Not So Little Beauties – Mascaras

I’m going to have to have a grumble about mascaras.  I’ve bought four in the last few weeks and I’m disappointed in all of them.

 

A few years ago, I was happily using Max Factor’s Xperience mascara but they discontinued it.

 

Seeing as there is a new mascara being launched every five minutes, it’s very tempting to ditch your trusted favourite for the next best thing but as it turns out, this can prove expensive and frustrating.

 

So here goes my grumbles...I am a big fan of all things Rimmel so I bought their Super Curler 24 (£7).  I have such short, straight lashes – too short for eyelash curlers would you believe – that I thought this mascara would open up my eyes and give me that curl that I crave.  The brush was far too fat for my lashes, I got mascara all over my lids and left me with no curl whatsoever.

Then I bought Revlon’s Ultimate All-in-One (£10) – the red-topped mascara.  I was seduced by the tiny brush – perfect for getting down to the roots without making a mess.  However, I was in a rush at the time I popped into Boots and I picked up a brown one and not a black (I’m sure this is done on purpose so you have to come back and buy the one that you really want.  The exact same thing happened to me when I bought Seventeen’s Falsifeye HD Mascara – the browns were all at the front of the tray and I picked up a brown in error).  Getting back to Revlon though, I was impressed by the brush so I did go back and buy the black one.  It’s said to give volume, length, definition, lift and intense colour.  It does all of these things actually.  I like that it removes really well and that I don’t have black-smudge-under eye in the mornings.  The only downside to this mascara though, is that it’s very, very wet which feels horrible on the lashes and it takes an age to dry.  Wouldn’t recommend wearing it if you’re at a wedding or funeral.  Due to soggy lashes, it’s put me off buying another one.

Seeing as I was disappointed with the red top, I then bought Rimmel’s Volume Colourist (£8).  I bought this due to its brush – it’s long and thin and I really like the packaging (love the dusky pink).  A huge bonus to this mascara is that this little beauty is said to tint the lashes over time.  I’ve only used it twice but even if it did tint my lashes successfully, I wouldn’t make a repeat purchase.  There’s a black and there’s an extreme black to choose from.  I bought the extreme black but you’d think I’d bought neither as there’s not much colour off this at all.  Very disappointing.  I had to keep layering it until it looked like I had mascara on.

Therefore, note to self – ignore ALL new mascara advertising and go back to what you loved if they're still available, that is.  I do have three favourites and I probably should just stick with them (until they discontinue them - tut).  My top three do have pros and cons though but not as frustrating as the ones I have mentioned above.  The one that I still haven’t bought yet recently and I loved it back in the 1990’s is Lancome’s Définicils Mascara (£24) – I used to buy it religiously so my next purchase will definitely have to be this and I hope I won’t be disappointed.  My next two are Makeup Revolution’s Viper (£3) and Seventeen’s Falsifeye HD (£7).  Actually, I love to hate this one as it's hard to remove and it leaves your lashes hard and spiky but it does give me fab big lashes!   

If you enjoyed reading this mascara blog then do check out previous posts written last year entitled ‘Mascaras – You can’t live without them!’ dated 21/08/15 and ‘Once Bitten’ dated 20/05/15.

Enjoy your bank holiday x

You Little Beauties – Nip+FAB Body Care

Crikey O’Riley, I think I’ve finally found what I’ve been looking for all these years.  Well, I don’t ‘think’, I know I have: An exfoliating body lotion that doesn’t have a horrible smell, leaves the skin smooth and silky and is reasonably priced.

In my quest to get away from the pumice and the plastic beads, I started trying lotions with AHA’s in them.  First up was Palmers Anti-Ageing Smoothing Lotion (£5 for 250ml) which has a blend of AHA’s and BHA’s in it to slough off dead skin.  I love the results of this lotion and I’ve repurchased it on many occasions but I really, really dislike the smell when I was applying it.  It’s quite a masculine scent but not in a good way – it’s so unique that together with the Cocoa Butter Formula, it’s quite overpowering.  Anyway, I would only use it on my legs so it wouldn’t interfere with my perfumes.

So my mission was to find a nice smelling one.  I rather like the Dove scent so I was excited to see that they did Pro-Age Body Nourishing Lotion with AHA (£6 for 250ml).  I did smell it instore but when I got home and slathered it everywhere after a shower, I recoiled.  It smelt like a self-tan so I binned it and thankfully had a tube left of my trusted Superdrug Vitamin E Body Scrub. 

Anyhoo, the quest was still on.  I found all the products that I Googled and I still was having a problem with the smell of all of them (maybe there’s something in an acid formula that smells funky so they have to mask it which results in an even funkier smell?).   Months later and I’m now in the UK, I came across Nip+FAB’s Glycolic Fix Body Cream (£10 for 200m) containing glycolic, salicylic and lactic acids and I couldn’t wait to try it out!   I know it says it’s a cream but to me it’s more of a gel and goes on very nicely.  I didn’t check the smell of it actually before buying it as I did ‘click and collect’ at Boots and once again, I don’t like the smell of it BUT its only on application and its not overpowering like the previous ones.  I really like the results though; no tightness or dry, snakeskin-effect lower limbs and I have a lovely smooth bum and thighs so this is definitely going to be a repeat purchase.  Also I would like to try some of their skincare too.

Seeing as Nip+FAB are on promotion, it was half price at Boots so I thought I would buy their Viper Venom Body Serum too (as I love a good serum but have never tried a serum for the body).   Love the packaging on this one – black and lime green. 

Viper is said to do a lot: nourish, tighten and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.  I love the texture of this product.  It sinks quickly into the skin, leaves your skin feeling so soft and fresh and most importantly to me, as we have ascertained, it smells fantastic.  Almost powdery, which I love.  So, I’ve been using this on my upper body when I’m not at work or gadding about – ie, when I’m not wearing my Ambre & Santal perfume.  However, it would complement one of my other favourite perfumes, which has a powdery scent so happy days.

Nip+Fab Body Products 200ml 

200ml for £9.99 – NOW £4.99 at Boots

You Little Beauty – Ziaja Goat’s Milk Hand Cream

I was introduced to Ziaja when I flew across the Irish Sea to celebrate my birthday in Dublin and my sis happened to have a tube of Ziaja hand cream on the coffee table.

We were having cheeky glasses of wine (ahem) while I was waiting to catch my train for my hair appointment (yes, I’ve been flying back to Dublin to have my hair cut) when I caught sight of this little white tube with a goat on it.  It looked like a baby product to be honest but I squirted a dollop in the palm of my hands and haven’t looked back. 

My favourite hand cream of all time is Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream (£21 for 100ml) so this little beauty would have to be the mother of all hand creams ten times over to beat that one.  And surprisingly it does.  Oh and the scent of it - not to mention the price - is divine too. 

As soon as I got home, I find the product online and nearly fell of the sofa – it was only £2.50!  I bought two of them.  Now, as you guys know, I am intolerant to dairy so after my purchase, I thought would dairy in skincare affect me too?  It’s not being absorbed into my digestive tract and I’ve not felt ill using it so happy days.

First up, let’s talk about the brand.  It was established in 1989 in Poland by pharmacist brothers and their first product was a natural olive cream which is still sold today.  Their products are environmentally friendly and not tested on animals.  They produce skincare, haircare, body care and sun care products as well as having a range for baby and men.

So, onto that dollop.  Initially I thought the product was more balm than cream (balms tend to be denser than creams and more protective) and once its sunk in, your skin just becomes like satin – exceptionally smooth and its like you’re lost a few millimetres on the fingers – my wedding rings are so much looser after application.  Lines on my hands are reduced too as well as feeling protected – hence the balm-like sensation. 

For me though, the most important aspect of a hand cream is hydration – I loathe that tightness after washing my hands – hence the desire to use a hand cream and its horrible if you've already popped a cream on after you’ve washed your hands and you still feel the need to apply more.

The hand cream contains goat’s milk complex and vitamins A, E and B5.  Goat’s milk has been beautifying women and men centuries.  It contains lactic acid which is an AHA that helps to slough off dead skin cells too.  It’s also packed with vitamins and nutrients that can repair and reduce wrinkles and with fatty acids and a pH level that is similar to our own, all of the above promotes healthy skin. 

Ziaja do many hand creams, containing argan oil, coconut, olive oil, cocoa butter and cashmere to name but a few.  Next, am gonna get me some Ziaja Coconut Hand Cream and one of their body butters.
 

Ziaja Goat’s Milk Hand Cream

80ml for £2.50 from www.ziajaonline.co.uk

You Little Beauty – Makeup Revolution Pro Prime Aqua Priming Base

I was in the middle of ordering a load of make-up brushes from the Makeup Revolution website for my upcoming You Little Beauties Make-Up Class that I’m running in a few weeks when I came across this primer. I was intrigued, as it came in the form of a spray.  I already have their Fixing Spray (which is great) so I thought I would try this too.

I absolutely think this is the bees-knees and I think its great value for money as it comes in a 100ml bottle (airport friendly) and it’s in the form of a spray which means a little goes along way.  This is going to last me ages.

Primers keep your make-up looking perfect and flawless throughout the day and gives staying power.  These little beauties tend to have silicone (or some variation of) which help fill in pores and fine lines therefore creating a fabulous smooth base for make-up and the best bit; your make-up stays on as silicone is super adhesive – make-up will cling to it.  You can get primers for every concern; correcting redness, brightening, smoothing, evening out skin tone, hydrating, sun protecting – you name it.  I tend to go for the pore minimising ones due to my HUGE pores that look like ripples on my cheeks.  The primers that I like and can recommend are Rimmel’s Fix & Perfect Pro Primer (£7) – this does everything - its brilliant.  Maybelline's New York Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser Lightweight Primer (£8) - this is as fabulous as Benefit’s Pore Professional Primer (£25) and cheaper.  KIKO’s Mat Base Corrector Primer (£9) and now I have Makeup Revolution’s Aqua Primer to add to this list!
 
I like to give my face moisturiser chance to sink in before I apply primers and foundations so I normally pop my body creams on and deodorant while I’m waiting. Now I noticed on the first couple of uses, that my eyeshadows were quick to smudge when applying them.  As you guys know, I have the oiliest eyelids on the planet and I have to use my Urban Decay Eye Primer whatever I’m doing but everything I put on my eyelids was coming off. So I wondered what I could use in order to protect my eyes and I remembered that I had loads of those 3D cinema glasses in a drawer.  I looked a bit of a berk first thing in the morning with the glasses on but I sprayed my face while protecting my eyes and they were nice and dry for my Urban Decay and eyeshadows.  However, I have since started to spray the primer into my hands and press it onto my face instead of looking like I’m auditioning for Men in Black IV.  Thankfully, it still gives the same finish.

 

Once applied, my HUGE pores are refined and smooth and my skin appears to radiate.  I like using it with Makeup Revolution's Ultra Face Base BB Foundation (£3) which provides a dewy, healthy finish and the effect lasts the day.
This water primer is enhanced with multi-vitamins which hydrates, revitalises and boosts radiance.  My skin feels very comfortable all day and when I come to remove my make-up at the end of the day, my skin is in good nick.
 

Makeup Revolution Pro Prime Aqua Priming Base

100ml for £6.

You Little Beauty – Chanel Le Lift Lèvres et Contours

I’ve cleansed, serumed and moisturised and now its time for my eye cream (I normally pop my eye cream on before moisturiser but I wanted another week trialling this). 

Now I first tried a Chanel eye cream a few years ago.  I was celebrating my birthday and I’d had a Chanel makeover in Brown Thomas, bought a few products and the gal threw a few samples in and I was given Ultra Correction Line Repair Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream.  I have to say that I absolutely loved the effect it gave me.  Whether you believe in eye creams or not, this little beauty provided exactly what I needed – blurred my fine lines around my eyes…well, I’m going to be bold now: what fine lines?

By the time I thought I would treat myself to a full-size pot, I realised (I've had two birthdays since the Brown Thomas makeover) that they don’t sell this product any more (they only do a day and a night cream for the face), so I came away with a lovely black pot of Le Lift at Dublin Airport December 2015.  It took me a while to actually start using it as I wanted to finish off my Shiseido Beneficiance Eye Cream which is a fab product in itself.

At last, I finished Shiseido about a month ago and have been using Le Lift since and I love it.

However, it appears that I came away from Duty Free with the wrong cream - I’ve been given the lip contour cream by mistake!  All is not lost though as basically its plumping fine lines wherever they are so I’m happy enough applying it around my eyes as well as my lips and it seems to deliver on all counts. I pop it on like I'm wearing a super-hero's eye mask - pressing it into the skin towards my hairline to prevent crow's feet and also around my orbital bone (never near my eyes or on my lids).

Chanel have developed an active concentrated ingredient called 3.5-DA which they say helps to regulate cell function at a genetic level and their Le Lift range has the technology to adapt to everyone’s individual needs.  I would love to know more about this and how it works scientifically but I guess I’d have to become a Chanel consultant.

Le Lift is said to restore the density of the lip area, leaving them smoother, fuller and plumper with fine lines gradually getting softer so hopefully its doing the same to the skin around my eyes.  I am happy with the effect anyway but next time, I will buy the correct cream Le Lift Crème Yeux!

Chanel Le Lift Lèvres et Contours

15g for £57

You Little Beauty - Superdrug Optimum Phytodeluxe Day Cream

You’ve read so far that my routine has consisted of cleansing and then popping on a serum.  Next I apply eye cream but I want another week trialling this so thought I would write about my day cream instead.

 

The first point of call when I’m looking for a new skincare product is either Superdrug or M&S as they are both fab for vegans and vegetarians, and they carry the Leaping Bunny logo, advocating the products and its ingredients haven’t been used in animal testing and they have complied with Cruelty-Free International’s criteria.

Last week, I wrote about the Vitamin C Radiance Serum from M&S.  I bought two of them as it was their 3 for 2 promotion and the third product I purchased was a day cream.  When I got home, I realised I’d bought the wrong cream but thought I would use it anyway.  It turned out to be far too rich for my combination skin and I broke out in little itchy, red pin-prick spots so that meant I had to go on the hunt for something else to try.

My shopping habit tends to be me browsing online rather than perusing in a store as when I hit the shops, I want to get in and get out as quickly as possible (unless I have time to kill).

I’m so glad my skin broke out because I ended up purchasing a little beauty from Superdrug.  While I was investigating online, I came across a lotion that contained Black Diamond Truffle.  Oooo, I thought, how decadent BUT how can Superdrug acquire a delicacy and only charge £15 for it?  Actually, on the day I went into the store, it was half price…

Phytodeluxe is part of Superdrug’s Optimum range.  They do skincare for 25+ years which contains super antioxidant grapes and a range for 35+ years which contain Swiss apples.  Both help in the fight against aging; fine lines and wrinkles and loss of firmness. 

Now this new addition to the Optimum range, Phytodeluxe Indulgent Day Cream SPF15 is said to contain platinum particles, an amino peptide (that smooths and regenerates, increasing elasticity, firmness and tone) and a rare Black Diamond Truffle, a fungus found at the roots of oak and hazelnut trees.  This indulges the skin with luminosity.

The day cream comes in a tall tube and is pump-dispensed.  As with all pump-dispensers, my bug-bear is when too much product comes out in one press, however, with this little beauty, one pump is enough so no waste.

The white lotion goes on like satin on the skin (rather than like silk, which has a nice natural drag to it, if you know what I mean).  At first, when massaging it into the skin, it sits there for a few seconds and then whoosh, it’s suddenly absorbed and leaves my skin very soft with a slight sheen.  It has a very subtle fragrance (vanilla?) which I like too.  The texture of my skin looks hydrated, smooth and luminous.  I really do like this product.

One thing I haven’t noticed, sadly, is a firmness to my skin.  Not that I was expecting to look like the Bride of Wildenstein but I was hoping for a bit more of a ‘lift’ around the nose, mouth and cheeks. 

However, I will be buying this product again – the condition of my skin has improved, it’s hydrated and it’s not too heavy for my skin type.  The ingredients are top notch (their Super Antioxidant Grape day cream outsold a similar product sold by Harrods a few years back) and you just can’t fault the price.  Oh, and no bunnies harmed.

Superdrug Optimum Phytodeluxe Day Cream

50ml for £15.

Next week, Chanel’s Le Lift Eye & Lip Cream

You Little Beauty – Marks & Spencer Perfect Radiance Vitamin C Illuminating Serum (30ml)

For those of you have read my blogs, you know that I love a good serum.  I never go without.  They do much more than moisturisers – which are there to provide comfort to the skin – these little beauties are jam packed with concentrated ingredients and sink quicker into your skin and target your skincare concerns in an instant.  I am using two different serums at the moment, one in the morning and the other at night.  The one I’m going to talk about now is what I put on in the morning.

Following on from my blog last week, after I’ve cleansed my face with the lovely Lancôme Absolue Precious Pure and I’m out of the shower, I then apply my serum. 

My favourite ingredient in skincare undoubtedly has to be Vitamin C so I made a beeline for M&S’s Perfect Radiance Illuminating Serum.   There was a three for two offer on in M&S at the time, so I bought two.

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant.  It helps prevents ageing from free radical damage – environmental factors: the sun, pollution, cigarette smoke to name but a few.  It can heal the skin, reduce inflammation, irritation, boosts collagen production and promotes radiance to the skin.   Who doesn’t want healthy, supple skin?

Recent studies have found that Vitamin C not only neutralises these free radicals but can reverse DNA damage and its thought that it can reduce sunburn (UVB) and brown spots as well as increasing the effectiveness of sunscreen.  I have lots of freckles (still - they fade with age) and a few pigmentation marks so this is another reason why I chose this serum.

Not only does the serum contain 4% Vitamin C, it also contains hyaluronic acid which provides the skin with a fab boost of hydration.

As I said last week, I began using a few new products at the same time and am now unsure what product is keeping my skin in the best condition its ever been in (I’m talking my later years here) or is it a combination of all of them?

The serum comes in a pump dispenser and is white.  The scent of the product is a very subtle orange which I like.  On application, my skin in noticeably smoother and feels silky in texture and true to all good serums, is quickly absorbed into the skin.  I did think that it would make my skin more ‘glowy’ due to it being called ‘Illuminating’ but it doesn’t – not on my skin anyway. 

I do like this product, I really do – it contains everything I love in a serum, however, I’m not sure that it is the product that giving me such skin-joy at the moment.  Plus, I do prefer my Superdrug Simply Pure Hydrating Serum (so I can drink as much red wine as I like - snigger), which I use at night.  

Let me know if any of you guys have tried Perfect Radiance Illuminating Serum and have seen a massive difference in the condition of your skin – I’m interested to know.

M&S Perfect Radiance Vitamin C Illuminating Serum (30ml)

30ml for £11.