The Body Shop - Pink Grapefruit Body Sorbet.

This weekend my local The Body Shop store in Romford had been renewed with a complete makeover and had a grand opening to celebrate, so I thought it would be the perfect time to go treat myself to some new products. 

The shop itself looked lovely and was neat and well organised which is great as there is nothing better than a shop where you can easily find what you are looking for, as I'm impatient when shopping and hate having to search around. The staff as always were really friendly as always, and the aircon (Which I know isn't really relevant) was a dream in the hot weather! Unfortunately I couldn't get any pictures though as the store was packed at the time.

I purchased the new Body Sorbet and Vitamin E face mist and today I am going to review the Body Sorbet.

I was really intrigued with this product when I first heard about it as I have never used a 'sorbet' moisturiser before and wanted to know what the texture would be like and if it was easily absorbed. Also since we are getting a nice bit of heat in London at the moment I wanted a product that would be cooling.

So the texture of this 'sorbet' has a velvety gel like consistency which I have never come across before in a moisturiser. When applying it absorbs pretty mush straight away into my skin and left it feeling very refreshed, it did have some cooling properties to it however to get the most of of this I would store it in the fridge. I apply this product in the morning and found that my skin was still really soft by the time I went to bed which is great. 

I purchased the pink grapefruit scent but they have 5 different scents you can choose from. I choose this scent as it reminds me of eating pink grapefruit with my parents for breakfast in bed on special occasions when I was little and it makes me feel very nostalgic. It has quite a strong smell, which I find really uplifting and it helps to wake me up in the morning . The scent lasts for about half an hour.

This moisturiser comes in a big squeezy bottle which I like as due to its thick consistency it is easy to squeeze the right amount of product out and you don't get any leaking through like you can with some cream moisturisers. Also it means I don't get any product stuck behind my finger nails when I'm trying to get some out a tub.

The Body Sorbets cost £8 from The Body Shop and you can buy them here: 

http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/bath-body-care/new-body-sorbets.aspx#/new-body-sorbets.aspx

What do you think about this Body Sorbet?

Yves Saint Laurent - Golden gloss shimmering lip gloss.

It's national lipstick day today, so it would be wrong of me not to review a lipstick today wouldn't it? Well technically I'm going to review a lip gloss but it's close enough! This is one of my favourite luxury lip-glosses that I own from YSL, and it's called golden gloss in shade 10.

First of all as you would expect from a high end product the packaging is beautiful. It comes in a nice sleek see through plastic case with a gold lid with the brands initials on. I love the fact that it is see through so you can see the exact colour of the gloss and it allows you to know how much you have left, which is always an added bonus in my opinion.

Application of this lip gloss is really easy as it comes with a paint brush type applicator, and it slides on nice and evenly. It also has a slight fruity smell when you are applying. Once applied this lip gloss is slightly sticky to help keep the glitter in place, but not too sticky that it is bothersome though it does mean there is product transfer when eating and drinking.

I think overall there are 20 different shades in the Golden gloss collection but I purchased shade 10 which is a nice nude pink colour that practically matches the colour of my lips.

This lip gloss is super glittery when applied (which unfortunately I couldn't capture in the pictures) and gives a good shine boost to your lips. This is because there are actual extracts of gold (0.2% I think?)  and mother of pearl contained in each lip gloss, so this is real luxury for your lips! 

Unfortunatly the wear time for this lip gloss isn't great and I need to reapply every 2 hours when I'm wearing it, which is a shame considering the price. Though I tend to wear it over a darker pink lipstick like Soap and Glorys Pom Pom which I reviewed yesterday (http://ramblingmakeup.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/soap-and-glory-matte-lipstick-in-pom-pom.html) so it doesn't matter too much if the gloss disappears as I still have a nice base.

(Golden Gloss over Pom Pom)

 This lip gloss costs £22 and unfortunately I can't find it in stock anywhere online, but you can buy shade 15 which is a nice darker pink from here: 

http://www.feelunique.com/p/Yves-Saint-Laurent-Golden-Gloss-Shimmering-Lip-Gloss-6ml

What do you think of YSL golden gloss?

Soap And Glory - Matte lipstick in Pom Pom.

Hello again everyone, I hope you had a good weekend! Today I'm going to review one of my favourite matte lipsticks by Soap and Glory. Technically the full name of this lipstick is Soap And Glory Super Colour Fabulipstick Powder Coat Matte lipstick, but that's a bit of a mouthful so I decided to shorten it in the title. 

First of all I absolutely love the packaging of this lipstick. It comes in a sleek black metal case with of course the classic pink writing from Soap And Glory on it. The lipstick itself even has S&G embossed into it, and I think that this lipstick looks really high end.

I got the colour Pom Pom from the collection which is a nice musky berry pink. I think it is sort of in the middle between a pink and red lipstick and is great for making a statement lip, but also it isn't too over the top and can be perfect for the day as well.

I like to apply this lipstick with a brush, as it is a strong colour and to be honest I'm a bit messy when it comes to applying lipstick. The finish to this lipstick is a velvety matte, but what I love about it is that it isn't dying on my lips at all.

• This lipstick was meant to contain a 3–D PLUMP™ PEPTIDE COMPLEX which stimulates collagen production & builds up a three dimensional network to firm, tone and plump the lips’ surface which I didn't notice when I bought it. However I have not noticed any plumping effect/tingling at all, but luckily that doesn't bother me as that's not what I really want.

This lipstick usually lasts me for about 6 hours before I need to reapply so it is long lasting, and I don't get too much product transfer whenever I eat or drink anything.  

This lipstick was a bargain at £9 and comes in 3 different shades. Also at the moment it is 3 for 2 at boots, so you can get an item for free if you pick up any two soap and glory products. You can buy it here:

http://www.boots.com/en/Soap-Glory%E2%84%A2-Super-Colour-Fabulipstick%E2%84%A2-Powdercoat%E2%84%A2-Matte-Lipstick_1279316/

What do you think of this lipstick?

Revlon ColourBurst Matte Balm in Audacious.

Hey everyone, today I am going to review another makeup crayon from Revlon in Audacious (245). I had seen this being advertised a lot and since I'm trying to be braver in my makeup choices I decided to go for Audacious which has an orange/pinky colour, something which I would not usually go for.

Like Cliniques chubby sticks, this lip matte balm comes in crayon form so it is really easy to apply and great for travel. Again there is no need for a sharpener as when you twist the silver end product comes out from the top. 

When applying, this lip balm is really pigmented and gives a strong colour which I really like, but I prefer to apply some to the middle of my lips and blend it out with my fingers to make it more subtle. It has a slight peppermint fragrance and when it dries it has a velvet matte finish.

The only problem I have with this lip balm is that I find it to be very drying on my lips and it can sink into crevices making my lips to really dry and not very nice, so when I apply it I find I need to keep reapplying lipgloss which kind of defeats the object of owning a matte balm.

I find this lip balm lasts me about 4 hours before I need to reapply and it comes in 10 different shades.

You can buy it here:

http://www.boots.com/en/Revlon-ColorBurst-8482-Matte-Balm_1416281/

What do you think of the Revlon matte balm range?

The Body Shop - Liquid Eyeliner.

Eyeliner is one of the beauty products that I could not live without and I feel naked if I'm not wearing it, and due to this fact I have gone through a lot of them! So today I am going to review one of my favourite liquid eyeliners from The Body Shop. 

The Body Shop Liquid Eyeliner comes in a small black bottle with a long silver lid, which acts as a handle to the fine felt tip like applicator. I find this liquid eyeliner really easy to apply due to its tip and long handle, and I love it for drawing fine lines.

When applying I like to remove excess liquid from the tip by wiping it on the inside of the bottle which allows me to draw a nicer line on the eye without smudging it. Once applied it takes about 30 seconds to dry and you are left with a good strong matte black colour.

I find that this eyeliner is long lasting and can last me for about 5/6 hours without smudging or having any transfer on my upper eyelid, even in the 32 degree heat we had in London today! However it isn't waterproof so if you have sensitive watery eyes I'm not sure if this is the product for you, but it does make taking the eyeliner off very easy at night.

I managed to pick this up as a free gift when the body shop had a special promotion going on, but otherwise this Eyeliner costs £9 and comes in Black, Brown and Taupe. 

You can buy it here:

http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/make-up/eyes/liquid-eyeliner.aspx

What is your favourite eyeliner?

SOIGNÉ Botanique - Persimmon.

Summer is well and truly here in London and the weather has been great for the last few days (In fact it's bordering on slightly too hot!) so I thought I would review one of my favourite summer nail varnish shades which is Persimmon by  SOIGNÉ Botanique. (I will also add the Persimmon is one of my favourite fruits if you ever get the chance to try it.)

I have never really been one for bright nail varnishes and have always played it save with darker shades, but recently I have been trying to be more adventurous and when I received this in I think my Mays Birchbox I couldn't wait to try it out.

This nail varnish applies really nicely to the nail and even with one coat the colour is quite opaque, but I always like to apply 2 to ensure the colour is completely even on my nails and to help my nail varnish last longer. Once applied the drying time is relatively quick and it was pretty much completely dry within 5 minutes.

The colour of this nail varnish is a nice dark orange which I think is a perfect summer shade and is bang on trend at the moment. It usually lasts on my nails for about 4 days until it really starts to chip.

This nail varnish is made from 85% natural origins and is free from Formaldehyde, Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate and Camphor, which I think helps contribute to the fact that when applying this nail varnish it doesn't have a strong headache/nausea inducing smell.

What really intrigued me about this nail varnish though was it's packaging, it is gorgeous and looks to me like the Chanel No.5 packaging.  The box is sleek and well presented and looks like a very high end product. When you open the box the bottle is stored between 2 foam pieces to keep the bottle safe, so I think this is the perfect nail varnish to take away with you.

This nail varnish costs £11, so it's not the cheapest but it certainly looks high end and the quality is great. The SOIGNÉ Botanique webstore (http://www.soignenails.com/) is coming soon but until then you can buy it here:

 https://birchbox.co.uk/shop/soigne-persimmon-nail-lacquer

What's your favourite summer shade?

The Liebster Award.

I always love receiving comments on my posts and I received a lovely comment from Abbey (www.daisydaze0.blogspot.co.uk/) nominating me a Liebster award, which I think is a nice idea as it helps readers to get to know the bloggers a little better.

Soap and Glory - Kick Ass Blur & Brighten Concealer.

Today I am going to review the new Soap and Glory Kick Ass Blur & Brighten concealer crayon. I purchased this a few weeks ago as I was looking for a new under eye concealer and so far this one has been brilliant, which is handy as I have been really needing a good under eye concealer for the last few weeks because I'm sure that I'm becoming nocturnal! 

This concealer comes in crayon form which makes it really easy to use and apply under the eyes. Also due to it's easy application and not needing to use a brush it is the perfect concealer to use on the go. Like the Chubby Stick I reviewed yesterday (http://ramblingmakeup.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/clinique-chubby-stick-super-strawberry.html) there is no need for a sharpener as when you twist the end, the concealer comes out of the top.

The texture of this concealer is really soft and easy to blend, and when applying I usually draw a triangle under each eye and blend it in with my finger. It absorbs well into the skin and provides excellent coverage which really helps to cover my dark circles and bags under my eyes.

 I also sometimes apply this over any blemishes that appear and it instantly covers them up, however I find that this product is quit soft and moisturising and I wouldn't recommend using it on parts of your skin that are really oily as I feel like it would come off quite easily.

The wear time of this concealer is really good and it usually lasts me for about 6 hours until I need to think about reapplying any, also if I set it with a powder it helps make it last even longer.

This concealer comes in two shades either light or medium (I purchased light)  and is a real bargain at £6, so it's definitely worth trying out! You can buy it at your local Boots or online here:

http://www.soapandglory.com/makeup/face/foundation-concealer/kick-ass-blur-and-brighten-concealer

What's your favourite Soap and Glory product?

Clinique Chubby Stick - Super Strawberry (07)

Whilst out shopping this week I managed to grab this months issue of Glamour magazine with a free Chubby stick by Clinique. I have heard a lot about these Chubby sticks and was very intrigued to try one out for myself.

I really like the packaging of this product as it's very sleek and the colour matches the shade of the lip balm which helps to make it easier when you are searching through your makeup bag for a specific colour. 

Due to the pencil design of this lip balm I find it is really easy to apply and is perfect for when you're on the go. Also you don't need a sharpener for this product as when you twist the metallic end it pushes the lip balm up.

I got the shade Super Strawberry (07) which is a nice berry pink. When you only apply one coat you get a very sheer colour but you can easily build it up to make the it more noticeable on your lips. 

Once applied I find that it is moisurising on my lips and has a nice sheen to it, though due to it's moisturising nature and slightly glossy texture it does need to be reapplied about every 2 hours. Though saying that when having a drink I didn't have to much product transfer onto the glass.

Clinique Chubby Sticks come in 18 different shades and cost £17.

You can either pick this shade up or Woppin' Watermelon in this months Glamour magazine or you can buy it here:

 http://www.clinique.co.uk/product/1603/15520/Makeup/Lip-Glosses/Chubby-Stick-Moisturizing-Lip-Colour-Balm/index.tmpl

What do you think about the Clinique chubby sticks?

Models Own - Sparkler.

 This July I received a bottle of Models Own nail varnish in Sparkler from my Birchbox and after wearing it for a week I thought I would do a more in depth review of it.

I saw this nail varnish as more as a top coat so I applied it with New York Noir by Nails Inc.  I think it has a really good effect teamed up with a dark base coat and as the intention with this nail varnish it looks a bit like a firework on the nails.

Sparkler is filled with lots of holographic strands in a clear nail polish and when in the sunlight the strands are really eye catching and sparkle different colours giving it a good effect. Though personally I don't think I'll be wearing this often as I felt the stands were a bit messy on my nails but I think that's just a bit of my perfectionism.

This nail varnish was easy to apply and I only used one coat, though sometimes I did have to do a few extra dabs where the holographic strips failed to apply. Once on this nail varnish lasted me the whole week apart from a few strips at the top of my nails which started peeling off.

The cost of this nail varnish is £5.00 and you can buy it here: 

https://birchbox.co.uk/shop/models-own-fireworks-in-sparkler

Benefits Big Easy multi-balancing complexion perfector.

It has been a very hot today here in London so I have spent most of my time outside in the sunshine. When it is hot like this sometimes wearing foundation can feel a little heavy on the skin, so instead I use Benefits Big Easy bigger than BB cream which is lightweight and allows my skin to breathe.

I love this BB cream as it has so many benefits to help improve and look after your skin. I purchased this when it first came out in April and have been practically using it everyday ever since, and my skin has improved so much since. It is oil free and it balances the moisture and controls oil in the skin, making sure that your face doesn't get too oily or dry out, and that also means that it doesn't cause my skin to breakout.

This product contains SPF 35 and ingredients that help fight against free radicals and sooth the skin which also helps to make it the prefect product for the summer months (But again I would definitely recommend wearing a high sun lotion underneath which protects against UVA and UVB rays). 

When applying this product it starts to adjust to your skin tone to provide a balanced and even complexion and it helps to improve the redness of my skin. This products also provides quite a full coverage to help cover up any imperfections and you can build it up to how much you want, though I do find on some of my bigger spots I do have to use a bit of concealer. 

After being applied it dries to a velvety powder and gives my face a lovely natural finish. I find that this product lasts me for a good 6 hours without needing to touch it up, even in the 30 degrees weather we had today! 

I use shade 02 light on my skin but it has 6 different shades to choose from.

Benefits Big Easy costs £27.50 and can be found in most Debenhams and larger Boots Benefit counters or you can buy it online here: 

http://www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk/product/view/big-easy?intid=gridpromo_bigeasy

What do you think of Benefits Big Easy?

Natural collection Moisture shine lipstick - Rosebud.

Hi everyone, today I thought I would write about one of my favourite lipsticks that I go to all the time  Rosebud by Natural collection. 

I absolutely love the colour of this lipstick, which is a nice nude dusky pink, that can be built up to become a bolder pink. This is my go to lipstick when I am in a rush or having a busy day as it is easy to apply and gives my lips a healthy look.

This lipstick is from Natural collections Moisture shine range and has a glossy finish. I do find this lipstick to be quite moisturising and it doesn't dry my lips out at all. However due to it's glossy texture I do get a tiny bit of lipstick transfer on glasses and such things. This lipstick for me lasts around 3-4 hours and I find that it does need touch ups though out the day.

This lipstick was a great bargain at £1.99, so to be honest I don't really mind that I may have to reapply it a little more often than my usual lipsticks.

You can pick this Lipstick up, as well as other colours in the collection in stores at Boots.

July Birchbox review.

Birchbox day has arrived! I love receiving my Birchbox as it feels like I'm getting a present each month, and July's Birchbox was a treat. This month it has a wonderful summer theme which cheered me up in an instant, and it came with lovely bright postcards which I will definitely be using to decorate my wall with.

Keep reading if you want to know more about what I received this month.

Lush - May Day bath bomb.

This afternoon I thought I'd do a quick review on this bath bomb that I picked up in Lush the other day.  It's called May Day and the money from this (excluding VAT) goes towards anti-badger cull projects in the UK.

Like I said this is only going to be a quick review as it was meant to be limited edition and only available in May, so they don't sell it on their website any more, however you may be lucky enough to find one in store.

Soap and glory - Puffy eye attack.

Summer is here and with the weather getting warmer and the light lasting longer later nights out become of a more common thing, which can only mean one thing... Dark circles appearing more often. Also it means more time being spent outside and for some hay fever suffers this means puffy eyes. So I went out and got a new eye gel which can help solve these problems. 

As I have said before I think that looking after the skin around your eyes is very important as quite often your eyes show the first sign of aging. However only being 21 I did not want to go out and buy an anti aging product as I don't feel  my skin needs that yet, though I did want something that would help keep my eyes looking healthy and I think Puffy Eye Attack is the perfect product.

Soap and glory claim that this eye gel will reduce dark circles and puffy eyes, increase circulation and cell respiration to keep eyes looking healthy and help fight aging (Perfect for younger skin). I have been using this product for a few weeks now and I can definitely say that my eyes are looking healthier and the dark circles under my eyes are reduced. I don't really suffer from puffy eyes so I can't really comment on that aspect of the eye gel. 

I use this eye gel in the morning and evening and it has a nice cooling effect when you first apply. I find this gel to be very moisutrising so when I apply I only need the tiniest dab on my finger to spread around my eye area. 

I quite like the packaging for the eye gel, it comes in a nice simple white plastic tub which is small enough to be able to take traveling with you, which is a benefit.

This eye gel costs £12.50 which I think is reasonable as it seems to be improving my under eye skin and I think it will last a long time as you only need a tiny amount. You can buy it at Boots or online here:

 http://www.soapandglory.com/skincare/skincare-products/eye-lip-care/puffy-eye-attacktm

Are you a fan of Soap and Glory? 

Benefit - They're real push-up liner.

Today I am going to review Benefits new They're real push-up gel eyeliner pen. I have been really excited this product since it launched and I finally managed to get my hands on it, and let me tell you it is definitely worth all the hype that I have been hearing about it.

I am a huge fan of gel eye liners but getting that classic cat eye flick can be a real hassle.. like the saying goes "Never ask a girl with winged eyeliner why she is late". But with this new gel liner pen you won't have that excuse to be late any more, as using this couldn't be easier!

This pen has a soft AccuFlex tip which hugs the lashline and I find it also makes it easier to draw a straight line across they eyelid. The shape of this tip also makes it easier to draw the flick at the end.

The colour of this eyeliner is a strong matte black, which is perfect for making a dramatic eye look if you build it up, or you can tone it down and have a simple day to day eye. 

When you first purchase this eyeliner to use it you have to remove the little orange tip, and then twist the bottom of the pen to push the gel liner up (this can take a while, but just keep going with it.). Then once the gel liner has appeared it is ready to use. After the first use you then only need to twist the bottom once to use.

Now when Benefit said that this product was long wearing and smudge proof they was not lying. Once applied it only takes about a minute to dry and then it is pretty much stuck there until you want to take it off. I did have a bit of eyeliner transfer onto my upper eyelid due to having quite greasy skin, but after fixing it with matte black eye shadow this problem disappeared.

Though the smudge proof and water proof formula is great for making sure your eye makeup looks great all day it does pose a problem when having to take it off at night. Luckily I was given a free sample of their They're real remover, which helps to easily remove the eyeliner. Though I find you do need to use quite a lot of it on a cotton pad to ensure you can get it all off.

I did try to use my usual cleansing clothes to get it off, though I did require a lot of scrubbing which irritated my eyes. Though I found that coconut oil applied to a cotton pad also helped to easily remove the eyeliner without too much scrubbing. 

This eyeliner cost £18.50 and I will definitely be repurchasing it! You can buy it at Debenhams, Boots or online here:  http://www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk/product/view/theyre-real-push-up-liner

What is your favourite Benefit product? 

Lush - D'fluff Strawberry shaving soap.

Strawberries are possibly one of the nicest berries in the world and Lush have incorporated them into their new shaving soap, which looks and smells gorgeous! 

This was my first time using a shaving soap as usually I use a foam or cream, but I am completely sold on this product. I love the texture of it and it is easy to apply a smooth even layer over my legs. Also I find it is easier to get the correct amount instead of using too much, which I tend to do when having to squeeze cream out of the bottle.

To use this shaving soap you simply scoop out the amount you need and smooth it over your legs, you then shave as you normally would ensuring you wash the blade often so the don't get too clogged up. This soap can be used anywhere on the body as well.

This product contains fresh strawberries and cocoa butter and after using my legs felt super soft, and I didn't have any shaving rash or red bumps on my skin after using which I always get, so I will definitely be using this over the summer so I can get my legs out without feeling self conscious.

One thing I would say is that even though it contains strawberries and has a lovely pink colour it does smell more like rose. It does have a lovely sweet smell and you do get a hint of strawberry but if you was to smell this product without knowing what it was I think you would be more likely to say it was rose.

The packaging of this shaving soap is one of Lush's classic black pots made from 100% recycled plastic which is very ethical! I love the pot as usually I buy the shaving foams which come in a metal tin, and I am rubish at remembering to take it out of the shower so I end up with rust rings everywhere, but I don't have to worry about that with this.

I got the 70g version at Lush so I could try it out which cost £5.75 but once it's finished I'm definitely going to buy the 150g version for £9.95, as you don't have to use to much of it each time you shave so it will last a while. 

You can buy D'fluff here: https://www.lush.co.uk/products/shaving/dfluff

What is your favourite Lush product?