June Favourites 2014

So, I'm currently propped up in bed ill, with not enough energy to really allow me to do much more than watch Netflix and browse Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com/lampysplace/ if you're interested in beauty, home decor and recipes). At least Lolly the Grumpy Kitty is enjoying having some company.

I've been a bit naughty lately and treated myself to new products from some of the limited edition MAC collections as well as a Hugo Boss Deep Red perfume, however, I'm trying not to feel too guilty because they have all become instant favourites, alongside several golden oldies that I have been loving lately.

I've mentioned the Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid foundation (review *here*) many times before and it is a foundation that I still keep returning too when I want a nice even coverage that looks natural yet hides a multitude of sins. I went back to using this lately after the madness I had with the Seventeen Miracle Matte Foundation (review *here*) and have fallen right back in love with it.
The first of my little MAC purchases was from the Disney Maleficent collection in the form of the sculpting powder in shade Sculpt which is a tan matte powder perfect for contouring along cheek bones for a defined look. Whilst it is now out of stock, the closest MAC bronzer I can find is *here*.
Its unfortunate but just an accepted fact that I sometimes have trouble with spot prone skin. I don't know why because I eat healthily, take care of my face and don't have excessively oily skin but I guess it's just one of those things. Nothing works as well for me as the Clinique Anti Blemish Solutions Spot Treatment Gel (review *here*)which has been getting a lot of use during the last month as my skin grumps about the hot weather.
When the weather is warm I tend to avoid too much eye makeup because I find that it tend to smudge a little and just end up looking less pristine than I would like. This summer, instead, I have been sweeping on a couple of coats of the Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara* (review *here*) which never fails to impress me with its results. It coats and lifts eyelashes instantly mking them look fuller and longer and the result lasts all day without smudging or clumping. Its a firm favourite.
My other naughty MAC purchase was the Mineralise Skinfinish Duo in Jolly Good (review in the next couple of days) from the Kelly Osbourne collection which is still in stock in a lot of stores so you can grab it if you're quick! This soft bronze powder is perfect for fair skinned girls like me who want to add a touch of warmth but nothing too dark. I either use it lightly all over for a glowing look or pair with the Maleficent powder to contour my cheek bones.
Finally, a perfume that I wanted for a long long time and finally bought myself a few weeks ago. Deep Red is a really warm, yet soft and sensual smell which is womanly without being overly sweet. Right now I can't get enough of it!

What have been your favourites recently? Have you tried any of these products? What were your thoughts?

Annie xx

Seventeen Miracle Matte Foundation Review

Without a doubt, Seventeen is my favourite drugstore cosmetics brand. The quality of product for the price you pay is unbeatable in my mind. So, with that in mind, if I am looking for a new product and don't have too much to spend, the Seventeen stand is always my first stop off. In the past, I have never tried anything from the brand that I haven't been really impressed with... That was until I picked up a bottle of the Miracle Matte Foundation.

I picked this product up having tried and loved the Miracle Matte Pressed Powder (which I have actually repurchased several times now) thinking that for £5.99 I had little to lose, especially when I have had such positive thoughts about everything else. But if I am going to be completely honest, I actually hate this foundation.
Hate is a strong word and I'm not one to throw it about often but I can find virtually nothing positive about this foundation.
Let's start with the shades; there are very few. Now, I know that I am relatively fair skinned but having bought this in Natural which is the lightest shade available, there is no way anyone lighter than a MAC NC25 would be able to subtly wear this in my opinion, it is just too dark. Then there is the coverage, which goes on rather strangely to begin with, needing a lot of blending with both fingers and a brush to get it even and stop it going sticky(?!?) And then finally there is how the foundation wears... Even if by some miracle you find a shade that works for you and manage to get it to apply evenly, after several hours you will still find that the product has oxidised making it go orange and also somehow work its way into streaky lines so you resemble a somewhat suntanned zebra, which isn't a look many people find overly attractive.

I feel bad that I can't find anything good to say, so I will add that I like the packaging, which reminds me quite a bit of something you would expect from Benefit, but packaging doesn't make a product good so really that counts for very little.

Have you tried this product before, or any other Seventeen foundations? What were your thoughts?

Annie xx

Lush "Granny Takes a Dip" Bath Bomb Review

This post was meant to go live on Friday but after a technology 'mare and time slipping away, here we are on Tuesday, oops!
Bath ballistics are the one product that really define Lush as a company, when you think of one, you think of the other. Personally, they have never been one of my favourites types of product sold in the store, however, there is no denying that they are a unique, exciting product that sets Lush apart from other more mainstream brands.

Granny Takes a Dip is one of the most recent offerings to be released. An amazingly bright tie-die effect bath bomb that is scented with ginger, pepper and lemon, Granny Takes a Dip is an wonderfully uplifting choice for summer. The blend of oils is designed to be perfect for lifting your mood, and giving your muscles that warm, relaxed feeling, without putting you to sleep and I found that the slight spicy kick took the edge off any over sweetness there my have otherwise been.

It swirled around the water, fizzing away fairly slowly, leaving a beautiful rainbow trail of colours in its wake, and due to the addition of a little cream of tartar, also left soft, foamy bubbles as it melted away. If you enjoy long lasting bath bombs that take their time to fizzle out then this is a good choice, and I think children would also enjoy the theatre of it. Because there was a fairly high concentration of pink colouring in this bath bomb I did expect a bit of staining on the bath but was happy to find that there was none at all.

In summation, I would say that Granny Takes a Dip has probably been one of my favourite bath bombs, and at £3.25 it is definitely one I would pick up again as a treat. It isn't on par with the likes of Dragons Egg per say in terms of the spectacle side of things, but in my opinion, it definitely smells better!

What do you think of Granny Takes a Dip. Have you tried it yet? Which is your current favourite bath bomb from Lush?

Annie xx

Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Volume Mascara

One of my top beauty items has to be mascara, even if I don't use anything else I will always apply a coat of volumising mascara. It  shapes, makes eyes look bigger and really gives a lift that makes me look awake even if I don't feel it!

Recently, I was lucky enough to be offered the chance to trial the latest offering from Bourjois, the Volume 1 Seconde Mascara(*) which has been designed to coat lashes from all angles with a specially formulated mascara that with just one coat gives exceptional volume and length.

I'm not usually the sort to be sold on mascaras that promise amazing things because,  in my experience, they just don't deliver the results, but I have actually been pleasantly surprised by this one. It does everything that it claims and also holds the impressive results all day. I have also had no trouble with finding smears of mascara under my eyes after a couple of hours of wear which is something that I am all too used to!
Removal is also not a chore. I soak a cotton pad in micellar water and gently wipe it away really easily, despite holding in place for hours. Definitely appreciated since no one likes panda eyes in the morning :)

Over all I really rate this mascara and am likely to repurchase in the future. Currently in Boots you can pick up a tube at the introductory price of £7.99 but usually it will cost £9.99 which I would say is more than worth it.

Annie xx

Aromatherapy Associates Hydrating Rose Skin Tonic

This week has been crazy! Between working 9-5 and spending every evening at the theatre performing, there has been zero free time to blog.
However, it has provided the perfect opportunity to really enjoy the refreshing beauty that is the Aromatherapy Associates Rose Skin Tonic(*). At the end of such a busy day it feels amazing to come home and take off my stage make-up using this product.

Made my distilling thousands of fragrant Bulgarian rose petals, the skin tonic is both soothing and nourishing at the same time. Acting as a mild astringent, it is designed to be used after cleansing the skin to tone the pores leaving them refined and lightly moisturised.
I have been using several pumps of this on a cotton pad every morning and evening after using my Nuxe Rose Micellar Water and the combination really leave my skin feeling beautiful.
Just a little of the Hydrating Rose Skin Tonic(*) removes any last traces of make-up, cools my skin and helps to reduce any redness. I've also found that my skin has been drinking up less moisturiser after using this so I believe it really is helping to provide my skin with some much needed moisture,

The design of the bottle makes the product very easy to use. There is a simple pump on the top of the bottle, much like that on a liquid soap bottle which allows you to dispense as much or little of the water as you like onto a cotton pad. I usually use three pumps for my whole face so really not much. After using this twice a day for several weeks now, there is still very little gone from the 200ml bottle.

I'll be honest, at £25 for a 200ml bottle, this product is not cheap. But as with all Aromatherapy Associates products, it is beautiful, and I really have felt and seen a difference in my skin. It looks brighter, feels softer and generally healthier, so whilst I wouldn't have spent so much on a skin tonic before, I wouldn't hesitate in replacing it.

What do you think, would you purchase a bottle of Hydrating Rose Skin Tonic?
Annie xx

The Ultrabond Challenge- The Review

As mentioned in my lastpost, over the bank holiday weekend I was taking part in the Ultrabond challenge which was put together to test the staying power of new Ultrabond lash adhesive* and the quality of Nouveau lashes*.

Ultrabond prides itself on being different to other lash glues; it is latex free and incredibly gentle on the skin making it suitable for almost everyone. To adhere thelashes I found that I needed barely any of the Ultrabond glue and once it had dried the lashes were set firmly in place and stayed there with no movement or excess gumminess.

This photo is the final selfie I took for the instagram part of the challenge and shows just before removing the lashes.i was so impressed with how well they held. The only times I felt a little less positive wasafter showering. I found that the warmth and humidity made the glue a little melty (I can't decide whether that's the right word) but as soon as my skin was dry again it toughened back up. Also, I don't think showering is exactly am occasion calling for false lashes usually!

I have to say that over all I was incredibly impressed with the results of the Ultrabond glue. As someone who loves falsies but finds them a bit of a chore with all the usual maintenance and resticking, this was like a breath of fresh air. I wasn't constantly worrying about the lashes coming off and I didn't feel like my eyes were all gummed up from too much glue. I am going to ssy that I think I will actually be wearing falsies a lot more now that I have a glue that makes them so simple to use so I'm glad I took part.
You can grab a tube *here* for £12.95 :)

Annie xx

The Ultrabond Challenge with Nouveau Lashes

Happy Bank Holiday weekend!
Recently I was approached and asked if I would like to take part in the #ultrabondchallenge which is taking place this weekend and features the range of beautiful false lashes from brand Nouveau Lashes* and an exciting new lash adhesive from Ultrabond* which promises longer wear, is latex free which means no nasty smell and also much less chance of skin irritation.

The #ultrabondchallenge tests the quality of the lashes and also whether the Ultrabond adhesive lives up to its claims of longevity. On Friday evening I was to apply the lashes as usual, using the Ultrabond glue but rather than remove them at the end of the evening they get left on for the entire weekend.

So far I must say I'm impressed. I never leave lashes on over night, partly because after a few hours they're falling off but after probably nearly 24 hours now they're still going strong.
I also don't feel like my real lashes are all clogged with glue because I needed hardly any to make the falsies stick.

So far so good so hopefully I'll continue being impressed. Final thoughts to come after the trial ends :)

Annie xx