Monthly Favourites: September 2014

1) Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

The jury's out on whether or not this is a dupe for the infamous Bioderma Crealine micellar, but as far as I'm concerned, this stuff is just as good. I've tried loads of different make-up removers, from high end (huge waste of money in my opinion) to the drugstore offerings (can be a bit hit and miss) and so far Bioderma has been by far my favourite. Even though you don't necessarily have to take the Eurostar to get yourself a bottle of it anymore, it's still fairly difficult to get hold of around these parts. Enter the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water which was so obviously inspired by Bioderma it even has a similar big round bottle with a pink plastic lid. In all honesty, as far as being gentle and getting every last scrap of make-up (including stubborn waterproof mascara) is concerned, I believe this is just as good - but with the added benefit of not only being cheaper, but also being available in any drugstore and even most supermarkets. I don't think I'll ever need a different make-up remover - this is going straight on the repurchase list, as soon as it's finished.

2) Soap and Glory Puffy Eye Attack Turbo-Boost Hydragel

I'm one of those few people who really don't like rollerballs for under the eyes. It's silly really, but there's just something about poking a metal ball this close to my eye that freaks me out and I also find that they often drag the sensitive area under my eyes and make it difficult to dispense the right amount of product. So, this is not a rollerball, which already makes it a winner in my books.

On top of that it offers just the perfect amount of hydration, meaning it's nourishing without being greasy and causing concealer to slip off. It does wonders when my eyes get a little bit puffy, though it has failed to improve my dark circles - I'm guessing I'll be needing a few good nights' sleep for that one!

3) Soap and Glory Smoothie Star Breakfast Scrub

It took me ages to finally try this even though I've heard so many great things about it - and now I finally see what all the fuss is about! First of all, it smells absolutely amazing - like some oaty, mapley delicious breakfast dish that just screams comfort. Secondly, the grains are absolutely perfect in that they offer decent "scrubbage" (technical term there), but without feeling scratchy at all. The thick cream they're suspended in feels nourishing on the skin and isn't so runny that it just falls off the skin and goes straight down the drain - a pet peeve of mine when it comes to scrubs. Just make sure to rinse your shower/bath properly after using it, as it does tend to make a bit of a mess!

4) Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner

This product seems to get a lot of mixed reviews, but I'm definitely a fan! Granted, the long tip is a bit tricky to use at first, but after a few applications I feel pretty confident with it and don't make mistakes quite as often anymore. And once you've mastered it, the ultra thin nib creates the most precise of feline flicks. The thing I adore about it is the deep, inky black it leaves on the lid unlike any other liquid liner I've ever used before. And to top it off it stays on the lid all day long, without fail. Even with no primer underneath it doesn't smudge, flake or budge in any other way until you take your make-up off at the end of the day. I am a little worried that it seems to be drying up a little bit already even though I've only had it two months, though. I think I'll try storing it upside down and see if that solves the problem!

Face of the Day #07

This has probably got to be my favourite go-to look ever. I'm always one for experimenting with lots of different make-up looks, but this is the one I always feel drawn to when I just want to look like myself. A thin, winged flick at the top of the lash line looks made up, put together, but still natural. And when I feel like going out then all I have to do is slick on a nice lip stick and I'm ready to go.

FACE/BASE

I've been trying my hardest to like the Maybelline Fit Me Foundation in 115 Ivory, but after taking these pictures I have finally given up and went out to buy myself a new foundation. It's not the worst foundation in the world - the finish is quite nice, but it just has a tendency to slide around on the face. I used the Seventeen Stay Time Concealer under my eyes and dabbed it under the eye area with my finger tips. I set the whole lot with the Seventeen Stay Time Pressed Powder (Seventeen make some really rather fantastic base products). On the cheeks I used one of my all time favourite blushers - the MUA Blusher in 01. It's an absolute bargain at £1 and as you can see it's been through quite a bit, but I just keep coming back to it for a natural, luminous glow on the cheeks.

EYES

Obviously the MAC Paint Pot in Painterly had to come out again - I don't think I've used a different primer in about two years and as soon as I hit pan on this one I'm going to run to get another one straight away. I blended a bit of Tease from my Urban Decay Naked 2 Pallette into the outer corner and the crease with a big fluffy brush. I then used the Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner to line very closely at the upper lash line, flicking it out at the outer corner and making sure to take it quite far into the inner corner of the eye as well. I really like the elongated cat eye effect you get from taking the liner quite far either way. To top it off, I used the L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagene Mascara on top lashes, and as the brush is quite bulky I switched to the Maybelline Great Lash Mascara for bottom lashes.

LIPS

I left my lips completely bare for this look with only a little hint of lip balm. As the rest of the look is so neutral, pretty much any shade of lipstick goes well, but I just didn't feel like any colour on my lips that particular day.

Review: Neal & Wolf Guard Heat Protection

I always find heat protectants to be a very tricky product to review. How do you know it's doing its job? How do you know for sure that it's doing its job? Yes, my hair isn't particularly frazzled, but is that the heat protectant doing its job or is it my conditioner or maybe some styling product I'm applying? How am I ever supposed to know?

I guess what I'd like to focus on with this review are a few things that become obvious right from the second you use this. For instance, I find that a lot of heat protectants leave a sticky residue on the hair. Fortunately, this doesn't (as long as you're not showering yourself in the stuff), so there's a big thumbs up for that. Use it on wet hair or dry hair, there's no sticky crispiness left behind.

The scent is another big bonus. It has this light salon smell that lingers just long enough to make you go "oooh", but then doesn't interfere with the rest of your day.

The other thing I really like about this - and I know this is really, really random - is the product size. I think it's just spot on - big enough to last a fair bit, but small enough to be travel friendly and not to still be there lurking in a corner years after you bought it.

I have really enjoyed pretty much everything I've tried from Neal & Wolf ever. I just think it's such a shame they're not more widely available, as I'm a bit of an impulse shopper and don't tend to go out of my way to look for a certain brand or product.

As for the heat protection spray, all I can say is that I like it. Whether or not it really benefits my hair in the long run - who will ever know?

Review: Bourjois Elastic Mascara

I feel like when it comes to Bourjois, it's their foundations and their blushers that seem to get all the rave reviews, but when it comes to mascaras, you just don't hear their name thrown into the pot too often. Which is rather unfair, in my opinion, as Bourjois mascaras are some of the best drugstore ones I've come across and I can honestly say I've loved every single one I've tried so far.

I love the thin drop like handle on this mascara for its uniqueness, although it's not the most practical for use. In fact it feels a little bit like you're jousting with a very bristly lance. Nevertheless this is a pretty amazing mascara. It's one of those that is really "grippy", so that each and every lash gets coated evenly and adds great length to the lash (although, as usual, ignore all marketing claims of just how much longer your lashes are going to become, as it tends to be a load of rubbish). It lasts really well, too, without any flaking or smudging.

Sadly, it seems like this mascara has now been discontinued (sorry bout that....), but you can still find these on Amazon, Ebay and some discount make-up sites. Anyway, this was a bit more of an ode to Bourjois mascaras in general. I also really love their Clubbing and their 1 Second mascara if you want to give one of them a try.

Have you used any Bourjois mascaras? What did you think?

Review: Alpure Detoxifying Toning Cleanser

I can't say I'd ever heard of the brand Alpure before, but while looking for bargains on Fragrance Direct I saw this cleanser very heavily marked down and as I was just in the market for a new one, it had to go straight into my basket. Before you even read any further, let me tell you that I've learnt my lesson and realised that when a single product is marked down a lot heavier than all others, there's usually a reason for that.

It was when I read the instructions on the box that I realised I'd made a mistake. Now, I'm sure not everyone will agree with me, but in my personal opinion, a cleanser has got to be rinsed off with water (or alternatively wiped off with a wet flannel or muslin cloth). If there's no water involved, I just somehow doubt how it's ever going to get off all my dirt and make-up. With this cleanser, you're meant to apply it onto the face with dry fingers and then just swipe the excess off with a cotton pad. The rest is meant to sink into the skin.
I couldn't help but worry that I was essentially just pushing the dirt further into my pores rather than rinsing it out, but to be completely honest, my towels and pillows were clean after using this, so it must have been doing something.

While it's safe to use on the eyes, I preferred using a separate make-up remover for the eye area, as this just wasn't strong enough. A swipe of waterproof mascara and this would have had no chance. It certainly did strike me how gentle this cleanser was - a little too gentle, perhaps?

You may have noticed that I've written this review in the past tense. That's because I wanted to wait until I'd completely finished the product before I wrote down my thoughts. Despite being a bit unsure about the lack of water involved, I did quite like this cleanser. I enjoyed how gentle it was and it did seem to get a lot of grime off my face.
That was until I finished it and switched cleansers and suddenly realised, just how much my skin improved. In my opinion a good cleanser is the one thing that will instantly transform the skin and as it happens, this one made my skin look rather grey and dull - something I didn't realise until I switched to a different product.

As I only spent £10 on it I'm not too peeved, but it certainly won't be a repurchase from me. Had I spent the full £30 that this is marked up as, I would have expected a far, far superior product.