Garnier Simply Essentials 2 in 1 Face and Eye Makeup Remover Review

I'm back, I know its been a while. Here's a product review for you all of a very affordable makeup remover.

I usually just use my Olay Total Effects Cleanser to remove my makeup, but recently with the unusually hot weather in the U.K. I've been using more waterproof makeup and this just doesn't cut it to take off waterproof makeup. I was walking past the skincare aisle in Morrisons and I came across this Garnier makeup remover and thought why not give it a go. 

As you may know from previous posts, I do have dry, sometimes sensitive skin and my eyes can become irritated very quickly. I have to say this stuff is amazing. It does not irritate my eyes at all and removes all eye makeup including waterproof mascara and eyeliner easier with minimal eyelash shedding (which is a big problem for me when removing waterproof mascara). 

A small splash of this solution goes a long way. Just shake up the bottle to mix the blue and white solutions, apply to a cotton pad and swipe over the face. Easy. 

If you don't like oil based makeup removers, this may not be for you. Although it does not leave behind as much oil as other oil based makeup removers you can definitely feel some residue on your face left behind. I'm not too fussed about this, you can always just wipe this away with a clean cotton pad, or like me just wash your face afterwards. 

I bought this on offer at Morrisons of £1.99, which I think is a bargin but I've found it cheaper online at Superdrug for £1.49. If you're looking for something to take off that long wearing makeup, I'd say give this a go. 

Price- 5/5 (at £1.49 how can you go wrong)
Smell- 4/5 (this product has a general clean non offensive smell)
Effectiveness 5/5 (gets all of my makeup off quickly
Texture 3/5 (marks lost as it states on the back it does no leave any residue, I think it does)

What's your favourite way of removing your makeup?

Jubilee nails + Essie Chinchilly

With the Union Jack everywhere this weekend I wanted to join in the celebrations by attempting to paint the Union Jack on my nails. Now I don't have a very steady hand and I couldn't find a white nail polish so this is a slightly failed attempt at trying nail designs. I used a tiny thin brush that came with on a nail polish found in bodycare. I just used nail polish remover to remove the colour on the brush and used it for the detailing.

On my other nails is Essie's Chinchilly a new addition to my nail polish collection. I like the wide brush, it is really easy to cover the whole nail with one or two strokes. However I'm still getting used to how much nail polish I should pick up with the brush. Sometimes I can whip off too much and it can get really streaky, but sometimes i can it just right and it looks perfect with just two strokes.

I really like the colour it just seems like a normal matt grey at first, but it just looks a bit more sophisticated with undertones of purple and brown. I did put a topcoat over this (Sally Hansen Insta-Dri), because I just like the look of glossy nails and it just smooths everything over, so even if there were streaks you wouldn't see them after applying this.

Have you tried the Essie's new brushes? What do you think of them?

My Summer Wish List

Since finishing my exams final university exams two weeks ago, I’ve got back blogging I have been catching up with my favourite blogs. This is bad for my bank balance because I want everything that I read about. I’ve started to compile a wish list of things that I really want but can’t afford right now until I find a job. Here are the things I currently have on my list. 

From Top Left Clockwise, Nars Bronzer in Casino, Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Wild Rose, Jemma Kid Dewy Glow All Over Radiance Cream in Rose Gold, Origins Drink up Intensive Mask, A white Blouse from J Crew

I’ve really been obsessed with getting dewy healthy glowing skin lately. I think that Tanya Burr’s makeup always looks amazing and she is always using Nars Laguna Bronzer and the Jemma Kid Dewy Glow in Iced Gold. However I do have darker skin compared to her so I think that the Casino bronzer and the Dewy Glow in Rose Gold would suit me better.

I love to have a bit of shimmer on my cheeks in the summer time and I think that the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick layered up over one of my matt blushes would just look so gorgeous this summer.

After watching Vivianna’s video about her new skin care shakeup, I really want to try the origins facemask. As mentioned in other posts I do have dry and sometimes dull skin and I really want to wake up with glowy skin.  

I'm obsessed with Wendy from Wendy's lookbook, I want everything she wears. She always looks so chic and showed how versatile a white blouse can be, and ever since then I've been searching for my perfect white blouse. 

What items are on your wish list for this summer? 

VO5 Moisture Sock Hot Oil Treatment: Review

With dry thick hair I am always on the look out for products to add moisture to my hair and make it look shiny and glossy. I really enjoy putting oils in my hair and giving my scalp a good massage.

I walked past the VO5 hair treatments and I thought this hot oil treatment sounds interesting; there are 4 little cute tubes in a pack, each for one application. Each tube contains 15ml of “essential oils” that are meant to boost shine and protect dry damaged hair.

How to use it, you pop the tube in a cup of hot water to heat up and then you break the seal and pour it all over your hair and massage it in. You can rinse it out after 3 minutes.

To be honest I was slightly disappointed with this product. I imaged it to work by applying it to the hair and the heat of your scalp would warm up the oils and I would get a nice warm feeling on my head. It started off warm, but then after about 1 minutes it was cold and I just wanted to wash it off.

It also became a bit messy when I was applying the oil my hands were slippery and it was hard to get the last of the oil out onto my hair so some of the oil went to waste.

Although saying all this, the results were quite good. I used my normal shampoo twice to rinse out all the oil and followed up with my normal conditioner and my hair felt really silky and smooth, not to mention my hair was considerably less fizzy for about a week after the treatment.

My hair did not feel greasy any quicker then it normally would after using this, however I do have very dry hair, so those with an oily scalp may feel differently.

All in all for around £4 this product is a steal. The packaging said to use it once a week for £4 for one month worth of treatments it is a steal to me. I think this will be a great product to use on holiday after you’ve been swimming to make sure your hair doesn’t become dry due to the chlorine.

Fizz control 4/5

more manageable 4/5

Moisturising 3/5
Smell 3/5
Value 4/5

You can find the VO5 Moisture Soak Hot Oil Treatment in boots.

What are your favourite moisturising hair products? 

Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream: Review

This is one of the best hand creams that I have ever tried. Firstly let me tell you it smells amazing, once applied you will have your nose in your hands for the rest of the day. It has that classic Caudalie expensive grape smell, with a little orange twist added in.

I have really dry hands and I’m always worried that they will soon look older then I actually am, so I like that this hand cream is also an anti-aging treatment. What I love most about this cream is that it is so moisturising but not sticky or greasy. I hate the feeling of not being able to do anything with my hands because they feel so greasy after applying hand cream.

Not only does it moisturise my hands but it also makes my nails look shiny. I used this cream after taking off my fake nails, and it made my nails and cuticles looked so healthy.

For those of you will allergies all Caudalie products are paraben free. 

You can get this for £10.80 from feelunique, it is not the cheapest hand cream in the world but I definitely think it is worth it if you are looking for a really great luxury hand cream. 

Price- 3/5

Smell- 5/5

Moisturising- 5/5 

Non greasy consistency- 5/5

Have you tried this? What did you think of it? What are your favourite hand creams?  

17, Supreme Shine Lipstick, All About the Sass: Swatches and review

This is a hot blue toned pink lipstick, that can be worn sheer or you can build it up to be quite bright. The formula is quite nice, it applies really nicely onto the lips it doesn’t drag and it leaves a slightly glossy finish, but they are no where near as shiny and glossy and the mirror shine lipsticks.

The colour payoff is quite nice, and you can add quite a few layers to build up the colour without it falling into the cracks of your lips or collecting at the side of your mouth. The colour itself lasts on me for about 3 hours before I have to reapply, (and that’s without eating for drinking).

Swatch with one coat

The packaging is better then the mirror shine lipsticks the lid doesn’t open as easily so you shouldn’t find it opening up in your bag. However it attracts dust and fingerprints really easily so it can end up looking really dirty.

Overall I think it’s a nice lipstick to get if you’re looking for cute summer colours that aren’t drying, priced at £4.99 you can’t go wrong. I think for me personally I prefer the 17 mirror shine lipsticks, just for the glossy factor.

What you tried any 17 lipsticks? Which ones are your favourite?

What's in my Travel Makeup Bag

I really enjoy reading these posts to see what makeup items are essential to someone when travelling, so I thought I’d do my own post. I have been enjoying having good skin days recently so I haven’t been wearing too much makeup, so these are really my essentials I have been travelling with when I pop home for the weekend.

Collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer, Revlon Colorburst lipbutter, L'Oreal waterproof Telescopic mascara, no7 eyelash curler, L'Oreal gel intenza eyeliner, Bobbi Brown corrector, Maxfactor  Flawless perfection Blush, Mayelline color tatoo 24hr, Anatomicals never lose your cherry lipbalm

I have very straight thick eyelashes so an eyelash curler is and waterproof mascara is essential for me to hold the curl. With normal mascaras my eyelashes will drop within 2hours of applying it. I really like the telescopic mascara, it makes my eyelashes really long, however you don’t get much volume with this wand so I’d recommend using it in conjunction with volumising mascara if you want a more volumised look.

L'Oreal Gel Intenza Eyeliner and brush

I have been loving the L’Oreal gel eyeliner, especially the brush that comes with it. It is really great for creating the doll eyed look that Zooey Deschanel often has. You can use the tip to get a really fine line and turn it on its side to get a thicker line in the center of your lashline. 

Maxfactor, Flawless Perfection Blush, 225 Mulberry

I actually really love this blush on my skin tone, it gives such a pretty glow with a sheer wash of colour and it blends so well. It can be a little powdery but nothing I can't work with. 

Overall I haven’t been carrying too much makeup around with me recently, whilst I am in the process of moving back home now that university is over these items have become my essentials I always keep with me wherever I stay.

What are you essential makeup items? 

St. Ives, Elements, Microdermabrasion Scrub: Review

I've had this scrub for over a year and I can't believe it has taken me so long to do a review on it. First of all let me say I love this scrub!!

The Claims: The micro-fine mineral crystals are meant to smooth away dead skin and reveal younger looking skin. It feels like you are rubbing sand on your face, but before you say that sounds too harsh for me, imagine ultra fine white sand found only on a luxury beach gently buffing away any dead flaky skin you have and leaving behind baby soft skin. That is what it feels like. 

I often suffer from extremely flaky skin, not really sensitive just flaky and often I find that makeup can just build up around the flaky patches, making them show up more. This scrub removes all signs of this so effortlessly and makeup will sit perfectly on my skin after using it. 

I have found that you really don't need much of this product a little goes a long away, it is a gel like formula with a lot of ultra fine crystals and spread across the skin easily, so you really get your moneys worth. The only down side to it is there are so many crystals you really have to make sure you wash them all off, often I'll find some crystals afterwards when I am trying to apply cream and it can get very scratchy on the skin. 

I haven't tried any kind of microdermabrasion treatments so I could not tell you how they compare, but as a scrub, I think it is really great.

I can't remember the price of this as I bought it so long ago, but I think it was quite a reasonable price so if you're looking for something to really scrub away your dry skin, I'd definitely recommend giving this a try.

What are your must have skin care items? 

no7, Beautiful Skin | Day cream, Normal/dry: Review

I’ve been searching for a reasonably priced face cream for a while. I tried the dramatically different moisturising lotion and the benefit triple performance facial emulation (partly because of the packaging) and found they just weren’t moisturising enough for me.

I had a no7 voucher a while back and thought I’d give the beautiful skin day cream for normal/dry skin a whorl and I have to say I love this! It provides me with the perfect amount of moisture and stinks into the skin really fast; I don’t have that greasy feeling for ages afterwards. It is SPF 15 so I don’t feel about going outside and catching a bit of sun during the day. 

They do a similar cream for normal to oily skin, which I have tried, it is a much thinner consistency and it spreads around the skin easily. I would recommend it for those with slightly more oily skin.

The scent is not great; it smells a lot like baby powder, however I don’t mind too much about this, as I like the product itself and the smell doesn’t last long when applied to the face.

The packaging is pretty, but a bit of a waste. It is one of those creams that give the illusion of more product, which is really more glass then anything else. It is not ideal for travelling. Nevertheless the product inside is lovely and it is one of the better creams I have tried recently. For my skin I adore the product. With a £5 off no7 voucher it was only £8.50, which I think is a great price for the cream inside. 

Price- 4/5 £12.50 normal price for 50ml

Product- 5/5 does what it says on the tin

Smell- 2/5

Packaging- 3/5

Available in Boots 


What's your favourite face cream? 

Lipstick Review: Revlon Lip Butters and L'oreal Rouge Caresse lipstick

I have wanted to try the revlon lip butters for a long time now so I was so excited when they came to the U.K. As soon as they were available I popped into boots and found myself swatching them all over my hands. Since it was 3 for 2 at boots I ended up getting two revlon lip butters and I thought I'd also try the new L'oreal rouge caresse lipsticks.

I only have one lip butter to show you, I left the other one at uni, I'll have swatches up in another post. But the first one I picked up was the colour lollipop. 

It's a sort of raspberry pink lipstick. I love the colour it is so bold. I do think you need a mirror to apply it though, as the colour is very bright. Whilst I love the colour I can not help but feel a little disappointed. I liked this colour, however the rest of the range was not that great. I thought they would be more moisturising after hearing all the raves about it last year. They aren't cheap and the lipstick seems to wear down very easily so I wouldn't press too hard when applying it. Never the less the colour is amazing and I think it will be lovely to wear this spring and summer. 

The L'oreal rouge caresse lipstick stole surprised me. It was everything I wanted the Revlon lip butter to be. A gorgeous spring colour with flecks of gold glitter in it, the formular is quite sheer on my lips however as my lips are natural quite pigmented, on the lipstick it does look quite red but on the lips it transfers quite pink. The best thing about them is that they are very moisturising and very easy to apply. With this I do not need a mirror. It makes my lips look shiny and glossy. Oh and did I mention the packaging is so cute. I have the colour Aphrodite Scarlet and I love it. However this was the only colour I liked, the other colours were a little too light for my skin tone. 

Revlon LipButter: Lollipop
Priced at: £7.99

Value: 7/10

Colour:10/10 

Moisturising factor: 6/10

L'oreal Rouge Caresse: Aphrodite Scarlet
Priced at: £7.99

Value: 7/10

Colour: 9/10

Moisturising factor: 8/10

If you want a really great moisturising lipstick that is cheap to you can't go wrong with 17 mirror shine lipstick. The packaging is not as nice as these two and the colour range isn't the best but they have some nice colours and they are very moisturising. 

What's your favourite lipstick right now? 

Spring Outfit Of The Day

I'm back after a long break with a spring outfit. This is just a casual outfit, that I wore last week to Uni. In the sprit of warmer weather I ditched the coat and jumpers and wore something a bit brighter.

My top is a casual cream top with neon orange strips across it. Can you believe it was on sale in gap for only £5!! Bargin right there. I have already got a lot of use out of it.

I'm wearing some very old zara acid wash jeans. They are a bit long for me so I did have to roll them up at the end, but I love the gem detailing on the back pocket. My shoes are just flats from primark.

Hope you're all having a fun easter break!

Next, Just Pink, Eau de Toilette: Review

If you are looking for a bargin scent then this is for you. The scent is very sweet and florally, it is called Just Pink so I wouldn't expect it to smell anything other then very girlie. It is quite a strong scent at first but it does get lighter. It is great to carry around in your handbag to just refresh your scent in the middle of the day. I think it would make a great first perfume, for those of you looking for presents for young teens.

I did buy this a few months ago, since then they have changed the bottle to a really cute heart shaped one, however I can't smell any difference in the smell. It has lasted me quite a while so I'd definitely say it is worth the money. It is £6.50 for 30ml. I would say it is a simple smell, don't expect it to smell like a £50 bottle of perfume with lots of layers of amazing scents. However to carry around with you, and to keep at work for emergencies it is a great little scent to have and the gift sets make a great present for someone. The smell is just simply nice.

17, Hide & chic, Eye brightening concealer review

I received this in my freshers pack last week, which I thought was nice of Boots to give this away.  However the only colour they gave away was light beige which is a bit useless for me as I am quite tanned. I went into boots and they only had 3 colours and none of them really suited me which was a bit disappointing.

Never the less I did try it. On the packaging it does say "disguise tired eyes to fake that morning fresh glow!" I didn't find that it covered up my dark circles or bags and I did find the formula slightly hard to blend into my skin (I found it to be quite drying). I think it might be better to highlight your cheek bones however as a concealer it doesn't do much.

It was still nice of Boots to give it away for free, it was a good idea especially for after freshers week.

Fresher Essentials

Packing for uni? If you’re about to be a fresher and are wondering what to pack, here’s a few things I think you may want to bring with you.

For your room
A sleeping bag (if your mate comes to stay)
A door stop (when you get to your room, keep your door open so people can come in and say hello, a great way to meet people)

Something to be your dirty washing in

A poster for your wall and some pictures of friends and family (your room is going to be boring and ugly so you may want some things to brighten up the walls)

For the Kitchen

Extra cutlery (You will loose these and run out of forks very quickly so you will be glad when you have spare)

A toastie machine 

Random things

A permanent marker pen (to label your things and you’ll probably need it for bar crawls)

A few passport photos, they may come in handy

Your high school tie (there will be a night where you will dress up as a school girl/boy and you will need your tie trust me)

Berocca (you will get fresher’s flu or have a hang over and you will need this)

Your first year will probably be the best year of your life, so remember to enjoy yourself and be open to new things. 

Slightly embarrassing picture of me after playing a prank on my flatmate, first year.

My Barry M Nail Paint Collection

I have collected a few Barry M Nail Paints over the years and I thought I'd share my thoughts on them.

I Have 10 different colours which does include the black nail effects nail paint, and I also have their all in one base coat, top coat, and nail hardener. I bought my first Barry M nail paint about 5 years ago. The dark brown one called chocolate, which is still one of my favourites. It really does make my nails look like they have been dipped in Dairy Milk. The nail polish is still in great condition it, it has not dried up at all.

They are really good value for money and I have never been disappointed with any of the colours I have bought. They are all very much true to their colours on the bottle. My favourite colour is called Raspberry. It is a beautiful classic crimson colour. This really only needs one coat and the formular is great, so even with my right hand (I am left handed) I don't get any brush marks or uneven colouring. I only wish the names of the paints were a bit more fun.

Navy, Vivid Purple. Raspberry, Chocolate Brown

Mushroom, Mint Green, Blue Moon, Blueberry, Bright Pink

The all in one base, top and nail hardener can be a bit thick and does take a while to dry. I think I would prefer if it was just a base and top coat, my nails are quite strong already. 

Whats your favourite Barry M Nail Paint?
 Thanks for stopping by xox

Ciaté Paint Pots: The Prettiest Jar of Nail Polish

I've wanted to try the Ciate paint pots for a while now but £9 a pot is a bit pricey for me at the moment (saving for my holiday to Rome). The pots are so cute.
  So when a fellow blogger who has an amazing blog (L'Amour Lauran) posted that they were given a pot away for free in this months Marie Claire I was so excited. I managed to find one with the colour My Fair Lady, which I don't think you can buy from their website. It is a very nude pinky colour, which does come out quite sheer, you do have to put on a couple of coats to get the colour. It applied really nicely but the best thing about the Ciate paints pots is definitely the packaging. I would quite happily have this on display next to my trinket boxes and other random pretty things.

I just love the names of their nail polishes, my favourite colour which I am definitely getting next when I have some money Ditch the Heels, a wonderfully bright emerald green. 

Whats your favourite nail polish?

  

Picnic in the Park

It was a beautiful day yesterday so we planned to go on a picnic in Regents park. By the time we got there the heat was slightly unbearable, so we found a nice little spot to lay down to our blanket under a tree near some pretty yellow roses. We took a pack of cards and I become very good at playing black jack. How have you been enjoying this weather?

Picnic Essentials: Anti-bacterial hand gel
Napkins
A Blanket
Sunscreen
A Pack of Cards
Plenty of Food and Wine (not essential for everyone)

I Wish I Could Wear One of Elie Saab's Dresses

Elie Saab has climbed into my brain and brought my dream dresses to life. I wish I could wear all his of dresses from his haute couture show this year. The models looked like goddess' floating along the runway in their almost angel like gowns. The dresses looked so floaty and free yet the embroidery is so delicate and stunning. The designs are perfect for an hour glass figure to show off that tiny waist and those curvy hips.

Here are some of his stunning creations.

Pictures are taken from vogue.co.uk

A Little Bit TRESemme Obsessed

I was looking at my hair care products today and I realised I've become a little bit TRESemme obsessed. Some of these things I've had for a while but some of them I recently bought because it is on offer right now.

I'll start off with the product I've had for the longest, this huge tub of Thermal Recovery. It is a deep conditioning treatment, it is amazing and makes my hair so soft and silky. My hair is quite dry and this is a god send, if you have dry damaged or frizzy hair I'd really recommend this. It is a big tub so it will last you a while.

Next my Volume and Life Mousse. I use this when blow drying to give my hair an extra lift because it is quite thick and heavy, it needs all the help it can get that volumised look. This product is okay, it gets the job done, but it's nothing special. 


I run out of shampoos and conditioners so quickly (I just have too much hair), but my TRESemme shampoos seem to last a bit longer. I have the Colour Thrive shampoo and conditioner for Brunette hair. I only have this because my mum has dyed her hair a chocolate brown colour and she wants to keep her hair colour for as long as possible. But this shampoo and conditioner does make my hair so shiny and soft and it does bring out the brown tones in my hair which is always nice.

The iron style and hold spray does make my hair easier to style with heat. It does make my hair a bit smoother and gives it a bit of a glossy shine. You can use it on both wet and dry hair. I bought this from Boots and even though it is over £5 right now you can get 2 products for £5 from Tresemme no matter what the price. So I ended up getting this Salon Shine spray with Moroccan Argan Oil in it. This a nice, but again nothing special it makes my hair shiny and tames down my fly aways, but the heat styling spray gives me a bit of shine anyway so I wouldn't say, RUSH OUT AND BUY THIS. 

Things I would Recommend to a Friend

This is my second bar of Rock Star soap from Lush. I love the smell, it's so sweet and stays on your skin for a long time. The fact that this soap is vegan is a huge plus for me. 

I Love this gold colour from this Clinique colour surge eye shadow duo in Beach plum. It is a really pretty colour to just put all over the lid, its easy you can just use your finger and it will give such a pretty glow to your eye lids. 

This is the Sweet as Candy trio from Wet n Wild's coloricon collection. I love all these colours together and separately. They are super soft and are pretty on all skin tones. I couldn't find any shops that sold Wet n Wild eye shadows in the U.K. I bought this trio on ebay.

I've always loved Accessorize jewellery. This is my favourite charm bracelet I have from there, I wear it all the time. A lot of the pieces are really delicate and pretty. They now have 10% discount with a NUS card too!

This nail polish is called superstar, shade 5 by Accessorize. Their metallic colours are gorgeous and they dry really quickly.  This shade has reflexes of purple in there as well.