MUA "Undress Your Skin" Highlighter

My most reached highlighter recently goes to MUAs "Undress Your Skin". I usually reach for MACs "Soft and Gentle" but after spotting this £2 BARGAIN I had to give it a try. It's lovely. Very subtle. A slight pink sheen and the product itself looks beautiful. I find it lasts just as long as my usual face powder. LOVE!

 

 Give it a try! Pick it up on the MUA website or at Superdrug =]

Review & Swatch - Revlon Lip Butter in Pink Lemonade

LOOK at this beauty!! I instantly swarmed onto this new shade and after I swatched it on the back of my hand, I announced to the rest of Boots that this lipstick was going home with me. It's just beautiful and I find the colour lingers, even after the balm has gone.

Purdy.

Review - Alpha H Liquid Gold

If there were to ever be a skincare product I would say is my holy grail it would be this.

For around the past year my skin has gone full circle. From insanely dry to super shiny. I've had spots so large if I went to the cinema they'd want their own seat. If you want a miracle product that will settle your skin within a week, surely this would be it.

Simply cleanse your face and wipe over with the liquid gold on a cotton pad once or twice a week (obviously depending on your skin, don't go over board, it is acid after all!) and leave off the moistuirzer for the night. Come morning, continue with your normal cleansing routine. I find the difference subtle but I cant help it restores my skin and makes it behave again. Almost like a smack bottom - for your face.

It is pricey, around the £30 mark and your best bet is to get it online. But I find well worth it and it's highly recommended by other beauty bloggers too. Let me know what you think!

Viva La Juicy/Viva La Fleur Perfume Rollerball

I absolutely adore my Viva La Juicy perfume but have tragically ran out and I'm way too skint to purchase another bottle. Although I'm praying that Santa will bring me another, I discovered a cheap fix to get my favourite scent. I came across this rollerball (which is also featured in some of the Juicy Couture Christmas sets) in Debenhams for £9.99. As you can see one side has Viva La Juicy and the other has Viva La Fleur. Ok, so maybe I can't douse myself in it but the rollerball is just the perfect size for your handbag but a nice lil' gift for someone this Christmas!

What Juicy Couture Say About the Scents

Viva La Juicy - "Long live the scent of couture. With top notes of wild berries and juicy mandarin gently tempered with honeysuckle, gardenia, and jasmine. Underlying it all are warm tones of amber, caramel, vanilla, sandalwood, and praline. Boldly bottled with Juicy charms and rocked in fuchsia wrap."

Viva La Fleur - "Uplifting. Playful. Dreamy. Inspired by the blushing aura of being in love, Viva la Juicy La Fleur is a breathtaking new fragrance that captures the dreamy, ethereal feeling of love’s first embrace."

Erm. Yeah. ;)

Review: Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre

I've been trying to find a suitable moisturizer for some time now, and the Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre was on the list of ones to try. At £17.50 for 75ml, its not cheap nor is it the most expensive on the market but with it being suitable for all skin types and its added use as a make-up primer its a pretty good deal, not to mention a space saver within your kit.

I enjoyed using this product, it felt more of a high-end moisturizer and saved time when running about attempting to apply make-up. After using the lait-creme for six weeks though, I started to notice slight bumps and small spots along my jaw line and neck which have now disappeared after discontinued use.

The packaging is a bit of a pain in the arse. I cant help but feel if you bend the tube to much it might split. A plastic tube would be better.

From the reviews I've read in the past, most people adore this product. I can understand why this is a staple in some make-up artists kits and I will probably add it to mine but I wouldn't use this daily.

Hope this helps!

Review: Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24hr

 (35 - Bronze on Bronze, 05 - Eternal Gold, & 55 - Immortal Charcoal)

I managed to get my paws on three of these cream eyeshadows. They've caused quite a stir over the water and I can totally see why, I love them!

I'm allergic to most cream-based eyeshadows and have extremely sensitive eyelids, so attempting to wear these was a challenge, but one worth taking! I used "35 - On and on Bronze" all over the lid and didn't feel the need to apply any other shadow as it gave a wonderful lid colour as well as giving a defining socket colour. I used "55 - Immortal Charcoal" as a upper lid liner. The shadows are very creamy and easy to apply. I didn't experience any creasing at all.I wouldn't say they can survive a full 24 hours, after 10 the bronze had faded to a delicate champagne colour but it was still beautiful.

 (35 - Bronze on Bronze & 05 - Eternal Gold)

(55 - Immortal Charcoal)

As you can tell, the bronze on bronze is my current favourite and I have a feeling its going to be my "go to" shadow! Move over MAC paint pots! As far as I can tell, us UK lot will be getting seven shades, the three photographed, a purple, a taupe, a turquoise blue and a shimmery silver. Although I haven't seen the silver, the other shades are available at Superdrug for £4.99 each and there is currently a 3 for 2 offer on all Maybelline products.

Want one of the three colours photographed? Watch out for a giveaway in the next post coming very soon!

Review: Clarisonic Mia

(Clarisonic Mia, pictured with the 'normal' brush head)

Apologies for the time it has taken for this post, I just wanted to ensure that this product received an honest review and as I don't use the Mia everyday it's taken a while!

I eyed up the Clarisonic for months before deciding to go for the plunge and spend a whopping £120. I read God knows how many reviews because, lets face it, that's a lot of money to be spending (Well it is in my case anyway!)

In-case you didn't know, the Mia is the smallest of the Clarisonic family with one speed setting and comes in a range of colours. The outside brushes don't move but the centre ones vibrate. I'm known for my love of pink, but the purple stood out to me more so I went for that one. The final reason for my purchase was the state of my skin. If you have read my post history you'll know I have had past breakouts and wasn't sure what caused them. During the change from Summer to Winter, my skin just didn't know whether it was going to be dry, combination or oily on a day to day basis!

If I'm being truly honest, the straw that broke the camels back was a boil. Yes you read right. A freakin' boil. ON MY FACE! I'm not going for the witch look so I was willing to try anything.

I didn't use the small tube of cleanser which came with the Mia, I just felt that if my skin was truly that bad down to a product, now wasn't the time to be experimental. So I used the Mia with trusty Cetaphil. Now my skin has recovered, I tend to use the Neutrogena grapefruit face wash.

The method is simple. Apply cleanser to your face. Use the Clarisonic in gentle, circular motions for 20 seconds on your forehead, 10 seconds for each cheek and 20 for nose, chin and neck. If you're anything like me, I hate washing my face over a basin, I get water EVERYWHERE (same goes for toothpaste too for some reason) but the Clarisonic is waterproof, so being able to use it the shower was a bonus.

The Good

• The Mia is travel-sized.
• Although it may only have the one speed, you can purchase a "normal" brush, allowing you to use it on your body too.
• Its waterproof.
• It does feel like you've had a mini-facial afterwards.
• Choice of colors (Okay, not that important but still)

The Bad

• The price. I know it can be seen as an investment. I just prefer my investments to be cheaper!
• When it comes to changing brush heads, Clarisonic say "If you are using it twice a day, change it every 3-4 months. This is standard for all of our models". Brush headscan cost around £20.

The Verdict

Okay, I'm not going to lie. I do love the Mia. Do I think it's worth £120, no. Would I buy it again? Yes (somewhere in my head that makes sense).  If you can't afford the Clarisonic, I think using a soft face brush in a circular motion will do the trick nicely but if you've got the pennies, I would go to for it. I do feel that the Mia combined with a good cleanser has help restore my skin and I always feel as if I've treated myself after use. I don't use it everyday. I listen to my skin as and when in needs it. It's totally upto you if you buy it, but the Clarisonic Mia if quickly becoming one of my skincare staples.

Review - Oilatum Facial Cream

I love watching videos on YouTube, it's a great way to pass time and feels more personal. Whilst catching up on missed videos by Pixiwoos, Nic mentioned she had recently had to use Oilatum Facial Cream and noticed a dramatic change in her skin. As I have amazingly dry skin, naturally I thought "Oooooh! Must go to Boots and nab some" .. Problem was everyone else who had watched that video seemed to have the same idea!

It took me three weeks to get my hands on some!

Pros -

*The tube has a flip cap. Silly as it sound there's nothing worse than trying to replace a screw top with slippy hands.

*The moisture from the cream does stay for hours, making the skin supple and makes for less application.

*At around £8 in Boots, the price will suit most pockets and could save you a fortune if you're used to buying high-end moisturizers.

Cons -

*At the moment, it may be quite hands to get your hands on, but most Boots stores I have visited recently have started to have a supply.

*It can seem greasy. Although I think this may depend on how dry your skin is.

*Although it is suitable for all skin types, I personally wouldn't recommended it for those with oily skin. You could probably find a moisturizer which is more suitable for your skin type.

I do like this moisturizer and I will be using it but I have to say, for my skin, I prefer Cetaphil as it doesn't tend to leave that greasy film. I have very dry skin but it tends to be a bit temperamental and I get bored of products too often so I'll be swapping it for something else depending on my skin and how I feel! I'm not too sure if I'll be purchasing this again?

Please don't make the same mistake I did and buy the 'Oilatum Cream', it really is different! A lot more greasy, has a strange smell (which is quite strong) and primarily used for dry skin conditions such as eczema (and if I'm being honest, it did bugger all when it came to my eczema - but who knows! It could work for you!)

-x-

Butter London - No More Waity, Katie

I've got to be honest, I didn't like it. Application was two coats or so but it was off by the end of the day. Whether this was down to my base/top coat (China Glaze First and Last) I don't know, but I haven't really experienced this before. This is a glitter polish though, and we all know what I pain the butt they can be. I'm gonna let Butter London off with this one.

-x-

Review and Swatches - NARS Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil

I was in the Trafford Centre with my best pal when we spotted the advertisement for these pencils and we both zoned in towards it going "OoOooooOoooh!"

I bought two the other night, Happy Days and Frivolous. I prefer a paler/pink/beige lip, but I'm starting to branch out into more colour, so Happy Days seemed perfect to do this with and Frivolous was first on the list anyway!

A fresh pink coral infused with gold shimmer that’s as flirty and fun-loving as the TV sitcom it’s name is inspired by.

A flirty and frothy iridescent seashell pink, that is anything but serious.

(Apologies for the photo quality and the hair dye on desk!)

It really is a lipgloss pencil. The shine is lovely on both and really does feel as if its conditioning your lips. Both have a soft sparkle and although the pencil may help when it comes to application, the product itself in pencil-form is VERY delicate.

I love the product itself but as a pencil, it becomes a nightmare, as I found out.

This make me have a sad =[ After paying £17.50 each I'd expect a product to hold up during application!

Product: 7/10
Ease Of Use: 3/10
Packaging: 2/10 - I love the idea of a lipgloss pencil but it doesn't work with this. I know NARS is considered a premium brand but is there really any need for THAT much cardboard?!

Overall: 4/10 - Love it and hate it. I will use these pencils but I won't be re-purchasing.