Nails Inc Nail Polish Remover Pot

I’ve been meaning to pick one of these up forever, and as luck would have it, I found one under the tree on Christmas morning. If there’s one thing I hate doing, it’s taking off my nail polish and will put it off for as long as possible. This has made the job so much easier and hassle-free. Ever make a mistake on one nail, and you just HAVE to take the polish off and start again? I could never do that using a conventional remover and cotton wool, I’d invariably mess up another nail or two (or six) in the process. With this, it’s simple. Pop your finger in, twist for a couple of seconds, and viola. You’re ready to go again. No Spillages, no running out of cotton wool halfway through, and it even claims to moisturise and condition your nails – I’ll have to report back on that one though. As you can see from the pictures below it's not entirely perfect - but then I deliberately made more of a mess than I usually do. If you're just doing a standard removal, it's absolutely fine. However, there is one bonus that I absolutely love: it leaves only the tiniest trace if nail polish remover smell on your fingers, and that even disappears quickly.

Crown Brush Reviews - Eyes

I have been looking for new eye makeup brushes for a while, and had originally decided on the Real Techniques Starter Set when I heard about these amazing low cost brushes from Crown. When I saw the prices and the rave reviews I just couldn't resist placing a wee order...

BK38 Deluxe Crease. This is a lovely brush for applying colour to the crease, it picks up just the right amount of product and doesn’t send it flying everywhere.

BK14 Deluxe Oval Shadow. Not gonna lie, I initially thought this was too big when it arrived, but it’s actually perfect for sweeping a base shadow right across the lid. The tip is slightly tapered which allows it to get right down to the lashline when applying colour, and if I’m in a hurry and only have time to apply one colour, this is the brush I reach for. 

BK13 Blending Fluff. Does exactly what it says on the tin, it’s ideal for blending out harsh lines in a jiffy.

BK42 Bullet Crease Brush. Small & pointed crease brush, this is perfect for smudging colour along the lashline to create a smoky eye. The bristles are a bit stiffer than the other brushes, but still incredibly soft

Carmex review

Well, I have to admit, my first forage into the world of Carmex was not what I was expecting. I assumed that the product would be really gentle, with a natural scent, so it came as a bit of a surprise when I unscrewed the lid and was hit with a rather medicinal scent and a tingling sensation when I applied it. However, once I got past these, I actually really liked this lip balm and can see why so many people rave about it - used overnight it really felt like a deeply moisturising treatment for the lips and works well to keep the dreaded chapping at bay. It is easy to use too much though, as I felt like I had to really work at getting the product out of the pot with my finger, but once applied to the lips it felt like I'd used a lot more - less is more people!

Lanolips Lip Ointment with Colour Rose

I have one cardinal cosmetic rule – don’t purchase anything with a colour (foundation/concealer/lip products) unless I’ve seen it in the flesh, so to speak. Generally I’m pretty good at sticking to it, but occasionally along comes a product that you’ve no way of trying beforehand but looks so pretty that you can’t resist taking the risk. Unfortunately, the risk blew up in my face this week when I bought the Lanolips Lip Ointment with Colour Rose. It’s a lovely lip balm but the colour, although dark in the tube, comes out too pale on me for my liking. That being said, I would have no problem purchasing a non-tinted version as the balm itself is very rich and moisturising and leaves my lips kissably soft.
 

Mary-Lou Manizer review

Meet Mary-Lou Manizer, a seemingly innocent honey hued luminiser that catches everybody’s eye. This highlighter, shadow and shimmer diffuses light so your skin looks softer and younger while adding a subtle glow. Layer it on your lids for luxe-looking lashes, sweep it on your check for a sexy sheen, or use it as an all-over finishing touch before you head out for the night.

 

TheBalm’s Mary Lou Manizer Luminizer is a fine powder highlighter encased in a sturdy but lightweight  silver compact with a generous sized mirror. The powder is very finely milled and gives a warm glow with little to no fallout. It gives an incredibly subtle look if you apply in natural daylight to avoid overloading your skin. It can look quite sparkly in bright sunshine, but sure when do we ever get that in the UK?!? It lasts most of the day on my (dry) skin and the fact that the tiniest little swipe is all you need means that the 8.5g of product will last you forever. So far I’ve only used it on my cheekbones but I’m looking forward to using it as an eyeshadow over Christmas.

 

I bought this for £12 during one of Feel Unique’s summer sales but it normally retails for £15 which I’d be happy to pay. 

Manic(ure) Monday - Nails Inc Saville Row

This is one of the first polishes I tried from Nails Inc and it has remained one of my favourites. It's a rich, deep plum colour that is just perfect for these Autumn days.

Bobbi Brown Rich Chocolate Palette - first impressions

Last week House of Fraser held one of their regular “brand events” where they discount entire brands by up to 25% (10% for beauty).  I’ve had a gift voucher lurking in my purse for a while now and was hoping to lose my MAC virginity with it, but alas MAC was not one of the brands included in the event. However, Bobbi Brown was, and (after frantically emailing my local store to make sure they had it in stock as it doesn’t seem to be on their website at all) the Rich Chocolate Eye Palette was soon in my possession.

 It’s absolutely stunning.

Seven shades, 5 matte and two shimmer, of the most gorgeous chocolatey eyeshadows you could imagine, each one good enough to eat (tip: don’t). They range in the more subtle daytime shades to the left of the palette, blinging it up for the party season towards the middle and finishing up with a sinful dark shade that will be perfect as eyeliner.

 

From left to right the shades are:

Bone Eye Shadow 

Stone Eye Shadow

Frappe Eye Shadow

Caramel Sparkle Eye Shadow

Champagne Truffle Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow

Cocoa Eye Shadow

Rich Chocolate Eye Shadow