Product Empties - February 2013

Another month by already - who would have thought?

As predicted, I have managed to power through more products (with no sign of me slowing down in March!) - here's what will be sent to the recycling bin this month!

Body Products

Johnsons Baby Lotion - this is a regular 'guest' on my empties posts, so i'll not say much about it!

Treacle Moon Iced Strawberry Dream Bath and Shower Gel - If you read my review on this you'll know how much I loved it. Basically a very obvious £3 knock-off of the Philosophy Shower Gels, this was like showering in a strawberry milkshake. Without any stickiness. And questionable animal ingredients. 

Vaseline Active Fresh Deodorant - this is my favourite deodorant smell - fresh, clean, cotton-esque - and one which tends to linger on your 'pits, which is always handy. Just a shame Vaseline are owned by Unilever who test on animals. Sigh.

Cosmetics

The Body Shop Love Etc EDP - A Perfume that has featured quite a few times on my blog, I love the fact it's an EDP, it's so inexpensive, it's cruelty free and (most importantly!) it smells so good! After I get through the perfume my Dad bought for me recently i'll definitely be buying more of this.

Maybelline Express Finish Black Nailvarnish - i've literally had this since the beginning of time, and it features here not so much because I had finished it, but because it had become a gloopy mess and I couldn't open the bottle any more!

Collection (2000) Skyscraper Mascara - One that everyone went a bit crazy for when it was sold in Poundland mid last year. To me it was a bit of a bog-standard mascara (therefore I was glad I only paid a pound) but I did quite like the plastic-bristle wand, which is quite surprising considering I normally hate plastic mascara brushes!

ELF Hypershine Lipgloss in Bubblegum - I feel rather guilty about this product, as when I first reviewed it here, I hated it! However since digging it out from my little-loved makeup pile and using it up, my opinion somewhat changed and I ended up really liking it. Oops. It's problem seemed to be trying to wear it over lipstick. If I wore it sparingly on bar lips it added a nice muted, long lasting gloss which I quite liked.

Face Products

Boots Essentials Cucumber Moisturising Lotion - another product that has featured on here at least once before, I've only really worked through these so not to be wasteful. It was a bit of a vanilla product - not offensive, but not amazing either. It is rather inexpensive, but packed full of synthetic ingredients, and as I want to strip back my skincare to be as natural as possible, I won't be buying this again.

Lush Tea Tree Water - a product I was actually sad to see the end of (although an end that did take a long time coming, as it seemed to last me forever!); you can read my full review of it here, but I liked the fresh effect it gave my skin, and the way it seemed to keep spots in check. I would definitely consider picking up another bottle - right now this empty bottle is being added to my 'back to Lush' stash so I can get myself a free face mask!

Have you got through many products this month?

Review: ELF Eyelid Primer

I have tried to write the intro to this about 5 times. So, to cut to the chase, i'm just going to say it: ELF's eyelid primer is not a good product.

I don't particularly like writing 'negative' reviews, but its all in the name of research!

99.9% of ELF's products are great: good quality and amazing value for money, but, like most product ranges I suppose, there is the occasional one that can only be described as a big fat fail.

As an eyelid primer, this product is meant to prep the eyelid for smoother, longer lasting and crease-proof eyeshadow.

Sadly, I did not find the consistency of this product smooth at all, but more chalky (as is evident in the last photo), and it itself creased into my eyelid, never mind any eyeshadow on top!

Similarly to the Urban decay primer potions, this primer is available in different shades, along with the original sheer forumla.

I went for Pearl as I had imagined it might even be nice alone on the browbone or in the inner corner of my eye, but it's quite powdery and not as bright as I would have hoped.

The saving grace for this product is the price: only £1.50 for 5ml, so I don't feel too guilty if I end up throwing it away!

Have you tried these? Maybe you've got a different opinion to me and actually like them...?

Review: ELF Hypershine Lipgloss - Bubblegum

If there's one thing I probably have too much of, makeup wise, it's probably lipgloss, but when I took advantage of ELF's 30% off sale, I couldn't help adding this to my basket to try, and at £1.50 (or just over £1 if you take into account the discount!) it wasn't going to break the bank!

Hyper, glass-like shine infused with micro-mirror technology to reflect light. Conditioning shine lasts for hours. (ELF website)

Packaging

♥ Plastic packaging - can feel a little flimsy and isn't as good a quality as the Studio line of products, but for £1.50 I can't really complain.

♥ Brush applicator - can help for more precise application than a doe foot applicator.

♥ Twist up mechanism/design - I don't mind this as a means of dispensing the product, although things inside the lid can get messy after use!

Scent

♥ ELF have likened the scent of this to cotton candy, but it strongly reminds me of plasticine!

♥ Quite a subtle smell - thankfully!

Texture

♥ Very thick/'gloopy' - this is definitely not a gloss you want to wear on a windy day if your hair is down!

♥ I am all for a thick gloss, as it does extend the staying power, but I almost find this 'uncomfortable' to wear - it is not a gloss I can apply without a mirror as I get paranoid I would be left with unblended lipgloss lumps on my lips! Lovely.

Shade/Finish/Staying Power

♥ Very sheer baby pink

♥ No glitter or shimmer - simply glossy finish

♥ Quite pretty when worn by itself - adds a nice sheen to lips

♥ If the texture was a bit more workable i'd imagine it would look lovely over nude/pink lipsticks, but as I find it quite 'lumpy' I tend to find it looks a bit odd layered!

♥ As this is uber thick it does stay on quite a while, even after eating/drinking, but you do end up with a lovely thick layer of gloss on your mugs/cups etc.

Whats the Verdict?

This is an 'ok' gloss, but I don't think i'll buy it again.

As with the majority of ELF products, you get very little product (I guess that's why they can afford the low prices!), and as I am a compulsive gloss user, i'll finish this very quickly!

Have you tried the Hypershine glosses?

Melanie x

 

Review: ELF Studio Blusher - Twinkle Pink

I think I was one of the few people who didn't take advantage of the 50% off sale that ELF had recently (*pat on the back for frugality though!*), although I did make some purchases in their earlier 30% sale a few months back, including the focus of today's (mini) review:

Studio Blusher - Twinkle Pink



I took a bit of a gamble choosing this particular shade, as ELF are notoriously bad with the 'swatches' on their website (in that they often turn out to be  nothing like the real product!), but I am so glad I picked it as I LOVE it .

I have never seen the infamous Nars 'Orgasm' in real life, but (from what i've heard/read), this is very similar to it: a rose blush with gold shimmer through it which has a lovely warming effect on the skin.



(This one shows the 'sparkle' more)

The packaging is also very similar to that of the Nars product (sleek, black, rectangular), the major difference being price: 'Orgasm' is a hefty £21 for 4.8gof product, whilst 'Twinkle Pink' (I just love that name) is only £3.75 for 2.75g.

The shimmer runs all the way through the product and doesn't just sit on the top (17 cheek products i'm looking at you!), and I would say if you're more of a matt-effect person you won't like this: whilst the gold shimmer particles aren't huge, in-your-face pieces, they aren't as finely milled as a Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks, for example.

However I personally love this blusher. It adds a lovely healthy glow and the staying power is pretty amazing.

Crappy iPhone pic. Blush is much warmer (and my skin not so stark white!) in real life.

I'm definitely going to add a few more Studio Blushers to my collection.

Would you recommend any shades?

Melanie x

Review: ELF mineral moisturising lip tint

I am going through a phase where I can't stop buying products for my lips (lipstick, lipgloss, lipbalm, lipscrubs...), and as someone who has a very bad habit of chewing my lip (nice), I do go through quite a lot of lipbalm in particular.

I always find multi-task products quite appealing in particular, therefore when I spotted this ELF Mineral Moisturising Lip Tint (bought as part of my recent ELF haul), I knew I had to try it!

So what's packed into this little tube of loveliness?

♥ Shea Butter

♥ Jojoba Oil

♥ Coconut Oil

♥ Vitamin E

♥ SPF 8

♥ Subtle tint of colour

♥ 100% mineral based: NO parabans, preservatives or chemical dyes 

There are 8 natural (pinks, peaches and nudes - I want them all!) colours available for £3.50 each (as per most of the products in the Mineral range). 

I managed to restrain myself (I do have a habit of ordering loads of the same thing in different colours, especially with ELF!) and order the shade 'blush,' which is a really beautiful warm pink shade, which makes my lips look lovely and plumpcious (beestung, if you will!).

Getting an ELF box through the post is like Christmas time for me, as I love opening all the products and playing about with them.

However on opening this particular product I couldn't believe how tiny it was!

According to the website there is 2.8g of lip product in the packaging, which in numerical terms doesn't really mean much to me, but visually it's tiny - the circumfrance is about the size of a ball point pen end!

When twisted fully out there is about 2.5cm of product, length wise, which again is considerably smaller than your standard lipstick or lipbalm, and as someone who is constantly reapplying her lip products, I don't expect this to last very long!

Despite this little (no pun intended) misdemeaner, I do really like this product.

♥ No smell to speak of (sickly sweet, fake smells can be off putting)

♥ Tastes yummy (I can't stop licking my lips - maybe that's their plan!)

♥ Really pretty colour which does give a nice pay off

♥ Leaves lips soft and smooth without drying (sounds a bit daft to say, but some balms such as Carmex are designed to essentially dry your lips so you keep applying the product and hence buy more!)

♥ Added benefit/protection of SPF 8

Have you tried this or any of the other Mineral products offered by ELF?

What would you recommend?

Melanie x

Recent ELF haul

I am hoping to do individual reviews of each of the following, but in the meantime, here's what I recently picked up in the ELF 35% off promotion...

Face products

Studio Makeup Mist & Set £2.44 | Studio Blush in Twinkle Pink £2.44 | Studio Blush in Gotta Glow £2.44

Eye products

Studio Cream Eyeshadow in Eggplant £2.44 | Studio Lifter and Filler in Ash/Ivory £2.44 | Studio Mascara Primer £2.44

(I also got 3 sets of the dramatic eyelashes for 0.98p that I forgot to include!)

Lip products

Matte Lip Colour in Tea Rose £2.44 | Mineral Moisturising Lip Tint SPF 8 in Blush £2.44 | Hypershine Lipgloss in Bubblegum £0.98 | Studio Lip Stain in Red Carpet £2.44

Did you buy anything in the promotion?

Melanie x

February 2012 Favourites

February's favourites are a tad few and far between this month, simply because (other than the month seems to have zoomed past), i've been concentrating on trying to 'shop my stash' and not buy anything else new until i've used up what i've already got.



♥ Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Pink Quartz - I hold my hands up and admit this is only a favourite this month because it's a treat to myself and its oh so pretty! (Quickly glossing over the rather expensive price tag...) You can see my review post here.

♥ George Shimmer Me! brush on powder in Heaven Sent - A spectacular dupe for the Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks, this little lovely number is a snip at only £4.50. I've come to the conclusion that my skin tone suits peachy blushers, and these shades blended together are perfect. Another product i've also reviewed, you can have a little look here.



♥ Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation - I doubt i'll ever do a review on this foundation, simply because, as a popular product, there is already tons of reviews out there. In a nutshell I am loving this because it actually does what it claims to do, and is one of the most accurate colour matches for my skin thus far. Admittedly it might not necessarily last the full 16 hours as stated on the packaging, and I do start to get a tad shiny (i'd rather call it 'glowy') round the t-zone, but you know what, I like it and that's that! ASOS are currently selling this on offer for £7.50 (see link).



♥ Sudocream - An old classic when it comes to fighting spots, i've been using this for the infamous 'sudocream facemask' (as recently sported by Nicola McLean in CBB!). As the link shows, this can be bought in different sized tubs (and a tube now too) and is really cheap and effective.

♥ E.L.F. Zit Zapper - This little roller ball stick of wonders contains the magic spot fighting ingredients of Witch Hazel, Salicylic Acid, Tea Tree Oil and Camphor, and all for £1.50. I've had this for ages and do generally use it on a daily basis (pesky stray spots), but you'd never know!

♥ Savlon - Similar to Sudocrem, this is a very inexpensive, multi-purpose antiseptic cream that I have mainly been using on spots, but can also be used on cuts, grazes and so on. I usually have this small tube in my handbag.

♥ 17 Mirror Shine On Lipstick in Beehive - Another 'must have' product in the blogging world (and thus one I don't need/want to say much about), i've included this in this month's favourites as I have literally been wearing it every single day. I wouldn't say its 'mirror shine' shiney, but has just the right amount of nude tint/gloss combined.

♥ 17 Ultimate Volume lipgloss in Very Berry - A bit of a surprise inclusion, in the sense that I put off trying it out for ages and ages because I thought it looked so dark and scary a shade! However it's actually quite sheer and buildable: the (somewhat blurry - but you get the idea) photo I've included above is maybe around 3 coats worth of the gloss. I also like the fact when the actual gloss wears off the colour leaves a nice stain to your lips, and the fact when it wears off it doesn't leave your lips tacky, 'bity' or at all dry.

♥ Favourite Blog: Leanne-Marie - I love the 'few to follow' post she does every Friday, where she lists some of her favourite blogs for that week - i've found so many new fabulous blogs this way.

♥ Favourite Youtube: LoveMelisaMichelle - I love her quick, easy tutorials she does using (largely) affordable make-up products/tools - she's a big fan of ELF brushes.

♥ Favourite Book: The Radleys - Following the lives of a family of 4 'abstaining' vampires, The Radleys is a really original take on vampire literature (and nothing like Twilight, if you're not a fan of this!), and one in which I really enjoyed reading and would throughly recommend.



Review: ELF Dramatic Lash Kit

I am so hungover today. And in an attempt to make myself feel better (other than stuffing myself with junk food) I decided to go for all-out glam and put on some falsies:

I'd got these in my ELF haul a little while back for a bargain £1.50 (well actually 75p since it was the 50% off event), and never really got round to trying them out (putting on false eyelashes is a rather footery, time-consuming task for me), but since I had all the time in the world this morning, I thought i'd give these a bash.

(Please excuse the fuzzy photos. Like I say, I was hungover and slightly shaky in the hand. You get the jist.)

For being the 'dramatic' version on offer by ELF, I really like these for providing a really pretty, wide-awake look without being very obvious. I was really chuffed that even my Mum didn't notice them as fake eyelashes, and she hates eyelashes of the faux variety!

I put them on using DUO lash glue (wasn't even going to attempt using the glue that comes with them), and so far they've lasted all day without attempting to escape and crawl down my face*touch wood*.

I think I might make the effort to wear falsies more often - even if it is to make myself better through a self-inflicted hangover!

What lashes do you recommend?

Melanie x

E.L.F. Haul

I recently took advantage of E.L.F. (Eyes Lips Face)'s 'last ever' (I don't know if I believe this!) 50% off sale, and ordered a few (thirteen) bits and bobs.

I'm hoping to swatch/review all of these at some point soon, so watch this space for those, but for now you can have a wee nosy as to what I ordered!

All prices listed are after the 50% discount.

Super Glossy Lipshine in Angel and Goddess (£0.75 each)

Studio Cream Eyeliners in Copper and Gunmetal (£1.50 each)

All Over Colour Stick in Spotlight and Lilac Petal

Dramatic Lash Kit (£0.75)

Eyelash Colour (£0.75)

Studio Powder Brush (£1.50)

Zit Zapper (£0.75)

Nourishing Cuticle Pen (£0.75)

Studio Eyebrow Kit in Ash (£1.50)

HD Powder (£3.00)

All for £18.95! (Plus £2.95 delivery)

Melanie

February Favourites

...better late than never!
I actually did a YouTube video on my favourites, but I thought I'd do a blog post too, with the inclusion of 2 other items that I forgot to put in my video!

So, in no particular order, here's what i've been rating this month...

1. Natural Unrefined Shea Butter from The Aromatherapy Shop, around £5- I had originally bought this (humongous!) 400g tub of shea butter with the idea of using it as a facial moisturiser, but it is INCREDIBLY thick, and so i've started using it as an amazing overnight foot treat. Just smother over feet, pop on cotton socks, leave overnight et voila! Fabulously soft feet! All for about a fiver a tub.

2. Clinique Super City Block SPF 40, RRP £15 - I picked this up whilst at the duty free at the airport, and it was a choice between the SPF 25 or 40. Now i'm approaching the grand old age of 23, i feel the need to start protecting my skin, and I figured this was a good place to start. Lightweight, non-greasy and gives a slight glow whilst acting as a primer, i'm already a fan.

3. Sleek Face and Body Highlighter in Peach Shimmer, RRP £6 (approx) - This has been languishing in my make-up bag ever since I grabbed it as part of a 3 for 2 offer in Superdrug a while ago, but honestly I don't know why! I've been applying it with the E.L.F. blush brush and it's amazing at contouring whilst adding a lovely slightly shimmery golden glow to your cheekbones. Fantastic alternative to the Bobby Brown Shimmer Brick!

4.Avon Supershock Mascara in Black, RRP £8.99 (although I purchased off an Ebay seller for around £4) -for those of you who love Maxfactor Great Lash mascara or Covergirl Lash Blast, i'd say this is a good competitor, as it has a similar fine-combed plastic brush but (in my opinion) a better formular. It's quite buildable, but  i've been wearing it during the day for a wide-eyed look. 

5. Avon Supershock gel eyeliner in black, RRP £6 approx (although again mine was an Ebay purchase for £2!) - This is a FANTASTIC contender for the Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner. it's similar to the latter in that you have a couple of seconds to apply and work with it before it sets, and it does have good staying power, although admittedly more so on the top lid than the waterline (however I think you'd need to get your waterline tattooed for any liner to stay put here!)

6. E.L.F. 2 in 1 Conditioning Gloss in golden, £3.50 - this gloss is part of the studio line from E.L.F, and for anyone who hasn't yet checked out E.L.F. I thoroughly recommend that you do, as there are some fantastic products avaulable, all at equally amazing prices. This 2 in 1 gloss is one of my favourites, as it combines a sort of lipbalm treatment with incredibly high shine gloss. It's very thick but not stringy (ugh) or gloopy, and my lips do feel quite smooth once it wears off.

7. E.L.F. Studio lipstick in Runway Pink, £3.50 - yet another fabby product from E.L.F., this time in the shape of their mineral lipstick. I love the sleek and simple packaging, and there is a good variety of colours available. This particular colour, Runway Pink, is a beautiful nude-pink colour, and matches my own lipcolour perfectly, serving to enhance them perfectly and goes fantastically with the above 2 in 1 gloss. It doesn't have particularly amazing staying power, but it is not at all drying, and at £3.50 you can afford to buy another one should it run out!

8. Seche Vite top coat, £8.95 (approx) from Salon Services/Sallys etc - considered the Holy Grail of top coats, I jumped at the chance of buying some of this when the girl who does my nails said she could get me it for about £4 with her trade card at Sally's. I'm so glad I took up the offer as it really is fantastic in setting nails to a beautiful shiny finish in literally seconds - perfect for those times when you decide to change your nail polish just as you get in bed!

9. Dove Supreme Body Silk moisturiser, RRP around £4 - i've always been a Palmer's Cocoa Butter girl, but as I received so many moisturisers at xmas time, I decided to work my way through my stash, and this is my favourite moisturiser of the moment. It's got that beautiful light Dove smell, is lovely and thick without being "cloggy" and yet sinks in super fast. A classic!

10. Veet In-shower hair removal creme, RRP £5.99 (approx) - I think the idea of an in-shower hair removal cream is an excellent idea, and whilst it doesn't always necessarily work in practise (especially if you're in the direct stream of shower water!), it is a good alternative to hanging about waiting for conventional creams to work! I've actually been using this on my bikini line as an alternative to waxing. I find that the regrowth is actually fairly slow and comes through more easily and with less hassle (e.g. no ingrown hairs!) than with waxing. I just pop it on before getting in the shower, wait a couple of minutes, then let it get to work whilst I wash my hair. Ta-dah!

What were your February favcs?

Melanie x