Garnier Micellar Oil Infused Cleansing Wipes - A Review

Hello Lovelies

Admitting you use makeup wipes as a beauty blogger usually results in a gasp of horror or a "you shouldn't use them, they're bad for your skin" comment on a blog post, and whilst I am fully aware makeup wipes aren't the best thing in the world for my skin I do use them, but I don't use them as my one and only method of cleansing, I use them to remove my makeup before beginning my skincare routine, I also use them to remove swatches from my hand when taking swatch photographs for my blog so I feel it is ok to use them and I am not damaging my skin by using them to remove my makeup before cleansing thoroughly.

A few weeks ago whilst in Boots, I spotted the Garnier Micellar Oil Infused Cleansing Wipes, they were on a half price offer and since I like the Garnier Skin Active Oil Infused Micellar Water I thought I would pick a couple of packs of the wipes up thinking they would be as effective as the micellar water. 

The wipes are quite thick and are an average makeup wipe size, they do have quite a strong scent to them, which is a fresh scent but it is quite strong so if scented products aren't your thing these might not be for you. The wipes are very wet feeling and don't dry out once the pack has been opened. 

The cleansing wipes do remove all my makeup including waterproof mascara but they feel oily and leave an oily residue on my skin, I have very very dry and dehydrated skin so the residue does sink into my skin but my daughter has also tried the wipes and really doesn't like them because they leave an oily residue on her skin and because she has normal skin the residue doesn't sink in and her skin is left feeling very oily. 

Something else I have noticed when using the wipes is that my skin feels irritated around my jawline, feeling itchy and sore, I do have very sensitive skin and eczema but the wipes claim to be suitable for sensitive skin so I thought they would be ok. I bought 2 packs of the wipes but have only used 2 thirds of 1 pack because they irritate my skin and my daughters won't use them because they leave their skin feeling really oily, so the wipes are now used only for removing makeup swatches from my hand. 

I am really disappointed with the Garnier Micellar Oil Infused cleansing wipes, they were on offer when I bought them but I think they are expensive being £3.25 full price, I wouldn't recommend paying that for them when there are much better cleansing wipes on the high street for a lot less money. My holy grail makeup wipes are still the Superdrug Miceallar Cleansing Wipes which are £1.29 for 25 wipes and are excellent at removing makeup, they feel lovely on my skin, they don't leave any residue on my skin and they don't irritate my skin at all and I highly recommend them. 

I do really like the Garnier Oil Infused Micellar Water, it does a great job at removing my makeup and feels lovely on the skin but I dislike the wipes, they do remove my makeup but they leave my skin feeling itchy and sore and for my daughter who has normal skin, they leave her with a very oily residue to her skin that doesn't sink in and for the price I really wouldn't recommend them and would say to either buy the micellar water or try the Superdrug wipes, they are fabulous!

If you would like to try the Garnier wipes, they are currently on offer on the Superdrug website for £1.59 here or the Boots website for £2.17 here. 

Have you tried the Garnier Micellar Oil Infused Cleansing Wipes? Did you like them? Which are your favourite cleansing wipes? Let me know in the comments below. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always

Zoe x

An Autumn Drugstore Beauty Haul

Hello Lovelies

I've recently done a bit of beauty shopping and I thought I'd share with you what I've picked up. Everything I bought is from either Boots or Superdrug but as always I will link to where you can pick up the items in case you like the look of anything, some things are new releases and some not, so without further ado, here's my Autumn beauty haul. 

Boots

The first thing I picked up from Boots is the Zingy Berries And Cream shower gel, this is a re purchase and is a great price too at just 0.75p, it smells divine and is lovely to use, it isn't groundbreaking it's just a shower gel but it smells lovely and is a good price, there are also other scents in the Zingy range such as lime, coconut, ginger and orange, minty and lemon and they all smell amazing, there are also shampoo and conditioners in the range which smell equally as good. You can find the Zingy shower gels here and they are 0.75p (was £1.00) for 250ml of product. 

This wouldn't be a "Zoe haul" if it didn't contain at least one nail polish or nail product and when I saw the new Essie Fall Collection for 2016 it pulled me in, there are 6 shades in the range and all the shade names are Inspired by Japan. The shade I picked up from the range is Go Go Geisha which is described as an antique blossom pink, I would say it is a pink toned nude and it's a lovely shade that is perfect for Autumn/Winter, I shall be featuring it in a NOTD post so if you would like to know more about it and see swatches and me wearing the polish, keep an eye out for that. If you like Go Go Geisha by Essie, you can pick it up here priced at £7.99 for 13ml of product, Boots currently has a free gift with purchase on all Essie polishes, you will receive a free mini Essie polish with every purchase.

I also picked up the Essie shade Sand Tropez, this purchase was entirely enabled by my friend Khila, she loves this shade and has recently worn it a lot and it looks lovely so I just had to pick it up. It's a lovely shade for Autumn/Winter but can easily be worn all year round too, I have a rose gold glitter I think that would be a nice accent nail so watch this space for a NOTD post. I couldn't find a link to this on the Boots website but it is available on the Superdrug website here priced at £7.99 for 13ml, plus Superdug has a buy one get one half price offer on selected Essie polishes at the moment so a good time to pick this up if you like it.

I am always on the look out for my holy grail foundation and despite owning and trying several over the years, I still have yet to find "the one". When I saw Rimmel had launched a new foundation, the Fresher Skin foundation,  I thought I would give it a try. I picked up the shade 100 Ivory as I am the same shade in the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation (review post here) so I assumed it would be ok. The foundation comes in 6 shades and you can pick it up here priced at £5.99, Boots currently have a 2 for £10.00 on Rimmel products. 

Another foundation I picked up is the L'Oreal True Match foundation, this isn't a new release as such but L'Oreal now have 23 shades in the True Match foundation and say there is a shade for everyone, I picked up the shade 2C Rose Vanilla so I hope my guessing was correct! I've heard a lot of good things about the True Match foundation so I am really hoping it lives up to the hype. You can pick it up here priced at £7.99 (promotional price will be £9.99) for 30ml of product. 

I have recently had 2 gel manicures at a local salon and since having them my nails keep breaking and are in appalling condition. I took to Twitter (follow me here) to ask if anyone could recommend anything that could help my nails, the lovely Allie (twitter @Allegra_Sarah) suggested I try the Nails Inc After Gel Hangover Cure, I googled it and found they sold it on the Boots website so I picked some up, I am hoping it makes a difference, the after gel can be used as a treatment and also as a base coat so it is something I can use all the time which should also help my nails,  the reviews online were good so fingers crossed. You will find the Nails Inc After Gel Hangover Cure here priced at £9.50 for 8ml of product.

The last thing I picked up from Boots is a Sensationail gel nail polish in the shade Kitten Heel, it is a bright pink shade and right up my street. I haven't used it yet because I am having a break from gel whilst my nails recover but I can't wait to use it. I am slowly building up my gel nail polish collection since receiving the Sensationail gel starter kit to review (full post here) the polishes are expensive but I have since found a site that sells them cheaper so I am going to check those out but if you can recommend any cheaper gel polishes please let me know. Kitten Heel is on the Boots website here priced at £15.00 for 7ml of product. 

Superdrug

The first purchase from Superdrug are the Micellar Cleansing Facial Wipes, these are hands down the best face wipes I have ever used, they are amazing. My friend Gemma recommended them to me last year and since then I have re purchased them so many times and both my daughters are hooked too. They are incredible at removing makeup, even waterproof mascara and they are gentle on the skin too, they are cruelty free too if that is something you are interested in, they are just fantastic and at only £1.29 for 25 wipes they are incredible. I have tried other wipes, being a beauty blogger I try a lot of products, but nothing compares to these, if you haven't tried them yet I strongly recommend you do, you won't regret it. You can pick the wipes up here priced at £1.29 for 25 wipes. 

Next up I picked up a couple of the Maybelline Colour Tattoo's, the first one I got is Permanent Taupe, this shade has been around for quite some time but I haven't ever picked it up,  I thought this would be nice as a transitional eye shadow shade in the crease and would blend other shades out nicely or I could wear it as a one shade look and blend it out and add a little under the lower lash line too. I'm really looking forward to trying it, if you haven't tried it, you can pick it up here priced at £4.99, Superdrug currently have a buy 1 get 1 half price on Maybelline products. 

The next colour tattoo and last thing I picked up is the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in the shade Fantasy, this I think is a new shade but it might just be new to me, I haven't seen it before online or in store but that doesn't mean it's a new product, let me know if you know. Fantasty looks amazing, it is a taupe/bronze shade with silver glitter running through it and I think it would create a lovely one shadow look for Autumn/Winter. If you would like to try Fantasy, you can pick it up here priced at £4.99 (currently buy 1 get 1 half price).

So those are all the things I have recently picked up from Boots and Superdrug, I will of course be reviewing everything I picked up on my blog over the coming weeks, with exception of the shower gel, I don't think you need an in depth review of that do you? If there is anything you're interested in hearing my thoughts on first, please do let me know. What have you picked up from the drugstore recently? Let me know in the comments, I am always looking for new products to try. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always

Zoe x

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The Autumn Tag 2016

Image source

Hello Lovelies

I saw this tag on the lovely Fee's blog and as soon as I read it I wanted to do the tag myself, I like reading tag posts, I think it's a nice way of finding out a bit more about a blogger and since Autumn or Fall as you may call it, is well and truly upon us I thought today was a good time to do the tag, I hope you enjoy it.

1. What signifies the start of Autumn for you?

For me Autumn is well and truly here when the temperature outside drops and the weather becomes cooler and also when the nights start to draw in and it goes dark a lot earlier, it is going dark at around 7.30pm at the moment but it won't be long before it's dark at 4.30pm. I also know it's Autumn when the leaves start to fall from the trees and there's lovely shades of orange leaves on the ground.

2. What is your favourite Fall scent?

It might sound a bit strange but I love the smell of Bonfire night, when the local cricket club has it's annual bonfire the air smells lovely the morning after, all crisp and smoky with the faint smell of the fireworks too. I also like the smell of pumpkin soup, we always buy pumpkins and always have since our eldest was a baby (she's 25 now) and now my eldest daughter and my partner carve a pumpkin each at Halloween and there's usually an Instagram competition between them (follow me here)  Simon always makes pumpkin soup with melting cheese with the inside of the pumpkins and it is delicious and smells amazing too. 

3. What is your favourite Autumn colour?

I'm going to be greedy now and choose two colours I like, and they are khaki green and burgundy, I love both colours and like to wear both during Autumn, I have a new khaki green skirt that will look lovely with tights and boots and I can't wait to wear it. 

4. What is your favourite Fall drink?

Now the answer most people will probably have for this question is some kind of Starbucks or Costa Coffee drink but I don't really like tea, coffee or hot chocolate so unfortunately for me it is my usual Pepsi Max or bottled water and occasionally I like a hot Ribena, that said I do always try the Costa Coffee seasonal drinks when Simon has them but I couldn't ever drink a full one myself. 

5. What TV show, new or old, are you looking forward to this Fall?

I love watching the X Factor during Autumn (and winter) and I am loving it at the moment, one of my friends knows one of the contestants this year so I'm loving it even more this year. I am also looking forward to watching a new drama called National Treasure with Robbie Coltrane and Julie Walters, we have our Virgin Media box set to record that. I have also said that this year I am going to watch Strictly Come Dancing because my mum and dad watch it every year and love it and they always chat to me about it and I never have a clue who they mean so I am going to make an effort to watch it properly this year instead of just watching the odd few minutes here and there as I usually do. 

6. What is your favourite Fall fashion trend?

I like to wear dresses with thick tights and boots but this year I would like to try one of the capes with sleeves, I saw lots of people wearing them last year and they look lovely and I have seen them in the shops again this year, so I would like to try one and see if it suits me. I also like to wear nice scarves and hats but sometimes feel a bit silly in a hat. 

7. What is your favourite frugal Autumn activity?

My partner is a nursery teacher so he is always on the look out for crafts to do with the children he teaches, I love looking on Pinterest (follow me here) with him for idea's of things the children can make. I also love to watch my daughter Cole and Simon carve their pumpkins, it is always quite the event in our house! Watching the fireworks out of our lounge window is lovely too, we always took the girls to an organised bonfire and firework display and also had some of our own fireworks at home when they were small but Simon had a very bad accident 10 years ago involving fire and he hasn't been able to go to a bonfire or light fireworks since, but I do like watching the fireworks from the window and our children are grown up now so going to an organised bonfire isn't really their thing. Another thing I love is watching my daughter makeover her clients for Halloween, she is a professional makeup artist and incredible at what she does and some of her clients come to our house so I always ask if I can sit in the room and watch her as she transforms them, I always upload her Halloween makeup looks to Instagram so keep an eye out if you'd like to see them. 

8. What is your favourite makeup look come autumnal weather?

I usually wear a neutral eye look using brown shades on my eyes but I have recently started to use more warm shades of eyeshadow so I am looking forward to using those during Autumn too as I think the orange toned and cranberry toned shadows will be lovely, I always wear a neutral blush during Autumn, my favourite being MAC Mocha and my favourite lip colour to wear in Autumn is a red lip depending on the eye look I have chosen but I love a red lip and wear it a lot during Autumn. 

Those are all the questions in the Autumn tag, thank you to the lovely Fee for the questions and the Image. If you would like to do this tag I shall leave the questions below for you to copy and paste, please let me know if you do do the tag so I can read it. You can read Fee's tag here. 

The Questions

1. What signifies the start of Autumn for you?
2. What is your favourite Fall scent?
3. What is your favourite Autumn colour?
4. What is your favourite Fall drink?
5. What TV show, new or old, are you looking forward to this Fall?
6. What is your favourite Fall fashion trend?
7. What is your favourite frugal Autumn activity?
8. What is your favourite makeup look come autumnal weather? 

Thank you for reading, much love as always

Zoe x

NYX Micro Brow Pencil

Hello Lovelies

Around 3 years ago I wouldn't have dreamed of filling my brows in and despite both my daughters telling me that it would make a massive difference to the way my makeup looked and it would frame my face I always felt like I looked silly when I filled my brows in. 

Fast forward to the present day and now I can't go out without filling my brows in and I now have my brows waxed and tinted at the Benefit Brow Bar every 6 weeks, what a difference 3 years makes! When I go have my brows tinted and waxed I don't fill my brows in because it saves the girl doing them taking them off and I always feel so naked without my brows on, it's strange to think 3 years ago I wouldn't have dreamed of filling my brows in at all and now I feel naked without them. 

I have tried numerous products over the last 3 years to fill in my brows, from eyeshadow to brow pencils and brow pomade but no matter what I use I always find filling my brows in difficult and  I am never completely happy with the way they look. I recently picked up a few of the new Benefit brow products ( I reviewed all of them in this post) and have been using them for the last couple of months but around the same time I bought the Benefit products my daughter came home with the NYX Micro Brow Pencil for me to try. 

My eldest daughter Cole is a professional makeup artist so has a lot of knowledge and experience with makeup products and she uses the NYX Micro Brow Pencil both on herself and on her clients,  she really likes it and says it is the best brow pencil she has tried and being a makeup artist she has tried a lot of brow pencils. 

Cole picked me up the shade Taupe in the brow pencil, there are 8 shades available, Taupe, Blonde, Auburn, Chocolate, Ash Brown, Brunette, Expresso and Black so there is quite a good shade range. I always find it difficult to find brow pencils in the right shade having blonde hair but Taupe is a really good colour for me, Cole always says as a guide to choosing a shade, the best way to do it is to go off the colour of the roots of your hair, unless of course you like to use other shades but if you want to know the best match that is what Cole advises. 

The packaging is nice it's simple but also looks sleek, the brow pencil has a retractable applicator at one end of the pencil and a spoolie brush on the other end. The pencil twists up freely and doesn't have the "click" type twist up application some pencils have.

The pencil is a very thin pencil meaning it is very precise and I can use the pencil to draw hair like strokes in the areas of my brows that are sparse but I can also fill in my brows where they are much fuller and extend the "tail" end of my brows too, once I have finished my brows I brush them through with the spoolie for a nice flawless finish. I find the pencil easy to use and I like the way my brows look when I use the pencil, I have always struggled with filling my brows in but I find the NYX pencil really easy to use and I like the finished look which is pretty much unheard of for me.  

In the swatch photograph above I have drawn a thick line to show the shade of the pencil, the line I have drawn is not the actual depth of the pencil it is much much thinner but wouldn't show well for a swatch so I have drawn a much thicker line to show the shade. 

I am really happy with the NYX Micro Brow Pencil, the shade is just right for me, it applies well and has a matte finish, the pencil is easy to use and doesn't feel scratchy or drag through the brows, because the pencil is so thin it is able to coat fine brow hairs with colour and give a nice natural, flawless finish, I like that the pencil is matte and is long lasting, once applied the pencil doesn't smudge or move until it is time to take my makeup off. The NYX Micro Brow Pencil really is a great affordable brow pencil and I would definitely recommend it if you haven't tried it already. 

If you would like to give the NYX Micro Brow Pencil a try, you can pick one up from the Boots website priced at £7.00 or the Feel Unique website priced at £7.00.

Have you tried the NYX Micro Brow Pencil? Do you struggle to fill in your brows? What is your go to brow product? Let me know in the comments below. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always

Zoe x

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Autumn Fashion Wishlist

Hello Lovelies

After having a strange heatwave here in the UK earlier this week, it seems Autumn may finally be on the way and I desperately need some new clothes since I really am not ready for colder days at all, so I have been browsing online and thought I'd show you some of the things I've had my eye on for my Autumn wardrobe and also ask you for your opinion on them, as always I will list where the items are from and link to them too should you fancy picking any of the items up for yourself.

1. New Look Green Camo Print Tunic Dress - £19.99  - I really liked this as soon as I saw it but I'm concerned that I am a little too old to wear it, what do you think? I'm thinking I could wear it with either converse or adidas superstar trainers if it's warm enough or black tights and boots with a leather jacket if it's cooler, I like it but am I too old?

2. River Island Red Floral Print Skirt - £30.00  - This skirt is something totally different for me and completely out of my comfort zone but it caught my eye and I thought it would look nice with a plain black long sleeved top and black tights and boots or shoes. 

3. New Look Grey Ribbed Drawstring Dress - £14.99  - I saw this when I was shopping with Simon but they didn't have my size, it looks so much nicer in person that on the website. I thought it would be nice with tights and boots for simple, casual Autumn look. 

4. New Look Black Brushed Stripe Long Sleeve Top - £14.99 - This top just caught my eye and I thought it looked nice, I'm not sure how it will look on me being striped and me being a chunky monkey but I do like it so will see, I thought it would be nice with a black skirt or black jeans. 

5. River Island Soft Jersey Top - £10.00 (2 for £16.00)  - I thought this simple black long sleeved top would come in handy to wear with other things or on its own with jeans or leggings, the back is slightly longer than the front meaning it should cover my bottom should I want to wear it with leggings. It is also available in other colours if black isn't your thing. 

6. New Look Silver Chunky Loafers - £24.99  - These are something else I'm a little unsure of, I have seen a few people wearing silver loafers and they look great but I can't help feeling I'll look ridiculous! I'm really unsure, please let me know what you think.

7. New Look Curve Black Denim Dungarees - £29.99  - I love the look of dungarees but haven't worn them for about 25 years and that's what worries me, am I too old to rock a pair of dungarees? 

8. New Look Striped Tie Waist Tunic Dress - £17.99  - Something about this dress just caught my eye, I would wear in the same ways as the camo print dress for a super comfy casual look. It is also available in grey and navy. 

So those are some of the things I have picked out for my Autumn wardrobe whilst window shopping online, which item do you like best? What's on your Autumn fashion wishlist? And what are your opinions on the items I'm not 100% sure on? I'd love to know your thoughts in the comments below please. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always 

Zoe x

A New Nail Polish Brand - Roxanne Campbell

Hello Lovelies

I'm sure you all know by now that I am a bit of a a lot of a nail polish addict, I love nail polish and despite owning far too many polishes already, every haul post I write will always contain at least one new nail polish, I just cannot resist. 

I recently received a couple of nail polishes from the brand Roxanne Campbell, Roxanne Campbell is a professional nail expert who has honed and refined her unique approach over the last ten years, during that time she has collaborated with some of the most prestigious brands and designers. During the 2012 Olympic games Roxanne had the honour of painting more than 200 national flags on the nails of top international athletes and in 2013 she was named manicurist of the year. Roxanne is head of nails at fashion week painting the nails of many a supermodel, she is also an international judge at Nailympia, and has painted the talons of many famous people including Adele.  

Roxanne Campbell launched her own nail polish collection in August 2016, the collection is dedicated to perfection, Roxanne draws on fashion icons and season trends transforming her vision into a unique range of colours designed to enhance, inspire and uplift. Using the finest quality nail lacquer, Roxanne's customised formula provides a smooth, even application and a high gloss finish. The range is cruelty free and there are 10 nail polish shades plus a base and top coat available, they are all £10.00 each. 

I received the shades Sitting Pretty, a fuchsia pink and Stormy Weather, a beautiful grey. 

I love the packaging of the nail polishes, it is sleek and classy with the brand name on the front with the polish name and website details on the back. The square lid lifts off to reveal a round twist off lid making application effortless. 

The brush on the nail polishes is what I would call a standard nail polish brush, it isn't one of the newer wider brushes it is just a standard size brush and is easy to use, the nail polish applies really well and I was really impressed to see that I could probably have got away with just one coat of polish but I like an opaque nail look so I opted for two coats. The polish dried quickly in between coats and I was really surprised at how glossy the finish is on the polish, it is so glossy that you could easily skip a top coat and considering how quickly the polish dries it makes for a super speedy manicure. 

The swatches on the nail wheel are both two coats without top coat

In the photographs above I had applied two coats of Sitting Pretty but hadn't used a top coat and hopefully you can see how glossy my nails look. I am so pleased with how glossy the formula is, I do usually apply a top coat when I paint my nails but I really didn't need to with these polishes. Stormy Weather is equally as glossy and doesn't need a top coat either. The polishes wear for around 4 days without a top coat which I think is a really great wear time especially without using a top coat, the polish removed with ease using my usual acetone free nail polish remover. 

I am so impressed with the Roxanne Campbell nail polishes and would love to try more shades from the range, there is a stunning red shade called Kiss Me First and a lovely coral/orange called Off To Jamaica that look beautiful but all the shades are lovely and there is a shade to suit all tastes too. I am really happy with the nail polishes and love everything about them from the packaging to the finish of the nail polish, they apply well, dry quickly and have an amazing glossy finish, they are incredible and I highly recommend them. 

If you would like to try the nail polishes, you will find them on the Roxanne Campbell website HERE priced at £10.00 each for 12ml of polish. 

Have you heard of this brand or tried them? Which out of the two is your favourite shade? Let me know in the comments below. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always 

Zoe x

✿ Post contains PR Samples or Gifted Items

Maybelline Color Drama Lip Pencil - In With Coral

Hello Lovelies

I recently picked up the Maybelline Color Drama lip pencil in the shade In With Coral, I'm sure those of you who read my blog regularly with know that I love coral lip and nail shades and wear them a lot especially over the spring and summer months, and when I saw my friend Khila wearing a really lovely coral lip colour I naturally asked what it was and when I found out it was the Maybelline color drama lip pencil I snapped it up the next time I placed a Boots order. I have worn the pencil quite a few times since featuring it in my huge beauty haul post around a month ago and today I thought I'd let you know my thoughts on it. 

I really like the lip pencil style of lipstick, I own a few from different brands and I also already have one of the Color Drama lip pencils in the shade Light It Up which is red and I really like it and have worn it quite a lot so I hoped I would feel the same about In With Coral, the packaging has changed since I bought Light It Up so I hoped the formula hadn't too. 

In With Coral is a bright coral matte shade, and although it's matte it doesn't feel dragging on the lips when I apply it and actually feels quite creamy for a matte lip colour and it is very easy to apply, I usually line my lips first and then fill them in. The lipstick feels comfortable on the lips and doesn't dry my lips out at all, it is worth mentioning that I don't suffer from dry lips, I really like the way the lipstick applies, it feels nice on the lips and has brilliant lasting power, I can wear the lipstick for around 4 hours without having to re apply when eating and drinking and if I'm not eating it lasts a lot longer. The lipstick fades away well and doesn't leave me with an unsightly ring of colour around my lips where it has worn away. 

Me wearing In With Coral

I am really pleased with the lipstick, it is a lovely shade and I have worn it a lot since buying it. I love coral lip shades so I knew this would be the perfect shade for me and it really is, it is bright but not too bright and looks lovely with a neutral eye look as worn in the photograph above. I like the way the lipstick applies, it feels comfortable to wear and has great lasting power too, there are 10 shades to choose from and there is something for everyone within the shade range, I have my eye on a couple of the pink shades. 

If you would like to try In With Coral or one of the other shades in the Color Drama Lip pencils, you can find them on the Boots website HERE for £4.99 or the Superdrug website HERE for £4.99. Both websites currently have a buy one get one half price offer on Maybelline products. 

Have you tried the Color Drama Lip Pencils? Which are your favourite shades? Do you like the pencil style lipsticks and do you have a favourite brand? Let me know in the comments below. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always

Zoe x

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SensatioNail Deluxe Gel Nail Polish Starter Kit - A Review

Hello Lovelies

If you have been reading my blog for a while you will be fully aware that I am a real nail polish addict. I love painting my nails and buying new nail polish and there isn't a haul where I haven't bought at least one new nail polish despite already owning far too many, so you can imagine my excitement when I received the SensatioNail Deluxe Gel Nail Polish Starter Kit. Unfortunately I had just had a gel manicure at my local salon when the kit arrived so I couldn't use the kit on my own nails so my eldest daughter Cole kindly offered to be my guinea pig for this post and let me use the kit on her nails. 

The box the kit comes in is nice and compact meaning it won't take up much room, this is something I was pleased about as it is easy to store. The box shows the full contents of the kit on the back so you know exactly what is in the kit, again I thought this was really helpful. 

What's Included In The Kit?

The gel nail polish starter kit is £49.99 and contains everything you need for 10 complete gel manicures. The kit I received is the Scarlet Red kit meaning the colour of the polish inside is red, if red isn't your thing other colour kits are available, I love red nails so was happy with the red. 

The kit includes -

• 1 x Scarlet Red gel nail polish 3.69ml
• Gel primer 3.54ml
• Base/topcoat 3.69ml
• Gel cleanser 14.6ml
• 12 x lint free wipes
• 22 x peel off nail shields
• Double-sided nail buffer
• Manicure stick
• LED nail lamp (USB & mains charger)
• How-to Booklet

The products included in the kit are sample size products but are good sample sizes and big enough for 10 applications which I think for the price of the kit is good. The kit also comes with an instruction booklet and also a card with instructions of how to apply the gel on one side and how to remove it on the other side, these are the instructions I use as I find it easier to use the card but it is purely down to personal preference. 

The lamp that comes with the kit is compact and when I first saw it I thought it might be too small but it isn't and since I've used it a few times I love it, I struggle with heavy things but the lamp is super light and easy to use, it comes with a lead that can be plugged into a usb port and also comes with a plug. The lamp has a silver magnetic and removable plate that fits on the bottom of the lamp, the metal plate has 4 finger shaped grooves to show where to put your fingers, and 4 fingers fit perfectly with plenty of room. When polishing fingers I do the 4 fingers first and then the thumb, the silver plate is magnetic so it is easy to remove and if you want a gel pedicure the plate comes off and the lamp can be placed on the floor so the foot can be placed inside, the foot fits inside the lamp and there is plenty of room. 

How To Use The Kit

Before using the kit ensure nails are free from nail polish by using nail polish remover and wash hands. 

✿ Prepare The Nails 

Push back cuticles using the slanted side of the wooden stick, then file nails with the grey side of the nail file. Now buff nail surface with the pink side of the nail file to remove shine and help the gel adhere. 

If nails are particularly dusty from filing/buffing wash hands if not wipe each nail with some of the gel cleanser on a lint free pad and allow to dry. 

✿ Prime The Nails

Use the primer and apply to the nails, use sparingly as a little goes a long way and allow nails to air dry, this product does not fully dry and feels tacky.

✿ Add Base Coat

Apply a thin coat of the gel base and top coat avoiding the cuticles and sides of the fingers, cap the edge of the nail by running the brush along the edge of the nail, this helps to prevent chipping. Once applied to all 4 fingers, put hand under the lamp, the lamp will come on as soon as you put your hand in. Leave your hand under the lamp for 15 seconds, after 15 seconds the light will flicker so you know when to remove your hand. Once the finger nails are done, do the same with the thumb. Do not touch your nails, the product will be tacky in order for the gel polish to adhere to it. 

✿ Polishing The Nails

Using the polish in the same way as the gel base and top coat, apply a thin layer of polish to finger nails and cap off the edge of the nail by running the brush along the edge of the nail, once all 4 finger nails are painted place hand under the lamp for 30 seconds, the light will flicker after 15 seconds and turn off after 30 seconds. Once you have done the finger nails, do exactly the same with the thumb. I used 2 coats of the Scarlet Red polish for a nice opaque finish. 

✿ Top Coat

Apply a thin layer of the base and top coat and place hand under the lamp for 15 seconds, then do the same with the thumb. 

✿ Finishing Off

Using the gel cleanser and a lint free wipe, wipe over each nail to remove the sticky moisture layer. 

All done, now do exactly the same on your other hand. For a gel pedicure you do exactly the same steps but on your toe nails and remove the silver base plate from the lamp so you can place the lamp on the floor and put your foot inside. 

The Finished Look 

My Thoughts

I found the SensatioNail Deluxe Gel Nail Polish Kit very easy to use, the instructions are clear and easy to follow and Coles nails looked lovely, she was really pleased with them. Cole was originally my guinea pig because I couldn't gel my own nails having just had gel applied at a salon but it worked out well because Cole is a professional makeup artist and uses her hands a lot everyday and is opening packaging and palettes all day long, so the gel polish really was put to the test much more than if I had tested it, so it worked out well using Cole for this post. 

I took a photograph of Coles nails 2 weeks after applying the gel, her nails had grown a lot but that is normal for Cole, her nails grow very fast and she usually has to file them down at least twice a week, she had filed her nails down once whilst having the gel polish on but as it would break the seal where I capped off the edges she didn't want to keep filing them. 

As you can see from the photograph above, Coles nails had grown a lot and she has a large amount of re growth space on her nails, you can also see where she has filed them and the seal has broken and the polish filed off on the edges of her nails and she broke her nail on her index finger at the corner but all in all I don't think they look bad considering this is 14 days after application and Cole had had to file her nails because of how fast they grow, had her nails not needed filing the edges of the nails would still be polished. You can still see that Coles nails stayed super glossy throughout it is just a shame she needed to file her nails, you can see how fast they grow from the re growth on her nails. 

I am really impressed with the kit, it is a great little kit containing everything needed to create gel nails at home and I think it's a great price too. I had just had gel nails myself at a salon before using the kit on Cole and I paid £20.00, the kit contains enough product for 10 applications and is £49.99 meaning each application works out at £4.99 and would be saving me £15.01 each time I use it compared to going to a salon charging £20.00.

I like that everything fits into a compact box meaning it doesn't take up much room at all to store, the kit fits nicely in the cupboard where my other nail supplies live. The lamp is so cute and compact but fantastic, I was really sceptical about it on first glance but it is brilliant and I love how the metal base is magnetic and is easily removed to use for applying gel polish to the toe nails. I have used the kit to apply gel to the toes and my youngest daughter has too and it was super simple to use and neither of use had any trouble fitting our full foot under the lamp. I haven't included photographs of our feet in this post as feet aren't always the nicest thing to look at but the nails looked lovely and the process was just as easy to do for the toes as the fingers. 

I honestly cannot praise this kit enough, I am really impressed with it, it is easy to use, the instructions are very simple to follow, the products apply well, the lamp is light and compact and nails look incredible when they are finished, I would highly recommend the kit to anyone and especially if you usually pay to have gel nails at a salon but it is a great kit for anyone, I absolutely love it. It will be great for using before holidays on both hands and feet, I can go away knowing my nails will look great for the duration of my holiday and the kit is so compact that if I wanted to I could take it away with me and change the shade of my polish whilst I'm there, it's fantastic. I am so impressed with the kit that since receiving it and using it on Coles nails and my toe nails, I have purchased 2 more full size SensatioNail gel nail polishes in the shades Precious Peony and Kitten Heel, if you would like to see some nail of the day posts using them or a review of the polishes please let me know either in the comments or via twitter or email.

I would also like to add that removing the gel polish was simple too, Cole used cotton pads cut up and soaked in acetone nail polish remover placed on her nails, she then wrapped some foil around her  nails and left them for around 15-20 minutes, the polish came away easily and Cole then buffed her nails to remove any traces of the polish but is wasn't hard to do. 

If you would like to try the SensatioNail Deluxe Gel Nail Polish Starter Kit, you can find it on the Boots website priced at £49.99 

Have you tried SensatioNail? What are your thoughts on gel nails? And can you recommend any more SensatioNail polishes for me to try? Let me know in the comments below. 

Products featured on Mammafulzo are PR samples unless otherwise stated, this post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclaimer for more details. 

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