August favourites

Super Facialist Vitamin C Skin Defence Daily Moisturiser by Una Brennan - £11.33*
Maybelline Baby Lips in Intense Care - £2.99
Bumble and Bumble Thickening Hairspray
Cargo Cosmetics TexasLash Mascara - £14*

Oh. my. goodness. How on earth is is September already? I can't believe it. When I looked back through my August posts there weren't actually that many products I had reviewed but I chose the above four as my absolute faves!

I'm so glad to have found a new moisturiser. I was very kindly sent the Super Facialist by Una Brennan Vitamin C+ Brighten Moisturiser and I've been using it every other day in rotation with my No7 Day Cream. I really love this as it smells lovely and citrus like and makes my skin feel refreshed. I would definitely recommend it and the best thing is I came across it in my local Boots so I will definitely be repurchasing it.

Surprisingly I really liked the Maybelline Baby Lips lip balm and I've been using it on a daily basis. I picked up the Intense Care version as I knew it wasn't tinted at all and my lips are always in need of some TLC. The balm itself is really soft and stays on your lips for ages. I know these have been really popular in the blogosphere but I'd really recommend them if you haven't tried them already.

The Bumble & Bumble Thickening Hairspray was a freebie that came on the front of ELLE magazine and I have to say, I love it! It leaves my hair feeling lovely and thick, which is great as my hair is super fine and flyaway. It doesn't make the hair feel sticky or straw like and for the price of the magazine, this was an absolute bargain. I'm sure I will purchase the full-size version once this runs out, or I might just try and find another copy of the magazine.

Finally, this month saw the introduction of the Cargo Cosmetics TexasLash Mascara into my regular make-up routine. I really liked this mascara as it really lengthened my lashes and made them look great. I usually find a fat brush like this one doesn't really do anything for me but I guess you really have to try something first as it could prove you wrong. I'm really happy to have been sent this mascara as it's become a new favourite!

What were your favourite products for August?

July Favourites

Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturiser
Estee Lauder Sensuous Nude
Clarins HydraQuench Mask
Barry M Hi-Shine Polish in Mango
Collection 'Work the Colour' Eyeshadow Pencils

Two weeks into August and I've only just managed to put together my July favourites, oops. I think I'll label July as the month of new products as the ones pictured above are all lovely and shiny and new. They've actually all become firm favourites and have (apart from the nail polish) worked their way into my regular routines.

I think the Vaseline Spray & Go has got to be my best discovered product. It's just SO convenient. I think I mentioned this in my review post of it but I just hate applying body butter/moisturiser and standing around waiting for it to dry so this is really great as you literally spray on and it dries instantly. I would really recommend it. It smells great too, I really want to try the other scents. I can't wait to get my hands on them.

What's been your favourite product/s this month?

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?

April Favourites

Look Beauty: Nail Pop in Glamrock & Flares - £5, Statement Eyes Eyeshadow in Khaki & Charm - £4, Stretch Factor Lengthening Mascara - £6*
Rimmel: Traffic Stopping Eyes - £6.49, Lasting Finish Nail Polish in Disco Ball - £2.99
Maybelline: Colour Tattoo 24HR by Eyestudio in Eternal Gold - £4.99

April has been a fair month for products. I haven't discovered many new ones and some that I've tried out haven't been that great, so I'm mostly featuring nail polish and eye products that I've purchased this month!

As I mentioned before I had quite a shopping spree on the new Look Beauty website and I found the products to be quite good, especially the nail polishes! The mascara has become a daily favourite that I rotate among my other mascaras and I use the eyeshadows every now and then! They're all nice little additions to my make up bags!

The Look Beauty 'Charm' eyeshadow looks a lot like the 'Eternal Gold' shade of the Maybelline Colour Tattoo, a product which I love a lot. It's very thick and creamy and is great to apply. Another great addition!

I really rate all three nail polishes that are pictured above. The Look Beauty Nail Pops are two great shades that are long lasting and reasonably priced. I'm definitely going to buy some more colours!

And last but not least, the Rimmel nail polish in Disco Ball is one that I picked up in Primark of all places. I actually love wearing it over a minty green shade and it's a nice little dupe of the more expensive glitter polishes out there!

What have been your favourite products this month?

March Favourites

So we're four months into 2012 already! I've been buying lots of stuff that I just don't end up using so I've tried to wittle down this month's favourites post to include the products that I'm still using. I think a blog sale is in order for the rest of the bits and pieces!

I recently posted about the Benefit Hello Flawless SPF15 Cover Up and how much I loved it. I'm actually contemplating buying the new Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation to use with it, but need to read up on a few more reviews before I do!

March was a great month for nail polishes and the three pictured above are now huge favourites for me! I've loved trying different brands such as Orly and Max Factor as I've found them to be lovely, and reasonably priced!

Absolutely loved the Molton Brown shower gel in this months Glossybox. It was probably my favourite product in the box and was a real surprise for me because I initially thought it was horrible, with a horrible scent. As you can see I've used half of it up, and I love how it makes the entire bathroom smell afterwards!

So March has been another great month for products, what have your favourites been?

February Favourites

Boots No7: Cleansing Balm, Dry Skin Rescue, Day Cream
Benefit Cosmetics: POREfessional
MUA: Love Hearts Polishes in U R Fab and I WANT U*, Glitter Nail Quake Polishes in Gold and Silver*
Smashbox Girls on Film: Lipgloss in Underexposed*

February has been a good month for new beauty and skincare products! I've discovered a new favourite in Boot's No7 Beautiful Skin range which I reviewed here last week. The products are extremely gentle and have cleared my dry skin right up! They're a tad expensive but luckily I got my products on 3 for 2! I'd definitely recommend them, even if you have particularly sensitive skin like me!

Benefit's POREfessional has been another favourite this month and I reviewed it here, as part of the POREfessionally Pretty set that I purchased! I was surprised at how kind to my skin this product was as well. A brand like Benefit is one that I thought would be quite harsh, but like their skincare range, it's actually really lovely and I'm not wary about using it on my sensitive skin.

Another product that surprised me was Smashbox's Lipgloss in Underexposed which I actually really love. I reviewed it here, and found that unlike many other lipglosses, it was a lovely shade and very subtle. I'm really not a lipgloss person so I was amazed at how much I liked it. It's become an important part of my make-up bag now and I'm very pleased that I was sent it!

MUA's Love Hearts range was one of the stand out launches of the year so far and I was very lucky to be sent a few bits and pieces from the range. You can see my full review here, and I'm certainly not the only blogger that was impressed with the products. It spread like wildfire through the blogging community and I was gutted that I couldn't attend the launch. The lip balms are sweet and subtle, but the nail polishes are the most impressed, coming in some gorgeous shades!

What's been your favourite products this month?

This post contains PR samples

January Favourites

January seems like the longest month ever for some reason. Lucky I don't get paid monthly! It's also probably the most boring month ever as everyone is on a come down from Christmas and New Year, it's freezing cold (and snowing!) and there's not much to look forward to...

Luckily, January has been a good month for beauty products and I've put together a little collection of my favourites!

OPI Rainbow Connection / Nicki Minaj OPI Minis / MUA 3 in 1 eXtreme Contour Pens / No7 Midnight Enchantment Eyeshadow Stick

MUA Professional Eye Primer / Korres Lip Butter in Guava / Barry M Croc Effects Polish

MUA and OPI definitely dominate the favourites pile this month, thanks to the release of the Muppets and Nicki Minaj collections which both have some amazing shades within them.

OPI Rainbow Connection has got to be one of my new favourite polishes, it's just amazing and the colours are lovely. It looks great over any polish as well as looking great on it's own!

The Nicki Minaj for OPI collection is also lovely and I particularly love 'Metallic 4 Life'. The mini collection has certainly been doing the blog rounds recently, just proving it's popularity. I can't wait to see what OPI come up with next!

I picked up the MUA Professional Eye Primer and 3 in 1 eXtreme Contour Pens this month and absolutely love them. The eye primer instantly lifts any shade of eyeshadow, making it brighter and more intense. It's a definite hit as I even got a compliment on my eyeshadow on the very day I used it! As I have mentioned before, MUA are going from strength to strength so I'm also excited to see what happens for them this year and what great products they're going to come up with!

What have been your favourite products this month?

December Favourites

So, with only a matter of hours until the end of December, it was time to pull out the old 'monthly favourites' post. I think December has been a great month for products, what with the best Glossybox of the year and the release of Topshop's Nail Art pens!

I'm spending New Year's Eve at work during the day, but at Vince's for the evening. It's kind of become a tradition now for me to go to Vince's and his mum always does a great buffet! Unfortunately I start work at 9am on Sunday so it won't be too much of a late night and probably no drinking, but as long as there's food, I'm not really fussed!

Anyway, on to the faves!

December Jolie Box: OPI Gold Shatter
December Glossybox: Deborah Lippman Razzle Dazzle, Rituals Foaming Shower Gel
Topshop: Nail Art Pen, Velvet Leggings
Desire Clothing: Chunky Knit Cardigan
MUA: Immaculate Palette

Thought I'd do something a bit different this month and put all the images together in one graphic. I'm annoying myself by always posting image after image, this way it's a bit more interesting and I even decided to add some of my favourite clothing items from December as well!

This months beauty boxes were great for nail polishes and the Deborah Lippman and OPI Gold Shatter are new favourites! The OPI shatter was probably the best product in the Joliebox actually!

I haven't reviewed my Immaculate palette yet, but I promise I'm getting round to it! As for the Nail Art pens from Topshop, I think you can tell by now that I'm a huge fan!

What have your favourite products been this month? I wonder what January will bring? I'm sure I'll pick up a few new bits and pieces in the sales!

Have a great New Year everyone!

November Favourites

Goodness me! It's December. Amazing that this year has gone so so quickly! Only 25 days until Christmas, can you believe it? As normal, I'll be spending Christmas at home, but unfortunately I have to work in the morning. I can safely say that anyone I serve will probably get quite a grumpy Cherry, but once I get home (the sooner the better, working on Christmas day should be illegal) I will be all smiles again and looking forward to my dinner!

November has been full of great products thanks to some lovely Nail Polish launches and of course, this months Glossybox, which always supplies great products.


So, my month started off with the purchase of the Chanel Illusion D'Ombre eyeshadow which I had been wanting ever since it's release. This has quickly become one of my favourite eyeshadows and although I originally wanted to keep it for best, I've been using it more and more often. I'd definitely recommend getting it as a little Christmas treat to yourself, I really want some of the other shades as well! It's so velvety and lovely to apply, it gives a great finish that lasts all day as well!


The Illusion D'Ombre has a highstreet rival in the form of 17's Wild Metallics range. I picked up their new Eyeshadow pot in Wild Midnight Blue and was extremely impressed! Like the Chanel shadow, it was lovely and soft and easy to apply. I love the glitter and shimmer in it as it's great for special occasions.




As well as the eyeshadows, 17 also released their much anticipated Magnetised Nail Polishes, which I finally got my hands on! I picked up the Blue shade and had lots of fun creating the patterns.


Another highly anticipated Nail Polish collection was the Models Own Beetlejuice Collection and I was one of the people waiting patiently for the website countdown to finally reach zero so I could purchase some of the shades!

I picked up Aqua Violet and Purple Blue and absolutely love them. On first application they looked a bit like normal nail polishes but in the light they dazzle all sorts of different colours that are gorgeous!





November was also the month that Soap & Glory launched their new Cosmetics range. It was only a matter of time before they did something like this as their usual products are always so popular! I brought the Supercat Liner and the Smoulder Kohl Pencil. I haven't really got on with the thick pen liner, but the pencil Kohl is great, really smooth and stays put for hours.




Most recently, with thanks to the November Glossybox, I received some lovely Dead Sea Bath Salts that I've already tried and tested! They're so great for softening your skin and leaving it refreshed. There was a lot of controversy and disappointment over the Bath Salts being in the box but I absolutely loved them!


Last, but not least, I finally got around to using and posting about the L'Occitane Limited Edtion Hibiscus Flower Hand Cream. I always thought that L'occitane was a sophisticated brand, for older people. I didn't think it would smell any good, but I was proved completely and utterly wrong when I tried the Hand Cream, which came free in Marie Claire magazine.


The smell is absolutely amazing and it leaves my hands feeling so soft. I certainly want to try some more products from L'Occitane. They also make great Christmas gifts and I've already brought my Nan a Hand Cream set!

I'm sure December is going to bring lots of new and exciting products, if my Christmas wishlist is anything to go by! I'm eagerly anticipating the release of the Topshop Nail Art pens and have popped a few other products onto my Wishlist! I also can't wait to see what the Christmas Glossy Box is going to bring!

October Favourites

I say it in every single monthly faves post I write, but this month seems to have gone quicker than all the rest. It might be because it was my birthday on the 13th, but I really can't believe it's November tomorrow.

All the Christmas decorations have gone up at work already and the Christmas shows are starting as well. I'm starting to think more and more about getting my Christmas presents sorted, but I really don't know what to get everyone!

I almost completely forgot to do this month's 'faves' post and usually I actually do them before the month ends but I had so many posts lined up that I couldn't fit it in. At least I'm only posting this on the 1st November, and not half way through!




So, as I mentioned, it was my birthday this month and I received this lovely Vera Wang Lovestruck Perfume from my parents. It smells so gorgeous and I absolutely LOVE the bottle. This is the type of perfume bottle that you keep, even after the perfume is gone, and display it!

Poor Vince brought me the same one as he remembered that I liked it. I felt so bad because I had asked my parents for it, not thinking he would have got it for me. So he only went an swapped it for an iPad!! To say I was shocked was an understatement!






I also received my October Glossybox this month after resubscribing! You can read my full thoughts on the post here, but I just quickly want to say that it was by far one of the best boxes we've had. I can't believe that I've read some negative reviews about it, those bloggers must be absolutely crazy.

I particularly loved the Stila eyeliner and Leighton Denny nailpolish. Both are gorgeous gorgeous colours and great full size products for the box!


Lastly, I want to quickly mention my new favourite hair products from the BedHead by TIGI Candy Fixations range, reviewed right here. These two volumising products have become part of my daily routine and they give my hair lovely volume, and best of all, they leave behind a mouth-watering scent!

I certainly want to check out the rest of the range and perhaps purchase some more. A lot of people disregard BedHead/TIGI, but I've always found them to be quite good for my hair!

I'd absolutely repurchase all of these products and I would definitely recommend them to you all! Perhaps add them to your Christmas lists?

So, what have I got to look forward to in November? More work unfortunately, but Vince and I are also off to see Lee Evans live on November 20th. I absolutely cannot wait for this. I've had the tickets for over a year now and we both absolutely love him so he better be funny!

May Favourites!

Hi everyone! This is a brand new regular post for the blog in a bid to let you all into my life a little bit more. Every month I'll be sharing with you my favourite products. Now I know this isn't necessarily original as thousands of other blogs do it but I absolutely love reading these posts and hopefully you will too! I'm not going to only restrict this to beauty products (though they will play a big part) as I want to include all sorts of things that I use throughout the month!

First of all I've been relying on these two nail polishes to help keep my nails healthy. The Maybelline Forever Strong Pro is supposed to keep them strong I guess? I have certainly seen a different as my nails are a lot less flaky and I love it's wide brush as it makes it much easier to apply just one coat! The Nails Inc Harley Street Ridge Filler is supposed to help fill/protect against ridges and again, I have seen a difference but I do still get ridges in my nails.

Will I keep using? Probably as I love it when my nails look very shiny!

The Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging was included in this months Glossybox and it smells absolutely delicious. Unfortunately this is the only benefit I have gotten out of it as I keep forgetting to use it when my hair is wet, maybe this will crop up again in my June favourites if I remember to use it!

Will I keep using? I'll probably try and remember to use and continue until it runs out, but after that I probably won't purchase another! :(

I'm not 100% sure why I brought this Maybelline 'The Smoother' Primer as I originally had no idea how to use it. Now I'm using it every day under my foundation. A guy at a Smashbox make-up counter recently tried to sell me the £30 Smashbox version and I wanted to laugh in his face as this only cost about £6 and does a great job!

Will I keep using? Yes!

For my first ever blusher, I have been using this Natural Collection Rosey Glow non-stop. Although in certain lights it looks a little dark, I absolutely love the way it transforms me from a horrible pasty person to someone with colour in her cheeks!

Will I keep using Definitely! It's only a couple of pounds so I'll be purchasing some more shades as well!

I've had this Maybelline Dream Satin Foundation in 'Ivory' for about a year but have only really used it on nights out before. Now I'm using most days as I can't stand the state of my skin anymore but it doesn't give brilliant coverage. It will do for now until I can stop being lazy enough to get some proper advice and some decent coverage!

Will I keep using? Probably!

This Topshop Powder Foundation in Nude 2 is a foundation that I adore. Although it's got a bit of a funny smell, the finish is brilliant and I like to use it to touch up the Maybelline foundation pictured above. I love the cute compact too. :)

Will I keep using? Well, this is my second one since the first one broke so I must have loved it enough to buy it again!

I brought this make-up bag on a whim. I needed something to put all of my new bits and pieces into for the weekend when I went home. My normal make-up bag is way too big so this is great, it looks a lot more expensive than it actually was!

Will I keep using? Yes! It's great for storing anything in for a little trip away!

This is by far the best eyeliner I have ever used and ever will use. It's such a shame that the UK does not have a Sephora because their products are great! I got this one in Paris a few years ago. It stays on all day long and stays as dark as it was when it was first applied! I would definitely recommend it.

Will I keep using? I'll keep using this until it runs out completely, and I don't know what I'll do after that as I won't be able to get my hands on it again!

This cute pencil holder is from Paperchase. I absolutely love their stationary, but I picked this up to store all of my make-up pencils, brushes and mascaras! I definitely need to get myself some more of these as they make great storage!

Will I keep using? What do you think?

I don't usually wear a lot of rings but I'm trying to get myself used to them because there are so many pretty ones out there. This is one of my most recently purchased rings from LoveSuzie!. Scrabble rings and jewellery are hugely popular at the moment and I know a lot of bloggers are selling them at the moment, however, this was the first one I came across that was selling the letter C!

Will I keep using? Of course! It fits perfectly! Unfortunately Love Suzie has closed down now! :(

I got this Marc Jacobs Daisy Solid Perfume ring for Christmas from my nan and I adore it! As a ring it isn't too bad, maybe a little heavy, and once you open it you're greeted by the lovely scent of Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume. I've been using it so much that it's starting to wear down, which means I might just have to buy the full spray!

Will I keep using? Yes. The smell is gorgeous and I need this in a full size bottle!

You're all well aware that I adore Soap & Glory products and I have a huge collection. This Feel The Knead is my most recent purchase from the range and is a great way to get a relaxing treatment for your skin. The kneader has teeny tiny particles in it that lightly exfoliate the skin and when it's dry you can use it as a normal massager, which I definitely need for my poor old shoulders.

Will I keep using? Absolutely! I love using it to buff my skin and keep it soft!

So there are all of the products I've been using this month! Have any of you tried them aswell? What did you think of them? It's interesting when you really think about what you've been using because you realise just how many different things you do actually use. As I said previously, I'll try not to fill this feature up with beauty products but I can't promise anything ;)

Hope everyone had a great weekend. To be honest, mine was extremely quiet. Apart from sorting out my tip of a bedroom, I basically did nothing but eat and watch television. I guess it was nice to get away for the long weekend but not so nice when we came back to this dirty, messy house. I was actually meant to do a bit of cleaning tonight but have been a bit distracted...I better get on!