No7 Stay Perfect Nail Polish Review - Vivid Violet 40

As I am sure many of you know, Boots were running their £5.00 No7 voucher scheme recently and, out of the many No7 products that I purchased with the vouchers that I had, their Stay Perfect Nail Colour in Vivid Violet 40 was one that I most wanted to try.

In the bottle it is the most gorgeous deep purple colour, with a subtle shimmer to it, and it immediately caught my eye on the shelf. It promises Pigment Rich Colour, Quick Drying and Ultra Gloss Finish.

However, I am sorry to say that I was quite disappointed in the product. Although it would be easy to assume that this is a very pigmented nail colour, it is infact quite sheer, and it took me four coats before I had managed to build up to the colour in the bottle on my fingernails.

Left to Right: One Coat, Two Coats, Three Coats, Four Coats (and a little bit of smudging - oops!)

Normally, I am quite rushed when doing my nails, so it is important to me that a nail colour needs a maximum of two coats to gain ultimate coverage and pigmentation, and this is the main reason that this particular polish did not fare well for me. It also chips easily - never a good thing when you have housework to do and a little one to look after :-(

I also attempted to paint my toenails with the product, and it was just streaky and horrible. It really didn't cope well in covering a larger nail surface area at all, despite the wider brush.

On the plus side, it dries with a lovely glossy finish, and four coats of polish does create a lovely jewel purple colour.

I am glad that I didn't purchase this at full price though, as I would have been really unhappy to have spent £7.00 on such a disappointing product. I also feel that I could have put my £5.00 voucher to better use.

Have you tried any of the No7 nail colours? Did you have better experiences?

xXx

Birthday Treats!!!

I have recently celebrated my 30th Birthday - Happy Birthday me!! - and to be honest, turning thirty wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. This bout of good feeling and positive thinking about actually getting 'old' was surely aided by the fantastic gifts that I received.

My husband whisked me away for the week to this little log cabin in Dorset, and we were joined there by our little girl, my parents, my sister and her boyfriend. Our scruffy Jack Russell's also came along, and they are pictured in the giant dog cage to the left of the house in the top photo :-). It was a week of rest and relaxation - waking up every morning by the side of a lake that is home to ducks and rabbits, and the view from the cabin is lush green fields for miles around. Amazing - I highly recommend a stay here!!

I have always thought that once I hit 30 I would finally be classed as 'old', and to reflect this I asked for some gifts that had a little bit of age and history about them. The first gift that I received was from my parents. It is a beautiful re-worked vintage perfume bottle with embroidered floral detail and faux pearls on a gold snake chain. It is fully functioning, so you can fill the little bottle with any perfume of your choice, and even comes with a little dabber stick attached to the screw-top lid. Sooo cute.

I also had a pretty little brooch pin from my parents. I chose this more as a keepsake than something I would use, but I just love the print on the cameo and the girly bow. Items like these always make me wonder what sort of a life they had before: Who owned them? And how old are they?

Both the brooch and vintage perfume bottle were purchased at the Happy Days Artisan Market in Cowbridge, South Wales - if you're ever in the area you really need to head there as they are based in a little warehouse just off the main high street and house the most amazing collection of vintage furniture, clothing, and jewellery, as well as re-worked items and vintage-style modern pieces. It is a haven for those with a love of the good old days!!

My sister bought me a genuine 1930s dressing table set, also from the Artisan Market. It is a really beautiful 5-piece set in the most subtle shade of pale blue glass. It has pretty scalloped edging, and is in pristine condition considering how old it is. I just need a new dressing table to display it on now...

One gift that was not so much of a surprise was the Urban Decay Naked 2 eyeshadow palette as I was with my sister when she purchased this. The winning eyeshadow shade in this palette for me is verve. I also love that there are not as many dark shades in this palette as the Naked one, as I have quite deep set eyes and shy away from any dark eyeshadow's that can tend to make me look too goth-like.

And the piece de resistance.....

Four Laura Mercier Creme Brulee bath and body products - I actually squealed on opening these. Don't I just have the bestest little sister EVER!!!! I had been eyeing up this range back in January when we went on a late night spree to John  Lewis. One product would have been amazing, but to have all four is more than any girl could ask. And they smell DEVINE, literally good enough to eat. They are pure indulgence, and I absolutely cant wait to use them.... I'm just waiting for a special occasion!!

I've been shopping - HUGE Haul - Lush, Revlon, Oasis, River Island, New Look, Primark....

Yesterday I returned from a week away in Paris (Eeeek!!!), and in the few weeks before I left I was busy gathering together a few new items to take with me - I use the word 'few' lightly here!!

First stop, Primark. Normally, I either see lots in Primark or nothing at all. I have problems with the style of alot of their clothing, but for the items that do fit me nicely I am a huge fan. Primark, in my eyes, coined the term 'disposable fashion'. They create of-the minute items at a really reasonable price, but this is reflected in the reduced quality fabrics that they use. This is not to say that their clothing is shambolic, but simply that they are by no means made to last. One seasons wear has normally tired out the items that I have purchased in the past, but for the prices I have paid I cant really complain.

I picked up this cute little peter pan collar tunic for £6.00, a floral tote bag for £3.00, a cute leatherette purse to store my euros for £3.00 and a pack of earrings for £2.00. I have also fallen in love with their scarves - I picked up three in the prints pictured below, and am really impressed with the quality for the price of £3.00-£4.00 a piece. Im sure I will be back for more!!

I love Oasis, and I picked up a quite a few bargains in their sale. Although I am a big fan of their clothing and jewellery, sometimes I just feel that they can be a little over-priced, especially on their basics range. As almost everything I bought was around half price, I was a very happy little shopper. I will say one thing though, in comparison to Primark clothing, you do get what you pay for in Oasis, and on the whole their clothes are really made to last more than one season.

I used to be the biggest fan of River Island. I did most of my clothes shopping there, I could always find something there last minute if I needed to, and I was always spolied for choice. But then they just seemed to go down the route of chavtasticness and I could never find anything that suited my tastes there anymore. I'm not sure if this was due to a possible change in their design team, but the River Island that I knew and loved - the one that sold the gorgeous, floaty, feminine, items - had almost disappeared. For this reason, I hadn't been into a River Island Store for over a year until last week, and was shocked to find that their prices seem to have dropped significantly. Tops that previously would have retailed at around the £40 mark are now £25 full price, and they also have a massive sale on. I picked up one top for a bargain £10 in the sale, and two shirt dresses at £25 each full price - but still a bargain really, as they are great quality and I love them!!. I was really shocked to find the store almost empty of customers though - even with such a great sale on - I only hope that this combined with the fall in prices isnt spelling the end for River Island....

For a while I have been thinking of buying myself a pair of coloured jeans, but the notion of turning thirty had left me pondering as to whether I am now 'too old' to wear them. However, the thought 'you only live once' over-rode this and I purchased not one, but two pairs. The first are a pair of full length dark jade green jeans that are made of a really soft denim. The second are a pair of bright blue capri pants. I found a really pretty top in the River Island sale to wear with the jade jeans for £12, it is made of a really pretty cream & multi-colour heart print fabric, with a cute bow sewn onto the shoulder one side. I also bought a few tops in New Look, and I had to make a sharp exit as there were so many more items that I had my eye on!!

And to finish, a shopping trip wouldnt be complete without the purchase of a few beauty items. My sister and I love Lush, and a 'browse' turned into the purchase of a Fluffy Egg bath ballistic and a Yuzu & Cocoa bubbleroon. They both smell good enough to eat, and I cant wait to use them!!

Boots had a 3 for 2 deal on across all of their cosmetic brands and so I picked up this gorgeous rainbow-silver sparkle glitter polish from Revlon in Shade 340 'Stunning', and one of the new much-blogged about Revlon lip butters in Sugar Frosting (separate reviews to follow...).

I also discovered the 'Look Beauty' cosmetic brand that is stocked in Superdrug. This brand was launched in November 2011, and all products have been tried and tested by the workers at Look magazine, which can only be a good thing!! I decided to give one of their Nail Pop Polishes a go, and the Nail Pop in Shade 4 Bling immediately caught my eye. It is a clear polish with a dusky pink glitter, that will be great worn over a pink polish for sparkly summer nails.

So thats it for my recent uk shopping haul - have you bought anything nice lately?

xXx

Neal's Yard Rehydrating Rose Moisturiser Review

A few weeks ago, I spent a good hour or two browsing, sniffing and testing out most of the items in the John Lewis beauty department. Amongst the many products that I  had on my wish list as a result, the Neal's Yard Orange Flower Toner and Rose & Mallow moisturiser were two of my most wanted. As I have never used any products by this brand before, it was great to receive a free 45ml tube of the Neal's Yard Rehydrating Rose Daily Moisture for face with the April issue of Marie Claire magazine. This sample is worth £12.00, so for the cost of a £3.70 magazine, it is quite the bargain.

Neal's Yard as a brand promote natural, organic beauty products that are free from animal testing. All of their products are scented using ingredients derived from plants, and don't contain any mineral oils (that block pores), silicone's (that create a silky film on the skin, also helping to block pores) or synthetic fragrances (which may trigger allergic responses). So far so good...

The Rehydrating Rose Daily Moisture is said to nurture and replenish Normal Skin, however my skin is Dry/Sensitive so maybe this was the reason why I just couldn't get on with this product.

I maybe old before my time, but I really love the scent of rose. However, the rose fragrance in this product is not the one that I know and love. My husband says that I have a nose for aromas like a bloodhound, and once dried on my face, this product had the distinct whiff of halitosis - I kid you not! Maybe this is caused by another of the natural ingredients contained in the product (i.e. Calendula, Star flower), or maybe its the fact that it just doesn't agree with the natural scent of my skin, but whatever the reason I just didn't like it.

Also, personally I wouldn't say that this is a great moisturiser. Its consistency is a little thicker than a lotion, which was easy to apply, but it left my skin feeling quite tight and also tacky to the touch. I understand that this is meant to be a good thing because it doesn't contain any synthetic ingredients that would make skin feel silky soft, but this factor in combination with the faint stink of halitosis made me so glad that I hadn't purchased the product at its full price. I also had red blotches on my face after applying this product, and these took around an hour to subside.

Blotchy face - please excuse my dry lips!!

So, sorry Neal's Yards, but unfortunately this is one of your products that just isn't for me :-(

Did you buy the April issue of Marie Claire? What are your thoughts on this product?

x X x

Battle of the Hot Cloth Cleansers: Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Vs No.7 Beautiful Skin

I am a big fan of the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, but recently in Boots I came across the new No.7 version which they have launched in their Beautiful Skin collection. I had my trusty No.7 £5 gift voucher, so decided to put it towards giving this alternative product a go.

Firstly, the two main differences I noticed are the size of product and also the packaging. The Liz Earle Cleanser has a much more polished look about it (excuse the pun), but in comparison to the No.7 Cleanser it has half the amount of product.

The Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Starter kit is £14.25 for 100ml and comes with two muslin cloths. The full price of the No.7 Hot Cloth cleanser is £10.00 for 200ml and comes with 1 muslin cloth.

On the surface, the choice between the two may seem like a no-brainer, but there are other aspects in comparing these products that may make you think differently.

I found that I needed to use a little more of the No.7 cleanser than the Liz Earle (one and a half times as much) as the consistency of the No.7 product is a little thinner and didn't feel as creamy on my skin. Also, I wasn't so impressed with the scent of the No.7 Cleanser, which has a nice subtle fragrance but a distinct after-smell that, though not unbearable, is still a bit iffy. In comparison, the Liz Earle cleanser has a gorgeous eucalyptus-based smell that simply oozes the feel of luxurious spa treatment.

No7 muslin cloth on the left, Liz Earle muslin cloth on the right

I also found that the muslin cloth that came with the No.7 cleanser was very cheap looking and rough in texture in comparison to the cloths provided in the Liz Earle starter kit. It reminded me of a large medical gauze swab, which isn't such a great thing! The muslin cloths that come in the Liz Earle kit are softer and made of a tighter weave fabric. They are also larger in size, and I like how you get two of them so that you have another to use when one is in the wash.

In regards to the cleansing effectiveness of the product, Liz Earle is AMAZING, but the No7 comes a VERY close second - although, I'm not sure how much of this is due to the actual product with No.7, as opposed to the roughness of the muslin cloth, which tends to stay rough (and maybe more abrasively exfoliating) even when wet. My skin was left feeling soft after using the No.7 cleanser, but I still felt the need to moisturise. In comparison, Liz Earle cleanser not only does an extremely great job of cleansing, but my skin always feels so amazing afterwards, so that when I am applying my moisturiser I feel that I am doing so out of habit rather than feeling that my skin really needs it. However, both products are really effective at completely removing make-up - especially mascara.

Overall, I think that No.7 have created an excellent alternative Hot Cloth Cleanser, and if you are lucky enough to purchase the product with the £5 No.7 voucher (bringing the cost down to a mere £5.00) it is a real bargain for your money. Liz Earle remains my top choice though, and I will definately opt for this one in the first instance.

I like to think of the two products like this: Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser is like Disneyland Florida, and No.7 Hot Cloth Cleanser is like Disneyland Paris... If you go to Disneyland Paris first, when you then go to Disneyland Florida you are even more impressed. However, if you go to Disneyland Florida first, and then you go to Disneyland Paris, you like it there but not as much!!

What are your thoughts? Have you tried any of these cleansers before?

Rimmel Lycra Pro Nail Polish

Out of all the items in my make-up collection, nail polish most probably holds the majority share. I am constantly on the look out for new shades and for brands that offer good value for money. My husband bought me this particular polish a few months ago, as a treat when I was heavily pregnant with my daughter. However, one thing he didn't take into consideration was that not only could I not see my toes at the time, but I most definately couldn't reach them in order to paint them. So, off it went into the abyss that is my nail polish collection...

However, I was mooching through my nail polishes the other day when I re-discovered the product, and decided it was time to give it a whirl!!

Rimmel promote this product as being long lasting, chip resistant and anti fade colour.

The one thing I love about this nail polish is the wand - which also happens to be its major selling point. It is flatter and much wider in comparison to the wands of other brands I have used, making it super quick and easy to apply. One coat is great, but two is even better, and it dries quickly with a lovely shiny finish without the need of a topcoat.

It should also last for up to 10 days - I only painted my toenails and am now on day 8 with minor chipping to the tips only.

And the best thing? The price. A snip at only £4.59 a bottle :-)



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Clarins Hydraquench Face Cream Review- Dry Skin Needs This!!!

My sister first introduced me to the wonder that is Clarins Hydraquench Cream about a year ago, and I haven't looked back. It promises quick absorption, long-lasting hydration and unrivalled complexion radiance, and I would say that these are promises well kept!

The cream is lightly scented and of a good consistency - not too thick, but not runny like a lotion either, and a little goes a long way. It applies effortlessly and absorbs well into the skin, leaving it well moisturised without being sticky or greasy. I find its also a great base for make up, as foundation applies smoothly and blends well.

My skin is dry/sensitive and the dryness worsens significantly during the winter time, particularly to the areas around my nose and the corners of my mouth. However, this winter my skin didn't suffer any of its usual problems with dry patches, I just had healthy, smooth, moisturised skin throughout. I love this product so much that I am now on my third consecutive pot!!

Clarins Hydraquench Cream retails at £33.00 for 50ml and, when used twice daily, this product normally lasts me around two months. However, I think that it is worth every penny and really can't recommend it enough.