'Tip Of The Day' # 2 - Goodbye Puffy Eyes

If like me you suffer from puffy eyes then keep reading... Although concealer does all the covering up during the day I have a cheap an very effective way of minimising puffy eyes for a longer period of time. 

The Answer: 

Petroleum Jelly  

Simply apply Petroleum Jelly to make-up free skin before you go to bed & you'll find that your puffy eyes will be banished by the time you wake up.It is also said that Petroleum Jelly promotes eyelash & eyebrow hair growth... so give it a go and let me know what you think!x

Amway: Artistry Essentials - Polishing Scrub

Is it me or does anyone have one day in the week where they have a 'deep clean day'. I stick on a face mask, put a hair treatment on and just sit in the bath and relax. On a daily basis I use the Clean & Clear Exfoliating Daily Wash (oil-free version) as a gentle face wash. It's a really nice product & always leaves my skin looking fresh & clean but once a week I like to use a more 'scrubbier', scrub (if you know what I mean) that's going to deep clean my skin and get rid of any excess oil and dirt.

http://www.artistry.com/makeup

http://www.artistry.com/skin-care I was introduced to Amway, an American company who sell products within the health, beauty & home care industry. Artistry Essentials is a brand within Amway that specialises in high-end skin care & make-up, so when I had the chance to try some products I jumped at the chance. As I'm getting older I find myself taking more care of my skin. I believe that if you have good skin, make-up will not only sit better but the overall appearance & texture of your skin will look much better.

What is the Essential Polishing Scrub?
I have been using the Essential Polishing Scrub for a while now and I absolutely love it. Artistry describes this Polishing Scrub as a gentle exfoliant that improves the texture of skin. It is dermatologically & allergy tested & contains polishing beads to massage into the skin with a fresh citrus & berry fragrance.

How I use it? I personally massage it into wet skin & leave it to set slightly as a mask, then I remove it with warm water my massaging it off with either clean hands or a muslin cloth.

What I think of it? This scrub is like a 5 minute miracle, it actually does what it claims to do. It makes your skin feel smooth, polished and look as if your glowing from within - almost like you have new skin. The texture is quite liquid-based with tiny exfoliate beads that really help to remove dry & dead skin cells in an easy, quick but gentle way. The citrus scent lingers nicely on the skin throughout the day and just makes your skin feel fresh & revitalized again.

The Price: I only use the scrub as a treatment at least once a week & you only need the smallest amount, so although this scrub is on the more pricer side for scrubs at £17.10 its does do a long way. 

My motto is always try things once & I guarantee that if you try this scrub you will fall in love with the results you get with it. The scrub is not readily available in the U.K, however for further information please contact:

Monica Shah on:
monica@shahglobal-ebiz.co.uk 

M.A.C Mineralize Skin Finish Natural

When I first started to take an interest in make-up, I felt that the beauty community was heavily influenced by M.A.C. I personally think that this brand is great for colour. They have a great choice of eye shadows, blushers,bronzing powders and lipsticks however I find that their base products are too heavy for my skin.

Left to Right: Match Master Foundation, Pro Longwear Concealer, Face & Body Foundation, Studio Sculpt Foundation, Select Cover-Up.
Setting my foundation with a powder is an essential. I've tried the dewy look, but I much prefer a matt finish - for the day time at least. I find that the drugstores have a great range of different powders, but their efforts are let down due to the poor colour range. Although I'm not the biggest fan of M.A.C base products I have absolutely fallen in love with the Mineralize Skin Finish Natural. 

The Mineralize Skin Finish Natural is a slowly baked matt-finish powder. It provides a low to medium coverage & can be used to set foundation or as a touch up throughout the day. Though packaging doesn't determine how good a product is this setting powder is really compact and sturdy and doesn't take up too much space in your make-up bag, which is always an added bonus for us girls.

At £21.00, this may seem like a heavy price tag for just a setting powder, however it's a lot more cost effective than buying a powder from the drugstore. I use a setting powder everyday, so when I use one from the drugstore on average I purchase around 1 in every 2 months. Whereas the Mineralize Skin Finish Natural has lasted me well over a year and its still going strong, its really a no brainer for me to opt for M.A.C option.  

As I've mention, the main problem I have with drugstore powders is that the colour range is very limited for people of my skin tone, similar or darker - there's just not enough choice! However with the Skin Finish Natural there are 10 different shades so there's something for almost everyone - from the lightest shades to olive & golden tones to the deeper skin tones. 

Shades Left to Right: Light, Light Plus, Medium Plus, Dark Deep, Give Me Sun, Sun Power, Medium, Medium Deep, Medium Dark, Dark
Mineralize Skin Finish Natural is a very light powder, you can use it to give more coverage on top of your regular foundation and add layer upon layer without it becoming 'cakey' on the skin. It leaves a silky finish to your face and pardon the pun but leaves your make-up looking very natural. I highly recommend this product, it's definitely worth the price and lives up to everything it claims. 

If anyone has used the Mineralize Skin Finish Natural let me know what your thoughts are on it & if there are any recommendations on other setting powders from 'premium' brands that you think are worth trying please let me know.

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 

Empties 6

Hi Guys. I'm here with another 'Empties' post. There isn't a great amount of things , but I'm trying to make room for the new products I want to try...

Mitchum Advanced Control 48 Hour

As far as anti-perspirant go,I don't have a certain preference.I normally just buy whatever is the cheapest or whatever is on offer at the time but after hearing good things about the Mitchum Advanced Control I decided to give it a go. This has lovely floral & powdery scent which I like, however it can be strong at times but it does keeps your dry throughout the day which is what you ultimately want from your anti-perspirant. 

Collection: Lasting Perfection 16 Hour Wear Concealer 

This concealer is amazing & it's that good that I've purchased it over & over again since first trying it. The shade range isn't the greatest so if you have dark skin this concealer is probably  no good for you. It has quite high coverage and I mainly use it to conceal spots but if I'm having a lazy day I use it to cover any dark circles under my eyes. Really cheap but effective. 

Benefit 'that gal' brightening face primer

'that gal' brightening face primer has a really nice,light texture. It evens out my skin tone, so much that I would be happy to just wear a bit of concealer and powder on top. It has a tackiness to it which makes my foundation stay in place all day on day's where I do wear a base, gives my skin a nice glow & it has a lovely bubble gum like scent. I would definitely consider purchasing the full size version at £21.50. 

Benefit the POREfessional

This balm claims to minimise the appearance of pores, but I find that is also makes a really great base for foundation. Unlike 'that gal', the POREfessional has more of an oily consistency but it doesn't make your skin feel oily at all, if that makes any sense. You need less foundation with this primer but I don't think its necessary to have both the, 'the gal' & the POREfessional.

If you have an 'Empties' post/video or have used any of the products mentioned let me know in the comments section. x

Discounted Beauty Products - Where to Find Them!

Most of my make-up collection consists of products from the drugstore, however occasionally I do purchase high end make-up if I have researched them & they have been given good reviews. I really don't mind spending money on base products, such as foundation or concealer because if your base looks good the rest of your make-up will sit better in my opinion.

If I ever buy high end make-up if its not base products, 9 out of 10 times they have been purchased on discounted websites. Most of the time they are discontinued products or where companies have had an overflow of product but I don't mind whether its current stock or not. So here where I do my discount shopping...

http://www.cheapsmells.com/ is where I predominately get my discounted cosmetics & hair care from but they also sell perfumes, skin care, & bath & body products. They provide 'Standard' free delivery in the UK & free 'Standard' delivery for the rest of the World on  orders over £50. Other delivery methods are available for speedier & more secure services and they do offer gift wrapping too, at an additional cost which is detailed on the site.

Some of the brands stocked:  Chanel, YSL, Nars, L'Oreal, Clarins, Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown, Lancome, Rimmel, Biotherm, Garnier, Decleor, Burt's Bees, Macadamia, Sebastian, Elizabeth Arden, St Moriz ... & the list goes on.

http://www.fragrancedirect.co.uk/  is somewhere that you can mainly find discounted drugstore products, with occasionally high end branded cosmetics & current stock. They stock everything from cosmetics, hair care, skin care, home & living products & gifts. Delivery in the UK starts for £1.99 and from £2.49 per item Worldwide. Again, like Cheap Smells, the website provides other delivery methods for speedier & secure services & gift wrapping is available at an additional cost of £1.99 per item. 

Some of the brands stocked:  L'Oreal, Bourjois,  Elizabeth Arden, W7, Maybelline, Rimmel, Essie, Estee Lauder, Astor, Rocha, Calvin Klein, Almay, Prestige Cosmetics, Jemma Kidd, Miss Sporty

If I'm being honest shopping on Fragrance Direct is a little bit daunting for me. I don't like the layout and I think searching for things is a lot more tedious but none the less you can still find a really good bargain.

http://www.love-makeup.co.uk/ is where I normally purchase brushes from, in particular Sigma as they are generally a lot cheaper. I find that Love Make-up caters really well for people who are make-up artists as there are some really great bits you can purchase for a kit. (i.e Disposable & Hygiene products, Concealer & Foundation palettes, highly pigmented shadows and blushers.

Delivery for the UK is £2.99 with no options of a faster delivery from what I could see & for the rest of the World prices start from £8.50.

Some of the brands stocked: Kett, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC), yaby, Ardell, Duo, Z Palette, NYX, Daniel Sandler, Kroylan, Everyday Minerals, Sugarpill Cosmetics, Becca, Beauty So Clean, Eldora Lashes, Eve Pearl, Ben Nye, Face atelier  

These are the three main websites I shop from. Do you guys know of any other websites that sell discounted beauty products?Let me know in the comments.x 

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

http://www.clarins.co.uk/Beauty%20Flash%20Balm/C010405004,en_GB,pd.html?start=1

2.) Benefit 'that gal' brightening face primer: £21.50

http://www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk/product/view/that-gal

3.) Elie Saab La Parfum: £38.00

http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10001_10001_117906900099_-1?breadcrumb=Home%7Etxtellie+saab

4.) Longchamp Le Pliage medium bag: £58.00.

http://www.selfridges.com/en/Accessories/Le-Pliage-medium-handbag_193-2001484-1623089NAVY/

5.) Monu Extra Rich Night Cream: £36.95.

http://www.monushop.co.uk/products/monu/hydration/Monu-Extra-Rich-Night-Cream.html

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

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.

Sanctuary Brightening Facial Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser:

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. 

http://uk.lizearle.com/cleanse-tone-moisturise/cleanse-and-polish-hot-cloth-cleanser.html?what-size

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

they're Real ! Mascara Review

I've always thought that Benefit products are overpriced for what they are but whenever there is an opportunity to try products from this highly acclaimed San Francisco brands I always take it. Randomly in Boots a few weeks ago they were selling travel size versions of the; 'they're Real!' mascara for £9.50 - slightly steep for a travel size product but it meant I could try it before potentially wasting my money on the full size version (if I didn't like it.

The 'they're Real!' mascara claims to; lengthen, curl, volumise, lift & separate the lashes as well as having a formulation that is super black, long lasting and doesn't smudge or dry out. As with most Benefit products the packaging of this mascara is fun & quirky without bordering on the scale of tacky. I think what make's this mascara so unique is, its brush and that's what I talk about mainly in this review. 

The plastic wand is unlike any other mascara wand i've seen. A specially designed brush with tiny bristles allow you to get right down to the roots of your lashes to achieve separation & volume without the hassle of real false lashes. The top of the wand is slightly tapered so you can to get to those tiny lashes in the inner corners of your eyes as well as helping to coat the bottom lashes too. Despite this mascara being unique for its wand I did find that it did irritate and scratch against my eyes at times and because of that it took time to work with the mascara.

Without Mascara. 

The formulation is completely different to the 'BAD Gal Lash' mascara, its wet, but not too wet if you know what I mean and is just the right consistency. It's pigmentation is really strong and gives the blackest of black lashes. My only problem with this mascara is getting it off, and I know many people have expressed this problem too. It just won't budge, even with my holy grail eye make-up remover (Garnier Simply Essential Soothing 2 in 1 make-up remover) it can be very problematic with signs of residue in the mornings and no one wants 'panda eyes' do they ?

With Mascara.

So the question is; would I purchase this mascara at fully price? The answer to that would be a big fat NO. Although I really liked the effect it gave to my lashes it didn't do anything more than other mascara's I've used to warrant paying the £18.50 for a full size. The fact that it's also a pain to get off also puts me off because the more I have to rub my eyes that more I feel I'm doing damage to my lashes - does anyone else feel like this too or is it just me being me weird? If you've used or are using Benefit's they're real! mascara let me know what your thoughts are by leaving a comment below. 

I hope everyone is well and having a good week so far.x 

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

My First Glossy Box

The rise of the 'beauty subscription' box has made quite an impact on the beauty community. I have watched from afar but have never joined the bandwagon despite being really intrigued. After seeing and reading reviews on different brands of 'beauty subscription' boxes, I've come to the understanding that its a bit of a gamble as to what your receive. Sometimes you will get really fantastic products and other times the products are frankly rubbish. 

When Glossy Box were offering customers a chance to purchase a one-off beauty box without setting up a monthly subscription I thought it was the perfect opportunity to have a try.I won't go too much into packaging because by now I'm sure you will have seen what a Glossy Box looks like.
In the box:

- Collin Resultime: Regenerating Collagen Gel.

- Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Wild Ginger: Texturizing Sea Spray.

- Monu: Extra Rich Night Cream.

- Jelly Pong Pong Cosmetics: Lip Frosting. 

- Kryolan: Satin Powder Eyeshadow. 

I was secretly hoping that I would receive the HD Brow Kit, but unfortunately I was disappointed with what was in my particular box. I think I'll make do with the products but they don't thrill me, nothing to write home about but I guess thats part and parcel of such concepts. What does everyone else think of beauty boxes?x

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