June Favourites

The end of the month is upon us, already! This month has gone by pretty fast and now we are mid way through the year (six months to Christmaaaas, just saying). I haven't really had an awful lot of products to try out this month, besides last week but I don't really think after a week I can consider something to take a place on one of these posts. Anyway, lets crack on!

First up we have Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo (£4.69). This is my go to shampoo, not quite a holy grail item, but close. I love the Aussie range anyway, this just so happens to be my favourite, its probably due to the scent of this as it is bubblegumtastic, its amazing. I came back to my love after using three to four different shampoos (L'Oreal Elvive, Herbal Essences, etc) over the course of the last few months and I totally forgot how much I adore this. It leaves my head feeling really clean and fresh, doesn't irritate my overly sensitive scalp and softens my hair better than other brands I've used.

Next we have HD Brows Blusher in Cosmo (£17). This is something I obtained through a Glossybox, believe it or not - they were good at one point! Now I'm not overly keen when it comes down to blusher as I just think I look silly as I'm so pale, however I really like this as its not cakey, it goes on lightly save me looking like a clown. Its a nice warmer shade of pink than some, and I know this is a little bit high end but for the dough you are paying, the quality really pays off.

The TRESemme Instant Refresh Dry Shampoo (£5.25 for a big can) is also something I am loving in June. This doesn't leave that nasty powdery texture to your roots like some other brands do, and the scent of this is awesome. I don't actually like the Tresemme shampoos and conditioners as they really make my scalp itchy and tight, but this is a whole other book. I definitely prefer it to my Batiste, however as its a couple of pounds more, I can definately see myself going back to the cheaper brands when you can get a biiiig can of Batiste (which will last me a couple of months) for two pounds or so less.

I have also been loving the Yves Rocher Sheer Botanical Lipstick (£9.90) in Marron Glace. Those who follow this blog will know I got this in my latest Birchbox, and I just really freaking love it so much. The colour, as much as I like it, isn't really season appropriate, but the formula of this is amazeballs. It feels almost like the Revlon Lipbutters as its super hydrating and smooth, yet it has the opacity and staying power of a lipstick. I really like this and advise you buy one before the price hikes up to £18. Not to mention the super hot packaging.

And last but not least, we have The Body Shop Peppermint Cooling Foot Spray (£6). I got this last Monday as a freebie as I'm a loyalty card holder, and oh my gosh, its a life saver. At work, I am on my feet for something like 8-9 hours and in closed in shoes, my feet swell and sweat like monsters in these summer months. This has become something I spray on my feet as soon as I get in, its just lovely and reviving. It also smells great, so minty and fresh, the cooling sensation on this is really nice and I feel like I have a new pair of feet after using this.

So that is this months favourites, all wrapped up. What have you guys been loving this June?

Emma x

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Bluewater Haul Part II: The Body Shop

As mentioned in the last post, I recently did a wee bit of shopping in a rather large shopping center. I obviously couldn't help but spend some pennies in the Body Shop, especially with their sale on at the moment (which may I add is even better online as at the time of this, you can grab an extra 40% non sale items!).

From the sale, I bought a duo of Blueberry Products. The Blueberry Body Butter and the Blueberry Scrub Gelee were both just £5 so naturally I bought both. I'm sure I don't need to bash on about the body butter as we all know I'm stark raving mad about it! The Scrub however, I have never tried before but it smells and looks like blueberry jam, it has a lush consistency as I have sensitive skin. Usually scrubs are just too bitty for my skin to cope with but this has really tiny little bits which makes me think its going to be gentle on my skin.

Whilst in store, I also bought the infamous Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder in the shade Light Matte (£13) as I need some colour on my vampyric skin at this time of year. I haven't tried this before, believe it or not, so I'm pretty excited to give this a whirl!

I also purchased these Shimmer Cubes in the shades 'Spring  Bronze' (£16). I already own these in the 'Blue/Grey' colours and I really love the consistency. They also give a lovely shimmer to your lids without looking to barbie doll. I also like adding a bit of water on these to transform them into a creamier texture. I highly recommend them!

I also got a cooling foot spray for nothing as a Love Your Body card member! Which was just what I needed after hauling all my shopping around for like four/five hours.

I love the Body Shop! They make some awesome products that over the years, I've grown to love. I especially love all their body butters and have recently got onto their cosmetic lines, but from what I've experienced, they're all super quality.

Emma x

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Bluewater Hall, Part I: Boots

So I went on a biiiig shopping trip recently to Bluewater (which is something like the 4th largest shopping center in the UK) and couldn't resist investing my money in some Boots goodies. ;)

First up I bought the shampoo and condition of the Garnier Ultimate Blends in the 'Silky Smoother' variety as the big bottles were only £1.94 each or something ridiculous! I previously recieved the Sleek Restorer version of this, one of my neighbours popped in through my postbox and although my hair isn't all that frizzy I saw a considerable change in my hairs texture, it was, as states, reaaaally smooth and silky. Was impressed so have high hopes for these guys!

It was also 2 for £14 on Bourjois cosmetics, which just so happen to be my current hot picks.

First up I picked up the Bourjois mega liner in black for £7.49 as I was in the market for a new one, still have yet to use this but from what I can make out its just a standard liquid pen eyeliner. Will report back with how well it endures and lasts for.

I've also fallen head over heals back in love with the Healthy Mix Serum Foundation but thought I would try out the Happy Light foundation in the shade Porcelain (£11.99). The consistency of this is nice, not as lush as my serum foundation, but hey, it ain't promising that. However, I love the dewy finish I get with this, it really makes my crappy dull skin look like its got some life in it. Its also a lovely light coverage (yipee) but manages to cover up my uneven red cheek problem.

Also, I thought I'd give the Bourjois Blush Exclusif (£7.99) a go as I've heard some interesting things about it. Basically its a really nice cream to powder formula which is supposed to change to a bespoke pink according to your skin. Have yet to try this baby out but no doubt I'll follow up as its a weird concept.

I bought a bit of a staple in my life too, Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover (£4.99) is the only thing I have enough patience with to remove my nail varnish. When the pure alcoholic smell wears off, it blooms to a lovely vanillary scent and really gets to work on the stubborn polish that won't come out of the corner of your nails. I love it.

Last but not least, I treated to myself to a Hi Shine gel Nail Paint by Barry M (£3.99). I chose the shade Blueberry which is a nice cornfloury blue colour.

Really enjoyed my little shopping trip, stay tuned for part II - The Body Shop!

Emma x

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Magnitone Pulsar Toning and Exfoliating brush

When I bought this brush back in March, I thought it was amazing. Naturally, I have really dry and patchy areas of skin on my face, so buying an 'exfoliating' product that was going to be gentle enough to use on my face was a genius idea. And three months down the line, I still like it, I don't use it very often recently as I've swapped out the cleansers I liked using with this for my beloved Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish (which defeats the polishing idea). It has four different settings, two for face, two for body, but I actually prefer the more powerful body modes for my face - its not that powerful. I do feel like this brush is missing some of its pizzazz. 

In the positives, I like how it has a cradle charger, I know other skincare systems don't have the greatest methods of charging but this is good. The brush section also has a little cap you can put on to save it collecting any dust (mine lives in a bathroom drawer). It does get rid of my dry, dead, flaking skin off of my face but I don't think it is giving me any extra radiance (as it promises on the large box it comes in). I used this constantly for a good two months and I didn't feel any change in the dullness of my skin, whereas I think the higher end of these would probably enforce some life into my face. It can also be used on the body, personally I've never tried it, never felt the need to but it comes with a different brush head. Its sad as I only like using this with super milky cleansers, I think it works best with a more liquidy consistency. 

Overall, I'm on the fence with this. I bought it when it was half price at £65 and if I had paid the full amount, I would've deffinately felt ripped off. I'd love to try the Formeo Luna as it looks really weird and interesting. If you're in the market for something like this I'd recommend either the Formeo Luna or the infamous Clarisonic as I can't help but think these are probably miles better.

You can try this for yourself here where at the time of this post it is a 1/3 off.

Emma x

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Maxfactor Excess Intensity Liner in #4

When I first bought this eyeliner back in late February, I was in love. It was, as the name states, intense and for someone with very watery eyes, longlasting. This comes as a twisty kohl liner so it has a nice creamy formula and used to glide along my waterline amazingly well. It's also a lovely solid black colour and can smudge out real nice. I took this on my holiday way back in late April, I wore this while I went swimming and other physical stuff, it definately stayed put and still very dramatic, pretty impressive.

Just recently, though, I have dished this out again after about a month of not using it and its completely the opposite. I still have about half of it left, it glides on my lash line but not as easily as before. Also, it really doesn't hold up anymore and seems to go a little patchy after a couple of hours... Its turned into something really inconsistent and lame. :( I'm not sure if its due to the change in weather we've had recently (even though my vanity is nowhere near any windows, in the dark corner of my room) so I'm not entirely sure what has changed with this.

Is it only me whose found this to happen? I'd love to know.

You can try these for yourself here.

Emma x

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Travalo Perfume Atomiser

This is such an innovative thing, these Travalo perfume atomizers are so easy to use and you can just chuck them in your bag without having to carry a weighty full size bottle.

You just literally pick a perfume (in this case I chose Daisy by Marc Jacobs - surprise, surprise)...

...Then you take the top off the bottle (the dispensery bit) and pop the little straw thing up, into the end where theres an opening, shove it in and just pump it up and down (I realise how dodgy this may come out) until full...

...And voila! A full and new cute vial of perfume to pop into your bag, so you can just top up during the day, lush. I've had my green one for just under a month and I've already topped it up, its just so genius. I really would like to add to my collection of these so I'm not just limited to the one fragrance but I'm sure I'll probably end up buying more of these babies in the future. For a few pennies more, you can purchase a little rollerball version which also work in the same way, I just love them.

You can buy these in all the colours under the sun, I personally bought mine from feelunique for £10.60 in green - my favourite colour.

Emma x

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bareMinerals Quick Change brush cleaner

When I was on FeelUnique recently, this came up on their brush page and I was instantly sold. This such a clever idea I can't get why other brands have yet to cotton on to it. Basically, you spray this onto some tissue until its quite wet and sweep your brush over the tissue until its clean, its almost like a dry shampoo for your brushes when you just can't muster up the energy to clean all your 101 brushes at once. This is especially awesome for your eyeshadow brushes as you can keep using the same one with different colours (unless your like me whereby your eyeshadow brush collection seems to be breeding). And the best part of this all is that it actually works, its not just a gimmick, its really effective. I've used this a couple of times on some of my eyeshadow brushes and also gave it a whirl on my beloved buffing brush and it just gets rid of all the build up providing a nice clean brush... mmmm... I think its love. Its a little on the pricey side, but thats not really a shocker as its a higher end brand but I definately think its worth your pennies!

I bought this here for £8.75 (:

Emma x

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Glossybox June '14

This months Glossybox installment is a huge improvement on last months shoddy junk. There was a decent range of items and I feel like they may be getting back on track.

This Teeez Trend Cosmetics Beautiful Flat Stiff Brush (19 euros) was my favourite product in this box. I love Teeez's packaging - its really fun yet edgy and I've already used this to apply my eyeshadow this morning and its lushiously soft. I don't think you can ever have too many eye shadow brushes and I am always happy to recieve brushes in my subscription boxes.

Secondly, I got this got2b (Schwarzkopf) Rise 'n' Shine Souffle (£4.07) which funnily enough I bought this when it launched back in late March. Anything that promises me a little volume instantly wins my pennies as I love big hair. This will be a nice back up as I do like this but it is not my favourite 'volume booster' I've used over the years.

Next up I got a little sample of Roger & Gallet's 'Fleur de Figuier' discovery ritual which has confusing price labels on my info card. This smells really nice but its in some ridiculously pointless sachets I'll get like one use out of... not sure how you can discover something with such tiny samples.

Here we have a 'So Susan' Concealer Quad (£20) which I'm not too excited about. The packaging first up looks nice but feels incredibly naff. The quality of the products inside are nice but I'm not sold on this being my kinda thing, I think I'd of rather recieved the blush they were promoting.

Last but not least we have a nailgirls '3-in-1 base/topcoat/nail strengthener which is just 5mls short of being full size (£13.50). Its bizarre I recieved this as it was just only the other day I was looking at the Sally Hansen base/topcoat but I must've had an incling or something as I didn't buy. The packet of this is pretty shoddy looking but it seems nice I haven't had the longevity to try its capabilities out yet but first impressions are telling me its a good one.

So overall, I feel like the folks at Glossybox have stepped up their game this month as I'm not completely undewhelmed, however Birchbox is still holding the crown as the best box at the moment.

Buy yours here for £10 plus P+P 

Emma x

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Birchbox June '14 - Global Strikers Edition

June's Birchbox is a babe. I'll tell you why, its awesome, not quite as good as the previous Harpers Bazaar edit but it was always going to be a hard act to follow. I think they've done a pretty good job.

First up and out of the box is this Silk + Honey Shea Butter hair mask (comes part of a set at £55) this looks cool, I'm always up for trying new stuff when it comes to hair care and the lemony fresh scent of this is gorgeous.

Next up is this pretty O.P.I. nail lacquer which is part of the Brazil collection (£14.50 for a mini set of four or £11.50 for a full size shade) I have no idea what the shade of this is called as its a bubby one with no name printed, the number on the bottom is 3288. This is already on my toes, its a lovely pale purple with a shimmer going through it, and O.P.I. won their place in my heart ages ago with their shade 'Cajun Shrimp' which I love. 

Thirdly, this Naobay Body Radiance Lotion (£14) pops out the bag. This has already been 'swatched' and this smells lovely and citrussy - a little in your face. It also melts into the skin quickly which is a huge factor for me when using body lotions.

Here we have a little sample of Embryolisse's Lait Creme Concentre (from £12.99) its basically a moisturiser which has double the use of a hydrating mask when layered up. The consistency of this seems good and I'm always looking for facial moisturisers as my skin can often get quite dry.

The last beauty item in this months box is a Yves Rocher Sheer Botanical Lipstick (Introductory price at £9.90) I recieved the shade Marron Glace. Being a lipstick junkie, I automatically pulled this out and started applying it onto my lips, the consistency of this is lushiously smooth and it smells nice too. Its really creamy and the application just feels so soft. The colour in the tube looks a little dark but as its so sheer it gives off a lovely berry toned hue. Also, the packaging is sleek and awesome! I am already in love.

Last but not least, we have a cute little 'lifestyle' extra in the form of this sweet Brazilian inspired flip flop keyring. I love birchbox's little extras as they're always so well thought out. This is already on my key ring. 

So as you can see, Junes Birchbox was quite a hit. Seeing as it included some O.P.I and a lipstick I would've been happy regardless what the other products were. Some people got beauty blenders and I'm a little jealous but not many have recieved the awesome lipstick. You win some, you lose some.

Buy yours at Birchbox (£10 + P&P)

Emma x 

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The Body Shop - Olive Body Butter

Thought I'd share with you guys my current love for this product. Its a fact that the Body Shop produce my favourite body lotions and the body butters are definately at the top of the pile. However, I've recently moved on to this one, the 'Olive' varient of their body butter has such an awesome summery scent. I've been using this as an after sun as I've been sunburnt over the last couple of weeks as I'm vampyrically pale and its just been a god send. I definately feel like this one is more than just an average moisturiser for your skin, I think the olive inside helps soften the skin more. Its not overly greasy unless you're heavy handed and slap it on, a little goes a long way with these. But yes this is what I'm currently leaning on to get me through dry, sore summertime skin.

It has a lovely thick consistency which makes it feel high quality when you're rubbing it onto your skin and \I just love the scent of this soooo much.

You can buy it from here, its currently on sale at a fiver so you definately cannot go wrong!

Emma x

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Real Techniques Duo Fiber Collection

I love the Real Techniques brushes so it will come as no surprise to you guys that I ended up buying these beautys. In this pack you get a face brush, contour brush and eye brush. These are of such high quality as they are super soft and give you a real airbrushed look. My favourite by far has to be the eye brush, purely because these give a little of the product off so it is great if you heavy handed like myself for light and dark eyeshadows. I have particularly been using this eye brush for my lighter shadows as I can often put too much on the brush and go in quite heavy handed so I don't look like I've smeared eye shadow all over my eye lids. The face brush is also fantastic, I love it for powders as it can make your application look flawless. 

They are just such lovely brushes, I've had them for just over a week now and I've definately used all three each day (which is a rareity when I buy these in the collections!). Some bloggers have argued that these will get better with age as they are too soft to blend, but I have not found this to be an issue as when using these. However, they have not replaced my beloved Face Basic Collection from Real Techniques, and almost certainly could never replace my beloved buffing brush which I love for applying my foundation. These also don't come with one of the Real Techniques cases which I adore for carting my brushes around which was a little dissapointing.

I bought my collection here for £23.99

Emma x

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bareMinerals 15th anniversary Mineral Veil Finishing Powder flip packaging

When I first saw this on the FeelUnique website, I just knew I had to have it. I am a sucker for innovative little gadgets like this. bareMinerals have bought this gorgeous item out for their fifteenth birthday and its so cute. Basically, it's a powder and a brush all wrapped up in one flippy case, saving you the precious bag space that a powder and brush takes up. Plus it is super convenient and a lot less messy than the usual method.

As you can see, it comes in this really sleek packaging and it just feels nice and glossy in the hand. Its a lot larger than I thought it was going to be and is definately worth the price I paid. As usual the actual product is fantastic, their mineral veil is definately up there with my favourite powders. It has a slight tint to it but nothing noticeable, and it has great lasting power. The quality of the brush that's included in this flip up packaging is also obviously high quality. I enjoy using the bareMinerals brushes anyway and they are soft and this dispenses the perfect amount of product. To activate it you just merely give it a gentle shake and product is dispensed. This has quickly become a handbag essential, especially for my work bag as it so long lasting I only have to touch it up once on my lunch break. If you like high end powders and innovative gadgets like myself it is definately something I would recommend.

I bought mine here for £19.35

Emma x

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Montagne Jeunesse Peel Off Face Masks

Just thought I'd write a quick post this evening on these lovely face masks. I purchase the general range of these masks regularly whether their the clay ones, peel offs, fabric etc as we sell these where I work. However, these I bought within my large feel unique order (pack of 6 = £5) and I've been loving them. When these are on my face they really feel like theyre making my skin firmer and cleansing it deeply, when they've been peeled off the freshness is still there but theres not a lot of difference in my skins appearance. Yet with the refreshing feeling I get from these masks is enough to warrant the cheap price tag and it feels like a treat. I know I can whack one of these bad boys on my face, wait fifteen minutes (and perform numerous tasks and not worry about goop falling of my face while I'm doing it) and peel off for a glorious fresh skin feel and for the usual rrp of a pound I can't see where you could go wrong. The smell of these is also amaze, out of all the ones here and others I've tried in the past my favourite is the lemon/ginger one as it gives off a zingy feel (not really surprising either as I am a lemon lover <3). So next time you're out shopping and you see one of these guys on the shelf, pick one up and give it a whirl as I really enjoy using these, they're a good bang for your buck!

Emma x

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Feel Unique Haul - bareminerals/Urban Decay/Travalo/+more

I recieved my yearly bonus a few weeks back and I couldn't help myself purchasing some luxury bits and pieces.

I bought a multipack of Montagne Jeunesse peel off face masks (£5) as I just love them, I don't really see a difference in my skin however they make my skin feel full of life and zesty so deffinately worth a buy.

I also purchased a regular Tangle Teezer (£10.20) as I am mega impressed with my compact one I bought for my handbag and actually started to use it in place of my Tangle Angel hairbrush which was a total let down.

Next up I bought the Real Techniques Duo Fibre (£23.99) and the Eye Starter Brush (£20.99) packs as I love my Face pack I bought and can honestly say I'm so inlove with the Buffing brush from that kit I use it everyday to apply my foundation.

To go with them I thought I'd treat my brushes as to some Bare Minerals quick change brush cleaner (£8.75). I've heard nothing but good reviews for this and think its a fab idea for eyeshadow brushes as you can just use the same brush over and over without the worry of mixing colours, etc.

Speaking of eye shadows, I finally caved and bought the Naked basics pallet from Urban Decay (£22). This is the first Urban Decay product that I've ever bought (weird, yeah I know) and I am stoked to use it and have fun playing with it. The packaging has already won me over as its super sleek and has a rubbery feeling case.

I also couldn't help but by the special edition Bare Minerals mineral veil powder in this innovative twisty brush case. This is perfect for my work bag as I hate carting around a regular powder brush and powder, its a super idea in my books. I love mineral veil as a powder anyway as it keeps me matte and has a transparency.

It was just too tempting not to buy the 'Get Started' kit in Light from Bare Minerals (£39.25) as well as I prefer mineral make up during the summer months as I don't feel so clogged up and its just a lovely light coverage. These little pots that are included last me a while so I thought it was a better deal buying it this way and plus you get some brushes and you can just never have too many brushes.

Last but not least I bought a new Travalo (£10.60) in Green - my favourite colour. I like these a lot as they are so clever. You pop the bottom of this on to the top of your perfume, pump away and then you can just pop it in your bag and head off. This is so much better than carrying a hefty glass bottle around in your bag all day, and a lot safer too.

So thats all I bought, quite a bit (doesn't seem it!) but as I had voucher codes I thought I'd make the most while the offers still on and I think I saved about £30 approx.

Emma x

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