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?