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.