August Empties

I've never done an empties post before, basically because I've never had enough empties to justify a post! Here's what I used up this month and whether I will re-purchase:

Nivea Double Effect 48H Anti-perspirant Deodrant 150ml - £2.00

I flit between deodrants depending on what's on special offer, but I find myself buying this one the most. It has a nice smell (not too powdery!) and just works!

Re-purchase? Probably!

Dermalogica Dermal Clay Cleanser 250ml - £19.70 (online price)

I've been using this cleanser for years and I love it. It's not cheap but lasts for ages! It's recommended for oily skin and makes it feel squeaky clean without being drying. It contains ingredients such as cucumber, menthol and sage to soothe and revitalise.

Re-purchase? Yes I already have!

Lush Cosmetic Warrior Fresh Face Mask 75g - £5.95

I love the fact that this contains lots of natural ingredients to help banish breakouts, such as honey, eggs and garlic. However it made some areas of my face a little dry, so I'm not sure if it's quite the right mask for me. Full review here.

Re-purchase? I will definitely buy another Lush face mask - but will ask for advice this time before buying. So... maybe.

Girlz Only Dry Shampoo in Party Nights 150ml - £1.50

I've been using this instead of Batiste and find it works just as well, plus it's cheaper! This one has a subtle fruity fragrance and leaves no white, powdery residue. Full review here.

Re-purchase? Yes - I've already bought Dawn til Dusk, which has a citrus fragrance.

Dermalogica Active Moist 50ml - £22.25 (online price)

This moisturiser is oil free and keeps my skin nicely hydrated. It's really lightweight and doesn't feel at all heavy or greasy. 

Re-purchase? Yes I already have!

Dermalogica Skin Prep Scrub 22ml - worth roughly £5.73 (only sold as part of a kit)

This scrub contains natural corn cob meal and is meant to de-clog, polish and soothe the skin. I agree with the first two... However recently it's started to feel a little harsh on my skin, so I've decided to try something else and have ordered Vichy Purete Thermale Detoxifying Exfoliating Cream to try instead!

Re-purchase? No.

Pro:Voke Touch of Silver Daily Maintenance Shampoo 200ml - £2.09  

I love this stuff! It's a purple shampoo that I use to target the highlighted blonde tones in my hair. It definitely helps to keep the colour for longer, whilst keeping it soft and healthy! I also use the matching conditioner.

Re-purchase? Yes.

Witch Anti-Blemish Liquid Concealer in Light - £6.99

I use this oil free concealer on my spots, as I love the fact that it treats and conceals at the same time! It provides really good coverage and can also be used on dark circles. Full review here.

Re-purchase? Yes - but it's out of stock in Boots at the moment, so I'll have to wait!

What have you used up this month?

Beauty Bird xx

Review: Lush Cosmetic Warrior Fresh Face Mask

I went into Lush last month for the first time in years, based on another blogger favourite - Lush fresh face masks. I didn't even realise before this that Lush did skincare products, shame on me!! 

I have combination skin, which is spot prone particularly on my T-zone. I spent ages looking at the face masks on offer and decided to settle on Cosmetic Warrior. I chose this because it's designed for spot prone skin and contains lots of great sounding natural ingredients, including garlic and tea tree oil (natural antiseptics), free range eggs (to tighten the texture of the skin and help regulate sebum), grapes (to clean and cool) and honey (softens, moisturises and is anti-microbal - so kills bacteria). As with the rest of the fresh face mask range, this 75g pot has to be kept in the fridge and has should be used within a month. 

The blurb:

"This gentle face mask combats spots and soothes troubled skins... Use it to banish breakouts."

There's no getting away from it, this face mask STINKS. The garlic and tea tree oil smell hits you instantly when you open the pot but becomes less strong as the mask dries. However, ever in the search of clear skin, I willingly put up with it!! Thankfully the smell also doesn't linger after it's been washed off.

Cosmetic Warrior has a very thick formula with little pieces of grape mixed in throughout. Lush recommends applying a generous layer and leaving it on for 5 to 10 minutes, before washing off with warm water. No pictures of it on my face unfortunately - but I did think I looked quite funny with pieces of grape randomly dotted about my face!

After using this for a month I found that leaving this on for 10 minutes was too strong for me and the next day I would have random dry patches on my face. Reducing it down to 5 minutes meant that I didn't have this problem so much though. When it comes to spots I found that Cosmetic Warrior did make them less red and ever so slightly reduced in size. Whether it banishes spots in the long term I don't know, I think I'd need to use this for a few more months to be able to make this judgement. 

The Verdict

I will definitely be going back and buying another face mask from Lush - whether it's this one I'm not sure. I think next time I will talk to a sales assistant and see what they recommend based on my skin type and experience with this particular mask. But if you have very oily skin and suffer with spots then I would recommend trying this, as long as you can put up with the smell! 

Cosmetic Warrior is £5.95 and can be viewed on Lush's website here.

Have you tried any Lush fresh face masks? Which one is your favourite?

Beauty Bird xx

My Current Top 5 Makeup Products Under £5.00

Collection 2000 Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner £2.99

I love my liquid eyeliner for nights out and after using this I'm a felt tip liner convert! I find it much easier to achieve a straight line and create flicks with this. Full review here.

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair £4.19

This is a recent discovery for me, thanks to the bloggersphere! It provides great coverage on dark circles and imperfections without going cakey. Full review to come.

MUA Undressed Palette £4.00

It was a close call between this and Maybelline Color Tattoo, but I'm getting a lot more wear out of the Undressed Palette at the moment. For under £5.00 you get twelve fab eyeshadows (plus a brush) that are strikingly similar to the Urban Decay Naked Palette. Full review here.

E.L.F Eyelid Primer in Sheer £1.50

I can't believe how well this works for the price - it extends the wear of my eyeshadow considerably. I can't believe I never used a primer before this! Full review here.

The Body Shop Born Lippy Stick Lip Balm in Pomegranate £3.00

This red-dy orange tinted lip balm smells delicious, leaves a subtle wash of colour on the lips and contains Beeswax, keeping my lips soft and moisturised. I also have it in Lychee. Full review here.

What are your favourite makeup products under £5.00?

Beauty Bird xx

Review: Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara (Tatler Freebie)

This month Tatler magazine is giving away a free mini (2ml) Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara in Noir Midnight. The full size version retails at £21.00, so spending £4.10 on Tatler is a much cheaper way of trying out this high end mascara. This is a relatively new release from Lancome, marketed with the rather cute Betty Boop. 

The blurb:

"Lancome reveals the secret to show stopping eyes: our double sided brush combined with the black diamond effect shade gives the look of intense volume and curve for spectacular eyes."

Flat side

Rounded side

The double sided brush did confuse me at first - I was thinking, what do I do with this? Basically the brush is flat with rounded sides. Lancome recommend using the flat part of the brush to apply the mascara to the roots of the lashes, then using the rounded side to work the mascara up from the roots to the tips in a zigzag movement. I did think, can I really be bothered to faff around doing it this way?

The brush itself is great in that it doesn't seem to come out of the tube covered in excess mascara. I did find that when applying the flat side to the roots of my lashes I got mascara on my upper waterline, which was a bit of a pain. Maybe that's user error though, I'm not sure!! The rounded side works the product up through lashes really well, giving them great volume and curl. However in places I did get a little bit of clumping and needed to use my mascara wand. However the end result I think is fantastic!

The curl lasted all day, so massive brownie points to Lancome! I have quite long but very flat lashes, so a mascara that holds a curl is quite hard to find for me. 

Now my current favourite mascara is Benefit They're Real (I've previously described it as my holy grail mascara), so how does it compare? I think the effect is pretty much the same, both give fantastic volume and curl. However Benefit still comes out on top for me - at the end of the day I don't have to mess around with two different sides of a brush to achieve the desired effect, I don't have to de-clump with a mascara wand at all and it's cheaper at £18.50 compared to £21.00 for Lancome Hypnose Star. 

The Verdict

I really do think Lancome Hypnose Star is a fab mascara (I don't think I'd expect any less from this brand to be honest!), but I won't be buying the full size version. I'll be sticking with my beloved Benefit for now! However I really would recommend hitting Tesco or W H Smith before the end of the month and spending less than £5.00 on Tatler to try the mini version. 

Is this a freebie you plan to pick up or already have? What are your thoughts?

Beauty Bird xx

NOTD: Popping My Essie Cherry

About a month or so ago I bought my first ever Essie nail varnish! It was blogging that bought my attention to this brand. I wasn't quite sure what all the fuss was about with Essie - until I came across their stand and instantly fell in love with the amazing range of colours available! But at £8.00 each, I was sensible and picked up just one bottle... the absolutely gorgeous Lapis of Luxury. It is described as a dreamy, ocean blue and makes me think of some exotic beach location (take me there please?). 

Unfortunately when I applied this I only had time to apply one coat, but you will see from the pictures that you still get good coverage from it - though I really would recommend two as there were a few thin patches on a couple of my nails. 

I can see why Essie is such a raved about brand. It is a dream to apply - the large brush and thick formula makes it effortless. It also dries surprisingly quickly - my left hand was dry to the touch by the time I'd finished my right hand. I will definitely be going back to add more Essie to my nail varnish collection very soon, the problem is choosing which colour next!! 

What's your favourite Essie colour?

Beauty Bird xx

Revlon Colorstay Mineral Blush for Sale (The Hunt for a New Blusher Continues...)

**ITEM NOW SOLD**

I'm currently using Jane Iredale Pure Pressed Blush in Parfait, which I love. It's a pressed mineral blush and doesn't contain talc, which is an ingredient that makes me break out in spots really bad if I use it in on my face daily. However it costs £17.35 from the website I use and I've set myself the challenge of replacing it with a similar yet cheaper item when it runs out.

After much searching on Google, I came across this blusher, which I have for sale - Revlon Colorstay Mineral Blush in 020 Petal. It's a very lovely dusky pink, which is exactly the sort of shade I was looking for. This blush hasn't been released in the UK yet, so you can see the American Walmart sticker on it in the picture! I bought it without knowing the ingredients, but as it was mineral I assumed it wouldn't contain talc. However when I received it I looked straight away at the ingredients and was disappointed to discover that it does contain talc. Sad face.

I'm selling this blusher for £3.50 including postage. It's brand new and unopened, I didn't even bother swatching it. It also contains a little brush. If you would like to buy this blush please comment below to say you do, leaving your email address so I can contact you. (The sale will go to the first comment!) Payment by Paypal only. 

Also if you can recommend a talc free, pressed mineral blusher (me and loose powders just don't mix well - cue spillage!), similar to the shade I currently use below, please let me know! I'm looking to spend under £15.00, ideally around £10.00.

My current blusher - Jane Iredale Pure Pressed Blush in Parfait

Thank you!

Beauty Bird xx

Beauty Wishlist #2

It's been awhile since I've done a wishlist post, mainly because I didn't know how to create the collage picture!! My boyfriend did the last one on Photoshop, but although he showed me how to do it, it just won't stay in my head! So I've used Paint instead and I don't think I've done half bad... I hope!

So here's what's on my wishlist right now:

Top row

Vichy Dermablend Dermasmooth Corrective Foundation 30ml in Opal

This is to replace my Cover FX foundation, which I really love, but costs £37.00! You can get this for about £13.00 online, so it's loads cheaper! This Vichy foundation is oil free and non-acnegenic, so perfect for my spot prone skin. The coverage is meant to be fantastic and it can also be used on dark circles. Opal is the lightest shade, though it's not actually that light. However when I swatched it in store it seemed to blend really well. 

Vichy Purete Thermale Detoxifying Exfoliating Cream 75ml

Again, this is to replace a more expensive product that I currently use, which is Dermalogica Skin Prep Scrub. This Vichy exfoliator claims to unclog the skin without dryness or irritation, containing ingredients such as Vichy Thermal Spa Water and Vitamin E. 

Real Techniques Core Collection

I want, want, want this set so much! Every blog post I've read on them has raved about them. In this set you get a 2 in 1 case and stand, a detailer brush, pointed foundation brush, buffing brush and contour brush. 

Bottom row

Lush Marilyn Hair Treatment 225g

This is a "pre-wash treatment for blondes who want brighter, lighter hair". It contains lemon and chamomile for brightness, and keeps blonde hair from going brassy. The tub isn't massive but I really want to see if this does what it says on the tub!

EOS Lip Balm in Summer Fruit

I'm obsessed with lip balms right now and I have to try this cute sphere shaped balm! It's available in a range of gorgeous sounding flavours, is 100% natural and contains Vitamin E, shea butter and jojoba oil. 

bareMinerals Prime Time Foundation Primer 30ml

I spotted this on a blog post but can't remember who's blog unfortunately! It claims to combat rough patches, flaky dryness, fine lines, excess oil, uneven texture and enlarged pores "so that your foundation goes on flawlessly". Sounds amazing to me!! 

I'm also after a cuticle butter but can't decide between Lush Lemony Flutter and Burts Bees - what would you recommend ladies?

What's on your beauty wishlist right now? Have you tried any of these products?

Beauty Bird xx

FREE Lancome Mascara with Tatler!

At the weekend I picked up, for the first time ever, Tatler magazine - with very good reason! Their September edition comes with a FREE mini Lancome Hypnose Star mascara in Noir Midnight! This is the sort of brand I wouldn't normally splash out on without very good reason (or spare cash!), so this freebie is the perfect opportunity to give something new a try! Tatler costs £4.10 and the mascara is 2ml in size. The full size product (unfortunately the exact size isn't stated on their website) is worth £21.00.

What Lancome say about their Hypnose Star mascara:

"Lancome reveals the secret to show stopping eyes: our double sided brush combined with the black diamond effect shade gives the look of intense volume and curve for spectacular eyes."

I can't wait to give it a try! As soon as I have I will post a full review.

Have you picked up this freebie? Do you love or loathe?

Beauty Bird xx

Bye Bye Batiste

I've used Batiste dry shampoo for as long as I can remember; it's easily the first name on people's lips when you think of dry shampoo. However, for the time being I'm waving bye bye to Batiste and going with... Girlz Only! Although the name sounds like a dodgy 90s girlband and makes me feel like I should be about 12 to buy it, it's actually a really good quality dry shampoo!

There's three in the Girlz Only range; Hazy Days (floral fragrance), Dawn til Dusk (citrus fragrance) and Party Nights (fruity fragrance). I've tried the latter two. They are 150ml in size and the RRP is £1.50. I've bought these from Tesco for this price, but Google tells me that you can also pick them up in Poundland! So I'll be heading there next time instead. In comparison, Batiste is 200ml in size for £2.99, so Girlz Only does work out as better value per 50ml. 

In terms of quality I personally find that Girlz Only works just as well as Batiste. There's no white, powdery residue with Girlz Only and it refreshes my second day hair really well. Out of the two I'm leaning towards Dawn til Dusk as my favourite scent, as I find the citrus really refreshing and revitalising.

Have you tried any of the Girlz Only range? What's your current favourite dry shampoo?

Beauty Bird xx

Saturday's Shopping Haul!

On Saturday I went on a proper shopping trip for the first time in aaaaages. Since getting a mortgage with my boyfriend I've had to be pretty well behaved when it comes to spending and clothes tend to be the thing I stop buying before anything else! So this trip was well due!

It seems that most of the high street shops are bringing out the first of their Autumn/Winter collections and there's some lovely knitwear for sale! I've got loads of summer clothes I haven't even worn yet, so I didn't even bother looking at summer stuff really. 

First of all I bought this pretty pink jumper from New Look. I don't have a lot of pink in my wardrobe, but I love this colour! It's quite fitted and longer at the back, so it could be worn with leggings or jeggings. It needs a top underneath though. 

New Look jumper - £14.99

I then popped into H&M and picked up a jumper in one of my favourite colours - turquoise. This jumper is more slouchy, perfect for those cold, lazy days!

H&M jumper - £14.99

Now for Primark! I tried on quite a few things but put most of them back, but what I ended up with was, yes, you guessed it - another jumper! This will be perfect for wearing off the shoulder, but will really need something underneath. 

Primark jumper - £8.00

I also picked up these skinny jeans in a lovely, faded pink. I've wanted some jeans in this colour for ages! I'm not keen on the belt at all, so I don't think I'll use that. I think these jeans will go perfectly with the white jumper.

Primark coloured skinny jeans - £11.00

I love scarves and the one below is a great addition to my collection! The pattern is heart shaped leopard print and great autumn colours. I love the burgundy/wine colour - I need this colour in my life a lot more!

Primark scarf - £4.00

I also had a good haul round the accessories, picking up two hair brushes, a pack of four nail polishes, false eyelashes and some floral bow earrings. The smaller brush has been referred to on other blogs as a dupe for the Tangle Teezer, so I can't wait to give it a try! 

Primark XL thermal brush - £2.00

De-tangler brush - £1.50

4 Pack of metallic nail varnishes - £2.00

False eyelashes in  "Very Fluttering" - £1.00

Floral bow earrings - £1.50

Finally, I picked up some more of my beloved purple Pro:Voke Touch of Silver Shampoo and the highly rated Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair. I am possibly the only person who hasn't tried this concealer yet!! 

Pro:Voke Touch of Silver Daily Maintenance Shampoo - £1.99 (from Savers)

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair - £3.99 (on offer in Superdrug)

When I got home I also ordered this gorgeous Glamorous blouse from Republic, as they didn't have it in store. I can't explain how in love I am with this blouse from the picture, so I really hope I love it just as much when it arrives!

Glamorous Contrast Blouse - £20.00

So there you have it, my Saturday shopping haul! I don't think there'll be another for awhile :-( I am now going to start saving for another shop- I really want a navy, hooded gilet and a chunky cream cardigan!

Are you thinking ahead to winter clothes? What are you lusting after?

Beauty Bird xx

100 Follower Giveaway!

I am so grateful to have reached 100 GFC followers and it's the perfect excuse to have a giveaway! This is to say thank you so much to all my lovely followers, new and old, whether that's via GFC, Hellocotton or Bloglovin, I am so honoured that you choose to read my ramblings let alone follow them!

I am giving away...

1 x Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm Stain - in the shade of your choice!

I bought this recently in Honey and love the colour pay off and the balmy feel. You can read my review of it here.

The shades you can choose from are:

There are many ways to enter using Rafflecopter below. Please make sure you comment on this post with your shade choice and your email address, so I can contact you if you win. I will check all entries, which unfortunately means I haven't included following me via Bloglovin as an option, as this is something I can't verify.

This giveaway ends on 31st August 2012 at midnight and is open internationally.

GOOD LUCK!

Beauty Bird xx

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm Stain in Honey

I'm back from my mini blogging break and starting with a post on the much talked about Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm Stain by Revlon, which are being hailed as a dupe for the Clinique Chubby Stick (but at half the price!). I took advantage of Superdrug's £2.00 off and bought this for £5.99 but the normal price is £7.99.

When it comes to lip colours I'm not very "out there", so predictably for me I picked up the shade Honey, which is a lovely dusky pink. The shade is significantly darker than the colour of the packaging, so I would swatch first rather than purchasing on the packaging colour. I absolutely love the look of these, the crayon applicator is pretty quirky yet actually really practical, as it makes the balm so easy to apply. As you begin to use up the product all you have to do is twist the silver end to release more - simples!

On applying I experienced a slight tingling sensation and a minty scent, which reminded me of After Eight chocolates! The balm glides on smoothly and feels really moisturising. I adore this colour and it's surprisingly pigmented considering it's probably the most subtle shade in the range. Other bloggers who have reviewed this shade have described it along the lines of it being like your natural lip colour - but better. I couldn't agree more with this statement! The finish isn't too glossy, but gives a nice sheen. 

In terms of wear, I found that the stain began to wore off after about 2.5 hours. In terms of moisturisation I wouldn't rely on this as a balm - my lips stayed soft and moisturised but it didn't really do anything extra. So if your lips are quite dry I personally don't think this will help very much.  

Bare lips

With Revlon Just Bitten applied

 The Verdict

I think this is a great inbetween product if you want a similar pigmentation to lipstick but the feel of a balm. It's reasonably priced too. I'm very tempted to pick up Cherish, which is a baby pink shade. I do think the only letdown of this product is the colour range - give me some peach and nude shades please! However this is a product I would re-purchase.

To view the other shades in the range, please click here.

Have you picked up one of the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm Stains? Which is your favourite?

Beauty Bird xx

(We Were) On A Break!

Hey lovelies

Some of you who follow my blog or follow me on Twitter may have noticed I've been a little quiet over the past week. I spontaneously decided to take a little blogging break, and may carry on for another week, maybe two at most.

You know when things suddenly get on top of you and there just aren't enough hours in the day to do everything you need to? It's been a bit like that recently! I feel like I haven't got much time to dedicate to blogging right now and I'm one of those people who needs it to be all or nothing, I don't like doing things half heartedly. I was stressing myself out about when I would have time to post and catch up on all the blogs I follow... So I thought it best just to make a clean break from blogging for awhile, catch up on the stuff I need to at home and then come back refreshed and ready to blog my heart out. Does anyone else struggle with time? If you have any tips, please share! :-)

In the meantime I will check on my emails and occasionally Blogger and Twitter, so I can respond to any comments etc.

I really am missing blogging and all you lovely people so much, but I promise I'll be back! :-)

Source: Google

Beauty Bird xx