Lookfantastic Sunset Sale!

A quick post to let you know that Lookfantastic currently have a sunset sale going on and have lots of great products reduced, including items from the Becca Fall collection. 

I've already grabbed a few bargain goodies from Korres and Hei Poa, but the Becca Fall polishes, which have 20% off, are also calling my name.

There's free delivery on all orders (including international) and the sale ends on the 26th of September.

www.lookfantastic.com

My First Empties Post!

I decided to clean out my bathroom cabinet last month and was quite shocked at how many lotions and potions I'd managed to store away in there. When I'd finished going through everything, I decided to set myself a little goal to try and use up some of them. I didn't actually do well with the things I'd planned on finishing, but I still managed to create a nice little pile of empty bottles, tubes and tubs over the past month.

Moroccanoil

Moroccanoil - I really wanted to finish my little 25ml bottle of Moroccanoil because I also have a full size bottle waiting to be used, which I purchased shortly after testing out my mini, sample size. I have fine hair and don't normally get on well with oils, but this leaves it soft, smooth and glossy and doesn't weigh it down. I love the scent of Moroccanoil and I love how it cuts down on drying time too, it's great stuff.

Dr Sebagh Mask

Dr Sebagh Deep Exfoliating Mask - I've already mentioned this on quite a few occasions so I wont ramble on about it too much. It's expensive stuff, but it's worked really well at helping to reduce acne scarring and blemishes and the above pot lasted a good year with me using it once a week, so I'll definitely be buying another tub soon.

Dior Cleansing gelee

Dior Cleansing Gelee for Face, Lips and Eyes - I picked this up a while ago, mainly because it was reduced. It feels lovely and removes make up (including waterproof mascara) really well, but it's pretty expensive. I would probably buy it again at a reduced price, but I'm not sure I'd pay full price for it, because there are lots of similar products out there that remove make up just as well and cost a whole lot less.

Weleda Pomegranate Body Oil

Weleda Pomegranate Regenerating Body Oil - I received this in my first GlossyBox and I absolutely love the stuff. It hydrates really well without feeling greasy and it smells divine. I've already bought myself another bottle and I'm tempted to try out some of the other Weleda oils on offer too.

Murad Acne Cleanser

Murad Time Release Acne Cleanser - This was another GlossyBox item. I've heard quite a lot of good things about Murad products, so I was looking forward to giving this a go. I've been using it almost everyday since I received it and it is quite nice, but I can't say I've noticed any positive improvements in blemishes or blocked pores, so I wont be replacing this.

Alpha Hydroc Souffle

Alpha Hydrox AHA Souffle - I've used this on and off for a couple of years now and it's really helped to fade acne scars and has also helped with blocked pores. I haven't decided on whether I'm going to re-purchase yet, because I'm currently testing out a few other glycolic acid products which I seem to be getting on well with. They're slightly more expensive than Alpha Hydrox, but they're much easier to get hold of here. 

These are actually the first products I've finished in quite a while and I'd forgotten how good it feels to have a little pile of empties. I know there aren't loads of items there, but it's a start and it's made me determined to use up some more of the products I've squirreled away. I may even have a go at trying to finish some make up next month! 

Have you managed to finish any products recently?

Liz Earle Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion

My eyes are one area of my face that I don't normally pay much attention to. They're not particularly sensitive, or easily irritated and I don't really have any major problems with dark circles. They do occasionally look a little bit puffy though and feel a little bit heavy and tired, which is where Eyebright comes in handy. I was sent a bottle of Liz Earle's Soothing Eye Lotion around a month ago and it's become a firm favourite and a part of my routine that I really look forward to each evening.

Here's what Liz Earle have to say about Eyebright: 

Wake up and revitalise eyes with cotton wool pads soaked in this gentle, soothing herbal lotion before using Cleanse & Polish. Naturally active ingredients include the grassland herb – eyebright, witch hazel, organic aloe vera and cornflower to help tone, cool and refresh tired, puffy or sore eyes.

Liz Earle Eyebright

The lotion can actually be used in two ways. You can either sweep it over lids and lashes to quickly cool and sooth, or you can soak two cotton pads, place them over your eyes and let them sit for 5-10 minutes. I've been using the lotion as a compress soak after I've removed my make up and the delicately scented lotion does a fantastic job at cooling and soothing. The scent is much more subtle than most of the other products I've tried from the Liz Earle range (I mainly smell witch hazel) and it feels light, non greasy and refreshing. It really does help to reduce any puffiness and my eyes look much brighter and fresher after using it.

Eyebright also does a brilliant job at removing any last traces of stubborn eye make up and I've even been using it to tidy up any mascara or eye liner mistakes. A cotton bud dipped in the solution works really well at cleaning up any small smudges or smears and doesn't leave any sort of greasy residue behind after. It really does do an excellent job at removing eye make up without being harsh or irritating.

Overall, it's a great little product that I really enjoy using. It's a nice pick me up for tired eyes and I'd definitely recommend checking it out if you suffer with irritation or puffiness, or if you're looking for a really gentle cleanser to remove light eye make up. It's available from the Liz Earle site where it costs £10.00 for a 150ml bottle, or you can purchase a smaller 50ml trial bottle for £5.00.

Eyebright Ingredients

Have you tried Eyebright? 

Do you have any tips or tricks for reducing puffiness or dark circles?

Essie Vanity Fairest

The lovely Liz of Beauty Reductionista did a fab post on a half moon mani recently, using Chanel's Graphite. I decided to have a little go myself this morning, but unfortunately, it didn't turn out well. Actually, it looked terrible and I ended up removing everything before it even had chance to dry. I decided to go with something simple after the nail art disaster and opted for an old favourite from Essie, Vanity Fairest.

Essie Vanity Fairest

Vanity Fairest is a sheer, pale pink shade with some very delicate shimmer, which is barely visible on nails. It's a colour I reach for a lot when I don't want to wear brights or darks and just want my nails to look fresh, clean and pretty.

Essie Vanity Fairest (3 coats)

The photo shows what the shade looks like with three coats. I normally apply two and get a lovely, sheer pink colour, but I managed to mess up application slightly today and did a cover up job with a third coat. Three coats resulted in a slightly uneven, gloopy finish, but after the nail art fiasco, I didn't have the patience to remove it and start again.

A few other favourites: Marshmallow, Rock Candy & Pink Glove service

Essie Vanity Fairest, Marshmallow, Rock Candy & Pink Glove Service

All in all, it's a pretty, natural, my nails but better shade, and is one of my favourite sheer pinks from the many on offer in the Essie range.

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend! 

The Make Up Mavens Weekly Round-up

 

Searching for a tinted moisturizer? Check out Lipstick Luvvies review on Liz Earle Sheer Skin tint and see how it comapres to Laura Merciers. Liz Earle's might be an even better option for you.

 

Now that the summer is coming to a close, Lovesong for My Lipgloss has been inspired to create the perfect eye for fall and it's something definitely helpful for autumn makeup looks.

Mookie On The Bench's highlight of the week is Elie Saab's "Le Parfum". The orange blossom and jasmine are the primary notes and even though you may not like florals, don't totally dislike it, because it's soft and seamless effect on the skin.

Check out Product Doctor's blog on meeting Oscar de la Renta for Fashion and her overall thoughts on the Face of Fashion Kaleidoscope. You get to see her lovely face with Oscar de la Renta in an epic photo :) 

Raspberry Rouge discusses Cliniques Black Honey Lipgloss/Lipstick Duo. 10 years ago she thought it was a bit too dark for her liking, go check to see how she feels about it now.

Always hunting for an awesome blush brush? Stop on over to The Black Panties blog to see the differences are between Shu Uemura's #17 and #14 blush brushes, so you can see which one would be a perfect fit for you :)

Clinique Limited Edition High Impact Mascara

I was recently sent a few products to try from the Clinique Black Honey fall collection, and among them was the brands new, limited edition High Impact Mascara.

Clinique High Impact Mascara

Now, I've not tried the original High Impact mascara, but as far as I can tell from the Clinique site, the new version is the same as the original but is packaged in a silver tube instead of the usual black. 

Here's what Clinique say about High Impact:

 Packaged in sleek Limited Edition silver packaging, this instant gratification mascara delivers intense, glamorous, dressed-up lashes in a flash.  Women crave long, thick, lashes and that's exactly what Clinique's multi-benefit High Impact Mascara delivers - dramatic volume and length, fast!

Clinique High Impact

If you've read any of my other mascara related posts, you may have noticed me mention that I'm quite picky about them. I tend to go for mascaras which add volume, but still look and feel quite natural. I'm not really a fan of over the top, dramatic lashes (on me) and I don't like 'wet' formulas, which I find to be quite messy and difficult to apply. The brush is important for me too. A few that I've tried recently have had quite large brushes, which I find also makes application on my small ish eyes a little bit tricky.

Clinique's High Impact brush is small enough for me to to able to apply product evenly and allows me to get into the tricky areas without making a mess. It's a soft, fairly dense, bristle type brush which pulls through lashes easily and coats and defines well.

Clinique High Impact Brush

The actual formula also applies well. It separates nicely, adds a decent amount of length and thickens without looking clumpy. I've attempted a couple of before and afters below to show you the results. The photos show what lashes look like after using one coat of High Impact, I've found the mascara builds well too though, if you're going for a more dramatic result.

Top: Without Mascara & Bottom with High Impact

  

High Impact adds quite a lot of length to my short lashes, but it also adds a nice amount of volume and darkens well too. One of the things I really do like about the formula, is that it doesn't leave my lashes feeling stiff or heavy. They're still soft and feel nice and light and natural. I've found the formula also wears excellently. I've had no problems at all with smearing, smudging or flaking and it actually holds a curl nicely as well.

As Above

Overall, I'm really quite impressed with High Impact. It's easy to apply, does what it promises to do, holds up well, and is fairly easy to remove. I'm pleased with the thickening and lengthening results I get from it and I really like the soft, perfectly sized brush, which allows me to apply product precisely and without making a mess. 

The Limited Edition High Impact Mascara is available now and costs £15.00 for a 7ml tube. 

PR Sample

Have you tried Clinique's High Impact? What do you think of it?

Quick Review: Guerlain Cupidon Lip Pencil

I used Guerlain's Cupidon pencil for the first time in a little while this morning and thought I'd do a quick post on it. I actually ordered the pearly, pink pencil by mistake around a year ago, thinking it was a regular lip pencil. Why I was even looking for a such a pale lip liner, I have no idea, but what I actually ended up with is a highlighting pencil designed to be used on the cupids bow.

Guerlain Cupidon Lip pencil

Cupidon is supposed to be applied to the skin just above the upper lip and the idea is that it gives the illusion of fuller looking lips. I can't say I notice a huge difference in fullness when I apply it, but the pinky, beige pencil definitely helps to enhance and gives an overall pretty effect. It leaves a very delicate sheen after it's been blended and creates a slight highlight which enhances and defines the shape of lips.

Guerlain Cupidon 00

I've seen Cupidon described as a creamy beige shade, but I'd describe it as a pale, almost frosty, pinky-beige. I've applied quite a lot of the colour to my arm in the swatch - it actually looks a lot more subtle when it's been applied with a light hand. The pencil itself is really excellent quality, it's creamy, draws well and doesn't budge after it's been applied.

Geurlain Cupidon Swatches

All in all, Cupidon is a great little product which does do what it promises, it's just something I don't find myself reaching for often. I'd describe it as more of a pretty, finishing touch product, than an essential one, and for that reason, I probably wouldn't re-purchase. I've found a tiny bit of NARS Copacabana applied just above the lip creates a similar result and I'm sure the same effect could be achieved with other highlighters too. 

Have you tried Cupidon or a similar lip highlighting product?