Maybelline Color Sensation Popsticks in Pink Lollipop (030) review.

Hello lovelies!

The day (or month) has finally come where I have gone mad over a make-up essential that I never had a craving before: lipstick! In my previous post, I showed you my lipstick haul from Fragrance Direct and so I want to review a product that has been slightly controversial. It has generally been given a thumbs down by bloggers. Yes, it is the Maybelline Popstick!

The reason this product has been slated is because of it's lack of colour pay off. Yes, this is true. But pick your colour right and it's not too bad!

After being allured by their pretty packaging and neon appearance, I knew I just wanted one. Yes, it was because of the novelty really but for the price of £1.99 online it was an inexpensive indulgence. After seeing so many bad reviews, I decided to swatch these in my local Superdrug before purchasing. This made me settle for pink lollipop. It was the most colourful and gave the best colour pay off. The others there swatched rather clear and the product itself looked a bit boring (cherry pop and crystal pink, I'm looking at you!).

This product is totally worth it if you want a sheer, natural lipstick.

When my boyfriend first saw this in the tube, he was rather afraid of what the results would look like. It is just a bright, neon-pink lipstick in the tube. The outcome is not so scary. It is incredibly sheer, just like a balm. As I have said, this is the lipstick I found to have the most colour pay-off with it giving lips a slightly pinker tinge to them - very natural!

Is this worth the full RRP of £7.19? No, definitely not. If I had bought this for that price I would be extremely cross for what is a glorified lip balm. For £1.99? This is worth it for those days where you want understated make-up to enhance your lip colour.

Have you tried these popsticks?

Three month haul!

Hello lovelies!

Wow, it feels more than forever since I've posted on here and I just hate it. I have managed to take some time out of my half term to write this so I'm very glad. Despite not posting, my love of beauty products has not stopped and hence why I am cramming my three hauls from the past three months into one post! Yes, that is one haul per month. My make-up bag just can't help be get bigger and bigger right now :)

August - ELF 50% off sale (+ free delivery)

What I hauled:

Minty Lip Gloss in Miami 

Pressed Powder Blush in Shy

Tinted Moisturiser in Ivory

Lash Lengthening Mascara in Black

Double Tip Concealer & Highlighter in Fair

Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Baby Lips

HD Blush in Encore

5 Piece Make-Up Brush Set

Most of this stuff wasn't for me. I decided to haul a load of stuff for my Mum's birthday to make her up an entire new make-up bag. So the only two things I had ordered for myself were the Minty Lip Gloss and HD Blush. Most of these products I had to blind buy as I couldn't find pictures on the internet. Here are a few things I can say about what I received:

• I personally LOVE the Minty Lip Gloss. It tingles a little when applied and ends up tasting quite sweet when applied. It is really tasty! The colour is understated and the doe foot applicator applies the right amount of gloss - perfect!. The only downside is there isn't enough of this in the tube!
• There was only one colour left of the HD blushes and I was desperate to try one so I ordered on anyway. Encore is a very deep berry colour and was a bit of a mistake to buy. It is hard to apply as you only need a minimal amount otherwise you can look as if you have a ruddy complexion! In a lighter shade, I would have probably loved this.
• Lash Lengthening Mascara was a purchase for my Mum and my goodness she loves this mascara! She claims she has found her perfect mascara ever thanks to this purchase.

September - Superdrug Haul (Free Delivery)

What I hauled:

GOSH Velvet Touch Primer x 2

Barry M Nail Paint in Silvery Lilac

Accessorize Rock Star Gift Set

This was a small haul but a lot with it. I really wanted to own an Accessorize Blusher and this was a good value way to buy it. The set cost about £6.50 and a blusher is worth £4.95. So here is what I thought:

• The gift set without a doubt was great value for money. I use the blusher often even though it is not a shade that is in the shops (this one is in 'Starlet'). I put two of the nail varnishes in my Mum's beauty box and have yet to try the other products yet.
• I have already reviewed the GOSH primer. A little disappointing, yes, but some could make this work with their skin.
• The Barry M Nail Paint is something I had wanted for a while. My boyfriend bought it for his sister last Christmas and I wanted a bottle about 3 months later. I couldn't find it in the shops so I was thrilled to see this online. The colour is lovely but hard to put on, did not dry very quickly and chipped moderately. I only have no regrets because of the colour.

October: Fragrance Direct

What I hauled:

Maybelline 24 hour Super Stay Lip Colour in Pink Spice

Maybelline 24 hour Super Stay Lip Colour in Fire Garnet

Maybelline Colour Sensational Popsticks in Pink Lollipop

L'Oreal Color Riche Made For Me Lipstick in Rose Printemps 216

 Calvin Klein Delicious Luxury Creme Lipstick in Rose Rush 137

I went a bit made with the lipsticks. I hadn't really owned any before and now I'm a trainee teacher, I want to look as presentable as possible. 'Pink Spice' was a little bit of a mistake buy as I blind bought trying to use my Google skills which showed me a completely different colour, oops! Here are my initial views:

• The Super Stay Lip Colour's are a great buy if you know what colour you're buying. At £2.99 (as opposed to £8, like in the shops) for colour that hardly budges, this is a steal. I am thinking of blind buying 'Infinite Petal' next time.
• The Maybelline Popstick lipstick was surprisingly great for what I wanted. I had read a lot of reviews online and most of them said it was a waste of money as the colour pay off wasn't great. I agree, but I actually went into Superdrug to swatch these before I made my order (yes, I know that was a little cheeky). Pink Lollipop had the best colour pay off so I added it to my basket. I love that these are neon and clear. The colour on my lips is great. It rosies up my natural lip colour enhancing my lips for a natural look.

Hopefully, it won't be too long until I write my next post again (or be able to comment on a few of yours!).

Rêve by Van Cleef & Arpels EDP review

Hello lovelies!

To mark the middle of this week I thought I would review a fragrance! I love reviewing fragrances and have have just about managed to gain my sense of smell back!

I acquired this sample from a website that offers products for reviews. It is called 'What's In My Handbag?' and basically you sign up to 'try' various products by answering a few questions. When I spotted that I could try Rêve, I thought 'Why not?', I had nothing to lose. I had heard nothing about Van Cleef & Arpels before so had no idea what to expect.

My sample arrived within a week which I was more than happy with for a freebie! And the sample size is rather generous too. Most samples I have picked up from the shops before are around 1.2ml or 1.5ml and this was 2ml so I was happy with how much you are given to test out.

Inside, it states: 'Discover the enchanting garden of the new fragrance REVE: bouquet of delicate white Flowers, juicy Pear and mysterious Amber...'

In my honest opinion, this fragrance is quite 'safe'. White floral perfumes seem like a safe bet for perfumers and this for me does not stand out from the rest. I can smell white flowers and some of the pear notes, but I would have loved the Lily notes to be more prominent than the others to make this scent really dreamy.

The bottle of this scent is simple. It is a nice spherical bottle and not too complicated. Had this scent been outstanding, I could justify the simplicity of the bottle. And ironically, I feel if this bottle was unusual and pretty, I could probably purchase this on these grounds.

So for me, this is a rather underwhelming product. If I was bought this, I would not complain but I still would not spend my money on this product either. This gives me the same feelings as 'See' By Chloe - a little too safe and a bottle that does not help the product either.

But why not give it a go in the shops? I am sure it will smell fantastic on someone.

GOSH Velvet Touch Primer.

Hello lovelies!

Huge apologies for being away from my blog for so long. I have been ill this week and have had a huge amount of work to do for my teaching course. I hate being away from this place too long!

Anyway, I want to review something I purchased while Superdrug were offering free delivery on their orders. After falling in love with primers the past few months, I wanted to expand my collection with some good quality ones. After being impressed by my current Revlon one, I decided to try GOSH Velvet Touch Foundation Primer. Having seen it had won a 'Beauty Steal' award from Superdrug, I assumed the product would be very good! They also had it for Buy one get one half price so I purchased two which totalled around £12. I was so confident in this product that I thought it was worth buying two while it was cheap.

This primer was 30ml and came with a pump tube applicator. The formula is clear and the product was gel-like. I had never had a primer with a consistency like this before!

Was I impressed by this product? Definitely not initially! I had such high hopes for this product and was hugely disappointed to begin with. I usually apply a moisturiser on before a primer and this product just clumped on top of my usual moisturiser that I felt I had to be careful applying the stuff! It made my skin feel oily and did not sink into my skin as I expected it to. It certainly didn't leave my skin with a velvet touch!

It redeemed itself though as this product did make my make-up last all day which was a bonus. And a primers biggest purpose is to make your cosmetics last all day, right?

In fact, I feel like I was initially very hard on this product as I was expecting it to match my Revlon PhotoReady primer. I have tried this since and it has not been too bad. It does not feel as oily if applied without moisturiser and my skin can now handle wearing this on top of a moisturiser without clumping.

Would I class this as my beauty steal? No. For £9.99 it is now retailing for (which is pretty average for a primer currently), I would not recommend it. I like a primer to sink into my skin and leave me wanting to touch my skin rather than smearing my face with gel. I do not mind this product now but I would recommend that others spend £2 more and invest in Revlon's primer.

Revlon Photo Ready Primer Review

Hello lovelies!

Today, I'm going to review one of my relatively new primers. After having a tricky start with primers a few years ago (they seemed to always roll up my powder and I generally did not see the point in them), I rediscovered my love for them when I realised that actually, they are a pretty neat product. As my Avon Magix face primer was coming to an end, I knew I needed to purchase another primer pronto! But since I didn't have an Avon lady to turn to any more, which high street primer should I purchase?

I decided to storm the discount make-up store in my home town to see if their were any bargain primers. There wasn't really many to pick from and so I decided to pick up Revlon Photo Ready Primer  as I know that Revlon is renowned for being a good brand. This product had not been reduced by much and retailed at £7.49. However, since many other cheaper brands offered primers at this price I thought it could not be too bad.

When I first pumped this product out I was rather sceptical. Having been used to Avon's thicker formula, I was surprised this pumped out as runny as some moisturisers. However, I persevered with this product because I had heard some good things about it both on the internet and from my Grandma.

Was I wrong to doubt this product on its consistency? YES! As I layered this onto my skin on top of my moisturiser, it melted into my skin creating a beautiful velvety finish. It evened out my uneven skin tone and my minimised pores. It really felt fantastic to put on ready to layer my other make-up on top.

However, how long did it help my make-up last? ALL DAY! One of the most important things about a primer is to help your make-up last the duration of the day. After doing my make-up at 6 am, coming home at 5 pm I can still feel my face powder present on my face. I was (and still am) very impressed with how long it helps my make-up last.

Would I recommend this product? Definitely. In fact, if you need a new primer, buy this one now! Even at its full price, it is worth it. For me, it feels as though it is a premium quality primer (although I have not tried the critically acclaimed Smashbox version) at a high street price.

What is your favourite primer? 

I Own It! : Lancome La Vie Est Belle

Hello lovelies!

Another 'I Own It' post from my previous reviews from samples I have received while on my travels.

I have been treating myself a lot recently because of my recent good luck but this happened to be a gift from my boyfriend. After getting an email from The Fragrance Shop regarding a 'happy hour' where there would be 20% off everything online. I suggested to my boyfriend to purchase something for my birthday/Christmas while the perfumes were going cheap. But he was very kind and told me he would buy it as a special gift.

So I asked for Lancome La Vie Est Belle because it was one of my favourite samples I had picked up on my shopping trips. After realising that this perfume is not one of the cheapest on the market, it was worth picking up while it had 20% off. This meant it could be purchased for £46 rather than £57.50. Since we are moving into the colder months, Eau De Parfum's are my desired fragrances of choice as they last ages and they won't become unbearable with the heat.

The thing that drew me to this perfume the most was its sweet scent. My summer fragrance of choice had been Prada Candy L'Eau and I wanted something equally as sweet but slightly stronger. This fitted the bill. 

One of the most attractive things of this perfume is the bottle. It is very simple yet very attractive (I apologise for the rubbish picture). I love that the bottom half of the bottle is glass as it looks modern yet classic. Some could argue it is a waste of 'packaging' (like my boyfriend) but a pretty bottle is a deal clincher for me.

On me, the fragrances most prominent is the initial scent of blackcurrant and then the base of praline and patchouli. I think I can also pick up the orange blossom scent because although I do not know it at the time, most of the fragrances I own contain notes of orange blossom.

Another interesting thing about this product is that the box actually has Braille on the side. It is quite nice to see that Lancome are catering for a wider audience.

I love this fragrance and that is why I own it. It may not be a scent for everyone but if you are a fan of Lancome fragrances, this may be for you.

See my other review here. 

Rimmel Cocktail Colours Nail Polish in 'Apple Berry Smoothie'

Hello lovelies!

It is time for a nail polish post which I have not seemed to have done in ages! And this polish I am going to review really is very fabulous indeed.

Back in the Spring time, Rimmel launched a new range of nail polishes to go along side there base products (60 seconds, Lasting Finish etc.). These were the 'Cocktail Colours' range which at that point in time, I thought there were only three colours: Shirley Temple (orange), Hawaiian Punch (pink/red) and Baby Bellini (purple). All these shades were gorgeous and extremely sparkly (without the grittiness of being an actual glitter polish) and I knew I really wanted them. After doing my research online, I realised that these weren't the only colours Rimmel had produced in this line. In Europe, they had realised Apple Berry Smoothie (blue) and Cutie Colada (lime green). I was actually rather gutted that Rimmel hadn't released these shades in the UK and had settled to thinking that I would never get hold of these polishes.

That is until a recent visit to my local discount cosmetics shop. While browsing their many shelves of nail polish, I spotted a couple of sparkly Rimmel polishes at the back. And to my surprise, the colours were Apple Berry Smoothie and Cutie Colada. Being the last ones on the shelf, I quickly snapped them up into my basket. Even better though, these were being sold for £1.50 rather than the usual retail price of £3.99. So that day, I was a very happy chappy.

Anyway, back to talking about the polish...

First things first (and I know I always say this), but I really do love this polish. Before I picked up this polish, I had not had a blue quite like this so this was a shade welcome into my collection. With this being quite sparkly too, I was very happy to wear this.

I can really understand why Rimmel released the 'Cocktail Colours' collection in the spring/summer because of its shine. We have had a couple of really sunny days this week and while walking to the train station from university I could not help but be mesmerised by this polish as it glistened in the sun. It makes me want to get the entire collection!

Another positive about this polish is its longevity. The pictures you see here are from four days of wear. The only signs of wear my nails have currently is some slight tip wear on my right thumbnail but I think this is because I have a bad habit of opening blister packs with this nail. I have no doubt that this polish could last up to a week if looked after.

If I'm honest, I cannot really think of many negatives for this polish. If I wrack my brain, the only downside of this nail polish is how sheer it is. This needed three coats the be relatively opaque which although is not unreasonable, I still quite like a polish that is fully opaque in two coats.

Overall, I really like this polish. Rimmel have maintained a standard of quality without the price tag. Additionally, the colours of this collection are FANTASTIC!

Do you like Rimmel Cocktail Colours?

This month, I've been mostly using... August 2013

Hello lovelies!


Another post telling you what I have been using this month a lot. And surprisingly, I love every single one of these products.

1. Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh - This is a perfume I received for my birthday last year from my boyfriend. I loved it back then but when I was wearing it in the summer, I started to get bored of it as it smelled generically floral as opposed to my new and exciting Prada Candy L'Eau. But all of a sudden in August, the notes I registered changed! I could predominately smell violets and raspberries. This gorgeous combination of scents made it a firm favourite for August.

2. Olay Essentials Smoothing Face Scrub - I picked this up from Superdrug after I felt I needed a exfoliating face scrub to help my make-up apply smoothly. This stuff really was more fantastic than I thought it was going to be! My skin felt so smooth and soft after using this that I now use it every other day to keep my face feeling fresh and blemish free.

3. The Body Shop Blueberry Body Butter - First things first, The Body Shop body butters are fantastic. The formula is thick but absorbs into the skin and leaves it feeling silky and supple. This has been my monthly favourite as I am loving the blueberry scent of these ones, yum!

4. Accessorize Eyeshadow Duo in Thalia - This is possible my favourite eyeshadow of the year and a bargain too after I got it for 50% off. You can see my full review here.

5. Bourjois Round Pot Blusher in Rose D'Or - This was the product that started off my 'Blush Crush' obsession. This is one of the few cosmetics on the market that smell absolutely GORGEOUS! The only downside to this product is its low pigmentation. See my full review here.

6. Revlon Lip Gloss in Shine City - I picked this up a few months ago when I ordered a huge haul from Fragrance Direct and needed a new lip gloss. This then retailed at 99p on FD's website but has now doubled in price. This is a great lip gloss for the price. It is not too sticky and smells like vanilla. It is a product that does what I want it to do. Love it.

What are your monthly favourites?

Rimmel Glam Eyes Eyeliner review

Hello lovelies!

Big apologies for not posting too much this month. I have just been so busy and that is not going to stop! I have been trying to sort myself out for a teaching course that starts tomorrow and all last week I was taking an intensive driving course (which I passed :D) so I haven't had the time to post :( however, I will try to post as much as I can.

Anyway, today, I want to share with you one of my firm make-up bag essentials. I have always loved eye liner and I have loved every different kind from Kohl pencil to liquid. For the past few years, liquid eyeliner has been my absolute favourite and one brand in particular has produced a perfect product: Rimmel! 

Rimmel's Glam Eyes Eyeliner must be a great make-up bag staple because I have seen it voted many times in different magazines as an eye liner of choice. This is not initially why I picked up this product. I was increasingly getting fed up with stiff, spongy brushes that come with most liquid eye liners as it is more difficult to control. I love this product so much that I have picked up this product in Intense Plum (Purple) and Diamond Kiss (Silver). Both of these I picked up for 99p from Fragrance Direct. The Black Glamour version is not usually as cheap and retails at £5.29.

So why am I harping on about this products brush? Well, the brush that comes with this eye liner has long, thin bristles that emulates a fine paint brush. This allows for ease of precision and and really helps creating 'cat eyes'.

Longevity of this product is fantastic. It doesn't run and it lasts all day. 'Black Glamour' also has great pigmentation and usually only need one swipe on your lid for solid colour. 'Diamond Kiss' and 'Intense Plum' are not quite as easy to apply. The formula is quite thick so can leave some bald spots while applying and therefore you had to go over it again for a solid line. Considering that you can purchase these colours for much cheaper than 'Black Glamour', it feels acceptable to have this small niggle.

These eye liners, although small, seem to last forever. My last tube lasted me about nine months.  So although it seems like you get little product fro the price, there is a sufficient amount for reasonable usage.

I usually ask myself 'Would I repurchase this?' but this is a silly question: I always repurchase this! I have yet to find another eye liner to match this eye liner as a wholly fantastic product. My Grandma has even purchased an Estee Lauder liquid eye liner and although impressed by the actual product, could not get on with the applicator.

If I ever did an international swap, I would want to send my receiver this product?

Do you like 'Glam Eyes' eye liners?

B. Glowing Shimmer Block in 'Just Peachy' (161) review

Hello lovelies,

As you all know, I have become a bit of a blush addict recently. And after being so busy recently and successfully managing to get a clearing place for a teaching course (major YAY!), I thought I deserved a treat. This should have been put on my 'Blush Crush' list but I spotted this a couple of days after I had published the post. B. Glowing Shimmer Block in 'Just Peachy' is not a blush I had heard very much about. The B. cosmetics range are exclusive to Superdrug to rival high end drug store brands. B. is not a range I had taken very much notice about as it is usually in the bigger stores. But after some browsing, I automatically fell in love with this product. I get the feeling this could also be a particularly popular shade as I managed to grab the last one on the shelf!

I have heard this being compared to the Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks - but this is a fraction of the price. I believe this draws comparisons because it had its colours in 5 different stripes. It states this product can be used for cheeks and eyes and says it can be blended or use the colours separately.

First things first: I LOVE this product. So far, I do not have a bad word to say about this product and I will now mention some things I really like.

This shimmer block is very pigmented. Although I am comparing it to my less-pigmented Bourjois Round Pot Blusher. One swirl around the pot of this gives me enough powder to apply on each cheek. This powder is also really easy to blend. I had little problem with blending this into a natural 'glow'.

The colour is also perfect. B. Glowing Shimmer Blocks come in three different colours: this one, Blush (196) and Bronze (108). I never choose bronzer because of my pale complexion and the colour 'Blush' just was not as beautiful as 'Just Peachy'. This surprised me as I much prefer pink blushers and tend to steer away from peachy/orange shades. But this one just looked great. The shimmer balances this shade out as it is so delicate. This colour is soft and would compliment many skin tones while the shimmer means that one would not need to use highlighter in their daily routine.

Another thing I think is great about this product is the mirror inside. It is large enough so that you can use it for make-up emergencies and right now (while it is brand new), it is clear enough to use in my usual make up routine. It also holds a fair amount of product. You get 8g for your purchase which means (I hope) that I will get many years of use out of this product.

Now, I only find it fair to give this product a downside (like most of my other reviews). The only thing I can pick fault in is the packaging. For the usual price of £8.99, I would expect the packaging to feel sturdier. It feels very plasticy in the hand and when I try and open it I get worried that it will break in my hands!

Overall, I really do love this product. From a relatively unknown brand, the quality of this is fantastic. I purchased this for £5.99 and I am glad I did. If I ever did an international swap with someone, I would want to send them this!

Have you tried B. Shimmer Blocks? Do B. have any other products worth trying?

Make-Up Nostalgia: Bonne Bell Honey Kiss Lip Gloss

Hello lovelies,

I just thought I would share some Make-Up nostalgia with you all as I had been reminiscing today. We all have products we used to be mad on as a teenager. Some we would never dream of using again while some you look back on fondly and wish it was still available. Well, this is a post regarding just that and I'm sure a lot of my readers would not have heard of this product. It is a lip gloss by Bonne Bell called Honey Kiss. 

Wonder how I got my hands on Bonne Bell cosmetics? Well, I have family in Australia and when I was 12 on a visit myself I discovered this product. I was on the turn of being a teenager at that point and bought loads of magazines to entertain myself including Dolly and Girlfriend (equivalent to the UK's Bliss or Sugar magazines). While reading these I saw a high recommendation for these lip glosses - so I had to have one! They were marketed as containing real honey which would moisturise and soothe lips as you wore it. Fabulous! So with my holiday money, I trundled off to Priceline to make my purchase.

This instantly became a favourite of my make-up bag! From what I remember, it was lovely and glossy and tasted sweet. It was delicious with it's honey-scented fragrance. It did keep my lips moisturised too so I often wore this to school in the winter. I used to share this amazing product with my cousin and she still talks about this stuff now.

However, am I really being too nostalgic? Many reviews of this online describe it as sticky and leaving a film. I cannot remember this myself but was I just so in love with this that I have ignored its negatives?

We all have a product we look back to fondly. Unfortunately for me, my fondly remembered lip gloss is now discontinued in Australia so I can't even get family members to send me some over! Do you have a particular product you loved as a teen? 

Here is more about the product here.

Bourjois Round Pot Blusher in Rose D'Or (34) Review

Hello my lovelies!

After my post expressing my lust for certain blusher products yesterday, I thought I would write a review on my favourite blusher of my make-up bag currently.

That is Bourjois Round Pot Blusher in Rose D'Or (which translates into 'Golden Rose') which I picked up for £2 from Boots after hearing that they were on the website for much less than their usual £7.99 price-tag. I was desperate for a new blusher after deciding I was bored of my usual lip stain knowing I wanted a powder blush - so this came in perfect timing! Wondering if this great deal was in-store, I trundled along to Boots and asked if they scanned at £2 - no. So the lady from Boots explained to me she could order some in free of charge, which I jumped at! Unfortunately, I was put on the spot and this particular Boots did not have a huge selection I could look at swatches of. Out of the ones I liked, only one was available. So I ordered 3 of them as it was 3 for 2!

When I received them, I was very excited! It had the limited edition packaging that looked oh so pretty and is much more exciting than their regular pots. I really could not wait to try this baby out!

As you can see, Rose D'or is a deep pink blush with fine gold shimmer particles. I know a lot of people much prefer matte blushers rather than ones with a shimmer but I rather like them.I love something that gives me an effortless glow without having to add highlighter to my routine.

If you are looking for a pigmented blusher, the Bourjois Round Pot Blushers are not for you! They have very little colour pay off and do not create a lot of excess. To me, this is a positive. This blush makes it easy to prevent going overboard with the blusher on your cheeks and you can build this colour up gradually to get the depth of colour you want.

As you can see from my swatch, it is not very pigmented when I swiped my finger over it. If you cannot already tell, I have swatched it with one swipe under the much more obvious swatch (which I had built up). As you can see, the gold is rather flattering even for pale skin tones such as my own. Although I don't seem to notice too much sparkle on my face which leaves me with a subtle and natural look.

Would I recommend this? YES! I love this blush so much I want more for my collection (see my Blush Crushes here). I think I will only repurchase though when they are on offer because I do not think they are worth £7.99.

Currently, a lot of colours are being offered on Amazon for £5.33 or some colours are being offered on ASOS for £.5.50 and they ship internationally! And for all you Bourjois fans out there, they have 30% off a lot of the other products and 10% off if you enter the code 742F59ECD87E by 15th August.

Do you love the Bourjois blushers? What are your favourite colours?

Cosmetics Crushes: Blush

Since starting my blog, all I have seemed to do is post reviews on things that I own and what I think of them. So this is why I want to start a post that is a little different called 'Cosmetics Crush' which are items I really want that are either really hard to get hold of in the UK or that I can't afford to buy just yet because I need to save the pennies for my course this September. I hope each time I make a post on my 'Cosmetics Crushes', their will be a theme. This post is dedicated to blushes because for some odd reason, I just want a bag filled with different blushes!

I think it all started when I knew I was in desperate need of a new blush. I had been using my Benefit's Benetint for years and I felt I wanted a change. I was just a bit bored of liquid blushers. Then Emily from Freckles & Flaws Beauty Blog shared with her followers about the £2.00 deal of Bourjois Round Pot Blushers at Boots, I was hooked after purchasing some! Now my love of nail polishes have taken somewhat of a back seat as I am now eyeing up different blushers at every opportunity.  Yes, I still love my polishes and would not be without them but I am so crushing on blush!

Here are a few that I am seeking desperately:

1. Etude House Lovely Cookie Blusher - I spotted this blush on my travels looking at other people blogs and my firsts thoughts were how fricking cute these blushers are! Their dome shaped lid, the adorable fluffy application puff... there is nothing I dislike about the looks of this blush! Etude is a company from South Korea which explains their oh-so-cute packaging of their cosmetics but they also have a huge range of colours! My desired favourites would be #2 Strawberry Choux and #7 Rose Sugar Macaroons. You can pick these up from eBay (with free shipping!) here.

2. Accessorize Baked Blusher - I have been hankering after this for a long while. Yes, they are relatively cheap (£4.95) but as I have a nice blusher, I cannot afford to splurge on frivolous things just yet. I fell in love with these blushers after buying an eye shadow in the Accessorize 50% off sale and finding its quality and pigmentation amazing. Every time I go into Superdrug I find myself gravitating towards The Accessorize blushers testers and always deciding that I love the shade 'Scandal'. This has been on my wishlist for weeks.

3. Bourjois Round Pot Blush in Rose Frisson - After receiving my £2 Bourjois blushers from Boots a month ago, it has made me just want more! I would have the whole collection if I could but their are certain shades that I love over others. Rose Frisson is my 'most wanted' of the bunch followed by Rose Pompom, Rose de Jasp and Cendre Rose de Brune. What makes me love this blusher so much? The smell! I would sit there and sniff it all day if I could. It makes me look forward to putting blusher on in my make-up routine.

4. Milani Baked Blush - I have not heard so much raving about a blusher before as I have this one. Milani is a brand you can source to the US and the reason people love this blush so much is its longevity and pigmentation. I have seen loads of swatches and love the shades Corallina and Dolce Pink. This blush makes me want to be a cosmetics tourist, haha!

So those are my current cosmetics crushes for blushes! Do you have any Cosmetic Crushes? Are there any blushes you recommend?

Lancome Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate

Hello lovelies,

I've decided to do my first skincare post after being thoroughly impressed by a product I have been using recently. Yes, this is Lancome and they are notoriously pricey but this one of the products I have tried that has actually made a noticeable difference to my skin.

This is called Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate which is a serum promising plumper, less wrinkled skin for those trying to wind back the clock. Ok, I know I am only 22 and do not yet need anything promising to get rid of my wrinkles as mine are few and far between right now (phew!), but my Mum persuaded me to try this as she always says to me 'You're never too young to stop wrinkles.'

We received these samples when trying to find perfume samples for some party bags a few months ago. We went into our local independent department store, Hills, to see if we could bag any perfume samples. The perfume lady was rather reluctant to gave any fragrance samples away but the lovely lady at the Lancome counter offered us a whole pack of sample sized Genifique to put into the party bags - how nice! High end skincare is not something I would normally try as I wouldn't want to get hooked on it. But as I had never tried serums before I wanted to see what the fuss was about.

As I hadn't tried serums before, I have to admit, I read the instructions in the packet before I used it. I was absolutely clueless: do I use it instead of a moisturiser? Do I put it on day or night or both? Well, the instructions were really simple: apply to skin before your usual skincare routine day and night. I bent the rules a bit. Instead I applied after I had taken my make-up off with an exfoliating wipe and before I put on my night cream. I also decided I would not put it on in the mornings as I wanted this stuff to last me.

The serum is interesting. I expected it to be only slightly thinner than regular moisturiser and be clear. This was not. It was very runny to the point where I spilt a load on bed as I squeezed the tube - I didn't make that mistake again. To get the right amount out of this sample tube, I spread the nozzle over my face while gently squeezing and rubbing into my skin as I went along. The great thing about this serum is that it sunk into my skin really quickly (around a couple minutes) and it was OK to put my night moisturiser on top. I find this a good thing as it means that I am not adding many more minutes to my skincare routine (which, if I'm honest, I find a bit of a chore!).

The results were noticed in the morning. My skin really did feel noticeably smoother and softer than just using moisturiser. I suffer with dry skin so it was a dream to wake up with my skin not feeling so tight. As I am still quite young, I cannot comment on whether this helps banish wrinkles. I can only say my skin does feel plumper though.

Would I purchase this? Not for the price. As much as I love this stuff, I cannot justify the cost of a small bottle (about £50!). I would much rather try out some other, cheaper serums on the market and see if they have similar effects.

Do you like serums? Would you splash out on this product?