but while browsing Debenhams I spotted these in the Quiz section. For £22.99 these are brilliant, they're so soft, remain jean like and have more stretch than my favourite Gap's.
That's my latest buys, what are yours? I want everything in the A/W collections.
Disclaimer: i like to shop

Room Tour // My Favourite Snippets

I'm always adding new items to my room, I mainly shop at three stores, they fit my style, affordable and most pieces are fairly 'unique'. My room still isn't finished 100%, but fingers crossed over the next month Mr decorator comes in and puts my chosen wallpaper up & flooring. So despite having the small room still & the horrific pink walls from being a child I love it, though I may need an extension for my clothes. Here's the latest favourite snippets, there's more new items added, but we'd be here all day, I have to save some for when it's completed.

Disclaimer: some pieces may be PR & don't know of this post, however I spend A LOT of money & time on my room. 
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.

Herbalife // Every Day Soothing Hand & Body Lotion

Herbalife recently launched their new Herbal Aloe range, containing six hair and skin care products, packed with rich vitamins and minerals. All 6 items are free from any harmful parabens, sulphates and are infused with botanical ingredients. This collection is gentle enough for any skin type. The Herbal Aloe range, ranges from £6.40 to £9.25.

I've mentioned Herbalife a few times already but for those who haven't come across Herbalife yet, they're a nutrition company with a vast variety of body, skin care and supplements to leave you feeling great, providing you a healthy lifestyle.

The Every Day Soothing Hand & Body Lotion is a nourishing lotion providing long lasting hydration for your body and hands. This contains Aloe Vera to soothe any irritations, while the African Shea Butter combines everything together. It's a very light, easily absorbed lotion for every day use, as the name suggests, giving you soft, supple, silky smooth skin, no matter what skin type you are.

The packaging isn't exactly draw dropping, pink or pretty, however we all know that sometimes the not so busy packaging can contain gems. The Herbalife packaging for the entire range comes in these same tubes, I think they look great, they're naturally inspired products after all. Product is easily dispensed however this is definitely not one to cart around in your handbag, unless you de-tube some, you get 200ml for £8.63.
As a hand lotion it's brilliant, I only need a pea size amount, it sinks straight in, no greasy hands. At the moment this is helping me beat the annoying tiny bits of dry skin on my hands, attractive. I hate the constant weather changes. I apply twice a day. When used as a body lotion I've concentrated on the tops of my arms, I'm another who gets those tiny little bumps, using twice a day has really helped, my arms are left feeling cool, nourished and smooth all day long.

A lot of products that contain aloe vera I usually find incredibly sickly, not this time around. It's sweet, but remains fresh and fruity. After applying, the scent does stick, causing questions of what smells so nice, it's definitely not overpowering though, it's lovely. Have you used any of the products before?
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.

Montagne Jeunesse // Clay Spa Face Masques

Montagne Jeunesse is a brand I've used for a huge chunk of my life, they were always the sleepover essential growing up, whoever hosted purchased the masks. I've used around 90% of their masks and couldn't wait to try the two new additions that will be available from Boots mid August, Asda from September .
For those who don't know Montagne Jeunesse:
Montagne Jeunesse have been around for 25 years, where it all started mixing natural products in a kitchen. They now sell 30,000 masques every single day in the UK alone. All products are vegetarian-approved, made from natural ingredients and paraben-free, along with their energy efficient headquarters and against animal testing. It's not all about face masques, there's scrubs, lip balm, hair care and even a mens line.
The new additions:
Montagne Jeunesse Clay Spas brings you two face masks to fit around you as a weekly treat for your skin care routine. They both contain sourced clays that are infused in natural bamboo fabric. This 'never seen before type of face masque' provides quicker cleansing, with zero mess. Each masque will retail at £1.49.
Glacial Clay Spa - Sourced from Canada's Northwest coast this masque is designed to cool your skin, rehydrate and remove impurities from your pores. Red grape acts like a protectant to the skin while cloudberries soothe, both full of anti-oxidants. Sounds good right?
Dead Sea Mud Spa - Natural bamboo fabric is enriched in dead sea minerals and dead sea mud. This is a deep cleansing masque to draw out your impurities that block those pores. Moisture levels are said to be restored while also firming and nourishing for a younger look.
How to use:
Simply tear open the packet, unfold the masque and apply to the face. Relax for 10-15 minutes, I left mine on for 5 extra minutes, mine still felt damp. Then massaged my face for a minute with the clean side of the cloth mask, before rinsing away the clay/mud left on your face. Zero mess is made, perfect when you're feeling lazy.
How I got on:
My experience with these masques has been 50:50. One isn't for me, while the other is brilliant. Dead Sea Mud Spa was the first of the two I tried, I had high hopes as I adore using products with dead sea minerals in, the benefits are usually brilliant. However when it came to the removal, everything had been fine, I felt converted to 'sheet/cloth' style masks. But I noticed my skin felt drier and redness was starting to appear. I hoped it would go away, however 5 minutes later it felt tingly and looked a lot more red. I started to worry, I had an awful experience with a Superdrug masque years ago, where I was left red for days. Despite tingly, feeling rather warm and looking like a like a ripening tomato, it dulled down after half an hour. 
-----
The second of the two masques, Glacial Clay Spa was entirely different. The masque has no colour difference and they smell the same, clean, fresh from the spa scent. They definitely have me in the holiday mood. I watched One Tree Hill and waited the 20 minutes hoping I wouldn't become a tomato again and thank god I didn't this time around. After removing the masque my skin felt amazing, it felt so clean, this really cleanses your pores. I felt refreshed and I had no need to cleanse that night..though the best bit was seeing no redness. This masque gets a 10 from me, especially because removing takes a minute, no more scrubbing at your face or bathroom floor.

I'll repurchase the Glacial Clay Spa masque, but not the Dead Sea Mud Spa masque from my experience. I'd be interested in seeing how anyone else got on with them.
What do you think? 
Disclaimer: sample
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.

My Updated Skin Care Routine // 2012

 My skin care routine usually changes every so many months, depending on what I've found or what's released. Here's what I've been reaching for over the 'summer' months. I have dry skin & get very few spots, I'm a lucky one!
The only two products that are yet to be reviewed are Naked's Thirst Aid & S&G Off Your Face Cleansing Cloths. They will be reviewed shortly.
I love how quick & easy my routine is, I'm not a morning person & I certainly love my sleep, I can jump into bed after brushing my teeth & be done in 5 minutes. I used to use a lot of products that required water & cloths & mess.

What do you use in your routine? Are you a product junkie like me? Who else isn't a cleanse & polish girl?
Disclaimer: some items were sent for review consideration, while others I've purchased myself. Most items have already been reviewed by my honest opinion, to appear here they're obviously great.
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.

© Lucyy Writes

This site uses cookies from Google to deliver its services - Click here for information.

Professional Blog Designs by pipdig