Styli-Style Timeless Lipstick in Jewels

I love a berry shade of lippy. I have to admit that I actually prefer pink and berry shades over red and oranges any day. For some reason they seem to suit my pale skin tone better and I find I can match my eye makeup a lot better to berry shades as well.

When I received this Styli-Style lipstick in the shade Jewels in a past monthly sample box (I can't remember which one for the life of me) I was very excited as the shade looked like it was made for me.

I'd never actually heard of this brand before so did a little bit of research and found that they are a USA company and not much else. Their website is a little bit vague on any further details. If anyone knows some helpful information they'd like to share about this brand I'd love for you to leave a comment!

Anyway, this lipstick looks quite a bit darker in the bullet than it really is when applied. It actually ends up being a lovely dark pink/light berry shade when applied onto the lips.

I have practically been living in this lipstick during the past couple of months as I just love the shade and find it so versatile. It is also quite long wearing and fades to a pretty pink stain. It can feel a little drying on the lips sometimes though but I always make sure that I apply a lip balm prior to wearing it and that seems to take care of that problem pretty easily.

It has a very subtle smell and taste too which is a big winner to me.

Has anyone else used this brand of lipstick before or any other products from this brand?

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Michelle xx

Veet Sensitive Hair Removal Cream and EasyGrip Ready To Use Wax Strips

Coming into the warmer weather I always get a huge shock and start to panic when I think of the first time my legs will be on show without being safely encased in jeans, pants, stockings or leggings. I have to admit that I am absolutely shocking when it comes to keeping up with hair removal through the colder months and always get caught out because my legs are just too furry to be on public display.

A few weeks ago I was contacted to trial some Veet Hair Removal products and I thought "Great, this will give me that extra motivation to de-fuzz more regularly and get on top of things!"

The first product I tried was the Veet Sensitive EasyGrip Ready To Use Wax Strips. I have to admit that I was a bit hesitatnt to use these at first because of bad experiences I've had in the past with other at-home waxing products but these ended up being so super easy to use and worked a treat at removing every bit of hair.

 These strips come in a pack of twenty (ten double strips stuck together so when you peel them apart you get twenty)  as well as 4 perfect finish wipes that you use to wipe off any excess wax after you're done and soothe the skin and a set of easy instructions.

These strips are so easy to use as all you do is rub them between your hands for a bit to warm the wax, peel two of the strips apart, place one strip onto the area you wish to remove hair from and rub over it a few times, grip the EasyGrip tab at the end and pull the strip quickly in the direction of hair growth. Then once you are done you rub over the area with one of the perfect finish wipes and you're all done!

No messy pots or spatulas or heating or anything else to worry about.

I used these strips on my legs and bikini line and did not get the slightest bit of irritation at all. Days later the areas are still totally smooth and feel great. The strips can be re-used a few times each as well until they lose their stickiness so you should get at least 4 applications from each packet.

The next product I tried was a personal favourite of mine, and that is the Veet Sensitive Hair Removal Cream. I've always been a huge fan of hair removal cream because it's a great pain free way of dealing with hair in sensitive areas such as the underarms as well as treating any stray hairs you find you missed when waxing.

The problems I've always had in the past with other hair removal creams is the atrocious chemical smell that usually comes with them and the fact that some have a tendency to burn or irritate my skin.

Fortunately the Veet Sensitive Hair Removal Cream has a very subtle smell that is almost shampoo-like which makes it much more pleasant to use. Being a product specifically for sensitive skin meant that it didn't irritate me in the slightest either which I was so grateful for.

This cream comes with a cute little plastic spatula that you use to apply the cream onto your desired area (I used it for my underarms as I will never, ever be game enough to wax there) and then you are advised to leave it to do its thing for 5 minutes, and no more than 10 minutes for stubborn, thick hair and then use the other side of the spatula to remove the hair from the area kind of like using a razor blade. Then you are advised to rinse the area thoroughly after use to get rid of any residual product.

After using this cream my skin was so soft and smooth with no irritation at all, even when I applied deodorant soon after.

I definitely can recommend either of these products to those of you who prefer the at-home option to hair removal like me and also if you have sensitive skin and hate the irritation that can come with using other products.

For more information on any of the Veet hair removal products you can go to their website here.

Is anyone else a coward like me and refuses to wax their underarms?

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Michelle xx

*** Product supplied for consideration but my opinions are my own. Honesty always!!*** 

Nude By Nature - BB 5-in-1 Miracle Cream

So, I have been meaning to write a post about this cream for an awfully long time but just kept forgetting!!

Today I finally realised I still hadn't done it so here is my review of this cream for your enjoyment :-)

I have been using the Nude By Nature BB 5-in-1 Miracle Cream on and off for a good couple of months now after receiving it in a past Bellabox (I think?).

At first this BB Cream and I had issues. I mean REAL issues! I found it so hard to work with and just kept getting very frustrated every time I tried to apply it of a morning. It dries very fast to a matte finish and becomes practically impossible to work with once it has passed the point of blendability. If I tried to apply too much I ended up with streak city all over my face and if I applied too little I ended up being stuck with an unfinished face that was practically impossible to blend and even out.

Then, one day I finally found the exact amount I needed to apply to get perfect coverage for my face and a love affair was finally born. See, love can be something that can grow on you eventually.......

Here is a little bit about this BB Cream:

'Our BB 5-in-1 Miracle Cream takes the best skin care mixed with the best in mineral make-up to give your skin the nourishing softness you like, with the flawless finish we love. BB instantly hydrates, corrects, perfects, protects and gives your skin natural radiance in one lightweight application. BB you best, beautiful self with this natural wonder!'

So, once I found the perfect application amount I became hooked on this cream. Once it sets it gives such a nice matte finish to the skin that is ideal for those days you just want to walk straight out the door without any fuss. It covers small blemishes with ease and makes the skin look nice and even in a way that a regular tinted moisturiser just doesn't seem to achieve.

This BB Cream comes in three shades, Light, Medium and Dark according to Nude By Nature's website.

The shade I received was Medium which is a tad too dark for me, especially now it's winter and I've resorted to my almost ghost-like paleness again. But, I wouldn't say that it's so dark that I feel I have a mask on so I've still been using it over the past few weeks on a regular basis. I'm lucky that I have been blessed (??) with a lot of freckles so it tends to be a similar shade to them and therefore blends over my face quite well. I think the light shade would have been a perfect match though so may look into trying this next time.

The scent of this BB Cream is a winner too. It's quite pleasant without being too overpowering and doesn't stay with you all day which I think is a bonus.

Overall, this is probably one of the better BB Creams I have used so far and seems to be the one I reach for most often.

Has anyone else tried this BB Cream yet? Do you find it as temperamental to apply as I do?

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Michelle xx

Arbonne RE9 Advanced Extra Moisture Restorative Day Creme SPF15

I was very excited to be notified recently of the launch of the new RE9 Advanced Skincare range from Arbonne International and to be given the opportunity to try one of the new products, the RE9 Advanced Extra Moisture Restorative Day Creme SPF 15.

Here is a little bit of info on the new RE9 Advanced Skincare range:

RE9 Advanced is a global anti-ageing skin system, comprising of 9 potent age-defying elements, 6 key botanicals and natural enzymes to help create visibly younger-looking and hydrated skin.

For example, RE9 can help target the appearance of:

*  Redness

*  Pore size

*  Skin tone

*  Texture

*  Lines and wrinkles

The 9 potent Elements within the RE9 Advanced range include:

·         Algae Extract

·         Vitamin C

·         Bio-Hydria® Complex

·         Vitaspheres

·         Elhibin and Stimu-Tex®

·         Alpha Lipoic Acid

·         Copper

·         Peptide

·         Alpha and Beta Hydroxy Acids.

These elements work in synergy with the Botanical ingredients (such as Sea Buckthorn Oil, Marine Lavender Extract), delivering antioxidants and vitamins to help support collagen and elastin production, nurturing the skin, leaving it looking softer and hydrated.

 

The RE9 Advanced Extra Moisture Restorative Day Creme SPF 15 is uniquely formulated for drier, more dehydrated skin. The ultra hydrating creme features high concentration of moisture-enhancing ingredients that support collagen and protect and restore the skin's youthful appearance.

The key ingredients of this creme are Algae Extract, Kudzu Root Extract and Peptides. 

For the past few weeks I have been using this creme on my face every morning and I am positive that it has been a saviour to my poor, winter ravaged skin. Usually at this time of year my face gets seriously dry, sensitive and altogether just painful no matter what I do. My problem is that even though my skin gets dry and sensitive overall in most places on my face, I also seem to suffer from quite oily cheeks and chin which makes things extremely difficult sometimes and I've even resorted to using two different creams on parts of my face at certain times just to stop the dry bits being too dry and the oily bits being too oily.

Amazingly, this Day Creme manages to make my face feel perfectly moirturised and comfortable after application and is the perfect base for my makeup without the need even for a primer if I don't feel like it (which is the majority of the time due to being the mother of a toddler who needs to get ready in record time most days).

The creme is not too thick, absorbs really fast and has a lovely scent that reminds me a bit like citrus. The creme is dispensed via a pump and I find that two pumps is the perfect amount to cover my entire face and neck area. The addition of the SPF 15 is great too as it means that one less product needs to be applied prior to sun exposure.

I've found that my skin also seems to react a lot less to being in air-conditioning or outside in the elements when I use this creme and I've noticed that I seem to be getting fewer blemishes than before and when I do get them they seem to be healing a bit faster than usual.

Overall I am just a little bit in love with this creme and think it might actually become a winter staple of mine.

The Arbonne International RE9 Advanced Extra Moisture Restorative Day Creme is available on the Arbonne website here.

Has anyone else used any products from this new range yet? 

I hope everyone has a great week!

Michelle xx

***This product was provided for consideration but my opinions are all my own - honesty always!***

Short & Sweet Session - July 2013

Welcome to my first ever Short & Sweet Session post as described here. I was initially going to do one of these posts per sample product that impressed me at a time but decided to just group my favourites for the month together instead as this ended up being a bit more sensible to me (and a lot less time consuming too!)

This month there were only four sample products I used that I thought worth mentioning. They were as follows:

1) GKMBJ One Minute Treatment Hair Mask - I loved, loved, loved this product and am most definitely going to get myself a full size. The smell is delicious and it made my fine, straw like, frizz fest of a head of hair feel so much softer and more manageable. I also love that it only needs to be on for one minute to do its magic. This means I can slather it on after washing my hair and do something else quick like shave or exfoliate and then it's ready to be rinsed off. This is way more practical than other hair masks that need to be left on for 10-15 minutes or so. I'm not a fan at all of getting in the shower, getting out to let my mask work and then getting back in again just to rinse and any product that doesn't force me to do that but still works is great to me!

2) Kiehl's BB Cream - This has to be one of the best BB creams I have used so far. Firstly, it smells kind of like a chocolate coated coffee bean to me which I was a tad excited about every time I went to use it, secondly, it blends into the skin beautifully and leaves a lovely matte finish without a hint of greasiness, and thirdly, a little of this cream goes a seriously long way so this deceivingly small sample lasted me about 5 or 6 uses before running out. This is definitely up there as one of the best BB creams around in my opinion.

3) Remedica Vanilla & Shea Nut Body Creme - This creme is so lovely that I was almost tempted to try eating it. My sensitive, eczema prone skin soaked this creme up like there was no tomorrow and felt really soft and nourished. The smell of this creme is unbelievable. It cannot be adequately described in any other way than delicious. I felt so decadent applying this after showering and before heading to bed at night and found that the scent lasted all night and through most of the next day on my skin as well. Definitely a great, luxurious creme for those whose skin needs that bit extra pampering sometimes.

4) Aromatherapy Associates Relax Bath & Shower Oil - For some reason I'm usually not a big fan of the scent of lavender but I found that I really loved it in the form of this oil. A few drops of this in the bath fills the whole near vicinity with the subtle scent of lavender and the oil ended up making my skin feel lovely and soft and I didn't even have to moisturise afterwards. I'm intrigued now about trying some of the other scents in this range in the near future.

I'd love to know if anyone else has tried any of these products before and what you thought about them?

Have a great week!

Michelle xx