Monday 25 May 2015

Review: Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics

We're now into the 3rd post (out of 6) all about Lips. With blog posts varying from the best way to care for your lips, to my favourite lipsticks and lastly, how to get super-sized lips (if they do not come naturally to you) without inserting chemicals! This week I reviewed the 'After Dark Stained Gloss' test tubes from the brand 'Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics' which came in the following colours and also included a little lip brush; Hedonist (pale pink), New Wave (glossy neon pink), Jealous (red/orange shellac) and Little Black Dress! (black as you can probably guess)! Enjoy, x
Where to begin with this product?! These items are INSANELY pigmented; A little bit goes a very long way! The consistency is quite runny, but if you only use small quantities, this is manageable! The colours do stain, but this doesn't last all day. In fact, during the first use the effects lasted for just under 2 hours (I did eat so this may be why?). As the lip gloss leaves stains, I'd always recommend using the lip brush provided - it also makes application a lot easier. The colours in the pack are great alone, but also work when they're mixed ogether! The pink colours are a tiny bit darker than what's represented on the packaging, and I wouldn't say 'Jealous' was a very bold red, however, I feel as though this colour combination was chosen perfectly to fit with different occasions in the day, so they still work very well;

Hedonist & New Wave - It's pink, casual and you could easily wear this shade to work / out for coffee & shopping. Simple, but vibrant.

Jealous - Glossy and Red - It was very neat looking, but not too overpowering! Could easily work for a daytime date or out for dinner with friends!

Little Black Dress - A darkening shade, which works great with other colours to create an empowering /dark look - something that would be great for evening ocassions / special events.

I did enjoy experimenting with these lip glosses, but pricewise, they were on the expensive side. I purchased this pack on Ebay for £20, which meant I paid £5 for just 2.5ml!! - Certainly not the cheapest items out there, but as this is an American brand, it's hard to find these kinds of items without paying a fortune for postage & packaging! I would buy something similar to this again (obviously with different colours) but the price would DEFINITELY have to be lower!

I've read some great reviews about OCC's Lip Tarr and would love to try them out sometime... Obsessive Compulsive Products are available online from Beauty retailer Sephora - The 'After Dark' pack is now on sale for just $8!! - Alternatively, click here to visit OCC website where you will find this product & lots more!! http://occmakeup.com/

Have you tried OCC Stained Lip Gloss? If so, what did you think? Leave your comments in the box below, or, if you have any suggestions / ideas for future blog posts, I'd love to hear about them!!

Thanks for reading, 

Yvette Marie xo

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Monday 18 May 2015

Tutorial: How To Make Your Own Lip Scrub

Last week I posted a review of Lip Glams Original Balm to kick start my 6x lips special - I can't say enough how important it is to take care of your lips, so I thought this would be the perfect time to blog about an awesome lip care product :) As everyone knows I'm a big fan of saving money and having a go at some DIY items, so below, I've listed some ingredients that you will need to make your own Sugar Lip Scrub! Just 2 items are required, and they should all already (hopefully) be in your cupboards! Enjoy x
Ingredients:
- 1 TBSP of brown or white sugar (I prefer brown)
- A dash of honey or olive oil (Just enough to make the sugary mixture stick together)
- A teeny tiny drop of vanilla (Optional - makes it smell yummy)
- Food colouring (Optional -makes it look fun and colourful)

Now mix together all of the ingredients! This should leave the mixture with a perfect consistency, and it's as simple as that! I've read online that some people crush the sugar down to make an even smaller grain, but this is obviously down to individual taste.

Apply the scrub onto your lips once a week (twice at the very most). If you have any dead skin then this will definitely help! Once the dead skin has loosened (if this applies to you), leave the scrub on for another minute and then wipe off the mixture with a damp cloth. Apply lip balm after use, and your lips should now be super smooth!

If this one isn't for you, then have a look around online as there are hundreds of recipes available (experimenting with different flavours & ingredients), but hopefully, at the very least, I've provided you with some inspiration!

Please feel free to comment if you found this tutorial helpful...Maybe you've tried to make your own lip scrub and have a fun recipe that others can try!?

Thanks for reading,

Yvette Marie xo

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Sunday 10 May 2015

Review:Natural Lip Balm by LipGlam

Hi everyone, I hope you enjoyed my 5x post Skincare special just as much enjoyed writing it. I recently mentioned on my Instagram page that I've thought up some awesome (in my opinion) ideas for my blog, before listing some companies that I would love to work with. Since then, LipGlam have been in touch with me, and provide this 100% Natural Lip Balm for me to test and review! Enjoy, x

So what exactly is this product? and what are the benefits?! LipGlam Natural Balm is a multipurpose moisturiser. This balm can do all sorts of things, from repairing dry lips, acting as a split end soother, and it's also a lip & mascara primer (Plus it acts as an eyebrow balm, cuticle ointment, soothes rashes and provides relief to dry skin). When I first opened the packaging, I was genuinely surprise at just how many things this product could fix! The RRP is £9.99, (which may sound a little pricey for a lip balm?!) but once you add up the cost of separate products that are all combined into 1 here, it's a real money saver.

Made from 100% natural ingredients (free from BAD chemicals) the balm delivers instant relief, proven to reduce skin roughness by 40% in 1 hour! Plus, it works for up to 8 hours! The main ingredient is Lanolin, which is a natural oil distracted from sheep's wool; Holding moisture into the skin to give a deep hydration. LipGlam blend Lanolin with natural botanicals, resulting in a readily absorbed balm that replenishes the skin instantly. By optimising your natural defences, it ensures a healthy glow and even provides a mild plumping effect!! Making it easy to have super soft lips. This product is also suitable all skin types including sensitive, so what's not to like?!

I loved using this balm for so many different reasons, but especially because it's made from all natural ingredients; And that's exactly why I've used it to start off my 6x post Lips special!! Working out what the best care products are for your lips is just as important as putting products on them! This product is availale online from www.lipglam.com. Have you tried LipGlam's Natural Lip Balm? If so, what did you think? Leave your comments in the box below, or alternatively, if you have any suggestions / ideas for future blog posts, I'd love to hear about them!

Thanks for reading!

Yvette Marie xo

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Sunday 3 May 2015

Review:Magnitone Lucid Cleansing & Exfoliating Brush

I recently read some great reviews about the Magnitone Lucid Brush, so thought I would take up the #7daychallenge myself; The Magnitone Lucid promises softer, brighter and smoother skin in just 7 days! I also thought this would be a great item to sum up my 5x Skincare Blog Post special. At first glance, it's cute, colourful and tiny. Travel size and super lightweight! The charger is magnetic, and the battery life lasts a week (fully charged). My skin has never felt cleaner, and my complexion looks a lot brighter...There are so many things that I like about this product already, so below I've picked out some key areas to describe the product! Enjoy, x
Deep Purification - Reduces the appearance of pores.
This brush cleanses & purifies pores deeply and effectively. It also helps to remove oil that may cause breakouts / blackheads and create spots! At first I was slightly worried that the bristles would be too hard for my skin, but they're actually super soft and flexible. As mentioned in previous blog posts, it's really important that all make-up has been removed in order to receive the best results!

Facial Cleansing Timer - To make daily use easy
Magnitone have made the design very simple, so It's very easy to fit the brush into your daily cleansing routine. Use it for just 1 minute twice a day (morning & evening) with your existing cleansers and serums, rinse off, and then apply moisturizer. The 20 second timer guides you around different zones of the face, (first forehead, then cheeks, followed by chin/nose/mouth) before automatically shutting off after 1 minute. I love that this product has a timer. I didn't feel like I needed to use the brush on certain sections (such as my forehead) for the full 20 seconds, so that much guidance really helped me out. Did I mention that it's also waterproof? So you can also use it in the shower!

Two different cleanses modes - To suit skin types & create ultra-fast deep cleansing 
There are two different settings, made for either a Deep Cleanse or Sensitive skin type. Magnitone use Active Electromagnetic Technology, to make the bristles rotate over 10,000 times per minute in order to cleanse, exfoliate and lift deep pores. Not only can the Lucid exfoliate, but it can also improve the condition of skin, and make it look more alive! My skin felt super soft after, even before I'd applied my moisturizer! I would definitely recommend using the sensitive setting  during the first week, as the deep cleanse can be a little over-powering / make your skin look super red!

Although the Magnitone Lucid is a little bit on the pricey side, (and not exactly an impulse purchase) if you shop around you will find some great offers! I bought mine from lookfantastic.com for £62.99 instead of £70, and this meant I also received a free Beauty Box worth £45, so make sure you do your research before investing! Plus, Magnitone will also provide a 12 month guarantee warranty card with your purchase for FREE! (who doesn't love free stuff?!)

Have you tried the #7DayChallenge? If so, let me know what the end results were in the comments box below, or alternatively, if you have any suggestions / ideas for future blog posts I'd love to hear about them!

Thanks for reading,

Yvette Marie xo

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