Walk Of Shame (Naked Lipgloss Review)

  Hooray! Urban Decay have finally decided to release new lip glosses! This time, they're Naked.

The range of lip glosses are due to hit stores in the UK on 1st Feb 2014, and are all under the Naked range by UD. The lip glosses come in 9 shades ranging from light nudes to nude pinks and plum shades. The shade above is called Walk Of Shame and is one of the nude shades available, it reminds me of the shades that look like the cliche your lips but better.

What is one of the best things about these glosses is that not only are they infused with TONS of lip care benefits and how pigmented they are but the consistency is not gloomy or sticky but feels more like a liquid balm! These are amazing!! The Naked Glosses give amazing lip dimension and in doing so give your lips that plump look, minus the tingle and the gloop! No more sticky lips and hair stuck onto lip drama! 

The price range is TBC until they hit stores but my guess is that they will retail around the £14-£16 mark.  Totally worth it for the product you're getting, you can guarantee you will find a shade for you! 

The packaging is beyond beautiful, linking with the Naked 3 Palette, it showcases a magnificent rose gold hardware with see through letters showing the shade of the gloss, which can also be seen at the bottom of the case, too. The doe foot applicator is on point at allowing maximum application onto lips and will give you enough to cover your lips without having you go back for a second application, you get that beautiful glossy lip in just one swipe! 

* I work at Urban Decay and was lucky enough to be given this to try out, I have not been asked to do a review, these are my own opinions on the product. 

ARE YOU EXCITED???

Aussie Take The Heat leave-in spray review!

Aussie Take the heat leave-in spray £4.69

I've been looking around for a good heat defence spray for a long time now, since my TRESemme Heat defence ran out, I was keen to try a new one. Nothing really caught my eye until I found the Aussie shelf in my local Boots. Ding-Ding we have a winner!Who doesn't love and trust Aussie hair care?! I found the Take The Heat leave-in spray, which has Australian Jojoba seed oil to nourish the hair whilst the rest of the product is protecting your locks from the heat produced by blow dryers, hair curlers and hair straighteners. I love spritzing this in when my hair is wet because the formula is pretty wet but feels nourishing, so I hope that by putting it in whilst my hair is still wet, my locks will soak it up with the water. I've definitely seen a difference in my hairs look and manageability since using this spray. Usually my hair will feel straw like after a few hours of my using of curlers or dryers, but when using the leave-in spray, it's definitely more silky, less frizzy and holds any style I challenge my hair to hold throughout the day. The only thing I would want different is the spritzer, as it doesn't spritz enough and it isn't mist like, almost just squirting a line of product out, which is hard to distribute throughout the hair because it only covers a small section when you spray, so you end up spraying the same part a few times.

Nonetheless, this is a superb heat defence spray. It offers a lot to your tresses, by keeping them in good shape with the Australian Jojoba seed oil and also protecting your hair from breakage by frying your hair! Plus, who doesn't love Aussie hair care?! They're my most coveted hair care brand for years!

Have you tried the Take The Heat leave-in spray? What's your favourite Aussie Product?

St. Moriz Instant Fake Tanning Mousse Review!

 St. Moriz Instant Self Tanning Mousse in Medium

I don't know about you ladies but, doesn't this time of year make you extra paranoid about your pasty milk bottle legs?! I know it does mine! So what better way to rid the pastiness than a nice bottle of instant fake tan? I love how more confident I feel in dresses and sleeveless tops when I've tanned! I feel healthy looking and did you know... fake tan gives the illusion of a slimmer body? Well if these aren't reasons to give it a go, I don't know what is!

I Purchased this self tanner whilst shopping on good old Fragrance Direct, and was pretty excited when I found it! I've heard a few good things about this self tanner, as it's obviously meant to be a St. Tropez double but for less, and whilst it's on Fragrance Direct it's further discounted to only £2.99!!! I also bought the St. Moriz tanning mitt for £2.99 to help apply the product, without getting horrible orange palms/hands.

First off, the smell as you apply is pretty much like soap and not repugnant or anything which makes the application experience less revolting, as I've used some tanners that smell like biscuits straight away. Unfortunately it does develop the dreaded biscuit smell overnight and you'll start to smell it up to 2 hours after application. I think it's just the product doing its thing, so I don't mind smelling awfully sickly for one night, as I tend to shower when I wake up to get rid of excess product and the smell! 

The product itself is dispensed through a pump which is easy to use. It's all very standard for a self tanner in a pump. 

One thing I loved was the little directions at the back and top tips. I thought it was a nice touch and since I'm a little bit of a newbie to fake tan, it's always nice to have something to help make me less confused as I'm applying. All of the information is laid out in simple and pretty amusing terms, so it's okay, you won't  be confused further with directions made for Einstein  It's just nice having information on the back that is straightforward and easy to follow.

This is the outcome after a few days. I feel it looks better after a few days and once it's had a few washes off to fade it out. I am naturally very fair, so if this is a bit dark for you, there is a normal tone tanner by St. Moriz, although I'm not sure on the difference. I did apply a few coats so that could be why it has come out dark, so if you only want a subtle colour, apply only the one coat. The product is easy to work into the skin, and dries VERY quickly. It didn't leave me sticky or tacky at all, and I could get dressed (into loose dark clothing!) about 5 minutes after application. I tend to crack the window in the bathroom and stand near it so the cold air dries my skin faster, you could also put your hair dryer on cool settings and go over your skin with that to dry it further. Like any tanner, I wouldn't recommend any sort of activity that makes you sweat, or anything that involves water for up to 4-6 hours after you've applied the tanner. You'll end up streaky and looking more like a hot mess than hot tanned goddess. I'd also strongly recommend bathing/showering the morning you wake up (if it's been more than 8 hours since you applied the tan) so you can get rid of extra product that may still be on your skin. I went out in the evening one night and didn't shower beforehand to get rid of extra product since I was in a hurry and unfortunately it rained, I didn't have a coat and I ended up looking like a tiger with stripes of lighter brown and un wet patches of dark brown, so please avoid this happening to you and get rid of anything that hasn't sunk into your skin before you venture out into the world! 

Another tip I can give is to not apply this or any tan meant for your body, onto your face, as it tends to make you look really dirty and patchy. I don't tan my face because it  breaks me out so I embrace a white mask face without makeup, but it means you will have to apply a darker foundation to match your body for the times you leave your house. I also have dry skin in places on my face and the tan tends to latch onto that, not matter how much I exfoliate. If you really need to tan your face, then purchase a tanner for face only. I'm sure that it's not only easier to apply but better for your skin.

 Don't forget to exfoliate! Pay special attention to exfoliate your ankles, knees, elbows and YOUR NECK! I've learned that fake tan tends to build up around the folds in your neck, especially the crook between your shoulder and neck, and leaves it looking dirty. I'd also recommend to mix the tanner with moisturizer to play down the colour on your feet and hands/wrists and palms, fingers and ears. Your fingers can look a bit dirty if the tan decides to sink into your lines and knuckles so remember to only apply a small amount and to mix with moisturizers and buff the colour in really well.

Okay... I think that's it!

Over all, I am so happy with this instant fake tanner. I am pretty sure it's my holy grail tan! I'll never turn back! I'm going to stock up on it whilst it's at £2.99.

Have you tried St. Moriz? what did you think?

Rimmel Scandaleyes Show Off Mascara Review

Rimmel London Scandaleyes show off mascara 

So I recently purchased this mascara whilst on a shopping binge at Boots, and since I was on the hunt for a new mascara anyway since my Benefit they're real mascara is starting to dry out slightly (le sigh), and decided to pick this up (without any thought as to what it was like) and it luckily resembles Benefit's they're real pretty well! It cost £6.99 which is the usual for a drugstore mascara, and I bought it in Black. 

The packaging is nice, nothing too out there for Rimmel, just a pink tube. It's shaped like a bullet.... not much else I can say about the packaging really!

The brush is AMAZING. It really does look like the Benefit They're real wand (read my review here), with the big plastic bristles at the base and the round pointy load of bristles at the top to target those pesky little lashes that an ordinary wand could never coat. I really like how it gets every little lash, and coats them a lovely deep black. The only thing that I wasn't happy with (which probably has nothing to do with the mascara itself) was that it was drying out already when I bought it, but was packaged when I bought it... hoping it's just a one off! I think this mascara also works well lapplied on top of the Benefit mascara since they're the same brush design, although I think this Rimmel one is slightly larger. 

(Apologies for the naff eye shot!)

This is the result,  Long flirty lashes! I'd give it a 4/5, only because I'm devoted to the Benefit mascara already... I feel like I'm cheating! I would purchase again though if I couldn't afford the other mascara or even just to apply on top.

Have you tried any Scandaleyes products from Rimmel?

Lauren xo

My girl

Dainty Doll Blush in My Girl 002 

I bought this blusher a long time ago now on a bit of a whim whilst browsing Fragrance Direct online. At the time, Dainty Doll had just been put on the site, and I felt a bit of a buzz to try Nicole Roberts' line out finally, and seeing as the majority of the products were being sold at £1.99....you can't really go wrong can you!

I wanted a pink/rose colour for spring, and opted for My Girl 002. Online it looks like a deep rose colour, but when you've got the product in your hand, in the pan it looks more like a florescent pink... but transfers onto the skin as a dusky rose. When it's blended, it becomes more sheer but you have to be pretty careful not to just whack it onto your face or you could end up looking a bit more bozo the clown and less woman with a natural healthy flush. I found myself having to wipe it all off with a baby wipe and re doing my makeup when I first used it because it transfers on SO pigmented. Nonetheless, it just backs the product up as a pretty well made blush that gives you a lot of colour to work with, and once you get to grips with how to apply it properly, it's a beautiful powder blush. I now use it everyday, and never feel the need to reapply after a few hours, it lasts pretty much all day.

There are a few things I don't like about the product, though...

Firstly, right off the bat I hated the packaging. I mean it looks nice and sleek but it's that crappy matte plastic stuff that gets grubby really easily and ends up looking like it's been living at the bottom of a makeup bag for the past 15 years after the first use. Secondly, the product itself can be a little bit powdery, and can latch on to dry patches of skin so if you do use it, try to exfoliate and prep the skin thoroughly before you apply.

Over all I really like the finish My Girl gives and it's one of my favourite blushes at the moment. I'd give it a 4/5!

Have you tried any blushers from the Dainty Doll range?

Lauren xo

Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo Review

Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo £6.99

Whilst wandering through a Superdrug a while ago, I stumbled upon the Organix hair care range. I never even knew Superdrug had Organix in their stores, and only thought I could get it on specialist sites online, so you can imagine how happy I was when I found it! I'm a huge hair buff, and I baby my hair to death. I always use oil in my hair so when I found this Moroccan Argan Oil shampoo, I had to get it. I know the benefits of using oil is huge, and since using oils in my hair after shampooing and conditioning, I've seen a huge difference in my hair condition and length. My hair is about an inch away from my waist, and I hope to get it longer in the coming months. So buying this shampoo with an oil in it should only make that goal easier to get to.

The packaging personally is really cute and luxurious looking. I love the gold and the aqua blue with the black fancy lettering. It gives it an expensive feel without breaking the bank. At £6.99 it's about average for a decent high street shampoo/conditioner, and for what it gives you, you're getting a lot for your money. I haven't got the conditioner and oil yet, but I will soon buy them when I'm next around that particular Superdrug. They also have Macadamia oil shampoo,conditioner and oil and Brazilian Keratin therapy shampoo, conditioner, flat iron spray and serum, too.

The product itself is pretty thick, and smells amazing. It smells a bit like you're on holiday! I do find that your hair has to be completely saturated in water before you can lather this properly, or you find yourself using more product than you should if your hair is only damp/wet. Once your hair is completely soaked on the other hand, it's a dream to lather and easy to rinse. Your hair feels squeaky clean and SILKY SOFT. It feels like you've already conditioned it's that soft. Those with really oily hair or those that don't always have time to condition, this shampoo could be for you. It doesn't dry out the hair, and puts oils back into the hair shaft to condition inside out. I have accidentally forgotten to use conditioner after shampooing with this Organix shampoo and my hair can suffer from being dry/brittle but I didn't have a problem after using this, it still felt silky and conditioned.

My hair has been manageable with no static or flyaway's which sometimes I can find with shampoos I'm not used to. I'm not sure on the staying power of cleanliness before it gets greasy as I have naturally VERY greasy roots after 1-2 days after a wash so I don't like to wait around before my next hair wash. I don't think a product can really determine how quickly your hair will get greasy unless you haven't washed the product out properly. I personally think it comes down to how your hair is naturally. 

Other amazing benefits of using this shampoo is that the product also helps keep your hair protected against heat from styling tools (I would still use a protecting spray) and protects your hair from UV damage! 

Would I buy it again? Hell yes! I really want to try the conditioner and oil now because the shampoo has completely sold me. My hair feels amazing, manageable and protected.  10/10!

Have you tried the Organix hair care range?

Pearl

MUA Peal Eyeshadow in Pearl £1

In my recent MUA haul, I picked up this glowing frosty gem. I needed a new shadow that I can use on its own or as a highlighter. Boy was I impressed.

This diamond has literally transformed how my make up looks, with its glowing iridescent finish. I use it on the whole lid as a base, under brows, on cheekbones, down my nose and wherever else I feel needs a sheen or pick me up. It's a fantastic product that is basically a 2 in 1. The colour is amazingly pigmented, even though it's a pale shade. The packaging is the normal MUA packaging, but even though it's cheap in price, I think MUA always excel at making their products look expensive or at least not cheap looking and sleek. The consistency is powder, but not overly powdery. It doesn't make your skin feel dry or tight either, which is a bonus and doesn't "fall out" or look loose when you put it on your brush. It brightens up wherever you place it, especially in the corners and underneath the eyes and brow bone. I believe this product would suit most if not all skin colours, even deeper skin tones. 

At £1 this is a steal! If you haven't tried it yet, get your paws on one! I wouldn't be without it now, as it's the perfect size to travel with, and can be used so many ways, it's so versatile.

Have you tried Pearl? What did you think?