Figs & Rouge 100% Organic Lip, Face & Body Balm

I'm a bit of a lip balm fanatic and these multi-purpose balms from Figs & Rouge can be used on lips, face and body to eliminate any dry spots, so far I've used it on my cuticles and nails, lips and as a cure for little dry patches on face, hands and feet - that's not all it can be used for, there are many more uses see here... the list is endless!
The packaging is so cute and vintage, these elegant little pots are the perfect size for carrying around with you should any dry skin emergencies arise. I have Rambling Rose, it's a lovely soft floral and it reminds me slightly of Turkish Delight (yum!)
Other scents available from the range are Coco Vanilla, Pomegranate, Aloe & Mint, Wild Cherry, Peppermint & Tea Tree, Sweet Geranium or Cherry & Vanilla so I might have to collect them all! 
The balm is solid until warmed by your finger tip and applies easily and is quickly absorbed, unlike petroleum based products that just create a film over the dry area.
I would recommend this balm to anyone looking to banish any dry areas, I'm becoming a big fan of organic and free-from products and am more aware of what I am using on my skin and body, this leaves my lips and skin feeling nourished and smooth. It's perfect!

If you would like to try these balms for yourself, Feel Unique are offering an exclusive discount of 20% off, visit www.feelunique.com and use promotional code FIGS20 at the checkout. Offer ends 20/05/12.

Benefit Finding Mr Bright

I love these little beauty kits by Benefit! Even if they are slightly pricey for sample versions (£28.50 for this one) I still love them, and as with all of Benefit's products, a little goes a long way.

The neon pink and orange packaging is so bright and eye-catching and inside the handy mini-sized products are great for carrying around with you, it would fit in your makeup bag easily and would be perfect for taking with you for a weekend away, it has a built-in mirror too. This kit has everything in it to brighten you skin up!

The kit includes: 
Girl Meets Pearl - 7.5ml
Posietint - 4ml
High Beam - 2.5ml
Erase Paste (02 Medium) 3.2g 

Girl Meets Pearl 
This is a lovely soft golden-pink colour, it can be worn alone or mixed in with your foundation. It smells gorgeous and makes my skin glow, I apply it after my foundation and it really brightens my complexion and gives me a dewy look. I found it to be quite shimmery and thought it might be a bit too much for my usual daytime makeup but it looked great and I only needed a tiny amount.

Posietint
I still haven't mastered applying Benefit cheek stains and always end up with a mark as I haven't blended quick enough! However, I will persevere with this one as the poppy-pink colour is suited to my skin tone and they have alot of staying power.  I loved this colour on my lips too, it was a really sheer light pink.

High Beam
I remember receiving this once after buying it on eBay and was so disappointed with it I threw it to the bottom of my makeup basket. It wasn't until I was at my local Benefit counter some time later and the girl applied it for me I remembered thinking the texture to what I had at home was so different, it compared to the gloopy glue you used to get in classrooms as a child! I realised then I had bought a fake on eBay and bought a full-sized real bottle that day and have since used every last drop! I'm glad to have this back in my life and safe to say I will be using this ALOT!

Erase Paste (02 Medium)
I have had 2 full-sized pots of these, and they are worth every penny.  This colour is slightly too dark but 01 I find is too light for me! So I normally have both and mix them together which is the perfect combo for my skin colour. This can be used all over and is good for hiding bigger blemishes or spots as it's quite thick, when used under my eyes it is really brightening and lasts all day.

 Swatches Left to Right: Girl Meets Pearl, Posietint, High Beam, Erase Paste 02 Medium

Mini MUA Haul & more

It's been a while since my last post how is everyone doing? Hope you all had a lovely Easter break, mine was filled with the usual family BBQ, a bit of spring cleaning and of course lots of chocolate and cakes!

Just thought I'd update with a few items I picked up last weekend that I'm loving...

Garnier Body Soothing Gel-Cream, £4.99 
This was £2 off in Superdrug so thought I'd try it out.  It claims that after 4 weeks of continued use, your skin will still feel hydrated for up to 7 days after the last application.  I got the L-Bifidus + Peach extract for Dry and Sensitive Skin.  This is really lightweight and dries almost instantly so I can get dressed right away and doesn't feel greasy which I love.  It has a light peach scent and my skin is kept hydrated all day, my legs have been quite dry lately but this helps and they still feel silky smooth from this morning! 


Vaseline Limited Edition Lip Therapy in Crème Brûlée, £2.99
This isn't new but I have been hunting for it everywhere and thought I'd missed it when I spotted this in my local Superdrug.  I swear by Vaseline and always carry a tub with me, I imagined this to smell alot nicer, it reminds me of something else which I can't put my finger on (although I have to say I don't sniff my crème brûlée when eating one!) I'm glad I got it though as I will get use of it, but my Vaseline with Cocoa Butter is still top of the list for now!

 


MUA Lipstick in Nectar Shade 15, £1
... I can't believe that for just £1 products can be THIS good! The lipstick is a lovely coral/orangey colour, good pigmentation - it's not my usual colour but the wear time was good and didn't find it to be drying atall. I will be trying out other colours from the range, big thumbs up from me!

MUA Lip Gloss Shade 5, £1
I love this colour it's a really sheer light pink with a hint of blue/purple shimmer. Pity that the bottle I picked up is faulty, the whole wand comes away when i twist it from the top. I managed to swatch it, if it was any other brand I would've probably decanted it into a tub but since it's only £1 I will pick up another one! Shame I can't use it right now though I definitely would've been wearing this otherwise.

MUA Blusher Shade 1 and 4, £1 each
I admit I wasn't expecting much but these blushers are sooooo pigmented - I actually put too much on my brush first time round!  Shade 1 is more suited to my skin tone it's a light bubblegum pink so girly and cute and this has now replaced my Benefit Dandelion. Shade 4 is a rosey/pink but might be suited to darker skin tones or when I wear a tan as it was too dark for my pale skin at the moment! 

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake, £7.99
I have finally been able to get my hands on one of these since being sold out everywhere I went! I opted for Strawberry Shortcake which is a light pink colour, I love this! It is very wearable and suits my skin tone, I have been using this daily since I got it and haven't switched to anything else!

 

Swatch (Top to Bottom): Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake, MUA Lipstick in Nectar Shade 15, MUA Lip Gloss Shade 5

 

Models Own Hed Kandi Nail Polish in Beach Party, £5
Models Own have teamed up with Hed Kandi to create a brilliant range of on-trend polishes.  I had to buy this colour! It's unlike any neon colour I've seen before. I will be trying this out on my toes, perfect for summer!  But the consistency of this polish is thinner and goes on quite streaky, I had to apply 3 coats to get a smooth look!



Models Own in Lilac Dream, £5
I love lilac and after being so impressed by the last Models Own polishes, I bought Lilac Dream. I now have 3 from the Ice Cream Sundae range and they apply so opaque and have a lovely shiny finish!

She Said Beauty - April Box

As you may already know, I signed up to receive the monthly beauty box from She Said Beauty last month and so after what felt like an eternity of waiting patiently, my lovely package finally arrived (days after other people got theirs but that's what I get for living out in the middle of nowhere!) Since I had already peeked at what was inside my box in the preview they send you via e-mail to let you know that your box has been dispatched, I knew what to expect but was excited to see which colours had been chosen for me! When signing up you can fill out a 60-second profile on yourself so She Said Beauty can personalise the colours to your taste.

 
The packaging of the outer box was a little worse for wear on mine but was a lovely bright pink colour, I opened it up (what was left of it!) to reveal a lovely turquoise blue box lined with pink tissue paper and tied with matching pink ribbon. So cute! Inside was a card that told you a bit more about the contents of the box and all my goodies were laid out on straw for me to see.

This is what I got:

Filthy Gorgeous Nail Polish Tu-Tu Much 10ml (full size)
I received Tu-Tu Much which I was secretly hoping for,  I already own alot of polishes but none are quite as bright as this pink! It's gorgeous, I can't wait to try it out and as this is a brand I've never heard of before and I love trying new polishes! RRP £9.


Comfort Zone Body Expert Kit (sample sachets of each)

• Fruity Peel Exfoliator RRP £24.50 150ml
• Aromasoul Shower Gel RRP £19.95 200ml
• D-Age Body Cream RRP £48 200ml
• Body Strategist+ Remodeller RRP £40.95 150ml
• Vital Leg Cream RRP £32.75 200ml
• Tranquillity Cream RRP £58.25 200ml

This will be good for a pampering evening on myself one night, although I'll be saving the Body Strategist+ Remodeller for AFTER the baby comes!  There are alot of samples here but I don't like sachets as you can't try out the product properly in my opinion. The RRP's on these products are on the high side and I don't think I'd buy full-size based on just one use, so I think it would've been better to get a bigger sample in a tube of one item instead of the 6 sachets. 


Mischa Barton Luscious Lips Pink Pop 8g (full size)
I love this already! It just leaves a hint of colour on the lips, feels moisturising, looks glossy and contains vitamins and SPF15 ..definitely something I would buy! RRP £12.


Bellapierre Shimmer Powder Champagne 2.35g (full size)
I have never tried any of their products before and this is a lovely colour, it's nice and neutral and I don't own alot of mineral based make up. As well as being multi-purpose, it's also 100% hypoallergenic.  I'm looking forward to using this! RRP £12.99.


Bharti Vyas The Ultimate Therapy Face and Neck Polisher (Sample pot)
The packaging for this isn't very appealing but it's the contents that matter I guess! I love trying out new skincare products as I'm not using much other than face wipes at the moment.  It claims to 'turn back the clock and look years younger....& notice the difference in just one week!' I think there is enough in the pot provided to last roughly 2-3 days, as it is recommended to use twice daily. RRP for 125ml is £22.50. I think I will do a review on this item to see how different my skin looks once I have finished the pot.


Erno Laszlo The Hollywood Collection (samples sachets of each)

• Marilyn Monroe, Morning Beauty Rescue RRP £95 1.7oz
• Grace Kelly, Refresh Moisture Infusion RRP £125 1.7oz
• Ava Gardner, Instant Eye Repair RRP £85 0.5oz
• Katharine Hepburn, Intensive Porcelain Veil RRP £140 1.7oz
• Greta Garbo, Velvet Night Cream RRP £175 1.7oz

This was included as a bonus item in this month's box. I'm looking forward to trying these out as a nice treat as these are definitely not prices I'd pay!

And another treat was also included - a Lindt Chocolate egg! Another bonus for this month since it's Easter... aww She Said Beauty you are just too kind!

Overall I am really pleased with the contents of my box. The full size items (Filthy Gorgeous Nail Polish, Mischa Barton Luscious Lips Pink Pop and Bellapierre Shimmer Powder) are worth £33.99 alone! So I would say it's well worth it for the monthly subscription price of £9 plus £2.95 P&P.

Beauty boxes have never really appealed to me in the past as I always thought I'd rather spend the money to buy something I actually want or need, but I admit I was still curious and wanted to see what all the fuss was about for myself....I'm glad that my beauty box virginity has now been popped and I will keep my subscription for a little while longer to see what other treats She Said Beauty have to offer me!

Are you a subscriber to She Said Beauty or any other monthly beauty box?

Midweek Shopping Spree!

I headed to the nearest Boots and went on a little shopping spree yesterday to buy the usual essentials and ended up picking up a few extras along the way! (but nothing from my April Wishlist!)

The first thing that caught my eye was the Batiste Dry Shampoo in Cherry. I've seen this featured in other blogs and wanted to try it.  The packaging is so girly and cute, I absolutely love dry shampoo.  I swear by it on days that I just don't have time to wash and go or for days that a re-style or a bit of extra volume is needed and I think that this scent is the nicest one in the range and is my favourite of them all so far...and only £2.99! 

If you spend over £10 on Soap & Glory products at the moment you are getting a 500ml bottle of Foam Call Body Wash FREE it's infused with peppermint essential oil, grapeseed, fig and orange water and is scented with their new Fruitigo fragrance which smells lovely (worth £6.50). Great freebie! I went for Eau De Soap & Glory Original Pink, the Soap & Glory Eau De Parfum signature scent.  I couldn't decide between the Original Pink or Formula 2 but in the end went for the Original Pink- so glad I did it smells so clean and fresh. I just love it, and for a 50ml bottle it's only £16.50! Bargain and it will be great for my everyday perfume.

I have only ever bought one Model's Own nail polish before (I'm a self-confessed O.P.I addict) which I didn't use and gave to my sister.... Now I feel like I have been missing out....Model's Own have a great selection of colours, they are easy to apply and it dried so quickly.... I will definitely be picking up some more! I bought some fab colours for Spring/Summer that I will use over and over again! Coral Reef, Jade Stone and Fuzzy Peach, £5 each.

I have a few of these 3D Effet Lipgloss £7.69 already but this shade is from the new Bourjois Sweet Paris: Spring Collection #52 Corail Idyllic, I just had to have it!  It's a lovely soft coral colour with a subtle gold sparkle effect and it promises 8 hour hydration with a lip balm feel.  It's not sticky atall has a lovely fruity smell and is already a favourite of mine... it was on my lips 2 minutes after I left the shop!

Barry M Lip Paint's are my go-to lipstick, they have every colour a girl could want or need! They are so pigmented and packed with natural moisturisers which makes them easy to apply and they stay on for hours.  I got Sunset #151 which is a bright orange coral colour and a new shade called Pretty Pink #155, £4.49 each.  I'm loving the new bright make up collections that are coming out for Spring/Summer and feel inspired! I love natural, dewy make-up with just a pop of colours on lips and nails.  I will be doing a post showing some of my favourite make-up looks soon!

Barry M Sunset #151, Barry M Pretty Pink #155, Bourjois 3D Effet Lipgloss Corail Idyllic #52

I've been looking for a new concealer and it's no secret that Collection 2000 (or Collection as they are now known) Lasting Perfection Concealer is highly rated! It comes in 4 shades and I get 'Light', it matches my skin tone perfectly and blends in really well.  I'm looking forward to using this as I haven't been using a concealer lately so I know this will make a huge difference! This cost only £4.19, such a bargain for something that claims to conceal flaws, imperfections and blemishes for 16 hours is transfer proof and water resistant!

I also purchased another item from the new Bourjois Sweet Paris: Spring Collection. I was drawn to this as soon as I saw it! I've been after a new blusher for a while and this is a lovely colour #54 Rose Frisson £7.49. It's a mid-pink tone with a touch of peach and lilac and is rose scented, I love Bourjois blushers but I have to say I really don't rate the brush that comes with them they are too small and fiddly so I always use one of my own blusher brushes to apply.

I can't wait to use these products, I have my first BBQ of the year to go to this weekend - I love this time of year...even if the sun is nowhere to be seen!
Have you been on a shopping spree lately?

Percy and Reed Totally TLC Hydrating Mask

I'm a bit late with this review but I wanted to share my thoughts on this fabulous hair mask. This came free with April's edition of Glamour and again it was another good size sample at 100ml worth £12. (Is it just me or have magazine freebies have been great lately?!)

Anyway, my hair has been acting up and has seriously been lacking shine and feeling a bit on the dry side so I've been on a bit of a rescue mission lately...cue Percy and Reed Totally TLC Hydrating Mask. The packaging is simple but sleek and has a high end look about it and I love the quirky name which is what attracted me to try it.

What it does:

'Need a rescue remedy? This deep, indulgent treatment helps restore your hair's vitality making it soft and more manageable. How? Well, we've enlisted marshmallow to lend a hand nourishing and strengthening stressed tresses, and coconut oil for deep conditioning and moisturising. Our heroes.'

Directions:

'Work the mask through the hair gently massaging from roots to ends until the hair is covered. Wrap hair up and cover with a towel to create a warmer temperature. Leave on for a minimum of 10 minutes, then remove towel and rinse thoroughly.'

This was a great treat for my hair and I found it to be the best hair mask in comparison to the others I've tried lately, it had a clean and fresh smell but sadly I couldn't detect any marshmallow or coconut which I was really looking forward to but it was still lovely all the same. What made this product stand out for me was the finished result, it didn't weigh my hair down atall (I have loads of really long thick hair!) and it left my hair feeling soft and looking shiny. I'm always a bit dubious about leaving hair masks in for more than a few minutes as they always seem to make my hair feel heavy and greasy, so I will often just work it through the ends and leave it in while I apply my scrub.  I thought the instructions that came with this weren't too clear, so I shampooed first then worked the mask in from the ends and used a wide-toothed comb to comb through, then wrapped my hair in a towel and left it in for the minimum 10 minutes that was recommended and then rinsed.

R.R.P for this is £20 for a 175ml tub, which is not bad considering the small amount that needs to be used per application - it would last for ages!

Take a look at Percy and Reed's full range of products here: www.percyandreed.com/product/range

I like the look of the No Fuss Fabulousness Dry Shampoo and Conditioner from their styling range so will be checking that out!

Have you tried any Percy and Reed products? What did you think?