Bourjois Rouge Edition Aqua Laque Red My Lips Review

The Hype
Bourjois take on your lipstick woes with their new collection of liquid lipsticks. Rouge Edition Aqua Laque is designed with a unique aqua formulation so once it's applied it will not feather or run, eliminating the need for a lip liner. The formula has a non-sticky consistency allowing for the lipstick to glide on easily, helping to create a light water like sensation on the lips. With Nymphaea extract the lipstick is designed to keep lips smooth and moisturised throughout the day. Available in 8 shades from soft pinks to statements reds so there is a shade for every skin tone and preference.

The Lowdown
For the purpose of this review I am testing Bourjois Rouge Edition Aqua Laque in Red My Lips. I bought this product quite a while ago but unfortunately I hadn't got around to testing it yet. If you've read my previous reviews I love a bright red and Red My Lips certainly fits into that category. The product has a lip gloss style wand but the consistency of the product was thicker than a normal gloss. The lipstick is amazingly easy to apply as the wand which can be manoeuvred around the curves of your lips easier then a typical lipstick. It has a really smooth aqua like texture that simply slides on without any resistance leaving lips feeling moisturised. The colour is amazingly strong and really stands out.

The lipstick is pretty long lasting and even after eating and drinking there is still some residual colour.

With strong colour, ease of application and comfortable wear the Bourjois Aqua Laque is a fantastic lipstick. I give it 5/5

Available for £8.99 at Boots

Advantages

• Comes in 9 shades from soft nudes to bright shades so there is something for everyone
• Comfortable and does not irritate the lips
• Strong colour
• Moisturising
• Brilliant shine
• Fairly long lasting

Disadvantages

• None that I can see

Mirenesse Secret Weapon iCurl 24 Hour Mascara Video Review

Birchbox gives lots of opportunities to try new products and when I saw Mirenesse Secret Weapon iCurl 24 Hour Mascara I was secretly quite excited. I'm always on the hunt for the best mascara and Secret Weapon claimed to give the ultimate curl and length. Watch my review and see if it lives up to its claim.

Have you tried this mascara? What do you think of it?

Available for £24 at Beauty Bay

Flying high on joy with Fly Cadburys

After being picked out of 18,000 entries to be one of the first winners to head off on the Fly Cadbury's plane I had to let you know how rewarding entering competitions can be.

I received a voice mail on Tuesday 2nd June from the Fly Cadburys team advising me to contact them by Wednesday 3 June at 3pm at the latest. It was all very mysterious but as a avid competition entrant and knowing I had entered the Cadburys competition I realised I had to phone them back sharpish. I rarely check my voice mail messages and I almost missed out on the competition of a life time!

I rang the next day to find I had won 2 tickets on the private Cadburys jet to Berlin with 2 nights stay in the NHow music hotel, £500 spending money, Segway tour and £100 to spend in the famous Sky Kitchen.

I was simply amazed and delighted. On Friday 12th June we headed to Oxford in a luxurious car driven by a Chauffeur. There was no traffic which was a bonus (especially as we passed Heathrow) and we soon headed into the private airport. We were ushered into a private lounge which was adorned with Cadburys memorabilia, including a large stash of chocolate we could take as much as we wanted of.

At 12.30pm we set off to Berlin on the private jet. It was simply glorious with luxury armchairs to sit back and relax in. Pampering wasn't complete until we had lunch with canapes and little triangle sandwiches for lunch and a yummy wafer sandwich for dessert. Once there the weather in Berlin was fabulous (apart from Sunday when it was cloudy).

We were keen to explore and took a trip to Berlin Dungeon, Natrukunde museum (a science/history museum), Berlin Zoo (no pandas anymore unfortunately) and finally a Segway tour around Berlin.

The Segway tour was interesting and for someone who knew very little about Berlin's history, including the Berlin Wall I learnt a lot. It is simply disgusting to realise that Berlins government built a wall to keep people of their country prisoner.

I also got a few extra treats including a GoPro camera and headphones.

I had a amazing time and it's all thanks to entering a simple prize draw!

If you fancy trying your luck head over to Fly Cadburys

Good luck

NYX Baked Blush Review | Now available at Very

The Hype
Nyx Baked Blush is the revolutionary new blusher that has been designed to be used wet or dry for intense colour. The pigment rich blusher is suitable for all skin types and tones and is great for giving skin a natural highlighted glow.

The product is currently available in 12 different shades on the NYX website including Ladylike, Full on Femme, Wanderlust, Foreplay and Suga Mama.

The Lowdown
I was lucky enough to be given the chance to test Full on Femme, a rich pink shimmery shade. Blushers are a integral part of my daily makeup routine and I really feel they're fantastic for adding simple contour to your face and adding definition. The blusher comes in simple plastic packaging with a cute bow clasp. A quick glance at the blusher shows just how pigmented it is and I'm interested in seeing if that transfers over when it's applied.

Whilst the blusher looks very pigmented in the packaging it is quite hard to get a build up of colour on the skin and it took a number of applications to get visible colour. On the plus side whilst it is very faint the look is very natural and would be perfect for those who don't want it to look obvious they're wearing makeup.

Overall a nice blusher that is let down by its weak colour transfer. I give it 2/5

You can currently get 4 of the shades on the Very website. If you want to try the rest you can find them on Nyx home page but it is a American website so be warned!

Available for £7.00 at Very 

Advantages

• Comes in 12 shades (on the brand website)
• Suitable for all skin tones
• Can be used wet or dry for different intensities 
• Very natural colour

Disadvantages

• Only four of the shades are available on the Very website
• Colour is quite faint when applied and it takes a number of applications to get a visible look

Cheryl Cole Fernandez Versini X Factor Makeup Tutorial

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias

I was delighted to be selected to take part in the latest Collective Bias shop. I was given full rein in this shop so I used my creativity to create a makeup tutorial to recreate Cheryl Fernandez-Versini (was Cole) X Factor look 2014. 

I choose to use Boots to buy my products as I love how they've always got the latest cosmetics which is perfect for creating up to date looks.  It's also important to show that you don't need to spend a lot of money on cosmetics to get a good outcome and I focused a lot on budget brands Seventeen and Collection. 

Whilst I already had a few of the basic products to finish the look I bought:

• Seventeen Doll'd  Up Mascara
• Seventeen Gold Eyeshadow
• Collection Field Day Golden Sun Eye Pencil
• Natural Collection Vanilla Lipgloss
• Collection Bronze Glow Shimmering Bronzer in Medium
• Natural Collection Rosebud Lipstick

So without further ado here's the video tutorial, I hope you enjoy and do let me know what you think!

Nail of the day: Barry M Silk Nail Polish in 6 (Lilac)

Today's nail of the day is Barry M Gel Nails in shade 6 (lilac). The polish is generally quite thin so I needed to apply three coats to get the full coverage I desired. Once the polish is dry my nails have a glossy manicure like finish. It's not the brightest of shades so it's probably better for when you don't want your makeup to look too flashy, like when you're at work.

June Birchbox reveal

June's Birchbox brings a collaboration with French Sole to get you ladies outside and into the sunshine.

I did find the products in the box were very natural but I couldn't quite see the connection to the great outdoors. Check out my Youtube video and let my know what you think of the boxes contents!

Find out how to improve problem skin

Do you wish there was a quick way of improving the state of your skin? Read on to discover several skin strategies that really deliver.

Keep skin clear
You're probably already aware that the foolproof way of keeping skin clear is to regularly use a face cleanser (soap free foam wash for oily skin or a milky or balm cleanser for dry skin) twice a day. In addition to cleansing, a fruit acid or enzyme mask can be used up to three times a week to improve the texture of your skin. The products will start to show benefits from two weeks and their use can increase the effectiveness of creams and serums.

Keep it hydrated
If you're one of the 25% of women who don't use a moisturiser you could be depriving your skin of vital moisture. Moisturisers are vital as skin needs a certain water content in order to function correctly and not dry out. The best moisturisers hydrate but don't block pores and with regular use will encourage fresher skin in days. If you have oily skin try to avoid rich creams with mineral oil and shea butter. Alternatively if your skin is on the dry side massage in face oil every night and top with night cream for the ultimate glow.

Treat any problems
If you get a nasty spot it may seem like the end of the world, especially before a big event but with the right steps it's very easy to treat. Salicylic acid deep cleanses and exfoliates skin whilst calming any inflammation. Many cleansers have salicylic acid which will reduce oiliness in four weeks. Another favourite is retinol products that start refining texture and treating blemishes within three weeks.

May Shopping Haul | Forever 21 | Superdrug | H&M and Dorothy Perkins

Check out my latest shopping haul!

Make up tips for a day at the races

by  jaguarmena 

Have you been to the races before? If so, you'll know that it's one of the most fun events for dressing up and looking glamorous during the day time. Women spend hours choosing the right outfit for the races, and with good reason. Many racing events have special days where a prize is given to the best dressed person. As a result, these events aren't just about betting on the right horse - they can also be something of a fashion parade and the general rule is that you dress to impress. Besides choosing the right ensemble, your choice of make up for the races is equally important – after all, it needs to enhance your look, complement your chosen colours and balance out bold hats. Here are some really useful tips for what makeup to wear to the races.

Choosing the right makeup for your hat

A dramatically designed head piece, hat or fascinator can steal the show, but you shouldn't let your features go unnoticed at the same time. Contrary to what you might think, a bold piece of headgear also calls for bold makeup, otherwise your look is going to be unbalanced. Don't believe me? Even the world famous hat designer Philip Treacy holds this opinion.

So, bold is the way forward when it comes to complimenting your hat for the races. As luck would have it, Philip Treacy, who has designed hats for Kate Middleton and Lady Gaga in the past, has recently launched a special hat-inspired make up range for MAC. His products have fun names like the “Royal Wink” fluidliner in blue and the “No Faux Pas” lipstick in hot pink. They sound like the perfect bold statement shades to give you and your hat the wow-factor.

Another great brand for dramatic shades is Illamasqua. Check out the video below for a dramatic eye look that's perfect for the races:

 

If your chosen hat has a wide brim, bear in mind that it will create a shadow over your face. There are a few ways to combat this with make-up. Firstly, make sure your eyes pop under that brim by creating a bold look for your lashes. A few false lashes along your lash line should add extra drama where it's needed. Secondly, since your skin is going to be in the shadows, it will be in danger of looking slightly dull. The good news is there are lots of handy illuminating products out there to give your skin an extra glow. Clarins Beauty Flash Balm or Revlon Photo Ready Skinlights should do the trick. Finally, don't forget to conceal dark under eye areas that could look more dramatic when shadowed under your hat.

How to match your dress to your make up

Obviously, there are certain colours that are going to be harder to match to your make up than others. Neons are one example of a palette that isn't going to be suitable for the highbrow dress codes at the races. Instead, when choosing the colour of your dress you want to go for something vibrant, yet sophisticated, and the same can be said for your make up. One look that's been popular on the red carpet lately is the “matchy-matchy” trend for makeup shades that match the dress colour exactly. Harper's Bazaar magazine recently described this trend as “both classically chic yet refreshingly innovative”. It's a tricky look to pull off, but if you get it right it will certainly turn heads. Here are some colours you could try:

• Deep plum lips to match a plum coloured dress, a look suited to olive skinned beauties like Selena Gomez
• Peachy cheeks and lips to match a pinky-peach outfit, best worn by those with an English Rose complexion, like Emma Stone
• Electric blue eyeshadow to match a blue dress or hat, as seen on Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o

Tip: a word of warning on the use of bold make up colours. Whilst you want features to stand out in order to balance out that statement hat, don't go overboard. Stick to one bold make up item, either eyes or lips – never both at the same time. 

By  Idhren  

How to do day time makeup

One important thing to remember when getting ready for the races: it will be day time, and your makeup needs to be adjusted accordingly. A lot of the glamorous make up we usually have in our makeup bags is designed to be worn at night time, and can look too heavy in the harsh light of day. Foundation in particular can look cakey and can settle into creases, which isn't a flattering look to be sporting in the sunshine. So, take care! Invest in a natural looking foundation with just the right amount of coverage. If you have blemishes, you will still need good coverage to create a flawless base for the bold eyes or lips that are going to compliment your outfit. Choose something with a slightly dewy finish for the most natural look. You can always use some loose powder over the top to set it. If you're going to be photographed, remember that some foundations contain SPFs that cause a flashback effect in photos, giving you the effect of a ghostly white face. Shop around for a foundation that has been thoroughly tested and reviewed, and has been proven not to create this effect. The video below has some advice:

by  j3ffm4n 

Making sure your makeup lasts the day

Obviously, you are going to be way too busy enjoying the races to re-do your make up. So, make sure you plan ahead and choose some long-wearing makeup that will last all day without rubbing off, fading or smudging. Most makeup brands do “8 hour” or “12 hour” ranges that are made with special long lasting ingredients. Eyeshadows and lipsticks aside, you need to be sure that longer lasting foundations are still natural enough for day time wear, so choose wisely.

Here are some final tips for flawless day time makeup:

• Carry a bag that's just big enough to fit a few essential items like concealer in it, so you can do touch-ups throughout the day
• Bring a compact in case of emergencies (smudges, watering eyes, etc)
• Choose a long-wearing lipstick or lip stain to avoid lipstick marks on your champagne glass

Hopefully these tips have helped you to come up with the perfect makeup look for your special day out. Good luck at the races!

Collection Field Day Eyeshadow Pencil Review in Golden Sun

The Hype
With Spring in full swing Collection have launched two cute new eyeshadow pencils. The limited edition Field Day collection comes in two shades, Golden Sun and Summer Meadow.
The shimmering pencils have a soft blendable consistency that can be used all over the lid, as a eyeliner or just to highlight a part of your eye for an intense look.

The Lowdown
For the purposes of this review I am testing Golden Sun. The pencil has really cute sparkly packaging with cute daisy flowers adorning the centre of the pencil. It has a thick crayon like tip that can be sharpened with a large makeup sharpener. As the pencil is quite long potentially you could get a lot of use out of this product. The shade is a really pretty metallic gold.

I'm a massive fan of gold eyeshadow and love how it highlights the eye area when applied.

When swatched the pencil was amazingly pigmented. When applying to my eye I did find it was initially a little difficult to get the more intense colour I desired and it took a number of applications to get a full coverage rich gold look. The shadow is really long lasting, it doesn't crease and is waterproof. In fact the eyeshadow has such amazing staying power it's a little difficult to get off in the evening!

This is a really cute budget friendly eyeshadow that is long lasting and perfect for day to day low key glamour. I give it 3/5

Advantages

• Budget friendly
• Long lasting
• Can be used in a number of different ways (as a eyeshadow, highlighter or eyeliner)

Disadvantages

• Limited edition
• Only available in two shades

Currently on offer for £2.99 at Boots

Sensodyne True White is the safe way to whiten sensitive teeth

The Hype
When you have sensitive teeth it is frustrating to find normal whitening toothpastes do not provide the protection your teeth require.

In recent resarch Sensodyne have found that people are compromising their chance of pain free teeth in the hope of getting whiter teeth. With up to 75% of us wishing our teeth were whiter and the rise of social media the pressure for a whiter smile is higher then ever.

In view of this Sensodyne have launched a specialist one paste solution, Sensodyne True White. The low abrasion toothpaste is designed to care for sensitive teeth and gently lift stains, whiten and prevent further stains with regular brushing.

The toothpaste is kind to sensitive teeth and is ten times less abrasive then a typical whitening toothpaste.

The Lowdown
From time to time I have used whitening toothpastes but always stop as I'm concerned about how abrasive they are on my teeth.

As my teeth often feel quite sensitive I was keen on finding a product that could whiten my teeth without subjecting it to unnecessary pain.

The toothpaste had a pleasant mint taste and my teeth felt very clean after using it. I did find the paste doesn't create a very thick foam so it runs out pretty quickly and you need to use more product then normal to get a good clean. The whitening effect obviously is not instant and I didn't notice any change in the colour of my teeth. For those who expect instant results you may be disappointed.

Overall a good toothpaste that gives your teeth a good clean without compromising on reducing sensitivity.

Advantages

• Ten times less abrasive then typical whitening toothpastes
• Good for sensitive teeth
• Gives teeth a good clean

Disadvantages

• No instant whitening effects

Available for £5.33 at Boots (Save £2.66!!) 

Rimmel Wonder'Full Wake Me Up Mascara Review

I got my hands on the latest Rimmel Wonder'Full Wake Me Up mascara this week. I got it on offer at Asda and thought I'd give it a try. Watch my latest video to see whether it is as good as the advert makes out!

How to protect yourself against harmful UV rays

By Cedars Dermatology

With the summer months fast approaching and the sun finally peeking in through the clouds here in England, it is easy to forget the importance of protecting your skin. The number of skin cancer victims is on the rise, with at least 100,000 new cases diagnosed every year, so it’s more important than ever to know how to protect your skin effectively. Skin cancer kills seven people EVERYDAY in the UK, over 2,500 people per annum. Survival rates closely relate to how early cancer is detected and at Cedars Dermatology, we see around 70 patients per week. We would always recommend getting checked out if you have any concerns.

A common misconception in the UK is that on a cloudy day, protecting your skin from the sun isn’t important. However, you can still get sunburned on a cloudy day, although the clouds may block the sun light, they don’t block all of the harmful UV rays that the sun emits. Overcast skies still allow 30-40 percent of UV rays to penetrate through.

Many cases of sunburn occur when people are just out and about rather than deliberately sunbathing. Anything from watching sports outside, walking around town and getting your gardening done can lead to your skin being exposed to harmful UV rays. Therefore, you should try to stay in shaded areas when the sun is at its strongest, between 11am and 3pm. When you are in the sun, wear a wide-brimmed sun hat and sunglasses. ALWAYS use a high factor sunscreen (minimum SPF 15), applied half an hour before you go into the sun and reapply regularly, especially after swimming. Remember, even sunscreens labelled ‘waterproof’ can easily be sweated off or rubbed off by towel drying and the all-day sunscreens don’t take into account the fact that sunscreen can easily be rubbed off, therefore don’t give all day protection.

A top tip when choosing a sun cream is looking at both the SPF and the number of stars given for UVA protection. Most people overlook or are often unaware that sunscreens are rated separately for their SPF and UVA protection. The UVA star rating is usually on the packaging with the stars ranging from 0 to 5, the higher the number of stars the better.

A mistake people frequently make is believing that moisturiser with an SPF can be used as a replacement for sunscreen. Although they are good to use in general, the formulas are less likely to be waterproof and rub-resistant. Moisturisers are applied thinly and people don’t often reapply moisturiser, therefore you are unlikely to get the same level of protection. The majority of moisturisers containing an SPF don’t contain any UVA protection either and as a result will not protect against UV ageing.

Fake tan is another product that you can’t use as a sun cream replacement. If you are after a golden glow, fake tan is recommended over sunbathing or sunbeds, but that’s not to say that once you have a tan you are safe from the sun. While some fake tanning products do contain added sunscreen, these will only give you temporary protection.

Contrary to common belief, even the darkest skin types can burn, though they may take longer to do so. Darker skinned people may find physical sunscreens, like titanium-based products, can look chalky and white on the skin. Newer creams are micronized, so the particles in it are small enough to allow them to blend in and disappear into the skin. Antioxidant serums can help with the ageing effects of the sun but they are not as important as the main sunscreen.

If your skin looks slightly red after being in the sun, it’s burnt. Sunburn doesn’t just mean peeling or blistering skin. Sunburn indicated that UV radiation has damaged the DNA in your skin cells, these damaged cells can build-up over time and can lead to skin cancer.

Another thing you need to keep an eye out for is any changes in a mole’s size, shape or colour. If you have any concerns, it is best to seek advice from your GP or family doctor, who may refer you to a dermatologist. These are the only doctors who have specialist training in problems of the skin. A dermatologist will perform a full skin check up with the aid of a tool known as a dermatoscope and may go on to remove or biopsy the mole to assess its nature. Early detection is key and learning how to perform skin self-examination may be potentially life-saving. 

Visit Cedars Dermatology