Showing posts with label Boots. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boots. Show all posts

Monday, 23 September 2013

Botanics Hydrating Night Cream

In the last year or so I have really been taking good care of my skin. I truly believe that if you look after your skin, not only will the appearance of your skin improve but your make-up will sit better on your skin too.

Using a night cream for me is a must,my skin can sometimes become dry so its important that I can get a 'hydration fix', if you will. One concern I do have with up keeping a skin care routine, is that is can be quite expensive but you would be surprised at what you can find in the drugstore...
Takes Boot's Botanics Hydrating Night Cream with brightening hibiscus for example. It doesn't break the bank at £4.99 and it does a pretty impressive job. For 50ml's worth of product and at a price like that its definitely worth trying. 

Although this moisturiser is rich, at the same time it has a really light consistency and is easy to work into the skin. It claims to promote surface renewal for brighter looking skin by the morning, which I totally agree with - my skin just looks so fresh, and supple ready for a new day's worth of make-up. 

One negative I would say is it can be a little greasy, however providing you apply a thin layer you should be 'grease lightening' free. If your looking for something cheap, cheerful and something that actually works, give this little pot of wonders a go. 

If you, as always have recommendations for good skin care products let me know in the comments.x

Thursday, 9 May 2013

Botanics: Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm

Ever since the phenomenon of the Liz Earle Hot Cloth cleanser, most of my cleansers have been of the Hot Cloth variety. I very much like a product that does a multitude of things - not only does it mean less products (though I love my beauty / skin care products) but the time it takes to remove my make-up & cleanse my face is halved, which of course means more sleep. Having tried several cleansers including the Liz Earle one, I had never tried a balm type cleanser up until now so I decided to give the Boots Botanics Hot Cloth cleansing balm a go ...
Botanics's Hot Clothing cleansing balm is formulated with a Shea Butter, Rosehip and Jojoba oil and claims to be 97% organic. 
Like most cleansers,this one is accompanied with a muslin cloth. Not the best I've come across but hey it does the job. 
You get 65ml of product and you only need a pee size amount so this stuff lasts for ages. Mine stood the duration of about 4-5 months so at £8.99 its value for money, right? Its perfect for travel because the packaging isn't overly big and there's no risk of mess in your travel bag . 
Although this cleanser removed make-up off very easily, thats all it did! I didn't see a great improvement in my skin, yet this product didn't break me out either. As the main ingredient was Shea Butter I found this cleanser added moisture to my dehydrated skin, however I found that it left an oily film on my face & made my hands greasy, which I disliked.  

Initially I just used the balm on my face, avoiding the eyes. However for the purpose of testing this cleanser, I used this balm to remove stubborn mascara and eyeliner and it did a pretty good job and didn't irritate my eyes. It does say to avoid eyes, but each to their own. 

For those you suffer from dry and dehydrated skin, I would certainly recommend that you give this cleanser ago, however based on oily residue situation on my skin I won't be repurchasing. Have you guys tried this cleanser?x


Wednesday, 8 May 2013

Haul: Soap & Glory

Like most people I am a HUGE fan of Soap & Glory products, they can sometimes be on the pricey side however I always take advantage of the 3 for 2 offers at Boots. As I was in need of a new cleanser and eye cream, it just made sense for me to visit the S&G stand. 

I'm really happy with my purchases so far. As always if you've used any of the products let me know your thoughts on them & if you would like any of the products reviewed feel free to ask in the comments section. x 

Tuesday, 5 March 2013

Nads Facial Hair Removal Creme

If your an Indian girl like me you know that once in a blue moon our inner 'werewolves' appear & we have to be maintained - by this I mean FACIAL HAIR ! I'm always intrigued with Facial Hair Removal products as I've never found one that I'm completely satisfied with. Traditionally I use creams as I find them the quickest and easiest ways to remove hair however I find with most creams the scent puts me off. 

Nad's is an Australian company that is stocked in Boots that specialises in a range of hair removal products for both men & women. It has received a number of outstanding reviews which instantly attracted me to trying their products. 
 
Kit Includes : 28g Hair removal cream & 15g Moisture & soothing face balm for after hair removal. 
Most hair removal kits contain one sachet of some sort of after care balm or lotion that can generally only be used once. However what I really liked about this kit is that it contains a generous sized tube of soothing balm so it can be used numerous times and its cleans and easy to use.  
As for the actual facial creme I have to say that it does have that really weird gone off scent that I mentioned most creams have, however its not that heavy to completely put me off. It has an angled applicator, so all you have to do is squeeze the product and apply a thick even layer directly to the skin which makes it much easier and cleaner.

You leave the formula on for 4 minutes, remove it with a soft cloth & warm water & bob's your uncle the hair is gone. I think for £4.95 this is a great little kit, its effective but your not breaking the bank either. Would I purchase it again? Probably not. Only because it left my skin feeling very dry and uneven despite using the soothing balm.

If anyone has tried this particular kit or anything from the Nad's range let me know your thoughts on the product. 

Tuesday, 23 October 2012

Collection: Blush & Highlight Cream Duo 2 IN 1

If your someone who's on the go or you travel frequently then I'm sure you'll agree with me, that no matter how much you try to condense the amount of make-up you take with you (without compromising on the quality) you still end up taking more than you would ever possibly need! I'm always on the look out for multi purpose & travel friendly make-up products as it just makes packaging so much easier and more so, much lighter.
Available from : http://www.boots.com/en/Collection-Blush-Highlight-_1279328/
'Collection' (formally know as 'Collection 2000')  have recently released this Blush & Highlight Cream Duo 2 in 1 within their cosmetics range. I'm not normally a cream blush kind of girl and highlighting is something that I've never really got the hang off but for some reason I was really drawn to this product! The packaging is really compact so perfect for travel and the actual product isn't that bad either. 
Left to Right: Strawberries & Cream, Peaches & Cream
Currently this duo is available in two shades but I'm hoping they extend their colour range as I would happily invest in some more at £4.19 each - what a bargain ?! I chose the 'Strawberries & Cream' duo & although the colour is sheer its very build-able and the highlighter is really quite impressive. Both the blush and highlighter are very shimmery so it may not be for everyone but as I've already mentioned its a brilliant multi purpose product.
Left to Right: Blusher in Strawberries, Highlighter in Cream
I apply the blush with my fingers and rather than sweeping it across my cheeks I press it in lightly so it doesn't disturb my foundation or powder. The highlighter, like I said is quite shimmery so you only need the tiniest amount and I apply this just on top of my cheeks, again with my fingers and occasionally wear it underneath my brow bone to define & highlight. These products could also be used on the eyes as shadows if applied correctly, more so the highlighter as I think it would make a really great base or if worn alone. 

If you guys have tried this product let me know your thoughts and any suggestions for travel friendly make-up items would be much appreciated - I'm always on the look out for things that will cut down the bulk of my make-up bag.x 

Tuesday, 25 September 2012

Wish List # 2

Can you believe it but we are only a few months away from Christmas? The year has gone so, so fast and all the shops like Boots are starting to get all their Christmas gift sets in... exciting. There are so many things I want ... I mean need (uh hum) but sometimes I can have very expensive taste in things. Here is my current 'Wish List', no doubt there will be a 'Christmas Wish List' too!
1.) Clarins Beauty Flash Balm: £28.00
2.) Benefit 'that gal' brightening face primer: £21.50
3.) Elie Saab La Parfum: £38.00
4.) Longchamp Le Pliage medium bag: £58.00.
5.) Monu Extra Rich Night Cream: £36.95.

Thats a total of: £182.45
I really love the Longchamp Bag, & i've wanted it for ages so its something thats on top of my list and I may just have to treat myself to it. Do you guys have a 'Wish List' if so what's on it.x

Thursday, 20 September 2012

Hot Cloth Cleansers: Liz Earle vs. Sanctuary

Now that I have a skin care routine that works for me I'm a bit reluctant when trying new products. The Liz Earle 'Hot Cloth Cleanser', by far is one of the most talked about skin care items out there. Its received numerous reviews and is loved by the majority of people who use it. The rise of 'Hot Cloth Cleansers' has encouraged many brands to produce their own versions, so as I had the opportunity to try both Liz Earle and Sanctuary's very own alternative I thought I would give you my thoughts on them.

This Hot Cloth Cleanser is available from Boots at £10.20 for 125ml. I received a travel size version of the cleanser in a kit so I can't say whether it's available to purchase individually at travel size. It comes with a standard sized muslin cloth which is soft on the skin & perfect for removing the creamy cleanser. 
This cleanser claims to open pores, deep cleanse the skin and act as a gentle exfoliator to help stimulate circulation. Ingredients such as beeswax & 'gold of pleasure' oil helps to condition the skin whilst the camomile helps to leave complexion glowing with radiance. 

There's a light smell of honey however when you massage it into the skin the scent almost reminds me of white emulsion. Not the most pleasant of scent. It has a nice light, soufflé like texture which is very easy to work with and has no irritation to the skin... at least with my skin anyway (Sanctuary don't specify what skin type their cleanser is suitable for). 

My skin felt smoother after using this product but no more than usual, with my current skin care routine. Although this cleanser claims to brighten your complexion, I found my skin looked dull and lifeless. This cleanser is NOT designed for the removal of *eye make-up which is a big let down as you would hope such product would do a multitude of things! Eventually it did remove most of my eye make-up but it took at least 3 or 4 attempts and even then there was a 'panda eyes' like residue in the Mornings.
* Sanctuary do say to avoid the eye area. However out  for review & comparison purposes  I wanted to see how well this cleanser would perform when removing eye make-up.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser:
*C&P - Cleanse and Polish. 
As much as I wanted to dislike this product, (because everyone raves about it so much), I have to say I maybe Liz Earle's latest convert. I was so impressed with the Cleanse & Polish that it may replace my current skin care routine as it eliminates the clutter of bottle and tubes and does the job of cleansing and removing make-up all in one product at one easy AND very convenient step. 

The Cleanse & Polish can be purchased online at http://uk.lizearle.com/ and is readily available at most John Lewis Stores. Prices start from £5.50 and the one thing I really like is that this cleanser comes in pump or tube form at various sizes. The travel size is great for me as it's definitely something I will take on both short & long breaks in the future and further more it means I don't have to take a separate cleanser and eye make-up remover with me although I maybe be tempted to take a toner in conjunction with the *C&P. 

So the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish claims to cleanse & remove face make-up as well as stubborn mascara with it's mineral oil rich creamy, cleanser. The pure muslin cloth allows you to polish the face to gently remove dead skin cells & give your clean & radiant looking skin. There is a slight herbal scent which I'm not the biggest fan of but it is very light so I can get pass that. The texture is very creamy and lightweight, really easy to work into the skin and like the Sanctuary Hot Cloth Cleanser it has a soufflé like consistency. 

Although you have to go in a couple of times to remove eye make-up, all in all it does a fantastic job. It doesn't string or irritate the eyes and the surrounding skin and better still there is no residue in the mornings. This cleanser just melts make-up off the skin in seconds leaving it feel a lot more smoother & even & really clean - as if it had really lifted excess oil & dirt from my face. From using this cleanser my complexion looked a lot clearer & brighter & I think because of the natural ingredients in it such as; beeswax, & eucalyptus oil(amongst others), it has helped to prevent spots & mild break out. 

So to conclude this comparison you can probably tell that I hand's down preferred the Liz Earle Cleanser over Sanctuary's version. I will be purchasing the full size version of Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish because I'm always looking for products that do a multitude of things in one easy step, it means less clutter but I'm not having to compromise in the quality of my skin care routine. I'm more open to trying other versions of 'Hot Cloth Cleanser's ' so if anyone has any suggestions please let me know by commenting below and it would be interesting to know your thought on both the cleansers mentioned in this review.x

Sunday, 2 September 2012

Empties 5 #

























So I normally do an 'Monthly Empties' post but I've now decided that I'm only going to do an 'Empties' post when I have a substational amount of used up products (i.e 5 +) which isn't always the case. So lets go ahead and get started... 

Boots Pharmaceuticals Eye Wash:
 This gentle ‘Eye Wash’ is great for cleansing &refreshing the eyes. I heavily used it during the warmer parts of the month when my eyes tended to get dry & sticky but I’ve found myself using it everyday just before I go to bed. It’s great for hay fever sufferers too & it also comes with an ‘Eye Bath’ so distribution of the liquid to each eye is much more easier. Its one of those store cupboard products. 

Korres Anti-Ageing Eye Cream:
Skin care has become more important to me in the last few months so when I saw this £40 Korres Eye Cream for a bargain at £10 from TK Maxx I didn’t hesitate to purchase it. Although the skin around my eyes felt much firmer and tighter, after using this eye cream I failed to notice much else. I do now understand the importance of using an eye cream but would never pay as much as £40 for one. 

Louis Marcel Hair Removal Cream:
Lets face it girls, from time to time our inner werewolves come out and we are summoned to using various hair removal products. This is a cream I’ve been using for year but I cannot tolerate the scent anymore it has a ‘gone of egg’ type smell ... nice and its just off putting, despite getting rid of unwanted hairs in a quick and gentle way. I only use this for my upper lip and use it every 3 months, but find it can leave stubble so I will not be repurchasing this product again.

L’Oreal Elvive Triple Resist Reinforcing Shampoo & Conditioner:
This shampoo and conditioner claims to make your hair feel stronger after use, which I agree with to an extent. I’ve noticed that my hair tends to fall out less but I don’t know if it’s due to these products or the fact that I’ve being using almond oil once weekly. As with all shampoo and conditioner I like to mix them up or just get whatever’s cheaper so I don’t think I’ll be in a rush to buy these ones again... just yet.

Benefit Bad gal lash:
The formulation of this mascara is very dry however it does give nice, natural looking lashes without looking too natural if that makes any sense at all. It doesn’t wow me & I certainly don’t think its worth the price but if you can get hold of a free sample size its nice to keep for travel.

Clinique High Impact Mascara:
Yet another sample size however I think it’s a great mascara, so great that I am even considering buying it at full size & I never buy high-end mascara’s. The formulation is super black but it can become gloopey towards the end of its use. The brush is a bog stand plastic brush but it really   separates and gives volume to the lashes, so much that someone asked me if I was wearing false eyelashes. What more could you ask for from a mascara ? 

If you've tried any of these products let me know what you thought of them and if you've done an 'Empties' post please leave the link below and I'll check it out! Hope everyone is well. x

Monday, 13 August 2012

Wanna Try The New Lancome Mascara?

Like every girl I love, love, love mascara. So when I saw that Tatler Magazine were giving away sample size's of the new Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara I immediately snapped up a copy ! 

 I don't like to spend a great deal on mascara's as generally you can only really get 3 months worth of use and I feel that you can get just as good from drugstore brands. When I see magazines giving away sample's of high end mascara's I always take the opportunity to try them to see if there really worth the hefty price tags.
Lancome Claim:
The new Hypnose Star Mascara is designed with a dual-sided wand to give you bags of volume and curl - the flat side of the wand is designed to hold more product whilst the round side allows you to get right to the roots of your lashes to give curl. It also has a'black diamond' (whatever that is ? ) effect to give your eyes a spectacular look.

The Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara retails at £21.00 and is available in most Department Stores, as well as online and in selected Boots. If you were thinking of purchasing this mascara why not get a copy of Tatler Magazine first and see if its really worth the money ?

Just wanted to give you girl's the heads up ! So let me know if you manage to get a copy of the magazine and what you thought of the mascara. Hope everyone had a lovely day. x

Tuesday, 29 May 2012

Empties 3 # Part 1

So here I am with another 'empties' post. As weird as it sounds, I feel quite liberated when I finish a bunch of things up, I've never been one to horde things I can't stand it.
(Warning: this may be a long one)
Asda Dry Skin Hand Cream, Oilatum Nautral Repair Face Cream, Garnier Soothing Cleansing, Lotion, Silka Wax Facial Strips, Garnier Invisi Mineral Deodorant, Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum, Maybelline the Colossal Cat Eyes Mascara, Estee Lauder Fluid Make-Up, Bio Oil,  Boots Conditioning Nail Polish Remover Pads.
Boots Conditioning Nail Varnish Remover Pads (15 Pads):
These acetone free nail varnish remover pads are great for 'on the go' and for travel purposes, super super convenient. The solution is absorbed into the pads so there's no messing around with bottles or cotton wool, BUT I do think there pricy for what they are (£1.50) and I do get through them, very quickly! I also don't like the fact that my nails feel very dry after using them, therefore I won't be repurchasing them for that reason only. 
Silka 'Easy To Use' Wax Facial Strips:
If your Indian like me or of a olive skin-toned complexion with thick dark hair you may experience 'sidey's' more commonly know as sideburns (that word make's me cringe for some reason). I've contemplated getting Electrolysis or Laser but its far too expensive so I thought I would give these facial strips ago. You get 10 double sided strips with a sachet of Aloe Vera Post Wax Cream - it always annoys me that companies think one sachet is enough. Anyway these strips did a good job of removing the hair from my sidey's but I found that the next day that my skin would feel raised, patchy and red. My skin also felt dry, itchy and flaky and my foundation didn't sit well in those areas. For those reasons I wouldn't purchase this particular brand of strips again (sold in BodyCare) however I am open to trying other brands and other methods of removing facial hair so if anyone has any suggestions please let me know. 

Bio Oil:
I won't speak too much about this product as I've already done a post on it: http://elefont-at.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/must-have-bio-oil.html .I really think Bio Oil is a top product. I use it as a night time treatment regardless of wether I have any scars, discolouration or spots. It really hydrates my skin throughout the night and I've seen a vast improvement in the appearance of my skin. Although it may seem like an expensive product my 60ml bottle has lasted me over a year therefore I consider it an investment.I'm interested to see what other skin care oils are out there ... has anyone tried anything that rivals Bio Oil

Garnier Invisi Mineral Deodorant:
There's not much to say about a deodorant is there? However what I will say is that this one doesn't leave any of those nasty white residue marks on your clothes, it smells nice and it doesn't leave that stinging sensation under your arms after shaving. What more could you want from your deodorant? 

I got through a lot this month so keep an eye out for Empties 3Part 2. x

Friday, 18 May 2012

Essie Dilemma

In my local TK Maxx I was lucky enough to get my hand on some Essie Nail Varnishes ... YES you heard right ! And the best thing is that I got three varnishes for £9.99. Considering one Essie Nail Varnish retails around the £7.99 mark I think I got a great deal !
Shades purchased for TK Maxx
BUT:
Here's the dilemma - I don't know the names of the shades I picked up and this is my main problem with shopping in TK Maxx! All the bottle's of varnishes were labelled up as either 'Tangerine' or 'Capri' - which are Essie Shades, but clearly there had been some kind of mistake. You can pick up a real good bargain from TK Maxx but the problem lays with the condition  products are left in !

Wishful thinking - I was secretly hoping that the shade's I picked up were the shades I was wanting (Cute As A Button, Ole'Caliante, and Watermelon)...like I said wishful thinking ! When I got them home I just ripped the labelling of all the bottles in hope that I would be able to establish the shades easily by going online or seeing them in person ... let me tell you it wasn't easy ! 

There are so many shades, swatches vary from site to site and the lighting in my local Boots is not the best that I'm not confident  in saying what the shades are for sure. I've whittled it down to a few shade that are similar but then again I could be completely wrong ... they may of been in a limited edition collection... who knows...? 
Cute As A Button, Peach Daiquiri, 

Capri, Too Too Hot
Ok so I've had my little moan, and I'm still in the same dilemma! Please can someone help me ? What do you think the shade might be, if there in the permanent line at that ? Are there any other Essie shade's you think I might like? x 

Thursday, 26 April 2012

Empties 2 #

It's that time of the month again, where I show you my empties. 
I may not necessarily do this every month, only because some months I may not have enough to put into a single blog post. Most of the products are skin care based with the exception of a hair styling product. 
Simple Clear Skin Oil Balancing Moisturiser:
This moisturiser has a lovely light formulation yet it keeps my skin hydrated throughout the day and keeps my skin free from shine. I have repurchased this product on several occasions and would do so again, however with moisturiser's I do like to dabble and try new ones from different brands.

Sanctuary Brightening Facial Radiance Exfoliator: 
Sanctuary products have so far been a disappointment and this scrub is another product to join the list. As a 'luxury brand' I think Sanctuary products are over priced from the results i've seen. Although this scrub didn't irritate or interfere with my skin it didn't do anything amazing for my skin either. The texture was thin and runny and the scrubbing particles were too tiny. The results were poor and weren't good enough that I would go out and purchase the full size version. 

Boots Essential Style Mousse (for curls & waves:  
This product has been sitting on my make-up counter for the longest time, probably pushing it to about a year. I used to use it for times where I couldn't be bothered to straighten or even blow my hair, it perfectly kept hold of my natural curl and gave me that extra volume I always long for. Would I buy it again ? Probably not but only because I blow dry my hair now. I would definitely recommend it to mousse lovers and its also cheap as. 
No7 Beautiful Skin Quick Thinking Wipes:
I've done a separate review on these wipes(http://elefont-at.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/no7-quick-thinking-4-in-1-wipes.html), however No7 have rebranded their skin care line which makes me think they may have reformulated some of their products too ? I wasn't pleased with these wipes this time round ! They were less wet and I found myself using about three or four at one time, I noticed they weren't branded as '4 in 1 wipes' which is a bit of a bummer as there quite handy for traveling (the previous used to cleanse, tone and moisturise all at the same time). One thing I do like, is the hard plastic lid, but I'm sure there are better make-up removal wipes out there right?... Let me know if you have any suggestions.  
Sanctuary Body Butter: 
Out of all the products i've used from Sanctuary this is probably the best out of all of them. This body butter is lovely and luxurious on the skin - the only problem I have with body butters is that there too time consuming sometime in the Morning so I prefer a light formulation that will still give me the essential moisture I need. 
Lush Colour Supplement:
Initially I loved this product and was raving about it to anyone I could, however I'm not too sure now! See my original blog post:
http://elefont-at.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/lush-colour-supplement.html. I hate this product now but I'm glad I tried it. My main problem with this product is that it's a very hard to work with. When I applied it with my fingertips after moisturising I found the product would roll on my skin and when I used a brush it left my face looking streaky. Its a very time consuming product and I don't necessarily have the time to mess around in the mornings. The colour seemed to be a good match however I've photographed it and it looks awful. It collects around the nose and its not a product for those who want a heavy coverage, which is something I mentioned about in my blog post on it. If you layer this with the intentions of creating a flawless base think again! You'll just achieve a very uneven cakey like finish and thats not a good look. I shall not be wasting my money on this again. 

If you have used any of these product let me know what you thought and if you've done an empties post leave the link below and I will have a look. x

Tuesday, 17 April 2012

Soap & Glory: Smoulder Kohl

As i've mentioned before, I have recently adopted the 'lightly lined' eye look. I was getting bored with the old winged eyeliner and I just wanted to look more simple and natural - it was also a pain doing the whole winged liner because I could never get both eyes looking the same and I just felt it was a bit too dramatic for everyday wear. I wear eyeliner almost everyday so I like something that's creamy, but will last all day without having to reapply if possible, so when I heard Sara from SWalker make-up rave about the Soap & Glory Smoulder Kohl I dashed down to Boots to get myself one.   

and is a waterproof eyeliner with an in-built sharpener.

This is not going to be a huge review because how much can you really have to say about an eyeliner? My impressions before buying this eyeliner was that it may be comparable to the M.A.C eyeliners, however seeing as I've never tried a M.A.C eyeliner I can't make this comparison unfortunately. 

For the price I think this product is an absolute bargain and is definitely worth trying. Its like no eyeliner I've tried before, its super creamy and soft , it lasts on the waterline for a decent amount of time and I've found it a lot easier to line my upper waterline because I don't feel like its scratching against my eye like some eyeliners have in the past.
As for the whole 'waterproof' thing I can't comment as I've not been in contact with water whilst wearing the eyeliner however when I did some swatches on the back of my hand it did take a while to wash them off! With this eyeliner you can really achieve a quick smoky eye, its very quick and easy to use and even can be used as an eyeshadow base for black or dark blue shadows. 

The only negative thing I have to say about this eyeliner which is not even a big negative is that it can sometimes be a bit messy if your not careful however I think I can get pass this because in general its such a good eyeliner. 

Does anyone have any suggestions for other good kohl liner, preferably drugstore as I don't fancy paying a hefty price for just an eyeliner ? 
xXx