Elemental Herbology Cleanser Review

I was recently sent a variety of samples from the brand Elemental Herbology and thought I'd share my findings.

I have been looking for the perfect cleanser ever since my Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser ran out, and I have been trying allsorts of products to get the same effect.

The first product I tried was a sample of the Purity and Sooth Facial Cleansing Balm. (RRP £28.00)

Now the thing I love about these products is that they are safe to use on your eyes, I can't stand it when cleansers need to be kept off the eye when I need to remove my eye makeup with them so that was an immediate bonus for me with both of these cleansers. When I tried this I wasn't too keen on the smell or the texture. It was kind of waxy like I was smearing some sort of hair wax on my face. My mind soon changed when I rinsed it off and all of my makeup had been removed and my face was left feeling so soft I had to keep touching it. My face was smooth all day, the only offputting thing with this product was the smell.

The second product I tried was the Elemental Herbology Cool and Clear cleanser (RRP £28.00 also)

This was my favourite out of the two cleansers and it had a much more pleasant smell to it of strong lavender. The texture of this product was more oily than the other cleanser and also managed to remove all of my makeup. As this product is also anti-bacterial its perfect for those days where my skin isn't looking its best or if I have a few blemishes.

Overall these 2 products that I tried were very good and comparable to other high end cleansers I have used in the past and definitely something I would consider purchasing in the future.

Benefit Eyebrow Review

So me and my friend Kelly went and got our eyebrows done at a benefit eyebrow counter recently and both came away unimpressed.

I had heard really good things about benefit brows, and have seen my friend Kim have hers done and they looked really good.

I was advised (and saw in person when my other friend got them done) that the consultant maps your eyebrows out, tells you where to grow them, where to avoid plucking and marks them out to perfectly match your face. None of this happened.

She also seemed to wipe off half of my eye make-up and eyeliner in the process and left me with smudged patchy makeup which I didn't think was very professional.

The lady also commented on our upper lip hair (which I didn’t even think was present) and then both made us feel very self conscious and my friend was then pressured to have that waxed too even though she didn’t need it.

After the whole process of tinting and waxing our eyebrows, we both agreed that they didn’t look any different. We also usually fill them in with HD Brow kit, but the lady didn’t fill ours in so I personally felt like they looked bare and patchy. I have seen other people get theirs filled in with the brow zings, but she didn’t even mention this to either of us.

At the end of both of our sessions, she also went to book in the next appointment, booked Kelly in but completely ignored me and sent us on our way.

At £18, I feel that it wasn’t really worth it. My eyebrows were already a good shape so I don’t think I fully ‘benefited’ from the experience. Now they are neat at least I can go home, fill them in and keep up with the upkeep myself at home. I don’t think I will be going back. They now seem to be thinner than before when I had spent ages trying to grow them thicker.

Before (top) and after (bottom)

December 2012 Glossybox

So its that time of the month again when I am graced with the presence of my monthly glossybox and i must say this month I was very impressed! I kind of assumed last months box was the Christmas one but this box is called the Bejewelled Christmas Box. When it arrived I was impressed by the lovely silver colour, I love it when Glossybox change the colour of their box for special occasions!

The first item I saw when I opened the box was the Rituals Magic Touch Body Cream (RRP £5) and having previously had Rituals products in my glossybox I was excited to try this out! this smells gorgeous and left my skin feeling really smooth, although I don't often use body creams so its hard to tell if it was this product or the fact I was using a cream in the first place. I look forward to using this more often!

The second thing I saw was the Sleek Make-up i-Divine Palette in Au Naturel (RRP £7.99) which I was very impressed with! I already have this palette so will be giving it away but I couldn't believe we got a whole palette! Very nice. The colours are lovely and I used to use this a lot as its a neutral palette there are so many different looks that can be done with this.

I then saw the Seche Nail Lacquer (RRP £9.95) I received the colour 'Chocolat' which as expected is a muted brown colour. This is not really a colour I would use often however I was looking for a brown to create some Christmas themed nails so I could use this for that which is good, and it doesn't hurt to have a variety of colours in your collection!

I then opened the Anatomicals Fruity Lip Gloss Tube (RRP £3.49) and this tastes amazing! I love the quirky packaging which comes with the anatomicals products and this is very affordable. Great to slip in your handbag for a night out, although this did need topping up a lot (mainly because it tasted so good I kept licking it off hah!)

I then received the Milk_Shake conditioning whipped cream (RRP £14.79) which is a conditioning mousse type product that you leave in. I am yet to use this as I'm a bit skeptical about leave in products making your hair sticky or look greasy but I did give this a whiff and it smells lovely, like vanilla or like Jelly Belly jelly beans - yum! I will give this a try when I am feeling a bit braver I think!

The final product I received was the bonus Glossy Pink Glossybox blusher. After absolutely loving the glossybox lipstick we received a while ago I couldn't wait to try this out. It's a very bright pink colour in my opinion and bring quite fair skinned I really don't need a lot of this, but it really compliments my skintone and goes really well with the lipstick. Thanks glossybox!

Overall I am really impressed with Glossybox this month and look forward to whats to come!

Christmas Decor Ideas

Getting into the Christmas spirit I decided I'd do a little post on some of the decorations we have around the house at the moment.

I am unsure where all of the snowman figurines have come from we just got them over the years.

Christmas Tree - The Range £3.99
Decorations - Paperchase, The Range, Notcutts, Pound Land
Christmas Bunting - Wilkinsons £2.00
Merry Christmas Sign - Wilkinsons £2.50
Stag Figurines - Wilkinsons & Notcutts
'SNOW' Letters - Pound Land

Earring Storage Ideas

Hey guys,

Just thought I'd share with you my earring storage idea.
As you can see, I have used a canvas (These are £4.75 for 4 from Wilkinsons)

I have literally just pushed my earrings into the canvas, and placed the backs on the other side. Great way to keep all of your earrings together, and looks super cute hanging on the wall or propped up on your bedside table.

Also an excuse to buy more earrings to fill the space inbetween! Haha!

Outfit of the Night - Christmas Party

Just thought I'd share with you my outfit for my work's Christmas meal last week. I had a really fun time, ate loads of food and drank too much wine.

Shoes - New Look
Replica Disco Pants - Republic (Glamorous)
Sheer sleeveless shirt - Select
Belt - Primark
Jewellery - New Look

Make-up
Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation - 1C Shell
MAC Studio Fix Conceiler
Laura Mercier Translucent Powder
Sleek Contour Kit
MAC blush in Melba
HD Brow Kit
MAC Eyeshadows in Wedge & Brulé
Soap & Glory Liquid Eyeliner
Yves Rocher Lipstick in Frambois
Primark Eyelashes

Ren Skincare - Frankincense Revitalising Night Cream Review

Hey guys, sorry it's been a while I haven't really found the time for blogging as late and I do apologise, and will make a conscious effort to post more!

I recently discovered this night cream after realising that in the winter months I need to moisturise both morning and night in order to keep my skin smooth and hydrated, so I rifled through my drawer and found this sample I received (click here for previous Ren Review)

 This cream absolutely works wonders and I couldn't believe how smooth my skin felt in the morning after using this and has become a staple in my skincare routine over the past few weeks. The product is non greasy, absorbs really easily and feels smooth and is pleasant to put on. It has a subtle scent but nothing too overpowering.

I think when my sample size runs out this is definitely something I will look into purchasing.

How Much is My Face Worth?

I recently saw this post on Nelipott’s blog and thought it was an interesting one to do. It also made me realise I spend way too much money on make-up and will definitely be looking for alternatives. I use different make-up every day, but here is a standard days worth. And yes, I do wear a LOT!

Liz Earle Moisturiser £16.25 // Porefessional by Benefit £23.50 // Maybelline BB Cream £6 // Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation £21 // Mac Studio Fix Conceiler £14 // Bare Minerals Face Powder £16 // Stay Matte Face Powder £4 // Sleek Contour Kit £6.50 // Mac blusher in Melba £13.50 // HD Brow Kit £25 // Urban Decay eye Primer £14.50 // Mac Wedge Eyeshadow £12 // Mac Brun Eyeshadow £12 // Soap and Glory Eyeliner £6 // White pencil Eyeliner (Generic) - £1.00 // Yves Rocher Sexy Pulp Mascara £8.45 // Glossybox Lipstick £7.00 // Lipcote £3.60

Applied With:
Real Techniques Buffing Brush
Real Techniques Contour Brush
Real Techniques Small Brush  - Core collection £21.99
Eco Tools Big Powder Brush £10
Models Own Powder Brush £10
Revlon Eyebrow Brush £3.99
Mac 217 £17
Elf eye Definer Brush £1.50

Total:  £274.78

Oh dear. How much is your face worth?

August 2012 Glossybox

This months Glossybox came just in time for me, as in just a couple of days I will be going on holiday and sample sized products are perfect to take away with me. This months box ties in with the olympics and includes brands from all over the world.

I was actually really impressed with the products included this month and can’t wait to use them all.

Alessandro – Pro White - Full Size £7.85
This brightening nail polish (from Germany) has an anti-yellowing formula to help brighten your nails. As soon as I saw this I put it on one of my nails and could instantly see a difference. My nail looked brighter and ‘’fresh’’ if that’s a word that can be applied here. I immediately went and painted it over all of my nails and I am really impressed with the outcome. I have never come across a product like this before so it has been a god send.

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil - Full Size £18.50
This cleanser and make-up remover from Japan is a brand I have never heard of before. I am yet to use this product, but I am interested in seeing how it works. It looks oily so I am not 100% sure if it will work for or against my skin, as my skin can be a bit hit and miss with oily products but I am going to give it a go and see how I get on.

Broadway Nails – imPRESS Manicure - Full Size £7.99
I have received a pack of these previously and whilst I think they are a good idea, they don’t seem to last that long on me. I received a burgundy pack, and I think I am going to save them for a special occasion so if they come off after one night it won’t matter as much. This brand represents the USA.

Vera Valenti L’ombre á Paupiére Margarita  - Full Size £3.85
I do love an eyeshadow palette and this mini one (from Spain) is perfect for your handbag for touch ups on the go. Whilst this does not have a huge range of colours, the 10 that are included are just enough to create a few different looks. After swatching them on my hand they appear to be pigmented and seem to stay on the skin.

Lipcote  - Full Size £3.99
I put this on over the glossybox lipstick and at first it really stung and made my lips swell slightly. I thought I was having an allergic reaction but had a quick look on twitter under #lipcote and it seemed a lot of people were also having this reaction. My lips quickly settled and even after having a shower and sleeping, there were still traces of lipstick on my lips, so this product definitely works! I then used it the next day and the stinging was reduced and again, my lipstick stayed on for ages even after eating and drinking. Love this product and so pleased it was in this months box.

Glossybox Lipstick in Glossy Pink - Full Size £9.50
This lipstick is amazing! I love the colour, I think it suits every skin tone. It’s long lasting, especially when applied with the lipcote and the creamy formula doesn’t dry out your lips at all. I will definitely be using this as my every day lipstick from now on! Well done Glossybox.

Really happy with this months box and I have lots of lovely products that I will definitely be trying.

L'Occitane Samples Review

I recently had the pleasure of receiving a lot of beauty samples from the company L'Occitane (thanks to my friend Kelly's excellent advice) and I would ideally love to review them all, however I received so many, I decided to split them up into mini reviews.

The first product I tried out was the Precious Night Cream, as I was writing this up in the evening. This full size product is £49.00 and is one of L'Occitane's best sellers. This cream claims to reinforce skin regeneration, corrects deep wrinkles and improves skin firmness. I mainly wanted to try this to see if it would even out my complexion overnight.

This cream went on really well and was nice and thick, which is how I like a night cream to be because you know it will sink in overnight. I'll be honest it has a strange scent to it, a bit like white emulsion paint but after smearing it on the smell soon went away.

After using this cream, I woke up and my skin was hydrated and soft, thumbs up from me.

That same morning, I also decided to try out a couple of other products. First was the Relaxing Hand Balm at just £12.00 this is a really good price.

 This hand balm is enriched with shea butter and essential oils so not only smells amazing, it's super nourishing too.

It made my hands feel soft and smooth and had a lovely clean scent to it which lasted on the skin for ages.

The third and final product I tried out was the Eau Ravissante Fresh Cologne, at £37.00 full price.

This had a floral scent which reminded me of summer. Not only can this be used as a cologne, this can also be poured into bath water, or soaked onto a handkerchief and used as a calming method, which I think is fantastic.

Overall, I am very impressed with the L'Occitane samples that I have tried so far, and I will be definitely giving the other products a trial in the near future, so stay tuned for future reviews :)

July 2012 She Said Beauty Box

Hello. It’s that time of the month again (no, not THAT time) where my She Said Beauty box comes through my door. It doesn’t seem like long ago since I received my last box so I was pleasantly surprised to come home to this!

I hadn’t seen any spoilers so didn’t have a clue what to expect. Since looking on the website and at other reviews, it looks as if everyone has very similar products and there isn’t too much variation between boxes, which I think is fair. I have had a chance to use a few of these items, so here is what I think.

White Glo - Professional Choice Toothpaste - Full Size £4.07
I actually already have this at home, so for me this sample wasn’t that exciting. This toothpaste does help to make your teeth whiter over time but you really need the full size item to give you enough to do this. This also tastes powdery so may not be to everyone's taste but I think it’s alright. I’m actually off on holiday in a couple of weeks so this is ideal to take for the week, and saves me buying a sample size.

Balance Me - Rose Otto Intensive Lip Salve - Full Size £12.00
I was slightly disappointed by receiving this product, as I had literally gone out and got glamour magazine last week which contained this same free gift. This lipsalve is alright, nothing special I would say but it’s good to have in your handbag for those times when your lips are dry. I think this will come in handy in the winter.

Redken Colour Extend Radiant -10 - Full Size £19.99
This product claims to provide 10 essential benefits to your hair. I am trying to fade the current dye out of my hair so I don’t want to try this out yet, but I have sprayed it and think it smells nice and feels like it will be light and nourishing. I will be dying my hair soon and will definitely try this product out.

Papier Poudré – Rachel Powdered Paper - Full Size £7.96 for 6 x 20 leaf booklets.
I have wanted to try blotting paper out for a while as I often get an oily t-zone throughout the day. I used this after my foundation in the morning and could definitely tell by the look of the paper that it had soaked up something, unfortunately I think this may have been my make-up. The paper gave a powdered look to the face but seemed to lift some of my foundation away. I will try using this before my make-up to see if that makes a difference, but I think to be honest, this does nothing my normal setting powder doesn’t do.

Absolutely Flawless Nail Foils  - Full Size £1.90 (32 foils)
Before I saw these foils, I saw the little postcard with all 130 designs on. There were a few I liked the look of but I seem to have received one of the less exciting designs. I have used nail foils before and they only lasted a couple of days but these ones are so cheap, I think they will be worth it if they only last that long. I haven’t used them yet, I thought I would put them on for my holiday, so will let you know how I get on.

4711 – Eau De Cologne - Full Size £17.00
When I first opened this, I was telling my mum about all of the products I have received and when I mentioned this she said, ‘’ooh that will be nice I’ve heard of that’’.. I immediately thought oh no, this must be old, and I personally think this is a more mature fragrance. The bottle it came in however, was absolutely adorable and looks cute sitting on my shelf.

Overall, I would say this months box is so-so. There wasn’t really anything that I was majorly excited about, but at the same time I think I will use the majority of these products. Looking forward to next months.

July 2012 Glossybox

Hello everyone. I recently received my GlossyBox and thought I would share my views. I had a look at a few other boxes and think I probably got an alright one, but not the best and not the worst. This months box was all about festival season, with items you can take along with you to a festival or experiment with at home.

Paul Mitchell - Awapuhi Moisture Mist - Full Size £9.35
This refreshing spray is designed to give your hair and skin moisture and keeps you feeling refreshed. My glossybox arrived on one of the hottest days we have had this year and the first thing I did was spray this all over my face, and I can’t tell you how nice it was. I have put this product straight in my handbag and will be using this to keep myself felling refreshed all day.

Bex London – Londoner Urban Fragrance - Full size £81.00

I received SE1, or Southbank. When I first smelt this I thought it smelt like a male aftershave, then I read the information provided and it claims to be androgynous. I think this is a good idea if they want to produce unisex products, as there is a market for these, but personally I prefer a more feminine fragrance. This perfume smells of citrus with a hint of woodyness.

Monu - Night Renewal Complex - Full Size £36.95

This moisturiser claims to smooth and firm your skin whilst you sleep. I put this on before bed last night and didn’t really notice much difference at first, but today my make-up seems to have gone on smoother, and I don’t know if that’s coincidence or because of the cream, but I am going to keep using it and see if it continues to make a difference. I think this smells a bit like citronella which is offputting, but it seems a lot of my products smell like this, and I am starting to think.. is it just me?

Jelly Pong Pong Cosmetics- Lip Frosting - Full Size £10.00

This cream gloss can be used on your cheeks or lips to give you some colour. This creamy formula smells delicious, I can’t decide what it tastes like, but it is a very familiar scent, and I absolutely love it. This gloss stayed put for a long time and gave a nice subtle colour to the lips. I am yet to try this on my cheeks, I feel it might be a bit sticky, but I will give it a go when the weather isn’t this hot.

Nuxe - Huile Prodigieuse - Full Size £17.50

This was a little sample of oil which can be used on your hair, face and body all year round. I’m not one for putting oil on my face as my skin sometimes gets a bit oily. I’m not really 100% sure on how I use this product, so any advice you have would be greatly appreciated so I can give this a proper trial.

Bonus Item: Elizabeth Ardens Visible Difference Skin Balance

This sample was a little bonus in our beauty box this month, and contained 3 little samples and the chance to go and pick up a deluxe sample from any Debenhams store. I might go and pick this up this week and try it out, but it depends if I have the courage, I hate getting free things, I always feel a bit rude!

Anyway overall I was quite happy with this months glossybox. I would have liked to receive the HD Brow palette like some people have received this month, but I think the range of products I received were quite different and there are a couple of things that I love. What did you get in your glossy box?

Ren Skincare Review

On Sunday I was advised by my good friend Kelly that Ren Clean Skincare had a good offer on their website, and I can't resist an offer. They were offering a 10% off your first order, 4 free samples with every order and by entering a code I would also get '6 of the best' products worth £20.

I thought seeing as I had a day off work I would try all of the products out and write up a review.

Ren products are completely clean and free from any synthetic products, fragrances and any pore blocking products, which sounded perfect to me as I hate putting heavy products on my face so my skin can't breath.

With my initial purchase, I bought the Pro-Vitamin Conditioner, mainly because it was the cheapest product and I wanted the freebies, but also because I have long thick hair I could always use a conditioner.

Upon first impressions I wasn't a huge fan of the smell. It smells of citrus and lavender, which reminds me of citronella that you attract flies with, but that's just my opinion. This conditioner comes in a small 100ml bottle however it is very concentrated and you don't need much. This left my hair feeling smooth, shiny, easy to brush and most importantly clean. I love it! The Sample products I chose were the Photoactive Sun Veil SPF15, Invisible Pores Detox Mask, T-Zone Balancing Day Fluid and the Hydra-Calm Cleansing Gel.

The Photo-Active Sun Veil protects your skin from the sun and helps to give your complexion a radiant finish. Smells just like suncream, is non greasy and leaves no white residue on your face. It's not exactly sunny at the moment so I haven't worn it outside but I will be using this on holiday.

The Invisible Pores Detox Mask was probably my favourite thing out of the samples I received. Initially I wasn't a huge fan of the smell, but the texture of this mask was really nice and thick almost like clay. After using this my skin felt amazingly soft and CLEAN, these products really do make you feel fully refreshed. I am tempted to buy the full size version of this.
The T-Zone Balancing Day Fluid claims to leave skin clear and healthy and this is the exact reaction I had. Less is more with this product, as the first time I used it my skin felt a little oily, but if you use a really small amount it works wonders. Only downside is that it smells a bit citronella-y.

The Hydra-Calm Cleansing Gel is great to quickly pop on before a shower then rinse off after a few minutes. It's very lightweight and removes all the dirt from the skin. I think I will use this up very quickly.

I was then lucky enough to receive the '6 of the best' products in a little box which says this is a weeks supply. I haven't used any of these because I want to spend some time using them all, unfortunately one of the products (The Mayblossom Balancing Cleansing Gel) came with the top of the tube broken and it had all spilled out so I may not be able to try that one out.

EDIT: Ren have since sent me a replacement pack for the above - fantastic customer service! Thanks Ren!

Look out for a future review on these 6 products, and in the meantime, please check out Ren Skincare for yourself :)