Dove Maximum Protection Deodorant

Hello everyone!

I've been umming and ahhing for a couple of days now about whether to do a review on this or not, but in the end I figured, we all use doedorant so why not?!

Since my last review was pretty negative, I wanted to do a positive one today, about something that I am loving.

I had seen a couple of reviews on some different blogs about this, and thought it sounded quite interesting. It claims to be "scientifically proven to protect against wetness". Before I begin the review properly, I should add that I am not an overly sweaty person etc etc, but I do have quite an active lifestyle and I do quite a bit of excercise so naturally I want a deodorant that will keep me smelling fresh all day.

I have the pomegranate and lemon scent, but there are about 3 to choose from. It doesn't smell very fruity, but it is a really nice scent.

Although it looks like a roll-on, this is in fact a cream deodorant - when you twist the bottom, the cream comes out through little holes in the top of the bottle (I forgot to take a picture of this sorry), so to me it feels more hygeinic than a roll-on. The cream contains Dove 1/4 moisturising cream, which claims to care for the skin.

The odd thing about this deodorant compared to your average one is that to gain the best results, you are supposed to apply it before you go to bed, and it should last throughout the next day, even through a shower. I was sceptical about this at first, but I tried it and I can honestly say, it works! Even after a shower, you can still smell the fragrance.

A good thing about this being a cream deodorant is that it dries so quickly when you apply it. I used to use a Mitchum roll-on deodorant, and even though I did like it, it took an absolute age for it to dry, resulting in marks on my clothes! This dries almost instantly when you apply it, and I have not noticed one single deodorant mark since I started using this.

With regards to the "anti-wetness" claim, this is also true. It keeps me dry through the entire day, even through a gym session, and I have not once felt the need to reapply during the day. I have been using this for 4 weeks now and I am still really enjoying it. I apply it every night before bed, and wake up smelling fresh as a daisy :)

I appreciate that this may not be everyone's cup of tea, and some people may not want to read about a deodorant, but I thought this may be of interest to some :)

The only downside of this is the price. It retails for £5.30 in Boots and Superdrug, maybe a bit less in the supermarkets. Having said this, I do think it's worth the money as it does what it says it does and is very long-lasting. I would definately recommend this to a friend :)

Has anyone tried this?

xx

Impress Press-On Manicure

Hello everyone!

This will probably be quite a short post. I wasn't intending on writing a review of these (hence the lack of actual pictures, sorry), but I wanted to share my experience with you.

The Impress Press-On Manicure is essentially false nails that don't require any nail glue. They have glue "built in" to the nail, so all you have to do is peel off the backing plastic and press them onto your nails. I was drawn to these as there are some really pretty designs, and also they claim not to damage the nails when you remove them - something I hate with normal false nails.

Image from www.glamour.com.

The packaging is really cute - the nails come in a plastic nail polish bottle inside a plastic box. The style I chose was TGIF (shown above), but there are loads of different styles to choose from.

Unfortunately as I wasn't planning on reviewing these, I don't have any pictures of the application etc. At first, they were really easy to apply, but when I had all 10 nails on, I noticed that there were big gaps between my natural nail and the false ones at the tip of the nail. It wasn't obvious to look at, but it did bother me because dirt etc would be able to get underneath the nail so it's not really very hygienic. This could have been down to the shape of my nails - I have quite short natural nails so if you have longer natural nails this may not be an issue.

They looked really pretty on the actual nail though!

However, I actually didn't have much time to worry about dirt getting underneath my nails! About 4 hours after I applied these nails (so plenty of time for the glue to 'set'), I got into the bath, and one by one, the nails fell off! I presume this was to do with the fact they were submersed in warm water, but I would have expected them to last in a bath!? These are marketed to last up to a week, so I wasn't very impressed when they fell off after 4 hours! Obviously they might have stayed on if I hadn't gone in the bath, but chances are, in a week, a lot of you are likely to have a bath at some point surely?

Overall, I was really disappointed with these, which I was surprised about because I had read a few positive reviews of these before I purchased them. I so wanted to love them because they looked really good on the nails but I won't be repurchasing them as they are quite expensive.

I don't normally like writing negative reviews but I was just so annoyed that these lasted for barely any time, I wanted to share my experienc with you.

These are available for £8.99 from Boots and £7.99 from Superdrug.

xx

Holiday Wishlist #1

Hello everyone!

2 weeks today, I will be on my way to sunny Majorca with my lovely boyfriend! I'm so excited, but also very unorganised! So I have been browsing the internet for some things I will need for my holiday and thought I would share them with you all :)

#1. VANS

I have wanted a pair of Vans for ages now, and thought that this would be the perfect time to get some. They will be good for travelling in, and would also be good with leggings etc once I get back home!

£40.00 from Schuh.

#2. Bikini

I only have 1 bikini at the minute, and as I'm going for a week, I prefer to take 2 bikinis! (just me?! haha). I really like this one as it's a lovely colour and the print is summery and girly.

£28.00 from Topshop.

#3. Vest Top

I really like the design of this, it would be perfect for daytime over a bikini.

£14.99 from New Look.

#4. Jelly Sandals

These remind me so much of my childhood and I am so so glad that they're back in fashion because I love them! Plus they're comfy :P

£12.00 from River Island.

#5. Denim Shorts

Denim shorts are almost a necessity for me on holiday and I really like these studded ones.

£35.00 from Topshop.

Apologies for the small pictures, they were all different sizes and they looked best this size!

xx



Rimmel Match Perfection Cream Gel Foundation

Hello everyone!

Firstly, sorry for the lack of posts this week - my mum and dad went on holiday on Monday so I have been left in charge of my 16 year old brother (getting him up and ready for school etc) and I have also been working a lot this week, so I just haven't had time to post!

Anyway, my parents get back later on tonight so everything is back to normal as of tomorrow!

Anyway, today I have a new foundation for you! I had been using Bourjois Healthy Mix for a couple of months, and although I really liked it and would recommend it, I like to change foundations quite regularly just to see if there is any better ones and to try some new releases etc (am I the only one who does this?! haha). When the Bourjois one ran out, I went into Boots to have a look, actually with the intention of getting the Healthy Mix Serum, as I had heard some really good things about it, but when I swatched this Rimmel one, I had to have it.

The packaging of this is really lovely - it is a glass jar (very similar to the packaging of Maybelline's Dream Matte Mousse) with a shimmery blue lid and shimmery blue lettering. It is quite heavy though, so probably would be a bit awkward for chucking in your handbag. Also, when you open the blue lid, you see a further white 'lid', which I presume is for hygeine reasons, and is something I really like. To me, it looks like Rimmel have put a lot of thought into the product.

I have shade 103 True Ivory - there is only 5 shades in the range, meaning that if you have extremely pale or dark skin then this won't be much use to you. I was lucky enough to find a shade which matched my skin, although a lot of the shades looked a little on the orange side.

This is a "cream gel" foundation, which Rimmel claim gives a "natural looking flawless finish", "evens skin tone" and "mimics skin tone and texture". The consistency of the foundation is quite strange. I expected it to be quite heavy and "gel-like", but it is the complete opposite. It feels almost like a gel in the jar, but once applied to the face it is extremely light and natural looking. It feels quite wet when first applied, but dries fairly quickly so this isn't a problem.

The foundation gives a light-meduim coverage which I personally like, but I appreciate some people may prefer a heavier coverage. If I have any blemishes, I simply apply concealer to the problem areas and this covers them nicely. This foundation gives a dewy look to the skin but it's not overly shiny. If you didn't like the dewy look, it is easily mattified with a powder anyway. The foundation lasts on my face for about 7/8 hours, so it's not as long-lasting as some other foundations out there, but this doesn't bother me much because I love everything else about this foundation!

I have quite dry patches on my face, and although Bourjois Healthy Mix did cover them up quite well, this almost makes them disappear altogether. I like how natural it looks, and I like that it gives a dewy finish.

Because it is quite hydrating and because it covers up my dry patches so well, I probably wouldn't recommend this to people who have oily skin, but I would definately recommend it to anyone with dry skin like myself. I will priobably repurchase this once it runs out, because it is one of the only ones I have tried which covers up my dry patches. Plus, its super cheap too which is a bonus!

Rimmel Cream Gel Foundation is £6.99 and is avaibale from Boots, Superdrug (not on their website - anyone else think the Superdrug website is rubbish?!) and all major supermarkets.

Anyone tried this?
xx

7 Deadly Sins Tag

Apologies for the fact that I have posted 3 times today. I feel like lately I have sort of gotten out of the habit of blogging and today is the first time in a couple of weeks I have thought "I really fancy posting today".

This is an ooollldd tag, but one I enjoyed reading when it was around on so many blogs. I never got round to doing it then so here it is now - the 7 deadly sins of beauty.

1) GREED - What is your most INEXPENSIVE beauty item? What is your most EXPENSIVE?

My most inexpensive is probably all my items from MUA and also ELF. These are 2 brands that I genuinely do really like, and they are both really reasonably priced for the quality. I have had mixed experiences with some MUA products, but on the whole, most items I have are reasonable for the price. As for my most expensive, this is a tricky one. I'm not one to spend huge amounts of money on makeup - because I'm a student I can't really justify "high-end" prices, so I think my most expensive is probably the POREfessional by Benefit, which I do really love.

2) WRATH - What products do you have a love/hate relationship with? What product has been the hardest to get?

I would say that I have a love/hate relationship with loose powder. It's not a specific one or anything, just in general. I really love the effect they achieve on your face, but I hate the mess they make. For this reason, I tend to stick to pressed powders, though I wish I could use loose powders more often.

I think the product that has been the hardest to get was probably a China Glaze polish (I don't have the name to hand). China Glaze is not available in the UK, and I am always cautious about buying things from Ebay, but in the end I had no other choice because I really wanted to try out the brand.

3) GLUTTONY - What are your most DELICIOUS beauty products?

I think the obvious answer to this would be like a lipgloss or something. I don't own any lipglosses - I don't get on with them at all. I'm going to say my Maybelline Popstick which I really don't like, but on the plus side, it does smell really nice :)

4) SLOTH - What product do you NEGLECT due to laziness?

This one has got to be eyeshadow. I really like how it looks on other people, but since I am out of practice when it comes to applying it, I always think it looks horrible on me and I don't have the patience to sit there playing with it until I like how it looks.

5) PRIDE - What beauty product gives you the most CONFIDENCE?

Without a doubt foundation. I have a very uneven skin tone with red patches on my cheeks, and I have to say that I would be much less confident without foundation on. I am not at all saying that I will not leave the house without foundation on, I will, it's just I feel better when I am wearing it.

6) LUST - What attributes do you find most ATTRACTIVE in the opposite sex?

This answer is going to be very cliched, haha. Nice eyes, a good personality and the ability to make me laugh.

7) ENVY - What items would you like to recieve as a gift?

To be honest, I'm not picky. I appreciate most things :)

I tag everyone who reads this!

xx

ELF Cosmetics Beauty Book (Neutral Eye Edition)

Hello everyone,

If you have seen my post from earlier today, you will know that I recently recieved an order from ELF Cosmetics. As part of a Jublilee Weekend offer here in the UK, I recieved a "Mystery Bag", which included this "Beauty Book" - a pallet of 12 eyeshadows, an eyeliner and an eyeshadow applicator. I recieved the "Natural Eye Edition", but also available are "Sparkle Eyes", "Eye Brights", "Smokey Eye", "Glitter Eye", "Everyday Eye", "Natural Eye" and "Smoky Eye".

I have made a couple of orders with ELF recently and I have been really impressed with everything I have recieved and this is no different.

Swatches without flash

Swatches with flash

I think that this pallet comes with a really good range of shades to create a natural looking eye. I am not a fan of bright eyeshadows so I am really glad that I recieved this pallet rather than a brighter one. The shades all blend quite easily and most of them have really good pigmentation. I know you can't really see the light shades on the swatch picture, but I had to use paper rather than my hand etc because I'm actually going out in a minute and I don't have time to scrub my hands before I leave!

Overall, I really do think that this is worth the £6.00 RRP. I know that I recieved this for free as a gift for placing an order with ELF, but I would definately have been happy with it if I had paid £6.00.

Beauty Books are available from ELF here

xx

ELF Cosmetics Haul

Hello everyone,

I hate the word 'haul', but I wanted to show you what I bought from ELF last week :)

Clockwise from left:

Nourishing Cuticle Pen £1.50

Nail Polish in Fuschia £2.50 

Nail Polish in Mint Cream £2.50  

Lengthening and Defining Mascara in Black £1.50

All Over Colour Stick in Spotlight £1.50

Natural Radiance Blusher in Coy £1.50

Studio Pressed Powder in Porcelain £3.75

Healthy Glow Bronzing Powder in Luminance £1.50

Also, over the Jubilee weekend, ELF were also offering a number of deals, one of which was a free "Mystery Bag" when you spent over £15. Here is what was in my "Mystery Bag":

Nail Polish in Light Red £1.50

All Over Colour Stick in Toasted £1.50

Beauty Book - Neutral Eye Edition £6.00

The Mystery Bag was worth £9.00 altogether, which I think is really good considering you only had to spend £15.00 to get one. Unfortunately this offer is no longer available, I just wanted to share with you what I recieved. I will be doing a review of the Beauty Book later today because I think it's rather cool :)

ELF is available at www.eyeslipsface.co.uk (UK) and www.eyeslipsface.com (USA)

xx 

Essie Nail Polish Trio from TKMaxx - Help Please!

Hello everyone,

I recently bought a trio of Essie nail polishes from TK Maxx, but none of them came with any names on! (very annoying). I was wondering if anyone would be able to help me. I tried googling the numbers that are engraved on the bottom of the bottle but had no luck - but I don't know if that's just me being stupid, haha.

These are the nail polishes that came in the set:

The first one is a pink shade - it's not too bright but other than that is difficult to describe unfortunately. Some people have suggested that it may be Cute As A Button, but after seeing some swatches online I'm not sure. Unfortunately I haven't got any swatches of these yet, but if I have no luck from this post I will swatch them and then see if anybody knows.

The second one is a true brown. It is not rich enough to be a dark chocolate colour, but it is darker than a milk chocolate. It has no red undertones and is a true brown.

The third one was really difficult to photograph. It is a topcoat, which looks a milky colour in the bottle, but in the light flashes pink and gold. I *think* this may be Kisses and Bises, but if anyone else has any better suggestions then please do let me know!

Any help would be really appreciated!

xx

Clean & Clear Morning Energy Skin Engergising Daily Facial Wash

Hello everyone,

Don't get me wrong, I am no expert on skincare, but it is something I am slightly obsessive about because to me, having clear skin is important. Up until recently, I had been using the Clean & Clear Deep Action Cream Wash (review here), but lately I had been experiencing a few breakouts, and I thought maybe I should try a new face wash. I picked up this one when I was in Tesco a few weeks ago and so far I have been really liking it. I can see a difference in my skin already (and I know it's down to this product because this was the only change I made to my skincare routine).

I should point out that I have dry-normal skin, so I cannot comment on the effect it would have on oily skin etc.

Apologies for the bad quality pictures - it was dark when I took them and I didn't realise quite how bad they were until they were on my laptop.

This face wash is an orange coloured gel with yellow and orange "bursting beads" in it. To be honest, I can't say the beads make much difference to the actual product other than making it look nice! They don't always burst on the face so many of them just get rubbed around your face a bit, then washed off when you rinse. Also, Clean & Clear describe this as a "gentle foaming wash" which I would have to disagree with. On me, it doesn't really foam at all!

Now, onto the good points. This claims to "wake your skin" which I do agree with. It tingles slightly (but not in an unpleasant way) when you first put it on your face, and the citrus-y smell is also good for waking you up first thing in the morning! It feels like a very gentle wash, though I don't have very sensitive skin!

Within the first few days of using this I noticed my skin looked fresher and brighter, and the amount of spots I had reduced quite quickly. I would recommend this to someone with dry-normal skin like myself, as it doesn't make your skin any drier, as I have found that some face washes do, nor does it make your skin oily (again, some washes I have tried did!).

Another thing to note about this is that the ingredients list is rather long, so if you're into natural products, this probably won't be for you.

All in all, I would repurchase this. I have seen a difference in my skin, and I think it lives up to it's claims of awakening the skin. The beads don't add much to the effect of the product, but doesn't it look cool!

This is available from Boots (£3.99), Superdrug (£3.99), Tesco (£3.90) and all major supermarkets. 150ml bottle.

xx

My 5 Favourite Nail Polishes

Hello everyone,

I'm not really in the mood today to do a product review or anything like that, so I thought I'd share with you my top 5 nail polishes. They are all 'drugstore' brands, as I don't feel I can justify spending over £10 on a bottle of nail polish, so these ones are all under £5. Just to warn you, this post will be picture heavy!

L-R Barry M 'Blue Glitter', GOSH 'Flamingo', Barry M 'Berry Ice Cream', Models Own 'Indian Ocean and Barry M 'Pink Flamingo.

#1. Barry M 'Blue Glitter'

This is probably my favourite polish ever, but I do neglect it as it's quite difficult to remove! Barry M is my all-time favourite brand for nail polish, I think they're so affordable, and most of the time they are amazing quality. I own a LOT of Barry M polishes, and I think the only one I don't really like is 'Mint Green' - I love the colour but I find the formula horrible to work with, and it takes so long to dry! Blue Glitter is a really uninspiring name, but the polish is gorheous. The glitter particles are only small, but they are so dense that it is easy to get an opaque layer in 2 coats.

This is available from Barry M, Boots and Superdrug. £2.99 for 10ml. 

#2. GOSH 'Flamingo'

I don't really like GOSH nail polishes much. I don't own that many but of the ones I do own, this is the only one I like. However, this is really good so I guess it makes up for all the bad ones (no?). It's a really bright, summery pink and the formula is amazing. It's really easy to work with and lasts for absolutely ages with barely any wear and tear. This is one of my go-to pink nail polishes and I will definately repurchase this when it runs out.

This is available from Superdrug. £5.00 for 8ml.

#3.  Barry M 'Berry Ice Cream'

You can tell this one is loved cause the name's worn off! haha. This is a shade a lot of you are likely to have seen before. It's very popular at the minute as it's a pastel shade which is on-trend this spring/summer. This is actually my 2nd bottle of this, I bought my 1st ages and ages ago and absolutely loved it so I soon ran out. This is a pastel lilac colour, which is a part of the Ice Cream collection from Barry M. Whenever I don't know what to do with my nails, this is always the colour I paint them. The formula is wasy to work with, and you can even get away with just one coat with this colour.

This is available from Barry M, Boots and Superdrug. £2.99 for 10ml.

#4. Models Own 'Indian Ocean'

I have only recently discovered Models Own, but this shade has fast become one of my favourites. It is a very sheer baby blue colour, which flashes pink in the light. Because it is so sheer, it takes about 4 coats to get it opaque by itself, and for this reason, I tend to wear it as a top coat. It transforms a plain colour into a duochrome, shimmery one. It looks absolutely stunning over Berry Ice Cream.

This is available from Models Own and Boots. £5.00 for 14ml.

#5. Barry M 'Pink Flamingo'

This is another shade that is quite well-known. It is a coral toned pink, which is quite bright when applied to the nails. The formula is typical of Barry M - very easy to work with and fast drying. It's the perfect shade for summer, and another one I will always go-to when the sun comes out.

This is available from Barry M, Boots and Superdrug. £2.99 for 10ml.

SWATCHES:

L-R Barry M 'Pink Flamingo', Models Own 'Indian Ocean', Barry M 'Berry Ice Cream', GOSH 'Flamingo' and Barry M 'Blue Glitter'.

Apologies for the bad painting, I did this in a rush. The pictures don't really do the colours justice tbh. I suggest going and checking them out yourselves!

xxx