Thursday 30 July 2015

Nars Satin Lip Pencil In Yu


Hello Lovelies, 

I have a few of the crayon style lip products in my make up collection but I had never tried one of the Nars ones, the Nars lip pencils come in a choice of 3 different finishes, satin, velvet matte and velvet gloss and each finish comes in a range of shades, I'd heard a lot of great things about the Nars lip pencils but never picked one up.  I have a few Nars products in my make up collection and every product I have I love so I was really excited to see if I'd love the Satin Lip Pencil* in the shade Yu too.

What Nars Say About The Satin Lip Pencils

Satin Lip Pencil dresses up lips in statement shades that seduce with rich, colour-bright pigments while drenching them in decadent moisture. A modern, long-wearing, vitamin-enriched formula in a jumbo pencil format to provide great wear and intense color with a satin finish. Use for lining, all-over lip colour, or pairing with another lip product

High-impact intense colour
Convenient, easy and precise application
My Thoughts

I love to wear bright lip colours and pink is my favourite colour so I couldn't wait to try Yu, I was a little concerned it may be slightly too blue toned for me as some blue toned products don't suit my already very blue lips (thank you medication). I really like the packaging of the lip pencil it's sleek black with the corresponding colour of the product at the bottom of the pencil.


As soon as I took the lid of the pencil I knew I was going to love the shade, it is a beautiful bright fuchsia pink shade, perfect for the summer months and one of my favourite lip colours to wear. 


The lip pencil applied with ease and felt very moisturising, it has a slight sheen without being glossy and is a beautiful colour as I expected, it feels very moisturising on the lips and is extremely pigmented, one of the stand out things for me is the wear time I got from Yu it lasted for hours and hours and wore off nicely, it didn't leave a ring of colour around my lips as some moisturising lip products I've tried have done, it wore away nicely. I was chatting on periscope the day I wore the lip pencil and someone asked me what my lip colour was, it was 10 hours after I'd applied it! I was so shocked that they could still see some of the colour but when I went to remove my make up a little later I could still see some of the product on my lips, it had obviously faded it was over 11 hours since application but I could still see some colour which I find amazing. I would say I get at least 6 hours wear time of full colour without fading from the pencil and then it starts to fade away nicely and evenly after that. 

Me wearing the Nars Satin Lip Pencil In Yu

Overall Thoughts & Would I Re Purchase?

I adore the Satin Lip Pencil it applies well, doesn't bleed or feather at all despite being so bright and being a moisturising formula and the wear time is incredible, I recommend this 100% and I would definitely re purchase Yu, I am super impressed with the Nars lip pencil, I can't believe I have never tried them before but I will certainly be picking some more up.

If you would like to try Yu or any of the other shades in the Nars Satin Lip Pencils, you can find them at the Nars websiteSpace NKSelfridges or John Lewis for £19.00. 

Have you tried any of the Nars lip pencils? What shade and finish is your favourite? 

Thank you for reading, much love as always, 

Zoe x








SHARE:

Wednesday 29 July 2015

Vichy Dercos Oil Control Treatment Shampoo

Vichy Dercos Oil Control Treatment Shampoo

Hello Lovelies,

I was recently browsing the Look Fantastic website as I often do, looking at shampoo's for oily hair again as I often do and I came across a shampoo I'd never heard of before, the Vichy Dercos Oil Control shampoo, I love Vichy as a brand and adore their skin care products so I was intrigued by the shampoo I noticed it was on sale for £5.30 down from £8.50, I also had a 15% off discount code so I thought I'd try it out. I've been on the look out for a good cleansing/clarifying shampoo since my favourite Ojon detoxifying shampoo was discontinued and I have recently been purchasing the Boots expert build up removal shampoo, I have a full review of that here but I am still on the look out for something I like as much as the Ojon so I thought I'd try the Vichy out. 

What It Says On The Box

Greasy hair is caused by over active sebum production, which irritates and destabilises the scalp, hair quickly becomes limp, dull and lifeless. An exclusive anti sebum complex combines 4 carefully balanced and selected surfactants to help limit the spread of sebum along the capillary fibres and preserve the scalps natural balance. The results are that the scalp is cleansed, the hair becomes greasy less quickly, hair feels lighter and becomes easier to style. For 80% of users the shampoo helps give more volume and body. 

Vichy Dercos Oil Control Treatment Shampoo
Vichy Dercos Oil Control Treatment Shampoo

My Thoughts

My first thoughts when I used the shampoo were that it had a nice scent, often detoxifying shampoos can smell rather unpleasant but the Dercos has a nice fresh scent to it, I didn't need a lot of product and it lathered up well and rinsed out easily too. The shampoo is a clear liquid and what I would say is an average shampoo consistency it isn't too thick or too thin either. I washed my hair once with the shampoo and it was dried and styled as normal.

I am so impressed with the shampoo, I washed my hair for the first time with it on a Monday and wore it down after it had been dried and straightened, the day after my hair looked fine and I was able to wear my hair down again after having it quickly straightened, I didn't need to use any dry shampoo at all in my hair, on Wednesday I wore my hair up and used dry shampoo around my hair line and at my crown as it was a little oily but not terribly, I wouldn't have been able to wear my hair down but it was fine to wear in a messy bun with some dry shampoo through it, I then washed my hair on the Thursday. As I said I have been purchasing the boots expert shampoo and using that I can go every other day without washing my hair so I was able to go an extra day without washing with the Vichy which was exactly the same as when I used the Ojon shampoo so my first thoughts were extremely good. 

Overall Thoughts & Would I Re Purchase?

I am super impressed with the Vichy Dercos Oil Control shampoo, I have been using it for a couple of weeks now and I love it, I love the scent of it and it lathers up well, rinses well and it doesn't contain any parabens or silicone which is great and I think the price of the shampoo is good  considering it doesn't contain silicone as usually shampoos that don't are more expensive. It is a shame it is more than double the price of the boots shampoo I have been using but it is a better product and it does exactly what it says on the tin, it didn't affect the colour of my hair either which I was super happy about, some clarifying/detoxifying shampoos can strip the colour if you have coloured hair but the Dercos didn't do that so I was pleased about that. 

I would recommend the dercos shampoo to those of you who suffer with oily hair, it is a fantastic product and does exactly what it says it will, my hair didn't need washing for 2 days and it felt soft and weightless, I am super impressed with the shampoo and will definitely re purchase it, if you can find a discount code for the Look Fanstatic website even better but I wouldn't have any qualms about paying full price for the shampoo as although it is more expensive that the boots shampoo it is a lot more affordable than the Ojon and other brands and it is a fantastic product, to be honest I would have expected it to be more expensive than it is and if I ordered from boots with delivery it would work out to a similar price anyway. I am really pleased I found the shampoo, I thought it would be good as I love Vichy skin care but because I haven't ever heard anything about their shampoos I was a little unsure but I had no need to be as it is fantastic and I have yet to find  product I dislike from the brand, another 10 out of 10 to Vichy.   

If you would like to try the Vichy Dercos Oil Control shampoo you can find it here for £8.50 including free delivery. 

Do you suffer with oily hair? Did you know Vichy had a range of shampoos? Let me know in the comments, it's so lovely to chat to you all. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always 

Zoe x


SHARE:

Tuesday 28 July 2015

Ted Baker Mint Body Spray

Ted Baker Mint Body Spray

Hello Lovelies,

I've never been one for body sprays, I've always preferred perfume, I love wearing perfume I love that a certain scent can transport me back to a certain time or life event and I've just never been one for buying body sprays, the scents never lasts longer than around 10 minutes on me and I always regret buying them but on a recent trip to a local retail park I found myself in Boots, quell surprise? And whilst picking up some much needed items for our holidays I stumbled upon the Ted Baker Mint mini body sprays, I'd had had a little "sniff" off the full size body spray with Lissy a few weeks before but I wasn't sure how long the scent would last etc etc and £7.99 seemed a lot to pay if the product turned out to be something I regretted buying so I left it.

When I saw the mini version for £2.50 and on 3 for 2 at the time I decided I'd pick one up or 3 since they were on 3 for 2, unfortunately they only had 2 left so I picked up a Ted Baker body lotion as my 3rd item, I gave 1 of the body sprays to Lissy since she loved the scent when we tried it a few weeks before and kept the other for myself and decided I would try it out and if I liked it I would buy the full price version.

Ted Baker Mint Body Spray

As I said I've never been a huge fan of body sprays and they're not something I buy but something about the scent of this just pulled me in, it smells absolutely beautiful, it's soft and floral and feminine but sweet and a little fruity at the same time it is just lovely and when I saw the mini I just had to buy it and I am so glad I did, I have used nothing else since buying it, I have had so many people ask me what perfume I'm wearing and then being shocked when I say it's a body spray, it really is a beautiful scent and perfect for the summer (if we ever get one)

The scent lasts for around 2 hours which for a body spray I think is really good, usually body sprays last around 20 minutes on me which is why I never buy them but this one is quite long lasting and it smells amazing, I am going to pick up the full size of this as I think it will be lovely to wear on holiday in the evening, there are other products in the mint range too including a body wash, bubble bath, body lotion and body soufflé,  I have my eye on the body wash, layering the fragrance will help it to last even longer and I bet the body soufflé is also amazing.

If the mint fragrance isn't for you there is an alternative, the Ted Baker Pink which is also lovely, I do prefer the mint but they are both gorgeous and I highly recommend you check them out. If you would like to purchase the mini Mint body spray you can find it here for £2.50 and all the other Ted Baker mint products are available at Boots as is the pink range if the mint isn't for you.

Do you wear body sprays? Are there any you could recommend to me? Have you tried the Ted Baker mint and did you like it too?

Thank you for reading, much love as always,

Zoe x
SHARE:

Thursday 23 July 2015

NOTD Pastel Rainbow Nails

Hello Lovelies,

Today I have another NOTD (nail of the day) post for you and todays NOTD isn't just a 1 polish NOTD it's a 5 polish NOTD, can I write NOTD anymore? Probably, anyway today's NOTD there I go again writing it again, is something I thought I'd try recently when I couldn't make my mind up what shade to paint my nails,  I'd swatched a couple of polishes on my nails to see which I liked and I thought they looked nice together and it gave me the idea of painting all my nails a different pastel colour so that's what I did.

What I Used


NOTD Pastel Rainbow Nails


I used 5 different pastel shades from different brands, the shades I used from left to right were.


✿ Rimmel 60 Second Nail Polish in Breakfast In Bed available here for £2.99 currently buy 1 get 1 half price.

✿ Rimmel 60 Second Nail Polish in Ring O Roses available here for £2.99 currently buy 1 get 1 half price.

✿ Rimmel Rita Ora Nail Polish in Wild-Er-Ness available here for £2.99 currently buy 1 get 1 half price.

✿ Barry M Speedy Nail Polish in In A Heart Beat available here for £3.99 currently 2 for £6.00.

✿ NYC Colour Shine In A Minute in Rain Drop available here for £1.79 currently 3 for 2.

I applied 2 coats of each polish and finished off the with the Sally Hansen Insta Dri topcoat available here (full review here)

NOTD Pastel Rainbow Nails
NOTD Pastel Rainbow Nails

I think the finished look is quite pretty, the only thing I wish I'd done differently is use a different coral polish, I absolutely hate the Barry M speedy polishes (full review here) and if you look closely you'll see some bubbling on the coral nail which is one of the reasons I hate the polish, but I am trying to use it up rather than throw away a polish that was almost £4.00 to buy, I think I should just throw it away though after seeing these photographs don't you?

Apart from the Barry M polish being bubbly,  I really like the finished look of my nails and I received a lot of compliments on them, I adore the Rimmel 60 second nail polishes and highly recommend them, I'm not too keen on the Rita Ora polishes however this shade applied and wore a lot better than the other shade I have (full review here) but I do adore the 60 second polishes and would recommend those especially as they are currently on a buy 1 get 1 half price offer so if you were to try a Rimmel polish I'd say to go for the 60 second polishes rather than the Rita Ora ones.

I think I will try this look again soon with different polishes and maybe do a different shades of pink look or different shades of corals, I think that might look nice too, what do you think?

Have you tried pastel rainbow nails? Did you like them? I'll be back with another NOTD post soon.

Thank you for reading, much love as always,

Zoe x




SHARE:

Wednesday 22 July 2015

My Primark Make Up First Impressions And My Thoughts Now

My Primark Make Up First Impressions And My Thoughts Now

Hello Lovelies, 

A few weeks ago I purchased a few items from the Primark PS Love make up range. I did film a first impressions GRWM for my You Tube channel where I filmed myself applying the make up and then inserted some vlog type footage throughout the day at different intervals showing how the make up wore and lasted etc, I tried the make up right in the middle of the recent UK heatwave so a great day for a test as I was hot and sweaty (nice) I will pop the video link in at the end of the post for you in case you haven't seen the video and would like to. 

Today I wanted to let you know my thoughts on the make up now I have been using it for a few weeks and let you know how I'm getting on with the products and also give them their own individual review.

My Primark Make Up First Impressions And My Thoughts Now

The 3 make up products I bought from the Primark PS Love beauty range were a single eyeshadow, it doesn't have a shade name or number, a blush in the shade "Pink" and a lip pencil in the shade "02"

My Primark Make Up First Impressions And My Thoughts Now

The eye shadow I chose is a lovely champagne shade it doesn't have a shade name or number but it was the only single eye shadow in this shade so it will be easy to spot should you want to. I bought this shade as I thought it would be most versatile and could also be used as highlight and because I felt it would make a lovely all over the lid shade. 

The first time I used the eye shadow I found it quite hard to pick up some product on my brush and I had to swirl my brush round in the product a few times, but once I'd managed to pick up some product it applied beautifully and blended well, it is as I thought a lovely all over the lid shade and is a pale champagne shimmery shade, it is very shimmery so if shimmer isn't your thing then this won't be for you but if it is you'll love it. I think it's a lovely shade especially for the summer and would look lovely with a tan worn alone just swept over the lid and maybe a little under the brow bone. I haven't had any problems picking up product on my brush since and I always manage to pick up a good amount of product, the eye shadow applies and blends well and has great staying power, I use a MAC paint pot in Painterly as a base for the eye shadow and it stays in place all day, when I filmed the video I wore the make up for 8 hours and didn't experience any creasing and the eye shadow didn't fade at all and I have since worn the shadow for 11 hours hours and it was fine, no creasing or fading and for a £1.00 eye shadow I'd say that's pretty amazing. 

My Primark Make Up First Impressions And My Thoughts Now

The lip pencil I chose is a bright pink, there was also a nude/brown and a bright red to choose from but I'm sure you all know by now that pink is my favourite colour so it had to be pink, and I also thought it would be a lovely shade for the summer. There is a number 02 on the side of the pencil so I'm guessing that is the shade number, I thought the best way to test the pencil would be to wear it as a lipstick so I applied it all over my lips, I found the pencil applied well and didn't drag and I was surprised to find it didn't feel overly drying on my lips at all and I could rub my lips together easily. As with the eye shadow the lip pencil was £1.00 and I think it is great value for money, I find I can wear the lip pencil as my lip stick for around 4 hours before it starts to fade, the lip pencil fades away beautifully and doesn't leave a ring of colour around my lips as it fades. I am really pleased with the lip pencil and every time I wear it I am asked what I'm wearing on my lips and I receive so many compliments on the shade both in person and if I post a photograph on any of my social media accounts. 

My Primark Make Up First Impressions And My Thoughts Now

The blush for me is the stand out product out of the 3 products I bought and I haven't used any other blush since filming the first impressions video. It is extremely pigmented so I only need to use a tiny amount and it applies beautifully to the cheeks and blends beautifully also, it is a lovely product. It has just the right amount of shimmer running through it, although in the pan it does look matte but it does have a slight sheen to it, just the perfect amount for me, if you don't like a lot of shimmer in a blush this will be great for you, it has a small enough just visible when the light catches it amount and it really is a stunning blush. 


Overall Thoughts & Would I Re Purchase Any Of The Products?

I would 100% re purchase the products I have from Primark they are all brilliant and I am hoping to pick up some more make up items from the range to try out soon, I would like to try a foundation and powder, unfortunately at the time I bought the products I was unable to buy a foundation and a powder because the only available shades were too dark for me but I am hoping to pick them up in light soon and try them out. I'd love to get the blush in coral too, I love coral blush and if it is as good as the pink it will be great! 

I love all 3 products, they all applied well and wore well and after 8 hours of blistering heat the blush and eyeshadow hadn't moved at all, the lip liner had faded because I had been drinking and chatting but it faded away nicely so it wasn't a problem, the products are very affordable, they apply well and wear well and are definitely worth trying out if you haven't already done so, I would 100% recommend them and re purchase them.

Me wearing the Primark make up products.

If you would like to watch the video where I try the Primark make up for the first time you can watch it by clicking this link.

Have you tried anything from the Primark make up range? Do you have any recommendations for me to try or is there anything I should avoid? Let me know in the comments and I will of course reply as soon as I can. 

Thank you for reading, much love as always, 

Zoe x















SHARE:

Tuesday 21 July 2015

Travalo Classic Excel


Travalo Classic Excel

Hello Lovelies,

I may have mentioned a couple of hundred times recently that I'm going on my summer holiday soon and there's something I'll definitely be popping into my suitcase and I wanted to tell you all about it.

The Travalo Classic Excel is a perfume atomiser that can be filled with your fragrance of your choice, it is light and compact, aircraft approved, shatterproof and leakproof and best of all it will hold 65 sprays (5ml) of your favourite fragrance, it has recently replaced the original Travalo Classic which held 50 sprays of fragrance (4ml) they new excel has a bigger spray head so produces a finer mist enabling your fragrance to cover a wider area, there is also a "window"on the side of the Travalo so you can see how far you have filled your Travalo or how much fragrance you have used.

Travalo Classic Excel
Travalo Classic Excel

I have the Travalo Classic Excelin purple but it is available in 10 different colours and the inner casing can also be removed so if you have more than one colour you can swap the inner casing round, Travalo call this their uchange system because you can change the colour of your Travalo to suit you.

The Travalo is super easy to use and comes with extremely easy to understand instructions on the back of the packaging, it takes only a few minutes to fill the Travalo, you simply remove push down spray button from your fragrance of choice, I'm using my Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume to demonstrate for this for you.

Travalo Classic Excel
Travalo Classic Excel

Once you have removed the spray button you attach the bottom of your Travalo to the perfume bottle and just pump the fragrance into the Travalo.

Travalo Classic Excel

You will see the fragrance appear in the "window" indicator on the side of your Travalo and once it's full or contains your desired amount of fragrance you're done, it really is super easy to use. 

Travalo Classic Excel

The Tavalo Classic Excel is useful for a variety of different occasions,  I will be popping mine into my toiletry bag in my suitcase to use on my holidays, but as it's aircraft safe and only 5ml you can pop it into your handbag or hand luggage if you want to spritz whilst you travel, it is also brilliant to keep in your handbag for an on the go refresh when at work or shopping or even on a night out, it is such a versatile product and a really useful one too. 

If you would like to purchase a Travalo for yourself or as a gift for someone else, you can find them direct here on the Travalo website and also at Debenhams for £12.49, Debenhams also have a double pack with a free leather carry case for £25.00. 

Which colour Travalo would you choose and what fragrance would you fill your Travalo with? 

Thank you for reading, much love as always,

Zoe x









SHARE:

Sunday 19 July 2015

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation - A Review

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation - A Review

Hello Lovelies, 

Today I have a review post for you and the review is of a drugstore foundation I bought a couple of months ago the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation. I struggle to find drugstore foundations to suit my pink toned super dry skin as most drugstore foundations are aimed at people with an oily/combination or normal skin and a more yellow undertone so the complete opposite of me. 

I have a few high end foundations but have never found a drugstore one that is perfect for me so I asked on a video recently what drugstore foundations my subscribers recommended and quite a few recommended the wake me up so when it had £3 off in Boots I decided to give it a go. I matched myself for the shade of foundation I needed, I got 100 Ivory. I do have a video coming soon on how to match yourself for a drugstore foundation and finding the right one for you etc so keep an eye out for that if it's something you're interested in. 

What Rimmel Says About The Foundation

Wake Up & Glow! Rimmel’s first liquid foundation that instantly reawakens skin with a healthy, radiant glow Light, moisturising texture applies smoothly and leaves skin feeling soft and comfortable all day Gives an instant flawless, natural-looking finish Visible anti-fatigue effect with peptides and a Vitamin Moisturising complex.

My Thoughts
My first thoughts when applying the foundation were that it seemed to be a really good match for my skin tone and shade and that the foundation applied well and blended nicely into my skin too. I have used a brush, my fingers and the Real Techniques miracle complexion sponge to apply the foundation and I find it applies best with the miracle complexion sponge, it applies beautifully and blends nicely to a flawless finish. I use around 1.5 pumps of the foundation for my full face. 

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation - A Review


I find it to be a light to medium coverage which is just the right amount of coverage for me but I do use a concealer for any areas of redness I need to cover, my skin is left looking flawless but also natural, you can still see my freckles through the foundation which I like, I don't like my skin to look masked, I also like that the bottle comes with a pump, it is so much easier to use and apply than some other brands where I have to pour the product out as I find I always pour out way to much and waste the product which isn't good and is costly too.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation - A Review

I have heard a few people say the wake me up leaves a glittery or shimmery look to their skin and although the shimmer is visible in the bottle I haven't found this and I would say it gives me a nice dewy look without being overly shiny, it is a nice natural finish with just the right amount of coverage for me, one thing I have noticed is that the foundation smells really nice, it has a lovely scent to it which is something I haven't ever noticed with any other foundation before, it's not a game changer but it is a bonus I suppose. 

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation - A Review
 Me wearing the wake me up foundation

Overall Thoughts & Would I Re Purchase?

I really like the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation, it applies well, it looks lovely on the skin and isn't too heavy coverage, I like that my skin still looks like skin and you can see my freckles through the foundation, it doesn't feel heavy on the skin, I can feel I am wearing foundation but it's not heavy feeling at all. I would definitely recommend and re purchase the foundation it's a lovely foundation especially if you have dry skin, I think if your skin is oily this could wear off quite easily though so it might not be ideal if you have very oily skin but for normal or dry skin it's lovely, it didn't sink into any dry patches I have, I did use my HG primer under the foundation, the Smashbox Hydrating primer (full review here) which does help with any dryness or dehydration but the foundation didn't feel drying at all and didn't settle into any fine lines. The foundation also lasts all day on my skin, I wore it during a recent heatwave we had in the UK and it was fine despite me being very hot and sweaty (how nice) but over all I am super impressed with the wake me up, it compares well to high end foundations I have and is a lovely foundation, if you're in the market for a new drugstore foundation I'd definitely recommend you try the wake me up, it really is lovely. 

If you would like to try the wake me up, you can find it on line at Superdrug and Boots for £8.99 or   Feel Unique for £7.99.

Have you tried the wake me up foundation? Do you have any other recommendations for a drugstore foundation for dry skin for me?  Let me know in the comments.

Thank you for reading, much love as always, 

Zoe x

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        











SHARE:

Thursday 16 July 2015

Vichy Purete Thermale Product Review

Vichy Purete Thermale Product Review

Hello Lovelies,

It's a well known fact to those of you who read my blog regularly that I'm somewhat of a skincare geek, I love skin care and love nothing more than to try new skin care products, so I was super excited when I received the Vichy Purete Thermale Fresh Cleansing Gel* and the Vichy Purete Thermale Beautifying Cleansing Micellar Oil* recently and I couldn't wait to try them both out.

The Vichy Purete Thermale  range is designed to combat the negative effects of environmental damage such as pollution and hard water, it's suitable for sensitive skin and is paraben free. I've been using the two product's I have from the range for the last few weeks and thought I'd let you know my thoughts.

Vichy Purete Thermale Cleansing Gel


Vichy Purete Thermale Product Review

The Vichy Purete Thermale Cleansing gel claims that it is a lightweight cleansing gel that cleanses deeply and protects cells against pollutants using the expert anti pollution complex, Purisoft which is composed of Amillite Technology to soften the effects of hard water, Glycerin to moisturise and Moringa to cleanse dust, excess sebum and pollution from the skin.

The first thing I noticed about the cleansing gel was the scent, it smells lovely and although this is never a game changer for me when choosing skin care, I find it helps because for me there is nothing worse than using a skin care product I don't like the scent of, once I'd oooh'd and ahhh'd over the scent, I found the gel applied well, I applied the gel to my damp skin and then removed using a face cloth I'd rinsed under hand hot water, this is my preferred method of removing cleansers. I honestly thought I wasn't going to like the gel, my cleanser of choice is a balm cleanser as I have very dry skin and find a balm best for my skin type and I was worried the gel would be drying but was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't at all, it left my skin feeling soft and smooth and more importantly clean and fresh. I particularly enjoy using the gel as my morning cleanse as it leaves my skin feeling fresh and clean without feeling sticky, it was especially lovely to use during our recent UK heatwave as my skin felt so fresh and clean when using the gel.

Vichy Purete Thermale Beautifying Cleansing Micellar Oil

Vichy Purete Thermale Product Review

The Vichy Purete Thermale Cleansing Oil claims to be a lightweight non greasy effective oil that removes all traces of make up and is suitable for all skin types. The oil is said to be suitable for both dry and oily skin types claiming it won't overload the skin, instead transforming from an oil to milk on contact with water. It contains Camelia oil to moisturise and Vitamin E for it's antioxidant protection.

I had mixed feelings before trying the cleansing oil, I thought it would be ideal for my super dry skin but was worried as some oil based products I have previously tried have left a residue on my skin. I decided to try the oil when I was wearing what I call a full face of make up, so foundation, concealer, eye shadow, mascara, blush and lipstick, I thought it would be a good test of the oil to try it when I was wearing make up. The oil, like the gel has a pump application, I love products with a pump applicator and find them so much easier to use, I used 3 pumps of the oil and applied it to my face massaging all over and over my eye area also, once I'd massaged the oil into my skin I removed it using a face cloth that I'd rinsed under hand hot water and wiped away the oil.

I have to say any worries I had about using the product were completely blown out of the water when I looked in the mirror and saw that every single trace of my make up had been removed even my mascara and not only that but my skin felt amazing, soft, clean and fresh with no sign of any residue. The oil applied well it felt almost as if it melted into my skin and again smelt amazing and it was easy to remove too, I really didn't need to worry about using it at all.

Overall Thoughts On Both Products

I absolutely love both the products, the cleansing gel is the perfect morning cleanse for me, leaving my skin feeling fresh, clean and cool without feeling sticky, and as I said it smells amazing too, I do use the gel in an evening too but for me that scent and fresh feeling is perfect for my morning cleanse when both my skin and me need waking up!

The oil is amazing, my eldest daughter Cole is a make up artist and wears a full face of make up for work and her full face of make up is a lot more make up than my full face of make up and she loves the oil it removes all her make up easily and we both feel it is the best make up remover we have tried, I adore it and Cole does too, I have super dry skin as does Cole but Cole does get oily on her forehead and chin areas but the oil doesn't exacerbate that and she loves it as much as I do.

I would 100% recommend both products, they are both amazing for different reasons, the gel is a fantastic cleanser that doesn't strip my skin at all but I feel it also wouldn't be overly hydrating for a more oily skin and the oil is without a shadow of a doubt the best make up remover I have tried and doesn't leave any residue but leaves my skin feeling lovely and soft and smooth and it doesn't make my daughters oily patches any more oily so it suits both our skin types brilliantly. Both products smell beautiful, they both apply well and remove easily and both leave my skin feeling lovely.

I adore both products and would recommend them both, I love Vichy as a brand and so far everything I've tried from the brand I've loved and I can't wait to check out some more of their products.

If you would like to try the products you can find them on the Escentual website with the Vichy Purete Thermale Cleansing Gel here and the Vichy Purete Thermale Beautifying Cleansing Micellar Oil here.

Have you tried any of the Vichy Purete Thermale products? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Thank you for reading, much love as always,

Zoe x


SHARE:

Wednesday 15 July 2015

Darphin Hydraskin Rich Moisturiser - A Review

Darphin Hydraskin Rich Moisturiser - A Review

Hello Lovelies,

It's a well known fact and for those of you who read my blog regularly you'll know that I have super dry skin, it's the bane of my life and I have tried so many different skin care products over the years especially moisturisers but one moisturiser I always go back to and especially when my skin is at it's worst is the Darphin Hydraskin Rich moisturiser.

I first tried hydraskin rich around 4 years ago and I loved it immediately, at the time my skin was the worst it had ever been and the hydraskin rich really helped, I also love the Darphin Hydraskin Light and I use that when my skin isn't at it's driest but is still dry, to be fair my skin is never anything but dry unfortunately!

Over the last few months I've been having problems with my skin and it has been exceptionally dry so I reached for my old favourite the hydraskin rich.

Darphin Hydraskin Rich Moisturiser - A Review

Darphin Hydraskin Rich Moisturiser - A Review


Everything about the hydraskin rich feels luxurious, from the glass pot it comes in to the actual product itself,  I love that it comes with a plastic spatula so I can use the moisturiser without dipping my fingers in and out of the product all the time which is a lot more hygienic. The moisturiser is a rich white cream and smells lovely, it has a nice fresh scent, it applies beautifully and rubs in well and sinks into my skin nicely too. As I said I use the hydraskin rich when my skin is at it's driest so if like me you have very dry skin this would be perfect for you and depending on how dry your skin is you could use the hydraskin rich twice a day as I do now or just once a day as your night cream and use the hydraskin light as your day time moisturiser, this is what I will do once my skin calms down.

Hydraskin rich is paraben free and 80% of it's ingredients are from natural origins so it doesn't contain any nasties either, it claims 24 hour hydration and a more luminous complexion, I do completely agree with the hydrating properties of the product, it is amazing and the best moisturiser I've ever used, my skin is instantly hydrated when I use it and the difference in my skin after just one use is amazing, I also agree that my complexion looks luminous, I have a lovely glow when I use the hydraskin rich, my skin looks and feels lovely.

I've tried so many different moisturisers over the years, I have bought a lot and also been sent a lot to try for review consideration on my blog and there are other moisturisers I have tried and liked and there is a brand I do want to try that I haven't yet but I always go back to the Darphin Hydraskin Rich and Hydraskin Light when my skin is going through a particularly dry phase,  my skin can be a real pain and when it's bad it's really really bad, it is so dry but using the hydraskin rich for only a few days means my skin looks and feels so much better. My makeup applies beautifully over both the hydraskin rich and light.

Hydraskin Light is just as lovely as the rich it is more of a gel type cream and obviously not as rich but it's fabulous and if you have dry skin but it isn't horrendously dry I would recommend trying it, Darphin products aren't the most affordable products but they do work and for me they're worth every penny, I am miserable if my skin looks a mess and a pot of either moisturiser used on a daily basis lasts me 6 months so I don't think it's too bad at all and sometimes some on line companies have discount codes, so it can be found cheaper too, but for me it really is worth every penny.

I would 100% recommend the Hydraskin Rich it is amazing and if like me you suffer with very dry skin I would definitely recommend you try it, if your skin is dry but not exceptionally dry the hydraskin light might be better for you, and if you have a Darphin counter near you I urge you to go in and ask for a sample, you won't regret it I promise you.


If you would like to buy the Darphin Hydraskin Rich, you can find it on line at EscentualLook Fantastic and Feel Unique, you will also find the Hydraskin Light there too.

Do you suffer from super dry skin and do you have any skin care recommendations for me? Let me know in the comments please :)

Thank you for reading, much love as always,

Zoe x




SHARE:

Tuesday 14 July 2015

My First Attempt At Ombre Nails And How I Did It

My First Attempt At Ombre Nails And How I Did It

Hello Lovelies,

If you're a regular reader of my blog you'll know that I enjoy painting my nails and I have what I suppose you could call a fairly big nail polish collection so nail related posts feature quite a lot on my blog. I have several NOTD posts and the last couple of Christmases I have had a Christmas nail art series on my blog and I also had a Halloween nail art series last year too, I really enjoy painting my nails and trying new looks and ideas and recently I decided to try Ombre nails, I chose pink toned polishes for my ombre nails and today I'm going to tell you how I did it using a step by step "how to" post.

What You'll Need


My First Attempt At Ombre Nails And How I Did It

1. Sponges -  I use make up sponges from Primark they come in a pack of 20 and are £1.00
2. Nail Polishes - I chose pinks for my ombre and used a white base, the polishes I used are Essie Status SymbolRimmel Rita Ora In Sweet RetreatRimmel 60 Second Polish In Ring A Ring A Roses and Barry M Gelly Hi Shine In Cotton.
3. A Base & Top Coat of your choice - I used the Sally Hansen Insta Dri although I wouldn't recommend this and have since written a full review which you can read here.
4. Nail Polish Remover - My HG is the acetone free nail polish remover from Superdrug.
5. Cotton Buds Or Q Tips - I use the Primark ones.

Step One

Using the white polish apply 2 coats of polish allowing each coat to dry fully in between and then allow both coats of the polish to dry fully.


My First Attempt At Ombre Nails And How I Did It

Step 2

Take one of the make up sponges and using the pink polishes paint a stripe of each on the sponge starting with the darkest pink and fading to the palest pink.


My First Attempt At Ombre Nails And How I Did It

Step 3

Using the sponge roll it or dab it on top of your painted white nails, you will probably have to apply a new coat of each "stripe" for each nail. Once you have done this you will be left with polish around your nails don't worry this does come off easily. Allow each nail to dry fully and apply another 1 or 2 coats or until you have the desired look.

My First Attempt At Ombre Nails And How I Did It

Step 4

Once you have the look you want on your nails,  use the nail polish remover and a cotton bud to clean up around your nails to remove any polish you have around them.

My First Attempt At Ombre Nails And How I Did It

Step 5

Once you have the cleaned around your nails, apply a top coat and allow to dry fully.

Step 6 - All Done!


My First Attempt At Ombre Nails And How I Did It

And here is my finished first attempt at pink ombre nails, I don't think they came out too badly but I wasn't as happy with them as I'd like to have been, but I suppose practice makes perfect, I have tried ombre nails since and I didn't get nearly as much polish on my fingers and the end result was better so I'm hoping the next time I try the ombre effect they'll look ok and if they do I'll be sure to write a NOTD post on them.

I do have some more ideas of different nail looks to try using the sponges so once I've tried them I'll be sure to let you know. How did you think I did for my first attempt? Have you tried ombre nails?

If you do try ombre nails using my step by step "how to" post, I'd love to see them so please send me a photograph via Twitter or Instagram.

Thank you for reading, much love as always,

Zoe x

SHARE:
Blogger Template Created by pipdig