Beauty products revisited - Chanel Illusion D'ombre

Chanel I'llusion D'ombre in Ebloui - £23

My previous beauty products revisited post seemed to go down pretty well so I thought I'd give it another go and revisit a real old favourite.

I first reviewed Chanel's Illusion D'Ombre eyeshadow back in November 2011 so I have had it a good long while now and I'm still using it on a regular basis. I know you're probably not supposed to use the same eyeshadow for that long but there's no way I'm throwing £20 worth of eyeshadow in the bin without the last morsels being scraped out.

To be honest I've barely made a dent in the eyeshadow after all this time. You just need so little product and the brush is so delicate that it doesn't really make much of an impact on the shade.

I still adore the rich, pigmented and velvety eyeshadow and I only wish I had bought more shades. There is a little bit of fall out on application but it stays on pretty much for the entire day so I'm pretty pleased about that. These days £20 for an eyeshadow to a beauty blogger doesn't sound like a lot - I've seen some beauty bloggers spend more than £40 so this is a bargain compared, but for me personally £20 is a lot of money to spend, however I'd really recommend it. It has certainly been used enough times to warrant the big spend.

MUA Undress Me Too Eyeshadow Palette

MUA Undress Me Too Palette - £4

I really love MUA's eyeshadow palettes and I stalked my local Superdrug store for quite a while waiting for this to come into stock. Our store isn't the most up-to-date so it always takes a while for new products to come in. Annoying!

I love the white casing as it really highlights the lovely, shimmering shades. The palette is supposedly a dupe for Urban Decay's Naked palette but I've never used the Naked palettes so don't have anything to compare this too. I love the rich, pigmented neutral shades. Neutrals are my go-to shades of choice so this palette is great for me.

Some are shimmery and others not so much but they all blend lovely together. I'm not too sure about the black shade as I don't feel it really fits with the rest of palette, but I guess if you're working on a smoky eye look this would be quite helpful.

The shades are really soft and lovely to apply, there's no fall out and they last a decent amount of time. I would certainly recommend this palette and for only £4 it's a real bargain!

Wednesday Wishlist #79

New Look: White and Navy Stripe Crop Top - £6.99, Cream Elephant Print Tie Front Sleeveless Shirt - £14.99,  Cameo Rose Monochrome Geo Print Skater Dress - £19.99

So as I had a little break from blogging last week I hadn't really been doing much online shopping and browsing so it was nice to have a look through some of my favourite sites to see what's new. It's surprising how quickly stocks and products change within a week.

As usual my wishlist is mainly made up of items from New Look. They're doing great things at the moment, but unfortunately my local store isn't totally up to date so anything I see online has to be snapped up quick. I'm a real fan of tie front shirts, I think they're so simple and pretty.

My sister recently wore one from Matalan, but I couldn't find it when I popped into the store. I think I much prefer the cute elephant print one from New Look though, so cute!

I'm yet to try a crop top. I'm not sure I'd be completely comfortable showing my stomach off but I've seen some people wearing crop tops with high waisted bottoms, which looks really cool!

What's on your wishlist this week?

Air Wick Colour Change Scented Candle in Mulled Wine and Cinnammon Apple

Air Wick Colour Change Scented Candle in Mulled Wine and Cinnammon Apple*

I do love a candle. Ever since moving in to my own place I've loved burning candles, particularly scented Yankee Candles. I snapped up the chance to try out one of the Air Wick Colour Change Scented Candles and the child within me was excited to see the pretty colour changing effects. The effect would be a lot more impressive if I photographed it in the dark, but I couldn't wait!

It's quite calming to watch the candle change different colours and the Mulled Wine and Cinnamon Apple scent is a-mazing. It reminds me so much of Christmas! The scent is pretty strong too so it sticks around for a while (much for Vince's displeasure). I'm currently sitting on the sofa writing about the candle while it burns on the kitchen window sill and I keep getting a lovely waft of it every now and then. It really makes the house smell delicious.

These are selling for around £7 in the supermarket, which isn't too bad. The candle is a good size and it will last quite a long time so I think it's a good investment. I like to burn different candles and rotate them so for me this will last ages. I'm sure Vince will come home from work and moan about the smell but lets fact it, he's a boy and doesn't appreciate these things!

I'd definitely recommend this and it would be great to find some different scents.

This post contains PR samples

A very late week in photos

Flowers from work for my promotion / Charlie / Flowers again / Mega Haribo stash! / Spot of gardening / Jasper being a fool

Follow me on Instagram - @cherryp13

So this post has been postponed just a tad. I usually put together my 'week in photos' posts every Sunday but last Sunday I was just feeling ultra lazy and uninspired so I thought I'd have a short break from blogging.

It was nice to not have to worry about blogging and photographing products etc but I didn't want to leave it too long!

So, what have I been up to? Not much in all honesty. My sister and I did a car boot sale yesterday. Getting up at 4.30am on a Sunday isn't ideal...but it was a good day. I only made about £40 and I got sunburnt on my face of all places, but all in all it was fun. Although, I have sworn to myself not to do another car boot sale ever! The weather was so, so hot so my mum and dad had a little barbecue in the afternoon. I ate WAY too much but it was so yummy!

Today my sister and I took my niece Daisy swimming. She seemed to really enjoy it and we haven't taken her since she was a tiny baby so it was quite fun. She loved the baby pool and enjoyed the adults pool too even though she swallowed loads of water! Poor thing!

I do love a Bank Holiday as my sister doesn't work Mondays so we can always plan something to do together.

How did you spend your Bank Holiday weekend?

Weleda Minis

Citrus Deodorant 30ml - £5.95*
Wild Rose Creamy Body Wash 20ml - £1.95*
Lavender Body Oil 10ml - £2.95*
Calendula Face Cream 10ml - £2.45
Mini Skin Food 10ml - £2.25

I was so glad to receive these Weleda mini products through the post recently. I tried Weleda when I received a bottle of body moisturiser in a past Glossybox and I really loved it.

The full range of Weleda minis are perfect for short getaways and last minute breaks. Unfortunately I won't be having any sort of break so I've been using the products on a daily basis and dreaming of far away tropical islands. Each of the items are sold separately for really reasonable prices. They are really great sizes for 'travel' items and you get a good deal of product for your money.

Each of the products smells gorgeous and I was particularly happy to receive a Lavender Body Oil as these are really great to add to a nice hot bath. I was also really interested to try out the Citrus Deodorant. I usually use one of the Dove wind-up roll ons, which cost around £5 and I've never used a fine spray like the Weleda one, but it was really lovely and made me feel nice and fresh after applying.

I would really recommend these. Even if you aren't going away travelling or on holiday they are great mini products to trial before splashing out on the full-sized product.

This post contains PR samples

Wednesday Wishlist #78

Essie Spring Mini Nail Polish Collection - £16.95
Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow - £15.50
Cath Kidston Daisy Rose Make-up Bag - £12
NARS Pierre Hardy Nail Polish Duo Vertebra - £22

Can you tell I've recently had a little browse of the ASOS beauty section? There is so many great products available and it's hard to restrain myself from buying everything.

I like to sometimes feature beauty products on the Wednesday Wishlist when there's quite a few products that I want. I particularly like the Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow. I've never seen it before and I'm not sure how 'new' it is in the blogosphere but I love the packaging and I've never tried any Benefit make-up before apart from the 'They're Real' mascara.

As if I need any more nail polishes, I came across two sets that I adore. Oops. I've never tried NARS' nail polishes before but the bottle itself is more than enough to make me buy some! It's probably about time I did.

What's on your wishlist this week?

Models Own Grape Juice and Pukka Purple

Models Own Ice Neon in Pukka Purple and Fruit Pastel in Grape Juice - £5

I've wanted to try the Ice Neon and Scented Models Own polishes for absolutely ages and on a shopping trip last week I decided to pick them up as it was buy one get on half price. I managed to use my Boots points to cover the cost so I practically got them for free!

I was quite intrigued about the Ice Neon polish and once I'd had a quick scratch and sniff of the lid of the Grape Juice polish I just had to pick it up. The lid included a little scratch and sniff tab and I particularly liked the scent as it reminded me of the scented gel pens I used to use at school. I had tons of the things and they smelt so good!

I love the shade of Grape Juice but unfortunately when it's on your nails the scent doesn't really stay around for long. You can get a faint whiff but I was hoping I'd be smelling grapes all day long. Unfortunately not.

I was a bit more impressed with the Ice Neon polish in Pukka Purple. The last thing you'd expect to see in a fridge is a nail polish, but apparently the Ice Neon polish can be kept cold in the fridge to improve it's neon-ness. I really love the colour and matt finish. I'd love to try some more shades from the range as they all look really bright and colourful. I kind of played it safe with the purple as I thought it'd look nice as an accent nail alongside Grape Juice.

They're both great novelty polishes, but unfortunately they couldn't withstand the washing up test and both chipped a little. I love both shades and I'd definitely recommend them! I'm really keen to try a couple more of the scented polishes, especially the apple one.

Another four day week in photos

Daisy trying on fascinators / New tulips / Sandy toes! / Daisy enjoying the beach / Curry / A little treat for myself! / Instagram prints / Fish dinner / GBK Burger! / New dresses / New PJ bottoms / Peekaboo kitty / Sleepy kitty / Models Own nails

Follow me Instagram - @cherryp13

I can't believe I spent Monday on the beach in the boiling hot sun and by Saturday it was chucking down with rain!

I spent Monday with my sister and my niece in town having a delicious lunch and a walk along the beach. We stopped and sat on the sand and Daisy had a great time throwing it all around. The week went pretty quickly and on Friday it was my sister's 23rd birthday. I can't believe my baby sister is 23, even that makes me feel old! We spent Saturday afternoon in Bristol shopping and eating delicious burgers at GBK. It was really difficult to shop in Primark on a Saturday afternoon, however I did manage to pick up a nice dress so it turned out to be quite a success.

Today I went to the car boot sale with my parents, sister and Daisy. Holly did quite well and got lots of stuff for the new baby but I only managed to get myself a book! Disappointing. Holly and I are actually hoping to do a car boot sale sometime soon. I have so much stuff to sell and having just got a new wardrobe, I've recently had a sort out. Some stuff still has the tags on, oops!

How has your week been?

Printic Instagram Prints

Printic Instagram Prints

Good news! I've discovered a new iPhone app, and I think just about every other blogger has discovered it as well! I've been looking for something to print off a few of my Instagram snaps and I came across new iPhone app Printic.

You simply download to your phone and give it access to your camera roll, then you can print off your pics to your heart's content for just $0.99 each.

The instructions are really simple to follow and delivery was relatively quick too. Payment is also easy peasy and is all done through Paypal. You can order as many photos as you wish and they arrive in a cute little envelope printed in a Polaroid style. They're the perfect size for some of my teeny photo frames and I'd really recommend the app. I will definitely be using it more in the future!

Toni & Guy Creative Extreme Hold Hairspray

Toni & Guy Creative Extreme Hold Hairspray - £6.39*

Toni & Guy recently ran a promotion on their Facebook page where you inputted your details in order to receive a free sample of their new Creative range. I put my details in as I fancied the Extreme Hold Hairspray and I was really only expecting to receive a teeny tiny product through the post but I actually received a full-sized 250ml product.

I also put Vince's details in and got him a hair gel, which was also full-sized. I was thrilled to receive a full-sized product as I've wanted to get myself a new hairspray for ages. I've tried a few bits and bobs from the new Creative range and I've really enjoyed them so was looking forward to trying out something else too.

The hairspray retails for £6.39, which for Toni & Guy, isn't too pricey. I'm sure I've mentioned this before but I always seem to have a problem with hair products leaving my hair feeling sticky or straw like but this hairspray was lovely and soft and left my hair feeling like it hadn't had anything sprayed onto it at all. It had quite a good hold, but I wouldn't call it an 'extreme hold' as it's labelled. It held for a good few hours but as it's so soft you probably need lots and lots of products to really hold your style in place for the entire day.

I really enjoyed this hairspray mainly because my hair still felt lightweight after use and that's always a big plus for me. I would definitely recommend it to others that have fine, flyaway hair.

This post contains PR samples

Wednesday Wishlist #77

Topshop Tangerine Rose Bikini Top - £16, Tangerine Rose Bikini Bottoms - £10
Matalan Pleat Ombre Moulded Bikini Top - £8, Pleat Ombre Bikini Bottoms - £6
Matalan China Print Balconette Bikini Top  - £6, China Print Bikini Bottoms - £5
Topshop Bouquet Triangle Bikini Top - £12

Wow was it hot at the weekend! I spent the majority of it planting in the garden or on the beach with my sister and my niece, which was lovely! The hot weather and watching the waves on the beach made me feel like swimming. It's official - I need a holiday. Unfortunately, as Vince can never get any time off, the change of us going away on holiday is very little so I can only dream. The next best thing is to go swimming at the local pool with my niece, which I will hopefully be doing during the next Bank Holiday weekend that's coming up.

I've been swooning over swimsuits this week thanks to the hot weather. There are some truly lovely ones around at the moment. I'm not quite sure what happened to mine, they might have got lost when I moved house but it's a good excuse to get a new one...if only I had somewhere hot and exotic to wear one!

Also...is anyone else completely outraged that you now have to pay for bikinis separately?

April Favourites

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Root Booster
Bioderma Sensibio H20
Barry M Hi-Shine Gelly Polish in Lychee
Barry M Nail Art Pen
Clarins Splendours Colour Quartet & Liner Eye Palette

I thought it was about time I brought my monthly favourites posts back. If I can remember to do a Wednesday Wishlist post every week then I definitely need to start remembering to do a favourites post each month.

Some months there aren't many products that I've purchased/used very much so there probably won't always be something new, but I'll try my best to find a few different bits and pieces as I don't necessarily have to feature products.

April was the month I discovered Bioderma. I'd read about the brand all over the blogosphere but I didn't really think they were anything special. I thought I'd give the Sensibio a try as it was only £4.99 on Escentual and I loved it so much that I've purchased the full-sized version. I was worried it would irritate my skin like a lot of products do but it's very gentle, especially on the eye area.

I also discovered the new John Frieda Luxurious Volume range and I really love it. I was a big fan of the Repair range so I thought I'd give the root boost and shampoo a go and I really loved them. The root boost in particular is really great and it doesn't leave my hair feeling sticky or straw like after application. I really noticed a difference in the volume of my hair after using the products so I will definitely be purchasing the full-sized versions.

Another big love for April was the new Clarins eye palette that I was very kindly sent to review. I absolutely adore the packaging and I love the plum eyeliner as it's probably one of the easiest to apply. The quality of each shadow is gorgeous and I just love getting it out and using it just so I can look at it in all its glory.

What products have been your favourite this month?

A sunny week in photos

Roast dinner! / Free sample of hairspray / Carb filled dinner / Random creation for dinner / Choc dip! / Sunny walk along the beach / Jasper / Sunset / Vince snapping some pics / McDonalds / Growing tomatoes! / Bit of a haul / MUA goodies / Strawberries & Cream / Went for a fullsized Bioderma / Twinings goodies

Follow me on Instagram - @cherryp13

For someone who doesn't really enjoy the sunshine much I have particularly enjoyed it this week. We decided to borrow my mum and dad's dog and take him for a walk on the beach, which was really nice. Vince took lots of pictures on the new camera so I'm sure you'll see some on the blog soon!

It makes it so much nicer to drive home from work when it's still light and sunny outside. It makes it feel like there is a lot more of the day left. I was expecting it to be pooring down seeing as it's the Bank Holiday weekend now but fingers crossed it stays nice and bright.

I popped to town yesterday to have a look around, but was left so disappointed! Now that Topshop is closed we only really have New Look, Internacionale and Dorothy Perkins and I couldn't find anything I liked. Instead I took a visit to Homebase and stocked up on gardening supplies. I'm trying to grow tomatoes, coriander and various other flowers. Fingers crossed!

How has your week been?