Showing posts with label beauty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beauty. Show all posts

Tuesday, 3 December 2013

Life update and beauty review ... Sanctuary Spa Salt Scrub

I know it has been so long since I last posted anything but I have been super busy. I really enjoyed writing my blog and I have really missed it so I am going to give it another go for a while. I have decided to start by writing more reviews on beauty products because recently I have been looking for specific products and been really stumped as to which one to go for, and realised how useful reviews are when you are on the hunt for something. I’ve just had a quick peek at when I last posted anything and it was way back in March so I thought I would give you a quick update as well.

                I am now getting married in less than six months!! Almost everything is planned, which is making it a lot more enjoyable and I’m now starting to really look forward to it. I’m also now in my second year of midwifery and have delivered 15 babies myself! In total I have seen about 50 babies being born and it is such a huge privilege!! I’m still playing rugby and am really enjoying it, and other than that everything is pretty much the same.

                The product I would like to review today is one I have just finished, the Sanctuary Spa Salt Scrub. I purchased it in the summer because I was looking for a good scrub to use before tanning and my friend recommended it, and it was not money wasted. I bought it for £11.50 from Boots, where it is still available. Although this is more expensive than other body scrubs that I have tried for the quality of the product I think it is a fair price. I also really liked the packaging and thought it made it look more expensive, even though it was plastic. It reminded me of the old jars my mum put sugar and tea in. The size was also a good size at 650g and it has lasted a good 3 months, during which time I did use it regularly and I’m not good at using scrubs sparingly. I have found that a good way to tell if you like a product is if you finish it which I have just done so although I haven’t found myself rushing to repurchase it, I did really enjoy using it and will most likely repurchase it in the future.



              Described as a sumptuous blend of skin polishing dead sea salts wrapped in moisturising coconut, jojoba and sweet almond oils to refine and resurface the texture of the skin and leave it super smooth'’ on the Boots website, I completely agree with this description. Although I found it to be quite a heavy duty exfoliator it was very moisturising and I really felt a difference in my skin after using it. Although I wouldn’t use it daily, it was perfect for preparing for and aftercare of fake tan. I also really loved the smell of the product, and felt that it was light but recognisable after use.

               One other point that I think really shows how good this product is, is that I found out my boyfriend had been using it as well so if he has bothered to use something repeatedly you know it works. Now that this has finished I am now trying a new body scrub from the Body Shop and after one try it is definitely not as exfoliating as the Sanctuary scrub but it may be suited for more everyday use. I will keep you posted. Finally, I have tried several scrubs before and I’ve had to think hard about this but I’m pretty sure it is my favourite and I would definitely recommend this to a friend. So future me, if you are reading this thinking about whether or not to repurchase it … DO IT!  

xxx

Wednesday, 25 April 2012

Gel eyeliners ...


Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner Black

Firstly, I thought I would do a quick update on some of the products I have been trying recently. The most drastic change in opinion has been with regards to the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish product; even though I think it is still a bit of a faff compared to my other cleansers, it is really growing on me and I can definitely feel the difference on days that I don't use it. However, I still don't think my skin would take all that scrubbing twice a day as it is too sensitive so I think I'm going to stick to using it every other day. Another product I thought I would do a quick update on is the silver foil barry m nail polish, which I'm still really pleased with it. It has started to chip now but my nails chip so easily, so overall I would definitely recommend this one. 


I was rooting around my make up drawer today and I came across my maybelline gel liner which I haven't used in ages because I bought a bobbi brown one fairly recently. They are both black so I thought I would review them to give people an idea of how they compare, and whether it's better to splurge on the bobbi brown eye liner or save on the maybelline one. So here is a video I did comparing them ... 


That was so scary doing that! Eeek. But in summary, I would say that although they look pretty similar when you first apply them, the bobbi brown one does last longer and is the one I would recommend. 

Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner

I apologise for the pretty bad stock photos, but like I said in my video I haven't got my camera and I really don't want to steal anyone's pics so these are ones off the shop's websites. Sorrrryyy. I know it's an utter blog no no but it's either that or nada. 


xxx

Thursday, 19 April 2012

Ordinary People ...

I am still in Manchester at the moment with the boyf revising for exams. At the moment I am in his room but later we are going to venture out to the library. The excitement. I thought I would do a blog about my staple pieces of make up, as it shows how important they are to me if I'm willing to take them to Manchester. So here goes ... 

CHANEL - PERFECTION LUMIÈRE
22 Beige Rose

MAXFACTOR - MASTERPEICE MASCARA
Black

BENEFIT - HIGH BEAM 

FCUK - FC EYES 
10

No7 - CHEEK TINT
15 Rose Silk

BOBBI BROWN - GEL EYELINER
Black Ink - 1

The product I thought I would review today is the Maxfactor 'Masterpiece Mascara' in Black. I first got this for Christmas in a Maxfactor sample box. I loved it so much that I bought a new tube when the sample ran out. It currently costs £8.99 from Boots for 7.2ml, which I think is a reasonable price for a mascara. 



The brush is a pretty standard mascara brush. It is average size and is a bristly brush - so nothing particularly exciting there but it gives a really good even coverage. The main reasons I love this mascara is because of the length and depth it gives to your eyelashes. I'm not really a fan of spidery eyelashes but this thickens them as well as lengthens and it makes me feel like I'm wearing falsies, which is pretty difficult as I don't have particularly long eyelashes. Another plus is that it's really easy to remove with a standard eye make up remover. I would have to give this mascara a 4-5/5 and I will definitely be buying this again. 




I have other staple products such as my favourite Chanel lipsticks but I don't generally wear them in the day so I thought I would just do my standard day products for today. I'm also having issues with my concealers at the moment so if anyone has any recommendations let me know. I'm also still using the Liz Earle cleanser and I have to say it is growing on me so I will keep you posted

xxx

Wednesday, 18 April 2012

This woman's work ...

The title of this post is the title of the Kate Bush song that was covered by Maxwell a couple of years ago. I absolutely adore Kate Bush partly because she is a bit off the wall but mainly because she reminds me of my best friend. Many a night have we been found to be running around our kitchen belting out songs at the top of our voices and doing some god awful dance moves. We also have a penchant for singing harmonies that only dogs could hear but if that's what gets us through the day then really my housemates have no right to complain! :) 

I'm currently revising again but this time I couldn't even bear to leave the house so I'm in my boyfriend's room. I thought I would do a product review today as I have tried a few new ones recently. Firstly, my skin type is pretty sensitive and dry so not all skincare types work for me but I like to try new products so here's the first one! I bought the May 2012 edition of RED magazine (£3.90) and it came with a 30ml sample of Liz Earle 'Cleanse and Polish' Hot Cloth Cleanser and a muslin cloth. My standard cleanser is usually any of the no7s ones really  so I thought it would be interesting to see how I got on with this one and I have to say unfortunately I wasn't overly impressed. This cleanser has a very heavy rosemary scent which is nice but reminds of a Sunday roast, not really what I want to smell like all day. The steps that came with the cleanser were very well laid out and simple to follow, and I did really like the feel of the hot water, but overall I felt like the cream was too thick and didn't make any noticeable difference to my skin. I also found that the muslin cloth was way too harsh for my skin and I wouldn't want to use it twice a day for fear of having no skin left, but I know I do have sensitive skin so this could be fine for someone with less sensitive skin. I will keep on trying this product for another couple of days to see if my opinion of it changes but at the moment I'm giving this a 2/5, and will definitely be sticking with my no7 cleansers. 

I am also currently looking for a good  brush cleaner?? Does anyone have any recommendations? xx