LUSH Mint Julips Lip Scrub | Review

LUSH Mint Julips Lip Scrub - 25g

Until recently I was a lip exfoliator virgin. I'd never really had any problems with cracked or dry lips, but recently I noticed my lips getting chapped and flakey even though I moisturise them every day and night. I'd heard tricks about using a toothbrush to exfoliate the lips, but I wanted something a bit more practical. That's when I came across the lip scrub range from LUSH! 

LUSH offer these lip scrubs in three different flavours - Mint Julips, Bubblegum and Popcorn at a price of £5.50 for 25g. I've heard lots of reviews and praise over the bubblegum flavour, however the bright pink colour of it did put me off a little, which is why I went for the more subtle coloured 'Mint Julips'.

Mint Julips is a handmade lip scrub made out of natural ingredients, with its main ingredient being castor sugar! I use this before I go to bed and also before I apply any lip balms or colours. The castor sugar gently scrubs away any dead skin and leaves your lips feeling smooth and soft - ideal if you want to get that lipstick perfect! Not only does it leave your lips feelings amazing but it also tastes great too - yes, you can lick it off your lips afterwards! 

This product I feel, even though I have used it every day since I bought it will last me a very long time. You don't need tons of the product on your finger - a little goes a long way! Even though I can't compare it to other products as it is my first lip scrub, I feel like LUSH are onto a winner with these cute little pots of yummy lip care.

Have you tried any lip scrubs from LUSH? 

Barry M - Matte Nail Paint | Review

Barry M Matte Nail Paint MNP 2 Crush 345 (left) - Barry M Matte Nail Paint MNP 1 Espresso 331 (right)

The classic Barry M mate nail paints come in five different warm, wintery colours. The colours are 'coffee shop' colours and are a perfect compliment to most outfits and are also great for wearing at the office! I think they are subtle and really stylish. I know matte nails aren't to everyones taste, but you could always add a shiny top coat if you wanted the shade of polish but aren't so keen on a matte finish.

The examples shown have two coats of nail polish on them. Personally I think two coats are needed with this nail polish to give it that 'perfect' finished look. The matte takes full effect one the paint is fully dried.

'Crush' is a warm berry shade and I think it is perfect for the Autumn/Winter months.
'Espresso' is a simple black nail polish. I think everyone should own a good black nail polish!

You can buy the matte nail paints online or at drugstores such as Superdrug and Boots. They currently retail at £3.99 which I think is a bargain for the look and quality of the product.

What do you think of the matte nail polishes?

My Simple Facial Skin-Care Routine

One of my new years resolutions was to keep to a skin care routine. Last year I found it hard to stick to a skin care routine... excuses I know but I have been a very busy lady! So, this year I have told myself I will try to stick to a routine as much as possible and hopefully see an improvement in my skin.

For those of you who read my last post, I am a loyal user to the brand Simple and constantly go back to their products. Why you may ask? Well, Simple were the first skincare brand in the UK to use only the purest possible ingredients, including adding vitamins and no perfume or colour. I like how they are suitable for sensitive skin and are also budget friendly!

Daily 

Hydrating Light Moisturiser (left) -  Purifying Cleansing Lotion (centre) - Soothing Facial Toner (right)

Simple Kind to Skin Purifying Cleansing Lotion 200ml - I use this product with a cotton wool cosmetic pad. It takes any make-up off that I may have missed with a make-up wipe. It is great for drier skin as it keeps it smooth and softened.

Simple Kind to Skin Soothing Facial Toner 200ml - I use this after I have used the cleanser. I also apply this with  a cotton wool pad. I like how this product contains chamomile, witch hazel and allantoin which are great for the skin and it is also alcohol free.

Simple Kind to Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser 125ml - I use this after I have cleansed and toned my skin. It keeps my skin hydrated throughout the day. I always moisturise my skin every single day even if I don't have time to do step 1 & 2!

Nighttime

Simple Kind to Skin Vital Vitamin Night Cream 50ml - I normally use this if my face is in need of moisturisation as the cream works overnight. It glides on really well and is quite thick (because it is a night cream), but it blends very easily. It claims to 'restore and replenish' throughout the night and is great for sensitive skin.

Breakout

Clear Skin Oil Balancing Moisturiser (left) - Spotless Skin Rapid Action Spot Zapper (right)

These are the products that I use if my skin is having a bad day.

Simple Clear Skin Oil Balancing Moisturiser 75ml - This product features in my last post (here), so I won't write to much about it, but I have found it to really help control shine. I will use this instead of the moisturiser mentioned above if my skin needs it.

Simple Spotless Skin Rapid Action Spot Zapper 15ml - This is probably my current favourite spot stick at the moment. It claims to reduce spots in just 4 hours, and I think it does that! I normally apply this at night and can usually see a difference when I wake up in the morning. The application is a roll on so it is very easy and clean to use.




You can buy Simple products at any good drug store such as Boots and Superdrug or even at supermarkets such as Asda and Tesco.
Have you ever used, or do you currently use any Simple products? What are your thoughts?

January Favourites 2014 | Beauty

January 2014, what a perfect time to start my first ever monthly favourites post! Here are a selection of the beauty products i've been loving this month.

Products featured: Simple Clear Skin Oil Balancing Moisturiser 75ml, Rimmel London BB Cream SPF 25 (Light) 30ml, Rimmel London Wake Me Up Concealer 7ml (010 Ivory), e.l.f. Studio Blush (Candid Coral), Classic Carmex Moisturising Lip Balm 7.5g, Rimmel London Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara 12ml

Face

• Rimmel London BB Cream SPF 25 (Light) 30ml - This is the first BB cream I have tried so I can't really compare it to others, but it now seems to be my 'go-to' face cover-up! I normally wear this on days where I don't want a heavy, full coverage (my normal foundation is Estee Lauder Double Wear). Right now this product works for me but if I purchase any other BB creams in the future I will be sure to let you know if I change my mind!

• Simple Clear Skin Oil Balancing Moisturiser 75ml - I have a constant battle between having dry and oily skin (yay for combination skin...) and I have tried countless moisturisers trying to over come this. Simple are a brand that I go back to again and again and when I saw they had this product I just had to try it. I have noticed my skin looks less oily, however I still have the same dry patch on my nose... I may have to get some stronger moisturiser for that stubborn dry area. However I think this is a great product and I love wearing it as a base before I put my makeup on. It has a perfect blend of active ingredients and Zinc PCA to eliminate shine and maintain moisture levels. I am absolutely loving this at the moment and it doesn't break the bank either! Definitely worth a purchase if you suffer from shine.

• Rimmel London Wake Me Up Concealer (010 Ivory) 7ml - My past concealers have mostly been sticks not liquid. However I found that with my combination skin it would look dry and flaky. So, recently I got this concealer as I had heard good things about the 'Wake Me Up' range and it hasn't disappointed! For me this gives an excellent coverage and is probably one of the best concealers i've used!

• e.l.f. Studio Blush (Candid Coral) -  This product was featured on my recent e.l.f. haul (here). I think this is such a lovely colour and I will definitely be purchasing more of their blushes. 

Eyes

• Rimmel London Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara 12ml - I'm all about big, voluminous eyelashes so I picked up this mascara as it claims to do just that! I can say it is my current favourite mascara and makes my eyes pop! It has a thick, wavy brush to give that 'fullness'. 

Lips

• Classic Carmex Moisturising Lip Balm 7.5g - This is hands down one of my favourite lip balms, however I am prone to keep losing them as they're only tiny but I keep repurchasing it's that good! I love the tingly feel it has on your lips and I quite enjoy the smell of them... Perfect for if you have dry, chapped lips. Definitely a must have for me!

• Sleek True Colour Matte Lipstick (Vamp 786) - I am absolutely in love with this colour! Perfect for the winter months. I normally wear this when I go out as it is quite a dark colour. Recently I have bought the 'Sleek Lipliner' in 'Ruby' to team with this lipstick to hopefully give me a full and longer lasting wear out of it. 

Would you like to see more monthly favourites? Let me know!

What beauty products have you been loving this month? 

If you've done a blog post on it, leave the link in the comments below and i'll check it out! 

e.l.f. Cosmetic Haul | Review

For those of you who don't know about e.l.f., they are a a brand with 'high quality items at low, affordable prices'. I've heard about this brand for a while, but never got round to ordering anything until now. Luckily I was able to get quite a big discount off my items (nearly 50%!) after someone posted a code on Facebook. If you sign up to their newsletter they sometimes send promotions too!

Contouring Blush & Bronzer Cream - St. Lucia

The first thing I ordered was the contouring blush & bronzer cream in St. Lucia priced at £3.75. I'm not sure why I ordered the cream, as I was ideally looking for a powder (that'll teach me for purchasing on a whim!). They do in fact have the contouring set in a powder.

The contour colours are very creamy and pigmented. A little will go a long way with this product and I found it easy to blend. However, this product is probably a little too dark for my skin so next time I would see if there is a lighter colour.

Studio Contour Brush

I also purchased a Studio contour brush, this was priced at £3.75.

For the price I think this brush is amazing. I would even compare it to my higher priced brushes. It does its job well and has soft bristles. I will definitely be purchasing more of their brushes.

Studio Matte Lip Colour - Coral

I've heard quite a few good reviews about their matte lip colour, so I got the Studio matte lip colour in Coral which was £3.75.

The end colour of the stick looks a lot pinker than the actual product and the stick looks darker... This shade is lighter than my natural lip colour. It looks a lot darker on the pictures than it is on the lips. I would probably wear this when I wear toned down make-up. It has a nice matte finish and I will be buying more of these in different colours.

Studio Blush - Candid Coral

I've been looking for a new blush so I purchased the Studio blush in Candid Coral after reading about it in another bloggers review! This was £3.75.
This blush has quite a bit of shimmer in it. I really like the colour though and think it compliments my skin tone well.

Studio Lip Primer & Plumper

I've never really tried a lip primer or plumper before, so this caught my eye on their website. It is the Studio lip primer & plumper which was £3.75.

If you don't like cinnamon, this product will not be for you. The plumper has a very distinct cinnamon smell. It tingles your lips very slightly but I can't say I felt them getting plumper.. I was slightly disappointed with the primer as I don't think it blended well with the matte lip colour and had to wipe most of it off. It sort of looks like a concealer and has quite a thick consistency. I will probably only use this for the plumper.

Studio Makeup Mist & Set

Lastly, I ordered the Studio makeup mist & set as usually I normally spritz a bit of hairspray (anyone else do this? haha) to keep the makeup in place, but obviously this isn't meant for your face and the results can make your face feel a bit stiff. This was also £3.75.
This spray comes out quite powerful, so make sure you spray it quite far away or your face will be drenched. It sort of reminds me of one of those cooling sprays as it leaves a watery sheen over your face for a few minutes. I suppose this is healthier for my skin than the hairspray, so I will be giving this another try. I can't say I saw any changes in how my makeup looked, but being alcohol free I will be using it as a mist before application.

Altogether my order would have come to £22.50, but I got it for £12.50 with free delivery! - Bargain! I would recommend this brand if you are looking for a cheap alternative, and because it's so cheap it's good to experiment with. 

Have you tried any e.l.f. products? 

Max Factor - Glossfinity Nail Polish | Review

Max Factor Glossfinity - Candy Rose (50)

For those of you who checked out my first ever haul, I bought the Max Factor Glossfinity nail polish. This was £5.99, however drug stores such as Superdrug have these on the 3 for 2 offer.

This product claims to keep your nails looking glossy for up to 7 days and is currently available in 26 shades.

I've had this nail polish on now for 7 days and I can safely say there is still some 'gloss' there. Usually with normal nail polishes the shininess tends to fade. I can tell that over the week the gloss has diminished (around day 4-5) but it is still looking glossy compared to other nail polishes I have used.

Also i've noticed they are less chipped than normal! (I don't know if that's to do with the nail polish itself or because i've been less 'hands-on' this week...). I applied two coats of this nail polish (without any top coat) and I barely have any chips! So I am quite impressed with that. I'm sure the nails would be close to perfection if I applied a top coat. I will be sure to try it out! Out of habit I always apply two coats of nail polish, however it is quite pigmented so I think one coat would even be enough.

Altogether I would probably definitely recommend this product. It gives you a high quality finish for a fraction of the price you'd pay at a salon. 

Have you tried out the Glossfinity range by Max Factor?