An alternative to the Hourglass Ambient Lighting blushes?



Ever since laying my eyes on the ambient lighting blushes from Hourglass it has been hard to keep them off my mind. Baked blushes have always intrigued me yet I was sceptical of spending nearly £30 on something that I may not even like. Don't get me wrong the raving reviews on the Hourglass blushes suggest that I wouldn't be disappointed but I am always willing to try a drugstore alternative.

I discovered that Max Factor had brought out their own versions of a baked blush through another beauty blog and I knew instantly that the next time I visited Boots I would be buying one of these blushes.

Similarly to the Hourglass blushes, these Max Factor blushes are gorgeous just to look at in the pan. The shade I chose is '05 Lovely Pink' and is a mixture of pink and golden tones which also features some shimmer. I think it is this shimmer which gives a highlighting effect when applied to the cheeks as well as a healthy flush of colour from the shade itself. What I love about this blush in particular is that it is so buildable. I love the way that it can be used to add a subtle highlight and flush but I can also see how it could be easily built up to give a stronger look. At first I wasn't sure about the shimmer but it really does give your skin that extra glow without making you look obviously glittery or sparkly. The  formulation of this product is also great as it doesn't feel heavy or chalky on the skin. I find that my Real Techniques blush brush picks up exactly the right amount of product and it applies so well to the cheeks.

Another bonus of this product for me is the no-nonsense packaging. I love the very simple round compact and the fact that the clear lid showcases those beautiful shades. I also like that Max Factor haven't fussed around trying to squeeze a mirror in and has focused entirely on the product itself. Although these blushes are relatively small, I have been religiously using them every day for around a month now and it doesn't even look like I've touched the product aside from the fact that admittedly you can see where my brush has been swirling around the pan.

If anyone I knew was looking for a new blush I would steer them immediately in this direction. There are so many shade variations in this range and the product itself is fantastic. At only £8.99 they are considerably cheaper than the Hourglass blushes and will be a firm favourite of mine as we move into the Spring months. 

Would You Rather Beauty Edition

Today I thought that it would be fun and a bit different to do one of the many 'tag' posts floating around on the Internet. With so many to choose from I was spoilt for choice but I decided on one called the 'Would You Rather tag.' If you'd like to read about others responding to this post be sure to check them out simply by typing the tag name into a search engine such as Google.
 Without further ado, I shall start the tag!

QUESTIONS:
1.) Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lipglosses or lose all of your palettes and eyeshadows? I think if I had to choose between the two I would say eyeshadows and palettes. This is because I have a lot of lip products and it would probably cost more for me to replace those than it would the eyeshadows and palettes I have. Also I could probably survive without eyeshadow but mascara and eyeliner are two of my biggest must have products.

2.) Would you rather chop off all your hair or never be able to cut it again? Probably never be able to cut it again. Although saying that if I cut it all off it would all eventually grow back... but I still think I'd rather not cut it.

3.) Would you rather have a coral cheek or a pink cheek? A lot of the blushes I own are pink so I'll go with pink.

4.) If you had $1000 to spend, would you rather buy clothes or makeup? $1000 is a lot of money to spend in one go on either of these things but I don't think I could justify spending it all on makeup so clothes.

5.) Would you rather apply lipstick as eyeliner, or eyeliner as lipstick? Eyeliner as a lipstick because you could be more precise and even be sneaky and try to get a eyeliner that would be a similar colour to a lipstick?

6.) Would you rather only shop at MAC or Sephora? I've never shopped in Sephora before so MAC.

7.) Would you rather only use one eyeshadow color or one lip color for the rest of your life? One eyeshadow because I love lip products too much to commit to one.

8.) Would you rather wear winter clothes in summer or summer clothes in winter? Winter clothes in summer because in England it would probably be cold and rainy anyway. haha.

9.) Would you rather have dark nails or bright nails all year round? Bright nails!

10.) Would you rather give up your favorite lip product or your favorite eye product?Favourite eye product!

11.) Would you rather only be able to wear your hair in a ponytail or a messy bun? Messy bun because at least then all your hair is out the way.

12.) Would your rather never be able to paint your nails again or never use lipgloss?
I'd rather never use lipgloss because although I am a bit lip product addicted I am not the biggest fan of glosses and I find painting my nails relaxing so I would like to be able to do that.

13.) Would you rather shave your eyebrows and have none at all or sharpie them in everyday?
Eyebrows frame your face so as much as it pains me to say it, I'd rather sharpie them in although I know that it probably would look horrendous.

14.) Would you rather live without makeup or nail polish?
Definitely nail polish.

Lakeside Shopping Haul Part 2

As you may know, a few weeks ago I went shopping with my friends in Lakeside. It is fair to say that I may have gone a little overboard on this day investing in a lot of makeup especially. Therefore I have dedicated this part of the haul to primarily makeup and beauty items but have thrown in my biggest and best purchase of the trip at the end just to top it all off! Let's go!
  You know that you are in trouble when you walk into Boots and they are doing a 3 for 2 promotion across their whole beauty and cosmetics range. This means you can get makeup, brushes and accessories included in this deal and I needed no invitation to make full use of this offer. I may have accidentally ended up buying 6 products but I am so pleased with them.
 One of the first things I wanted to do in Boots was to check out the Sleek makeup. I have been a huge fan of their blushes over the past year and for the past two months have fallen in love with their eyeshadow palettes. Where I live the Boots and Superdrug stores aren't big enough to sell Sleek so it was time to stock up in Lakeside.
  After looking at the palettes in the flesh I opted for the 'Ultra mattes v2 darks' palette because I have been all about matte recently. This palette contains entirely matt shades and the pigmentation of them is incredible. Like the Au Naturel palette the shades blend really nicely and I love the range of colours here. The huge mirror also is really handy if you are on the go and I love that each shade has it's own name like 'Villian' and 'Orbit.' The palettes are also so affordable, costing just £7.99 for 12 shades.

Since discovering the Real Technique makeup brushes, it has transformed the way that I apply my makeup. The contour and buffing brush have been two of my favourites so far and so I decided it was time to invest in a new blush brush. The Real Techniques blush brush cost £9.99 I still can't get over how soft it is and how easy it is to apply makeup with this. It makes product blend so flawlessly and it is the perfect shape and size.

As I've mentioned a thousand times before, I love sleek blushes. Everything to the packaging to the colour range to how easy they are to apply and the beautiful finish they give, it is hard to fault them. Whilst I had to make the most of stocking up on Sleek products I decided it was time to invest in some more blushes. Three to be exact. The first was a shade called 'Coral' which in the pan looks to be a really unique orange/pink colour. It reminds me of the shade 'Flushed' because it looks matte on first inspection but it does contain the slightest bit of shimmer.

 

The next shade that I bought was 'Pixie Pink' which is a gorgeous light pink which is very matt. However from first impressions it doesn't seem at all chalky and I'm expecting this to be great for the summer. It isn't half as bright as 'Flamingo' but it looks a much cooler tone and is so beautiful to look at in the pan. 
 The final Sleek blush I bought on this shopping trip is another matte shade called 'Life's a Peach.' In the pan this shade appears to be a very bright and slightly scary orange. However, I didn't let this put me off when I first bought Flamingo and I turned out to love it and so I thought that I would give this shade a spin. Although this may not be a shade suitable for all year round (well it could be, we will find out when I test it out!) I think it will be great for summer, especially when you have a little bit of a tan. One of the biggest advantages of these blushes is that they are so affordable at only £4.49 each and this is part of the reason why my collection of them has grown so big so quickly.
  My final purchase to finish off my Boots splurge I decided that I would buy a product that I had never previously tried. A lot of my drugstore purchases recently have been lip products, so much so that my storage is getting a bit overrun with lipsticks, crayons and balms. Nevertheless, I still decided that it would be a good idea to buy another lipstick(!) After trying and really liking the Revlon Matte balms recently and having never tried a Revlon lipstick I opted to go for a shade from their 'Super Lustrous Matte Lipstick' collection. To be honest there wasn't many shades in this collection but I picked up the shade 'Stormy Pink' because it thought it looked the best on the back of my hand. Haha. This cost me £7.49 but it turned out to be one of the free items in the deal.  
 By the time we managed to get round to going into Superdrug, it was near the end of the day. Out of a matter of interest I innocently went to look at the Sleek counter in Superdrug just to see if they were selling anything different to Boots. As a matter of fact they were. To celebrate 50 years of Superdrug Sleek have released a limited edition eyeshadow palette called the Showstoppers palette. This palette consists of 7 shimmery and 5 matte shades. Honestly I probably didn't need this palette but because it was limited edition and I loved a couple of the shades especially I decided to buy it. Superdrug were also doing a 3 for 2 on all cosmetics too and so I thought that I might as well take advantage of the offer. This palette cost £7.99  

As I had not bought a new nail polish in a while I decided to have a little look at what Rimmel had on offer. I was aware that Rita Ora recently bought out a range of nail polishes and Colour Rush Balms, but one of the repackaged lasting finish polishes actually caught my eye. This shade is called 'Fancy a Dip' and is a lovely blue shade. I think it is really unique because it isn't a pale blue or a royal blue but it looks slightly lilac and is completely different to the other shades I own. This retails at £2.99 which is so affordable and I'm really excited to try this shade out really soon.
 After buying a lot of the Barry M Hi-Shine Gelly collection nail polishes last summer it was good to see that they have released some more shades for this summer. I've noticed a lot of the new colours focus on pastel shades and these really appeal to me. I've been really attracted to blue tones and shades recently and so whilst browsing the new shades on offer 'Huckleberry' stood out to me. It is a really pale almost white blue shade and I think this will look absolutely amazing alongside tanned skin. It is really similar to the shade Blue Moon from the original Barry M nail polishes but I'm sure the added shine will make a big difference to the appearance of this shade. It costs £3.99 like with the other Hi-Shine polishes in the collection.
  Now on the way to the checkout in Superdrug I noticed that they were selling the Tanya  Burr Cosmetics. I've really wanted to try out some things from her collection ever since they were launched but this was the first time I had seen them in the flesh.
 I decided to try out just one product to start with because I didn't want to go crazy buying a product that I had never tested before and so opted for the nail polish in the shade Little Duck because I had seen some photos of this shade and loved it. I plan on writing a full review on this product, especially because it has been receiving some incredible hype over the blogging and Youtube world recently. This nail polish set me back £5.99 which I thought was quite a bit for a polish but until I try it out I won't know if it is worth the money.
 Tanya Burr's nail polish concludes the beauty and cosmetic part of my haul and I have a load of products now that I will be vigorously testing over the coming weeks and months. There is just one more product that I bought in Lakeside as a treat to myself.
About 5 years ago now my mum and step-dad got me a iPod Nano as a Christmas present from New York. I have had so much use out of my iPod over the years and I have loved using it but now it is starting to show signs of age because the buttons have started to become temperamental. I have been thinking about buying a new one now for about 6 months and decided in Lakeside that I would make the investment. I went into the Apple store and it was so easy to pay and get hold of one and I love it. Once again I went for the limited edition Red and Apple puts some of the money you pay for the iPod towards helping people in Africa who are suffering with AIDS. I haven't had a chance to properly set it up yet because I want to organise all my music first but I am so excited to start using it. It will be going everywhere with me when it is ready to go and I was actually impressed that the 16GB version only cost £129. I seem to remember my 8GB one cost me around £100 when I got that so I definitely got a lot for my money.  

May 2014 Favourites!

It honestly felt like just yesterday that I was putting together my April favourites post. Now a month later it is time to share the things that have been worth my money this month! Enjoy.

Beauty/ Makeup:
Barry M Hi-Shine Jelly Nail Polish in Guava
It is no secret that I adore the nail polishes by Barry M. A few months back I actually bought a few more shades after noticing  that Barry M had added some new colours to their Gelly Hi-Shine collection. One of these was the shade 'Guava' and it has been by far my favourite nail polish this month. The colour is an incredible teal/blue colour and it lasts ages! Costing only £3.99 this product is worth every penny.
 I've found that like with the other polishes in this  collection that two coats of this stuff is plenty and the dry time is also really good.

 

 

 

 

Real Techniques Brushes

For Christmas I was lucky enough to receive a collection of the Real Techniques brushes from my sister. Although I was really excited about trying them I thought it would be a good idea to wait until I had built my collection a little more and to be honest I didn't want them to get dirty! However this month I realised that this was a ridiculous thought and started to use them religiously to apply my makeup. I particularly love the contour brush, as it blends product really well and gives me a really defined look. Next I would like to buy the set of eye brushes which would help me to apply my eye shadow better especially because I have been a bit more experimental this month.  

Sleek Blush in Flushed
My final beauty favourite this month has been a blush from Sleek. After discovering Sleek blushes in the middle of last year and having loved the shade Flamingo so much I decided it was time to try out the other shades in the collection.
  This month I have really enjoyed using the shade 'Flushed.' Unlike Flamingo this is a much darker shade but is still a beautiful pinky shade. It gives my complexion a really healthy glow and looks so natural on my face. Although I find myself having to apply more of this than with Flamingo, I think it is because Flamingo is so much brighter than this. I like that the colour isn't as bright though because it means that you can gradually build it up depending on your skin tone and the look you are achieving. This shade is also a lot more matt than Flamingo but it still contains the slightest bit of shimmer in it as well. The price of these blushes are also a huge plus point costing only £4.49 each.



Fashion:
Kimonos
Up until this month, I had never owned a Kimono. I'm not sure why, but they just didn't appeal to me and I never thought that I could pull one off and was worried that they wouldn't flatter my shape or that I would feel too self conscious in one. However, whilst I was shopping this month a came across one in New Look. The print instantly attracted me because it was full of greens and purples and was a gorgeous Hawaiian floral style. The material was also really soft to touch and as my friend was going to be trying on some stuff I decided to try this out. When I tried it on I really liked it and so bought it for £12.99.
  Since then I have been back into New Look and bought another kimono because I loved my first one so much. My second kimono is more of a sheer material, but is once again a floral print combining cream, a pinky/nude tone and also a beautiful royal blue too. This one was a little more expensive at £24.99 but it's been perfect for Spring. 
Forever 21 Vest
Up until now I have been obsessed with wearing a printed vest from Pull & Bear because it has been so comfortable and easy to wear. Whilst shopping with friends this month I found a new vest which I have fallen in love with from Forever 21. I think it cost around £10 and I really like the print and think it will be perfect for summer. It is cut quite low at the sides so I have been experimenting with bandeau tops underneath to add something different too.
Statement Jewellery
My final fashion related favourite product this month has been statement necklaces. I have never been a jewellery person really in terms of necklaces but after discovering this wing necklace from River Island this month I have been converted. Although it isn't the biggest statement necklace in the world I think it still makes an impact on a simple outfit and I love the detailing on it too. It cost me only £7 and I can't wait to start buying more necklaces.



Music:
The 1975
How has it taken me this long to discover the genius that is the 1975's self titled album? This album has been out in the UK now for ages, yet this month I started to listen to it for the first time. It only took a few songs to realise that I would love this album and I have been listening to it on repeat throughout the month alongside my other music favourites. Some of my favourite songs from the album are 'Robbers' and 'Girls' although I have liked almost every song!
Mr Probz: Waves
I am a huge fan of songs that you love the moment that you first hear them. Although I do eventually like songs even if I haven't when they were first played it was not the case with the release of Waves. I really liked this song as soon as I first heard it and although now I have started to over play it a bit I have been listening to it a lot throughout May.
Sam Smith: Stay With Me
I will be the first to admit that I wasn't overly keen on 'Money On My Mind' by Sam Smith. I didn't think the verses were too bad but along with the chorus which I didn't like and the radio station over playing the song up to 7 times a day everyday for 3 weeks I dreaded to hear it. However, this month I discovered the song 'Stay With Me' and I have been listening to it on repeat ever since. It is so much different to MOMM and I think it is really beautiful to listen to.
The Vamps: Meet The Vamps
Although The Vamps featured in my April favourites I couldn't resist putting them into my May Favourites as well. Last month I was raving about their performance in Radio 1's Live Lounge but since then their debut album has been released in the UK. I bought this album alongside The 1975's and although they are both completely different I have been enjoying these a lot. The Vamps album is really fun with a mix of upbeat and slightly more serious songs. For a band so young I think their album is incredible and there hasn't been a 'bad' song that I've listened to. Big favourites of mine have been 'Somebody to You', 'Shout About It', 'Dangerous' and 'Lovestruck.'


Films/TV:
Bad Neighbours
I don't go to the cinema very often and so when I do it is because I am going to see a film that I really wanted to see. At the start of the month Bad Neighbours starring Zac Efron and Seth Rogen came out and so my friends and I went to watch it. I won't give too much away apart from the fact that it is hilarious and you should go watch it!
Modern Family
My final TV/Film favourite is a program which is regularly shown on Sky 1 and Sky 2. Modern family is a show which follows three families which are all related in one way or another it follows their lives and choices. It is hilarious and unique in that one as the storyline is played out the characters narrate and comment on their thoughts and actions. My sister has been watching this program for years and I can't believe it has taken me this long to give it a chance. I think it is brilliant. 

April 2014 Favourites!

With Spring officially here and the sun shining more, we are already quarter of the way through 2014. This month I've been so busy working but with a few bank holidays and Easter happening it has also been nice to have a few days for rest and relaxation. Here are the products and things which have made April awesome.

Beauty/Makeup

Revlon Colorburst Balm:

Whilst I was out shopping with two of my friends at the start of the month, we realised that Boots had a 3 for 2 offer on all of their makeup. After deciding to buy three lip products, one of my friends recommended to me the Revlon colorburst balms which I had never used before. I actually ended up buying two of them and ever since I have loved using them. I bought two matte shades, one pink and one deep red, and they look amazing. They also smell like mint which I was surprised at when I first got them but since then I have loved the scent. They are great if you are looking for a crayon- styled lip product which hasn't got the common sweet vanilla scent to them. The mint in these makes your lips feel so fresh and hydrated and is certainly a nice change. 

Maybelline Colorsensational lipstick:
As well as the Revlon balms I also picked up a lipstick from the Maybelline Colorsensational range. I had previously picked up two others and loved them so much I wanted to expand my collection. These lipsticks are so pigmented, hydrating and they have a lovely range of colours. I personally find it quite hard to find a red lipstick that I think suits me and in this range I think I've fallen in love with all of the reds. I've even got my eye on a coral shade for the summer which is something totally different to what I would usually buy. These are also so affordable and the packaging is amazing. The tube is a different colour plastic depending on the shade of lipstick you buy and are similar to the Revlon ones in terms of packaging although I am yet to try them.


Sleek Au Naturel Eyeshadow Palette:
My final makeup favourite is a product that has been kept away in my drawer since January. Before using this product I was going to invest in some new decent eye brushes as I thought it would make the end product better. Oh how I regret waiting this long to use this product. It is the Au Naturel eyeshadow palette from Sleek. I've still not got any new brushes but I decided to try using the palette with my old ones and I have been loving the results. The palette I got is a mixture of both matte and shimmery shades, all of which are wearable everyday and in the evening time. I plan on writing a full review on this palette because it has changed the way I do my makeup, especially when I am getting ready for a night out.

Fashion

New Look Heels:

As a treat to myself towards the end of the month I decided to buy myself yet another pair of shoes. However this time I was rather sensible and decided that I actually needed a new pair of shoes to wear on a night out because I actually don't have many of these in my wardrobe. When I saw these black suede platform sandals on the shelf I knew they would be coming home with me. They cost £30 and are actually surprisingly comfortable. I wore them recently on a night out and managed the whole night in them (which included dancing, stairs and walking to a nightclub down a hill from the pub) which is very good for me. They came off just when we were leaving the club because it would have taken around 4 hours to get home but I still call it a success. When they are fully broken in they will be even better!
Gap Checked Shirt:

This shirt from GAP  would have been in my December, January, February and March favourites purely because I have been wearing it so much since I got it for Christmas. I don't usually shop in GAP but picked this shirt up in one of their sales for just £14.99 (reduced from £30) and it is probably the most comfortable and best looking shirts I've bought. I love that it is long sleeved and I love the checked pattern. I probably won't get as much wear from it in the summer but when Autumn and Winter comes around again I'm sure it will make another appearance.



New Look Blazer:

My final fashion favourite this month has been my New Look blazers. At the end of last month I purchased a bright red one from New Look and have been regularly wearing it for both casual and evening occasions. It is of a great quality, with a cream lining and is a great shape and flatters my figure. I have loved this so much that I went back and bought the same one again in a mint green colour and these two have been the main thing that I've been wearing this month. I've found them to be so versatile, pairing them with plain tops and also printed logo tops as well. They also brighten up an otherwise dull outfit and with the sun shining a bit more they just make you feel happy and confident whilst you are wearing them. If the bright colours aren't for you, New Look are also stocking a navy version which is also very appealing.
Food/Drink

Sweet Potato Fries:
This month I have been absolutely loving sweet potato. Whenever I have been out for dinner, I have always scanned the menu for sweet potato fries and have ordered when they have been there. I've preferred them over ordinary fries this month and I'm hoping to make some home-made ones myself or use sweet potato more when cooking in my own home.
Ben & Jerry's Half Baked Ice Cream:
This month I have also gone through a stage of craving ice cream. In particular at the start of the month Morrisons had a deal on all Ben & Jerry's costing only £2.15 for 500ml. This was great because it usually costs nearly £5 and so it was a great bargain. I have been especially loving the half baked flavour, which is half cookie dough and half chocolate fudge brownie which has been very addicting.
Disarronno:
My final food and drink favourite this month has been Disaronno. This is an alcoholic beverage and so should only be consumed if you are of the legal drinking age but this has been amazing. When mixed with Coca Cola it tastes exactly like Dr Pepper and because of this it is so easy to drink too much of it. It has been my drink of choice whilst out too and also it is slightly more expensive than some of the other spirits it is worth it. Some places do make it extremely strong though so make sure you like the taste of Amaretto before you order one. Served best with ice and lime!

Music

The Vamps:
Ever since I discovered The Vamps on YouTube last summer, I have been regularly listening to both their original songs and also their covers. I especially loved their performance in the Radio 1 Live Longue and their cover of Jason Derulo's 'Trumpets.' They have also recently released their debut album and I'm looking forward to listening to it. I've heard a few songs from it so far and some of my favourites are 'Somebody to You' and 'Last Night.'
Radio 1:
I've been a big fan of Radio 1 for years now, but I went through a phase where I found I wasn't listening the station as much. However this month I've rediscovered my love for the station and have been regularly listening to the shows throughout the day. I've noticed that they play a lot of different music too so I've been getting into some music that I wouldn't have discovered otherwise. My favourite shows include Fearne Cotton, Greg James, The breakfast show with Grimmy and Dan & Phil on Sunday evenings from 7pm.

Films/TV

Formula One:
The Formula One season is officially back and we are already 5 races into the season. I have loved watching qualifying sessions and the races once again although there have been some early mornings and falling asleep during races involved after being out the night before. With a huge change in the regulations and the introduction of V6 'power units' the field seems to be much closer together apart from if you are Hamilton or Rosberg in the Mercedes, which has won every single race so far. Hamilton has just wrapped up his 4th win in a row and has made British Formula One history by becoming the most successful British driver in history for the most pole positions. We are now moving into the European part of the season, which sees the drivers and teams visit some of my favourite tracks and I'll be excited to see if Mercedes can continue their dominance and whether or not McLaren can become more competitive.

Random

New Car:
When I started my new job last year, the first thing that I decided to save up for would be a new car. Although there is nothing wrong with my 2003 Ford Fiesta I just fancied a change and had my eye on one of the new Ford Fiestas for a while. Originally I wasn't going to buy a brand new car but as it turned out it was cheaper for me and more practical to take the plunge. I ordered the car at the end of March and have been so excited for it to arrive. I went for the colour 'Frozen White' and had privacy glass added to the rear windows and had parking sensors fitted to the back of the car because it wasn't going to affect the price of the car too much.

Ear Piercings:
Throughout the month of April I have been nursing and taking care of two new piercings. One Saturday me and my friends visited a local piercer and I decided to perhaps stupidly get three at the same time. I already had my lobes pierced once, but wanted them pierced again so had one in each ear followed by having my tragus pierced on my left ear. At the time it was painful and I almost fainted but now that they are healing I've found myself wanting more. I love my new piercings and definitely don't regret them.

 

Dove Style+Care Heat Protect Spray Review

Over the past few months I've been trying and testing out a new heat protectant spray from Dove. This spray is part of their Style+Care collection and claims to protect hair up to 230 degrees.
  This product has been so easy to use, you just apply a few sprays evenly through towel dried hair and then style as usual. I usually spray this on and then comb through my hair just to ensure that the product has been evenly distributed throughout.
  Whilst using this product I've found that it is so lightweight and it doesn't weight your hair down so you can easily use other styling products afterwards without causing your hair to become flat or even slightly greasy. It doesn't even feel as though you have added more product to your hair.
 I've also noticed a difference in the quality and appearance of my own hair. After using this religiously for a few weeks I noticed that my hair looks so much healthier and it helps it to become silkier and glossier. Also I've found that from using this product I have suffered with less spilt ends whilst still finding myself using a hairdryer almost everyday.
  The product itself also smells amazing, which you can still smell throughout the day on your hair and this is one of the many advantages of the product. It just feels and smells so luxurious although it is incredibly well priced at only £4.59 for 200ml which lasts an reasonable amount of time. I think I bought this product around October time and I'm still nowhere near the end of my first bottle.
  I'm also loving the packaging of the product and like the way that Dove has kept it simple with just a little bit of colour to brighten it up slightly. As with their other products, they use white bottles but have added something extra which makes it appear pearly which I really like.
  You can even use this product on dry hair to protect it from the heat damage caused by curling or straightening your hair. When you hair is dry you are directed to 'mist' the product over your hair and then style as desired. I think this makes the product stand out a little from the other heat protectors out there because I am yet to use one which recommends use even on dry hair.
 Overall I think this is a great addition to the Dove range and is a brilliant product if you are looking for something that is going to protect your hair, smells gorgeous and can even help to make your hair look healthier and glossier. I know for certain that this product has secured its place in my collection and for only £4.59 you can't really go wrong with this product!

Max Factor 'The Face' Review

 

So whilst I was shopping a few months ago Max Factor were giving away a free gift when you spent over £15 on makeup. Around the time the winner of the TV show 'The Face' had just been announced and so the gift was tied in with that. As I was running low on both foundation and powder I easily spent £15 and was quite intrigued to see what was inside and to test out the products.

Inside the box were three of Max Factor's products as well as a few leaflet tutorials to bulk out the rest of the gift. The products were one of the relatively new 'lipfinity' lip products, a false lash effect mascara and a nail polish.

 

The first product that I decided to test out would be the  lipfinity lip colour in the shade 340 Essential Natural, which to be honest hadn't appealed to me before. The product itself consists of two parts, the colour for the lips and then a clear topcoat which is very similar to a balm. The reason why this product had not appealed to me before is because I am not the biggest fan of lipgloss, I much prefer a lipstick or balms.
  However, I decided to give this a go and one of the best things about this product is the packaging. I love the way that they are very sleek and sophisticated and I think the classic colours and combinations make them look luxurious. Although the concept of having two parts to this product may be good, I find that it is a bit unnecessary to have two tubes, where other brands have managed to fit them into one, such as the Rimmel 1000 Kisses lip stains.
  Having two tubes is such a hassle if you throw away the original box because you have to make sure you remember both of them and there is no way you can make sure they stay together.
  Inside the coloured part of the product is a lip gloss with a doe foot applicator which makes application really easy although it would be quite difficult to use one of your own brushes to apply. I've also found that for all the packaging there isn't much product inside. With these retailing at £8.99 it is quite a substantial amount to pay for a product of this type. I can think of some more affordable and quite simply better products than these so I'm not sure I would actually buy these.
  Still focusing on the colour, the shade that I received within the gift is a beautiful pink/nude with the slightest bit of shimmer in it. The idea is to apply this first to your lips and then follow up with the clear balm. Although I really love the colour, I'm not so sure on the formulation. I found this to be really sticky and just doesn't feel luxurious or nice at all. In addition, I've found that it takes a long time to get dry enough to apply the next stage and just having your lips stick together is really not what I expected or wanted. Even when the colour is dry it still has the same feeling. However, the colour does dry to a beautiful matte shade and if the formulation was better I think you would be able to wear this without the balm. It also has no scent to it, which means that if you are not a fan of perfumed products, this might be an advantage to you.
  The balm itself is very simple, in that it is identical to most bog-standard clear balms. You simply apply this on top of the colour and it rehydrates your lips and gets rid of the awful sticky sensation. Admittedly the finished result looks good and the colour is lovely, but the hassle of using two different products and the terrible formulation means that unfortunately I am not a fan, especially because of the price you would pay for one of these. The product itself does last a reasonable amount of time, but yet again if you want to touch this up you have to go through the whole process again with the colour followed by the balm.
 

The next product in the set was a nail polish from Max Factor's glossfinity range. These nail polishes retail for £5.99, which is slightly more expensive than their drugstore competitors such as Barry M and Rimmel. This particular shade is called cobalt blue and as the name suggests is a dark, almost navy blue. I haven't actually tried this product out properly yet, but from my first impressions I think it is a beautiful shade, which I'm guessing would need a couple of coats and if it lasts for up to 7 days as the packaging suggests surely it has to be a winner. There are so many colours to choose from in this range and I love the simple packaging with the gold text and black lid, which ties in with the colours of the previous product and keeps the product looking luxurious and sleek.

 

The final product in the gift set was one of Max Factor's mascaras. Immediately I was really excited to try this out because mascara is one product that I find I experiment more with, and I was interested to see if I liked this more than my current favourite mascara, the Maybelline Falsies.
   Again Max Factor has put a lot of effort into making the packaging simple yet sophisticated and the tube is actually quite big, so it seems as though you are getting a lot of product. This retails at £10.99, which is a little more expensive than other drugstore mascaras but not excessively. One thing I noticed about this mascara is that it is waterproof, which may explain the price but was also an added bonus because I don't think I've ever tried one of Max Factor's waterproof mascaras. I then also realised that was the shade black/brown, which is something completely different to what I would usually buy. Usually I would try and find the blackest shade a brand sells and so I didn't really know what to expect.

  However, I did find that when I tried out this product I couldn't see a huge difference between a black shade and this one. I think it definitely made my makeup less dramatic, but it still made my lashes look defined and slightly longer, albeit not as much as my regular mascara. I'm not sure if I would voluntarily buy another brown shade purely because I prefer the effect a black mascara has, especially because my eyelashes are quite dark anyway.
I was really impressed that the product wasn't clumpy either and the huge brush made sure that I was covering each of my lashes. I did find it was a little more difficult to apply to my lower lashes though, but I did find that I only needed to apply one coat of this.

Perhaps the one thing that disappoints me with this product is the removal. I knew because it was a waterproof product taking it off at the end of the day may not be the easiest, but even after using make-up wipes that claimed to remove waterproof makeup there was still a lot of product on my eyes. I then used my cleanser and a cotton pad to try and remove as much as a could and still found I couldn't remove it all as I found out the next morning when it was all around my eyes. The hassle of taking this product off proved too much for me and so for this reason I probably won't be repurchasing this and even though the black brown shade was something different and the product itself isn't bad at all, I still think there are other drugstore mascaras which are better.
 It has been a real eye-opener to try out some new products from a brand that I love for their foundations and powders, but unfortunately I have not fallen in love with any of these products to the extent that I would go out and buy more of them. Probably the most disappointing was the lipfinity glosses because purely on first impressions and seeing the box I thought it would be a product that would become a summer staple for me. However, the search will continue and I am excited about trying some new products out soon.

February 2014 Favourites!

Throughout February I had been loving a variety of different things. Although slightly belated (with it being almost time for a March favourites) here are the things that I had loved throughout February.

Beauty/Makeup

Remington Pearl Ci95 Curling Wand:
Ever since my sister blew up my trusted Babyliss curlers at the end of last summer, I had been dying to find a new pair. With Babyliss not making the curlers I had before anymore I was forced into trying something different. After reading loads of reviews on many different products and deciding that £179 would be a lot to spend on curlers (sorry Babyliss Perfect Curl!) I opted for the Ci95 Curling wand from Remington. From amazon at the time they only cost me £16.95 and I've love using them. You can change the temperature on these and create both loose and tighter curls. What makes these even better is because it is a wand you can get the curls to start right near the root, unlike typical curlers with the clamp function. I've loved using them this month!

TRESemme Salon Finish Extra Hold (4) Hairspray:
This next favourite is something of an old, rediscovered favourite. As I've been using my new curlers recently I've found that I've been more hairspray as usual and I've gone back to the TRESemme Salon Finish hairspray, purely because it is so good. It makes my curls stay put all day and I've even found that my hair is still curly the morning after too. The spray also doesn't make my hair heavy or greasy looking and I'm glad I've started to use it again.

Dove Style+Care Heat Protect Spray:
A few months ago I purchased the Dove Style + Care heat protect spray and to be honest I've been in love with it since I first starting using it. If I had written a favourites post for December or January, this would have featured. The product itself is so lightweight on the hair and doesn't weigh it down or make it greasy. It also smells amazing and I always apply it before blow-drying my hair and I've noticed that the condition of my hair has improved!

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub:
I recently reviewed this product because I have loved using it since the moment I brought it. It is the lip scrub in bubblegum from Lush and it has been a saviour for my lips. Costing around £5.95 it has been fully worth the price and I've noticed a difference in the condition of my lips, they have been less chapped and generally healthier looking.

Food/Drink

Chiquitos:
Very recently the Mexican restaurant Chiquito's opened in a town near where I live. Since trying it out on New Year's Day it has become one of my favourite places to eat. I love Mexican food so immediately I knew I was onto a winner and the food there is so delicious. The prices are also reasonable and the atmosphere is brilliant in there!

Music

Bastille- All This Bad Blood:
I have been a HUGE fan of Bastille ever since their debut album 'Bad Blood' was released. I made sure that I ordered it as soon as I could and absolutely fell in love with it. It is a big contender for the best album that I have ever listened to. After admittedly playing the album to death I was overjoyed when I learnt that they would be releasing a second part of the album called 'All This Bad Blood.' I pre-ordered this album and immediately put it on as soon as it arrived and it I safe to say I fell in love this this too. My favourite songs from the album change from time to time but I love 'Haunt', 'Laughter Lines', 'Poet' and their cover of 'What Would You Do.'
  Like the original album I have played All This Bad Blood to death, to the point that I had to stop listening to it throughout January. However this month it has been back in my car and just listening to it on my way to work makes me feel really happy. The next step is to try and see them live, and with them performing at V Festival in the summer, I really hope I can get tickets!

Films/TV

Criminal Minds Season 9 (Mon 9pm Sky Living):
Ever since my sister introduced me to crime series Criminal Minds a few years ago, I have been hooked. This program basically follows a team of behavioural analysts who work together to solve murders and is a bit similar to CSI. However, the show is now in it's 9th series which have started just recently on Sky Living (Channel 107) on Monday nights at 9pm and I have loved seeing my favourite characters on screen again. It seems as though each series has got better and better and it has really kept me guessing throughout. Love it! 

New Series of The Middle (Tues 9pm Comedy Central):
Another program which I have loved watching over the past few years is The Middle. Totally different from Criminal Minds, The Middle is a comedy program about a family of 5 and their day to day problems and situations. Very easy viewing and hilarious, you can catch the new series on Comedy Central at 9pm on a Tuesday.

New Series of Two And A Half Men (Mon 9pm Comedy Central):
The start of 2014 has brought a load of new series for a number of programs and another one is Two and A Half Men. Which I have also loved watching throughout January. Hilarious. Also on Comedy Central on a Monday at 9pm, which you may notice clashes with Criminal Minds, but thank goodness for Sky+ haha.

New Series of The Magaluf Weekender (Sun 9pm ITV2)
The final program that I have enjoyed watching throughout January is the surprise, surprise, new series of The Magaluf Weekender. I think I may have featured this program in my October favourites, but it is back again and better than ever with a new rep and even more drama between the reps! Unfortunately the program has now finished, but I think it is returning in the summer for a new series! 

Random

Bingo:
This month I went to my first ever proper bingo night, where I gambled actual money in attempt to win even more money for matching numbers in a line or by getting full house. This is strangely addicting and I can see why many people spend hours in there. So far I've won £20 so that's not too bad
Quiz Nights:
Since early October I have been attending a quiz night at a local pub on a Thursday evening with friends from work and it has been a lot of fun. Basically you are in teams and each person pays £1 to play. That money then becomes the jackpot (usually around £50) and then you play a family fortunes type quiz where you are asked 10 questions and expected to think of the 'top answer' (worth 2 points) and then four other answers (worth 1.) At the end, the team with the highest score wins and then has to pick one of about four envelopes containing different prizes. If the jackpot isn't picked it then rolls over to the next week until it gets won which means that the jackpot can get really high.
Formula One Winter Testing:
With the 2014 F1 season starting in a matter of weeks, throughout Feb I have enjoyed hearing about and reading about the testing that the teams have been going through. I also loved watching all the teams unveil their title contenders and it has made me even more excited for the start of the season and the end of the 4 month break from the sport!

That's just about everything that I've been loving this month!