A few bits from Direct Cosmetics

Occasionally I hear about websites that offer beauty bargains and to be honest I'm always rather weary about them. When something seems to good to be true, well, it usually is. Snapping up a great bargain only to open the container and find that it's separated and developed a distinctive fishy smell? Yeah, been there, done that. Then there's always the fear of ending up with a fake product containing potentially harmful ingredients (I'm looking at you, ebay!).

So when Direct Cosmetics contacted me about reviewing a few bits and bobs from their site I was a tad hesitant. But, as it turned out, all items were genuine, original products - all safely packaged and nothing was past its expiry date, hooray! I've since found myself browsing the site looking for some bargains to be had. There's nothing more satisfying than opening a big box of beauty goodies that have cost you a fraction of their sales price. (Apart from dipping into a brand new jar of Nutella. Nothing beats that.)  Here's a little run down with first impressions of the items I got.

Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Honey Drops Body Cream

This is one of the best sellers and honestly, I'm not even surprised - it's absolutely amazing. The texture is absolutely perfect: thick, creamy, hydrating but not sticky at all. The little beads take some getting used to at first, but they seem to pop on the skin as soon as you start rubbing the cream into the skin and then disappear entirely. I think my favourite bit, however, is the scent. The green tea scent is refreshing and relaxing at the same time and lingers on the skin for hours.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream

I can never be too long with this stuff. It's well and truly earned its place in the beauty hall of fame for sorting out pretty much any bad skin issue. Dry, cracked skin? Check. Chapped lips? Check. Light burns, scrapes, nothing is too much for this stuff. Even my boyfriend agrees that it's magical and regularly steals it from my bedside table. I had a little sore patch of skin on my nose where my glasses were rubbing and within a few applications it had healed entirely. I used to really dislike the scent but I've gotten accustomed to it and these days I quite like it.

L'Oreal Extra-Volume Collagene Mascara

This mascara is surprisingly wet for a waterproof formula, but once it's set on the lashes it lasts through the day. It applies a bit clumpy at first, but brushes out eventually. I'm not a huge fan of the massive brush, as it's way too bulky to get into the inner corners and bottom lashes, so I have to use a different mascara for those (I'm using Maybelline Great Lash). It's better suited to those looking for a lot of volume rather than length and definition.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains in "Lovesick" (left) and "Cherish" (right)

I'm a big fan of lip crayons and these are creamy and pigmented. The best thing about these, however, is their longevity. These stay put for hours, last through drinking without a scratch and will even survive small meals. I can't say I'm a fan of the scent, though. Apparently it's meant to be minty, but it kind of reminds me of horseradish - not something I'd want to put on my lips. Funky smell aside, I'm really happy with both of these colours. They add just the right amount of colour to pop but not wash me out entirely.