Another Little Competition - Win A Body Shop Coconut Lip Butter & Now Cracked Heel Repair Cream Too!

The other competition is still up and running, but I thought I would start another one anyway; so here it goes.

Up for grabs is another product that I have featured on here, it's a Body Shop Lip Butter, but in coconut this time; and to win it all you need to do is be following me on here and on twitter. Feel free to leave a comment if you like, I do enjoy reading them but I will only be picking winners from my followers.

The draw will take place when I reach 150 followers on my blog and the winner will be sent a message to let them know they have won.


Mon Sept 13th - I am adding in a tube of Scholl Cracked Heel Repair Cream to the prize so you can now win both the lip butter AND the cracked heel repair and all you need to do is follow the blog, simple.  x

Boots No7 Exceptional Definition Mascara!

Advantages: Great coverage, definition, doesn't clump, doesn't flake, lasts well, easy to use etc etc

Disadvantages: Maybe that it could be waterproof to make it even more longlasting .

I think most of us have seen the adverts for the new No7 ‘Exceptional Definition Mascara’, unless you’ve been hiding under a rock that is. I was instantly interested by the look of the wand/brush/whateveryouwanttocallit as I have always struggled with coating my inner eyelashes without poking myself in the eye or getting mascara in places it shouldn’t be.

So I decided that it would become my next purchase, and off I popped down to boots to buy it the next morning.

When I got it home, I opened it straight away to look at this wand that seems to be its main selling point from the advert! The wand on the mascara is indeed very interesting – it actually claims to be 3 brushes in 1 so it has 3 defined points that are you should note, those being; 1. The longer bristles as these give volume to your lashes, 2. The shorter bristles that you should use to comb through to give separation and definition (and removes clumps), and thirdly there’s the tip which obviously coats the teeny lashes that are usually so very hard to get to.

Removing the wand felt different because it isn’t the usual bristly kind that I have been used to, it’s more plastic and with more rigid bristles. I first of all applied the mascara to my bare eyelashes, I don’t think it felt much different to a normal brush in this respect but I did notice that it was easier to apply and that my lashes separated easier than with a normal wand; not to mention it was also easier to see when I needed to load the wand up with mascara again. I didn’t do anything different to how I would usually apply mascara; working from the base into the ends and then doing the inner and outer small lashes, so no special techniques or jiggery pokery are needed here.

The first application made my lashes look longer and gave a lovely separated finish that was noticeable but not over the top – perfect for natural every day application; and the formulation actually has vitamins in, that are said to enrich the lashes so it should actually be good for your lashes to wear it every day if this is correct. I gave a second coat shortly after and was impressed to see that this seemed to make my lashes quite dramatic looking but without clumping yet again.

The mascara lasted all day and needed no touch ups were needed to improve the look throughout that day. I was very surprised by this as the mascara wasn’t waterproof and I’d worn it from early in the morning to around midnight. I’d also had a few forgetful moments where I rubbed my eyes before realising I was wearing it, but was pleased to notice that it had not budged, or smudged.

My next test for this mascara was to see how well it would work with my Clinique eyelash primer, to see whether it would improve the finish of the mascara or not. Upon applying the mascara (on top of the primer) I felt that it was even easier to apply and that my lashes instantly looked hugely longer and more volumised than they had been without the primer on – although still suitable for every day wear.

The second coat was even more dramatic, I had been thinking that I may be pushing my luck with a second coat though as I had already put on primer and one coat of the mascara and I just had a feeling that my lashes may just start to clump. I was wrong, they looked perfectly separated and with fantastic definition.

This time around the mascara still lasted all day as it had previously, and I even knowingly put it to the rubbing eyes test to see how it would stand up to it; it passed with flying colours and for a mascara that isn’t waterproof (so isn’t as resistant to this kind of behaviour), this was a real surprise but also a very welcome one.

Removing the mascara both times was easy enough with my eye makeup remover; although I don’t think it would have come off so easy with just water alone. This gives me confidence that if I was to have a little cry whilst wearing it that it wouldn’t end up all down my face – ok it may suffer a little (since it isn’t designed to be waterproof) but I don’t think you’d have a clown face that needs a full reapplication of all makeup.

This mascara really made my eyes look amazing, my eyelashes framing them dramatically but still perfectly without flaking, clumping or smudging. It was easy to apply, which is saying something for me as I usually have to do a lot of faffing around to make sure my eyelashes stay separate but this really did just do the job for me, it lasted well and was not an absolute chore to remove either.

All in all I am very pleased with this purchase, as used both with and without primer it gave my lashes great volume and length without clumps. I would say that I would recommend it with the primer more than without but if you don’t have any, don’t get on with it or your budget doesn’t afford you to buy it then it is perfectly fine without it. I will mention that one thing I did notice is that with the primer, the curl of my lashes held 100% better than they did without the primer, but without the primer they were still satisfactory.

This mascara is available in boots stores and online in 2 colours (black and brown), priced at £12.00 - although if you’re quick you can use your £5 No7/Ruby and Millie voucher to get it for the bargain price of £7 for 7mls of mascara.

http://www.boots.com/en/No7-Exceptional-Definition-Mascara_1121553/

Tangle Teezer - Teeze Me Baby!

Advantages: Works on wet hair, Detangles, Decent price, Suitable for all hair, Good for children, Easy wash

Disadvantages: Maybe a handle would be good for those with restricted movement.

The Tangle Teezer is the brainchild of ex hair colourist, Shaun Pulfrey that was originally shown on the TV show, Dragons Den where it was deemed ‘not a business’ by the dragons. Thankfully this did not put Shaun off and he re-mortgaged his home to fund the launch of the product which has been a huge success ever since; I bet those dragons are really kicking themselves now!

The brush is essentially just a piece of well moulded plastic, but the vital difference in this brush from any other brush is that the bristles are specially positioned and designed to flex just the right amount to remove tangles and minimise tugging that can cause damage to the hair. These bristles are also said to help smooth the cuticle which gives a more sleek finish to the hair because smooth cuticles sit flat and create more shine.

I bought this brush because I started swimming, and hated leaving the pool with wet hair that couldn’t be brushed until it was dry. This brush has been perfect for this use; I have been able to leave the pool with relatively ok looking hair since its arrival, rather than messy wet rats tails that I had rather shamefully been sporting previously.

The Tangle Teezer doesn’t have a handle, and sits quite comfortably in your hand due to its shape and size. To actually use the brush, is pretty much the same as any other brush in that you just run it through your hair, and whilst most other brushes would possibly require you to not brush too hard, Tangle Teezer is said to work best with more pressure being applied. You can even use the bristles to give your scalp a little massage and get the blood flowing to the follicles – not to mention it just feels bloomin’ lovely.

This brush really does work well when getting any tangles or knots out, but also works just as well as an everyday brush on wet or dry hair. You can’t use anything heated with this brush, I expect this is because it could melt due to its chemical makeup, although I wouldn’t use this for styling anyway. I just love knowing I can run a brush through my hair right after washing or swimming though, so much better than having to use a comb in my opinion.

When these brushes were first released there was a choice of pink or black colour rise, now there are 5 of them in the original design according to the website comprising of oyster green, pearl blue, purple glitter and the original pink and black ones. There are also new additions in the forms of the Tangle Teezer Compact (3 colours black, pink/black and gold/black) that have an RRP of £11.99 each, and also the flowerpot that seems to be aimed for children’s use (2 colours, pink and pale blue) which has an RRP of £12.99 each. They are available in a variety of places from Boots to Amazon and many many other places, usually priced around £9.99. I paid £9.75 from Amazon, but rather annoyingly I have recently seen them for £7 at hairdressers shop near me.

http://www.tangleteezer.com

Popping My Cherry With 'The Body Shop' Lip Butter!

Advantages: Moisturises, Non greast, Non sticky, Cheap enough!

Disadvantages: You need to reapply it more than normal lip balm type products.


I eyed up this lip butter for a good few weeks online before buying it, I wasn't sure how heavy duty it would be on tackling my dry lips because it was a lip butter rather than a balm that I am more used to. The website information states:

‘A rich, intensive moisturiser for the lips with tantalising wild cherry. Its creamy butter-like texture melts onto the lips to help prevent dryness, leaving them feeling soft, smooth and kissable.'

• Wild Cherry Oil - For it's moisturising benefits

• Community Trade shea butter - leaves skin soft, smooth and supple

• Community Trade organic beeswax - an excellent skin conditioner'

 
It was when I was at the airport ready to go to Malaysia that I decided I would buy it; and I saved a bit of money in doing so as there was 30% off all the products that were already cheaper than normal stores anyway. I paid approximately £2.40 each for this and a shea butter one (that I am yet to use), which is a saving on the usual £4 price for the 10mls of product that you get. Ok it's not going to make me rich but as we're always told by a certain advert 'every little helps'.

The butter is pale pink in colour and has a lovely creamy look to it which appeals to me as I am quite a girly girl. It's quite low in the pot which means that you don't have a lot of room for manoeuvre to get the product out, especially if you have nails that go past the tip of your fingers. I tend to use the back of my nail to 'scoop' a little product out and then use another finger to apply it which seems to do the job.

If I am honest, I would prefer to have a smaller pot that was full to right near to the top with product as aside from the usage issue, it makes it look like half the product has already been used. Other than that, I do like the pot it is in, the screw top stays on (from my experience) which means it won't mysteriously come off in your handbag meaning it also won't get covered in the even more mysterious handbag fluff, the top also isn't too tight to get off; like Lush lip balms tend to be.

You should probably be aware that if this product gets warm, it does get a lot softer and like a normal creamy texture, which means you shouldn't prod your finger too hard into the pot otherwise you will get a big butter overload.

This lip butter has a delicious scent that hit me straight away, although not like your usual cherry scented product but lurrrvely all the same. It also doesn't really have a strong taste so to speak which is good because it means less/no licking it off straight away but it does take some getting used to because with this kind of scented lip product there would usually also be a little bit more taste from my experience. If the scent wasn't there, or it was more of a herbal/medicated scent like Carmex then personally I wouldn't expect a taste but because it smells sweet, I do - weird.

You only need a tiny bit of product to give your lips a decent covering, I made the mistake of getting too much onto my finger the first time I used it; so Mr Beauty Scoop got to wear it with me too on that occasion. Smoothing it over my lips was easy and although I did have some residue left on my finger but because it was a butter it was easily absorbed and had no sticky feeling either.

This was the same on my lips, it felt lovely, creamy and moisturising with no stickiness; although this was also partly its downfall as it just didn't seem to last that long on the lips, even without me licking it off. The look on the lips is quite nice, a bit of a sheen but nothing over the top, perfect really as if I wanted full on shine, I'd put a gloss on too. I did reapply it a lot more than usual but the moisturising feeling it gave felt worth it as my lips did go softer than before so it felt like it was worth the little bit of extra effort.

Whilst this hasn't got rid of my dry lips on its own, using it with my Lush sugar scrub does seem to be improving the overall condition, so when I finish the pots that I already own I would consider buying more.

As a final note, this product doesn't appear to have parabens in it which is great for all those people who are allergic to them.

http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk

Darphin Age Defying Dermabrasion!

Advantages: Exfoliates brilliantly whilst still gentle on skin, smooths skin, basically it does what it says it will.

Disadvantages: Price.

Darphin is a French company that was established in 1958 by Pierre Darphin. He is said to have revolutionized professional beauty care with unique, luxurious aromatic-plant based formulas and his personal belief was that pleasure is a critical catalyst to enhancing personal beauty.

These days Darphin say that they integrate breakthrough cosmetic and dermatological technology with extracts and essences of aromatic plants by using exacting combinations of these finest aromatic essences. They also still maintain the belief that pleasure plays a bit part in beauty; that feeling beautiful and looking beautiful are inextricably bound which is why they design every product to be delightful to use both in the feel of the product but also the scent – which is where the extract and essences come into force. Aromatherapy seems to play a big part in this company’s ethos.

 

I decided to try this product because on paper it ticked a few of the requirement boxes: exfoliating – check, anti ageing – check, still gentle on the skin – check! As you may have noticed with some of my reviews I am on a bit of an anti-ageing mission, trying to find good products to help my skin fight off those nasty horrible lines and wrinkles as I get older so that I can try to prevent rather than cure them further down the line; so this really appealed to me as my skin can be quite dry and needs a lot of exfoliating usually. A lot of exfoliation products can be quite harsh on the skin so I was very interested to see how this fared, whether it would still be quite harsh but exfoliate well, whether it would be gentle on the skin but not exfoliate well or whether it would just do as it claims it would.

From the box: 

‘Institute-inspired, anti-aging dermabrasion rejuvenates as it polishes skin to perfection. Natural exfoliants (Silica, Pearl, and Lava) make this delectable, creamy complexion-slougher gentle enough for sensitive skin; powerful enough to help reduce the look of pores, age spots, discolorations and to visibly smooth lines and wrinkles. Scoop a small amount on fingertips and massage in circular motions over damp skin (or dry skin for greater exfoliation). Avoid eye area. Rinse off with luke warm water. For optimal results: follow with application of the Youthful Radiance Camellia Mask. Dermatologist tested.’

Inside the box there is the jar of product itself, a little spatula to ensure the product stays as sterile as possible, a consumer card that you can send to Darphin to receive beauty advice (if you want it) and a leaflet stating other Darphin products (peels and masks) and short snippets of information about each of them.

  
The texture of the product feels very gritty (like a very fine grit though) when you rub it between your fingers (and on your face) but not so gritty that it hurts to use it. It’s also quite creamy though, which I think is partly what stops it being too rough for your skin.

I tend to apply it to my dry skin with slightly damp hands so that the product gives maximum exfoliation but is also able to be spread across my face easily; thus using a little less product but also so that the products goes on easier. I spend about 5 minutes massaging it into each bit of my face in an upwards circular motion, getting into all areas including around the nose especially to make sure that all parts of my face get the benefit of using this product.

 

Rinsing this product off is easy but you need to make sure all remaining product is removed and no gritty residue is left on there.  

 
After using this product for the first time my skin was a little bit red for about 10 minutes after but it felt so smooth, and so healthy. I used my Eve Lom day cream to moisturise after and then applied my makeup as usual. I noticed that my makeup went on a lot easier, probably because there was no longer any dead skin loitering around ready to ruin any foundation and powder I applied.

 

After using this product continuously (twice per week) for about 4 weeks I noticed my skin felt in much better condition overall, it seemed plumper and more refreshed too. The difference in using this compared to a normal exfoliating face washes was huge, as normal ones to me always seemed to leave my skin feeling like it could still take a bit more exfoliation but not anymore use of the face wash as they always felt quite harsh and made my skin quite sore.

I found some of the claims on the website and have decided to respond to each one individually in order to show how the product lives up to each of them.

 

Refines skin texture: I think the texture of my skin has improved dramatically since using the product. I don’t think it has felt so smooth since before I was in my teens.

Visibly reduces the appearance of wrinkles: I didn’t really have any wrinkles to start with, I do have a few fine lines threatening to appear though and whilst it hasn’t made them disappear, I do feel that my skin condition has improved enough overall to make them a little less noticeable. 

Diminishes the appearance of dark spots: I didn’t have any dark spots (that I could see anyway), but my skin can be quite blotchy at times and this seems to have diminished somewhat since using this product.

Promotes a luminous complexion: My skin is much more luminous these days; it no longer looks dull because of dead skin cells that are still there that regular exfoliating face washes have left behind. 

The product does cost a lot more than I would usually pay for this kind of product at £48, but I really think that sometimes you do need to spend a little bit more to get the kind of effect that you are aiming for; especially when it comes to skincare as you only get one chance to keep your skin naturally in good condition. It is currently being sold on jasonshankey.co.uk for £43.20 for a small saving.

The Beautiful Essie Autumn 2010 Collection!

Essie Autumn 2010 Collection

I love the long days that summer brings, even though the ‘summer’ we’ve had is nothing to be proud of;  and thus I’m dreading the shorter days and longer nights that are coming imminently as we hurtle towards autumn and winter.

One thing that has brightened my day and given me something to look forward to in autumn is the Essie 2010 autumn nail polish collection. The collection contains a beautiful selection of hues, perfect for the impending colder weather and darker nights.


“This season’s runways showcased a mix of traditional glamour, chic urban warriors and eclectic colour combinations that has us revved up for fall! The feeling is dark, sexy and minimalist, dominated by a posh palette of decadent, velvet textures and reflective, metallic embellishments.

This fall, designers are mixing it up, combining sheer fabric with leather along with lingerie as outer wear in deep, muted tones and bold colours palettes which is very alluring; explains Essie Weingarten, Founder/President of Essie.I drew inspiration from the range of elegant, sanguine hues and camouflage tones.

Essies new fall 2010 collection embodies the essence of these eclectic fashions with autumnal pops of colour in 6 stunning new shades that are perfect match to falls exquisitely refined accessories and finely tailored ensembles.”

Spectrum of Colours:

• In Stitches - Cheeky blush pink

• Limited Addiction - Racy garnet red

• Sew Psyched - Cashmere soft sage pewter

• Merino Cool - Sensuous autumn mulberry

• Velvet Voyeur - Intense chocolate amethyst

• Little Brown Dress - Beguiling black coffee

These must have polishes are due for release on September 1st in the US - I’m hoping this is the same for the UK as I am SO excited to get my hands on all of them.

Swatches here!

Lancôme La Base Pro Perfecting Makeup Primer

Advantages: Smooth skin, Long lasting makeup, Great makeup finish, Good value 

Disadvantages: May be a bit expensive for some people, even for a product that works well!

I don’t know about you but a few weeks ago I got to the end of my tether because I was sick and tired of spending time applying my makeup, only for it to slide all over and sometimes even off my face hours into the day/evening. Not only was this frustrating and a waste of my time, but it was also a waste of perfectly decent makeup.

I saw this primer on the boots website and it looked like it could be just the product that I needed. It said it was inspired by makeup artistry techniques and promises to reveal the secret to a professional-finish complexion. It also said that it was a translucent makeup base with an ultra soft finish that smooth’s the skins surface and boosts makeup results. I also noted that it had received a 5 out of 5 star rating on its one and only review; I decided that it was worth a punt as I trust Lancôme as a brand.

I was so excited when it arrived that I put it to the test straight away.  The leaflet that comes with the product states that it should be applied to cleaned and moisturised skin, which I had already done in anticipation.

This product box says that it resurfaces and preps the skin using their innovative ‘Elasto-smooth’ technology that visibly resurfaces the skin. This means that all imperfections such as visible pores, fine lines and signs of tiredness appear instantly smoothed away and skin feels silky soft.
I can honestly say that this was true in my case; I wasn’t expecting to see such a (or in fact any) difference without even having put any make up on at this point. It wasn’t so much a miracle transformation into model perfect skin but I could definitely see that my skin looked smoother and more refreshed than it did before I put the primer on.

The product also states that it ‘boosts makeup results and improves its hold and that the oil free texture helps to control shine and glides on seamlessly’. It then states to ‘apply your best suited Lancôme face makeup product for a more evened complexion and enhanced blendability’.
Personally I was a bit worried when I first felt the texture of the serum as it was so silky on my fingers that I thought that it could make my skin too oily, even though it contained no oil within it. I was so very wrong, thankfully. The serum glided on and my skin felt amazing, velvety smooth and not at all greasy in any way.

The instructions say that you should deposit the serum onto your fingertips and then to blend towards the outer contour of your face; It then says to blend your foundation or powder with a brush or your fingertips and then repeat the action down the nose, along the cheekbones and around the chin. I found it just as easy to apply it all over my face before putting on any foundation or powder and don’t think it made a difference in how the product worked on me personally.

The end result was brilliant: Easy to apply foundation, even skin and tone, and smooth fresh looking makeup finish that looked natural but in the best possible way. I was able to add glow in the form of a Bobbi Brown shimmer brick, whilst feeling comfortable that my skin wouldn’t go shiny all over on top of the shimmer (which would be overload) and this is something I’m never usually confident in my skin enough to do. I also applied it around the eye area and on the lids and this really helped in keeping my eye makeup where I had put it, and without creases. I honestly feel that my makeup has never looked this good, or lasted as long as it does when I use this product. My fiancé who doesn’t usually bother looking too close into my makeup said that my makeup looked really classy and smooth – now if that isn’t a (possibly backhanded) compliment then I don’t know what is, haha!

I must also mention that I have tried this primer with a variety of foundations ranging from your everyday No.7, 17 and Rimmel foundations; to more expensive ones including Benefit and Bobbi Brown. I have even used it with cheap mineral make up (Rimmel and L’oreal) and my Laura Mercier mineral powder. Each time I have had a great result, and a long lasting one for that matter too.

When I went to V Festival this was my obvious choice to take in my attempt to travel light and it worked a treat. My make up stayed put all day, I didn’t have to carry any spare in my bag, nor go back to the tent on numerous occasions to reapply. Even on the last evening of V when it rained, my make up stayed where I wanted it to be; this is something I have never experienced when not using this product, not ever!

When it comes to taking makeup off after using this product, you’d expect there may be a bit of a struggle but actually I was really surprised to find that it came off easily using my normal cleanser. I am always a bit reluctant to take the makeup off when I’ve used this if truth be told, as it usually still looks like I’ve just put it on.

I feel like my skin has benefitted immensely from using this product as my sister made a comment that my skin looked better than usual, even when I was wearing no makeup and no primer. I am wondering if this is because the primer stops the direct contact that my makeup has with my skin or whether it has some long term skin benefits to add to the list. Either way, I am not complaining.

I’m trying to think of any real downside of this product that needs to be mentioned (apart from it making me not want to remove my makeup as mentioned above) but I am finding it very difficult to do so; the only niggle I guess would possibly the initial price outlay of £25 for 25ml of product, but to be honest I think it’s quite a fair price for a product that does what it says it will do. You must also remember that you don’t have to use half a bottle of this to get the desired result as this serum goes a long way. In all fairness I would probably be happy paying for one of these every month if I had to, but this isn’t necessary as I do believe this bottle will last much longer than that.

Summary: Primed and ready for action. A worthy purchase, fully recommended.

Aldi Lacura 'Wrinkle Stop' With Syn-Ake - My Thoughts.

When using this product, I found that the serum is actually creamier than I expected and has an opaque look to it rather than translucent, the smell is subtle but quite nice for the short time that I could smell it.

To apply it is fairly easy, although the cannula can take a little more work to hold in a comfortable and accurate position. I think this would be easily solved with either more of a rubbery texture around the whole tube to give it more grip, or larger 'winged' areas at the top where you could hold on to the tube better to stop it sliding through your fingers as you apply the product.

When applying you really need to remember that less is more so be gentle when pushing the tube as you don't want to waste any product as although it is a bargain price, money wasted is still money wasted at the end of the day! I apply the product only to the specific areas as directed, as this is not a serum or moisturiser for the whole face; the areas I apply it to are the forehead, around the eyes (where crow's feet are likely to appear) and laughter lines as I thought if this product did work as it said it would that I really didn't want to end up with a wonky face from applying it in the wrong areas.

As with all my face creams and serum I tend to massage/rub upwards as much as possible to try and counteract gravity (try being the operative word); I'm not sure if this makes a difference or not but I thought I'd throw it out there as I'd heard it can help either in a magazine or on a TV show. I do leave a bit of the serum to absorb naturally rather than rubbing it in to within an inch of its life too. On the skin I found this serum to be comfortable and non greasy, even when under make up.

I didn't see any immediate effect after applying the serum but after about 6 weeks of continuous use I do feel that my skin has improved in the areas I have been using the serum; however it wasn't quite the wow factor transformation that it had lead me to believe it would be on the packaging. I think I just looked a bit more rested, a bit fresher in the face you might say. I would use the product again though, as it is such a bargain and especially if there's even a slight chance of an improvement further down the line then it's worth giving a shot. I would also feel ok to recommend it to others to give it a try as I have no doubt that it does help the skin in some way, even if it's not quite botox in cream form that I hoped it would be... maybe I was expecting too much?!

For more information please take a look at these links: http://www.wrinklestop.co.uk/ and http://www.aldi.co.uk/