Origins Ginzing Mascara

March 2015 Empty Products

- Vicki 5 Comments

March Empties

I finished four Bath & Body Works antibacterial hand gels. I love these and they have so many scents to pick from. All four of these were really nice, my least favourite was the Crisp Golden Pear and my favourite was the Merry Cookie. Let me know what your favourite scents are as I want to try some more.

March 2015 Empties

Soap & Glory Butter Yourself – this is a lovely thick sweet smelling body lotion. It was so good over the Winter and kept my skin smooth and moisturised. These huge tubs last ages.

St Ives Face Wipes – I bought these in the Poundshop & use them to remove lipstick & eye makeup. Always handy to have in the stash.

Bodhi & Birch Neroli Luce Revitalising Face Oil – This is the perfect boost for your skin. It hydrates, keeps skin supple and helps smooth fine lines. This is an oil that has so many skin benefits and I like to use it as a night treatment & by morning my skin looks plump, fresh and glowing. A little goes a very long way. I’m sad that this has run out but I will be treating myself to another bottle.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist – I really like using face mists & use them to refresh my makeup, hydrate my skin and to sooth my skin. This one has been really nice and calming for my skin & its a great product to have in your handbag or on your desk so you can use it throughout the day.

Mio Quickstart Exhilarating Shower Gel – This has a minty scent that is perfect for using in the morning it kick starts your day and wakes you up. It makes my skin feel soft and is so invigorating. From the same brand I also used up the Mio The A Cream Firming Body Cream – I LOVED this & used it every morning, it was so nice to massage in. I focused this cream on my legs and stomach, its infused with Hyluronic Acid to retain moisture, loaded with Aloe Vera to sooth and smooth and also contains omega-rich Organic Shea Butter to repair & rebuild cells. So it is packed full of skin benefits, I have loved using this & would highly recommend it.

Urban Veda Radiance Body Scrub* – This is the first product I have tried from this brand & now I am wanting to try everything. I try to use a body scrub everyday, especially on my thighs. They’re a great way of not only removing dead skin, giving you smooth skin but also great at getting the circulation and blood flowing. This Urban Veda scrub contains Pomegranate Seed Powder and Pumice to buff away the skin, Liquorice to give luminosity, Arjuna to boost collagen. Its not abrasive but it will give you a great scrub. It also smells botanical and fresh.

March Empties

e.l.f Eye Primer – This is the best budget eye primer & I have used up so many of these. It does a good job of keeping my eye makeup in place for hours.

Apivita Pomegranate & Olive Oil Lip balm* – This is so nice to use, its smooth and hydrating on the lips. It has a slight sweet scent and gives your lips just a hint of glossy colour. It feels like it is caring for your lips (if that makes any sense). It has a very light rose tint to it on the lips. It contains pomegranate oil and vitamins E, F and C and is 98% Natural. Apivita is sold in select Marks & Spencer shops now so keep your eyes peeled. These Lip balms come in 6 varieties.

Nip & Fab Bee Venom Eye Cream* – I was quite skeptical of this when it first arrived but after a few weeks of use I noticed my eyes looked less tired and fine lines appeared smoother. The formula is quite creamy and works well under makeup. I like to use this in the morning as it plumps the skin and hydrates the under eye area. Although the cream is quite thick it isn’t greasy which is why I like to use it in the morning. Nip & Fab have a whole Bee Venom range which I have been trying & so far everything is working well. Look out for reviews of the rest of the range soon.

U Little Beauty Dream Time Enriching Night Cream – is an Australian company who pride themselves on being Cruelty Free, Vegan, Natural and Organic. There are no nasties in their products. This cream is made in Byron Bay, Australia and contains the Australian Kakadu Plum Extract, which has the worlds richest source of vitamin C. Vitamin C is essential for collagen which is a key structural protein of the skin. The Kaduka Plum is also rich in antioxidants which help reduce skin damage caused by free radicals and exposure to harsh environmental elements which can make your skin congested and dull. Also excellent at combating the signs of ageing. So this cream combats signs of dullness and keeps your skin looking its best. So its an ultra rich nigh cream that really protects and cares for your skin. I have loved being introduced to this brand & highly recommend it.

Merumaya Overnight Recharge Night Cream* – If you want a night cream that transforms your skin this is for you. It smooths lines, reduces the signs of fatigue and delivers a boost of hydration. All whilst you sleep. It is a rich cream but it feels lightweight on your skin, not at all heavy or greasy. It also has that signature Merumaya scent which I find calming. This a night cream that would work for all ages as it doesn’t just target one skin concern but instead focuses on boosting hydration and combating skin fatigue whilst lifting and firming skin. Its an all rounder thats for sure. Merumaya is also created and manufactured in Britain.

Vaseline Essential Moisture Lotion – I used this as a hand cream over the Winter when my hands were so dry and looking terrible. It worked well to hydrate them and help them look smooth and younger. I always had it with me in my handbag & thought it did a good job.

Origins GinZing Mascara* –  This mascara is great at separating your lashes & it keeps a curl like no other! I like my lashes to look fluttery and this works well at achieving that. You can build it up on your lashes so they look thick without being crispy. I also like the chunky packaging & I’ve grown to love the big oversized wand. Its a very good all round mascara & I think its quite an unsung hero.

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.

Favourite Makeup of 2014

- Vicki 22 Comments

Favourite Makeup of 2014

I have been really strict with my 2014 makeup favourites & only included the cream of the crop in this post. So without further ado these are my favourite makeup products from 2014.

Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in Roundest Raspberry* – this is an intense raspberry shade which for a lip crayon has great staying power. Its quite glossy but not slippery on the lips and looks beautiful and bright. Its a shade I wear all year round and love how easy it is to apply this on the go. I need to try a few more Chubby Sticks this year.

Rimmel Apocalips in Galaxy – which again is a deep berry shade. I have 3 of these but this colour is by far my favourite, it glides on the lips and is vibrant and feels nice and hydrating. The other colours I have are a little patchy but this gives a nice even colour. You do need to wipe off the excess product before you apply this as a little goes a long way and can get quite messy.

Clarins Instant Light Complexion Base – I like to wear this either under my foundation to perk my skin up or I mix it in with my foundation for an extra reflective boost. This gives me a healthy glow without being shimmery, it evens out my skin tone and hides imperfections. I have the shade Champagne 02 & its also good at dulling the redness in my skin. I find it to be lightweight & doesn’t feel greasy on the skin at all, it just gives you a lovely fresh healthy finish. It makes a really nice base to apply your foundation & just keeps your complexion looking fresh & bright.

Barbara Daly Long Wear Eyeshadows in Shell –  This is a light pink cream shadow with a gorgeous champagne tone which is pretty worn all over the lid or as an inner corner highlight. This colour really adds brightness to the eye & opens it up. This long wear shadow stick is incredible quality and the packaging is sleek and looks a lot more expensive than £3. They do start to crease a little on me after about 5 hours of wear but I do have quite crinkly eyelids & I just blend it out with my finger & that does the trick.

2014 Makeup Favourites

L’Oreal True Match Foundation in the shade Vanilla – this is the first ever L’Oreal Foundation I’ve tried, this is a light to medium coverage, you can still see all my (hundreds) of freckles which I like. It looks natural and wears really well. It doesn’t oxidise on me and my oily skin seems to only start looking shiny after about 6 hours wear & then I lightly dust some powder on and its good for a few more hours.

Benefit Stay Don’t Stray – This is a dual action eye primer so not only will it keep your eyeshadow in place but you can use it under the eye to keep your concealer put all day long and it works a treat! It gives my eyelids an even colour & is the perfect base on which to apply eyeshadow. Its love & I am going to use some vouchers I got for Christmas to get the full size.

Soap & Glory Solar Powder – This has been my daily bronzer since I bought it back in May. In the pan it doesn’t look like much but once on the skin its just beautiful. The lighter shade has a little sheen to it whilst the slightly darker brown is matte. I tend to mix the two shades together to give a subtle sun kissed effect. I sweep it over the top of my forehead & down on to my cheeks. This isn’t going to give you a deep colour its more for paler skin tones. It just adds such a natural warm glow to the skin and makes me look healthy. The only downside to this is the cardboard packaging it looks tatty after a while and it’s not very travel friendly.

Miss Sporty Cat’s Eyes Palette – Mineral Earth. This has been a handy quad for my many trips up to Scotland. You get four good quality shadows and they’re ideal for achieving neutral smoky eye, or most of the four colours can worn alone all over the lid which Is how I wear them mostly. All 4 colours have a slight frosting to them, nothing sparkly or overly shimmery but they do have a pretty light reflecting quality to them. Its a bargain of a quad & I use it all the time. Like I said its handy and small for travel, its not the most robust packaging but its still going strong after a lot of use.

Sharon Osbourne Duchess Eyeshadow Quad – All four shades are pigmented and very blendable, I think they work well together & unlike a lot of palettes / quads there really isn’t one dud shade, they’re all beautiful. Three of the four have a pretty shimmer frosted finish, I wouldn’t  say they’re overly frosted or shimmery but just enough to add some iridescence, glow and brightness to your look. This is the only Mac purchase I’ve made for the longest time as I tend not to shop there but I couldn’t be happier with this quad & I have used it so much.

2014 Makeup Favourites

L’Oreal Super Liner Carbon Gloss – This eyeliner lasts so well on me and the colour is such a deep black. I like to use this eyeliner for making a really thin line and the nib is precise and easy to use. It doesn’t transfer at all and once it dries it won’t smudge. It also doesn’t dry out in the tube, I find a lot of liquid liners do & its so annoying. These last me at least 3 months and thats using it daily.

Seventeen Stay Time 18 Hour Concealer – This is great for both under eye area & blemishes. I do powder over the top to ensure it stays put all day. Its a great affordable concealer and I’m thrilled with it. Although not too sure about the 18 hour claims, nothing a quick touch up won’t solve. I like to apply this with my finger and find that gives me the best even coverage.

Origins GinZing Brightening Mascara* This mascara is great at separating your lashes & it keeps a curl like no other! I like my lashes to look fluttery and this works well at achieving that. You can build it up on your lashes so they look thick without being crispy. I also like the chunky packaging & I’ve grown to love the big oversized wand. Its a very good all round mascara & I think its quite an unsung hero.

Let me know if you love any of the products I’ve included or if you have any other recomendations.

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.