Montagne Jeunesse Deep Cleansing Blemish Mud

 

After hearing a lot of positive reviews on the Montagne Jeunesse masks I thought I'd give them a try. Now I'm normally very loyal to my good old Liz Earle products but thought it was time to venture out and just dip my toe in the water of some other products.

 

This was 90p in Primark - absolute bargain! I chose the one for blemished skin as I can be prone to the odd spot or two and my skin leans towards being oily rather than dry. This mask contains Aloe Vera, Willow, Rosemary and Witch Hazel - sounded like good skin cleaning ingredients to me so I grabbed this whilst I was in the queue to pay for my other bits - they always put stuff like this near the checkout for suckers like me to pick up!

 

 

Blemish Mud Mask with Aloe Juice for Blemish Prone Skin
Please ignore the dodgy sticker over the models eye! Couldn't peel it off!


I'd seen these masks previously and to be honest was put off by the packaging which I think looks a bit cheap and tacky. I don't know why but it just doesn't appeal to me much. But the product itself is pretty good. It's very thick and the formulation is sort of clay like but I found it was easy to spread out across my skin and it was refreshing and cooling on the skin - maybe due to the Aloe Vera? Not sure but it was quite a nice feeling. It dries within 10 - 15 mins and goes really hard, I couldn't keep a straight face when Pete was trying to make me laugh so yes it cracked and I looked slightly odd!

 

 

 

 

 

Overall I would say I'm quite impressed with this face mask, and I honestly didn't expect to be. The price is great and the pack contains about two applications so you do get your money's worth. It left my skin feeling really clean and cleansed and didn't cause me to break out like some masks do. I would definitely repurchase this and will buy a few to stock up next time I'm in Primark!

 

You can see more product information on Montagne Jeunesse here. Now I just need to figure out how to pronounce the name!!

 

Which is your favourite mask from their range?

Have you tried any of their other products?

 

xxx

 

How I store my make up (Photo Heavy)

 

 

For a while now I've been meaning to sort out my make up box. I'm not normally a messy person but I am a late person! I love my sleep and hate getting up in the mornings, meaning I'm often late and rushing round like a headless chicken trying to get myself ready and not be late! So my make up box takes quite a hammering with blushers, mascaras, and powders are thrown left right and centre whilst I'm trying to find what I'm after!

 

 

Floral basket previously home to my make up!

 

 

A while ago I saw another blogger suggesting the drawer organisers from Ikea so whilst we were down in Southampton shopping we popped into Ikea and picked one up. It's a bargain at £8 and comes completely flat packed. Don't worry if I can put it together you will be able to! It folds together and fastens with Velcro so you can take it apart and put it back together quite easily if you need to.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The compartments are quite generous, there's three larger ones at the back and 4 smaller ones at the front. I thought I had quite a big make up collection but once I transferred it all it looked quite small as there's so much room in this organiser. So here it is...the unveiling of a new more organised me!

 

 

 

 

 

I've organised each area by product - top left is all my blushers (obscene amount I know!) Next is concealers, foundations and liquid highlighters. Top right are mascara's, eyeliners, and brow products.

 

 

 

 

Bottom left are again either blushers, bronzers and powder highlighters. Next are lip glosses and lipsticks, followed by a few (couldn't fit all of them in!) of my most used eye shadows. Bottom right are kind of miniatures or samples of products that I'm yet to try.

 

 

 

 

I'm so chuffed with this little organiser and love the fact that it's so neat and tidy compared to the jumbled up mess it was in before! This way I'm pretty sure I'll be able to find what I'm looking for in the mornings without causing the destruction of our bedroom! It fits perfectly in my drawer so it's tucked away neatly as it's a bit too large to be out on my dressing table. This is also great because it's that sort of material that wipes clean so it'll be pretty easy to keep tidy. The name of this is Skubb and you can check the details out here.

 

How do you keep your make up organised?

Or maybe a better question is do you keep your make up organised?!

 

xxx

 

 

 

 

 

Smashbox Review ~ Eyes and Lips

 

As part of my Smashbox Try it Kit I also received an eye liner, mascara and lip gloss. If you haven't checked out my post on the try it kit have a look here.

 

As promised here's a little review of some of the products in the kit.

First off all the products are sample sized and included the HyperLash Mascara, Limitless Eye Liner and Lip Enhancing Gloss.

 

 

 

 

 Sorry for the poor quality of the pictures, my camera was playing up and not being a whizz with technology I didn't know how to sort it! Anyway, the eye liner black and looks like your standard eye liner pencil. But this has got to be without a doubt the best pencil I have ever used! Ever! I don't know why but this pencil just seems to glide on easily and doesn't pull at the skin around my eyes. With a lot of other pencils I find they don't give a clean line and can pull drag across the skin a bit. This gives a clean and defined line, it's soft and lasts for nearly a whole day without needing to re-apply! So far it's ticked all the boxes for me.

 

 

 

 

The lipgloss is nice and the shade in this pack is Illume. As you can see in the picture below it's a very sheer colour with a bit of glitter in the mix. It's great for the day and practically any skin tone could wear this. It's a bit sticky but generally it's a nice gloss. I just wouldn't repurchase in this shade as it's a bit "something and nothing" for my liking.

 

 

 

 

Now for my absolute favourite of the kit! The Hyperlash mascara! Oh. My. God. This is truly one of the best mascaras I've ever used! I'm so picky when it comes to mascara, mainly because I have quite high expectations. I like a mascara to last, to lengthen and to separate my lashes. Luckily this does all three! I didn't have high expectations for this mascara but I was proved so wrong. This comes in the Blackest Black and the full sized one retails at £19 which I don't think is a bad price for a great mascara. The only bad thing is that from what I can see on the Smashbox websites, their mascaras only come in black so they're not going to be perfect for everyone which is a shame.

 

 

 

All in all I'd say this was money well spent. I'd definitely re-purchase the mascara, eye liner and lip gloss in another shade! Plus I've found a great new mascara that I probably wouldn't have had the chance to try without buying this kit.

 

You can view the Smashbox website here and check out the products mentioned in this post.

 

What do you think of the Smashbox products?

Would try any of these from the Try me kit?

 

xxx

Body Shop Favourites ~ Body and Beauty

 

Today I'm sharing with you a few of my favourite products from The Body Shop!

I've been using Body Shop products for years now and although sometimes I stray away and try other things I always seem to come back to them.

 

Green Apple Bath and Shower Gel
Blueberry Body Butter
Brow & Liner Kit
Slanted Brush


I've featured the Brow and Liner Kit in one of my other posts but only very briefly. I previously used a pencil to shade in my eyebrows but I bought this after the shop assistant in my local branch introduced to me to it. After trying this out I'll never go back to pencils! This gives an amazing defined look without making them look false or giving the dreaded "scouse brow" look - not good! Unless you like that sort of thing which I really don't! It comes with a little brush to apply but I also got the slanted brush which is much better and easier to apply the product with. Because it's slanted it makes it super easy to get the right shape and the bristles are quite firm so you don't end up with the half the powder all over your face.

 

 

 

 

I love really fresh smelling shower gels to wake me up in the mornings - a hard task but this seems to do the job! The Green Apple Shower Gel is absolutely beautiful and the fragrance is just like fresh apples. Now I know this isn't going to be everyones cup of tea but I adore the smell and the freshness of it. Plus it was in the sale so I couldn't turn this baby down!

 

 

 

 

 

I've been using the Body Shop body butters for years but do resent paying £12.50 for them as I think they're over priced despite loving them! So when I saw that they were 50% off I grabbed a couple. As I have pretty sensitive skin at the best of times I always need to be careful with what I'm putting on, but these have never irritated my skin and leave me with smooth and soothed skin! Try saying that when you're drunk :)

 

 

I prefer the Blueberry and Mango butters as they smell amazing and the fragrance lasts for hours. I tend to stock up on these when they're in the sale so I've got a few to last me through till next year now!

 

Despite not loving the Body Shop prices on certain things I am definitely a loyal customer when it comes to these products. I also like that the ingredients in their range are ethically sourced and not tested on animals. You can check out their website here.

 

Which are your favourite Body Shop products?

 

xxx

 

 

 

Smashbox Lid and Foundation Primers

 

Last week I purchased the Smashbox Try It Kit and did a brief post on it which you can see here.

So today's post is a bit more of an in depth review on a couple of their products that I received in this kit....their primers! This kit comes with the Oil Free Photo Finish Foundation Primer and the Photo Finish Lid Primer.

 

Being that I suffer with combination skin the oil free primer was a perfect choice for me. Now I don't really use a lid primer day to day and I've had the Urban Decay Primer Potion for about a year and barely use it, so I can't be a fountain of knowledge on this subject.

 

 

 

 

 

The foundation primer is a clear gel which is quite thick but not heavy once applied. It has no fragrance to it which I like and a little goes a loooong way which I found out after I squeezed a big dollop out onto my hand and didn't end up using! I would have put a close up picture of this product out of the bottle but it literally is just a clear gel- not much to look at really! I've been using this for a week and I'm seriously addicted! I love the texture of it, it's like velvet and leaves my skin so soft and smooth I almost don't want to put make up over the top! I've noticed my foundation seems to stay on longer when I'm using this primer and it also seems easier to apply once I've primed my skin with this.  Beautiful product that I will 100% be re-purchasing.

 

Now for the lid primer, as I've mentioned I don't use this sort of thing a lot so can't say whether it is better or worse than any others. It's kind of the consistency of a concealer and again has no fragrance to it. I think the product is probably a great one but I have to be honest and say I'm not convinced I need a product like this in my make up bag! I know I'm probably not supposed to say that and all the make up gurus out there will be aghast at that but there, I've said it! I'll carry on using it for a while as I know these are supposed to help your eye make up stay on longer - we shall see!

 

 

So far, very impressed with the quality of the Smashbox products and can't wait to do a review of the next lot of their products and share them with you all.

 

Which is your favourite primer?

Do you swear by a lid primer and use one as part of your everyday make up routine?

 

xxx

 

 

Smashbox Try It Kit ~ Testers!

 

I've been wanting to try Smashbox products for a while now, especially their primer! Sadly I've got a history of choosing products (expensive ones at that) and then not liking them. They then sit in my make up box for months completely unused, very annoying. So before I buy anything nowadays I tend to try to get a sample or buy a miniature of the product. So when I saw Smashbox were doing a "Try it Kit" I thought this was ideal for me!

 

This little kit costs £19 and contains :

 

7ml Oil Free Photo Finish Foundation Primer

0.5ml Photo Finish Lid Primer

Hyperlash Mascara in Blackout (Blackest Black)

Lip Enhancing Gloss in Illume

Limitless Eye Liner in Onyx (Black)

 

Smashbox Try It Kit

 

This amazing little kit comes in a neat little box with all the products standing upright and information printed on the inside of each individual product.

 

 

 

What I love about this kit is that the sizes of each of the products are all very generous and give you a chance to sample them without having to buy the full sized (and priced!) version. The other great thing is that Smashbox send you a free sample with every order so you also get to try some of their other items too! I got a mini sample of the primer which is the same as the one in this kit but as I was impressed with it I'm quite happy to have another little bottle.

 

 

 

 

 

The lip gloss is a lovely iridescent colour and would suit practically any skin tone and the mascara and eyeliner are both black so you can't really go wrong with this fantastic little collection. The shipping from Smashbox was also free and although it states the shipping takes 2 - 5 days I received my order within 3 which is great considering I couldn't wait to get my hands on this!

 

I'll do a separate review of the products as I didn't want this post to be too long or wordy and just wanted to share my latest find with you all! :)

 

 

To take a look at the UK Smashbox Website for this kit click here

 

Which Smashbox products would you recommend?

Which are the ones you would avoid?

 

xxx

What's in my GlossyBox?? September 2012

 

After last month's GlossyBox flop I thought I would give them one more month before I cancelled my subscription.

This month was slightly better although I'm still considering changing to another beauty box brand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I received a 15ml sample of Bio Silk's leave in treatment that helps to moisturise and restructure the hair.

 

7ml Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream which is supposed to soothe, brighten and lift the eye area.

 

7ml Olay Regenerist Wrinkle Relaxing Complex Cream.

 

 

 

 

1.2ml sample of Lady Gaga's new perfume "Fame" which has a crushed floral fragrance.

 

 

 

 

2 sachets of Rodial's 5 minute facial and 2 sachets of Rodial's Glamoxy Snake Serum.

 

All in all I think this box is better than the last one and I'm keen to try the Rodial products and the Balance Me eye cream.  The box the products arrived in this month was very cute and patterned which is a nice change to the plain pink ones they usually use. You can just about see some of the box in the pictures.

I'll be doing a more in-depth review of a couple of these samples once I've tried them so can let you know what I thought then!

 

What did you get in your GlossyBox this month?

If you're not a GlossyBox gal, which box do you use and what did you get in it this month?

 

xxx

 

 

Pretty in Pink ~ Barry M Dolly Pink Lip Paint

 

I'm not always very adventurous as I'd like to be with my lip colours and tend to stick to glosses. However a few weeks ago whilst I was perusing the shelves in Superdrug I came across Barry M's fantastic range of lip sticks. There are 32 colours in their range and they're all very glossy and bright.

 

I chose 146 Dolly Pink which is a vibrant, hot pink lippie. I love that these lipsticks are bright and quite inexpensive at £4.49.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wouldn't wear this during the day as it is very bright but I wore it on a night out with toned down eye make up to draw the focus straight to the lips!

 

 

 

 

The plus points with this lipstick are that it stays on for quite a while without having to re-apply it. It's also great for layering and building up colour so you can have it more subtle than the picture above. I don't think there are really any negatives to report with this, great colour, matching lip liners and very reasonable price.

 

To have a look at the whole Barry M range check out their website.

 

What are your favourites from the Barry M range?

 

xxx

 

 

 

 

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Limited Edition

 

I know there has been a lot of reviews and blogs on this product but I received mine this week and wanted to share my thoughts on it. This edition of Cleanse and Polish contains Rose, Lavender, Essential Oils and is in partnership with The Prince's Trust who help provide practical and financial support to young people who need it most. £2 from the sale of this product goes straight to The Prince's Trust so this is a fantastic way to give to charity.

 

I usually use the normal Cleanse and Polish so was a bit worried I'd get this one and not like it. But I was wrong, it's the same texture and feel of the regular one but this has a lovely delicate smell of lavender and aromatherapy oils. Liz Earle recommends to use this in the evenings due to the Lavender having a calming fragrance which can aid sleep.

 

 

 

 

I'm glad I chose the limited edition over the normal one and it's such a shame it's not going to be permanent in their range as it smells gorgeous and the packaging is beautiful and it's a fantastic twist on the original product.

 

Get this while you can, you won't be disappointed!

You can buy this 150ml Edition for £19.75 on the Liz Earle Website

 

Which other Liz Earle products would you like to see reviewed?

Which products from the new cosmetic range have you tried?

 

xxx

 

Liz Earle Skincare Favourites

 

 

Anyone who reads my blog knows my love for Liz Earle products. I've been using them for a few years now and they really have changed my skin from constant breakouts to clear and less oily. Apart from the Cleanse & Polish my two favourites from Liz Earle have to be the Gentle Face Exfoliator and Brightening Treatment Mask.

 

 

 

 

The facial exfoliator is great for my skin, not too gritty thanks to the fine jojoba beads but it also leaves my skin soft due to the cocoa butter. I use this about twice a week and it always leaves my skin a lot smoother which helps my make up go on better and leaves my skin very fresh.

 

"Facial Exfoliator"

 

 

The Brightening mask is relatively new to me and I was introduced to it by my sister. I use this when my skin looks a bit dull from too many late nights or if it just needs a quick fix before a night out. This has to be one of Liz's best products as it really works and my skin looks and feels so refreshed. You're only supposed to leave it on for between 30 seconds and 2 minutes but I leave it on for up to 5 for a real boost. It contains purifying white clay and aloe vera so it smells amazing!

 

 

 

"Brightening Mask"

 

 

This isn't supposed to be suitable for sensitive skin but it's seems fine on my skin which is usually quite sensitive.

 

The exfoliator is £9.50 for a 50ml tube and the brightening mask is £14.25 for a 50ml starter kit. To check out the full details on this product click here

 

What are your skincare favourites?

 

xxx

 

 

Dior Capture Totale Foundation - Beauty Must Have!

 

I have been a fan of Dior foundations for quite a few years now, my favourite being the Forever range. I had so many comments about how radiant my skin looked and it always covered every blemish I had. So last year I noticed it wasn't having the same effect any more and it was becoming "average" looking. When I spoke to the assistant on the Dior counter she said it was likely that my skin had changed and no longer suited that particular foundation. I was pretty crushed and disappointed as I had relied on it for so long. However the clever Dior girl suggested the Capture Totale range....and I was smitten again!

 

The reason I say she was clever is that the foundation is a whopping £62!!!! I'm not exactly rolling in money so spending this much money on a foundation is not going to happen. Enter Mum & Dad combined with Christmas = the only way I could ever justify having a foundation this expensive. I know this would put tons of people off and I agree it's ridiculously expensive but it is such an amazing product! I literally only use it for nights out or special occasions - I have a cheaper one from Rimmel for all other times.

 

 

 

The Capture Totale range is a high definition serum foundation which is suitable for all skin types. I like a good coverage with my foundations and this one provides a medium coverage and glides on so well it's like applying silk! It also has anti-ageing and anti-wrinkle qualities which makes it an all round fantastic foundation, big smiles :)

 

 

The pump applicator makes it mess free and prevents you from overusing by allowing you to pump out the exact amount you need.Containing a SPF 15 is also another plus. It's called a radiance restoring  foundation and it really does give my skin a gorgeous radiance without looking too dewy or shiny. I am in love with this foundation and dread it running out.

 

 

 

 

As you can see in the picture, the texture is lovely and smooth, thick without being too heavy.

 

It smooths over the skin well and looks even better when it's blended with a brush. I find it does last longer than a normal foundation and my skin looks fresher with it. The colour of my foundation is 020 but I think there are up to 9 shades in this range.

 

 

 

Blends in beautifully!

 

I have had this since Christmas 2011 and still have quite a bit left as you don't need very much of this at all. I would 100% recommend this to anyone wanting a luxury foundation.

 

What foundation would you recommend for every day wear?

Which is your luxury buy foundation?

 

xxx

 

 

 

No7 Perfectly Bronzed Mosaic Bronzer

 

It's not like I need any more blushers or bronzers but hey, what's one more to add to the collection??

 

Personally I blame Boots and their No7 vouchers. I was prepared to go in get what I needed and go. But once that voucher was in my hand I was like a woman possessed - it had to be spent! So after perusing the shelves for a few minutes my eye fell on this little baby and....well it came home with me! ooops.

 

 

 

 

The No7 vouchers are now £5 off skincare and £3 off cosmetics. This was £11.50 so I had to put £8.50 towards it but it was so worth it.

 

 

The compact is very sleek and with the mirror inside it's perfect for my handbag. I love the multi-tonal colours in this as I like the bronzed look but also favour the pinky reds as well. It's a great mix of colours and gives a highly pigmented colour without looking to over the top.

 

 

Definitely my new favourite addition to my make up collection and one I'll be using as much as possible!

 

What did you buy with your No7 voucher?

What's your favourite bronzer / blush?

 

xxx

 

Miss Eyelure False Lashlets from Superdrug

 

I am so excited about my latest beauty find, so naturally I had to do a blog on it straight away! I'm a huge fan of false eyelashes but shamefully I'm awful at applying them. I don't know why I can't get the hang of it and why I make such a mess of it, but I do! A while ago I discovered that pre-glued lashes are so much easier but couldn't actually find many in the shops. That's when I discovered these little gems....

 

 

 

 

They are pre-glued lashlets from the Eylure range and perfect for a someone like me who struggles to apply the normal ones! At £4 each they are an absolute bargain and at the moment Superdrug are doing a 3 for 2 offer so I got all three pairs for £8! Weirdly they only do these in Superdrug that I know of.

 

 

 

"Emily" Lashlets

 

The Emily lashes are the shortest in the range but are still very fluttery and striking!

 

 

"Alice" Lashlets

 

The Alice lashes are very striking, long and luscious - perfect for a night out.

 

 

"Olivia" Lashlets

 

 

The Olivia lashes are just gorgeous, very full and bold which makes your eyes look stunning! I couldn't wear these in the day but I would 100% wear these on nights out.

 

There is another style in this range but it was a bit spiky looking for my taste. These are ultra light lashes and I hardly noticed I was wearing them when I first had a pair on, unlike other lashes that can feel really heavy and awkward. These are totally re-usable and lasted me all night without peeling off or looking wonky - not a great look!

 

I'm so happy I've found this range, they're so easy to apply and look absolutely gorgeous! Fantastic addition to the Eylure range :)

 

What are your favourite brand of lashes?

Have you tried any of the TOWIE or Girls Aloud range?

 

xxx