MUA Eyeshadow Trio - Chocolate Box

I bought one of these MUA trios in Pink Sorbet last year when shopping in Glasgow. I absolutely love it, have worn it nearly daily since and have used up one of the colours! Recently I was in Glasgow again with my boyfriend and decided to pick up another!

For £2.50 these are an absolute bargain and surprisingly good quality. I use an eyeshadow pencil as a base and with it these shadows last all day. They are well pigmented and not chalky in texture. Chocolate box is a trio of shimmery brown shades. There is a dark, medium and light shade and a mini applicator.
In the Pink Sorbet trio, the 3 shades compliment each other really well and allow for a complete eye look using just the one product. I don't feel that Chocolate Box has achieved this. None of the colours is quite light enough for brow bone or inner eye so really you have two mediums and a dark. That being said, the colours are lovely on the lid and the dark shade is perfect for outer corners.
These colours are obviously supposed to be brown, as the name would suggest, and in the swatches they look it. When I apply these to my eye lids, especially the 3rd shade in the swatch, it looks far more grey than brown and I end up with a much colder look. I don't mind this as I feel my skin tone suits a grey eye, but if you were looking for a true brown then this trio isn't for you.
Overall I like Chocolate Box and have used it several times since purchasing but I don't think it will become the favourite that Pink Sorbet has.
Have you tried any of the MUA eyeshadow trios?

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My Beauty Compare

My Beauty Compare is the world'a first beauty price comparison site. The site offers personalised makeup recommendations, price comparison and reviews from other users.

When you set up your profile on My Beauty Compare you are asked to fill in a short beauty profile. The profile is then used to give you personalised recommendations of products suitable for your needs!

Upon completion of the quiz you can make beauty searches and picks will be made for you and displayed at the top of the page.

Above I have searched Blushes. The top 4 products have been chosen to match my beauty profile. These are all in very muted shades which are not something I would normally wear and so I'm not sure how much I agree with the choices! That being said, it is interesting to see what is considered suitable for my needs and I would be keen to the products matched to me to see if I agree.

When a product is selected, the webiste offers price comparison and reviews. As you can see from the above example, the webiste is somewhat lacking in content right now. This Benefit blush only has one price listed and only one review.

The idea behind this webiste is a great one and once up and running fully it will be a really useful site. In order to get there it needs members to subscribe and add reviews. I fully recommend subscribing to this site today and together we can make it a really useful resource!

*PR sample recieved

 

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January Empties

As usual I have a lot of empties to show you this month! I seem to end up with a huge pile in my bathroom and I almost feel like they are getting in the way! I am moving house soon and, depending on the size of the house I move to, I may not have the space in my bathroom for a basket full of empty packaging! So basically I would like to know if you like empties posts and would still like to see them on my blog. Please comment below.

Bath and Body

Lush Christmas Eve Bubble Bar - I got this in the Lush Boxing Day sale for half price. I really enjoyed using it and like that you don't have to use all of it, unlike with a bath bomb. I'm not sure I would have paid the full price for this but would perhaps buy another for a special treat. Repurchase? Yes

Imperial Leather Soft Touch Bath Cream - I have used quite a few bottles of this and I really like it. It gives off plenty of bubbles and leaves your skin smooth feeling. It also has a lovely scent. This can be picked up for around £1 and I use a lot of it but still get 3 or 4 baths. Repurchase? Yes

Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan - Everyone already knows how much I love this. In my opinion there is no better tan at the moment, and I have tried a lot! It applies well, is a lovely colour and fades naturally. Repurchase? Yes

Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter - I got this in last years Christmas gift set and only just finished using it now. Like all Soap & Glory products, I love this. It smells nice and is very moisturising on my skin. Repurchase? Yes

Lynx Attract For Her - I love the smell of this and it's really handy to have for freshening up during the day. I hope lynx make more scents for women. Repurchase? Yes

Along Came Betty Hand Cream - I got this in a gift set last Christmas. It's a nice enough product but nothing special and I wasn't fussed on the scent. Repurchase? No

Skincare

Amie Morning Clear Facial Wash* - This has been a firm favourite of mine for a while. This face wash has lasted me so long, with daily use, because a little goes a long way. It smells lovely and leaves clean, soft skin. I don't feel it helps with my spots though. Repurchase? Maybe

Vaseline - Not much to say here .... It's just a tub of Vaseline! I use it on my lips and it does the job. Repurchase? Yes

Willow Organic Beauty Toner* - This is a gel toner and took a while to get used to but I soon grew to love it. This really feels like it works and tightens up my skin when I use it. I have to admit that this is too pricey for me but lovely if you have the budget. Repurchase? No

Tesco Cleansing Facial Wipes - These are cheap and do the job. Repurchase? Yes

Make Up and Perfume

Collection Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Powder - I'm not fussy when it comes to powder and I often come back to this one. The shade is perfect for me, it's sets my makeup perfectly and doesn't go cakey at all. It's also a great price. Repurchase? Yes

Vivo Colour Block - This isn't empty but I'm throwing it out because it's an absolute fail! This is cheap and the colours are nice and I originally enjoyed it. I haven't travelled with this product, it hasn't even left my makeup box and yet somehow it has completly cracked! Not impressed. Repurchase? No!

Hugo Boss Intense - My boyfriend bought me this and I love it. It's a deep, dark scent and great for nights out. This is on the pricey side so I'm not sure if I would buy it but I'd definitely welcome it as a gift again!

Shampoo and Samples

Kokoro G Treatment* - I have really enjoyed using this conditioner. It's lovely and thick and so moisturising for my hair. The price tag doesn't suit my budget so I don't think I will buy it but definitely recommend it.

Nivea Soft Sample - I have had several full sized bottles of this product before and I love it. Smells lovely, is cheap and does the job!

Soap & Glory Make Yourself Youthful Serum - These were in the Christmas set this year and I used them on a recent trip away. The product smells lovely and feels nice on the skin but I'm happy with the serum I currently use.

Please let me know if you like reading empties posts or not :)

 

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My Top 5 Real Techniques Brushes

I love my Real Techniques brushes, who doesn't, and I have built up a small collection now. I use several brushes daily but I have managed to narrow it down to my 5 favourite. These are in no particular order, I just use these the most and get along really well with them.

Firstly I have chosen the blush brush. I got this a while ago now and I can't remember how much it cost although I think it was £10.99. I have used this brush daily since I bought it and I really can't fault it. I love the pink handle and the matte feeling black at the bottom as usual. The head itself is really big but dense and great for control. The bristles are super soft and wash up really well!

Next I have chosen the buffing brush. This brush is from the core collection which my boyfriend bought me but I believe is £23.99 for 4 brushes. It was a toss up between my powder brush and this one but I have to say I use this more. I occasionally use this for foundation but usually I use it to apply my setting powder. It may seem like a strange brush for powder but it does a great job of buffing in my product and setting my base.

The contour brush is also from the core collection and was the selling point of the set for me. I use this with my sleek contour kit and it's just the perfect shape and size for contouring.

The next two brushes are both from the eye set. I got this as a gift from my parents and I think it is around £20.99 for 5 brushes. The first brush I have chosen is the deluxe crease brush. I have read a lot of bad reviews of this brush and I do understand why but I have totally grown to love it. As a crease brush this would be useless as it is so big. It is also not as soft as all the other brushes. What I love this for though is my brow bone highlight. I then use it to neaten up my eyeshadow by running it around my eye.

Lastly is the base shadow brush from the eye set. This is a perfect brush for applying your base colour to the whole lid. It's lovely and soft and perfect for getting into the crease as well.

This is sort of cheating as I did say this was a top 5! I would be lost without the real techniques sponge. I use this daily to apply my foundation and it gives the perfect finish. My sponge is stained as you can see but still in good condition after a good few weeks of use. This will definitely be a repurchase for me.

What is your favourite Real Techniques brush?

 

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Sleek Blush in Rose Gold

I have mentioned before that I live in a small city and the shopping is limited. One brand that isn't available is Sleek. Obviously I could purchase online but it's never the same and I like to see things and swatch them before I part with my cash! My sister lives in Glasgow and has access to great shopping! She kindly bought me the contour kit for my birthday and the original eyeshadow palette for Christmas. I love both and so have been keen to try more Sleek.

In my recent Glasgow haul I decided to pick up a Sleek blush. This shade is absolutely raved about in the blogger world and so I quickly added it to my basket.

Sleek Blush in Rose Gold £4.49

Unlike the contour kit and eyeshadow palette, this doesn't come in a box. This isn't a big deal as I don't tend to hang onto these boxes anyway. The casing is in the same style as they other products and is firm and sturdy feeling.

Inside the case the blush has it's own mirror. I don't usually use these but it's handy for travelling or taking in your handbag for touch ups.

I applied this product with my Real Techniques blush brush and it went on really well. It's very pigmented and easy to blend into to the skin. This blush is an absolutely gorgeous colour. As the name would suggest it is a rosy coloured pink with gold shimmer through it. The top swatch shows the product as applied onto my skin and the second shows the colour when hit by the light! I can really see why so many bloggers rave about this! The colour lasted all day on my cheeks and had only slightly faded when I washed it off at bed time.

I am definitely keen to try more Sleek blushes after using this one. They are great quality at a great price! What shades would you recommend to me next?

 

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Yaoh Hemp Products - Moisturisers and Lip Balms - Review

When I was offered to try these Yaoh Hemp Products I was really interested as I have never heard of hemp being used in this way before. I aware of hemp but only as a material and not as an oil. Yaoh products all contain organic hemp seed oil and are made fresh in small batches. Yaoh products are free from palm oil, parabens, SLS and chemical stabilisers and preservatives. The products are vegan and rich in essential oils and herbal extracts.

Moisturising Cream - Original, Papaya, Coco Bean £5.99 each*

The packaging of these creams is nothing special, with each being housed in a sturdy plastic tub with a label. Although not much to look at, the tub is very solid feeling and the lid screws on tightly meaning it would be great for travelling and isn't going to spilt or spill.

The cream is available in original, papaya and coca bean. Coco bean is a lovely scented cream and reminds me of a chocolate milkshake or ice cream. Papaya is a very sweet cream and smells like refresher sweeties!

The first thing that struck me when I opened the tub was how full it was! You get 50g of product here and the little tub really is full to the top! The creams themselves are really lovely. When you rub your finger over the product it is a very firm cream, almost like a body butter, meaning that only a little is needed. The thick consistency of the product makes if feels very luxurious. When I apply this to my skin it absorbs easily and leaves a nice soft feeling, with no residue of the product. My skin is instantly hydrated also. If I apply this at night time, I can still feel this result in the morning. For £5.99 this is an absolute bargain and a must have moisturiser for any skin type.

Lipbalms - Coconut, Mango, Spearmint, Blueberry, Strawberries n Cream £2.75 each*

I can't resist a lipbalm. I need to have one in my bag, in my pocket, on my desk and anywhere else that I may be! These are packaged very plainly and very similarly to many other lipbalms. I prefer this tube packaging to a tub as I wear nail extensions and don't like lipbalm to get under them. There are 5 different scents to choose from here. Each is lovely and not too overpowering. My favourite is mango which smells and tastes very sweet. The coconut balm has the added benefit of being SPF 15 so is ideal for the summer.

When applied these balms leave a residue on the lips which feels similar to a light layer of Vaseline. However unlike Vaseline they sink into the lips leaving them moiste and hydrated. I find I need to apply this less frequently than I do with other products. Each balm contains 4g of product and is £2.75.

Yaoh products are available to buy at www.yaoh.co.uk

They offer very reasonable shipping costs and a discount on bulk orders.

*PR Samples

 

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Dermalogica Clear Start Breakout Clearing Foaming Wash - Review

I received this face wash in the November/Decemeber Miss Glossybox. Miss Glossybox has since been axed and I was disappointed because it was a lovely little beauty box with some great items. The Miss Glossybox was £7 plus £2.95 postage per box and this face wash itself is £13!

Firstly the product comes in an outer box which is not really needed for a face wash but gives an expensive feel to the product. The box is rather plain looking and has quite a medical feel to it, which I actually like.

The bottle is unusual and I'm not actually very keen on it. It is very solid which doesn't allow for much squeezing. This usually means that the last wee bit of the product will be impossible to get out without cutting up the product.

The bottle opens in an unusual way also! You press the white button and the top pops open. This is quite a nice idea but maybe just allows for it to be broken easily. So far I'm having success with it though.

The face wash itself is a very thick gel. I can't quite place the smell, it's slightly citrusy, but I really like it and it's a lovely clean smell. I dampen my face, dispense a small amount onto my fingers then rub it into my damp skin. The product slightly foams up into a milky residue which smothers my face and really feels like it's cleaning my skin. Rinsing this off is quite a challenge and I find that it's much easier with a facecloth. If I try to use my hands and water the water just slides right off the gel product! With a facecloth you can get a good scrub.
The first time I used this face wash, I knew I loved it. I have now been using this for 2 weeks and I can honestly say I have never tried a product that I like more. When I first starting using this I had a serious break out on my chin. I had 4 or 5 sore spots and nothing seemed to be helping them. After two days of using this twice daily, the redness had gone and they were drying up nicely. It's been 2 weeks now and my skin is perfect!
This is £13 which is pricey for a face wash but I would definitely consider splashing out. I wish the packaging was more used friendly but even that doesn't put me off this lovely, effective skincare.

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