My current workday lip

Is this:

I was going to do a full on review of it but then I changed my mind because I think that if I'm wearing it to work practically everyday, I must really like it.

Here's how it fares on the old lippage:

You can see why I love it, the colour is gorgeous!  It lasts a pretty long time and the pigmentation is really good as you can see.  My top lip is darker than my bottom lip but this beauty makes them look the same colour.

What lippies are you currently loving?

Rimmel: The Reply

Remember the post I did asking why Rimmel London had more products out in other countries than they did in the UK?

Well, I emailed them and this is the reply I got..

Thank you for your enquiry regarding Rimmel products.
 
Unfortunately all the products that you mention are only available in the US and 

there are no current plans to launch them in the UK.
 
We will pass your comments on to our Marketing Department who are responsible for 

the discontinuation and introduction of all the products in our range.
 
While we regret that we are unable to be of any further assistance to you with 

regard to this particular request, we do want to thank you once again for 

taking the time to contact us and for your interest in our products.

Personally, I think that's a bit silly.  Why market a brand as Rimmel London, with the tagline "Get the London look" when half the products that you are selling can't even be used by the women/girls in London to get the look?

I got this reply from Coty who make Rimmel and after many questions on Twitter, I was informed that Rimmel have their HQ in Wimbledon.  I couldn't find an email address so I think I may have to write to them and find out.

If Rimmel don't want to sell the products in the UK, I think they should stop using the tagline of "Get the London look" when we clearly can't achieve it as we don't have these products at our disposal.

Also, I'm sure that Rimmel wasn't always called Rimmel London, I swear that's only a recent thing?

What are your opinions on this?

Best.Eyeshdow.Brush.Everrrrrrr.

This little beauty:

It's a travel size brush but it's the same size as my No7 brushes and I like this size, it's perfect for putting in makeup bags and it gives you the right amount of control as you don't have to hold the mirror too far away so you can see what you're doing.

You're meant to use this brush to pack on the colour and then use another brush to blend but I find that you can do a fair bit of blending with this but to get "proper" results, you do need a blender brush. The one "issue" I had was that I needed to make sure that I'd blended the colour a bit with this brush before using the blender as otherwise it all fell in on itself and I ended up with a massive smudge on my eye.

If I used my other brush, I'd have had to apply colour a million times but with this brush, it's far easier.

Here are a few blending experiments I've done with it, all colours are from the Sleek Original palette:

I'm still a blending noob but I think I'm seeing some serious improvement and it's mainly down to this brush.  I also know that there is a lot of fallout around the eye area, if I was going out with my eyes like that, I would have tidied it up..

What do you guys think? Tell me you're seeing improvement, if only to inflate my ego ;)

Urban Decay primer dried out? I've got the solution!

Back when I was a total makeup noob, I saw an article on Clumps of Mascara which taught you how to depot your UDPP.

Being the over zealous thing that I am, I decided to depot mine.  This was despite the fact that I hadn't even hit "pan" on it.

I only realised recently that mine had dried out and I was very reluctant to chuck it.

I bought this brush from Boots with my £5 off voucher (it cost me £1.50) and was quite let down by how well it worked on my eyeshadows.

I decided to use it on my UDPP and it worked a charm.  You just stroke the primer with it and apply it to your lids, it works really well.  You don't need to blend it or anything..and you don't get that chalky rubby bit either.  It doesn't work on the primer if it isn't dried out (I tried it on my cousin's one), you get too much on the brush but if it has dried out then it works perfectly.

Try it, it really works! If you've got the £5 off voucher, have a dried up pot of UDPP and can't decide what to buy from Boots, get this brush and kill a million birds with one stone.  You won't be sorry!

Urban Decay face chart 1

This isn't another post about how I haven't done  face chart yet because I actually have managed to get one down!

It's the one that I said I would do before..

I didn't look at the face chart whilst doing it as I was watching TV so I kind of did it from memory so it's not exactly the same as this.

Also, I tried to get a shot of my face exactly as the face is in the face chart but my camera was having none of it, which is probably a blessing in diguise as my skin is currently in a right state.

I remember I said that I wanted to do these looks but on a budget and everything I used (bar one item) is cheap..

1: UDPP: £9.50 but now it costs something like £11/12.
2: Rimmel eyeshadow: £1 from my beloved Pound Shop.
3: YSL TE: £22? I know, I know I made a big old hoohaa about this on my blog before but I was given it back when I was naive and it works pretty well in FOTD's when you can't find your usual concealer.
4: Rimmel Extra Super Lash mascara: £2. I bought this yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaars ago, probably back in 2002? I've kept it only to do this FOTD, it's now in the bin.
5: Boots No7 Metallic pencil: £1.  £5 off voucher.  Very worth it, they're my UD dupes.
6: Boots No7 Eye colour brush: £1. £5 off voucher.  Perfect for applying UDPP.
7: Boots No7 Eyeshadow blend and contour brush: £1.  £5 off voucher.  Very good for general blending.

Everything for the look (excluding TE and UDPP because I didn't pay for them) cost me £6.  Not bad really.

Here's what I got for my money:

I think it came out quite well, I was pretty happy with how pigmented the Boots pencil was as I didn't think it would be as bright, I've used it before and it's never been that bright but a good sharpening sorted that right out.

I did the eyes and lips on separate days, I had trouble finding a lipstick/gloss which gave me such a nice pink colour so in the end I decided to use my MAC Full on Lust lipglass, check the "stock" photo:

I think the face chart is a bit off because in the drawing, the lips look pink but in the photo, they're more reddy?

Anyway, what do you guys think?  I've decided to work my way up from the easier ones to the harder ones..

Review: Jessica Nails Nourish Cuticle Formula

I've been growing my nails for nearly two months now and they're coming on nicely, I've gotten over the casualties as the growth rate on the other nails has placated me greatly.

As I haven't had nails before, I didn't (read: still don't) know how to take care.  I'm not ashamed to say that I didn't know what cuticles were up until a few weeks ago but now I'm fully up to speed on all this nail talk.

I wanted my nails to grow a bit faster so I decided to raid my Jessica Nails goody bag which I won on Twitter.  I call it a goody bag despite the fact that you can actual buy it as an item.

The packaging looks battered because it has been lolling around in my handbag, when I first got it, it was immaculate and the writing on the lid was not chipped at all.

Jessica Nails say it is "an all-time classic cuticle therapy, this pure blend of antioxidant vitamins and healing agents provides instant hydration and continuous moisture to nourish and soothe cuticles and nails. It feeds the matrix of the nail as it’s massaged in to stimulate circulation and growth."

I say that they're bang on.  This is the first cuticle cream I have ever used and I don't think I will use another.  I know a lot of people swear by Lemony Flutter from LUSH but I didn't like the smell of that so I decided to use this up.  When I had my manicure at LFW, Heather used this on my fingers and said it would help in repairing "rips" in my skin.

I like the way it comes in a small sized tub because you can just chuck it in your bag and leave it on your desk without it looking like you've opened up a nail bar.

You only need a really tiny amount and it rubs in really quickly.  If, like me, you're a bit heavy handed, your fingers will look greasy but it sinks in quickly so you're not left with a film on your fingers.

Here's what the product looks like:

I've been using it for a bit more than 2 weeks and it is still going strong, there is a lot left in the tub.

The smell is also pretty nice, the best word I can use to describe the smell is delicate..but not overly girly.  I know that description is really helpful ;) I find that it doesn't smell cheap or too rich.  It's basically the kind of smell you can live with on your fingers...and that sentence sounded better in my head than it does typed out.

Does it do everything it says?
Healing agents which provide instant hydration? Check. It really moisturised my nail area when I put it on, it sunk it and afterwards my nail are felt a lot softer.  I also had a "rip" on the skin at the bed of the nail on my right hand thumb and after a few applications of Nourish, the rip was totally gone.  I forgot to take a photo of said thumb which is typical.

Nourished and soothed cuticles and nails? Yep, after using this my nails felt SUPER smooth, even without nail polish on, they looked shinier and felt stronger.

Growth and circulation stimulated? Yes, my nails have been growing faster since I've started using this.

Here's what it looks like before I rub it in:

Purchase?
When mine runs out, I'm deffo going to buy some.  I never knew that products like this could give you these kinds of results.  I thought that you only got really good nails through taking those nail vitamins and eating tonnes of fresh produce.

You can buy Nourish here.

Review: Tesco Vitamin E range

Remember this post?

I think I've been using the range long enough to give a decent review, so here we go.

Just a heads up, this review is LONG. You know how long a review for one product usually is so this is about six products in one.

The one point I can make about all the products is the smell.  There is a tangy (yeah, tangy) smell from all the products, it's not offensive and smells quite light.

The cleanser.

I haven't used a cleanser for quite some time and I can't think why.  Actually, I can.  I don't subscribe to the whole "cleanse, tone, moisturise" malarky.  If your skin is behaving itself and you haven't cleansed and toned, then leave it be.  My skin was behaving so I didn't cleanse..despite having about 5 cleansers that I could have used.

The directions for use are standard, put the cleanser on with your fingers, wait a few mins and take it off with a cotton wool pad.

I can tell if a cleanser has worked if my skin feels softer and looks cleaner.  Did my skin look cleaner? Yes.  Did it feel softer? Yes.

I didn't have to use much either.

Purchase?
I'm personally on a no-buy but I would buy this when I've used up all my cleansers.  It cleanses and doesn't leave me really tight skin afterwards. 

The toner.

I've always had problems with toner.  If you get a gentle one, it might not clean the skin and the harsher ones strip your skin of all oil and make you even greasier so it's a hard balance to strike.

I liked the toner, it cleaned, didn't sting or have a horrible smell (you know that smell that some toners have).  However, I had a patch of dry skin show up on the right hand side of my mouth/right cheek but I think that's to be expected with a toner.  Plus, I moisturised afterwards and all was good.

I've used this when my skin was really greasy and when it was behaving and it worked well both times.  It makes your skin feel really nice and soft.

I do have one semi negative point to report, it's a very gentle toner.  I don't know how best to elucidate this point but I will try.  It's very gentle so if you have really oily skin then you may have to use a fair bit.  I've been using this since Maskgate and it's brought my skin back up to its normal type.  Can you believe I still felt the after effects of that incident more than a week after it happened?

Purchase?
I'm quite impressed with how well it worked and for the price, I'd deffo buy it.

The liquid eye makeup remover.

I don't like liquid eye makeup removers because they tend to sting me so I stay clear.  I decided to bite the bullet and get on with it...all in the name of science and all that!

If you use just mascara and a neutral shadow, it works well.  However, if you wear a heavier eye then you need to use a fair amount of the product to get it all off.  I wore two shadows from my Sleek palette and the remover struggled.

Purchase?
I wouldn't buy this because I really don't like liquid removers.  It's great if you don't wear a heavy eye, if you do however, I'd give this a miss.

The face wash.

I call this "Sir Grease-Away".  I used it in the aftermath of Maskgate and it really cleared the grease away but left me moisturised.

I just dashed it on my face, massaged it in a bit and washed it off.

Purchase?
Yes. I'm going to replace my Clinique liquid soap with this.  I've fallen out with the Clinique because used everyday, it strips my skin so I use it when my skin is in need of a degreasing and it works pretty well but I think it's a bit pricey considering how often I use it.  I'd rather pay for this, use it daily than pay £12 for Clinique and use it sporadically.

The exfoliator.

Very tiny beads.  I like to use an exfoliator that I can feel actually scrubbing my skin.  This didn't really make a difference on my skin.  The only thing it did was remove the flakes of skin but I used just water and that did the same.

Usually when I use a scrub, it makes my skin feel smoother but this didn't do anything.

The consistency of the product was also a problem, it's very runny, even moreso than the face wash.  You know how exfoliators are usually pretty thick when you squeeze them out of the tube? This was the exact opposite.  I had to rub it in a fair bit to feel as if it was exfoliating my skin.

Purchase?
No.  I think the main downfall of this product is the size of the exfoliating particles, they're very gentle..almost too gentle.  If they were a bit bigger, I think the product would work better.

The night cream.

Ingredients:
Aqua, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii, Glycerin, Cylopentasiloxane, Paraffinium Liquidum, Glyceryl Stearate, Cyclohexasiloxane, PEG-100 Stearate, Polysorbate 60, Parfum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin.

I tested this last because I don't really use a night cream because I've never seen any differences when using one.  However, I also decided to use it because my skin was going through a period of unrest after the MG debacle.  It went from super greasy and spotty to super dry..and I mean REALLY dry.  My skin has never ever been that dry before, I'd moisturise in the morning and have massive flakes coming off during the day (sexy!)

The first thing I noticed about this cream was that it was really light for a night cream, most night creams I have used are thick affairs which claim to provide intense moisture during the night.

I've been using this a fair bit and it has helped get my skin back to its normal standard, I don't wake up with flakes of skin on my face anymore and my skin does feel softer in the mornings.

Purchase?
Yes, it's a no fuss night cream, just slap it on and go to bed.  I like the fact that it doesn't break me out in whiteheads overnight as most night creams do.  I'd recommend it for girls with combo/oily skin as it's kept my skin on an even keel once it went back to normal, it's also good for girls with dry skin as it eliminates the flakes.

The cleansing wipes.

I've used these before and I love them. I know on here I say "would repurchase" a lot but the products which I feature in my "products I would elope with" are my key loves, they're the ones I pick when I'm packing a bag.  These made the cut.

They have a really light smell and I feel they're just wet enough to take off any grime (and makeup) and leave your skin feeling soft.  Plus, considering that their counterparts are sold at £3 something, these are a bargain!

Purchase?
Before I had these sent to me, I already had three as backups so the educated guess would be yes.

You can buy the whole range in Tescos (surprising!) here is the price list:
Vitamin E cleanser: 72p
Vitamin E night cream: 72p
Vitamin E toner: 72p
Vitamin E eye makeup remover: 72p
Vitamin E face scrub: 72p
Vitamin E face wash: 72p
Vitamin E cleansing wipes: 72p
Vitamin E hand and nail cream: 72p
Vitamin E moisturiser: 72p

Review: Korres Wild Rose Compact Powder (Shade WRP4)

This powder was unfortunately too light for me and so I couldn't review it.

As it said it was for fine lines which I don't yet have, I gave it to my mum to use as she is a fair bit lighter than me and it matched her skin pretty well.  She also only has fine lines despite being nearly half a century old, I can't give exact numbers as she would kill me.  A bit before Xmas (October time?) she had an allergic reaction to something (I'm sure it was hair dye) and this resulted in her skin getting some discolouration on her cheeks.

Ingredients:

The powder:

Check out what else you get in the box:

What Korres say: 

"Velvety powder, enriched with a botanical blend for a soft, luminous finish.  Wild Rose, a natural source of vitamin C, works to repair fine line and brighten uneven skin tone."

What mi madre said:
Can I keep it?

She loved the powder but not the packaging.  I, on the other hand, loved the packaging because I like big bulky things which won't break when you drop them (natural butterfingers you see).  She did however, like the fact that you got a useful sponge with it, she went as far to say "it picks up the right amount of powder" which is something she always complains about.

She's been wearing it since the weekend after I got it (which was back in January) and she hasn't hit pan yet.  She uses this powder every day and I wouldn't say it mended fine lines but it does make them look less prominent (maybe they will be mended if you carry on using the powder).

The one thing she was most impressed with was how natural it looked on her face and how it really did manage to cover the uneven pigmentation on her cheeks.  She had the pigmentation on her cheeks for ages before using the powder and since she's been using it, the dark pigmentation has totally gone.  I'm not sure if it's the powder which is to be credited for this but I'm thinking it should be because she's changed nothing else in her skincare/makeup routine and the pigmentation had enough time to bugger off before she started to use it but it hung around.

She mentioned that it stayed on all day and that people had commented on how young and glowing she was looking, which can only be a good thing.

Purchase:
It gets a big fat yes from the mother, which basically means that the next time we go out and she sees it on sale, I'll be the one departing with some pennies.

You can buy this powder here.

Review: Korres lip butter (Pomegranate)

I finally got around to trying this after another of my lip balms ran out.

What do Korres say?
"A buttery lip balm that melts on the lips and offers a shiny, tinted finish. The combination of Shea butter and Rice wax offers deep hydration and softness. Ideal for chapped lips."

What do I say?
The packaging first, is different to any balm/butter that I've ever used, I quite like this.

There is a lot of information to take in, so much so that Korres had to print on the inside of the box:

Ingredients:

The tub:

The first thing that struck me about the lip butter was the pigmentation in the pot, it was a really bright reddish colour which I didn't think would suit me at all.

The consistency is a bit hard to describe as well, it's like a shiny lipstick which has been melted and poured into the tub.  It's not as hard your typical balm/butter, it's quite soft so you pick quite a bit up.

I swatched some on my finger and it was just as bright.

I whacked it on my lips and it applied a bit sheerer than the initial swatch on my finger and the colour is quite wearable.

One of my pet peeves with lip balms is the fact that you can feel that you're wearing it.  You can't really feel that you have this on.

Another thing I liked was the fact that the colour was sheer but that there was still enough pigmentation in there to make my lips look better than their natural self.  After application, my lips were pretty smooth looking and they also looked glossy, I could use it as a lipgloss replacement.

It stays on for an age, I put it on in the morning and it is still there by the time my lunchbreak rolls around which is pretty impressive for a lip balm/butter.

It does everything that it claims to do and for me is a winner.

However, it's not without its faults.  The packaging is a bit decieving as a the tub is a fatter than it looks from the outside so you could get more product for your money if it was a bit thinner.  Also, despite being this thick, it still feels pretty lightweight which could be both a blessing and a curse.

Purchase?
I would buy this because I use it as a no fuss lip colour.  It stays on for ages and the colour works really well on my lips.  Plus, it's excellent at moisturising and keeping my lips nice and soft.  It costs £6 but I get quite a fair bit of usage out of the product.  If I used a lip brush then I'd get even more usage but that's a bit of extra fuss and the finger technique does me fine.

You can buy this here.

What's the point of nude eyeliner?!

When I was younger, I was always very conscious of having small, Ratfink eyes which I was forever trying to enhance.  Life isn't really made easier when you're told that Indian girls have big almond shaped eyes and you're sitting there with the smallest eyes known to man.

I remember reading somewhere that white eyeliner made your eyes look bigger so I went a bit mad (by my standards at the time) and bought two white eyeliners.  One was by No7 and one was by 17.  I applied these religiously to my eyes every single day..and every lunchtime at school when I realised that the pencil had worn off.

Did it make my eyes look any bigger? No.  Did it make me look like a fool? Yes.

Time went on, I grew up (despite views to the contrary) and realised my eyes weren't as small as I thought.

Then I joined Specktra and people were saying how a nude eyeliner did the same thing but was not as harsh on your eyes.

Luckily, this was just around the time that Stila had their warehouse sale on.  I nabbed the Stila Kajal Eyeliner in Topaz which is a nice nudey colour.

I used it a few times and wasn't really sure it was doing much.  The pencil itself is one of the creamiest I have ever used and I think part of the problem lies there, if it was a tiny bit uncreamy (?) I think application would be easier as at the moment, I'm finding it hard to line my waterline without getting some on my lashes.

Anywho, I've figured out the point of nude eyeliner..it not only makes your eyes looks bigger but it also serves as a great tool to make your eye area look tidier and to make you look more naturally awake.

I'm just wearing the pencil and my trusty Colossal mascara and I think my eyes look pretty decent:

I've decided that this is my "your eyes but better" look and now I know what to reach for when I'm running late for work.

Do any of you ladies use a nude eyeliner?  What are your failsafe eye makeup looks?