Review: The Ordinary Colours Coverage Foundation

I’ve been wanting to try one of The Ordinary foundations ever since I started seeing/reading many a positive review, but I still had plenty of my tried & tested MAC Studio Fix Fluid left. As this recently started to run low it seemed like the perfect time to (finally) give The Ordinary Colours Coverage Foundation a go. 

The foundation comes in a sturdy plastic bottle, complete with pump! Whilst the bottle appears to be on the small side, it does contain a full 30ml of product. 

When it came to choosing a shade I had to make a decision using the virtual swatches, as I purchased online. After much deliberation I finally decided to purchase Shade 1.2 N, which has turned out to be a really good match for my Autumn/Winter skin tone, although I might need to go a shade darker for Summer.

Review: Soaprise.me bath hamper*

Soaprise.me is a small family-run business which supplies a large variety of natural bath treats. Their online store holds a wide range of bath bombs, soaps, bath salts and more. In the not so distant future the Soaprise.me team are hoping to add a range of bath hampers too and they very kindly sent me one to me to try.

The hamper I received contained a selection of bath bombs (Strawberry Daiquri Fizzy bath bomb, Frozen Lime Margarita Fizzy bath bomb, Fruit Salad Gums Fizzy Bath Bomb and a Retro jumbo bath bomb), a slice of Jojoba Olive Oil soap, three mini heart soaps (two Green Tea scented and one Coconut scented), a set of three mini soap flowers (Lavender scented) and a Coconut and Lime solid shampoo bar.

The hamper was delivered in a sturdy cardboard box, filled with shredded paper which helped to keep the bath treats in tip top condition during transit. Most of products within the hamper came individually wrapped (the exception being the mini soaps). I was very impressed to find out that Soaprise.me use cardboard boxes made from recycled cardboard (or cardboard from sustainable sources), biodegradable bags for their bath bombs and biodegradable wrappers for their soaps.

I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of products in the hamper. However I think it would be nice to have a card/booklet within the hamper giving a little bit more information about the products (e.g. ingredients, how to use etc).

Review: LUSH Metamorphosis Bath Bomb

Last month I popped into LUSH for the first time in a very quite a long time. During my visit I purchased a product I'd never tried before, the Metamorphosis bath bomb.

The main ingredients in Metamorphosis are Black Pepper Oil,Cinamon Leaf Oil and Myrrh which give the bath bomb a lovely warm scent, which I can't compare to any other LUSH products I've tried. Personally I found that the scent lingered on my skin for quite a while after using the bath bomb, which I really liked.

Beauty: Mini Haul and First Impressions

I'm currently trying to save, save and save some more towards the deposit for my first home so I've not been buying quite as many beauty products as I usually would (can I #adulting?!). However, I've accumulated a little stash of new products over the past few months. 

I was excited to try the L'Oreal Colorista Spray in 'Pastel Pink' after reading positive things about the range of temporary colour sprays. I had hoped to up my festival style game by adding some temporary pastel colour into my hair for Radio 1's Big Weekend, however this product didn't quite live up to my expectations. Unfortunately the colour didn't show up at all in my hair.

Speaking of festival style, my latest nail polish purchase Barry M Molten Nail Paint in 'Holographic Light' is a lovely shimmery shade which is ideal for festival season (and way beyond). This polish isn't the longest lasting, I've noticed that chipping starts to appear after a couple of days. However, for such a budget friendly price I don't mind the possibility of having to reapply during the week.

Beauty: April Favourites

It's quite a while since I last wrote a monthly beauty favourites post but there's a few products that I've tried recently and enjoyed using.

I recently had balayage added to my hair. On my hairdressers recomendation I bought PRO:VOKE Touch Of Silver Brightening Shampoo and PRO:VOKE Touch Of Silver Colour Care Conditioner from B and M Bargains (of all places!) and have been using them once weekly to keep my colour in tip-top condition.

During a visit to The Cosmetics Company Store at the end of last month I treated myself to a MAC duo bundle - which included a Velvet Teddy lipstick and Boldly Bare lip liner. I'm very late to the party with trying out this shade, which has become somewhat a blogger staple over the years, but this creamy deep nude colour has fast become my go to shade for everyday wear.

Beauty: High Street Haul & First Impressions

Do you ever have one of those moments when you realise that you're gathering quite the stash of new beauty products? Since I've recently done just that I have done just that I thought I'd pop together a little post showing the new additions to my make-up bag which I've bought over recent weeks but I thought I'd do this post a little bit differently and share my first impressions too.

L'Oreal False Lash X Fiber Mascara is a dual ended mascara, with one end containing 'Voluminous Black Primer' and the other containing 'Lengthening Fibers'. I've been using this mascara for a couple of weeks now and I really like it. It gives my lashes volume without making them appear clumpy (which is something I have struggled with when I've used similar products). Now I don't always have the time to apply both products on a morning (the extra time in bed is that bit more appealing..) but for my everyday look I've found that just using the primer works well.

My Kat Von D Lock It Foundation is starting to run low so I purchased L’Oreal Infallible Total Cover Foundation in the shade '10 Porcelain' which I'd hoped might be a good everyday foundation option. The shade is a really good match for my skin but unfortunately I've not been overly impressed with the wear time, by late afternoon I've found that the product has started to look patchy on my skin.. not really a look that's working for me.

Review: Kat Von D Lock It Foundation Review

I've wanted to try the Kat Von D Lock It foundation for a long time and as it's now available to buy in the U.K (at Debenhams online and at selected stores) it was definitely time for me to give it a go. I purchased the Lock It foundation in the shade 'Light 48 Neutral'.

This is a highly pigmented, full coverage liquid foundation which helps to reduce shine and provides a matte finish. Here in the U.K. this foundation is available in a fairly wide range of shades (there are currently around 17 to choose from on Debenhams online) although there is a wider range of shades available on Sephora or from Kat Von D Beauty directly.

The packaging of this product is divine! I believe Kat actually designs the packaging herself, and personally I think that's really cool. The bottle comes with a pump built in, which is very handy as it delivers just the right amount of product. 

When it comes to applying this foundation a little product goes a long way. When it comes to application this product can be a little bit tricky to apply as it starts to dry pretty quickly. However, I've tried applying a small amount at a time and I've found this to work pretty well for me. I prefer to apply this foundation with a make up sponge (a Primark dupe of the Beauty Blender is my choice) rather than a foundation brush, no particular reason  other than because I've found this gives me a slightly better finish.

Review: LUSH Monsters' Ball

I recently shared my LUSH Halloween/Autumn Haul (which you can find here if you wish) in which I featured the Lush Monsters' Ball bath bomb - a new limited edition product for Halloween 2016 (*psst* this product appears to still be available online).

The design of the bath bomb is as the name suggest a (very cute) little monster. When I popped this product into my bath it started to fizz slowly before turning the bath water a sea of pretty colours (it was definitely Instagram worthy).

LUSH Halloween Haul

I'm sure that if you're into beauty then the news that the LUSH Halloween (and Christmas) products launched recently won't come as any surprise. Ever since returning from my holiday I've been itching to see the latest LUSH offerings and I finally got the chance to pop into the Meadowhall store last weekend where I picked up a few products from the Halloween range.

I managed to pick up most of the products featured on my recent LUSH wishlist post (with the exception of the Lord of Misrule Shower Cream which I will definitely try to stock up from before it disappears!) 

Beauty: Lush Halloween Wishlist

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of LUSH, so the recent launch of their seasonal Halloween and (dare I say it) Christmas products got me a little bit excited. I haven't had chance to pop into store yet to have a look at the physical products but I hope to do so very soon. In the meantime I thought I'd share my LUSH Halloween wishlist.

I've seen the Autumn Leaf bath bomb appearing on Instagram quite frequently lately and I think it looks oh so pretty. After looking at the ingredients online this seems like it would have a lovely fresh scent and I can't wait to have a sniff. 

The product which really caught my eye in this years Halloween collection was the Monsters' Ball bath bomb, I think it looks kinda cute (can I say that about a bath bomb?) and I can imagine it transforms the water into a lovely pool of colour once it's popped into the bath. 

August Favourites

It's that time of the month again,nope not 'that one',time for me to share some of my monthly favourites. 

My monthly favourites post are usually just beauty based, however I couldn't not feature Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Now for a Harry Potter fan I was quite late picking up this book as I wasn't sure if I would enjoy reading a script as much an actual book, however once I got stuck into the story it was easy to forget that I was reading a script (and actually the stage directions helped me to get a better understanding of what was going on). I don't want to talk about the book for too much longer (to avoid spoiling it for those who want to read it but haven't got around to it just yet) but OMG I loved it! I'm a little bit disappointed that I finished reading it so quickly though.

I recently rediscovered (re-discovered? lol I found it at the back of my drawer) the Superdrug Spa Hydrating 5 Minute Facial Sheet Masks and I quickly realised how much I'd missed using them. These masks are really inexpensive and help to give my skin some much needed hydration without the mess of an ordinary face mask (with it being a sheet mask and all).

Beauty: A Little Sephora Haul

During my trip to Paris in early August I popped into Sephora on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. There was so many products to choose from I found it a little bit overwhelming however I did treat myself to a couple of things.

Looking back on my purchases I've realised that I might've gone a little bit mask crazy. I picked up a Sephora Charcoal Nose Strip,Sephora Protecting and Repairing Lip Mask and Sephora Green Tea Sleeping Mask. So far I've used the nose strip, which I thought was pretty 'meh'. It was easy to both apply and remove but unfortunately I didn't think it worked quite as effectively as similar products I've tried in the past. 

Beauty: LUSH Oxford Street Haul #2

Last Friday I visited London for the day so a trip to LUSH Oxford Street was a must. I visited LUSH Oxford Street for the first time back in March so I was excited to see if there were any new Oxford Street exclusives in store (*psst* you can find my previous haul post here). There wasn't as many exclusive products that took my fancy this time around but I still made a few purchases which I wanted to share with you all.

One of the Oxford Street exclusives I did pick up was the Oil On Troubled Waters Bath Oil (which smells amazing). I've already used this product in my bath and my skin felt lovely and soft afterwards.

I also repurchased the Lord of Misrule Shower Cream (which is currently exclusive to the Oxford Street store). As I've mentioned on my blog before this is one of my favourite ever LUSH scents and this is a lovely, moisturising shower cream which has a lovely long lasting scent.

Beauty: July Favourites

This post is a little bit later than I planned, given that we're well into August now. However during July I discovered a few new products which I've really been enjoying using so I didn't want to miss the chance to share them with you.

Since having my hair cut short I've been using the Batiste Stylist Texture Me Texturizing Spray on an (almost) daily basis to style my hair. I'm a big fan of the messy hair look and a quick spritz of this through my hair really helps to create a messy style which lasts. I've also been using the Schwarzkopf got2b Powder'ful Volumizing Styling Powder to add a little bit of extra lift at my roots. I'd glady reccomend either of these products if you like your hair to have a little bit of extra volume or texture.

Review: Skinny Tan Mousse

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the biggest self tanner but I like to bronze up a little during this time of year (#barelegsweather). I remeber seeing Skinny Tan on Dragons Den earlier this year and I really liked the sound of the product. Since being featured on Dragons Den Skinny Tan is now available in the UK exclusively at Superdrug. There was an offer on Superdrug online around a month ago and I decided that this was the perfect time to treat myself to a bottle of Skinny Tan Mousse.

Skinny Tan Mousse provides a natural looking deep tan, without making you look like an oompa loompa. This product is not tested on animals,is formulated without any harsh chemicals and instead contains ingredients - such as smoothing organic oils,guarana and organic aloe vera - which are good for skin. Skinny Tan doesn't have the same traditional 'biscuit like' smell which a lot of other tans seem to have and instead it has a lovely tropical coconutty smell

Review: Barry M Get Up And Glow Palette

In the past I've not been the biggest fan of Barry M's make-up products,but the Get Up And Glow Palette has made me reconsider. I purchased this product back in May and it's now become a bit of a staple in my everyday make-up routine.

I know that we're never supposed to judge a book by it's cover (does the same rule apply to make-up products?) but the packaging of this palette is oh so pretty, with pale pink and rose gold tones. The packaging of the palette is sturdy, so I don't feel I have to worry about popping it into my bag when I'm on the go.

Get Up And Glow is what I would describe as a warm toned palette. The palette contains three blushers (a coral shade, a peach shade, and a dusky pink shade) along with a bronzer and a highlighter. 

Beauty: My Favourite Nail Shades For Summer 2016

There's so many different nail polish shades that I'm loving at the moment, so much so that I thought I'd dedicate a post to my current favourite nail shades for Summer 2016.

Review: Barry M Molten Metals Nail Paint 'Bronze Bae'

Barry M recently added a new line of nail paints to their extensive range, in the form of the Molten Metals collection. 

There are currently a choice of 4 shades available in the Molten Metals range - 'Gold Digger','Copper Mine','Silver Lining' and the shade which I have 'Bronze Bae'. You can view the full shade range and purchase for yourself here.

This has been my nail colour of choice recently, I love the shimmery metallic effect and I think this is one of those shades which would work well with any colour of clothing - from brights to neutrals. 

I like to apply two coats of colour to my nails, however this shade also works well with just one coat applied - as you can see from my swatches there is very little difference between them. When I've worn this colour on my finger nails I've found it to last around 3-5 days before chipping (depending on what I've been doing), and of course much longer on toes. 

Beauty: April Favourites

Hi lovelies, I hope you're all well? It's been a while since I shared a monthly beauty favourites post on my blog, so this post is a little bit overdue. 

Despite washing my hair regularly my roots can still become oily very quickly, whilst the ends of my hair can be left feeling a little bit dry (despite having had my haircut very recently). A couple of times a week I've been using L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Clay Re-Balancing Shampoo which has been helping to restore some balance, leaving my hair feeling lightweight and cleaner for longer. I'd like to try and purchase the L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Clay Masque at some point to use alongside this product to see if I get an even better result.

When it comes to nail polish Barry M is my go-to brand for good quality at affordable prices. I recently purchased Barry M's Coconut Infusion Nail Paint in the shade 'Flamingo' - a lovely Spring/Summer shade which has an added blend of coconut water and coconut oil to help to hydrate and care for the nails whilst delivering a glossy, smooth finish.

Beauty: Empties #5

My last empties post was back in December (link here) and as they're one of my favourite type of posts to write I thought it was about time I shared another one. 

I purchased Collection Illuminating Concealer in the shade 'Natural' for the first time late last year and I was really impressed with it. It's a really good budget concealer which is the perfect shade match for my skin tone. I use this product to help conceal imperfections and to brighten areas which appear dull/dark (such as my under eye area) without feeling heavy on my skin. I will definitely be repurchasing this product.

I've genuinely lost count of how many times I've featured LUSH's Lord Of Misrule Shower Cream on my blog now. It's one of my all-time favourite scents, and it works very well as a shower product too. Unfortunately this was a limited edition product from the LUSH Halloween Collection but I did manage to stock up on my recent visit to LUSH Oxford Street.