Glossybox: July 2012

This is just going to be a quick post to give you a sneak peak of what I received in my July Glossybox. The theme of this one is surrounded by festivals and includes five samples plus a bonus product. Also, as a quick side note, my camera has gone to repairs so I am borrowing a snazzy DSLR which will greatly improve picture quality for the next few weeks.

Probably the most disappointing thing I received in my box was yet another perfume. I don't mind getting the odd sample here and there however I have for every single box I have got so far whereas other peoples boxes haven't. This may have been something to do with my profile as you can select sample preferences and I had selected 'all'. I have since narrowed it down to only skincare, makeup and haircare. Anyway, this is the Bex London  Londoner Urban Fragrance which actually smells ok however the full size bottle is a whopping £8.

This is the Paul Mitchell Moisture Mist which I was quite excited about as moisture/cooling/refreshing sprays are something I have wanted to try ever since the infamous Caudalie Beauty Elixer came onto the scene. This one has a bit of a twist however as it can be used on  both the skin and hair which is great for the summer. The full size is a reasonable £9.25 for 250ml and the sample I have is a very generous 100ml. The smell isn't in your face at all and I look forward to giving this a go.

Above is the Jelly Pong Pong Lip Frosting which is a multifunctional cream gloss which can be used on the lips and cheeks. I have used it on the lips and it gives a nice sheer colour however seems too greasy to be used as a blush however I have yet to test it on my cheeks. Mine is the Irish cream pavlova scent which smells delicious. This is priced at £10 for 15ml which I think is quite a lot for a mediocre gloss.

I was very excited to receive an eye gel in my box as I don't yet use eye creams because I deem myself too young. However prevention is the best cure and I planned to start using an eye cream/gel casually once I found one that was light, decent and not overpriced. This Monu eye cool gel claims to revive and tone tired eyes as well as reduce puffiness (which I don't especially need) and dark circles (which I really do need.) The sample is  20ml which is actually more than the full sized version which is just £15 ml and priced at £16.95. This is one of the reason why I love Glossybox as I get to try great products that I usually would not spend my money on.

This is the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse  which is basically a dry oil which you can apply to your face, hair and body. I plan to save this to use in the Autumn/Winter months as my skin gets dry (and when I say dry I mean extremely dry!) If you were to purchase this product yourself it would set you back £17.50 for  50ml.

The last product I received was the bonus product which was a trio of Elizabeth Arden products. I got the Gentle hydrating Cleanser, the Optimizing Skin Serum and the Gentle Hydrating Cream SPF 15 which are all part of the Visible Difference skincare range. I look forward to using these and if you present the card at any Debenhams Elizabeth Arden counter you receive a free deluxe sample which I will definitely try and get my hands on.

That's it for the Glossybox round up. I have seen some other boxes which included the HD bows kit which I was so jealous of because I wasn't a subscriber last year when it got put in the boxes and really wanted it then. Ohhh well my brows will have to endure the MUA clear mascara for a little while longer. What was in your Glossybox that wasn't in mine?

Hayley xxx

NOTD #6: Petrol Nails!

Ever since the release of Chanel's Peridot, other brands such at Ciaté and Models Own have released 'petrol' inspired duo chrome shades. After looking at swatches online they were all proved to be identical which drove me to find Topshop's version. I knew I had seen a Topshop nail polish similar to Peridot however my tiny stored only had basic shades on offer. So when I went to a larger store I quickly snapped up the shade 'Hidden Treasure'. Even my boyfriend was urging me to buy it because of how cool it looked in the bottle, you know you are on to a winner when a male is impressed by a nail polish!

This polish was priced at £6.00 which I think is very decent as you only need two coats for full opacity. I have had no chips for five days now and it is still going strong which is amazing. I haven't tried any other Topshop nail polishes but after this one, I am keen to try them out. I have decided to add  few more pictures than normal to this NOTD as it was hard to capture its true colour and beauty!

In a lot of light, this polish on your nails can look either predominantly green or goldy orange however in some lights you can really see the mix of blue, green, yellow and orange which makes it look a lot like an oil slick.

I hope you don't mind such a long blog post for one nail varnish but I thought it deserved it as I can stop looking at my nails and I have had so many compliments. What is your current nail polish fav?

Hayley xxx 

 P.s. I know these pictures aren't of the best quality however my camera is playing up and  need to take it back :( Thank god it is still within its one year warranty! 

My Current Wishlist #2

Top Left: Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation Top Right: Naked 2 Palette (really can't decide which I prefer, the original or the second??)

 Bottom Left: No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Water Bottom Middle: Chanel Illusion D’Ombre in Emerveillé Bottom Right: MeMeMe Beat The Blues Face Illuminator in Moonbeam

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

7 Things for 7 Days: July

Firstly I would like to say hello to my new followers because numbers and views have doubled and tripled in the last month. I normally put around two to four posts up a week and I know recently I have been lacking in that department however with exams I feel I don't really need any more distractions. You will be please to know that from this time next week I will be throwing so many blog posts at you, you'll go into Hayley overload and as I love blogging, I am very excited. 

As a quick post I thought I would join in with the 7 things for 7 days post in which Louise has made interactive.

Read Louise's post here

Revise

With only 3 three exams left until I finish my A levels I have been revising like a mad woman and nearing the end I really feel like giving up and taking the exams as they come. But I have a lot planned for the summer so that should keep me motivated!

Relax

As I said, after my exams are done in three days time I will be able to relax and not feel guilty which hasn't happened in around two years now since my A levels started.

Pamper

As I am soon to leave school, my ball/prom is very soon so I plan to do a whole at home pampering session which will include a manicure, pedicure, hair treatment and face mask. Bliss!

Read

I love to read. It's one of the main reasons I chose English Lit as an A level choice however with revision I just don't have time to read for pleasure. I can't wait to get into it again.

Expand

I know my blog is only a tiny tiny fish in a massive sea of beauty blogs however I have big plans to really expand my blog over the summer and make it as good as it can be. Blogging is something I enjoy a lot so I am excited to expand my blog and create new content.

Organise

Once my exams are over I plan to completely de clutter my room in order to create a more relaxed atmosphere. With all those past exam papers and text books gone everything will seem so much more neat and tidy. Also, as I go on holiday soon, I need to organise what I am taking and stock up on essentials.

Plan

I love planning my weeks and weekends because then I know what I have to look forward too so school and work don't seem as pointless. Before I go to Uni, there is a lot of time and I plan to do as much as possible with my friends before we all go our separate ways.

I hope you have enjoyed this little post and be sure to check out Louise's Blog post too!

Hayley xxx

How to tell if your MAC Blush is a fake

I thought I would write this post after my bad experience with fake MAC products which you can read more about here. After I suspected my purchase was fake I went and googled it to find comparisons however I found it very difficult to find posts that included pictures. As you will see I bought Harmony Blush from cheapsmells.com which when compared with a shop bought blush, was completely different in packaging, shade and texture. Now, I am no MAC expert however this post is just from what I have experienced and seen.

Left: Real,  Right: Fake

The main thing that gave the fake blush away was the packaging and especially the use of slightly yellow tinted writing compared to the more grey toned genuine product. Also, another big giveaway was the code on the fake one (A59) shows that the blush was manufactured in 2009 which seems very old whereas as you can see from the picture, the real blush was made in 2012 (A12). Apart from these two main differences the packaging was very similar.

Left: Real,  Right: Fake 

The MAC logo on the fake was pretty good if only a little larger and thinner than the real. The camera shows up the colour difference quite well as when I got the fake, it was more orange toned compared to swatches I had seen online. The real product is cooler in tone and more rose based which is what makes it such a great contour for pale skinned girls like myself.

Left: Real,  Right: Fake

Another massive giveaway was that the ingredients on the fake didn't correspond with the real product. This shows that you shouldn't be ok with buying fake products for their name just because they are cheap due to all the nasty chemicals that may have been added to them to make it look like the real thing.

Left: Real,  Right: Fake

Last of all, another killer giveaway was the fact that the product name and  barcode on the fake were stuck on whilst on the real thing, they were printed. The stickers just seem like a lazy and cheaper option compared to the real MAC packaging.

I really hope this post was helpful to anyone who suspects a fake product or anyone who wants to get wised  up on what fake MAC blushes look like for the future. Anyone had any other experiences with any fake products?

Hayley xxx

NOTD #5: Jubilee Nails

For the Queens Diamond Jubilee I decided to join in with the festive spirit in the best way I know how... Nail polish! I didn't do a full Union Jack on my accent nail because it was just too fiddly and I thought it turned out pretty well for my first attempt at nail art. I used my favourite red (No7 Ruby Charm, Limited Edition) over the majority of my nails then painted both my ring fingers with a Collection 2000 Hot Looks nail polish in 13 Vogue for the royal blue. The only white I had was old and gloopy so I used a grey which worked fine (No7 Tip Toes, Limited Edition). For the red in the center of the flag I poured a tiny amount of polish out and used a toothpick which worked well, a nail art pen would have made a smoother line however I kind of like the effect it gave.

I hope you like my festive nails and try it out for yourself :)

Hayley xxx