Review | Naturally European Hand Cream |

Hand cream in an essential especially in these colder months. I've been looking for a moisturising hand cream that smells nice, sinks into the skin quickly and isn't greasy. It's the worst when you apply it on the go then can't touch anything for 10 minutes. I came across the Naturally European Verbena Luxury Hand Cream a few months ago and haven't left the house without it since.

Firstly, I love the smell. The range come in various scents from rose petal to ginger and lime. I chose Verbena which is a strong, lemony and flowery scent. The hand moisturiser contains 20% Shea butter which is why your hands feel instantly smooth and supple. The whole range of hand creams are SLS and paraben free which is only as positive thing. As well as that the company do not test on animals and contain all natural fragrances.

I am completely in love with this hand cream and the £6.50 price tag doesn't blow the budget either for such an impressive, luxurious product!

Review | Benefit They're Real Mascara |

I love Mascara. It is the one item that gives me confidence and makes me feel my age, rather than a wide eyed 12 year old child. I have been testing the Benefit They're Real Mascara out for a good few months now and the first time I applied it even my boyfriend pointed out how good my eyelashes looked (that must be a good sign.) I really like the packaging, it has a metal like finish and resembles a mini cocktail shaker so feels sturdy and expensive (which it should do for £18.50 pop!)  The picture below shows the wand way better than any of the pictures I took and I really like it as it has different length plastic bristles with a bristle ball at the end to get into the little nooks and crannies of the eye.

The formulation is not dry at all but it's not super wet which I like. If it is too wet I find it drags my lashes down once I have curled them. Once dry, this mascara does not flake off but on my long eyelashes, it does transfer on to my brow bone. Below are a couple of before and after shots of just the mascara and no other makeup on.

My eyelashes are looking a bit more sparse than usual  however hopefully you can see hoe much length an volume it gives with only one coat. I have so many mascaras on the go at the moment so expect to see more reviews and an empties post coming soon :)

Hayley xxx

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains

Revlon are quickly becoming my favourite high street make-up brand. I love the colourstay foundation as well as their eyeliners, eyeshadows and lipsticks. I never really used to gravitate towards lip products because frankly, I am far to lazy to re apply and check for smudging or lipstick on teeth situations... Since the release of the Lip Butters which are a more moisturising lip balm/ lipstick hybrid, I have really been getting into a bit of colour on my lips. As soon as I heard about these balm stains I knew I was in for a winner. Moisture + long lasting colour = lip perfection.

I ventured into superdrug only to find they were all sold out minus the colour Crush (a browny mauve) which didn't really float my boat. I decided to take a look in Boots and there were only a few of each so I quickly grabbed the colour Honey. The boots website and the actual store seem to sell slightly different colours as Honey isn't on the website however six other lovely shades are (lovesick I am looking at you). The name Honey to me suggests a browny toned maybe peacher shade but in reality it is more of a dusky, rose pink. It is one of the most subtle and mature shades out of the collection however as I am just venturing into the world of lip products I thought I would go with the safe option and I am in no way disappointed.

From the picture above you can probably see why these stains have been compared to the Clinique Chubby Sticks. In looks they are nearly identical however in consistency they are different. I haven't tried the Chubby Sticks however from what I have read they are unscented and a little bland compared to the minty and vibrant Revlon balm stains. 

The formulation is slightly waxy and very smooth which gives a moisturised sheen to the lips. You can either apply the product very sheerly or pack the product on to create a rather opaque colour. I would say the colour lasts a good five to six hours (being optimistic) before you need to reapply which is brilliant for such a moisurising lip balm. I guess this is thanks to the built in stain (why is this property not put into every lip product?!)

Above is the colour Honey applied to the lips as well as swatches. I love these so much that I will definitely be picking up more. They are priced at £7.99 which is great however in both Superdrug and Boots they are on offer for £2 off which is even better!

Have you tried these yet? Which colours would you recommend me to try next?

Hayley xxx

GLOSSYBOX, May 2012

This is the first month I have been a subscriber to Glossybox and I knew it would be a good'un as this month is the companies 1st birthday. 

The box came beautifully packaged slightly differently than usual with printed tissue paper and as soon as I

                                                            unwrapped it I got excited.

As you can see from the picture, these samples are really decent sizes with the above containing 75ml. The Noble Isle Summer Rising bath and shower gel  is described as inspired by the natural and cultural riches of 

     the British Isles. I've had a little whiff and it smells so fresh and summery! I can't wait to use this.

Next up are the Lolita Lempicka Eau de Parfum and Si Lolita and I haven't worn them  yet so I can't comment on notes however from what I have read they are heavier musky scents which are probably more appropriate for evening wear. From an initial smell I like them both but prefer the Eau de Parfum. 

This is the Apivita  Express Beauty mask and this is where Glossybox really impressed me as when you subscribe, you fill out a beauty profile where you tell them your hair colour, skin type etc.. My skin is dry so they sent me a moisturising and nourishing mask which my skin will probably really benefit from. I have really high hopes for this product and isn't too overpriced at £3.50 per sachet. As a bonus this product also contains no parabens, silicones or propylene glycol.

Now, this is definitely the product that made the whole box for me. It's the Berber Oil Hair Treatment which contains argon oil. I have wanted to try hair oils/serums for so long however it is quite an investment to get a good quality one that improves your hair and not just coats it to make it look shiny. The full size is £19.99 for 100ml which is a lot however it might just be worth it. I will definitely be testing this out asap!

These Eldora false lashes were probably the most disappointing item in the box. As you can see they are comically long and blingy which really aren't my style at all. Maybe other boxes had more wearable lashes? These won't go to waste though as I am thinking of trimming them down (a lot) to achieve a more natural subtle look. 

Lastly, there were a few added bonuses to celebrate Glossybox's birthday with the first being a compact which a double mirror inside and the second being a balloon. Both are really nice gestures and I am sure I will get a lot of use out of the compact (and maybe less so out of the balloon.)

I amm really impressed with the service Glossybox provides and I am excited to use all the products I received this month. I will definitely keep my subscription and I am already excited about next month! Which monthly boxes are you subscribed to?

Hayley xxx

Nails of the Day #3/ OPI Nail Envy Review

Today's NOTD post isn't too exciting colour wise however I haven't had anything else on my nails for the last week. Above is the infamous OPI Nail Envy and I wanted to try this as for the past six or so months I have had colour on my nails every single day which seemed to be taking it's toll. Before that, my nails were in perfect condition and I only painted them for special events however I have found that my nails and just not as strong and tend to flake now I paint them regularly. I am not saying my nails were ever in terrible condition but more like they needed a bit of TLC :) 

Following the instructions, I applied two coats on the first day then one more every second day for a week. After that I took the nail strengthener off with my normal nail varnish remover. Now, the results I got were down to either of three things. One, I left my nails free from colour for a week which improved the overall feel and look of them. Two, I managed to kid myself into seeing good results. Three, the product actually does what it says on the tin! I would like to think the latter as the Nail Envy is £18 for a 15ml bottle which I think is extortionate even for OPI! What I did notice was that my nails grew at an amazingly fast rate! After four days of it on my nails I felt like I needed to cut them so if you suffer from brittle nails that are hard to grow maybe give it a go?  

Overall I am impressed with the Nail Envy but I am not sure I would have purchased it if I didn't get it free as part of the Boots 3 for 2 deal. I will be using it as a base coat as the instructions suggest but not as a top coat because I want to make it last! I am really interested to hear your opinions?

Hayley xxx

Online Cosmetics Website Review: Boots

Before I buy from a website I always try and find reviews to make sure that:

1. I trust giving my money to them

2. They sell genuine products

3. Their delivery service is decent

4. They have a good returns policy

The above didn't really apply to Boots because it is an extremely well known store where most people in the UK venture to for high street makeup. This means I wouldn't typically buy online however it was the last day of the three for two offer and I didn't have time to go into town. Also, as my purchase was over £40 so I got free shipping which is never a bad thing!

If you are an advantage card holder then you will already have an account so it is really easy to buy online and even if you don't it only takes a few minutes to set one up. I'm not going to tell you what I bought just yet because the next post I plan put up is a mini haul :) My order was dispatched two days after I placed my order and came the next day which is pretty good seeing as they probably had a lot of last minute orders.

Website Positives:

A lot of products stocked

Free shipping when you spend over £40/ £2.95 for standard delivery

Normal delivery within 5 working days

You are able to track your order

You can order your purchases to your local store which I think is really useful if something is sold out in your Boots but not online 

There is a 28 day returns policy

Website Negatives:

Only delivers to the UK

My package was delivered to my porch because no one was in therefore it got soaked. Luckily the products weren't wet

I hope you find these kinds of post useful because I know I do :) There will be another one soon reviewing cheapsmells.com which is a discount cosmetics website.

Hayley xxx