Friday 30 August 2013

Elemis Sp@Home Frangipani Monoi Salt Glow


I'm here!! I'm still alive!! 
I've been off on my travels once again for the last week and a half (more family commitments back in the Shire) and completely failed at scheduling posts for the week as I had intended. Shameful! I'm not posting nearly as often as I would like recently. I just seem to have been all over the place with various things and NOW, to rub salt into the wound, my DSLR has had to be taken into Nikon hospital. Poor baby. 

Anyhoo, I'm back now with today's slice of blog tart which is dedicated to a product by one of my favourite skincare brands, Elemis...


I was super lucky to actually WIN this product in an Elemis Twitter Giveaway recently (stalking really does pay off sometimes). I've always adored Elemis for facial skincare but had never really dabbled in their body products before. I've been using the same Soap & Glory Scrub for a couple of years now but I completely fell for this when it arrived in the post. I'd heard a little about it on the social media grapevine but that was as far as it went. As soon as I received it could not wait to get in there and get scrubbing! 


This scrub screams luxury to me. The packaging is a big thumbs up, as are the ingredients. Gotta love Elemis for always using gorgeous, natural ingredients with no junk thrown in. I totally trust their products on that front. The scent is out of this world as well. Floral, but also slightly sweet. As I always say with Elemis products though, if you are NOT a fan of heavily or floral scented products I really would give this a miss, but for me this scrub smells a little bit like heaven. 


It's a very pretty scrub to look at in the tub. It doesn't really show by this picture but the Frangipani flowers are a pretty, raspberry pink colour. Not that that matters in terms of performance but it is certainly pleasing on the eye. The scrub itself is quite dense, but the exfoliants are not big and harsh and melt into the skin easily. The scrub I was using before was much rougher and didn't seem to sink in (or rinse off) as easily. Of course, if you require a more thorough, rougher product then perhaps this might not cut it for you but for me this is pretty much on the money. It doesn't leave a big greasy ring around the tub either which appeals to my lazy side.

The Monoi oil leaves a lovely, silky residue on the skin. I'm not one for overly moisturising after my bath as my skin never really feels like it needs that much, so this gives me the bit of moisture that I need as well as getting rid of all the old skin cells that don't belong there anymore. The result is smooth, healthy and glowy skin.

For this product you pay £36.50 for 480g which isn't cheap when you compare it to the likes of Soap & Glory but if you've got a bit of cash to treat yourself you really won't be disappointed as it really is in whole different league. It's a lovely big tub too. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants an effective, yet gentle, exfoliation as well as a bit of a pamper.

For more info and stockists check out this product on 

What is your ultimate exfoliator?? Do you rate Elemis products??
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Saturday 17 August 2013

Sleek Blush by 3: Lace


I know I said that this week was gonna be mainly skincare but, in an attempt to be more organised, I did photos for some new Sleek goodies at the same time and decided that this little beauty couldn't wait. The Sleek Blush By 3 palettes aren't a recent thing. They landed last year in Superdrug stores and online. At the time I picked up the 'Pumpkin' palette (my post on this can be found Here) and missed out on 'Lace' (it always seemed to be sold out) but it occurred to me recently that I hadn't bought any new Sleek products in a while and I went along to Superdrug and came out with this. 


I think it's safe to say that this is such a pretty blush palette. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Sleek are my favourite drugstore brand for blushes and these palettes are great value (3 full size Sleek blushes for £9.99 vs 3 single blushes from their core selection at £4.99 each). This shade palette is much more subtle than 'Pumpkin' but just as pigmented and buildable. This is one that I feel like I will use all year round for both day to day and evening makeup.

The Shades Are....

Crochet (Matte)
A slightly muted deep orange/peach 
Guipure (Shimmer)
A cool-ish toned pink with a stunning gold shimmer
and
Chantilly (Satin)
A deep reddened pink which looks different in different lights


Just as I have come to expect from Sleek, these shades were a pleasure to swatch and took little building to show the true colour. I'd say this palette is perfect for fair to medium skin tones. The texture is very blendable so, even if you find you've put a bit too much on your brush, they're easily evened out with a few strokes. Guipure has the most beautiful sheen (this photo really does not do it justice) and could give the infamous NARS Orgasm a run for it's money. I think Chantilly will get the most use out of the bunch but we'll see. I also love these Sleek blush palettes for travelling because they're so compact (saves makeup bag space for more lippy hehe) and have a GREAT size mirror. 

 All Sleek products can be found in selected Superdrug stores and online. The Blush By 3 palettes come in 5 different shade combinations to suit different skin tones and cost £9.99. Browse all the shades at

Do you love Sleek blushes?? What are your favourite drugstore brands for blush?? What other Sleek products can't you live without??

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Tuesday 13 August 2013

Rodial Dragon's Blood Hyaluronic Mask: Review


Good afternoon beauty seekers! 
This week is going to be mainly a skincare week. I've finally got around to trying a few new skincare products since the weather has been so glorious. I find I have very different skincare needs when the weather gets hotter and, luckily enough, I've had the opportunity to address some of those needs and experiment with some different products. One of which is this Rodial Skincare Dragon's Blood Hyaluronic Hydrating Mask*....


I picked up this product at the QVC Autumn/Winter 2013 Press Day and knew immediately that it would come in handy for me over the summer months. I have combination skin which does not always take kindly to heavy, intensive moisturisers or creams but I've still found that I've needed something to sooth my skin and rehydrate after spending time in the sunshine.


This mask can be used as a quick fix 10minute treatment after cleansing or as a leave-on product and I've been really enjoying using it overnight and then rinsing it off the next morning. It's not a thick, visible sort of mask and doesn't feel oppressive on the skin. It has a gel-like texture and a thin layer is very comfortable and gives an instant soothing sensation. When I've had this on my skin feels plumped, smoother and ready for makeup. I don't generally have a problem with redness but this mask does help to combat the slight tinge I get after an afternoon in the sun (which we all need from time to time).


Over the last few weeks I've been using this a couple of times a week and then following with my usual moisturisers (which at the moment is a toss up between my Elemis Pro Radiance Flash Balm or Elemis Freshskin Mattifying moisturiser depending on what I feel my skin needs). Rodial actually have a variety of products in the Dragon's Blood Range including night creams and eye treatments among others. Tragically, my student budget doesn't stretch far enough for me to try them all but, if the mask is anything to go by, they would definitely be worth considering if you have a few extra pennies to treat your skin. I've also tried a sample size of their Glamtox Day Cream which I really enjoyed as well. Perhaps another review to come on that one.

The Rodial Dragon's Blood Hyaluronic Mask retails for £35 for 50ml. You can browse the full Dragon's Blood range of products at  

What are your summer skin fixes?? How do you put back in what the sun takes out?? What are your favourite Rodial skin treats??

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Tuesday 6 August 2013

Review: Bourjois Color Boost "Peach on the Beach"


Okay so been a bit MIA for the last fortnight... A combination of a week's holiday visiting family in Derbyshire, an EPIC course of antibiotics which have left me feeling totally rotten and a dodgy DSLR battery has kind of made blogging very difficult. However, until I can replace my Nikon battery (which should be any day now) I have attempted to resurrect my old, dinky little Coolpix in order to bring you a new post today! Once again drugstore heavyweight brand Bourjois have come out with more fantastic, affordable new products and one of those are their version of the chubby lip crayon, the Color Boost Glossy Finish, Hydrating Lip Colour.


The shade I plumped for out of their range of 4 was (true to form on my part) Peach on the Beach. I have a serious peach fetish going on this season, what can I say? Bourjois describe their product as a hydrating, glossy lip colour that is long lasting as well as waterproof. 

"A new generation formula that provides a bare lips sensation thanks to its sensory, light and non-sticky texture. With a silk extract formula, Color Boost ensures comfort and hydration for 10 hours. Plus, it has SPF 15 and Waterproof colour! Available in 4 bold shades" 


I am a massive fan of the Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stains so I kind of knew I would like this product too, especially as Bourjois are fast becoming my drugstore brand of choice. The product is so comfortable to wear and easy to apply. It feels slightly silkier on the lips than the Revlon version and really does seem to last well. It lasts through an afternoon on me with ease with minimal transfer. I haven't done a thorough waterproof test with it but I'm guessing it would put up a good fight. 


I really like the colour of this lipstick. It pulls more pink on the lips than it appears from the stick and with a fairly sheer, but buildable, opacity which I like. It's slightly deeper than my MAC Sweet and Sour (post Here) and not as orange based as my Sleek Peaches and Cream (post Here) and at £7.99 I think it's great value as I don't have to constantly reapply it. 

It seems that Bourjois can do no wrong for me at the moment. I've also been playing with their Bronzing BB Cream and just got my hands on their Bronzing Primer so I'm sure you'll be hearing more Bourjois from me very soon. They've really impressed me with a lot of the things they have released this year and I look forward to seeing what else they have up their sleeved for the rest of 2013!

Do you go potty for peach?? What are your Bourjois favourites?? What drugstore products can't you live without?? 
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