Hurraw! Chai Spice Lip Balm

My husband is more than a little bit obsessed with American Apparel tees at the moment so I'm dragged in to a store quite often. Personally the clothes don't do much for me  I feel a bit too old for them but the accessories are lovely and I enjoy browsing through all the little knick knack bits. 

I spent a good 10 minutes sniffing the entire Hurraw! range before I made my choice, they all smelled  heavenly but the Chai Spice scented Lip Balm won out in the end. It reminded me of a Lush Christmas Lip Balm I had about 10 years ago and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. 

The lip balm itself isn't the greatest, it feels quite filmy on my lips on colder days but does melt in eventually. Hurraw! is an all natural, vegan lip balm company using premium raw, fair-trade ingredients. The credentials alone are enough to make me want to buy the entire range really. Just have a look at the sort of scents they make here. The Chai Spice one is available on Amazon, which is around the same price I paid in AA. 

xo 

La Roche Posay Serozinc

I'm a huge fan of thermal water sprays but La Roche Posay's Serozinc is in a league of its' own. It's actually a 'do it all' toner that soothes the skin. It's designed to calm skin that has been irritated by razor burn, nappy rash and blemishes- so very multipurpose and versatile! I have sprayed this on my legs after shaving with a not-so-sharp razor and Serozinc kept the redness at bay but I mostly use it on my face when my skin is playing up. It is surprisingly hydrating and doesn't sting because it contains zero alcohol. 

I paid around €8 for the canister and I don't think it's currently one of La Roche Posay lines that is stocked in Boots. The packaging doesn't do much for me but the product itself is really fantastic and makes a refreshing change from my previous go-to toner on bad skin days- The Clinique Anti-blemish Clarifying Lotion. 

What are your thoughts on Serozinc?

xo

Mini Mascaras

I adore minis, mascaras especially because it's very difficult to try before you buy when you don't fancy puttying somebody else's potentially-conjuctivitis germs all over your eyes. They are usually a fraction of the price of full size mascaras or come in gift sets. I like to layer up mascaras and when travelling my make up bag can get a bit out of hand which is why minis are so ideal. 

The Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant has really made me want the full size mascara, the brush is insanely good and it's really easy to apply in the lash corners and lasts all day & night.

The Clinique High Impact Mascara was a magazine freebie and has actually really impressed me, I haven't gotten along brilliantly with Clinique mascara before and this is beginning to reverse the my opinion a bit.

I love Benefit Mascara and the handy little Bad Gal Lash and They're Real are travel make up staples. 

xo

Huge French Pharmacy Haul Part 2

La Roche Posay is really widely available now, but a little cheaper here so I wanted to buy Cicaplast Baume B5 over here after reading about it on a UK beauty blog. It's a soothing, repairing balm which will definitely come in handy. The Thermal Water Spray is a product I've been using for ages, and its a lifesaver during the summer months so I bought the largest bottle to take back with me. 

Ducray Extra-Gentle shampoo is raved about online and I haven't tried anything else from their hair care range so I thought I would give this a try. I only bought a tine 75ml bottle which was nearly €5, which is annoying because i have since seen a multipack of the large bottles for only €10. 

I am not a fan of face wipes at all but sometimes laziness wins out and it's always good to have some stashed away somewhere for impromptu overnight travelling or a very late night after cocktails. Klorane is very gentle in general so I don't wince at the thought of putting these on my skin, the Make  Up Remover Biodegradable Wipes smell pretty standard and are made with soothing cornflower floral water and have been formulated especially for those with very sensitive skin which makes me think they can't be much harsher than my usual Bioderma micellar water+cotton pad routine. 

Finally, after seeing this in Sephora and lingering every time I went it, I cracked and bought the Erborian BB Crème light after seeing it in a pharmacy for marginally cheaper than in Sephora. I still haven't worked my way through the Korean BB creams I bought earlier this year so this is going into a drawer for a while.  xo

Huge French Pharmacy Haul Part 1

I started writing this post nearly two months ago and it has just been sat in my drafts stagnating. I have bought a lot more since, including full sizes of some of things I bought and repurchases so it made more sense to start from scratch and talk about more recent purchases. 

I'm planning on leaving Paris fairly soon and I'm going through a mad panic shopping phase where I have to buy everything I see that I can't get in the UK easily, which basically means everything! There are a few must-haves that I've read about, products i've seen Asian tourists buying in bulk (so they must be good) and things i've fallen in love with and can't bear to live without. 

I haven't really given Topicrem a second thought, the packaging is bland and I've never really heard anyone talking about it. There are often huge displays in pharmacies here selling multi packs and they sell like hot cakes so there must be a good reason why. I didn't fancy shelling out for more than one bottle, its going to take up precious space in my luggage as it is. I bought the Topicrem Essentials Ultra-Moisturisng Body Milk. It doesn't really have a scent and it feels lovely without being overly rich. 

Biafine Act is another French Pharmacy must have that I have just repurchased, It's so useful just to have in the house in case of burns or whatnot and I haven't seen anything as good in the UK.

Denblan Whitening & Brightening Toothpaste is apparently the best for whitening teeth. It took me ages to track some down and it cost about €9 so I'm hoping it lives up to its' reputation. 

The DHC Deep Cleansing Oil is obviously something I can buy when I'm in the UK but I think i'm going to find it a lot harder to justify spending money on skincare when i'm a full time student again. I have vague memories of using this product before but I am excited to give it a good go. 

xo

Shine Me Up! MICRO Nail - Product Launch

"Makers of the award winning MICRO Pedi are now launching a brand new revolutionary nail care product set to take the nation by storm - MICRO Nail" Being one of the first people to try the new product, one of the first to have the new product and now one of the first to blog about the new product, I can't help but sing its praises! Launching here in the UK this week, Micro Nail gently and effortlessly buffs and shines nails in mere seconds and leaves them looking naturally shiny and as if you're wearing clear polish.  As I've got acrylics on at the moment, I persuaded my boyfriend to let me at his finger nails. Now if a boy complains that it looks like he's wearing nail polish.. I think the Electric Nail polisher has done it's job quite well!

On the box, it claims that this finish lasts up to 2 weeks, so let's wait and see! He's just walked up to me and said "it's so annoying, I can't stop touching my nails. They're so soft and smooth!". He's so weird.  Rotating at up to 1800 times a minute, the buffer has two steps. First, is to buff the nail. This is done using one of the grey rollers. These are called the 'MICRO Smooth' rollers. They buff away any ridges leaving smooth seamless nails, and also claim to reduce staining and improve the appearance of dryness. What more could you want! The second step, is to shine the nail. This is done using the 'MICRO Shine' roller, which literally, within an instant makes the nail so incredibly shiny, you can almost see your reflection! Unlike most electronic buffers, this doesn't file away your nail, it simply smooths it. It also is really handy being battery powered, as one I've had before doesn't have enough juice to it unless you plug it in. This one seems to use very little power and still spin super fast. When I tried the product at the PegasusLIVE beauty showcase, I was really impressed with the results, I'm actually so pleased that someone's finally made a product of this kind that actually works and makes me want to go bare again ( I mean no nail varnish!). My nails are in quite a state at the moment though and I'm waiting for them to grow again until I can face the public with my own nails instead of stick on ones. But the time will come. and at that time, MICRO Nail will be there to Shine Me Up.

Luckily on the day when they were filming, the horrific clips of me weren't used in the final product launch video (THANK GOD!) but here it is. Everyone loved it and loved the results. To get your hands on your very own MICRO Nail, it's retailed at £39.99 and you can Pre-Order Here and check out the How-To video! Do you go bare regularly? What do you think of what you've seen of the product so far? xxxx

Review | Benefit They're Real Push-Up Liner

After some very heavy duty hinting, Jasmine bought me this for my 23rd Birthday last month. Kudos to benefit for the PR for the run up and launch of the new They're Real Push Up Liner, I have had so many pictures on my Instagram & Twitter feed as well as reviews popping up on Bloglovin. I want to add my two cents because my opinion isn't really cut & dry positive. 

Benefit can do very little wrong in my eyes and I have loved the brand for as long as I've known what make up was. With the They're Real range they are in dangerous territory of getting a bit gimmicky, it makes for good marketing but I'd rather buy a product based on it't own merits. I really don't see what liner has to do with 'they're real', with the mascara there was a logical link but personally, eye liner doesn't make my lashes look fake...

The packaging is brilliant and I love the nib, silicone really does seem to be the best way of getting gel liner onto my lash line. I have been using gel liner for year, I started with Mac Fluidline and progressed to the Illamasqua one and have always used a brush to apply it. I cannot always manage to do it smoothly and inevitably end up with one eye looking better than the other. Gel liner isn't as easy to clean up when you make a mistake so application is really important. 

It took my a while to get used to squeezing the nib and I have found that sometimes it clumps into little balls and doesn't 'spread' onto my lash line. It can be fiddly but if I'm patient it really does look amazing and is much more portable & practical than a pot and brush. 

It definitely lasted all day on me and I really liked being able to get so close to my lash line as it makes such a difference to my eye look. I think more than anything it makes me want to experiment with silicone 'brushes' for getting the gel onto my lids. If you want to give it a go, you can find it here.  How do you feel about the Benefit They're Real Push Up Liner? xo

Real Techniques

These brushes have been raved about since their release and I have finally jumped on the bandwagon.  I sadly missed the Boots 3for2 deal just before I bought these otherwise I would have treated myself to the lot. Eye brushes are probably what was most lacking in my collection but i'm keen to try the foundation brushes soon. 

The set is available from Boots here. 

Please excuse the dirty brush! I couldn't wait to try them out..

I'm glad I stopped being such a brush snob, MAC brushes are not the be all and end all and I have been really impressed with the quality of these brushes. The splash of colour in my brush pot has been an added bonus too. The fact that I paid less for this entire set than I have for some of the brushes I already own has pleased me no end and I highly recommend these to anyone looking for high quality make up brushes on a budget. 

I'm not entirely sure what the case is about really, there is no space for additional brushes and using it as a stand isn't very practical as it takes up a lot of space and I can just as easily pop the brushes in a pot.

xo

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner

Eyeko was one of the first brands I was really familiar with as a teen, I loved the nail polish bottles and the cheek/lip tint was a make up bag staple. A few years ago they had a rebrand and went a bit 'up market' which basically means the packaging improved and the prices rocketed. Previously everything had been £5 or under but I don't think you can get anything for less than £10. Eyeko feels a lot more grown up and obviously the target market has changed drastically. I had wanted to try the Skinny Liquid Liner for a while but I was a bit put off by the price because applying liquid liner isn't my forte and I didn't want it to be wasted. 

I was really happy to see that this was a magazine freebie when I was browsing the magazine shelves at the Rivoli WH Smiths here, especially because most of the UK monthly magazines seem to make it across the channel without the freebies! If you fancy giving it a go yourself, it is available here for €12.

I was really impressed with the product, and regret not getting hold of it sooner. It's really easy to use and was pretty simple to get to grips with. My one criticism is that it dries out a bit and needs a good shake to get it going, but that usually results in uneven colour if I don't draw the line in one go. It doesn't 'crack' the way that some liquid liners do after a few hours and came off nicely with my usual make up remover.

xo

RayBan Love

Summer seems to have pretty much disappeared now but thankfully we are still having the odd flash of sunshine in Paris. I am a huge fan of RayBan, they seem to have a style that suits everyone which is particularly helpful to me because I seem to look ridiculous in most frames. As a teenager I loved the oversized bugeye/V Beckham style but it honestly doesn't look right with my oval face and high <chubby> cheeks. I discovered that I can get away with an aviator shape frame so I bought my first ever pair about 3 years ago.

I lost them in an H&M changing room after only about 6 months and was heartbroken and cursed the person who had taken them in the 5 minutes it had taken me to realise I no longer had them on my head. They were the same as the ones on the top but the lenses were the larger ones. In hindsight, I should have gone for the smaller ones as they look nicer <& just put them in my handbag instead of on the hook/rail>.

My husband thoughtfully bought me a new pair after a month of my miserable face every time I saw a pair and I have managed to keep hold of them this time! The pair in the middle are my new clubmasters that were a 23rd birthday present, I really like the shape and it makes a nice change from wearing the same style every sunny day.

The black aviators on the bottom were once my husbands but were requisitioned by me a while ago because he has worn them a grand total of about 5 times in 3 years and I appreciate them more!

Do you have a favourite pair of sunglasses?

xo

Body Shop Buys

Back in July I popped into Body Shop and picked these two up, I walked past the store every morning so I think I was quite restrained.  I went for the Moringa Body Milk because I find body butters a bit heavy for everyday use and they can be time consuming to apply. A few spritzes of this and i'm sorted! I was never really a fan of the Moringa scent before but I really like this, its sweet & light.  I love a good fruity shower gel and The Body Shop Early-Harvest Raspberry shower gel doesn't disappoint. It smells real, not like the artificial raspberry smell that baby yoghurts smell like. It's delicious and definitely my new favourite shower gel.
xo

Diptyque Violette Candle

Every time I walk past the little quaint Diptyque store on Boulevard Saint Germain I promise myself I will buy myself one of their famous candles soon and recently gave into the impulse. Up until a couple of weeks ago I worked next to a very big department store in Paris and I popped in their during my break to visit the concession just because I didn't want to wait until the weekend when I could get over to the Left Bank.

 Diptyque candles are the mother of all scented candles in my book and really warrant their luxury reputation. 

I initially decided to treat myself to 2 of the mini candles, that way I would get to try more scents but the concession didn't carry the Violette scent in the smaller size and as it was my favourite I decided to just go for the larger one. There are a few others that have been added to my wishlist because I am still dying to try them out, I can't really justify spending this amount of money on a candle very often.   They cost £40.00 from Diptyque, but are slightly cheaper in France! The Jasmin and Baies scents really stood out for me too and are fortunately available in the mini size which are a lot cheaper, at £20 each. 

It is definitely a huge step up from my usual Ikea ice cream scented candle and my all time favourite Black Cherry Yankee candle pales in comparison. Everything about the packaging screams luxury 

The Violette scent is heavenly, like a really strong Parma Violet, which happen to be my favourite sweets in the world. It's not too sweet, nor too floral but fills the whole room with a light and delicate scent. 

The SA was really helpful and told me that the mini sized candles don't burn as evenly as their bigger counterparts and actually don't last as long as the catalogue claims. There are some great tips for keeping the burn even and the wax burning clean in the little booklet too. 

Who knew that Diptyque made Body Lotion or Make Up Removing Balm?? I am super excited to try them out because I thought that they only made home and personal fragrances. 

What are your thoughts on Diptype candles?

xo