Sunday 30 June 2013

Dior Hydra Life BB Eye Creme

BB creams have not been around long over here, Garnier were the first to release their version of a BB cream a few years ago and now pretty much every brand has released their own version. Although these BB creams are essentially glorified tinted moisturisers we can't seem to get enough of them.

Now Dior have released a BB eye cream with quite a few promises to live up to

"The 1st Dior BB Creme specifically designed to hydrate the eye contour, reduce puffiness and dark circles, and illuminate and protect the eye area"





























I would say the biggest con about this (apart from the price!) is the shade range. This only comes in 2 shades, which lets be honest is crap. I have shade 1 Luminous Beige, this is the lightest of the 2 and I would imagine if you are much paler than me this will be too dark for you.

So onto the pros, I really like that this has an SPF of 20 to give you added sun protection. I would give Dior a tick for their hydrating promise, it feels lovely and moisturising and it doesn't crease at all. As far as the other promises, I wouldn't say it decreased puffiness. My dark circles were reduced and I like the level of coverage it has. I think it looks quite natural, it definitely wont leave you with reverse panda eyes Kim K style.











Overall I do like it, I particularly love how it feels on my skin, but I wouldn't rush out and buy this. Wait for the drugstore brands to release their version of BB eye creams. The shade range will be more extensive and you will save some money! 

Monday 17 June 2013

Natural Beauty

We are all encouraged to read our food labels to see what we are really eating but do you ever read the ingredients on your beauty items? Once you do it can all get a bit worrying.

Liquid Paraffin, Petrolatum, Parabens, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, none of these are good for us but if you go and read the labels of your beauty products you will find these are the most common ingredients in all of them. Liquid Paraffin and Petrolatum are mineral oils. In a nutshell mineral oils are a by product of petrol (nice) its a really cheap ingredient, hence why its in everything! Mineral Oils create a barrier on your skin, so when you apply a product that's full of mineral oil like Vaseline it will feel really moisturising on your skin but in reality its completely useless as the barrier stops it penetrating your skin, so  only the surface of your skin that will feel like its moisturised. Over time you will find you need to apply more and more and none of it will do anything to improve the dryness of your skin. Its all a temporary measure, as my friend Chloe is always telling those Vaseline users out there. 

It would be pretty impossible to avoid these ingredients completely and in most beauty products the actual amount is very minimal and wont cause you any actual harm but still its not a nice thought. Which is why I have been trying to use more natural products. Natural products are becoming more and more easily available. They do tend to be more expensive but I do believe you get what you pay for.

So I thought I would share with you all a few of my favourite natural products and brands.

By far my favourite natural brand is Yes to, I am a teeny tiny bit obsessed.

Yes to has four different ranges;

Yes to Carrots  - All the products in the Carrots range are designed for dryer skin/hair that needs more hydration and nourishment.

Yes to Cucumbers - Designed for sensitive skin/hair that needs a bit more of a soothing, calming touch.

Yes to Blueberries - Blueberries focuses on ageing, so more suitable for mature skin.

Yes to Tomatoes - Tackles problem blemish prone skin, ideal for younger skin.

My favourite products are the shower gels (Carrots is my favourite), face moisturisers (I have tried every single one except Blueberries and still cant pick a favourite) and the Yes to Cucumbers Soothing Eye Gel which feels so nice and cooling on my puffy morning eyes.







There are a few other natural skin care brands and products I like. Korres is a Greek brand who use natural ingredients in their products. I have been using their Wild Rose 24 Hour Moisturising Brightening Cream and have been impressed at how hydrating it is.

Kiehls is an American brand that has been going since 1851, pretty impressive! Kiehls only use ingredients that are beneficial to the skin. I love their Midnight Recovery Concentrate which is an oil you apply to your face at night. I swear when I use this I wake up in the morning and my skin looks brighter. Its also made from 99.8% naturally derived ingredients.

Liz Earle is another great skincare brand who use naturally active ingredients. I love using Cleanse and Polish to remove my make up, and the Instant Boost Skin Tonic is a lovely hydrating toner. Only thing I would say, if you have particularly sensitive skin you may have to be careful as natural ingredients can irritate, so try and get a sample to test out first. Liz Earle are also a cruelty-free certified company.



For hair I really recommend checking out Tara Smith's haircare line which you can buy from good old Marks and Spencer's. Tara's products are natural and 100% vegan, plus to please your shallow side the packaging is amazing. I did a more in depth review of her Shine on Shampoo and Conditioner here

Now I am not a Lush fan, in fact I am a bit of a Lush hater but their Big Shampoo is amazing I will give them that. Its full of sea salt which makes your hair feel so clean and bouncy and ohmygod this stuff smells so bloody good. Now there is sodium lauryl sulfate in this which I understand Lush are phasing out, but all in all Lush are a good brand to support. Clearly defined ethics on animal testing and using vegetarian ingredients, maybe I shouldn't be so harsh on them. If only their shops didn't smell so awful I might be more tempted to spend more time in there!




























Back to Korres now, but this time I am talking about their Lip Butters. Trade in your Vaseline for one of these and you will not regret it. There are no hidden nasties in the ingredients list and instead hydrate your lips with natural oils, shea butter and rice wax. Even better these are tinted, a tinted lip balm is possibly my favourite thing in the whole entire world!

From left to right we have Jasmine, Pomegranate and Wild Rose.


My last natural category is hands and nails, Ive even included feet!

Its hard to beat L'Occitane's hand and foot creams. I am a hand cream hater and I have come to the conclusion its impossible to find a "non greasy" one but I like the L'Occitane ones and I don't find myself rubbing my hands on my leggings afterwards!

 Another great hand cream is the Balance Me Rose Otto Hand Cream which contains ingredients that are 98.8% natural origin. I also like how they make it clear on their packaging what their products don't contain, makes life a lot easier. If you haven't seen Balance Me products before you can find them in larger Waitrose stores (I do love Waitrose).

Burts Bee's are one of the more famous natural brands but this is the only product I have actually tried by them. I love the smell of their Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream, I like to warm a bit up in my hands first then massage onto my nails and cuticles to nourish them.

 And finally to prove that natural products are increasing in popularity I have managed to find a nail polish. Kure Bazaar's nail polishes contain up to 85% natural ingredients (wood pulp, wheat, cotton, potatoes and corn). Their colour range is impressive, I have the colour Or Rose which is a beautiful Rose Gold colour. Kure Bazaar is available online and in Selfridges.

So there is my round up of some of my favourite natural beauty products. I definitely want to incorporate more natural products into my beauty routine so if you have any suggestions I would love to hear them!



Sunday 16 June 2013

Sunday Face Of The Day Featuring Clinique CC Cream





























Ahh the Sunday face, minimal effort, if any effort at all! I love applying my makeup, so its rare for me to go without it but Sunday is the exception. I genuinely think time moves faster on a Sunday, one minute its 10am the next its 5pm and you are suddenly overcome with this dread at the thought of work tomorrow (I hope that's not just me!) So I tend to put less effort in my makeup, as I feel like I only end up wearing it for about 2 hours before its time for shower and bed!

Sunday seemed like the ideal day to test out the Clinique CC Cream. Now if you don't know, CC stands for Colour Correcting. CC creams are the new wave following BB creams. Like BB creams, CC creams are not a new concept, but its only now that they have launched over here.

Straight away I noticed the Clinique CC Cream is completely different to the Rachel K CC Cream I had previously tried. Clinique's version feels very much like a tinted moisturiser, it feels light and moisturising on the skin and I would recommend applying it with your fingers rather than a brush. In terms of 'colour correcting' I can't say I noticed any real difference, to me my skin looked the same as it does after applying any kind of base. But.....I do really like the coverage of this, it has more coverage than most BB creams Ive tried but still looks natural. I would feel comfortable wearing this instead of foundation to work. The other plus, it contains SPF 30 which is going to provide you with some real protection. So all in all I am impressed, I like how it feels on my skin, it has a nice level of coverage and a high SPF. I prefer it to a lot of the tinted moisturisers Ive tried as its not greasy, I didn't even need to powder but I noticed no real difference in terms of colour correcting.
One final point on the Clinique CC Cream, if you are thinking of trying this make sure you look at the shade range in store as they seem to come up quite dark.



By the end of the week, the dark circles under my eyes make me look more and more like Uncle Fester's sister so they do need a bit of attention! I got a sample of the Bobbi Brown Corrector and Creamy Concealer and all I can say is wow! The corrector is seriously good stuff, you can really see a difference if you apply it to one eye and then compare. I have been cherishing this little sample and I think I will have to make a purchase!

I awoke to a rather unpleasant blemish (blemish sounds so much nicer don't you think) so I dug out my industrial strength concealer, Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage. This is one of my life savers!

I'm still trying to use up my never ending Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer and for blush I used MAC's Peaches. I love this blush, I should wear it more often!











For eyes, I kept it really simple and just used a fluffy blending brush to run my bronzer through my crease. This is one of my little secrets which I love doing as it defines your eyes and warms up your face. It looks really natural and if you have blue eyes, the orangey tones in the bronzer will make them stand out.

I used Maybelline's The Rocket Volum' mascara, which is really good. My views haven't changed since I first reviewed it here and I would highly recommend it. I have it in the waterproof version and as I do 90% of my crying post 4pm on a Sunday I figured waterproof was the way forward.

I have been using the Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil and it's impressed me, I cant say I love it more than my beloved Lingering yet but we will see. My secret brow weapon is the Illamasqua Brow and Lash gel, this keeps your brows looking natural as it defines each individual hair.

And I almost forgot, I used my other secret, Givenchy Magic Lip and Cheek balm. Seriously the best lip balm EVER. I still cant believe Givenchy replaced Liv Tyler with Amanda Seyfried though, really not happy about that!





Tuesday 11 June 2013

Bobbi Brown Almost Bare Perfume

We are officially in British Summer Time now did you know. Side note I find it really irritating when everyone moans about our summer weather......we are not a hot country, its pretty much the same every year, but every year this seems to come as a surprise to everyone. Summer holidays are fun, but working in the Summer is not fun, to be honest I don't really like working in the other 4 seasons either.

One thing I do like about Summer is changing my make up and perfume. Everything is lighter, I love freckles so if I get a tan and a freckly nose I don't want to cover it up with a heavy foundation. Same for my perfume, the perfumes I love in Winter repulse me in Summer and I like something a lot lighter.

Bobbi Brown's Almost Bare is a perfect summer scent. The name couldn't be more fitting, you know those days when you don't want to wear perfume at all. Just the thought of it gives you a headache but the thought of your natural odour all day is equally unappealing. Well this would be the perfect scent for those days.

I prefer more masculine scents and what I like about Almost Bare is that although its a feminine, fresh floral scent. It has a warmth to it which stops it smelling girly and artificial. The warmth comes from soft cedar and warm amber, warmer tones smell really good on the skin. Imagine Alcide from True Blood giving you a massive bear hug, that's what this smells like to me! (If you dont watch True Blood, stop, open up a new tab, google "Alcide True Blood" then thank me later).

Another thing I really recommend you doing is looking up your favourite perfumes and comparing the notes. Its really interesting and I bet you will find the same notes keep popping up.

For me, amber and vanilla are 2 of my favourite notes, so I always look out for these when buying a perfume. Once you know what notes appeal to you, you will be able to pick what perfumes you like just by reading the description. There are a lot of perfumes I wont even smell because once Ive seen the notes I know its not for me. This makes buying a perfume so much easier, I think we've all been there in duty free....sprayed at least 20 testers, have completely lost track of what scent goes with what perfume, have an awful headache and never want to wear perfume again! Knowing your notes makes it a lot easier!

The only downside with these lighter, summer scents is the lasting power, but Almost Bare is a perfume not an eau de toilette (EDT) so has a longer lasting power. (EDT's are cheaper but don't last as long on the skin, perfumes are more expensive but last a longer than an EDT does)

You can pick this up from anywhere that stocks Bobbi Brown for £48.00


Monday 10 June 2013

Flushed

I was going to title this post Red Cheeks but then I imagined an unsavoury man, sitting in his well worn armchair stumbling across this post on a late night googling session and I changed my mind.

Anyway

Its no secret that I love red lips, I pretty much wear some form of sheer red lip everyday and I did a post on my favourites here but I am also a bit obsessed with red blusher.

I think red blusher looks beautiful, I love the flush of colour on the cheeks and it fits the whole English Rose look perfectly.
Now you have be careful when applying these, or you will end up looking like Prince Harry. You will need a decent makeup brush, not a horrible scratchy one! I have forced my mum to throw away her blusher brush before, to be fair it did have about 3 bristles left. You don't want a dense brush for this, as you only want a light application of colour. Something like the Real Techniques Duo Fiber Brushes would be perfect and don't be heavy handed with your application. You will literally need to dip your brush in the pan once and that's enough, I recommend dusting your brush on the back of your hand first to remove any excess. Finally if you do end up looking more Prince Harry than Kate Winslet don't panic, get your foundation brush and blend it over the blusher, this will tone it down.

NYX's Red Cheeks is the brightest of all the blushers, its also a cream formula so I would recommend applying this with a stippling brush. NYX is an American brand but they now have a UK website where you can buy their products. The pigmentation is amazing and for me they match MAC in terms of quality, the best thing about NYX is the price. I think this blusher is an absolute bargain for £5.50 and I can guarantee you that you will not find any other high street beauty brands with a blusher this bright.

My MAC Frankly Scarlet blusher was one of the first blushes I de-potted and as you can see by the giant hole in the middle of it, it went well. Frankly Scarlet started my red blush obsession, it really is beautiful.

Another NYX blush but this time in powder form. This blush is actually called "Red" but I find this leans a little more pink than red. I have been wearing this a lot lately, its not as bright so I can slap it on a bit more haphazardly in the morning.


Becca's Beach Tint in Watermelon is a multi purpose product which can be used on the cheeks and the lips. This cream colour can be blended out for a much more subtle look if desired. Word of warning, if you do put this on your lips you will need a lip balm as I find it to be quite drying on the lips.

And last but by no means least another multi purpose product, Stila's Convertible Colour in Poppy. Out of the three cream blushers this one is my favourite. Its a slightly darker red than the other shades and I love applying this as a stain on my lips. Its not as drying as the Becca Beach Tint and lasts all day.

I hope I have encouraged you to try out a brighter blush, I am a bit of a blusher fanatic and I don't think enough people wear it!


Sunday 9 June 2013

Shiseido Sun Protection Liquid Foundation - A Sweaty Commuters Life Saver




























Every now and then I wish I had some form of fringe again. Fringe's hide a multitude of sins and if you get a bit sweaty you can wipe your brow safe in the knowledge your fringe has got your back. Without a fringe however don't even think to wipe your sweaty head, unless you want everyone to wonder why you are only wearing foundation up to your eyebrows.

That's where this bad boy comes along, Shiseido's Sun Protection Liquid Foundation SPF 30. The bottle states its "Very Water Resistant" and that I can vouch for. Now it wont stop you sweating, but this foundation will stay on your face and wont sweat or wipe off.






It also has an SPF of 30 which is going to give you a really good level of sun protection. I think the best thing about this foundation though is that its so light and thin in consistency. You might think a foundation that is water resistant would be really thick and cakey, but this is the complete opposite. Its very runny and you have to shake it up before you use it, the consistency is very similar to MAC's Face and Body Foundation. This offers a light to medium coverage and as its so light, it looks very natural on the skin.

It would be a great foundation to take on holiday due to the high SPF and budge proofness but I think its also really great if you are a commuter and have to get a packed sweaty train or tube in Summer. You don't want to get to work and realise half your make up has disappeared! I don't wear this foundation in the Winter months at all but as soon as we hit Summer I slap it on because I know I can rely on it.

For reference I wear this in the shade SP50 and in a MAC foundation I'm around a NW20/25 sometimes 30. This is definitely a high end foundation, it costs £28.00 but I would definitely say its worth the money, I purchased mine from Feel Unique.


Thursday 6 June 2013

Face Of The Day With Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara

I was so excited when Maybelline finally released their Mega Plush mascara in the UK, but the excitement soon faded. I love Maybelline mascaras, I think they are the best drugstore brand for consistently releasing new, exciting versions. I was hoping Mega Plush would be like my beloved
Full 'N Soft which is not available in the UK but you can track it down on eBay. Mega Plush promises a similar effect to Full 'N Soft, full but natural looking lashes which feel soft and not crispy. Unlike
Full 'N Soft there is not a waterproof version of Mega Plush. I imagine this is because of the formula and this is my main bug bear. Mega Plush lasts about 3 hours on me before smudging, which lets be honest is crap. I like how it looks, but I just cant wear it as it disappears on me! If you don't normally have a problem with mascara smudging and you like a more natural look I would definitely recommend tracking down Full 'N Soft over this.


















On the rest of my face we have:

Lancome Teint Miracle Foundation: I have used this mascara consistently over the past few months and have now finally finished it. This is a medium coverage foundation, which leaves a beautiful glowy finish on the skin.

MAC Prep & Prime Highlighter in Light Boost: A great yellow toned under eye concealer, which does not crease on me at all.

Laura Mercier Mineral Powder: I like to use this as a setting powder rather than a foundation. Its pretty much a staple for me and I don't think it has ever not been included in one of my Face of the Day posts.

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer: I am still trying to use this bronzer up, still! I swear the thing is never ending! I really, really want to try the Jouer bronzer but I just cant do it until I've used this thing up! I really have been slapping it on in a desperate bid ;)

NYX Cream Blush in Red Cheeks: I have really loved the blushes I got in my little NYX haul earlier this year. I love red blushes, I love cream blushes, whats not to love!

NARS Pro Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base: My favourite eyeshadow primer, highly recommend.

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette: I only recently got this little palette and I really need to play around with it a bit more. If you are an eyeshadow newby this would be a great place to start.

MAC Eyebrow pencil in Lingering: My most favourite and best eyebrow pencil! I have just bought the Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil and I'm keen to see how they compare.

Illamasqua Brow and Lash Gel: I love this brow gel for making my eyebrows look natural, it really defines each individual hair so you don't get that awful felt pen brow look!

Burberry Rosy Red Lip Mist: Burberry's Lip Mist's offer a sheer swipe of colour and you all know I love a sheer red lip. Rosy Red is one of my favourites.





Monday 3 June 2013

Illamasqua Cameo Nail Polish





























I have a weakness for blue nail polish, particularly blues of the cornflower/periwinkle variety and Illamasqua's Cameo is my newest addition.

The pictures really don't do this colour justice, its much brighter in real life with a slight purple tone that doesn't show up on camera. It reminds me of a brighter Barry M Blueberry, if Blueberry got hardcore!

As with all Illamasqua nail polishes the formula is amazing, opaque in 2 coats and very long lasting

 I believe this is an online exclusive, or so the very nice lady at Illamasqua told me. I ordered mine direct from Illamasqua for £14.50


Sunday 2 June 2013

May Favourites


I didn't do a monthly favourites for April, I just didn't feel like there were any products I was really loving but there were a few little gems in May that I thought I would share.

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer - Radiance: I bought this primer a while back and hadn't really shown it much love. Now we are in the Summer months I have been using it every day in conjunction with my Urban Decay De Slick Makeup Setting Spray, which is another favourite! I find these 2 products combined make my make up last a whole working day, which is exactly what I need! I have this primer in the 'travel size'. If you wanted to try it, I really would recommend getting the travel size. You will save yourself quite a bit of money and there's 30ml of product in this little guy which is the same amount as a foundation, so will still last you ages. The travel size costs £18.50 for 30ml compared to £28.00 for 50ml.

MAC Bite Of An Apple Blush: Ahh the Venomous Villains collection was by far my favourite ever MAC collection. I remember the excitement and the anticipation as if it were yesterday. MAC please do another Disney collection! Bite of an Apple was another product I had left neglected but it really is a beautiful blush. I think the colour looks like a very natural red toned flush on my cheeks which I love and as its slightly more coral toned, its great for Summer. If this gets re-released in another collection I would really recommend picking it up, or if you have if in your collection I encourage you to dig it out!

Benefit They're Real Mascara: This was a brand new product to me which I fell unexpectedly in love with. When this mascara first came out I had zero interest in trying it but now I wonder what took me so long. This lengthens my lashes and makes them very defined, I wouldn't say it was particularly volumising but I love the effect it gives. Only thing I would say is that you need to spend a bit of time with it, do one coat, then back with another, but slowly! You cant rush these things ;)

MAC Cream Colour Base in Hush: I love MAC's Cream Colour Bases for highlight, without a doubt my favourite cream highlight. I have already gone through 2 pots of the stuff but in different shades, Shell and Pearl. When I used up Pearl I decided to try a different shade and went for Hush. Hush is peachy toned, whereas Peal is much more white and opalescent. I think I prefer Hush as its slightly more natural looking on my skin tone. Hush and Impropper Copper when you have a tan look amazing and they don't get talked about enough compared to Pearl!

Givenchy Hydra Sparkling Magic Lip and Cheek Balm: Without a doubt, my favourite ever lip balm. I mentioned it in my essentials post and it was also featured in my top 12 of 2012. I cannot be seen without some form of colour on my lips, which is why I love tinted lip balms. I particularly love these as they feel really moisturising and the colour is beautiful, plus I love the stain it leaves on my lips.

Rimmel 60 Seconds Nail Polish in Rose Libertine: I have loved this colour this month. My friend originally bought this and send me a picture saying it was really good, then I saw it on her in person and it was a done deal. A couple of days later I saw the lovely Essie Button mention it, which I thought was a kind of cool coincidence. This is probably the most feminine colour you will see me wearing. Its really flattering and lasted almost a week on me with no chips. Brilliant!























Urban Decay De Slick Makeup Setting Spray: I really do love this setting spray, it really works. Spray it before and after your make up and you are good to go!

Clarins Gentle Exfoliator: I have been really enjoying reading Caroline Hiron's skin care blog lately and wanted to pick up a few of her highly recommended products. I have to say everything I got, I love including this toner. This is similar to Alpha H Liquid Gold but much more gentle and I have been using it every day. I really noticed a difference in my skin, it does seem brighter and clearer but I'm having to try and ration it as I seem to be getting through it ridiculously quick!

Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel: This is my second tube of this stuff and its by far my favourite discovery in a long time. I use this at night, all over my face to remove my makeup and rinse with a muslin cloth. This feels so nice on my skin, I much, much prefer it to the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm and I find its far better at removing mascara than the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. I hope I'm not developing a Clarins addiction!

Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Eye Gel: If you read my blog you will know I am a huge fan of the Yes To range, I love that their products are all natural. This eye cream is friggin amazing. First of all its a gel, which I love. I much prefer eye gels to creams as they feel so much more refreshing. This instantly feels cooling when I put it on my eyes, I keep thinking I should try putting it in the fridge for an extra cooling effect. I also love the packaging, its really convenient, you can see exactly how much you have left and there wont be any waste. I haven't tried anything in the Yes To range that I've been disappointed with yet.

Hydraluron: This was my other Caroline Hiron's influenced purchase. I'll leave it to her to explain it properly, but basically you put this on your face underneath your moisturiser and its designed to help your skin absorb more moisture. Since using this and the Clarins toner I honestly have noticed a difference with my skin. It feels softer and almost looks plumper, but in a healthy way! Again I am getting a bit concerned at how quickly I'm using this up though! I need a lesson on rationing!

I love reading and watching monthly favourites posts, so leave me a link to yours!

Saturday 1 June 2013

A little trip to Selfridges





























I got some exciting new beauty bits last month and with my Internet back in action I can finally share them with you.

I headed off to Selfridges with a plan. I had used up my bottle of Maison Martin Margiela's Funfair Evening and wanted to try another scent from his Replica range, which is exclusive to Selfridges. Hence the trip! I picked up Beach Walk and just in case you missed it, I did a post about it yesterday

I finally managed to find the beauty emporium in Selfridges and couldn't resist making a few extra purchases! I have really been enjoying my Stila Convertible Colour's lately and there was one more on my wish list, Fuschia. This is a lovely pink colour, its not as bright as I expected but it really brightens up my face when I wear it, a very pretty, feminine colour.

Another brand exclusive to Selfridges is Kure Bazaar. Kure Bazaar's nail polishes are made from 85% natural ingredients and I was immediately drawn to this colour, Or Rose. I love this rose gold colour, for comparison its a little lighter than Orly's Rage.



 Bumble and Bumble's Surf Spray is a cult beauty item which I have wanted to try for years. In fact I don't know why its taken me this long to try it! I didn't want to splash out on the big bottle, so when I saw this mini bottle in Boots for £10 I snapped it up! Sadly I have been left unimpressed by Surf Spray.  The concept is simple, a sea salt spray to give your hair a natural beachy, textured wave. I find Surf Spray doesn't give my hair much wave at all. It leaves my hair feeling weighed down and is horrible to touch. Now I could deal with that, if it gave me Jennifer Aniston hair, but it doesn't...it just makes my hair look like it needs a wash :( Glad I only picked up the mini bottle!

From one disappointing item to another surprisingly good item. Last months Elle magazine came with a free mini tube of Benefit's They're Real Mascara. Now I don't normally jump on the magazine freebie band wagon but this seemed like a pretty good deal and I was intrigued to try the mascara. Plus Miley Cyrus was on the cover of Elle and I have already confessed my love for Miley here
Anyway, I used up every drop of that mini tube and fell in love with this mascara. It gives me defined, long lashes and I love the torture ball end for winging out my outer corner lashes. Also I usually always have to buy waterproof mascara's but They're Real doesn't budge on me, so an extra thumbs up for that!

My weak moment, Urban Decay's Naked Basics Palette. I really didn't need this, yet I bought it! I felt the need to complete my Naked palette collection and convinced myself I needed this! Now if you aren't a beauty hoarder like myself this would be a great item to own but I am a make up hoarder and need another eyeshadow palette like I need a hole in the end! These eyeshadows are all buttery soft and of really good quality, I just wish the colours were a little warmer. I do love a warm brown ;) I'm hoping to play around with this a bit more and Ill make sure I do a face of the day with it soon.

Annnnd finally my eBay Nail polish obsession has died down but every now and then I do get sucked back in and I really do love blue nail polish! Welcome OPI's Suzi Says Feng Shui.