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,

Reviewed: Bourjois Volume Fast & Perfect Rotating Mascara

What they say

Innovative new mascara : The new auto rotating brush instantly and evenly wraps around each lash for a false lash volume effect in 30 seconds flat! The brush rotates 360° and coats lashes from root to tip with no overloading guaranteed. The rotating motion continuously deposits all mascara from the brush onto the lashes and evenly spreads just the right amount of formula onto the lash fringe effortlessly and in record time.

What I say

Packaging

Red and silver lettering on a black plastic tube....pretty unoffensive but nothing spectacularly eye-catching either. The tube is quite weighty due to the motor and battery in the lid - the lid section is also longer than the part that holds the mascara which somehow made me feel like I wasn't getting as much product....!?

A quick scan of Bourjois's mascara range for comparison shows you're getting less than with their Liner Effect & Volume Clubbing mascaras (11ml) and the Volume Glamour & Coup de Theatre ranges (a whopping 12ml) but more than The Volumizer (7ml) which happens to be one of my favourite mascaras so I shall stop mid-grumble and move on..

Product

Volume Fast & Perfect features a medium width, straight bristle brush. The formula is highly pigmented but a little on the dry side (probably to avoid blobs of mascara flying off the brush when you get the motor going!)

There is a switch on the tube which allows you to alternate the direction of the wand depending on which eye you're applying it to. For best results hold the brush at the base of your lashes allowing the rotating motion to sweep the product through to the tips - Bourjois claim it should take no more than 30 seconds to get perfectly volumised lashes and that you shouldn't need to go back for a second pump of product. I found it a bit odd to apply at first and every so slightly tickly but once you get the hang of it, its pretty easy. If this has worked you should be able to see a little video if the brush rotating below!!!

Results
Here's the photo evidence of one and two coats vs. bare lashes....



Bare lashes

The rotating brush applies the mascara really evenly and combs the product through leaving no clumps behind.

 

One coat

I did find the wand a bit tricky to use on lower lashes - as it rotated it tended to push them into my skin so quite a high risk of smudging if you're not careful.

 

Two coats

Length and volume were both reasonable but what really stood out for me was impressive amount of curl it gave to lashes as the following before/after pics show...

 

Bare lashes

Two coats

Price

Currently £7.99 in an introductory offer at Boots (normal RRP £11.99)

Would I repurchase?
Probably not - I think I was drawn in by the gadget/gimmick on this mascara - the results are pretty good but not ground-breaking enough compared to Bourjois's Volmuizer to warrant a second purchase!

Would I recommend?
Gadget addicts like myself will probably have to try this mascara, it definitely adds bit of fun to the daily make up routine!

Until next time,
 

NOTD: OPI 'Don't Mess with OPI'

Just a quick post to show you this weekend's nails....OPI's Don't mess with OPI, a slightly muted grass green from their Spring 2011 Texas collection.

This polish has a cream finish...I found it to have a slightly thick formula so go for thinner coats if you can. This is 3 coats topped off with a generous layer of Seche Vite.

I picked it up off this ebay seller for £7.99 delivered (a fair bit cheaper than the likes of Beauty Bay, Look Fantastic etc). She also sells China Glaze, Zoya & Essie and whilst the range of shades isn't huge, the price coupled with amazing customer service (bought it Thursday night, arrived Saturday morning) means its well worth a look in case the shade you're lusting after is listed!

Until next time,