Review: Butter LONDON Lippy Liquid Lipsticks

I love my Butter LONDON nail varnish and knew that there were matching lip products available, but have never tried them before. So I was really excited to be given the opportunity to try four of Butter LONDON's Lippy Liquid Lipsticks, which are described as "a range of long-wearing, lacquer-like lip glosses". 

From top to bottom, the shades are Queen Vic, Macbeth, Yummy Mummy and Hen Party. Hen Party is the only one that is more of a lipgloss and Queen Vic, Macbeth and Yummy Mummy are definitely hybrids that have the formula of a thick gloss and pigmentation of a lipstick; the word lacquer really is the perfect description. They apply easily with the doe foot applicator. The formula is seriously high shine but is quite drying and a little sticky so I would highly recommend moisturising your lips first, which makes them much more comfortable to wear. In terms of wear time, they last a good three hours before the colour begins to fade and this is with both eating and drinking, which I think is pretty impressive.

Queen Vic

"A vibrant cranberry."

I associate cranberry with a deep red colour and I would personally describe Queen Vic as a purple based fuschia. I usually shy away from bright shades but I absolutely adore this on the lips, it's absolutely stunning. Definitely a good one for winter.

Macbeth

"An opaque, pinky coral."

Macbeth is another stunning shade and would be perfect for the summer with a nice tan! It's so pigmented that it doesn't take much product to full coat the lips, though I do recommend using a mirror!

Yummy Mummy

"A medium beige."

Being perfectly honest I'm not a fan of this shade. It doesn't suit me and makes me look washed out, so it would probably suit darker skintones. I like nude shades, but ones with a hint of colour to it such as pink, brown or peach and this just has no colour to it at all. Also for some reason the formula of this one is much stickier than all the others and doesn't feel nice to wear.

Hen Party

"A sheer, iridescent opal."

I think the description of this is very accurate. There isn't really any colour to it, Hen Party is just concentrated with a fine mix of subtle glitter particles, which are multi-coloured. It's the one to use if you want a shiny top coat over a pigmented lipstick or just want something subtle, sheer and glossy to wear in the daytime. 

The Butter LONDON Lippy Liquid Lipsticks cost £14.00 each and can be purchased here. My favourites are Queen Vic and Macbeth, which I think are well worth this cost for the pigmented colour and long wearing formula. Unfortunately Yummy Mummy just didn't work for me at all and although I like Hen Party, I'm not sure it has enough "wow" factor because it's so subtle.

Have you ever tried the Butter LONDON Lippy Liquid Lipsticks? Which is your favourite shade out of the four I have reviewed?

Beauty Bird xx

P.S. This post contains PR samples. This does not affect my opinion of the products.

Review: Maybelline The Rocket Volum' Express Mascara

One of the items in the British Beauty Blogger Beauty Box I bought recently was the Maybelline The Rocket Volum' Express Mascara. I had been planning to buy it as my next mascara anyway, so I was really pleased to see it in the beauty box. Previously I'd been using the Chanel de Volume Mascara, but I wanted something that gave a similar effect on a budget, without any of the smudging or flaking that I'd experienced with Chanel.

The Rocket Volum' Express costs £7.99 and is described by Maybelline as follows; "Now, the most explosive, beautiful lashes ever! Supersonic Brush and Fast Glide formula loads on big, sleek volume instantly". I love the bright blue packaging paired with the pink.

The Rocket has a large, round brush made from plastic bristles. The first good thing I noticed when I pulled the wand out of the tube is that there isn't lots of excess mascara all over the brush head. This hasn't been the case with other mascaras I've used and this excess usually means clumping or my eyelashes sticking together. The formula is jet black and is what I would describe as "wet"; it's quite smooth and silky. An example of a dry formula for me would be Benefit They're Real. I find that my eyelashes respond much to better to wet formula mascaras, as they don't seem to fall out or break as much.

I am impressed with the quality of The Rocket for the price as I think it's very comparative with Chanel de Volume Mascara. The mascara really does glide across my eyelashes effortlessly with none of the dreaded clumping or sticking together. The Rocket certainly makes my eyelashes longer and more voluminous, plus it gives some serious curl without using eyelash curlers at all and it holds that curl all day. It's also easy to remove (I use the L'Oreal Micellar Water). There is one negative though - I do get a very faint smudge of black under my eyes half way through the day. It's not perfect, but it came so close! The hunt for the perfect mascara continues, however for the meantime I will still get full use out of The Rocket, I just need to remember to check in with a mirror every so often!

Have you tried Maybelline The Rocket Volum' Express Mascara? What's your favourite all time mascara?

Beauty Bird xx

 

Love Me Beauty Box November 2013

When I saw the menu options for this month's Love Me Beauty Box I was seriously excited, as there are four new brands featuring, three of which I have never tried before. Plus a Models Own nail varnish!! I don't think in all the beauty box review posts I've read I've seen Models Own in a beauty box before. 

You will notice that there are six products in the box this month (four of these are full size and two are sample size) rather than the normal five; Lord and Berry have provided a full size lipstick worth £12.00 as a gesture of goodwill to all members. This is because many people had problems with the Lord and Berry products in last month's box, myself included - the Scuba Mascara seemed like it almost completely dried out. I think it's fantastic that Lord and Berry have acknowledged the issues and their gesture truly shows that they care about their customers. 

This month I went for Menu Two and here's what you can get if you choose this option!

 Absolution Le Soin Purifiant 40ml (sample size, worth £19.20)

A skin renewing mask that rids skin of impurities while restoring radiance and vitality. Birch sap and white clay absorbs purities and tightens pores while soothing skin.

Jelly Pong Pong 2-in-1 Bronze Shadow/Liner (full size, worth £10.00)

A uniquely formulated crayon that doubles as an eyeliner for thick, precise lines as well as perfectly blended eyeshadow. 

Mitchell and Peach English Growers Shower Wash 50ml (sample size, worth £4.00) 
An invigorating body cleanser which nourishes and softens all skin types. Enriched with Vitamin E, wheat proteins and natural English honey. 

Models Own Nail Varnish in Prussian Blue 14ml (full size, worth £5.00) 

Designed for passion and fun, this perfect rich bright blue has a lovely matte finish.

Art Deco Hydra Lip Booster in Wood Rose (full size, worth £11.50)

This lip gloss provides full sensual lips with a trace of colour and wonderful shine. Hyaluronic Filling Spheres maintain the hydration level of the lips and "cushion" little wrinkles from beneath.

Lord and Berry Intensity Lipstick in Brick Lip (full size, worth £12.00) 

Rich and silky, the hydrating formula is enriched with macadamia oil and waterlily extracts to keep your lips in pristine condition.  

So far I have tried the Art Deco Hydra Lip Booster, which is possibly the smoothest and most moisturising lip gloss I have tried to date. The shade Wood Rose is dusky pink in colour and contains very subtle glitter particles; the colour isn't very pigmented but it does give you seriously shiny lips! I have given the Jelly Pong Pong 2-in-1 Liner/Shadow a quick swatch and the bronze colour is lovely. I expect I'll use it mostly as an eyeliner paired with neutral eyeshadows. I'm really looking forward to trying the Absolution mask and getting the Models Own nail varnish on my nails pronto!

In total Menu Two is worth a £49.70 not including the Lord and Berry lipstick and £61.70 including. Considering the box costs just £10.00 plus £2.95 postage, you are really getting your money's worth here. The box can be bought individually every month or you can purchase pre-paid subscriptions plans for 3, 6 and 12 months.

To check out the Love Me Beauty website, please click here.

What do you think of this month's box?

Beauty Bird xx

P.S. This post contains a PR sample. This does not affect my opinion of the product.

 

NOTD: Sparkle Storm

This is the first time I've painted my nails in weeks and I really have missed having colourful nails! I really fancied using a dark colour with a glitter top coat and so I went for the No7 Stay Perfect Nail Colour in Thunderstorm, which is a purple toned, stormy grey colour, for the base. On top I added a coat of the L'Oreal Top Coat Carat in Diamond Dust, which is a fairly new addition to my nail varnish collection. I bought it thinking it would just be silver glitter, however it's actually a fine mix of silver, green and blue, which is so much more stunning and impressive on the nails than it is in the bottle. The glitter is so, so concentrated, I couldn't believe I only needed to apply one coat! I think this is a truly underrated glitter top coat.

What's on your nails at the moment? What glitter top coats are you loving right now?

Beauty Bird xx

Wedding Pinspiration - Theme and Decor

As many of you know I got engaged in the summer and am currently planning for our wedding, which has been booked for April 2015. It's an exciting, scary and expensive process, but I can't wait to go from Miss to Mrs!

When I got engaged one of my friends advised me to get myself on Pinterest and I really do love it; it's a great way to get inspired! I have a "Wedding Ideas" board and have been pinning pictures onto it off and on. I thought I'd share with you a little collage of what I've been pinning in regards to the venue, decor and overall theme of the wedding.

In the top left is the picture of where we're holding both the civil ceremony and the reception/evening do - a beautiful stone barn, which is nestled in the bottom of a little valley, surrounded by nothing but green, hilly fields. Consequently we're going with a rustic, vintage-esque theme, with touches of hessian, lace and wood. My fiance and I want the wedding to be relaxed and informal, so I think this theme really supports that.

We plan to have lots of personal touches; I'm really keen on the idea of incorporating our initials into the decor, such as on the centrepieces and the card basket, which we are planning to make ourselves. The "Our Love Story" board is one of the first things I ever pinned and still one of my favourites. This will be really nostalgic for us to read on the day and will be a lovely thing to share with our guests. 

In terms of the colour scheme we are thinking of going with pastels - mainly blue and pink like in the bouquet at the top of the collage, but possibly also peach. This will tie in really well with the time of year and keep everything soft and subtle. There are also some of lovely choices of flowers in these colours, which we plan to keep seasonal and paired with lots of wild looking greenery, so the arrangements don't look too structured. 

There's going to be a lot to do to pull this all together but hopefully it will really work and of course, it will be worthwhile in the end!

What gives you wedding inspiration? Would you like to see more wedding themed posts on this blog?

If you would like to follow me on Pinterest, you can do here. 

Beauty Bird xx

Review: Antipodes Divine Face Oil

I bought and have been using the Antipodes Divine Face Oil for quite awhile now (hence the worn packaging and me not taking photos prior to using it, oops) and thought it was about time to do a review!

The Antipodes Divine Face Oil contains lots of nourishing ingredients such as Avocado Oil, Rosehip Oil, Jojoba Oil, Macadamia Oil (all organic) and Vitamin E. Jasmine Oil and Orange Oil also provide a natural, plant fragrance. This oil has been scientifically shown to stimulate collagen production by up to 51% to help reduce the appearance of lines, age spots and scars. It is also designed to soften, hydrate, regulate and balance skin texture. The glass bottle is 25ml in size and I bought mine from Naturismo (my favourite site for natural products!), where it costs £18.99. Antipodes say that it is "perfect as an essential daily nutrient treatment for skin".

The formula of the Antipodes Divine Face Oil is yellow-green in colour and is quite a thin consistency, which dispenses using a pipette. I find that a couple of drops is all you need to comfortably cover your whole face. You can either massage it in or I just work the oil into my fingers and then press it into my skin. I also work a little extra into any areas of dryness or where I have spots and scars. The oil isn't greasy at all but does take a few minutes to fully absorb into the skin. I apply the Antipodes Divine Face Oil mainly at night after serum and if I feel my skin still needs it, I'll apply a light layer of moisturiser over the top. I've also recently been applying it in the morning to my problem skin areas; I had a really stressful week the other week and my skin reacted very badly with some large, painful spots on my t-zone. I found that this oil really helps to soothe and calm these nasty, red lumps. It also makes my skin look and feel amazingly plump, hydrated and supple; it doesn't accentuate the oilness of my t-zone, it actually seems to re-balance it. But that's not the end of its benefits; any red scars I have from old spots fade so much quicker when using this oil. Three words: I. Love. It.

The Verdict

The Antipodes Divine Face Oil is a saviour for skin that is dehydrated, stressed or suffering with spots or scars. My skin is oily and combination and it works fantastically all over - so if you have oily skin don't be afraid to treat it with a facial oil. For me this is worth every penny and I will definitely re-purchase it to keep my skin nourished and healthy.

Do you use facial oil? Have you tried the Antipodes Divine Face Oil?

Beauty Bird xx

Review: Imperial Leather Foamburst Bewitching Blackberry and Wild Fig Luxurious Body Wash

It's a been a long while since I used any Imperial Leather shower products, so I was really intrigued by their newly transformed Foamburst body wash range, which seems to be very different from their other products. There are seven different scents in the range and each come in a 200ml bottle, which costs £2.99 and will last for approximately 40 showers.  

For the past few weeks I have been using the Imperial Leather Foamburst Bewitching Blackberry and Wild Fig Luxurious Body Wash. The design of the packaging is very modern; I like the contrast between the black and the bright purple colour (there is a different colour for each scent), which is very galactic looking and gives a mysterious feel to the product. The formula is very unique and nothing like I've tried before; as you can see in the photos above, when it is first released onto your hand it has quite a thick, gel like consistency and is rich berry purple in colour. As it comes into contact with your skin it begins to slowly turn white around the edges. Then when you actually lather up the gel it completely transforms into a creamy, white foam, that is very similar to shaving foam, but not as heavy or as thick. It also smells a lot nicer - it has a lovely fruity scent, which is not overpowering and not too sweet. I have to say, it can be a little strange using the Foamburst Luxurious Body Wash because occasionally my mind wonders why I'm using shaving foam and not shower gel!! However you can actually use this to shave with and it works wonderfully; a little goes a long way and I'm left with seriously smooth skin. 

I should also mention here that each Foamburst scent has its very own (topless) genie and each genie's character and personality is meant to be a reflection of that scent. The genie for the Bewitching Blackberry and Wild Fig is called Brennus, "a wanderer and wild man with many tales to tell" and you can watch a little video of him at the end of the post! Each genie is giving away prizes daily over on Imperial Leather's Facebook and Twitter, so be sure to check these out!

The Verdict
The Imperial Leather Foamburst Bewitching Blackberry and Wild Fig Luxurious Body Wash is definitely a product that stands out for me because of the formula and this is what makes it more "luxurious". I would recommend it if you want to try something different and like a multi-tasking product, because being able to use it as a body wash and a shaving product makes life a little easier and quicker! However if you can't get past the shaving foam concept then I would avoid. I would really like to try the Moisturising Almond and Honey Milk one next.

To view the full Imperial Leather Foamburst range, please click here.

Have you tried any of the Imperial Leather Foamburst Luxurious Body Wash range? What's the most unique shower product you've tried?

Beauty Bird xx

P.S. This post contains a PR sample. This does not affect my opinion of the product.

Review: MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Creme Cup

Oh Creme Cup you are finally mine! I had been eyeing up this popular shade for ages and decided this would be my next MAC purchase, when I spotted this for sale on Twitter. It was a no brainer and a few days later it popped through my letterbox. I was a bit worried that having put Creme Cup up on an imaginary pedestal for so long that I could be disappointed... thankfully I wasn't!

MAC describe Creme Cup as a "light blue pink" colour, which I think is pretty accurate. The colour is soft and slightly dusky, which keeps it more neutral and so is perfect for everyday wear. I have super pale skin and the colour is really flattering against my skintone. I think it might just be the perfect pink for me. 

The finish is Cremesheen, which is as expected very creamy and moisturising. I've only ever tried the Lustre and Glaze finishes before and in comparison, the formula of Cremesheen is a little thicker on the lips and more pigmented, but still with a hint of gloss. The wear time is a couple of hours with minimal eating and drinking. 

In summary, I may have just found my favourite MAC lipstick shade and finish so far. It's definitely staying up on that pedestal!

What's your favourite MAC lipstick?

Beauty Bird xx

Review: Conscious Skincare Sweet Orange and Frangipani Body Butter

There are so many beauty products out there that sometimes it's hard to find something that it isn't just a similar variation on another. The Sweet Orange and Frangipani Body Butter from Conscious Skincare does not fall into this category; this is a body butter like no other I've tried or heard of. Before I explain why, I'll tell you a little bit about the brand.

Conscious Skincare is based in Wales, a brand that produces individually handcrafted, made to order face and body products using plant based, organic and fair trade ingredients wherever possible. Their products do not contain SLS, Parabens, Phtalates, Synthetic or Chemical Preservatives, Colour or Fillers. Conscious Skincare use packaging that is recyclable or made from recycled materials where possible and even generate their own electricity and hot water on site using solar technology. This is certainly a brand that is very mindful of the environment. Their philosophy is making "beautiful items, lovingly packaged with a clean conscience". 

The Sweet Orange and Frangipani Body Butter comes simply packaged in an aluminium pot, which holds 250ml of product and is worth £18.99. Ingredients include Organic Coconut Oil, Shea Butter and Sweet Almond Oil, Organic Fair Trade Cocoa Butter, Beeswax, Vitamin E and essential oils of Sweet Orange and Frangipani. The scent is deliciously sweet and rich and smells just like icing on a carrot cake! It certainly isn't a scent for those who prefer their fresh or subtle fragrances. The formula is what makes this truly unique; it's like a whipped mousse, very light yet seriously creamy. Almost as soon as it comes in contact with your skin it begins to melt into an oil and turns completely into oil as you massage it in. The only thing I would say about this is that as the oil turns quite thick, it feels a bit greasy and takes quite awhile to absorb into the skin. However once it has absorbed the scent lingers all day and you are left with extremely soft, supple, hydrated and nourished skin.

The Verdict
The Conscious Skincare Sweet Orange and Frangipani Body Butter is truly a unique product in terms of its formula. I highly recommend this if you like sweet scents, natural ingredients and super nourished skin! The only slightly negative thing I would say about this body butter is that it takes quite awhile to absorb. I'm often in a rush or short of time, so it's not the one I reach for the most purely for this reason.
 
This body butter is also available in Grapefruit, Lemon and Cedarwood, which Conscious Skincare describe as more of a unisex fragrance. Other products in the two scents include bath salts, bath soak and body lotion. Click here to take a look at Conscious Skincare's website and their complete range.

Have you tried any products by Conscious Skincare? 

Beauty Bird xx




P.S. This post contains a PR sample. This does not affect my opinion of the product.

The 2013 Christmas TAG

I love Georgina's tags she does over on her blog Makeup-Pixi3 and so I knew I had to do this one! I remember doing it last year like it was yesterday - very scary! I can't believe it's already less than six weeks until Christmas 2013.

1.  Do you prefer a real Christmas tree or synthetic?

Since my fiance and I started living together, we've bought a real tree every year. It isn't the most cost efficient, especially as we get a non-drop one so the hoover doesn't have to come out more often (!). But there's just something about wrapping up to go out in the cold and choose a tree, then having that pine needle scent subtly wafting around the house when you put it up.

2.  You're in a coffee shop, it's December, what do you pick?

Ooh I'm not sure on this one yet - I've only tried the Starbucks Orange Mocha this year so far. I'm not really a latte person so it would definitely be a mocha or hot chocolate. Next on my list of Christmas drinks to try is the Costa White Hot Chocolate. 

3.  Whats your favourite colour scheme for decorating the tree?

Usually silver, white and blue - not the warmest of colours but definitely wintry! 

4.  Giving or receiving?

Now I'm older it's all about giving. Christmas isn't as exciting as it used to be when I was a child, but I get really excited about choosing a thoughtful present and seeing the person's face when they open it! I won't see as much of that this year unfortunately, as I've agreed with my family not to do presents so I can put the money I would spend towards getting married. However I will still get presents for the young 'uns in my family :-)

5.  To mince pie or not to?

Yes! My fiance's Mum makes the most amazing mince pies. They're small but just perfect; the perfect balance of mincement and pastry and not too much sugar. She always gives us a big batch, so we end up eating them every day until they run out - oops!

6.  What's your traditional sunday lunch?

We don't eat at the same place every year because all of our parents are split, so it depends where we go. To be honest I'm not too fussed about the traditional turkey or chicken - any meat will do me!! Of course with roast potatoes, vegetables and some kind of sauce - I'll usually have cranberry no matter what I have!  

7.  Christmas day fashion

I like to make a little bit of an effort but nothing too fancy! Usually a knitted jumper dress or something like that. Plus a bit of glittery eye makeup too!

8.  What's your favourite Christmas song?

I don't feel like it's Christmas until I hear the classic Mariah Carey "All I Want for Christmas is You"! I never get bored of it. I'm not a big Michael Buble fan but I do like his versions of old classics.

9.  What's your favourite Christmas film?

The Holiday is one of my favourites anyway, but it's even better to watch at Christmas! It's romantic, festive and predictable, but I love it! You also can't beat Home Alone - an old classic!

10.  Open presents before or after lunch?

I think generally we normally do it before lunch so that after lunch we can just slob out, play games and watch some festive TV! Bliss.

I hope you enjoyed reading this tag! I'd love to hear your answers in the comments below or send me the link if you've done it on your blog. Don't forget to tag Makeup-Pixi3 too!

Beauty Bird xx

 

Review: KERNOWSPA Uplifting Body Scrub and Soothing Bath Salts

As many of you know, Cornwall is one of my favourite places and my other half and I go there to visit friends a couple of times a year. So I was really excited to come across KERNOWSPA, a Cornish brand specialising in handmade skincare, toiletries and spa products. Their products contain high quality natural ingredients and come in recyclable bottles and jars. I've been using their Uplifting Body Scrub and Soothing Bath Salts for awhile now and thought it was about time to share my thoughts on these products with you. 

Uplifting Body Scrub - 450g - £10.95

This scrub contains Dead Sea Salt to exfoliate, Shea Butter and Jojoba Oil to soften and essential oils of Sweet Orange, Lemon and Bergamot to uplift. The citrus scent is lovely; fresh, pure and just what you need to awaken your senses in the morning! I've never used a salt based scrub before and I do like my body scrubs (unlike my face scrubs!) to feel quite grainy and well, scrubby. The salt particles are small but very concentrated and as you work a handful into your skin, they definitely feel like they're working hard! The Shea Butter and Jojoba Oil stop the salt being too abrasive and as the salt melts in your skin, it leaves behind a lovely hydrating layer of the butter and oil. It's a fab scrub to use if you don't have time to moisturise afterwards.

Soothing Bath Salts - 350g - £9.95

These baths salts combine Dead Sea Salt and Epsom Salts to soothe the body, with essential oils of Tea Tree and Eucalyptus. To use, you simply add a handful of the salt to running water and give the water a swirl. I haven't used bath salts much before, but they are meant to soothe muscles and help to relieve stress. The scent is quite strong in the pot (although this does become more subtle when in the water), yet clean, fresh and surprisingly soothing. It does remind me of the scent of Vicks VapoRub though, which is a decongesting product you use when you have a cold! I'd recommend using these if you want a fuss free, yet relaxing, spa style bath and certainly if your sinuses a bit blocked up! I think I do prefer a good old bubble bath - salts are missing a "wow" factor for me - but they're certainly a nice option to have.

My favourite is definitely the Uplifting Body Scrub, but both of these products have proved to be fantastic quality using natural ingredients and fragrances. To check out the full range of products from KERNOWSPA click here. 

Have you tried any products from KERNOWSPA? What are your favourite home grown beauty brands?

Beauty Bird xx

P.S. This post contains PR samples. This does not affect my opinion of the products.

Oh Honey, Honey

I love honey. I love the taste, I love the smell and recently I've noticed I've been using quite a few honey based skincare products in my routine. Honey has lots of fantastic natural benefits; it's able to attract and retain moisture, has anti-microbal properties and can absorb impurities from the skin. So I thought I'd share with you with my current honey collection.

Neal's Yard Bee Lovely Hand Cream
Containing organic honey to soften and moisturise hands, this is currently residing on my bedside table. It's probably my favourite hand cream after L'Occitane for keeping my hands hydrated. I adore the scent; it's a mixture of honey and orange essential oil, which is just gorgeous. It's even gentle enough to use on children over 3 and sales of the hand cream help Neal's Yard to raise money for a range of "bee lovely" projects.

The Body Shop Honeymania Shower Gel
As with all the other shower gels I've tried from The Body Shop, this has a nice thick formula and a little really goes a long way. It's my least favourite honey scent though as the honey is overwhelmed by a musky, floral fragrance. As I use it more I'm warming to the scent a little more, but it would be better if it was more natural. I reviewed this in full here.

Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask
I can't recommend this face mask enough, I think this will always stay a part of my skincare stash. It's the perfect mask to use if you want to target spots and blemishes but deeply hydrate your skin at the same time; after use be ready to say hello to super soft and nourished skin! I notice a real difference to my spots and blemishes the next morning too. The formula is super creamy, doesn't tighten or harden your skin and has possibly the best scent ever. Full review here.

Burt's Bees Honey Lip Balm
As well as honey, this lip balm also contains beeswax. Other ingredients include shea butter and almond oil. It comes in stick form and has a very subtle honey scent. It did take me awhile to warm to this as to begin with it drags a little on the lips (the edges on the end of the stick are quite hard), but once it softens and rounds off it's lovely. It's not greasy and leaves a nice layer of hydration that lasts.

What are your favourite honey based products?

Beauty Bird xx


 

Review: Pixi Glow Tonic

I'm not even sure the Pixi Glow Tonic needs any introduction as it is such a well known product and has a lot of hype surrounding it, especially in the blogger world. I know that I won't be alone in saying that I bought the Pixi Glow Tonic after reading about it on Caroline Hiron's blog. I loved the concept of it - it's basically an exfoliator in liquid form - so just knew I had to try it for myself. At the moment you can only buy it from Pixi's London store, however if you call them they will take a telephone order and post it to you with a delivery charge added on. Good news though - it will soon be available to buy online from Pixi's website!

Pixi describe the Glow Tonic as follows; "Oxygenating, exfoliating facial glow tonic for normal to dry, dull and ageing skin. Helps tone, firm and tighten the skin. Removes dead skin cells for healthier looking skin." It is oil free, alcohol free and contains ingredients such as Ginseng, Fructose, Witch Hazel, Aloe Vera and Horse Chestnut Extracts, which work together to tone, firm, stimulate and provide oxygen to the skin. The other key ingredient is Glycolic Acid, which is an Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA). Acids that are classed as AHAs are able to exfoliate the skin by loosening dead skin cells, without needing any physical grains or beads that manual exfoliators have. AHAs are also meant to help reduce fine lines, wrinkles and dark spots. However they also make skin more sensitive to the sun, so sunscreen should be used when using any product containing AHAs. 

Pixi Glow Tonic comes in a 250ml clear and simple plastic bottle with a pump dispenser, so it's nice to know you're mostly paying for product rather than fancy packaging. I pump this two or three times onto a cotton wool pad after cleansing and then smooth the cotton wool pad all round my face. I then follow with a hydrating toner (currently the Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic). Just a note about the pump dispenser - the product spurts out pretty quickly, so if the cotton wool pad isn't directly in front of the opening you will find Glow Tonic on your bed/floor/clothes! When I first bought the Pixi Glow Tonic, I only used it about three times a week as part of my nighttime skincare routine. I found it replaced my manual exfoliator really well and got rid of any dryness easily and efficiently. However I wasn't particularly wowed and didn't really see any other benefits, although my skin did definitely have a nice glow after use.

Things started to change more dramatically when I started upping how often I used Pixi Glow Tonic. I began using it once a day and then confident my skin wasn't reacting negatively, I increased this to twice a day, morning and night. I've been using it this way for nearly two months now and it's made a big difference to the blemish and spot prone aspect of my skin. The tonic makes my spots heal much faster and they disappear much, much quicker; it's a god send for scarring. I've also noticed that my skin is a lot calmer and although I am still getting breakouts on the t-zone, I haven't had any large, cystic-like spots since using this daily, just smaller blemishes and whiteheads. This in itself is amazing because cystic-like spots were becoming a daily nightmare for me a few months ago. I'm not sure if it's a specific ingredient in Pixi Glow Tonic that is contributing to this, or maybe it's just that the regular exfoliation means there's less chance for my pores to get blocked so badly. Just a note here that I haven't personally noticed any firming or tightening of my skin, which is also meant to be one of the benefits.

The Verdict
If you have oily, spot prone skin like me, don't discount the Pixi Glow Tonic even though it says it's for normal to dry, dull and ageing skin. For me, it's star quality is the way it's reducing scarring and keeping those big, nasty spots at bay. Of course it's fab for exfoliating and giving your skin a glow too, but if you have normal or dry skin this may not wow you as much as you hoped, especially considering the hype surrounding it. I love it and I certainly won't be going back to a manual exfoliator anytime soon.

Pixi Glow Tonic costs £16.00 and can be viewed on the Pixi website here.

Have you tried the Pixi Glow Tonic? What do you think of exfoliating toners in general?

Beauty Bird xx

Review: Save The Blow Dry

Save The Blow Dry is described as the "moisture eliminating QUEEN of shower caps" and is possibly the cutest and girliest shower cap I have ever seen! Bright pink in colour? Yes. Decorated with a bow design? Yes. Away from the pretty design, Save The Blow Dry is a fairly new product, created to maintain blow dried locks and keep it looking as bouncy and voluminous as it did before popping in the shower or having a relaxing bath. 

Inside the waterproof plastic outer layer is an inner layer made from super absorbent micro weave towelling, which is the key to saving the blow dry, as this layer stops the humidity and condensation from getting to your hair. The rim of the Save The Blow Dry shower cap is elasticated so that it fits securely round your head and stops any hairs from escaping. The cap is very roomy, but it means that there is plenty of space for those with longer, thicker hair. As well as being used for in the shower, it can be turned inside out to be used over a hair mask or treatment. Save The Blow Dry costs £14.95 and for every one sold, the brand will fund a fortnight's safe drinking water for a family in the desert region of Khandel in India in association with the charity Khandel Light.

I have quite short hair so I find it quite easy to get my hair safely inside Save The Blow Dry. The only thing is because the cap is quite spacious, I do find it sits quite low, however it is comfortable and feels secure. Below I have pictures of my hair before having a shower wearing Save The Blow Dry and then again afterwards. I do apologise for the poorer quality photos, but I took them on my phone as my other half had our camera at the time.

As you can see from the photos, my hair is still just as volumised after my shower as it was before. However there is definitely more texture, as you can see some of the ends have curled and kinked when they were straight before. I find this often happens with my hair - if I leave it to dry naturally it would look like this (if not worse) and so if it is humid, wet or windy it tends to revert back to its natural state. I think it must have been the heat from the shower that did this, as my hair wasn't wet or damp when I removed Save The Blow Dry. I have quite hot showers and so unfortunately the inner layer didn't stop the humidity getting through completely. However big thumbs up in the volume stakes - I'd rather straighten out the ends of my hair than try (and fail) to get some volume back into it.

The Verdict

Unfortunately Save The Blow Dry didn't 100% work for me, however I still think it's a great quality product that could work for other people and a great concept. I highly recommend if your primary objective is to keep your hair big and bouncy. If like me your hair is prone to kinking and curling, you may not find this product as worthwhile but it really depends on what you want to get out of it.

Save The Blow Dry can be purchased here and delivery only costs £1.00.

Do you use shower caps? What do you think of Save The Blow Dry?

Beauty Bird xx

P.S. This product contains a PR sample. This does not affect my opinion of the product.