Good Things Total Wipeout Cleansing Wipes - Raspberry and Cranberry

I bought these on a whim for those nights when you just want to take your make up off really quickly (like I did on Saturday night) - I'd ran out of my seemingly endless stock of facewipes and decided not to buy any more but I missed them!  I know they're not the best thing for your skin but as an occassional thing I think they're ok.

These smell so nice, very fruity (as you'd expect) and yummy!  The wipes are also really wet too, which sounds a bit silly, but I hate taking my eye make up off with dryish wipes as I feel you really pull at your lashes, so these are great in terms of that.  They also don't sting your eyes or irritate your skin when you use them, which is obviously really important.  I've used really cheap wipes before and actually had an allergic reaction to whatever's in them.

They were developed by beauty writer Alice Hart-Davis and are also free from animal ingredients, parabens, SLS', petrochemicals and mineral oil.

Good Things Cleansing Wipes are available from Boots.com for £3.49 (and you get your Boots points too!)

Revitalash Eyelash Conditioner

You might remember when I reviewed RapidLash last year and had some good results - though my lashes were probably still pretty short by most normal-lashed standards.  Well, I was given Revitalash for Christmas and have just started trying it this week. My natural eyelashes are so short, I'm always searching for that holy grail product/treatment that will give me gorgeous, long lashes...I don't know how viable this is if I'm honest, the only things that make my lashes as dramatic as I want are falsies or lash extensions (and even then sometimes extensions aren't thick enough).

So, I thought I'd treat you to another picture of my mascara-free eyelashes.  Pathetic aren't they?

I'm going to try and give regular updates of growth and any side effects that may occur (hopefully none), I have read some reviews saying that it can cause discolouration of the eyelids and/or take up to 3 months to notice a different but I'll persevere.

I still haven't tried LiLash which is meant to be one of the most effective products for lash growth, but it's considerably more expensive and to be honest for the price, and the really short length of my eyelashes I just don't feel any product is going to give me the long, dramatic, fluttery lashes I want.  But here's hoping!

Lush Yuzu and Cocoa Bubbleroon

I struggled to get a picture of this where it looked nice, and I was desperate to use it so I didn't have the patience to get one!  It does look like a yummy macaroon though.  But this has become a bit of a favourite, it's my usual taste...sweet and fruity.  Apparently Yuzu is a kind of Japanese mandarin (I had to research this) and the citrus aspect definately comes through in the smell, though it's made of a blend of citrus oils rather than Yuzu,  as does the sweetness of the coconut oil/shea butter.

I used half of this in the bath and it created loads of bubbles, made the bathroom smell gorgeous and made the water a bit orange.  It left my skin feeling really smooth and looking more moisturised too.  I've not had a bath for ages, and I like them just a bit too hot, so I came away from this feeling the most relaxed I have in weeks!  I will definately be buying this again - it's going into my list of favourite bathbomb/bubble bars along with Flosty Gritter (which I don't think you can get any more), Creamy Candy and Dragon's Egg.  Mmmmm!

CND Shellac in Hollywood

I got Shellac nails done at the weekend, and the colour that I chose was Hollywood - a gorgeous, classic, true red that in the right light has a really really subtle shimmer to it.  The finish on this is really glossy and it's the kind of colour that I think you can wear at work, on a night out, with casual clothes etc without feeling daft...I don't think you'd necessarily get sick of it either.  I've had my eye on it for a while but the salons I've been to never have it in, they always have some of the other reds, but not Hollywood and I don't know why as it's my favourite by far!

I got this done for £10 with a KGB Deals voucher.  On the same day I also used a Living Social voucher for a chiropody appointment where I usually go anyway (again £10) and another voucher (2 for 1) for Champagne Afternoon Tea at Richmond Tea Rooms, which was absolutely gorgeous and I'd really recommend.  So all in all I had a pretty nice, luxurious day for a relatively bargainous price....champagne lifestyle, lemonade money!

YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch in No 1 Luminous Radiance

 Everyone's heard of Touch Eclat haven't they?  I was really pleased to receive this actually as it's something I've been thinking about purchasing for a while because I seem to be getting the dreaded herediatary dark circles under my eyes  Now, if I remember rightly, Touche Eclat isn't necessarily a concealer as such - more  a highlighter that reflects light away from the area and masks any undesirables.   It's suitable for all skin types and comes in a variety of shades.  You can actually use it in a whole variety of ways as shown in this blog post but I use it mainly for under my eyes.

Now firstly, the packaging - typical YSL gold, luxurious packaging that looks nice in your make up bag or on your dressing table.  It looks quite similar to my YSL Faux Cils mascara and I'm forever taking the wrong one out of my bag but that's not a big deal.  It has a brush applicator and to dispense product you just click the end, I find that I don't need many clicks to get enough product dispensed.  Application is relatively straightforward, you just brush on and then I blend in with my fingertips - it has a really light consistency and this shows in the way it applies.

In terms of wear, I find it lasts all day, if I'm going somewhere after work or something I might have to reapply it then.  I do think it hides a multitude of sins particularly well and I think I would actually repurchase this once it runs out, it's just one of those products that instantly makes me look more awake.
YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch is available from CheapSmells.com for £17.95

After looking at the Cheapsmells site they actually have quite a bit of YSL stuff, all of it a bit cheaper than it would be if you bought it at the counter.  When I think about it, I'm sure I've actually bought YSL Faux Cils Mascara from Cheapsmells before as it was quite a bit cheaper than buying it in store, but they're not offering it at the moment.

Loreal Mythic Oil - Nourishing Oil for all hair types

I first came across this after receiving it in a Glossybox a while ago but to be honest I didn't really bother using it as I already had my hair products that I liked, and tended to just use it to finish my do and add a bit of shine.  After receiving another sample of this recently, I've been converted! 

I use this now when I blowdry my hair and it makes it look really shiny - as a blonde, I sometimes struggle to get a nice shine to my hair - and feels very soft, and not at all like I've got product in it.  I feel like it holds my hair a bit straighter too without weighing it down or making it feel greasy, as an oil it's really light.  It also doesn't smell too strongly either - the Dumb Blonde Shampoo I'm using at the moment has such a distinctive smell, I'm glad this doesn't fight with it.

I'd definately recommend giving this a go, especially if your hair is a bit longer or in need of some TLC - apparently this is even good for fine hair, but with my fuzzy, thick hair I can't really comment on this.  It's enriched with a blend of grape and avocado oil, amongst other things.

Mythic Oil is available from CheapSmells.com for £11.95

Jewellery storage...

I posted a while ago about my dressing table and my little heart shaped makeshift jewellery box in this post from October.  It was getting a bit cramped in there (and quite hard to find things) so I decided to see what else was around and came across this double drawer jewellery box from ASOS :

The jewellery I mainly wear is earrings with the odd bracelet/bangle or ring thrown in there so this was perfect.  I like that I can see where things are and that I can keep my earrings as a pair in the top section rather than having to root around and try and find the other earring.

Here's some pictures of it in action and some gratuitous earring shots - my favourite earrings at the moment are the gold ones that look a bit like curtain ties (from River Island) and the Unicorn ones at the bottom (from Topshop) - they look like the unicorn is jumping through your ear, which sounds a bit ew but actually looks really nice!

This jewellery box is now in the sale for £15 and can be found here - it comes in green and there's also a single tier version available too, which might have actually been a bit more of a sensible option for me!  And to end, a slightly better pic of the Topshop earrings I've shown above - I've never had so many comments about a pair of earrings before, people are really intrigued by them:

Interview for Reasons to be Beautiful Magazine

I was asked if I'd like to be interviewed for Reasons to be Beautiful, an online magazine that represents real women and relevant issues.  I was asked some questions about blogging and beauty products/tips ( as you'd expect), if you'd like to hear a bit more about my opinions other than reviews of products, then you can read the interview here.

Pssst...I'm selling quite a lot of stuff on Ebay at the moment....

I had a good old New Year sort out at the weekend and came across quite a lot of stuff that I've only worn a few times so decided to have a major Ebay session, some of the things I'm selling is shown below, there's a lot more though:

Carvela Auction Platform Shoes

Topshop Loretta Bow Sandals

 Warehouse Pink Damask Dress



 French Connection Wendy Dress

 French Connection Rockafella Dress

Topshop Star Jumper

So y'know, feel free to have a look - you can check out my Ebay items here  - if you see anything you like don't be shy about bidding :-)

Smashbox Bionic Mascara in Jet Black

I was sent this to review and after trying it a few times, this mascara isn't really for me - it creates brilliant volume and makes lashes look really full/dark but when your eyelashes are as short as mine, I'd prefer something that elongates my lashes a bit more too.  It is a good mascara and if you've already got long lashes, or your lashes are fair/sparse then this would probably be better for you.

The packaging, wand and formula are all nice, they're just not right for my eyelashes and don't give me the extra length and flutter I so desperately crave.  However, in saying that I have been using it when I wear false lashes because of how dark and full it makes my lashes, so my own lashes blend in much better with the falsies.

Smashbox Bionic Mascara is available from CheapSmells.com for £12.95 (a 22% saving from the retail price.  I got a whole load of Smashbox stuff for Christmas so expect a review to come on that stuff soon!

I didn't realise the YSL Spring 2012 Candy Face collection was out already!

Spring isn't even on my radar since it's January, grey and cold but I thought I would have a bit of a Google to find out when the YSL Spring 2012 Candy Face collection was out as I'm coveting a few things and it turns out it's already out!  I don't normally get too excited by new collections  but this really catches my eye.
Here's what I like from the collection:

Vinyl Candy Palette

Golden Gloss                  Manucure Couture

YSL Rouge Volupte Perle

• Vinyl Candy Palette
• Golden Gloss in Golden Violet and Golden Peach
• Manucure Couture No 8
• YSL Rouge Volupte Perle

Realistically I'll probably buy the orange/pink polish combo (definately) and maybe a lipstick or lipgloss depending on the colour when swatched.  The Voile de Blush are nice too but to be honest I think I'm a bit over liquid blush at the moment and have gone back to powder blush with a vengeance.

New Shellac colours being released in March 2012 (or February if you're in Ireland or the US)

 

For any of you that are Shellac fans (like me), just a quick post to show you the new Shellac colours that are being released in the UK in March.  To be honest none of them really jump out at me but I'm interested to see some swatches of them on the nails  - especially Silver Chrome, which I'm interested to see if it is truly metallic, and I do think it would be good to use with a nice holo silver glitter for Rockstar nails.  I did originally want Asphalt (a dark grey) but I might change that for Cityscape or Rubble because these are more "my sort of greys".

If you live in Ireland or the US, you'll be getting these about a month earlier than in the UK so you could be getting your nails done in these colours in just a few weeks time!

OPI Lincoln Park After Dark and OPI Over the Taupe

I got both of these for Christmas and I absolutely love both of them - I don't know why it's taken me so long to try Lincoln Park After Dark in particular!  Basically, my nail collection consists of purple, black, red, pink, grey, taupe and a couple of random metallics and some oranges so both of these ticked the colour box for me.

OPI Lincoln Park After Dark
This is a really glossy, dark purple, so dark it actually looks black most of the time but every now and again in certain lights a little bit of purple will flash through.  I love it, especially when my nails are a bit shorter.  I think it would be nice to layer it too, maybe with a purple glitter or flakie?  As ever, I found the OPI brush really easy to use and longevity was ok.  If you like dark colours, you'll like this.

OPI Over the Taupe
This is a pretty standard taupe - not too orange and not too grey - which, to be honest, is why I like it.  I wear quite a lot of taupes for work or when I'm wearing an outfit that already has a lot of colour in so I'm happy to add another one to my collection, as they are all ever so slightly different.  As above, I liked the brush and it lasted ok.  I'd recommend this if you're a taupe lover or if you don't really have any in your collection and want a decent first one.

A trio of Topshop treats...

I was lucky enough to be given this by my friend as a belated birthday present - by belated I mean my birthday is the beginning of September, and I got this the weekend before Christmas.  But never mind, I was pleased to get it!  My friend was like "I debated on whether to get you this as I thought you'd either have them already or just have the same colours from somewhere else".  It comes in a really cute little plastic zip container with a bow on it that I'll probably use for other things.

Lacquered is a really glossy, pretty blue-based red that I really like.  To be honest it's not that different to other reds I have, but I still like it nevertheless and it's definately wearable.  Hyperreal is a colour I don't already have anything like.  I've so far been most impressed by the metallic polishes from the Topshop collections and this is no exception, I'd describe it as a metallic bronze.  It's really pretty and unusual, plus it's one of those colours that I can't stop staring at on my nails - this one is definately my favourite out of the three colours, though I like them all.  Deceptive is a smoky dark purple that borders towards grey/taupe.  I really like this kind of colour but don't have anything quite as dark as this with a purpley tinge.

This is another (perfectly painted) thumbs up to Topshop for their nail collection - I don't think I've tried one yet that I haven't been impressed with!  Keep up the good work, Toppers!

Jimmy Choo Eau de Parfum - 40ml

Happy New Year!  Can't quite believe we're in 2012 already!

I had sniffed this a few times while I was out Christmas shopping and really really liked it - and I ended up getting it for Christmas, yay.  I think quite a few people I know got this too so it must be popular!

I'm not really wild about the packaging it came in or the bottle (bottle appeal is normally quite important with perfumes for me as they sit on my dressing table for all to see!), the box looked a bit cheap to me and the bottle looks old-fashioned, and I don't necessarily think in a good way, but the bottle is ok.  But, moaning aside, the main event is obviously the perfume inside the bottle and I definately like that!

I'm no perfume buff and I don't think I've ever successfully identified base notes, top notes etc.  but to me this smells sweet with a hint of citrus (maybe grapefruit or orange) and something else that stops it smelling too saccharine.  After I did a bit of research apparently base notes are toffee and Indian patchouli, top notes are pear nectar and sweet Italian orange, heart notes Tiger Orchard.  Ok, I know I wasn't that close but I feel quite pleased that I managed to sort of identify something in it.

I think my perfume taste is evolving slightly from the overly sweet teenybopper perfumes (hello Britney Spears Fantasy and pretty much any Escada perfume ever made) I usually like...only slightly though.  I've got my eye on Pulse by Beyonce and Valentina by Valentino which kind sort of still fall into that category (Valentina much less so).

It's quite expensive at around £39 for 40ml but the scent does last quite well and of course, you are paying for the Jimmy Choo name.  If you like sweet or citrusy perfumes, I'd definately recommend giving this a little sniff if you're out and about.