Monthly Favourites: May 2014

1) Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara

Wow, two months in a row my favourites include a Bourjois mascara! I've only just published a review on this one (you can find it here), but if you don't want to go through a lengthy post, then let me just tell you that this is my new favourite drugstore mascara. I think I even prefer it to my trusted Max Factor False Lash Effect! It gives defined, long, fluttery lashes that still look incredibly natural. It's not quite as good as my ultimate holy grail mascara, Benefit's "They're Real!", but at a fraction of a price, this comes a very close second.

2) Pro:Voke Twice A Week Brightening Shampoo & Intensive Treatment Conditioner

I've already featured this shampoo in my favourites once, but it was recently that I purchased the matching conditioner and both together definitely deserve another mention. I've tried a lot of purple shampoos and conditioners to keep my blonde hair from going brassy and no matter the price tag, none of them even come close to these. Not only are they powerful enough to really knock every last bit of yellow out of your hair, they also leave my hair feeling insanely soft and nourished - and they're less than a fiver each!

3) Rimmel Scandaleyes Eye Shadow Paint in Rich Russet

This is a classic case of "the blogger made me buy it". After seeing so many of my favourite bloggers rave about this eye shadow and this colour in particular, I just couldn't help myself but make a sneaky purchase. While it's not the most amazing eye shadow ever, the neutral colour and its versatility are what makes this a stand-out product for me. It's so easy to blend it into a neutral daytime look or layer it up for a bronzed smokey eye, which makes it the perfect day-to-night product. The fact that it comes in a handy tube and can easily be blended with your fingers makes it perfect for on the go. The formula will also stay on my lids pretty much all day once it's dried down. It's crazy to think how far high street cream shadow formulas have come in the last few years!

4) Super Facialist by Una Brennan Brighten & Refine Facial Scrub

Now, this is a scrub for scrub lovers. When I exfoliate my face, I want to feel like I'm actually doing something and this fits the bill perfectly. The grains are tiny and spread very well, but boy are they effective! Do not use this on dry skin unless you like the feeling of sandpaper on your face. In the shower, however, used on wet skin it's the perfect once or twice weekly deep clean that my face needs.

Review: St Ives Apricot Scrub for sensitive skin

The St Ives Apricot scrub is a product I used to use religiously. It's cheap, easy to get and I've always been a fan of its grainy scrubbiness, but for the last few years I've strayed and tried quite a few other exfoliators. It was during a recent trip to Boots that I felt so uninspired by all the other brands' offerings, so I decided to revisit my teenage favourite and finally dedicate it its own full length review!

Out of the five different scrubs on offer (I swear there always used to be just two), I opted for the gentle one for sensitive skin, as I remember these always being a bit rough and didn't want to overwhelm my skin. And oh boy, it's a good job I did! Now, don't get me wrong, as I'm a huge fan of those really grainy, "scrubby scrubs" that you can physically feel working on your face - and that's just what this is.

The way I use this is two to three times a week, in the mornings while I'm under the shower, as it's easier to get it all off your face once you're done if you're exfoliating in the shower. I wouldn't recommend using this on dry skin, especially if your skin is sensitive. But if, like me, you're a fan of in-shower exfoliating and find that a lot of lighter scrubs just slide off a wet face, then this is pretty much spot on as far as texture goes.

You'd be forgiven for expecting a sickly sweet apricot smell from this product, but it's actually very faint and subtle - I'd even go as far as saying too subtle, bring on the fruity scents! The packaging might not be the most luxurious, but the squeezy tube does its job, is fairly inoffensive, and light enough to pack for travel.

As far as long-term skin benefits go, this doesn't really make any otherworldly claims, other than to reveal "smooth, radiant skin". Now, I'm not sure I'd describe my post-scrub skin as extraordinarily smooth and radiant, but what it does is just get my skin really, really clean - which is just what it needs from time to time.

If you're after a luxurious pampering experience, this is not going to be for you, but I can definitely see why I used to be such a fan of this product. It's no-nonsense, nice and grainy, but without any random big sharp chunks and just gives your skin a bit of an extra clean from time to time. The 150ml in a tube last for ages and you still get change from a fiver. What's not to love?

St. Ives Gentle Apricot Scrub for sensitive skin retails at £4.29 for 150ml.

Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Review

I can't believe it's taken me this long to review this little pot of delicious scrubbiness - please excuse the lack of blogging mojo lately! I've actually featured this in one of my favourites posts and also talked about it a little bit independently, but it's definitely deserved its own full-length review!

The first thing you'll notice when you twist the lid of a pot of Sugar Crush is the smell. Soap & Glory are pretty amazing when it comes to scenting their products, but this is just out of this world. Thanks to the sugar and lime it smells like a delicious mojito and even after getting out of the shower the scent will linger on your skin for quite some time.

There's a lovely variety of smaller and larger grains suspended in what I can only describe as an oily jelly - sounds terrible, but on the skin it feels lush! If like me you're a fan of scrubs that you can just feel sloughing away the dead skin as soon as they touch your body, then you'll love this! It leaves a bit of an oily film on the skin, which I personally love, but I realise that might not be for everybody.
The sugar grains dissolve after a bit of rubbing into the skin, making for one very satisfying scrubbing experience!

As far as packaging is concerned, the big tub offers a very generous amount of content, but unfortunately it's anything but travel-friendly and will leak even if you knock it over on your bathroom shelf.

Sugar Crush retails at £8 for 300ml.

Beauteco Box July 13

Seeing as last month's Beauteco Box completely blew me away and managed to reignite my excitement for sample boxes, I couldn't wait for this month's choices to roll around. It's a little unfortunate that I already own quite a few of the products that came in this month's boutique (namely the Neal and Wolf Harmony conditioner and the Artdeco eyeshadow base and eye liner), but nevertheless I still made a choice that I was very happy with.

1) Neal and Wolf | Elevate

Full size: £11.95 for 200ml

Neal and Wolf were kind enough to send me a few of their items to trial a while ago, those this is not one of them. I'd never used anything by the brand before, but every single one of their products has seriously impressed me so far, so while I'm a bit gutted that I don't get to try a new brand with this month's box, I'm more than happy to give another Neal and Wolf product a go. This was one of the two products available in each of the three options.

Neal and Wolf | Harmony

Full size: £12.95 for 200ml

This is the second product that was available in all three boxes. I own one of these babies already, but I'm starting to run low and I love it so much it's actually made it into last month's favourites (here). It's an absolute god send for parched and damaged hair like mine and I would repurchase it in a heart beat. I'll get a review up soon for those who may be on the fence, but till then just trust me - it's amazing.

3) Pukka | Radiance Serum

Full size: £32 for 50ml / Sample value: £6.40

And finally, this is the third item that came in each of the three box options. There may have been a bit of a situation when I pulled the protective foil off the tube and squirted serum everywhere - whoops! It's quite runny and has a very strong medicinal smell; you can really, really smell the manuka honey in there. Pukka is not a brand I've ever purchased anything from, so I'm quite excited to give this a go.

4) Eve of St Agnes | Refining Bamboo Exfoliating Polish

Full size: £18 for 50ml / Sample value: £5.40

Eve of St Agnes had a sample in the last Beauteco box and to be honest with you I didn't think their body balm really was that great. This sample, however, seems a little more promising. The exfoliator is thick and balm like and looks smooth from the outside, but is jam packed with tiny granules on the inside. And we all know I love a good and proper scrub! The scent is not entirely my cup of tea, but I'm still keen to see how my skin will react to this one.

5) Artdeco | Clear Lash & Brow Gel

Full size: £9.75 for 10ml

Yaaaaay, I'm so happy to see Artdeco pop up in this month's boxes! Growing up in Germany this was basically our version of Mac at slightly more affordable prices. I love their foundations and their huge colour spectrum, as well as their magnetic palettes which you can fill with every eye shadow / blusher / concealer / lip colour combo imaginable. It's a shame they're so hard to get hold of in the UK. I already own the eye shadow base that came in one of the other boxes as well as a few of their eye liners - and they're all pretty good! This one looks quite promising - I'm currently using MUA's clear mascara to hold my eye brows in place and it's not quite strong enough, so hopefully this will do the trick. One word of warning, though: Don't put it near your nose, it literally smells like PVC glue.

Total value: £46.45

So, have Beauteco box done it again? I'll be honest and say that I was a little disappointed that two of the main products this month are from a brand I already know with a product I already own. But, as I've already said, they're very, very good products that I'd happily repurchase anyway, so while the novelty factor isn't quite as high as it was last month, I still feel like I got a brilliant box. Once again, they're all products that I will use (probably till I can't squeeze another drop out of them) with impressive value for money. I'm already eagerly awaiting next month's offerings.

Monthly Favourites: June 2013

Last month has been absolutely brilliant for discovering new products that I really, really like, so it was about time to whack em all into one neat little post just in time for the monthly favourites!

1) Neal & Wolf Intensive Care Treatment

For months I was absolutely obsessed with Aussie's 3 Minute Miracle and while I still think it's an absolutely amazing product, I've now found something that's just as good (or perhaps even better?) for my frazzled tresses. It leaves hair silky smooth, soft and easy to work with without making it all sticky or weighed down by heavy ingredients. What's not to love?

2) Bourjois Cream Blush in 03 Rose Tender

For years I used to avoid cream blushes, as they'd leave a shiny, slobby film on my cheeks that would slide off after about half an hour tops. Oh, how times have changed and the latest cream-to-powder formulations cannot be beaten for longevity and workability. On the high street, this new Bourjois formula is my new favourite alongside my beloved Topshop blushes. I'd say the Topshop ones are better for bright, heavily pigmented colour, while those that are after a more natural and easy-to-use colour are best off with Bourjois. You can read my full review here.

3) Models Own Nail Polish in Pink Punch

I bought this shade back in December, but now that the sun's finally out it really comes into its own. I am absolutely obsessed with neons at the moment and this colour just glows in the sun light like there's no tomorrow. It also looks brilliant against tanned skin and makes me happy every time I look at my finger tips. Lasting power is about average and depends heavily on the top coat you use with it.

4) Palmers Cocoa Butter Body Scrub

I'm not a massive fan of the Palmers Body Butter and to be completely honest I only picked up this scrub because that's the only one that wasn't sold out in my local Superdrug. And I'm completely blown away. It's like a rich body butter that dissolves into creamy, gooey deliciousness once on the skin, with loads of little scrubby particles suspended within. It smells absolutely amazing and satisfies my need for proper mechanical exfoliation all the while being soft and gentle on the skin. Cannot possibly recommend this enough.

5) Amie New Leaf Exfoliating Polish

Anyone else notice that face and body scrubs pop up quite a lot on my monthly favourites lists? Admittedly, I do love that stuff quite a lot. This one came in last month's Beautecobox and I loved it from the moment I opened the little tube. It smells like Solero ice cream and really gets my skin squeaky clean, but without causing any irritation. A perfect product for in-the-shower scrubbers who need something a little stronger that won't wash off straight away.

Birchbox May 2013

So far, my experience with Birchbox has been rather disappointing, so I decided to give one last box a go and then decide whether or not to continue with my subscription. I knew that something was not right when I saw this month's box still wrapped up in its little parcel waiting for me when I got home late and completely failed to get excited over it. Whereas beauty boxes used to have be on their toes and I'd be running down the stairs as soon as I heard the door bell ring when it was beauty box time, this time I practically had to force myself to take at least a little peak.

1) OPI | Nail Lacquer

Full size: £11.50 / Sample value: £2.88

OPI! A great brand which I love for its nail polishes and I'd quite happily own every single shade they make (even if I'd have to rent a separate room to store it all). Unfortunately there is no shade name included, so if I wanted to buy the full size I'd be left guessing. The colour itself doesn't appeal to me at all - I own a similar shade and it just looks horrendous on my nails, but you never know, as this might be completely different. It's still very small, though, even as far as mini polishes are concerned.

2) Murad | Hydro-Dynamics Ultimate Moisture For Eyes

Full size: £57 / Sample Value: £13.50

This is another very small sample once you get it out of it's cardboard outer. As it's an eye cream I would imagine you don't need to use a lot, however, so I'll still get a fair few applications out of it.

As a brand, Murad are well known to me and their products have been a bit hit and miss so far, so it's nice to get something new to try out. But even if I love it, I honestly doubt I'll be spending £57 on a full-sized eye cream.

3) Biorganics Hair Therapy | Salon Secret Elixir Hair Perfecting Oil

Full size: £12.99 / Sample value: £3.99

Oh, there we go: Another tiny mini sample. Biorganics actually sell this on their website for £4 for anyone who wants to try before they buy (even though you're technically still buying, just a smaller amount). This is not a brand I am familiar with, but it's nice to have some hair care that is free from any chemical nasties and I'm a big fan of hair oil anyway, so I'm sure this will get used up.

4) Wei | Chinese Rose Foaming Cleanser

Full size: £25 / Sample value: £1.67

Another sample that turns out to be tiny once you get rid of any unnecessary packaging. I reckon I'll get about 3-4 uses out of my tube. However, the cleanser does smell amazing: Zingy, yet comforting due to the mix of citrus and rose. I'm also a bit of a fan of Asian skincare, so it's not going to lay around and gather dust.

Beauty Extra: Wei | Pomegranate Buffing Beads

Full size: £13 / Sample value: £0.65

I know I've been going on about sample size a little this month, but come on... I almost chucked this, because I thought it might be one of those gel-pearl bags that you get in new handbags to keep the moisture out. You're meant to mix these with your regular cleanser to turn it into a face scrub - a nice addition seeing as the box contained a cleanser from the same brand, but the size is just ridiculous. Sure, I'll use it, but I still won't know properly how the product works and performs after just one application.

Lifestyle Extra: Kusmi Tea | Detox Tea

Full size: £13.85 / Sample value: £2.22

I've seen these pop up in beauty boxes before, but never got one for myself. I do like the pretty tin and seeing as I love tea I'll enjoy having a few cups of this. Not sure I believe in its detoxifying properties, but it will be nice to try. I'm sad to say that the little lifestyle extra actually got me more excited than any other products in this month's box.

So, the overall verdict on my May Birchbox? Shocking.

Technically all the samples amounted to a value of £24.91, which is not only very low compared to usual beauty box contents, but overall I feel like I've been ripped off with this box. The samples are tiny and getting one or two applications out of something won't help me decide whether or not it's any good at all.

After doing a bit of research and seeing what some other people got, I am actually genuinely pissed off. I already own the makebelieve bronzer that some people got in theirs, but even though I would have had no use for it, at least it would have shown me that Birchbox have tried. To me it looks like they're desperate to get samples for their boxes and there is just no effort involved in making the boxes exciting.

So, for me it's goodbye Birchbox. I tried and you failed me on three separate occasions and believe me, there are other ways to spend my money.

Boots Botanics Purifying Face Scrub Review

A few months back the Boots Botanics range had a major design overhaul from frumpy pharmaceutical looking packaging to new clean and more colourful packaging. I was on the hunt for a new facial scrub shortly after the revamp and while before I barely glanced at the range, it caught my eye straight away this time. Looks like the redesign was a bit of a success!

Pretty packaging aside, this one really caught my eye mainly due to the thick grains it contains. I like to use face scrubs while I'm in the shower, so if they're very gentle and mild they'd just get washed away without being able to do anything to the skin.

On that front, the Purifying Face Scrub certainly doesn't disappoint. It's chunky, rough and grainy, just how I like it. Sensitive skins might find it a little too harsh, but if you apply it on wet skin like I do, it gives a very pleasant deep clean.

It smells of pretty much nothing, so is kind on sensitive noses. Its aim is to brighten and smooth and though I didn't see any dramatic changes in skin tone, it did a very good job of making my skin clean and fresh. The scrubbing motions also made for a lovely, rosy glow, which made this a great pleasure to use.

I haven't even told you the best bit yet. The 75ml tube which you can see in the pictures lasted me about three and a half months with two weekly applications... and cost £2.49! You'd be very hard pressed to find a scrub this good at this price. If you're into rough, grainy exfoliators like I am and you're watching your wallet, then this couldn't be better for you.

Soap & Glory Pulp Friction Review

I love a good scrub and though I've been faithful to the lemon scrub by the Body Shop for a while, that one has one major problem and that's the packaging. For normal use the tub is completely fine, but try and take it travelling and the oily contents will get everywhere. I was tempted to try S&G's much raved about Breakfast Scrub, but that one also comes in a pot with a screw top and I just didn't trust it.
Hence, my new choice, Soap & Glory's Pulp Friction!

I love it when a brand makes an effort with fun product naming - nothing wrong with packaging that makes you a little bit happy inside every time you look at it!
As already mentioned, this comes in a squeezy tube and I can happily report that there was absolutely no spillage in my suitcase when I took this along with me. You get 250ml of product which will last a fairly long amount of time and is quite generous in my opinion.

I must say the ingredients advertised at the front of the tube did make me raise my eyebrows quite a bit. Orange waterjuice and vitaminballs, anyone? And what on earth is Lemonade Tree Liquid? Is there such a thing as a lemonade tree???
Anyway, the scent of this is to die for. Think fruity, zesty citrus fruit, but in no way reminiscent of cleaning liquids as some other citrus scented products are. The smell is strong enough to give a pleasurable experience while scrubbing away under the shower, but it doesn't stay on the skin - which is actually a bit of a shame, in my opinion!

The instructions say you should apply this on damp skin, which will cause some of the product to foam up. Now, I don't really see the point in this. It has a lovely, gritty texture which does a great job of sloughing away dead skin, but the foaming actually counteracts this a little bit.
What tends to happen is that I put a blob on, say, my leg, scrub away happily for a few seconds, but by the time I get to my knee it's foamed up and become slippy, losing some of its grit. As a result I end up using quite a lot of product to get the same scrubbing sensation all over my body.

Swatched dry

Swatched wet and spread out

It's not an oily product (it does contain some oil, but only a little bit), it won't leave any residue on your skin after rinsing off. I know that's a big plus point for most, but I actually like a bit of oiliness from my exfoliator. It's not a major put off though, as I guess that's where body moisturiser/butter/oil comes into play anyway.

Would I repurchase this? As it stands, no. It's a great exfoliator that really does its job, but the foaming annoys me a little bit. However, I will use up my tube very happily and if you're after a good, hard-working body scrub this might just be what you need in your life. I wouldn't recommend it for sensitive types, as it really is very abrasive.

Pulp Friction is available from Boots and online for £8.00.

Soap&Glory The Greatest Scrub Of All Review

I'm quite fond of Soap&Glory products - I haven't tried that many of them yet, but everything I've bought I've been very happy with. I couldn't wait for my Origins Modern Friction to run out (find out why I hate it here), so I could give this one a go.

This scrub is intended for all skin types and I would definitely say this is one of the more gentle scrubs I've tried recently. I usually exfoliate in the shower as products aren't as harsh on the skin when it's slightly damp or wet and it makes it a lot easier to wash off the product. This one, however, is the first one I've used in a long time which I had to apply on dry skin, as it would just slide off my face otherwise.

The product itself is very smooth and creamy and has a pearlescent sheen to it. The exfoliating beads are few and far between, but it also contains "smooth-boost spheres" which are supposed to pop open when you press on them - and they do! It's a strangely satisfying feeling, a bit like popping a sheet of bubble wrap. This product is to be massaged into skin and then left on for about 30 seconds during which you will experience a tingling sensation on your skin. This is not inherently unpleasant, but be careful around any damaged or sunburnt skin - the beads are too big to cause any damage, but if you don't wash it off straight away it will sting.

I use this scrub about 2-3 times a week and though it doesn't bring on any dramatic changes to my skin it seems to wake it up and refresh it a little bit. Nevertheless I feel like this product isn't grainy enough for me and I miss the squeaky clean feeling you get from a rougher product.

This product retails for £9.00 (you can buy it here or from any Boots in-store) and for that you get a generous tube containing 125ml, which will last a long time. Is it really the greatest scrub of all? I wouldn't go that far, but it's a very decent option considering the price.

A word on The Body Shop Body Scrubs

I am a hugely massive fan of The Body Shop's cult Body Butters - so much so that I even consider any other body butters or even body lotions a waste of money. I have found however, that their other products are very, very hit and miss, which is a bit of a shame. Funnily enough, both the best and the worst body scrub I have ever tried are made by this company.

My absolute favourite is this one here, the Sweet Lemon Body Scrub. It smells divine, just like lemon drops and it's the second time I have bought a tub of this goodness.

As you can see, this one's quite gritty which makes for a very thorough scrub, but it's in no way uncomfortable or painful. To me, this scrub offers just about the right amount of roughness to really polish my skin.

Beware, however, as it is one of those scrubs that leaves an oily residue on your skin. I personally like that, as it means my skin is even more nourished after using this and in summer I can just skip applying body butter after using this, whereas in winter it gives my skin a much needed boost in moisture. Yet if you're one of those people who don't like oils give this one a miss.

Body Scrubs just like Body Butters are available in different formulations and I wish I had one to recommend if you'd prefer a less gritty body scrub without the oiliness. I tried the grapefruit one which has more of a jelly-like consistency and whereas it should tick all boxes in theory it just didn't perform at all in practice.
The problem with the lighter scrubs is that they're too... well, jelly-like. Imagine what would happen if you tried to apply jelly on to your skin in the shower. Yep, that's exactly what happened with said body scrub. Before I managed to massage any of it in it just fell to the floor in a big blob. Gentle exfoliation is great, but you need some grittiness in your scrub or it's not a scrub. I ended up using copious amounts of product with pretty much no result at all. You're better off mixing some sea salt in with your shower gel.

Have you tried any of their body scrubs? How did you get on?