Lip Balm

My Desk Essentials

- Vicki 13 Comments

I seem to spend a very large portion of my day at my desk staring aimlessly at my computer (out of the window if I’m completely honest). I thought you might like to see some of my desk essentials so rounded up all the items on my desk that I couldn’t live without day to day & took a photo or two of them.

My Desk Essentials

Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist*

This is a very refreshing face mist and I spritz it so often throughout the day. I love how it stops my skin from drying out and the rose scent is very uplifting and calming. A few spritz of this leaves my skin feeling soft, soothed and hydrated. I really enjoy having it on my desk & like I said I spray it so often.

Kleenex Shine Absorbing Sheets

I used these all the time last Summer but Kleenex discontinued them & I couldn’t find them anywhere, but I have since found a stash in my local Home Bargain & they’re selling the left over stock for 29p a pack. So you better believe I bought a huge supply. I like to have a pack of these with me just to dab on my T-zone so I don’t look like an oily mess as the day goes on. If you have a Home Bargain near you then get in there & buy a couple of packs. These are a god send for shine control.

Dried Fruit / Snacks

I like to snack on dried fruit or nuts at my desk & I always have a few packets in my drawer, I get so hungry & if I don’t have something marginally healthy to hand I will eat whatever I can find, that normally involves chocolate or something sweet. So these little packs of raisins are a good size for snacking on.

Burt’s Bees Hand Salve

I know Burt’s Bees do a Lemon Cuticle Oil too which I like but I have been using this on mu cuticles I find it a little too waxy for a hand salve & it takes some working in to your hands so I like to rub it in to my cuticles when they’re feeling dry. Its handy to have on my desk & its in such a little tin it takes up no space at all.

Crazy Rumors Black Cherry Lip Balm*

OMG does this smell so good & its extremely hydrating on the lips. It does a great job at keeping my lips moisturised. I don’t have to reapply it that much throughout but I like having it to hand & I just love the scent of it . Crazy Rumor offer a wide selection of flavours and they all sound lovely.

Bath & Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar Pocket Bac

I like to have hand sanitiser & always use this. This one smells sweet & the scent lingers for ages. I have a few of these from B&BW and just love how inexpensive they are and they have so many scents to pick from.

Sharpie / Pens

I’m a stationery addict so this Sharpie just represents my pen pot (which is jam packed full of pens). I love to doodle at my desk when I’m meant to be working or when I am on the phone (bad habit). Sharpies are my weakness and when I see a new colour I have to have it. Tell me I am not alone on this.

Notebook

I have an abundance of pretty notebooks and because I buy that many they often never get used so I have been making a point to get more organised and try to keep one on my desk & I also have one in my handbag. I have been loving Wilko’s for cute stationery lately and they nearly always have a sale on.

iPad

I don’t have a mobile phone (SHOCKER) so I tend to have my Ipad close by for keeping up to date with social media, emails and all that sort of thing. I like to read my books & magazines on here too, saves space & weight in my handbag. So this device comes everywhere with me.

Tea

I can’t go a day without a cup of tea. I tend to drink green tea of some description but I always have a couple of tea bags to hand. Let me know what your favourite cup of tea is.

If you have done a desk essentials post leave me a link or let me know your top 3 desk essentials.

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.

 

Summer Friendly Pink Lips

- Vicki 20 Comments
Favourite Pinks

Favourite Pinks

I have to admit when it comes to wearing lip products I tend to stick with a lip balm but I am trying my best to use the few lip glosses & lipsticks I have in my stash a lot more. I have some really lovely ones & it’s a shame they get overlooked so I have done a little reshuffle with my makeup & I’ve been shopping my stash and this selection of pink lip products has been getting a lot more use this past month.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Cherish

I’ve had this for a couple of years & out of the 5 this is the one I’ve worn the most. It’s a very pretty bright bubblegum pink. Its quite vibrant on the lips & feels glossy but not tacky. I love that this is a twist up crayon & it’s so easy to apply on the go. The colour is quite long wearing and I do like the minty scent of these too. I have a few of these balm stains but this is by far my favourite colour, it just brightens up my face & makes me look awake.

Collection Cream Puff in Cotton Candy

I just spoke about this in my June Favourites post & I was pleasantly surprised by how nice this looked on me & how soft and moisturising it was on my lips. The colour is a deep pink which dries to a velvet matte finish. It smells of candy floss & it’s my first matte lip product & I love it so much that I want all the other shades.

Tanya Burr Lip Gloss in First Date*

This is the sweetest soft pink shade and it makes me look really healthy and adds a really nice pop of colour to my lips. I was impressed by the pigmentation and it really translates on to your lips. It looks like there is shimmer when in the tube but that didn’t translate to the lips. It’s a shade that makes your complexion look bright and having quite a dull complexion I need all the radiance-boosting I can get. Its the perfect pink gloss for summer, the texture is creamy & glossy but not tacky on the lips. Just a lovely simple pink gloss.

Pinks

Favourite Pink Lip Products

Avon Plump Pout

This is one of those minty tingling plumping glosses which is OK but not my favourite, I find it does plump a little but not that anyone else would notice. The colour is really pretty though & on my lips, it looks quite a peachy pink. Its quite a thick consistency & I like that because if I can still feel it on my lips I know that I don’t need to reapply. I like the packaging, its slim, sleek and takes up no room at all in my makeup bag. The wand applicator is a little brush which makes applying this gloss very easy and mess free and you get the most glossy finish on the lips, very pretty.

Wet n Wild Lip Shimmer

This is one of my all-time favourite lip balms as it packs a punch when it comes to colour pay off they are so opaque on the lips. It was such a bargain too at less than $2, the colour is more of a red toned pink and it gives your lips a great pop of colour. It feels moisturising and has a glossy sheen also the colour wears off evenly although it’s not hugely long-lasting. I wish I’d bought more of these when I had the chance. Also, these are called lip shimmers but this one has no shimmer at all on the lips.

Let me know what your favourite pink lip gloss/lip crayons are & have you used any of the ones I have mentioned?

Products that are marked with a * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However, if I do, the reviews are 100% my own

Feeling Lucky : French Skincare Win

- Vicki 15 Comments

I am an avid reader of Claire & Nic’s blog Agent Smyth & was thrilled to discover I’d won their 500 Followers Giveaway, I thought you might be interested to see what goodies came in my prize. I was so thrilled as it was a French Skincare giveaway and I must be the only beauty blogger on the planet who has yet to really try much French Skincare. The only thing I’d tried was the Caudalie Beauty Elixir and the scent of that reminds me of San Francisco as I took it on the plane with me & sprayed it every half an hour like a crazy lady trying to keep hydrated.

A selection of French Skincare

Bioderma – I have wanted to try this for the longest time but I really don’t like shopping online. I’m more of an in store put your hands on it kind of shopper and I’ve never been in a shop that sells this. So to say I am excited to use this is an understatement. Im currently using the Garnier Micellar Water & it will be great to see how they compare. I think I already know the answer to that.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ This is another cult blogger favourite and I could really use some of it’s pore unclogging abilities right about now! Let me know if you have used this & how it worked best for you.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir – As I said I have had a couple bottles of this over the past 2 years and sometimes I love it & other times the scent of it is overpowering. Depending on what mood I’m in the minty scent is too much for me. I do think its a nice facial spritz and its refreshing. I like to take it traveling as its a handy in flight pick me up.

NUXE Reve de Miel Honey Lip Balm – This is quite possibly the most talked about lip product in the blogging community & I was too excited to wait to photograph this before I stuck my finger in it & smeared it all over my lips. It smells lovely and sweet and is quite thick in texture. I liked how it felt on my lips, not greasy but you can feel a layer of balm on there. My lips are currently smooth & very happy. I’m converted to the NUXE way of life now.

So thats my French stash of prizes and I’m treasuring each one & I’m delighted to have won – they’ve certainly come to a good home that will use them all up. So thank you ladies (Claire & Nic)  for the amazing prize & congrats on the 500 Followers. If you’re not already following them pop over & show them a little love.

EOS Summer fruit Lip balm

- Vicki 9 Comments

My lovely little brother recently went to NYC (lucky bugger) & i asked him to bring me a few things back. Not really thinking he would. So one of the things i asked for was the EOS Summer fruit Lip balm. I have seen these on lots of US beauty blogs & YouTube videos. I know there are a few websites that sell these in the UK, but i thought as he was these id get him to pick up one

This lip balm smells AMAZING! Oh my I can’t get over how nice it is. I keep getting it out my purse and smelling it. Getting alot of funny looks. I think half of why its so nice is its packaging, its in a sphere and it feels odd putting it on as we are so used to a tube when it comes to lip balm.

I’ve been using it underneath my Revlon Lip Stain to keep my lips nourished. This  little lip balm is great to throw in your handbag. The packaging is really robust and perfect for travelling / taking out & about. I just love it and I’m going to pick up a couple more when i can. If you can recommend any others let me know.

The good thing about these is that they’re 100% natural, and paraben and petrolatum free so thats good news for your lips.

I dont know what my brother paid for this (as it was a gift). I already have so many lip products but i just needed to try this and i’ve been pleasantly surprised its really lovely on the lips. It would be great for a holiday