Project bathroom update- May

After my last project bathroom update, I made a real effort to stick to just one product at a time, and as a result, I've managed to finish 8 full sized items in 2 months, which I'm quite pleased about:

Liz Earle botanical shine shampoo
Mitchum unperfumed deodrant
Aveeno hand cream with colloidal oatmeal
The Body Shop earth lovers watermelon and eucalyptus shower gel
Burts Bees shea & grapefruit deep conditioner
Biotherm aquasource skin perfection moisturiser
Tresemme dry shampoo for normal to oily hair
Lush sea vegetable soap (not pictured)

Rather annoyingly, I have several products with just a few applications left, including an eye cream which seems never ending, but hopefully they'll get used up soon and I'll have finished even more products the next time I do a project bathroom update.

Are you also doing something similar? If so how are you getting on?

MAXfactor foundation brush review

At a recent Maxfactor event, I was given this foundation brush to try out, and having used it for the last few weeks, I much prefer it to my fingers for foundation application.

The brush feels soft and non-scratchy against my skin, but the bristles are firm enough to give me control over the application. I usually dab small amounts of foundation onto an area of my skin, then blend together using short strokes for a flawless finish.

Compared to using my fingers, the brush is quicker, more hygenic and blends better, so I'm less likely to over apply and end up looking cakey.

My only complaint is that the brush gets clogged up easily, so I need to wash it every 2-3 days, but the bristles are fast drying, and if I wash it in the evening, its ready to use again the next morning.

Clogging aside, I really am impressed with this foundation brush, it gives an even finish, doesn't shed, is quick drying and keeps it's shape after washing- a great new addition to my make up routine.

Have you tried any of the MAXfactor make up brushes? What do you use to apply foundation?

Sleek make up giveaway

Sleek seems to be one of the most talked about brands in the UK, so for this giveaway I thought I'd include a selection of their eyeshadows and a lipstick:

i-Divine eyeshadow palette in Chaos
Eye dust in Innocence
Eye dust in Ooh baby
True colour lipstick in Amped

For your chance to win simply be a follower of this blog and leave me a comment telling me what your favourite Sleek product is or which product you'd most like to try.

The giveaway is open to both UK and international
readers and will close at midnight on 26th June.

Good luck!

GlossyBox

The latest beauty hype to hit the UK - for a £10 monthly subscription fee, GlossyBox will deliver a selection of 5 high end mini to full sized products straight to your door:

NARS orgasm illuminator (30ml- full size)

Bionova Lab Bioactive cleanser for normal/dry skin (4ml)
All for Eve Eve red lipstick (full size)
COMO Shambhala invigorate body lotion (50ml)
Alterna Caviar anti-ageing rapid repair spray for hair (25ml)

When I first heard about GlossyBox, I did wonder about the size of the items, but I needn't have worried, as apart from the cleanser, they are all generously sized, and based on RRP the value of each box far exceeds £10!

Overall, I think it's a beautifully packaged and luxurious parcel to receive, and as long as you're not too fussy and don't mind surprises, then it's definitely worth the £10 subscription fee.

Did you order a GlossyBox this month? Which product are you most excited about?

Elemis freshskin peachy perfect gentle face wash

In the mornings, I like to use a face wash to gently clean and refresh my skin and my current cleaner of choice is the new Freshskin one from Elemis, which is specially designed for twenty-something year olds like myself:

I'd describe it as a gel texture, which foams up really well on contact with water, so you only need a tiny bit each time. The face wash has a subtle leafy scent, and it rinses away easily water to leave my skin feeling cleansed yet hydrated.

Like the Neutrogena, it comes with a pump for ease of use, but with the addition of a lid, which makes it more travel friendly.

At £12, it is more expensive than an high street face wash, but its SLS and paraben free, plus you only need a tiny bit each time, so I would happily recommend, especially if you have normal to combination skin.

Have you tried any of the skincare products from Elemis? What's your favourite facewash?

NOTD- RMK white blue

A pastel blue colour with hints of mint green. Like the white purple shade, 2 coats were needed for an even colour, but it dries to a glossy finish and its infused with a subtle shimmer which looks super pretty in the sunshine.

I'm still undecided about blue and green nail varnishes, but of the few that I've tried, this is by far the prettiest one. The colour reminds me of a paler version of the famous Tiffany boxes and the subtle shimmer is just beautiful.

Have you tried any of the RMK nail varnishes? What are you currently wearing on your nails?

Giveaway winner

Firstly thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway, I loved reading about your must have product for Spring/Summer - sunscreen and tinted moisturiser certainly proved to be popular!

So after numbering all the valid comments, I used random.org to select the winner.

And the winner is...Ellis from EllyBellyBaybee!

Congratulations Ellis- Can you please email or DM me your address by 20th May and I'll get your prize posted asap.

Thanks again to everyone for entering and don't worry if you didn't win this time as I'll be hosting another giveaway next week.

Product rave- VO5 miracle concentrate

VO5 have recently revamped their entire range, and one of my favourite new additions is the miracle concentrate, a leave in hair oil which contains the much raved about Argan oil.

The oil has a nice nutty scent and a little bit goes a long way so you only need a few drops per application. I usually apply it to the ends of my hair whilst it's still damp and because it's so light, it gets absorbed straight away, so doesn't leave my hair feeling greasy or limp.

The product comes with a dropper but it isn't drip proof, so I'd recommend not having too much product in there, as that makes it easier to control.

Admitedly my hair isn't particularly damaged, but whenever I use this, my hair feels so silky and smooth, as if I'd just used a deep conditioning mask, and I love the idea that the argan oil is conditioning the ends of my hair between washes.

Have you tried any of the new VO5 products? What are your favourite conditioning treatments for your hair?

Clinique bottom lash mascara review

If like me, you struggle to apply mascara to your bottom lashes, then this is a must have product for your make up collection.

It comes in a really cute silver tube, and has a 1cm tapered brush, which makes it much easier to get to the bottom lashes and coat them with mascara. The smaller brush gives a more precise application and defines my lashes without getting mascara all over my skin. It can sometimes form small clumps if I've been a bit heavy handed but they are easily removed with a clean mascara wand.

As you can see from the photo, it really helps to darken and separate my lower lashes and whenever I use this, my eyes look more defined and awake. Best of all, it's totally smudge and flake resistant, so looks as good at the end of the day as it does when first applied in the morning.

Have you tried any of the Clinique mascaras? Do you also struggle to apply mascara to your lower lashline?

MAC's red carpet masterclass and beauty tips for photos

Last night, I was lucky enough to attend a masterclass with 2 of MAC's senior make up artists, Lynsey Alexander and Neil Young, who gave us lots of make up tips and demonstrated 2 red carpet looks on the models.


Now most of us won't be walking down the red carpet anytime soon, but everyone wants to look their best in photos, so I thought I'd share some of their top tips:

Face:
When concealing, choose something that's similar in texture to your foundation, otherwise it can look patchy on camera.

For blusher application, the apples of your cheeks will give you a youthful glow, high on the cheeks a more feminine sophiscated look and near the cheek bones a more masculine stronger look.

Medium deep MSF natural is a good contour colour, but always soften the edges with something like a 188 brush.

Bronzer under the chin helps to give it more defintion and lessen the look of a double chin in photos.

Don't forget to highlight the collarbone, and the centre of the arms and legs for a slimmer look and to match the face.

If you are prone to redness, then anti-histamines can really help to keep them at bay and reduce the need for more make up.

(sultry eyes with constructivist paint pot & shy girl lipstick)

Eyes:
For blonds, omega is a good colour for the eyebrows, but whatever colour you use, always work it into the hair for a more natural look and set with a gel to keep the hairs in place.

Avoid very dark smokey eyes, as flash photography will make it look too harsh against the skin.

With eyeshadow, the closer it is to the brows and the lower it is under the bottom lashline, the more sultry it'll look.

For a softer look, keep a concealer brush handy to blend eyeshadow into the skin.

(statement lips & eyes with show orchid lipstick & individual lashes)

Lips:
If you're applying a neutral lip colour, a sheer wash of select moisturecover concealer before lipstick helps to tone down the natural redness of the lips.

With strong colours, use a brush to really work it into the lips and to give it a cleaner finish.

Overall it was a thoroughly enjoyable and informative evening. I picked up lots of tips on how to contour and apply eye make up, which I shall be putting to good use, and thanks to Lynsey, I am now seriously lusting after MAC's strobe cream and shy girl lipstick!

What are you top tips for looking good in photos? Which red carpet look do you like best?

Naked care mild shampoo review

A few weeks ago, my Liz Earle shampoo ran out, and after just a few uses of normal shampoo, my scalp was a mess, so in desperation I popped into Boots and picked up a bottle of Naked sensitive shampoo. I'd previously tried their volumising shampoo and wasn't impressed, but I'm pleased to say this one is a lot nicer.

As it's SLS free, it doesn't foam up as much as a normal shampoo, but as long as my hair is soaking wet and I work the product into my hair, I still get a decent amount of foam and it leaves my hair feeling nice and clean.

My biggest problem with their volumising shampoo was that it left my hair feeling stripped and tangled, but this one is more moisturising, so although it rinses away easily, I'm still left with soft shiny hair. Best of all, it's completely soothed my scalp.

At £4.07 this is one of the cheapest SLS free shampoos available, and it is easily available on the high street so I would definitely recommend, especially if you suffer from a sensitive or irritated scalp.

Have you tried any products from Naked? What's your favourite SLS free shampoo?