Montagne Jeunesse Chocolate Face Mask Review

You can never have too much chocolate, not even at Christmas when you stuff your faces full of it - well I certainly do! Last night I tried a chocolate face mask too. Apparently it is great for moisturising, and as its Winter with a chill in the air drying out my face I thought it would be perfect.

I even got the fiancé involved! Although he used Superdrug's Sensitive Deep Cleansing Mud Mask. He looked a bit funny as he was laying on the sofa with his glasses over the top of the mask reading his Kindle - so cute!

Anyways, the Montagne Jeunesse website says this "Indulge in our guilt free natural treat of creamy delights with our Chocolate Masque. We’ve blended Fairly Traded Cocoa Butter from the sunny islands of the Dominican, with crushed Cocoa and ultra-moisturising Shea to leave skin silky soft and deeply cleansed."  The listed ingredients are: Cocoa, dead sea salt, mediterranean clay and shea butter. And the instructions say: "Cleanse with warm water only. Apply evenly over face and neck with fingertips, avoiding eyes and lips. Lie back & relax for 10-15 minutes, or until dry. Rinse off with warm water. Pat dry. Use weekly"

I applied a thin layer to my face, then squeezed out more product from the sachet to give a thicker layer, then there was still more mask so I actually ended up what I would call a really thick heavy layer of face mask on my face. Thumbs up for the amount of product you get versus the price (usually around £1). The 10-15 minutes of waiting went by very quickly and I could gently feel my skin tightening as the mask dried. I took pictures but tried not too smile too much in case the mask cracked!

Once I had washed off the mask (I used a flannel and warm water - it didn't take too much scrubbing and I think this shows a good mask - you shouldn't have to make your face go red/sore from rubbing!) I stroked my face and it felt as smooth as a baby's bum, I'm not even joking - I don't remember the last time it was this smooth! I am going to stick to my new skincare routine and hope the feeling lasts! I have been moisturising my face more than normal due to it being Winter but that's what everyone does isn't it?

Overall a cheapish product which is fun (they come in so many flavours/varieties!), easy, not time consuming and very effective.

Let me know if you have had any good experiences with face masks!! ext post I'll be jumping on the bandwagon and doing a "Best of 2011". xoxo

No.7 Cream Cheek Tint Review

I bought this product from Boots when they were offering £5 off No.7 products. I thought to myself, when better to try something new, than when you get £5 off. I was a bit nervous when first trying it and didn't quite know what to do. I'd used a cream highlighter before so thought I'd use this in a similar way, but apply it to the appropriate area.

I found it took a while to get used to the creamy texture when I was so used to powder. Although it lasts a lot longer. I do tend to use powder over the cream just to set it, then it is normally still in tact just before bed. I was really impressed with the colour too. There were only two shades available but this one suited me perfectly - it's called Maple Silk. I love using it when I am going to work and there's a chance I might be going out straight afterwards. It looks like I've only just applied my make up!

I would definitely be interested in buying more cream products in the future so that I have more long-lasting products - making it easier for me!

Have you enjoyed any cream or tint products lately?

Rimmel vs MAC Cream Eyeshadow

I was going through my cream eyeshadow collection and came across these. Would you ever compromise on quality in order to spend less?

They are slightly different colours but from afar they are very similar. They are in very similar shaped pots, similar colours and that made me think. Do they also apply the same? So I investigated - The picture below shows the colours and textures.

I found the Rimmel cream eyeshadow on the left was slightly thicker and applied a little blobby at times. Whereas the MAC eyeshadow was so smooth and I didn't need to use as much to bring out the true colour. Now I know the MAC shadows cost about 3 times as much as the Rimmel eyeshadows, but for one of the first times I'm saying that I would go for MAC over anything else. This product is perfect - it has a subtle shimmer, whereas I think the Rimmel one is a bit too shiny...

Which do you prefer? Do you own any of these?

Sleek Storm Palette Review

Some people may look at this palette with an "untrained" eye and think the colours are boring. This review is going to prove otherwise.

Here is a picture of the palette:

Here are my swatches of the colours over the top of Pixie Epoxy:

With flash

Without flash

I popped in two pictures because one shows the shimmer more and one shows how pigmented the colours are. I absolutely love them. For the price of £5.99 for 12 eyeshadows they are very high quality. Much better than I thought they would be.

I did notice that the black is a bit harder than the other shadows, it takes more pressing to actually apply. But this is probably a good thing as I don't tend to use black much and when I do I use it cautiously. The fact that it's slightly harder to apply means I'm less likely to apply too much.

The variety of shades in this palette coordinate perfectly. You can pretty mcuh match any of these shades with another and still make it work. I love every single shade and will be using this plenty. If I wake up early enough tomorrow I fancy doing a bronze look...


What do you think?

November Favourites

I haven't bought much this month - I'm not including my Sleek palettes as I haven't had enough time to give them a proper play yet! But these items I have used a lot in the past month.

This liquid foundation surprised me because it actually feels as though it sets on your face, kinda between the texture of a liquid and a powder. It actually dries really nicely rather than your skin feeling heavy and oily. I generally don't have oily skin but this is how some foundations can make me feel - I get a bit paranoid about it sometimes! Yesterday I even tried applying 3 times as much as I normally wear and it still felt soft, a mixture of the powder/liquid setting and stayed that way all day.

The pump is easy to use, it provides you with the perfect amount from one squeeze. It's really easy to blend around your face either with a brush, sponge or fingers. I find there are plenty of shades in the range with specific colours for warm and cool skin tones. This is fantastic for a great priced drugstore brand.

This is how I looked last night after using 3 pumps. You'll probably agree it looks lke quite a heavy coverage, but not fake in any way and sometimes i find when foundation is "caked" on it can look really bad. This doesn't. Even if I just want a little bit of foundation to even out my skin tone it doesn't take much, so this product is perfect for any coverage.


My second favourite for this month is a lipstick I purchased just before Halloween and I realised it had been named with that seasonal holiday in mind. For me, it's a great alternative to a nude lipstick. It's not quite nude - but also not too bright and daring to take all the attention away from the eyes (or anywhere else you may want to enhance).

I really like the fact that this lipstick is not drying at all and actually feels really nice on my lips, it feels soft. It doesn't flake at all and in fact I only have one bad thing to say about it. It doesn't rub off too easily so when brushing my teeth at night it sometimes gets onto my toothbrush. Bu then this just confirms how well it will stay on throughout the day.

I really like how it shows up on my lips. I suppose it's a kinda peachy colour, but I like the way it seems so glossy, without actually using lipgloss. It also has a few specks of gold shimmer to it which I really like, so that when you're caught in the right light it can look quite glamourous.

Do you own any of these items - what do you think??

Avon Clearskin Immediate Response Blemish Treatment

Ok so this product is something I've had a while, I'm not sure if Avon still do it, but I hope so. I keep it in my desk at work and both me and my colleague reach for it when we can just feel a spot coming. It's funny when I see her coming and she has her hand covering her face and reaches for the tube! Although really the spot is never that big.

It seems to speed up the process and bring the spot out, then it goes within a day sometimes. Crazy I know but if I forgot to use this my spots tend to stay for at least a few days so I can only give the credit to this product as I don't change my skincare routine when I have a spot. It's quite a small tube, only 15ml, but I haven't got to the bottom yet, you only need to use a small amount.

I'm going to be using this today as I've felt a spot appearing. You place the the small dot of gel on your spot, and it seems to act as a protective antiseptic layer and gets rid of redness pretty quickly. Once dry you can even apply make up over it if you wish - I guess the gel acts as a protective layer.

Even if Avon discontinued this it may still be available on eBay. I think it was around £3, which for me is a great price for something that reduces blemishes!

Have you tried this?

Silver Eyeliner Review

Today I thought I would review an eye liner I have had for almost a year. I got it in the New Year sale last year for £1. Yes that's right - I just couldn't resist the low price!

I have worn it more than a few times when I have understated eye make up and want to give it that extra dazzle. One coat will give a subtle shimmer or you can layer it quite easily to get a more glittery look.

The brush is relatively small, and glides along the eye very nicely. The length of the brush means you can reach the edge of your eye, without getting any of the liner on your face! The brush isn't too stiff so you can create a variety of lines - perfect for flicks.

This is one coat and I think it's just right for a subtle effect

The out of focus picture shows the glitter quite well

Overall it's a brilliant eyeliner for £1, and even if there were other colours at full price I would purchase them. It does the job you want it too and because it's sparkly you can vary the intensity for many different looks.

No.7 Beside The Sea Stay Perfect Eyeshadow Palette

I realise this is really the wrong season to be reviewing a "beside the sea" eyeshadow trio but nevermind. I got it a few weeks ago with a Boots No.7 £5 off voucher of course so it was only a few pounds. It's normally £9.75 (click this link for the other 11 shades). I was really intrigued by these colours and more to be honest - but I'm trying to spend a bit less on make up these days - plus my birthday and christmas are ocming up so I'm hoping to get some goodies then! Onto the product.

It's relatively small, so perfect to carry around. However, it does contain 2g of eyeshadow, which is pretty good. It comes with a small brush - which I haven't actually used - it's the same general sponge applicator that comes with a lot of make up products. I love the choice of colours in this range - I'm definitely loving how bright these are too. I chose this palette because I'm a sucker for greens and blues, although lately I've been oh so tempted to be daring and get a vibrant red!

Anyway, I have swatched the colours above for you, the top row is the shadows on their own, then with Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion as a base, then using Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy as a base for the bottom row.

Hopefully the picture shows how much of a difference a great base can make, and how lovely these colours are. They're so pigmented that I only had to use two swipes to apply these to show you! This is my first No.7 eyeshadow and I doubt it will be my last. I've been really impressed with all the No.7 products since making the most of the £5 off vouchers.

I'm really hoping to get my hands on some more of these, they are so easy to work with and the colours chosen for each palette match perfectly! I really wanna try using Space Odessey - from the website it looks like it has a light grey, dark grey and orange/yellow colour...so much fun to be had!

Anyways I'm rambling now...so let me know what you think!

Ted Baker Let's Glow - Kit Two Review

I was given this item as a gift by my sister last Christmas, and it's probably one of the best things she's bought me -that's how much I love it. I have to say I didn't know what to expect at first because obviously Ted Baker aren't known for their great make up products - but I was pleasantly surprised!

It's a relatively small palette so if you're travelling it's pretty good to take with you. The outer casing is pretty sturdy so it isn't likely to break, and protects the contents quite well. The design is really different - it's so colourful!

With flash

Without flash

It comes with a good sized mirror - you can actually see youself in it! I hate it when products have mirrors which you can't actually use because they are just too small! It also comes with a bronzer, two eyeshadows, a lip gloss, lip balm and three brushes. Perfect to enable you to do a few different looks whilst on the go.

The bronzer brush is great and makes it easy to apply the product - the other two brushes are ok, but they're not the best. The same can be said for most other palettes which include brushes. They're just like little freebie really...put it there just to complete the product. On the other hand the eyeshadows, bronzer and lip colours are all amazing. All quite pigmented so you don't have to use too much to get the look you desire. I'm a big fan of the bronzer (although to be honest I kinda forgot there was a bronzer in here, which is really bad) it's great for adding a bit of shimmer with not too much colour - as you can see from the two shades used to help give you a more natural look.

The eyeshadows are really good for neutral looks, as are the lip shades, which is something I tend to use for my on the go looks - they're normally the most simple!!

With flash

Without flash

I think this item was purchased from Boots - as it's approximately a year old you may only be able to get hold of it from ebay...but I'm not sure. Thanks for reading!!

Fyrinnae Lip Lustres

A few months ago, around the same time that I bought my Aromaleigh stuff I purchased a few bits from Fyrinnae. I think this was probably beause Sirvinya, an experienced beauty blogger was raving about Pixie Epoxy, and I thought I'd try a few other bits too. Plus my partner is always moaning that my lips are sticky when I have lipgloss on!

I can no longer find them on the website, so can only assume they've stopped doing them? Let me know if that's not the case - as I'd like to purchase a few more colours really! I suppose that sums up what I think of them already lol.

The shades I bought are pictured below, in order;

Bare Shoulders

Flavour Of The Day

Lollipop Pop

Trickster

 With flash

 

Without flash

I love that they give a lot of colour to your lips and are slightly shimmery. I also love that they are scented, I think Bare Shoulders was cafe latte, and Trickster was mint, but as they're no longer on the website I can't tell you what the others are, but they smell amazing!! You don't need to use too much of it to get a good coating on your lips, meaning even the mini sizes are perfect. Great for evening handbags/clutches too! I don't know what I'd do without these and am so glad I purchased them when I did if they are now not available...

In the picture above I am wearing Bare Shoulders, it was my "go to" nude shade before I bought No.7 Stay Perfect Lipstick in Nude Rebellion. It still is my go to nude shade when I don't a heavy look. For me lipstick can always look quite "made up" - sometimes too much for work hence why I wear this in the offie quite frequently. I love the fact that it still looks shimmery but you can't feel that anything is there, and it really does taste great.

Have you got a great product you use when you find some lip glosses are too "sticky"?

October Favourites

This month I am doing my favourites on time! I'm also going to start keeping my new products in a separate place for these posts because although I don't buy loads, I tend to forget what is new - and what I love for each respective month!

I am going to extend my post by including two products. One which I think is an essential for Winter is a night moisturiser. During the day we brave the cold weather and it can make our skin really dry. Using a moisturiser at night replenishes your skinn and gives it time to let the cream set in. What I love is that it doesn't make my skin feel greasy or oily and when I wake up in the morning it feels super soft!

I love that the moisturiser is in a very durable pot - it says on the bottom "double wall construction" which makes me feel comfortable in taking it with me anywhere!!

The cream stays relatively cold, which means it always feels refreshing on my skin. I actually look forward to putting this on at night! I loved it so much I purchased the day cream the other day and now use this under my foundation.

My second favourite for this month is a foundation, so both pretty basic products this month. I sometimes struggle to find a foundation that matches my skin tone. This foundation was used on me when I went to London and the fact that the MUA chose this shade means it is right for me. If I'm honest I probably wouldn't have chosen vanilla myself as I normally think of myself as a medium skin tone.

£9.50 from Boots

I love the sleek packaging for this product, I've already blogged about another New ID product and all their packaging is pretty much the same - in a good way. View the posts here and here if you're interested.

I do like how the bottle is long and slender, it doesn't puff out my handbags/make up bags when I'm on the go. Also due to the packaging of the foundation itself I don't feel like it will break and leak my foundation everywhere. So this is another product I can trust not to let me down.

I've not had a liquid foundation with a built in brush before. I don't always use a brush - sometimes I just use my fingers - probably because I'm lazy! You only need a few pumps to cover your whole face so I'm hoping it will last a while. It seems to last all day - which for me is from about 6am to 10pm, pretty good staying power if you ask me. Although if I forget to use my primer and powder I do notice my skin doesn't look quite as flawless by the end of the day - although that is to be expected!

£28 New ID Studios or website

Have you tried either of these products? What are your October favourites??

New ID I-Shadow Quad With Mirror

Another New ID product review - I really am so glad I bought these items - I don't think there's one I don't like. But I'm trying to use them as much as possible to give a fair review.

I won't say too much about the packaging this time because it matches the other items, so you can view my previous post here.

Again it has a similar size mirror to the previuos product so this is also in the previous post.

I aminly want to talk about the colours of this quad and the burshes today, the brushes really surprised me. Most of the time when you buy a makeup product and they include brushes, they're really rubbish...unless you're shedding out a lot of money for a product. Which is possibly the case on this occasion. I don't normally like the sponge tip applicators for eyeshadow but I found it smoothed the eyeshadow on really well and gave an immediate blended effect, rather than sharp edges. The other brush however had a pointed brush so that you could create bold lines and sharp edges where necessary. And the other end was a pencil brush, for fine detail, such as applying the eyeshadow underneath your eye - something I found very easy with this brush.

The colours all compliment each other really well, none of them are too similar or too different. I like the fact there is one shimmery colour and two very neutral colours. The darker brown is perfect for a smokey eye and this is my "go to" quad for a neutral "during the day" smoky eye.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves wearing neutral/brown eyeshadow. I think they did other colours too but can't remember. Check out their website for more information.

New ID I-Bronze - Compact Powder Bronzer With Mirror

I've only had one bronzer before this one, from Avon - so I haven't seen many - but this is definitely my favourite so far. I bought it from New ID Studios in London, at £23.50 it's not exactly cheap. Read on to find out why I think it's worth every penny! The make up artist suggested I get the shade "Rio" which is great for my skin tone, I don't often go anywhere with make up artists so probably end up buying the wrong shade from time to time.

The packaging is lovely and sleek, starting with the white and silver outer cardboard box. Then a matching white and silver plastic compact. The font is lovely and it's very different from what you see in the shops. The compact clips shut and is quite durable. I carry it around in my handbag and it hasn't broken yet - always a bonus!

I even like the fact it has a perfect sized mirror, not too small you can't see yourself, but also just small enough so that you can take it anywhere with you. I'm quite glad it didn't come with a brush - they're not normally great quality brushes when you get them for "free". I find I only need a light dusting to provide me with a glow, and with a 9g pot this should last me a long time.

That's not the only reason I think it is worth the money. It's so pretty! Lots of colour swirled in a circle. If you have a bronzer with a few differents shades in it, it will give you a more natural glow. Which is what we're all after really, right? The only thing that makes it look like you have make up on is because it is slightly shimmery - see the picture below where I have applied some on my arm to show you what it looks like. But I love it so much! I'm so glad I went with my instinct and bought it. 

What new items do you like lately? Let me know!

Wet n Wild Mega Length Double Action Mascara

Hey everyone, this is probably going to be my bargain of the month, possibly even ever!! I picked this mascara up from our 99p Store. I've bought many an item from here, I think it's mainly because they sell good brands at a reduced price - sometimes when items have been discontinued.

Today's post is about a recent Wet n Wild mascara I purchased. The packaging is pretty standard, and you could say very simple. However this doesn't matter to me, I will normally buy a mascara either through curiousity or recommendation. This time was curiousity as I've only ever bought one Wet n Wild item, which was my first black nail polish.


(I apologise for using a stock photo but the light made it very difficult to read the silver section)


The first picture is how I looked when I woke up this morning, so I don't look great, but it was necessary for the purposes of this post. I am without any make up as I wanted to show you how small my lashes are without mascara..

The second picture is of me with the white mascara primer on, which is used to lengthen the lashes.

The third picture is how I looked after 1 coat of the black end of the mascara, which is used to add volume and length to the lashes. I have to say my first impression of this mascara is amazing. It's so easy to apply, it doesn't dry to quickly but doesn't take too long either and you don't need to use more than 1 coat to get great effects! Overall I think this is worth way more than 99p!!

 What items have you been impressed with?