Festival Beauty Essentials

So I'm off to X Festival in Cardiff on 13th June which is going to be really fun, the line-up looks amazing! Whilst I was planning my outfit (I'm very organised), I had a great idea for a blog post. With summer fast approaching, I thought this would be the perfect time to write about my summer essentials. There is nothing worse than being at a festival in the heat, dehydrated, sleep-deprived, and having greasy hair, so here's some of my favourite products to avoid these kind of results from too much partying! They're also available in miniature, so great for travelling if you need to pack light! Enjoy, x

Dry Shampoo - As if walking around with dirty hair was bad enough, it's even worse when it looks and feels greasy! The best way to avoid this at a festival is either 1) Wash your hair stood underneath a cold tap, or have your friend throw litres of water over your knotty mane for it to then (if you have hair like me) dry with super frizz and triple the size it would be normally be OR 2) use dry shampoo! When you can do your hair no more, apply some dry shampoo. My favourite brand is Batiste, but if you are on a bit of a budget then you can pick up this item for less from most beauty retailers.

Primer - When I asked my friends for their thoughts on this blogpost, they didn't believe that primer was an essential, which is something that I would have agreed with up until now! I've started to wear it every day, (I have two; One for a hint of foundation) and I can really see the effects. I just see primer as an alternative to foundation - great for a festival in the heat! If I had to recommend a product, I would suggest Rimmel's 'Fix & Perfect Pro Primer' - it makes my skin look smooth, feel soft, and brightens my complexity.

Sun Cream - Nivea, everytime! This stuff works brilliantly and smells great. I prefer using either a cream or spray, as I find that is the easiest method of application. I can't express just how important it is to protect your skin!  

Wet Wipes - Wet wipes are your savour; Use them for everything!!  If I had to choose a favourite brand it would either be Simple or Halo. I love wipes from Halo because they have lots of different wipes for different types of jobs, but they can work out quite expensive, retailing at £1.09 for 10!! As long as you have some form of wetwipes, you'll be ok.

Fake Tan - At one point or another, those pasty legs will have to come out to catch the sun rays, so apply fake tan before you leave. I find it best to exfoliate my legs before and after application so the tan lasts. Although I've not really experimented much with fake tans, I love the mousse from Primark. It smells nice and I can enjoy the effects for a small price of £2.50!!

Glitter - I'm not 100% sure if you'd class this as a beauty essential, but it's definitely a festival necessity. Glitter makes every looks fun and colourful, so bring plenty of it.

Please feel free to comment if you found this review helpful, if you would add / change something about this list, or if you have any suggestions for future blog posts!

Thanks for reading,

Yvette Marie xo

 

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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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My Skincare Routine

Hi all, here is a little insight into my current skincare routine. Just thought I'd share this with you, as my next 3 blog post will be about caring for your skin. Enjoy x  

Lush Face Mask - Mask of Magnaminty - This face mask from Lush is perfect, and what's even better is that it's made from 100% natural ingredients (including peppermint!!). Best used to help assist in the fight again breakouts and eruption, and can be applied to both your face and back. It rids blackheads, and brings skin back to tip-top condition. Yes, Lush products can be a little bit expensive (£5.50 for 125g), but this item is made from a self-preserving formula which means that you actually have 4 months to use it all and still receive the same great effects as day 1!

Simple - Cleansing Facial Wipes & Toner - Both of these items feel great on my skin. The wipes contain 2 vitamins (Pro-Vitamin B5 & Vitamin E) and no articial colours / perfumes, so If you've got sensitive skin you can use these too! I use the wet wipes either in the morning or just before bed to leave my skin feeling refreshed and moisturised, and apply the toner after to keep my skin hydrated! Although wipes are £3 for 25 wipes, and the toner is £2.99 for 200ml, there are always shops that have Simple products on '3 for 2' or BOGOF deals, which gives you a chance to buy the product I'm going to talk about next... 

Simple - Rapid Action Spot Zapper - I was a little bit dubious about using this, because I've tried similar products in the past and they've not worked at all :( However, this is great! There is a silver ball at the top of the tube which allows you to rub the liquid over a spot (as soon as it appear) without too much waste! This also means that you don't have to use your hands to touch your face, saving irritation. The gel soothes redness and calms the breakout. Regardless of how much gel I've applied, my skin never feel too sticky / heavy. I would definitely recommend this to everyone! 

Nivea - Soft Moisturising Cream - I often find that the majority of moisturising creams make my face oily (which means that make-up doesn't stick) but now I've found this, I'll choose Nivea skincare products every time! Their products smell great, and make my skin super sot. The texture is the perfect consistency which makes it easy to apply and perfect for everyday wear! 

Garnier - Micellar Cleansing Water - I love this!! A recently launched make-up remover from Garnier which gently removes make-up, and also promises to cleanse, soothe and rehydrate the face, eye area and lips! I think this product is great, it can remove anything... Foundation, Mascara, even Glitter Lips (see previous post) It's fragrance free to suit all skin types, suitable for sensitive skin and requires no further rinsing! 

Lastly, (and potentially the most important) drink PLENTY of water, and eat lots of fruit & veg! Dehydration makes your skin look dry and wrinkly, however by dirnking loads of liquids this can easily be changed! Now for the science bit... Our bodies contain a lot of water, and our skin function as a protection barrier to prevent excess fluid loss. By keeping hydrated, you can help 'lock' moisture into your skin. As for for fruit & Veg, they contain powerful antioxidants that help to protect your skin from damager caused by day-to-day things such as pollution, sunlight and smoking which can lead to wrinkles and spots! The recommended guideline is a minimum of 5 portions a day!

Please feel free to comment if you found this review helpful, or if you have any suggestions for future blog posts!

Thanks for reading,

Yvette Marie xo

 

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Review: Forever Living

A representative from Forever Living recently reached out to individuals in the surrounding area of Bristol, to ask for volunteers who would be happy to trial a box of products and in return complete a questionnaire. I signed up straight away of course, and was super excited when my delivery arrived!! The packaging is very plain, all products are white with a different colour font / banding for each product! Although it's simplistic, it works! Below you'll find reviews of my favourite skincare items. Enjoy x

Forever Aloe Scrub is a natural exfoliator for both the body and face, that will gently wash away dead skin cells and debris that’s been building up in your pores. It’s made from a unique combination including two natural ingredient; Aloe Vera Gel and Stabilized Micro-Spheres, which will help the skin’s own renewal process! It also protects the skin from drying out / any damaging effects from synthetic cleansers. This scrub is a very fine grain that’s gentle enough to for every-day use.

This is a face mask which you need to make yourself, and I absolutely love that! It’s something different compared to other companies, and makes the product incredibly versatile. This product is designed to blend perfectly with the Mask powder to create a unique combination and is extremely effective for a number of reasons; Cleanse pores, condition, sooth & tighten the skin and, lastly, remove dead skin cells. As the dead skin cells are removed by the mask, it means that the new cells are fresh which creates a vibrant and more luminous look to the skin. 

Whilst I did love the stages of BEFORE application (It’s pink, you get to mix two different products together and can control the texture of the mask if the recipe isn't to your desire), there are some things that I didn’t enjoy when I put the mask on. The smell was absolutely dreadful! My face smelt like a wet dog, and after 10 minutes (which admitaly, is probably too long for my first application) my skin began to feel very irritated. The mask was also very hard to wash off, but I fear this is probably because the amount of time the liquid was left on.

Aloe Propolis Creme - A rich creamy blend of Aloe Vera, Bee Propolis and Camomile to help maintain healthy skin whilst moisturising and conditioning. I used this as moisturiser for my face because Forever Living suggests that it makes an excellent product for everyday use and can improve skin tone! The cream was very thick which made it slightly hard to apply, although the results are great! My skin felt very soft and my complexion looked slightly improved. I only trialled this product for 2 days, so it’s hard to know the full effects of use over this period of time. 

Aloe Vera Gelly is a thick, clear gel that's used to moisturize, sooth and condition skin; And that’s exactly what this ‘gelly’ does! It’s a very thick (but smooth) consistency. Once I applied this to my legs, they shortly began to feel cold and tingly (which is great when you’ve got shaving cuts!) This would be an idea product to provide temporary relief from minor sunburn, cuts, bumps and insect bites. It’s definitely one for the First-aid box! The only complaint I do have; When the cream dried my legs felt VERY sticky which isn’t relaxing or soothing…

Aloe Heat Lotion is exactly the opposite to the Gelly described above. This is a Aloe Vera based heat lotion, designed to sooth and relax muscles. It’s very similar to deep heat / tiger balm but a less intense sensation / smell. The rich lotion contains deep heating agents to make it ideal to use as a massage companion for tired muscles, plus it’s long lasting! Although this product RRP is £12.24, it’s a thick cream and a small amount goes a long way.

Forever Living products are available to buy online - click here to visit their website https://www.foreverliving.com/retail/entry/Shop.do. Alternatively, look out for posts from your friends & family who have signed up to represent the company.

Please feel to comment if you found this review helpful, or if you have any suggestions for future blog posts!

Thanks for reading,

Yvette Marie xo

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Cosmetics on a budget - Pros & Cons!!

Cosmetics on a budget! All products featured in this post came to £4 or under, and were bought in person. Enjoy!

FACE - Essence now sell what appears to be a Maybelline Dream Matt Mousse dupe, but for £3.80 it (unexpectedly) delivers some awesome results! It's a full coverage foundation; however a generous is needed to achieve this! I would also advise that a large amount of moisturiser is required before and after use (if you don't already). I found that, although it is a smooth & mousse like texture, the product really dried my skin out.

LIPS - Spring/Summer 2015 is all about nudes and pastels, so i bought this lipstick from Essence and I love love love everything about it! I paid just £2.30, which is a great buy because this product can be ued both day & night! The texture feel great; A lipstick that doesn't dry out your lips, manages to add moisture and lasts more than 10 minutes!! If you're looking for something that's fairly pastel, but want to add a little bit of shine, then this Lip Butter Pencil from Collection 2000 is for you! Currently available in 4 different colours, and retailing at £2.99, which makes it an awesome buy!

EYES - I love this dupe of Benefit's 'Gimme Brow' Eyebrow Mascara from Essence, and at a RRP price of £2.49 what's not to love! I've not actually used Benefit's eyebrow mascara before, because it's such an expensive buy! But that doesn't mean I didn't spot some obvious differences. For one, the price in comparison to the real thing, the size of the bristles, and lastly the amount of liquid in one tube! After conducting a little bit of research, and testing this item from Essence, I don't think I'll need to buy Benefit's version! See the results below for yourself :) 

I managed to nab this eye shadow pallet in the sale for just £1 (originally £2), which means I paid just under 13p for 8 different colours!! Can you guess where from?...Primark! To make a smokey eye effect I used 3 different colours, and the back of my hand. By using a brush and applying the colours in a small circular motion, I was easily able to create this effect. If you don't want to break the bank trialling what brushes work best for you, then have a look online at different product providers & read reviews 

before actually hitting the shops.             










My favourite purchase from this budget post is a mascara from Primark (see below). I bought this black tube (top left) for just £1, which made my eyelashes very flat and clump together! BUT my trip wasn't a total disappointment; I bought this 'Lash Defining' Mascara from Primark for £2, which I would recommend to everybody! My eyes looked really bright and open, my eyelashes looked amazing & extra-long, and lastly, they didn't clump together. The perfect consistency. 

•               Unfortunately, cosmetics from Essence aren't available online, but click the link below to check your local stockist http://www.essence.eu/uk/store-finder/ 


• Click here to find out where you can purchase Collection 2000 http://www.essence.eu/uk/store-finder/
• MUA products can be purchased at your local Superdrug store, or online here http://www.muastore.co.uk/

•  P.S Love Make-up (Primark) items can only be purchased in-store, click here to find your closest store - http://www.primark.com/en/our-stores
  

  

  
  

 Please feel free to comment if you found this review helpful, or if you have any suggestions for future blog posts!

Thanks for reading,

Yvette Marie xo

 

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Review: Dr Paw Paw Original Balm

I received this delivery from Dr Paw Paw earlier in the week, and was very excited to give it a try! Not only is it an ultimate lip balm, but it also appears to be a 'fixer' of everything. The packaging is fun, colourful, easy to recognise and promises the following results:

• Ultimate Lip Balm
• Brow Smoother/Shaper
• Skin soother
• Moisturiser for skin
• Eye Primer
• Make-up finisher/primer
• Nappy rash soother
• Helps with bites and stings
• Say goodbye to cracked heels

The product really does work wonders. My skin felt soft after use, my lips were smooth and eyebrows shaped! The product retails at a price of £6.95, which is a very reasonable price considering the amount of areas that the balm works on.

The texture of the product is quite thick, and almost like a Vaseline jelly. I tested the original balm, which is clear and fragrance free. I would have probably preferred something with a smell, but as the products fixes a lot of different areas, a fragrance would most likely irritate! In the future I would love to purchase the Tinted Ultimate Red or Peach Pink balm, as these colours can also be used to add a lip colour finish or colour to cheeks!

Dr Paw Paw products are available on the high-street, but if you'd like to visit their website, click here http://www.drpawpaw.com/

Please feel free to comment if you found this review helpful, or if you have any suggestions for future blog posts!

Thanks for reading,

Yvette Marie xo
 

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Review: Glitter Lips by Beauty Boulevard

Glitter lips is a (fairly) new semi-permanent lip glitter which is said to last (up to) 8 hours! It's one of the most sparkly products I've ever seen, and is a must have for any glitter lover. I bought Ruby Slippers because I thought colour would suit a lot of the clothes I wear. It's bright red (as you can probably guess by the name).

The instructions are very easy to follow; I applied the gloss/glue to my lips, paying attention to my lip line to make sure I stayed in-between the lines! (I have tiny tiny lips so this was quite the challenge). Keeping lips parted, I waited for the gloss to turn from white to clear, which took approx. 15 seconds. I carefully patted the glitter over my lips using the small applicator brush provided, and WALA! Fabulous Glitter Lips! 

Whilst I loved wearing this product, I'm not 100% that the colour that the colour really suited me (especially because my lips are SOOO small) which made me very self-aware. At a RRP OF £12.50, I also didn't want to spend that amount purchasing a colour that wouldn't suit me. After showing off my glitter lips during a night out, I began to feel a lot more confident because I was paid so many compliments!! The lips looked great, were fun to use, and actually stayed on for a good 6 hours (I don't think I've had a night out that lasted 8+ hours)... This stuff really doesn't budge, I ate, drank and kissed (as the product promises) an my lips were still intact.

Earlier this week, Beauty Boulevard launched some new products. Including; The unique lip formula bond is now available as an individual item- which is a great idea!! Glitter Lips have also released 'Glitter Eyes' which sounds just as fun! This would not be an everyday product, but for an evening out or a part event it's absolutely perfect.

Glitter Lips is available from www.beautyboulevard.co.uk

Please feel free to comment if you found this review helpful, or if you have any suggestions for future blog posts!

Thanks for reading,

Yvette Marie xo

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Review: Anatomicals - We only want you for your body!

So the lovely people at Anatomicals sent me a couple of samples to trial! The first thing I'd like to shout about is, how much I LOVE this company!!

The products are fun, the packaging is bright, and colourful, and whilst I’ve read their slogans can be a little tongue and cheek I think they’re very witty! The staff are so so friendly, and all of their products are Paraben FREE, the list goes on…

Down to business – I was very excited to try out this face mask, and mostly because I love chocolate!  Some of the main ingredients are shea butter and cocoa which are always favourites of mine. Once I opened this up, I received the strongest waft of cocoa and this smell remained during application and after. Now this face mask is supposed to leave your skin feeling “calm, relaxed and radiant”, which, following a visit to see my friends who are all students felt like a necessity!!

The instructions are easy to follow - open up, apply to face and allow 10-15 minutes to dry, then apply a damp cloth and wipe off. It took a little longer than 15 minutes to dry, but this is probably because I was a little bit excited, and applied a generous amount. Whilst this mask usually retails for £1-£2 (if you shop around), you will get two uses out of one packet! Within 2 minutes my skin began to tingle, which meant I could feel the mask beginning to work, which is always good news! After washing off the mask, I would say that my skin felt softer, but there wasn’t a huge difference (noticeably anyway).

This product looks fun, smells great, doesn’t cost a fortune, but it also doesn’t appear to add much value either, so I probably wouldn’t buy this product (for myself anyway, if you have a friend who loves chocolate then this would make a great present)…6/10.

This is a little bit different to the usual face mask; it' a pre-moistened cloth (which I've not actually used before). It was really easy to use - Open the pouch, press the mask over your face, leave it work it's magic for 20 minutes, and if there is any excess liquid leftover this can be moisturized into your skin. Whilst I'm usually a bit dubious about these kinds of products, I found that it actually helped my skin, and I would be happy to use it again / recommend to a friend! If you're suffering from spots / a small break out, I would say that tea tree oil, in my experience, works best!! This item usually retails at £4 for two cloths, which is a little pricey considering it's only a 20 minute treatment, but it makes a nice treat. 8/10.

I love the concept of this, but the finishing result really does let the product down. 

Unfortunately ‘Puffy The Eye Bag Slayer’ just doesn’t quite work for me I’m afraid.

Like all products from Anatomicals, the packaging is fun, bright and colourful. After I removed all of my make-up, and washed my face I applied these (what can only be described as) under eye gel-like patches. Within 2 minutes my skin felt irritable, so I adjusted the area in which they were applied. After 30 minutes, as instructed, I removed the patches but didn’t notice any difference whatsoever. Whilst this product wasn’t a complete fail, it also wasn’t completely successful! I often have dark circles under my eyes due to lack of sleep, so was quite disappointed as I thought this could be a quick-fix solution. This product usually retails between £6-£7 for a pack of 3, unfortunately, I wouldn’t buy this myself. 4/10.

These were my favourite products!! The packaging looks bright, colourful and fun!

Both products are made from exotic ingredients, smelt great, and were pink! A lot of body scrubs that I’ve used recently have been brown, plain and bland, so it was nice to mix things up a bit. The scrub is very thick and grainy, and the shower gel was always quite thick. I've got sensitive skin, so a lot of products irritate my skin, however these two items done quite the opposite!! - My skin was left feeling very soft after use. These products usually retail between £3-£4 which is a little hefty, but the quality definitely represents the price! 10/10.

Anatomical products are available from http://www.anatomicals.net/aliens/

Please feel free to comment if you found this review helpful or if you have any suggestions for future blog posts!

Thanks for reading,

Yvette Marie xo

 

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