July Favourites!

I thought that because it's the start of August it would be a great time to do my first ever favourites post :) I know that I have posted about some of these items a few times but they are my favourites. Some of these products I haven't mentioned before and I have only just started testing them out. Who knows, they may feature in my August favourites :)

Hair Care!

Product: Phil Smith Total Treat Argan Oil Cream
RRP: £10.99 per 100ml

I have this in the sample size because it came free with a magazine but I think it's a fantastic way to get introduced to new products that you probably haven't tried or even heard of before.

I have been using this religiously for the past few months and it has made my hair so much smoother and softer. My hair was quite damaged before hand and a combination of getting it cut and taking more care has really helped fix my hair.

I would totally recommend this if you don't like the feel of argan oil on your hands and you need a good hair treatment. It's inexpensive and totally worth it!

Product: Bumble and bumble Hair Thickening Spray
RRP: £21.50 per 250ml

This is another sample size I managed to get from a magazine, this came from the August 2013 issue of ELLE and I have wanted to try Bumble and bumble products for a while but I think there have been very mixed reviews on some of their products and they are a little expensive for my budget.

I have used this a few times in the past week and I really like the results that I get from the product. It's something that everyone can use, it says thickening pray but if you use it on thick hair it's not like your going to end up with an uncontrollable mass, it just helps set your hair with a bit of volume.




Skincare!

Product(s): Clinique - Moisture Surge, All About Eyes and Anti - Blemish Solutions Spot Treatment Gel
RRP: £32.00 (Moisure Surge), £25.00 per 15ml (All About Eyes) and £14.00(Anti - Blemish Solutions Spot Treatment Gel)

I have put these all together because I always use them together. I love the spot treatment because it literally clears spot in days. The moisture sure is soo hydrating and non greasy and the all about eyes does feel a little greasy but it hydrates perfectly and your going to wash your face in the morning anyway! It just does wonders for my skin and my face feels brighter, more even and just all round better because of these products. I can with out a doubt say that I will but the full size/ repurchase these products. They are just so amazing! I would always get a consultation from Clinique before buying anything, they will know what you need.

Make-up!!!

Product: Urban Decay Naked Palette
RRP: £36.00

I am in love with this product and will be buying Naked 2 as soon as I can afford it. 12 colours means that you can find really versatile looks. You can make really natural day looks or dark smoky night time looks. I know that some people were disappointed because there are only 2 matte colours but that really doesn't bother me and in fact I think pearl/shimmer colours help give depth to your eyes.
They last so long as well, I use this practically every day for the last 6-8 months and I haven't even reached pan on a single colour. I really recommend this product if your searching for the perfect smoky look or want a good eyeshadow starter kit.

Product: Revlon Photoready Primer
RRP: £11.99

I had heard so many good things about this primer and up until about 4/5 months ago I had never used a primer on my face before. I realise now what a huge mistake that was. This is great for making your skin matte and smooth which is what I desperately needed. I would say that the combination of this primer and a setting spray will help your make-up last all day/night.

Product: Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer
RRP: £15.00

I've been using the Urban Decay Primer Potion for a while but my sample size is running out :(
I found a Smashbox starter kit which was £19.00 which is great because I had wanted to try Smas box for a while and if I got to get a little sample of their products then I could make a decision on whether to purchase more of their products. I really like this primer, it is pigmented with a nude beige colour which I like because I can wear it by itself. It isn't as liquidy as UDs but I think it provides a great base for my eyeshadow.

Product: Lancome Hypnose Mascara
RRP: £22

Love this mascara!!! It's soo lightweight and buildable. I have found with some mascaras that once its applied it dries rock solid but with this, the formula is so soft and smooth that you can apply it in the morning and re apply later in the day and it doesn't hurt. The brush is also quite soft so it's really gentle on eyelashes. The black is really intense so it really stands out and makes your lashes look so long. I will buy a full size of this when I run out.

Product: Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara
RRP: £22

I'm not sure if the formula is the same as the original hypnose or not but they both feel the same. The brush, however is much different, It is a flat tapered brush which lengthens and volumises when used correctly. I would say that I would buy this again but I think I'd like to try other Lancome mascaras as well.

Product: Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara
RRP: £18.00

I actually managed to get this for £2 because of a charity lucky dip they were doing! The brush on this is huge but really does a nice job of coating and lengthening my lashes. This also had a soft formula so you can reapply later.

I possibly won't buy this again and it wasn't because I don't like it because I really do, it's because they have other mascaras which I want to try and because I have so many other mascaras.

Well that's it for my July favourites and I really hope that you enjoyed reading this. Let me know what your favourites are, I might try them and they could be featured in a future favourites post.

- Ruby 

Upcoming posts

Hi all!

I know I haven't posted in a while but I am working on a few things.
Firstly I haven't been able to get my lighting equipment so that's pushed a few things back. I know I have been saying for sometime now that I am going to start posting on YouTube and have never actually delivered but this is something that I am seriously working on and it will take some time so please bare with me.

I was thinking that for my first video post I will do a £20 makeup challenge, in no small part because I need to cut down on my spending. So I am really looking forward to this.

Also, lately I have been feeling like I'm under a decent amount of stress and have had some pretty bad breakouts (no fun!) and this has prompted me to revise my skincare routine, so once I find one that is working for me then I will share it with you all! :)


So as I say, please bare with me because I promise that I will deliver :D

Much love
-Ruby x

DIY testing! Milk + Gelatin Pore Strips

For those of you who are familiar with this method then you don't need any prior warning, but to those of you who have never done this before then I should tell you now that you really should not do this if you don't have a strong stomach.


So, you will need;
- Milk (plain, doesn't matter about fat content)
- Powdered gelatin - really important that it is powdered.
- Small glass for the mixture, make sure it's microwave safe!
- Spoon to mix
- Brush to apply

 It's simple, all you have to do  is mix the gelatin and milk in a cup.
- roughly 3g powdered gelatin
-3 tbsp milk

Pop in the microwave for about 45-60 seconds until it's gloopy. Just don't do what I did and microwave for 30 seconds, think it's not doing anything and then whack it in for another minute because this is what happens.

 It had literally exploded in the microwave and left a puddle of this disgusting mix :(
By this point you should understand why I recommended a strong stomach, I gauged that it smelled somewhere between off cheese and baby sick (sorry about the description but that's as accurate as I could get to telling you what it smells like).


So then you need to apply it wherever you need it and I suggest that you try somewhere you're not immediately going to smell and apply it thick! I applied it on my nose and it was sooo disgusting! There was clumps of gelatin and everything hahaha.

Don't get me wrong, once it's dried it work so much better than a pore strip but I really can't get past the smell. If you have any ideas on how to fix this then pleeeaasssee let me know :P

I hope you enjoyed this post and let me know how you got on with it :)
- Ruby x

Clinique reviews!

I have had a few Clinique products that I have wanted to do a review on but now that I have been using them for a while I think that I can give a decent opinion on them. I know that Clinique is know for being a brand which is kind to skin and promotes general skin care and considering that my skin needs all the hel it can get then I thought it would be worth trying them!

 This is the first product and I believe this is a sample size as it came as a promotional offer where you buy 2 products and get a goody bag. It is the All About Eyes eye cream.

I found with this product that I only needed a tiny amount per eye because it was a little bit greasy feeling. It spreads really well and generally is a nice product to use.

Can't comment on smell as Clinique are known to be fragrance free haha but the texture was really nice and if this is only a sample size then I would consider getting the full size because it would be such good value for money!.

Update! This is a sample size and the full size costs about £24



I know for a fact that this is a sample size! This is their Moisture Surge moisturiser and I like how this applies and how far a small amount will go but the only thing that I don't really like about it is that it feels like it dries really fast and that you haven't really moisturised at all!

I love the texture and everything else about it and in some ways I like the fact that it dries fast because then I don't feel like my skin will be oily/greasy but I just want it to feel like I am getting some sort of benefit.


This fully size retails for £32

This one right here, I absolutely love this one!
I bought this one full size because I needs some sort of spot treatment and I have not regretted buying this one.

I can apply this when I feel a spot about to breakout and it will get rid of it in 3 days maximum. Stings like mad if you get it on open wounds though :(

I think this was only about £13 so I was quite pleased with the price and I will probably buy this again when I eventually run out!








I hope you like this review and let me know if there is anything else you'd like to see.
-Ruby

May Haul/Review

I have decided that I am going to start doing a monthly haul/review sort of thing, though this could end up being a little difficult because I suppose some months there might not be anything that I have to show you :S

Anyway, I have done a little shopping last month and as we are now officially into June then I can show a completed May haul/review and I will apologise in advance for the picture to text ratio, so sorry about that!. Here we go...

First of all I picked up this Smashbox Try It Kit from boots for £19 and for that price I thought it would be worth a shot.

So In this kit (From left to right) :
1. Photo Finish Primer
2. Photo Finish Lid Primer
3. Limitless Eye Liner - Onyx
4. Hyperlash Mascara
5. Lip Enhancing Gloss



My first thoughts when seeing what was in the box was that it is really a decent starter kit and because I had never used smash box before than this would be the best was to get introduced to it. I have tried other primers/lid primers before so it is interesting to see how well they compare to the others.

I have actually used all of these products so here are my thoughts:

1. Photo Finish Primer:
I actually really like this! I have heard very mixed reviews and I can see why. I love the feel of the product on my skin and it does make my skin a little matte but not as much as I would have hoped for. It feels soo luxurious on the skin and it really smooths everything out. So over all I do like it and I would either consider buying it again or choosing another primer from Smashbox and I am very interested in trying the green colour correcting primer that they have as that is a very big issue for my skin.

2. Photo Finish Lid Primer:
I was using the Urban Decay Primer Potion before using this primer and I really love my primer potion, it is the perfect formula but I like this primer as well. The primer applies in the same way as Urban Decay but for some weird reason the formula feels a bit rough :/ It's also coloured to about a light medium skin tone which I'm really not a fan of because I have such fair skin...Actually after a bit of research, they only have one colour and it's described as warm beige. So as much as I think that it's a nice primer I think I'll stick to my Urban Decay.

3. Limitless Eyeliner - Onyx
I have wanted to buy a new pencil eyeliner for a while and it's great that I have this one to try. I was using the Clinique Quickliner but I was thinking about buying the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eyeliner. I just want something that would work well for tightlining (If you have any suggestions then let me know) so it needs to stay and be nice to apply. I found that this was nice to apply on skin but when I was trying to apply it to my tightline it was a little difficult to get on a first but then finally went on. It is a really nice quality eyeliner and stays on quite and the colour is quite intense, but I much prefer a gel liner for my eyes.

4. Hyperlash Mascara:
I LOVE this mascara, Its a standard plastic brush but one edge has a row of slightly longer spikes. It's fantastic for lengthening and volumising lashes. It's not a harsh formula that dries solid so touching up on your mascara won't hurt too much.I would seriously recommend giving this a try.

5. Lip Enhancing Lipgloss:
I'm always a bit dubious about new lipglosses, mainly because there is nothing worse than a sticky lipgloss, especially if you have long hair like me. This one wasn't too sticky but I would still have to tie my hair back, the colour is really nice - its like a sparkly champagne. There was one thing that I really didn't like and it was that after a while it felt really gritty on my lips so I probably wouldn't buy this again but I will finish it.

 This is another Smashbox mascara and I managed to only get this for £2! They were having a charity event at their counter in Boots Eldon Square where if you donated to Macmillan Cancer Support then you got to do a lucky dip :)

It's a really nice mascara and the formula isn't too different to the Hyperlash but the brush gives a fuller effect and I think this usually retails for around £17 so compared to some other brands then it's not too bad of a price.


I would like to just this opportunity to mention a bit more about Macmillan Cancer Support and how important their work is. They raise money so that there can be a higher quality of support for those who are suffering with cancer, providing them with the appropriate care and someone to be there for them because they believe that no one should have to go through it alone. I really feel that their work is exceptional and that more people should know about their work. Here's their website --> http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Home.aspx

I have also been to M.A.C and bought myself a few little goodies :)

This first one is the Extra Dimensions Eyeshadow in Opalesse
and this makes a brilliant brow and cheek bone highlighter.

It's a two tone pearly shadow. Mainly white with a purple effect.

It's bigger than the normal eyeshadows and I think it casts about £16.50

I have heard loads of beauty bloggers talking about how much they like this lipstick and so I decided that I would give it a try!

I absolutely love the smell of M.A.C lipsticks and their colour range is fantastic. This is the colour Creme Cup and it is a Cremesheen finish and its a pinky beige colour which I think is fantastic for everyday wear!

The lipsticks cost about £14 which I don't think is massively over priced and they have virtually every colour you could ever want!

 I also bought my first ever M.A.C Nail Laquer and this is the colour Pistachio Creme which is a pale mint green.
It costs about £10 which is reasonable considering there are other  brands which would cost more.

It's similar to Essie Mint Candy Apple but I think this is slightly more blue and could pass for a Tiffany's Blue.

I love this and the packaging is lovely but if I do buy another then I think I will go for something a little more obscure and unique.

I was also in Lush and I went in specifically to buy the Karma soap but when I got to the counter to pay the sales assistant said that they also made a perfume in the same scent.

There are 3 different intensities to this perfume and the solid one (pictured) is the weakest but by no means is it subtle.
They have one in a long tube which is the second strongest and
then one in a black bottle which is the strongest.

The solid perfume only costs £5 so it's really inexpensive and it has the most amazing smell. Though I would suggest that it is more of an autumn/ winter fragrance.






I hope that I haven't completely completely rambled on and if you think that I haven't provided you with the answers you wanted about a specific product shown then just let me know and I'll get back to you ASAP :)
I hope you like this post :)
- Ruby