Yet more primer problems!

I don't have much luck with eye primers or rather with their packaging. The last tube of Too Faced Shadow Insurance I used split open on me as shown in the pic below and half of it was wasted.

The latest culprit is NYX's HD eyeshadow base.


Source

My current tube was running out and when using it for what I thougth would be the last time I noticed that the opening of the tube had come away. Now you'd be forgiven for thinking I'm being daft for moaning about a packaging fail on a near empty tube but what actually irritated me was the realisation that there was absolutely TONS of product left in the tube - this much to be precise...

For reference this is a 7g pot that I transferred it into and its at least half full! Now I think most beauty bloggers are aware of the UD Primer Potion issue where the elaborate curves of the bottle secretly harbour tons of leftover product but this is a straight tube for lord's sake!!!

Until next time,

Reviewed: Mama Mio OMega Body Buff

I received this product in my June Glossy Box - it was one of those perfect timing moments as I'd been meaning to pick up a new body scrub (Am going to a wedding next weekend which means fake tan is needed and some pre-tan skin preparation is needed even more!) I couldn't wait that long to try it out though so gave it a test run this morning :)

This is my first try of a Mama Mio product - I'd always thought (rightly or wrongly) that the brand was targeted at new mums or mums-to-be, of which I'm neither :) Mama Mio describe their OMega body buff as...

"An extremely gentle blend of Sweet Almond Oil, Chamomile, Aloe Vera and Vitamin E with micro-ground pumice; it is incredibly kind but very effective, removing dead skin cells and encouraging cell renewal, all in 3 minutes flat. Use it twice and you will be hooked - skin this touchable is addictive!"

The packaging is pretty simple - being unfamiliar with the brand it took me quite a while to realise it was by Mama Mio and not the more randomly named 'Shed Your Scales' which is actually just a quirky tagline printed at the top of the label *facepalms*.

The first thing I did when unpacking the scrub was swatch a bit on my hand and I must admit I was a bit underwhelmed by the texture as there didn't really see many scrubbing particles in there. I grabbed a tube of St Ives Invigorating Apricot Scrub for comparison....



Top: Mama Mio OMega Body Buff
Bottom: St Ives Invigorating Apricot Scrub

There's definitely a lot more exfoliating particles in the St Ives Scrub. However in fairness they use corn kernels whereas the Mama Mio scrub does contains finely ground pumice stone which is definitely hardier and therefore possibly more effective even if it is invisible to the naked eye :)

A quick scan of the label also revealed that you should actually apply this scrub dry before you get into the bath or shower. Applying it to dry skin definitely enhanced the 'scrubbiness' and allows you a good whiff of the scrub's scent too which smells just like yummy orange sherbert! Its worth knowing that you can also use this on your face but I'd be tempted to use it on damp skin there rather than dry :)

Once rinsed off my skin felt pretty soft and smooth but not really any smoother or softer than it typically would after using a scrub product. 

Now onto the price and this is where things sadly go downhill for me. The Body Buff is priced on Mama Mio's website at £23 for 200ml which means this smaller 125ml bottle is worth just over £14. My current body buffing product of choice is The Sanctuary's Salt Scrub which comes in at £10.20 for a whopping 650g so much better value and for that reason alone I'll be unlikely to repurchase. If however your budget stretches further then mine though then this luxury scrub is definitely worth a look.

Until next time,

 

Hauled: The Body Shop Honey Bronze Shimmering Dry Oil

As soon as I saw blog posts popping up about the Body Shop's new Honey Bronze range I knew this dry oil would be mine without fail - its a clear dupe for Nuxe's Huile Prodigieuse Or which has been on my lust-list for what seems likes a decade! (I'm clearly getting old!)

And it hasn't disappointed. I love the sleek glass packaging and that its designed with a stopper to dispense just a little oil at a time for easy to control application.

The scent is also to die for - it contains both honey and beeswax - and lingers for ages on your skin. Here's a couple of swatches of the oil when first applied and blended out....

The effect is pretty subtle (no big chunks of glitter - yey!) but still gives a noticeable bronze sheen to your skin - perfect for enhancing a tan whether real or fake. I'd also hoped to get hold of one of the bronzers from the range but found even the darkest of the 3 shades to be a little too light for me. I find this a little odd given that Body Shop pride themselves on offering a cosmetics range for all skintones :- /

Until next time,

 

p.s the dry oil is £16 for 100ml

A little haul

Just a small haul to share with you all. I snapped up a can of the latest addition to the Batiste family - their Big & Bouncy XXL Volume. I didn't get on well with UG Backcomb in a Bottle so hoping this will be a more successful encounter - can't wait for my hair to dirty up a bit so I can try it out!

Next up is a bottle of St Moriz Dark Instant Tanning Mousse which I was drawn to after seeing Lily's review here. I know a lot of beauty bloggers can get hold of St Moriz in TK Maxx but my local one showed no signs so I ordered it from cheapsmells.com for £4.49 delivered :) 

In need of a new mascara I picked up Loreal's Lash Architect 4D. I don't get drawn to the Loreal stand very often but this was on offer and my inner magpie couldn't resist the mirrored packaging!

Finally a couple of nail polishes made their way into my basket - Barry M's Peach Melba and Accessorize's Storm....

And some swatches.......Peach Melba...



Without flash

 

With flash



....and Storm...



Without flash

 

With flash



Until next time,

Swatched: Loads of Lippies (Picture Heavy!)

I'm still working my way through the make up stash I acquired from Andy's sister a couple of months ago but was playing with some of the lippies and thought I'd share some swatches in case any catch your eye! I decided to kick off with a couple of brands that you don't hear a massive amount about in beauty blog-land which are Chantecaille & Laura Mercier so here goes (excuse the sometimes sloppy application!)

Chantecaille

Comet

 Darby Rose

Framboise

Narcissia 

Raffia

Laura Mercier

Fig

Flirt 

Healthy Lips

Pink Dawn 

Tea Rose 

Berry Slush

Pink Seashell

My favourites would have to be Chantecaille's Framboise and the amazing LM Healthy Lips which applies really sheerly to leave a noticeable but natural stain for a flush of colour! I have some Stila lipstick swatches to post too so will pop them up asap!.

Until next time,