Superdrug Haul - MUA, NYC, Nivea, FashionistA

Since rediscovering Superdrug and then being constantly frustrated at the lack of availability in my are, I decided to make an online order! I particularly wanted a couple of MUA Pro things as I can't get these in the shops at all. With postage free on order over £25 my order came to a modest £29 and I got plenty for my money!

I'll start firstly with the things I really wanted; MUA Pro Base Fixing Mist and Eye Primer. I don't use either of these products yet but wanted to try them and these are a cheap version to experiment with first of all. After discovering the joy of cleansers that don't need rinsed off I bought Superdrug Deep Action Cleansing Lotion to use in the evening. This Nivea Daily Essentials Eye Make Up Remover was on offer and will come in handy!

I have wanted to try a salt spray for a while but I don't use many hair products and the price put me off. This Superdrug Style Expertise Salt Spray was a cheaper alternative and a good place to start. I picked up the shower comb because I'm going to start brushing through my conditioner to ensure it covers all of my hair. Astral Original All Over Moisturiser is a favourite of mine and this travel size was on offer. I've never tried Solait Self Tan Corrector Wipes but thought they would come in handy as I tan regularly and often need something for my hands,

There are 3 MUA lipsticks in the picture but one is a duplicate so I will be taking it back. The shades I bought are 2 and 12. I chose an MUA lipliner in Pink Me Up and I love that it has a sharpener in the lid. I look forward to using the NYC Color Wheel Face Mosaic as a highlighter. Finally I bought two FashionistA products; a Blusher in Coral and a Bronzer in Dubai.

I will most likely do full reviews of some of these products when I have used them.

Have you got any of these things?

:)

Giveaway!!!

This post is very exciting because it is my first ever giveaway. Recently I had the opportunity to become a Lasula Girl and they sent me a lovely goodie bag! Lasula Boutique have a new website that launches in the summer but are currently available on Twitter.

The necklace I received is gorgeous and I look forward to wearing it. I also got this jumper which, although lovely, is not something I would wear. For that reason Lasula have kindly said that I can give it away to one of my lovely readers (with a few wee goodies thrown in.)

The jumper is long, really soft and great quality. It is size medium but is a baggy fit so would be suitable for girls between size 10 and 14. Anyone can enter but I do ask that you follow on Twitter and Bloglovin or GFC. If you follow on all you get extra entries! Please comment with your email address when you have entered so that I can contact the winner. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tanning Products That I Won't Use Again!

I am a huge fan of the tan and have been self tanning for quite some time now. I consider myself somewhat of an application expert and always have an even tan. The products mentioned below are ones that I have not got on well with however that doesn't mean they won't work for you. For reference my skin is very pale and I would consider it normal. I am not prone to dry patches but I do use barrier cream on elbows, knees and my nose before applying tan.

The first 3 tans I'm throwing out are gradual tans. I have nothing against these brands in general, I have just come to find that gradual tans are not for me. They don't give a dark enough tan, have no guide colour and leave a patchy colour. Avon Skin So Soft Satin Glow Airbrush Spray smells nice but was hard to get an even look with. Piz Buin Gradual Self Tan is a lotion and rubs in well but I can never remember where I've done to get it even and I had the same problem with St. Tropez Gradual Tan.

Next is the Solait Tinted Bronzing Foam in medium/dark. This product gives a gorgeous, even and dark tan but it is extremely drying on my skin and caused itchiness. The next to tans are from Garnier Ambre Solaire and I didn't have success with either. The problem with these tans is that they are not tinted so you cannot see where you have already covered on your body. The Velvety Gel is extremely sticky and not quick drying. The Dry Body Mist is hard to apply and I don't like that you are not supposed to rub it in.

The last three tans are all from St Moriz, the regular mousse, dark mousse and mist. I know how popular these tans are and I too was a huge fan until one day my skin decided it hated this tan. I had been using it for a year when I started getting a rash and crazy itchiness. I got cream and tried again with this tan after it healed but the same thing happened. So I have had to give up on this gorgeous coloured, cheap product!

My tan of choice is now Lauren's Way Glam which I have been using for some time with no adverse reactions!

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think of them?

Don't forget I am now on Bloglovin!

Accessorize Concealer Kit Review

As I said recently, Accessorize is not a brand I know much about. I discovered the stand at Superdrug and bought the brow palette which I reviewed and I loved it! After the success of the brown kit I decided to revisit the stand and see what else took my fancy.

I'm a sucker for packaging so this product instantly appealed to me. This is s small palette in card packaging with a cute pattern and gold detailing. Really lovely to look at.

Although the Accessorize Concealer Kit says Ivory to Nude, it is only available in this colour. I am usually a sand but these colours are perfect for me.

The palette contains a yellow colour corrector, 3 shades of concealer and a finishing powder. The colours are perfect for my skin tone and really easy to blend. The pinky shade is good for highlighting. My only complaint would be that it doesn't come with a brush. I have a concealer brush which I use but I like a brush in a set for when I am taking it somewhere. 

This product retails at £5 but I got it for £2.95 in Superdrug. I love this product and will be using all the colours!

Have you tried this?

Don't forget to follow on GFC, Bloglovin or Twitter!

You can find out more about this brand by reading their blog - http://uk.accessorize.com/uk/a-list-home

Free In-Store - The Body Shop Born Lippy Lip Blam

You have read the title correctly, this lip balm is free in store just now from The Body Shop. All you need is a voucher code to quote in the shop. I got mine from vouchercodes.co.uk yesterday and took it into the shop today. There are several variations to choose from but I chose Lychee Shimmer.

The packaging is lovely. It reminds me of Soap&Glory because it has the same funky feel and pink colour.

The lip balms are tinted and I chose this one because of how subtle it is. The balm is shimmery and leaves a shiny look on your lips without being full of glitter. The smell is lovely and the product is moisturising on the lips and lasts several hours.

At full price these lip balms are £3 and I think I will purchase another in the future. This is a brilliant offer with no purchase necessary, a true freebie! The codes are not unique so I will happily share my code if anyone wants one. 

I am now on Twitter so tweet me if you need the voucher code. Don't miss out!

@thepowderednose

@thepowderednose on Twitter

Hello lovely followers,

Just a quick message to tell you all that I am now on Twitter @thepowderednose
Would love if you could all follow me. I now have a follow me on Twitter button on my blog!

Veet Oriental Wax - Home Waxing Kit Review

This review is something a little different from me. I was recommended this product by a good friend and decided to try it out. I had a quick search online but there didn't seem to be many reviews so I thought I should write mine!

Veet Oriental Wax is a home waxing kit suitable for use on legs, underarms, bikini line, arms and upper lip. The box contains a 250ml jar of the wax, 12 fabric strips, a spatula and an instruction leaflet.

There are two ways of heating the wax but I chose the microwave. You heat for 45 seconds and then leave to stand. After the allocated time you use the spatula to stir the wax. The blue square shows the word 'NO' if the wax is too hot to use. This happened to me so I waited a few minutes and then tested a small amount in my wrist. I cut the strips into small parts to make them easier to manage. Using the spatula I applied small amount of the wax, smoothed on the strip and then pulled it off firmly while holding the skin taut.

Personally I don't think I have very good technique and I found it fairly tricky to do. Sometimes the strip just wouldn't pull off and I ended up having to remove excess wax from the skin. A massive plus point of this product is that it is water rinsable. This also means that the strips can be reused. I threw them into a sink of water as I used them and by the end they were all clean.

The wax itself smells lovely. It reminds me of a sauna at a spa, a lovely woody smell. The wax can be reused and, judging by how much I used, will last several applications.

I paid £8.11 for this in Boots however I have seen this for as little as £5 in some supermarkets. I'm impressed with the quality of the product and think that with a little practise it will be something I will use in the future.

Accessorize Shape & Brow Kit

It's only very recently that I've discovered how good Superdrug is. I know this sounds crazy but I usually use Boots and the Superdrug in my city is tiny and limited! I get very jealous when I hear of great ranges like MUA Pro and Sleek that just aren't available in my local store. However, on a recent trip there I came across the Accessorize range. The first thing that draws you to this brand is the packaging; it is stunning. I was originally tempted by the eyeshadow palettes but then I spotted this and I knew I had to have it!

The Shape & Brow Kit comes in a bright pink plastic palette with gorgeous gold detail. The packaging feels sturdy and I like that this is a plastic kit while many of their products are in card, box-type palettes. 

I fill in my brows every day but usually use pencil. Recently I have wanted to try a powder and thought a brow kit would be the best place to start: with everything you need in one box.

Inside the palette is as cute at the packaging! The case holds three colours, a setting gel, a double ended brush and the cutest little tweezers! 

The packaging describes the lighter colour as a highlighter but personally I use a much lighter product for this job. The darkest colour is perfect for my brows and I have used the middle colour for where my brows are thicker. The shades are all really pigmented and easy to build up. 

This product is perfect and a great middle range price at £5.95 in Superdrug. I can't wait to try out more products now that I have discovered the brand.

Have you used anything from this range? 

I am now on Bloglovin so don't forget to follow! 

You can find out more about this brand by reading their blog - http://uk.accessorize.com/uk/a-list-home

Mudd Sea Mask Review

I love a face mask and apply one weekly as part of my skincare routine. I have posted recently about how much I liked the Amie Clay Mask but it is still out of stock and so I have continued to make my way through the pile of mask sachets that have built up! I have previously used a Mudd mask but this was my first time using the sea version.

Lots of people seem to moan about these sachet types, complaining that they are messy and tricky to dispense. Personally I don't have this problem. The packet rips easily at the top, I squeezed all the contents onto the edge of my sink and then used it from here. As usual there is plenty, if not too much, to cover the face. I ended up with a nice thick layer all over. The smell is quite earthy but not at all unpleasant.

As the mask dried I found it almost uncomfortable as it got very hard and tight. This may have been because I had applied it too thickly, however it only took 5 minutes to dry. When I washed the mask off my skin felt smooth and clean.

I definitely still prefer the Amie mask to this as it gives such a fresh feel but I would use this again and think its a good product at only £1.

Have you tried this mask? What masks do you like?

Don't forget to follow :)

To All My Lovely Followers

News that GFC is no longer has finally made its way to me. I'm not sure if this has been confirmed but have decided to add Bloglovin just in case! Please follow me using the button on my blog!

Comment below when you have done this so I can follow yours back!

:)

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint Review

As I'm sure you know by now, I very rarely paint my nails! For the past 3 years I have had fortnightly manicures of either gel extensions on Shellac. When I saw the Barry M Gelly polishes I really wanted to give them a go so I pushed back one of my nail appointments and gave myself a week to try out some new products.

I bought this nail varnish last month and posted about my haul here. I chose the colour Dragon Fruit because it's a gorgeous pale pink and would go with lots of my clothes.

I like an accent nail so I used 2True glitter polish on my ring finger. I got this from my Miss Glossybox which I blogged here. I applied base coat as stated on the bottle and I found the colour to go on really well. It is a thick polish and after 2 coats I had a lovely, rich colour. On initial application I was really impressed. The colour is beautiful and the finish was really shiny and glossy - similar to Shellac. However, after a day I started to notice thin black cracks appearing on the surface. The polish didn't chip or peel on these cracks but they did ruin the look. I kept this on for 3 days, by which time every nail had several little black cracks on it.

I loved the look of this but the cracking really put me off. I would use again but probably just for a night out and not leave it on for several days.

These are £3.99 and many colours are available.

Did you find cracking with these?
Don't forget to follow :)

MUA £1 Lipstick Shade 5

I have moaned previously that the only Superdrug in my area has a very limited stock of MUA products. I love this brand and I am desperate to try out all the range but only the £1 products are available in my local store. I popped in today and decided to pick up one of the £1 lipsticks. The shades don't have names but I chose shade 5. It's a very pale, shimmery pink. Almost sheer and looks like a lipgloss on but without that sticky feel. It's lovely and really summer.

The packaging is very basic, as you would expect from such a cheap product. Whilst having lunch with my boyfriend, he was fiddling with the packing and discovered that the bottom bit unscrews and to reveal a little pot of lip colour! I'm pretty sure I had one of these lipsticks before and never knew this! Clever boyfriend.

The colour isn't particularly long lasting but I don't mind applying my lip colour throughout the day. On the plus side, this isn't very drying on the lips and also applies nicely over Vaseline or lip balm. For £1 this is a real winner!

Did you know about the mini lip colour?!

Don't forget to follow :)

Glossybox - June 2013

I can't believe how quickly this months box arrived. I totally wasnt ready which is why my favourite from last month was only posted today. So I'm sorry for that. My dispatch email was sent yesterday and usually I wait 3 days for my box so I was shocked to see it today.

Last months box was a goodie and this box can't quite top it. Saying that, in really a happy with the products and looking forward to trying them all.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse OR

The name of this one doesn't give much away! However this is a multi-purpose oil for skin, hair and nails. I received an oil last month and didn't have much success using it in my hair so I think il stick to skincare with this one. This is a 15ml sample and  the 100ml product retails at £34. 

Figs & Rouge Cherry Blossom Lip Balm

I love a lip balm so I can't wait to crack into this one! Iv heard good things about this company but I am yet to try any of their products. This will be my first. This product is full size and worth £5.

Monu Professional Skincare Hydrating Moisturiser SPF 15

My skincare obsession is continuing to grow. I'm not short of moisturisers but I always welcome one to my collection. This is a 30ml sample but the full 50ml retails at a whopping £29.95 so I am expecting great things from this! 

Helen E Cosmetics Shimmer Eye Powder

Apologies for the dodgy photo, this was a hard one to capture! I have tried eye shimmer before and not had much success but I love this silver colour and will give it a go for smokey eyes on nights out. This is full size, 1.5g for £5. 

Meme Cosmetics Long Lasting Nail Gloss Graceful

Glossybox have had nail varnishes for months on end now and I know that is annoying several people! This is a lovely colour, a nude pink called Graceful. I haven't heard of this brand but I look forward to giving it a go. This is a full sized bottle which retails at £5. 

What did you get in your box? 

Don't forget to follow :)

Magazine Freebie - Glamour July 2013 - Model Co Fibre Lashxtend Mascara

I'm not one for a magazine freebie. I see great items but I just can't justify £4 or £5 for a magazine. I do however enjoy a copy of Glamour. At £2 it is an affordable magazine and has plenty of reading in it. This month Glamour is at the special price of £1 and has an unbelievable choice of freebies plus a choice of 4 covers! I wasn't fussed about who was on the cover but I found the freebies hard to choose from. There are 5 products from Model Co to choose from: two lip glosses, mascara, lipliner and eyeliner. I chose the mascara and this is the first Model Co product I have had.

Firstly, the packing. In a move of pure genius, this mascara has a mirror on the tube. This allows you to apply it on the go. The brush is perfect and allows for each lash to be coated in product. I love it and I can't believe it was a freebie in a £1 magazine! As an extra bonus there is a sample sachet of shampoo inside the magazine. I'm tempted to buy another copy because I love that the eyeliner has a sharpener in the lid!

Have you picked up any of these products?
Don't forget to follow :)

My Favourite From ... Glossybox May 2013

I loved my May Glossybox. If you read my post, you will know that there was not a bad item in my box! With that in mind, it's hard to choose a favourite. One thing I will say is that I totally overlooked the BM Beauty mixing medium. The packaging was so uninspiring and the sample so small that I didn't think it would be up to much. I was wrong. I have blended it with my hi light powder and I love the result. It makes a smooth cream and you only need a tiny bit! I love the perfume, the nail varnish is gorgeous and lasts a long time without chipping. I like the oil but will avoid using it in my hair as it made it greasy looking. And now to my favourite:

My Trusty Little Sunflower Cream

What's not to like? It smells great, it makes my skin smooth and soft and the money goes to patient care! I love the idea, the packaging and the product. I tweeted the company who emailed me to say they are working on new products for the range. I had suggested a shower gel which they said is in the pipeline so I can't wait to see that! Thank you Glossybox for helping me discover this great product. This retails at £6.99.

Have you tried this? Let me know what you think and don't forget to follow :)

MUA Undress Me Too Palette

MUA are a brand who I hear a lot about these days. Their products are so cheap and well spoken off that I am always desperate to try them. Unfortunately, the only Superdrug in my city is trying to make that impossible! MUA have two ranges, MUA and MUA Pro. MUA is the £1 range and the only range that my local store stocks. The MUA Pro range is where the most talked about products are from. I have been trying to get my hands on the highlighter, brow kit and this eyeshadow palette but I'm unwilling to pay postage costs to get these online. Luckily for me my boyfriend was away for work and came across a large Superdrug store! The other items I want were out of stock but he kindly picked up this palette for me to try!

The Undress Me Too palette is a dupe of Urban Decay's Naked 2 palette. As I have never been lucky enough to own this I am unable to compare the two. Lots of beauty bloggers have compared them however and the swatches are very similar. The prices tags are the real difference! Naked 2 retails at over £30 while this dupe is a mere £4!

 

The palette contains 12 eye shadows and a double-ended foam applicator. I would say that the colours are not as heavily pigmented as usual MUA products but I prefer this for a smokey eye set as it makes it easier to build up and have light and shade.

 

On the reverse of the packaging the colours are named. I would have found it more helpful if the names were printed below the actual pans of colour but it is fairly new for MUA to even have names and it is a welcome addition. The packaging offers instructions on how to create some looks with the colours and I always find these really useful.

I am really looking forward to experimenting with this palette. For £4 this is an absolute bargain and something that I am delighted to now have in my collection.

What do you think of this product?
Don't forget to follow :)



Amie Morning Clear Purifying Facial Wash

Since discovering the Amie brand I have been a fan! I recently used their clay mask after receiving it in my Miss Glossybox and I was instantly a huge fan, writing a review of it here. Being new to the brand I was unaware that Amie have a wide skincare range covering all the steps of the skincare routine. Needless to say, I was delighted to be offered the opportunity to trial the Morning Clear Purifying Facial Wash.

 

On first impressions the packaging is lovely. The tube is a very light pink matte colour with the Amie logo and a pattern which keeps in with the natural feel. I love that this is a vegan company who make products full of natural ingredients. In fact, Amie say that this face wash is 96% natural ingredients and includes orange blossom, raspberry, elderflower and mayblossom.

The cleanser itself is a gorgeous pale pink colour. The smell is very subtle which I like in a face wash. It smells natural and fruity but without being false or overwhelming. The product feels soft on the skin and goes on rather like a moisturiser as it doesn't lather-up much.

Amie say that this cleanser 'effortlessly cleanses delicate facial skin to lift away dirt, oil and make-up while leaving skin soft and moisturised'. I fully agree with this statement. I used this product with a full face of make-up on. I used my fingers to rub the cleanser into my skin and was careful when rubbing around my delicate eye area. I used a damp cloth to rinse off the lather and found my skin to be squeaky clean. I was pleasantly surprised by the results as, with many cleansers, I often need to wash my face twice to remove all traces of makeup.

At £4.95/150ml this is a really affordable product but with high quality packaging and a really great result. I wouldn't hesitate about buying this in the future and look forward to trying the rest of the range!

Amie Morning Clear Purifying Facial Wash can be bought here.

Have you used this product? Let me know what you think and don't forget to follow!

*Item received as a PR sample. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Clarins Skincare Samples Reviewed

I am really getting into skincare at the moment and, after blogging my skincare routine here, I decided to experiment with a few more products so I can get into a routine that really suits my skin. I had some Clarins Samples kicking about and have trialled four to review here.

Water Comfort One-Step Cleanser - With Peach Essential Water

This cleanser is unlike the ones I usually use as it is a liquid rather than a cream. I found it really handy that this cleanser doesn't need to be washed off. I used cotton pads to wipe it over my skin and it meant a lot less mess than a cleanser that needs rinsed. The smell of this is really off-putting. It is almost a dusty smelling peach and not pleasant at all. After using this my skin didn't feel particularly clean and I wanted to give it a good wash with water.

Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover Lotion

I really enjoyed using this eye make-up remover and would consider buying this in the future. Although called a lotion, this product is watery like a toner and like the cleanser above. It didn't have much of a smell which suited me fine because the cleanser's smell wasn't nice. I used this product on cotton pads and found it was really gentle when removing make up from such a sensitive area. On the downside it took 2 pads per eye to remove my mascara with this lotion but overall it was a good result. 

HydraQuench Cooling Cream-Gel

I have used this cream three times in total and won't be using it again. On application this product makes my skin tingle and sting. As it soaks in, my skin begins to feel itchy. I am someone who gets one spot a year but after using this cream I had several spots within the next day. It may work well for others but this cream is definitely not for me.

One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser - With Orange Extract

Normally I love an orange scented product but I am not a fan of the smell of this exfoliator. Although this describes itself as gentle, I found it a little too harsh for my skin and couldn't rub it in as much as I usually would. Afterwards my skin felt smooth and clean so I would maybe use this on a weekly basis as it is too harsh for a daily product. 

Clarins are a high end brand and their products are usually out of my budget. After sampling these four, I don't feel like I am missing much. I would consider buying the make up remover again and I did like the idea of a cleanser that doesn't need rinsed but the effects of these products just didn't match up to the price tag.

Do you recommend any Clarins products that are worth the cash?

Don't forget to follow :)