Sunjunkie Tanning Products

I don't know if its just me but I know it definitely winter when my natural tan is completely gone and its time to whip out the fake tan. My skin tone is quite sallow but without a tan and a some sun I do feel I look a bit drained. I am always up for trying new tans and finding ones that work well and I had to share these products by Sunjunkie as they really have become a favourite. 

Sunjunkie sent me their sunless body mist* and instant tanning mousse in deliciously dark* to try. I have tried tanning mousses before and have liked them but many left green stains that look dirty around your hands and feet which is definitely not a look I am going for. I always use a mitt to apply tan as I feel it gives the best results and after applying the tanning mousse* I could already see a lovely light brown. I left it on overnight and in the morning there were some streaks on my hands and inner parts of my arms but as the instructions tell you this is normal and after a shower I was streak free and left with a golden tan. 

The body mist* was also a lovely product to use and virtually did not streak at all for me. I simply sprayed the skin a rubbed in again with a mitt. I would definitely recommend this product if you are after a more subtle golden tan that looks really natural even in the winter. 

A question I think most girls have about tan is not about its application its the smell. These products have such a gorgeous coconut smell that reminds me of a malibu drink, it smells gorgeous. Once dried and washed you are left with a subtle tan smell but its is nothing I can't handle as I have smelt some seriously bad ones in the past.

These are not wash off tans but if you want to keep your tan I would recommend applying every second  night and having a complete scrub and exfoliate around once a week to keep it looking fresh and not patchy. 

If you are looking for affordable tanning products that work just as well in the winter as they do in the summer then I totally recommend sun junkie. For just over £10 you can have a gorgeous looking tan here and just now you are receiving a free tan safe shower gel free with a value of £18.99! 

Perfect for the upcoming party season.

Are you are winter tanner? 

Leigh

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Sinful Nail Polish

L to R: Toyko Pearl, Rich in Heart, Frenzy

My nail polish collection is no where near as big as my make up collection. Its never something I have been completely obsessed with but now and then if colours catch my eye I do like to pick them up. I think Sinful nail polishes are perfect for someone like me who can't keep it on for more than a few days. They have a huge selection of colours all at only £1.99 and you are getting your moneys worth too as I find them to be of a great quality! 

The three colours I went for were Tokyo pearl a gorgeous pearl white, if you are like me and not a huge fan of the tippex white nails then this is such a great alternative reminds me of the sun against the snow. Next is Rich in Heart which is such an unusual colour it is a very deep almost black wine colour but in the light there are gorgeous red shimmers which I found extremely difficult to pick up on camera. Lastly I picked up frenzy which is a glitter polish including pinks purples and blues which I think could look lovely layered over Tokyo Pearl. 

I don't really like to comment on the wear time of nail polishes as I don't keep them on long enough but I have worn Sinful nail varnishes for 2/3 days without chipping. 

You can purchase these from Boots for £1.99 

Have you tried Sinful nail polish before? 

Lush Goodies

A couple of weeks ago I attended the FABB Glasgow event. It was such a great day and I met some really lovely bloggers. I haven't blogged about it because I didn't really take any pictures (bad blogger) I was having too much fun wandering around the stalls and talking to everyone. One of my favourite stalls had to be Lush where there were two lovely girls who were so enthusiastic and new everything about the products. They very kindly handed us a goodie bag which included something from the new Christmas collection and also an old favourite. 

The first thing I received a sample of was the Dreamwash Shower Smoothie* I had never tried any of the smoothies from Lush so was super excited to see this is my bag. It has a very natural smell that I wasn't sure of at first as I am more a lover of sweet things but it has definitely grown on me now. It contains Lavender, tea tree and aloe vera all things that are kind to the skin. This feels extremely moisturising and nourishing on the skin and leaves it super soft and hydrated feeling. I will definitely be trying the turkish delight shower smoothie next time as it feels much better than any other shower gel I have used. 

The next thing I received was a christmas favourite the Angel Delight soap*. I had actually used this before and really liked it so using it again was lovely. Obviously this is quite a sweet smell although no where near as sweet as the likes of Snow fairy. If you like soaps that are subtly sweet then this definitely for you! 

As always winning products from Lush. Payday is tomorrow and I will definitely be purchasing a few things from the Christmas collection especially Snow fairy and a few bath bombs.  

What are your favourite products from Lush?

Leigh

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L'oreal Nude Magique Foundation

I don't usually buy any beauty product without trying it first or reading other reviews. When I saw this in superdrug on offer I just went for it because it sounded really lovely. I knew it was never going to be a winter foundation as I do like quite heavier coverage but I thought for days I'm only nipping in and out it would be nice to give my skin a rest. 

First of all the packaging is a glass bottle without a pump which is straight away annoying as it is at risk of breaking and also you waste product without a pump. However it does actually have quite an expensive look and feel about it. 

This foundation is extremely watery and does need a good shake before using as it could have split. The bottle instructs you should pour a drop onto your fingertips which is nowhere near enough for me. Once fully applied my skin does feel really silky smooth with a semi matte finish. For me this foundation does not give nearly enough coverage though and felt like it was just sitting on top of my skin. If you are someone with blemish free skin and don't really need much coverage you might want to try this but for me it was as much coverage as a tinted moisturiser. 

Avaliable on offer at Boots for £6.99

Have you tried this foundation before? Were you expecting more from it?

Leigh

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Sample sized products worth buying

Samples are such a good way of seeing whether or not you really like a product and worth purchasing the full size, especially if they are quite expensive. I thought it would be a nice idea to share with you products that I think are worth the full price, however I suggest getting these samples and trying for yourself. 

1. This milk_shake color maintainer shampoo* is such a lovely shampoo. After the first use I could see already it got on well with my hair. It leaves my hair looking really silky and feeling super soft without looking flat. It actually seems to give my hair a nice bounce to it and smells amazing. I have already purchased the full size bottle which isn't overly expensive at £10.25/300ml and I cannot wait to try it with the conditioner too. 

2. The Urban Decay setting spray is a favourite amongst beauty enthusiast and I can see why. It is not a product I feel I need to use all the time but when I am going on a night out it really helps my make up stay in place. When I come home at 4 in the morning my make up is usually everywhere and looks like it is melting but this really holds it in place and keeps me looking fresh. At £19.50/118ml it isn't cheap but will last quite a while. 

3. I have already raved about the Morroccanoil treatment* many times but I really do love it. It has seriously changed the condition of the ends of my hair as well as adding more shine. It isn't heavy weighing my hair down and again a lovely smelling product. £30.45/125ml

4. Another huge love in the beauty world Benefit porefessional is used under your make up to minimise the appearance of pores. I don't have very visible pores but this is definitely worth having to smooth out your skin before applying foundation. It makes foundation but  easier to apply and have an even finish. Another expensive product at £24.50/22ml but you don't need a huge amount so should last a while. 

Do you love any of these products? Have you ever purchased a beauty favourite and wished you had tried a sample first?

Leigh

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Current Wishlist

Today I thought I would take a little break from reviews and would do a little wishlist of things I am currently wanting to buy. I read a lot of blogs and everyday my list gets longer and changes all the time. I have narrowed this wishlist down to 5 things that I am positive I want and a few have been on my list for ages. 

I know it is only October but I am so excited about Christmas and the yankee candles make me even more excited with the gorgeous christmassy scents they bring out at this time of year. I am not a huge fan of spice and cinnamon smells but I love the sweet ones like cupcakes and cookie dough! 

I have had MAC's vanilla pigment on my list for ages and I have no idea why I haven't got round to buying it. This is definitely first on my pay day list as it is a multi use product that is worth the month. I also think winter time is the perfect excuse to buy a white shimmery pigment. 

NARS multiples are another product that has been on my list for ages. I currently love my NARS Laguna bronzing powder but for days I am going to minimal make up and need something quite I would love to use this cream stick as my contour. Another multi use product - I am definitely trying to get my moneys worth. 

This powder from Bourjois is not long released and is popping up on blogs everywhere. I only use powder to set my concealer and a bit on my forehead when I get shiny but anything with the word illuminating drags me straight in. Not really a product I need to have but you know I really do. 

Lastly another newish release that has been in the back of my mind since it came out. The Benefit  rockateur blush caused a bit of controversy when it was more expensive than their other blushers yet signficantly less product. That aside it really look likes a gorgeous colour to add a glow to my face as during the winter months my skin can look a bit dull. 

So that's my current most wanted wish list although my actual wish list is ridiculously long. I definitely need to cut it down and decide what I want to buy myself, what I could ask for Christmas and what I really do not have to have as I own something very similar. 

What are you currently lusting over?

Leigh

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Urban Decay Vice 2 Palette

Top two rows L to R: Smokeout, Lovesick, Shellshock, Coax, X-rated

Prank, Madness, Strike, Stash, Poison. 

Bottom two rows L to R: Radar, Damaged, Voodoo, Betrayal, Derailed

Dope, Toxic Habit, Ambush, Rewind. 

I have a seriously bad palette addiction. I just love having lots of eyeshadows together as it makes them easier to take on the go but also gives you ideas of what to pair together. When I saw the Urban Decay vice 2 palette I knew it had to be mine. I had a £20 House of Fraser gift card and they also do student discount if you didn't already know so I only paid around £18 for this instead of RRP £42. 

First of all I am in love with the packaging it is such a gorgeous colour and feels really sturdy there is also a button that automatically opens the palette for you - how fancy. There are 20 eye shadows in the palette ranging from really wearable brights, neutrals and a few matte in there as well. There is also a double ended brush which is actually okay but I much prefer using my own brushes. 

The quality of these eyeshadows are just as good as ever with the pigmentation being amazing on even the lightest shades and they are all super buttery and blend really easily. I haven't worn every shadow yet but the ones I have tested have lasted the full day for me with a primer. 

I really cannot fault this palette and would say if you are looking for one that will have a big range of colours and is easy to carry around then this is definitely it. I would say my favourite shades would have to damaged and radar but I know pretty much all of them will come in use at some point. 

If you think you might like this palette then be quick as it is limited edition. 

£42 @ House of Fraser

What do you think of this palette? Do you love Urban Decays eyeshadows? 

Leigh

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Barry M Natural Glow Palette

Sorry I have been posting so little lately. I am back at uni and blogging has taken a bit of a back seat, I really need to dedicate day where I can get lots of posts scheduled. 

Whenever a new palette comes out and it contains neutrals I am all over it. Barry M are much loved for their amazing range of nail polishes but their now expanding into make up much more - with their palettes and new foundation. They have brought out three new palettes for different looks and I went for natural glow which contains 6 eyeshadows and a blush. The packaging is made up of a sturdy cardboard. 

The eyeshadows aren't the post pigmented as you can probably see from the swatches but it does contain some lovely colours for creating some natural looks. My favourite has to be the last three colours as they are perfect for creating a brown smokey eye. The blush is a lovely pale pink that is not unlike mac well dressed but with shimmer. 

The blush lasted most of the day for me but the eyeshadows didn't last quite as long with some fading after 4/5 hours which is not too bad considering the amazing price of the palette. 

I would say this palette is great for people who are starting to get into eyeshadow and do not want to quite spend the money on a naked palette. It is a nice palette to have in my collection but definitely not a necessity. 

Have you tried any of these palette yet?

What palettes are you currently lusting over? 

It is currently sold out online but is available in store for £6.49 

Leigh

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Rihanna hearts mac

When I first saw the swatches of the Rihanna fall collection for mac nothing stood out at me at all in terms of what I needed for my collection except for the packaging. I have seen a lot of people saying the packaging is cheap and tacky looking but I actually really liked it and knew I needed a couple of things purely for the that reason. I decided to go with the nude lipstick and the hibiscus blush bronzer duo. 

The packaging is just a pretty as I thought and will sit proudly on my dresser. The lipstick is a matte and is a lot darker than the swatches I had seen online previously but I actually like it because it is not like anything I already own in my collection I would describe it as a vampy nude. Although it is a matte finish it doesn't tug as much as others e.g. ruby woo and didn't show any dry matches on my lips. I found it comfortable to wear and it lasted a good 3/4 hours before showing any signs of wear. This is definitely a great nude if you don't suit true nude lipsticks. 

Again I went for the blush bronzer duo for the packaging reason. It isn't anything that I don't already own in my collection though and could have done without it. However the bronzer isn't very dark so doesn't look muddy on my face. It is too light for contouring on me personally but does give a nice overall glow to the skin. The blush is a lovely fushia pink that give a nice natural flush to the cheeks. They last most of the day with a little fading after around the six hour mark for me. 

If like me you love mac and their collections I am sure you got your hands on a few things too. The only thing I would recommend picking up if you can would be the RiRi Woo lipstick but as I already got this in June I decided not to get it in the new packaging. 

The collection is pretty much sold out online but you may find a couple thing at mac counters - be quick!

did you manage to grab anything from the collection? 

Leigh

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MUA Undress your skin foundation/primer

I have read many reviews on this foundations and as they were so mixed I decided I wanted to try it for myself. For only £5 I wasn't expecting too much but I bought the primer to go with it to ensure I got the best results. 

The shade range is not good at all with only three shades available I went with the middle shade which is still way too light for my face. I am around a mac NC25 without a tan therefore if you are much darker there is not really any hope of you getting a shade to match. 

Despite the shade 'beige' being too light I just bronzed my face a bit to allow myself to wear the foundation for the day (with the primer underneath). I would say this is a light-medium coverage foundation with a natural/slightly dewey finish, it took quite a bit of buffing into the skin to ensure it was applied evenly and I found it clung to some dry patches. 

After around four hours I found the foundation started to fade a bit and my skin looked quite dry, I don't really have dry skin just the odd patches so I found the unusual. By the end of the day I felt I had virtually no coverage but instead quite a caked foundation, not a good look!

I do think the high street do some good foundations (bourjois) however this one by MUA was not for me. As for the primer I didn't feel it did very much other than make my skin feel soft. 

Foundation - £5.00

Primer - £5.00 

Have you tried this foundation and primer?

Whats your favourite high street foundation? 

Leigh

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Lips

It starting to get to that time of year again where my lips are super dry and can start to crack. Not only do they look bad it is actually really sore as well. I am a bit obsessed with lip products and that includes anything that helps keep my lips in a good nick as well. 

Probably my favourite for getting rid of any dry skin is the lush bubblegum lip scrub. I mentioned this in my September favourites but it is probably an all year round favourite. It scrubs away all the dry skin and leaves my lips feeling soft and moisturised. It also smells amazing!

I think everyone has Vaseline in multiple bags or purses. It one of these things if I don't have it I just repurchase and end up with loads of them. I like to use this more when my lips are sore and cracked rather when they are dry.

Babylips  have recently arrived in the UK and I just had to buy the three shades that give colour pay off. I don't find these the most moisturising. After it wears off I feel the need to reapply because my lips are dry again but I do like these for a nice tint of colour and alternative to vaseline.

Last but my no means least the EOS lip balms which are not currently available in the UK but easily accessible online. I got my friend to bring me back a few of these from America and I actually really like them. Again they smell amazing but for me they are really moisturising and help when my lips are chapped. 

I think it is so important to keep my lips in a good condition especially when I love to wear lipsticks daily that can often cling to dry patches.  

Is there any lip products you would recommend I tried?

Leigh 

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September Favourites

First of all I apologise for how bad this picture is. I took a huge amount of pictures today and so many of them really were not a great standard, so frustrating! Anyway we are now in October and its time to bring out the chunky knitwear and boots yay! September was the last of any sunshine for a while I think. 

I bought a whole load of stuff at the end of September but not much new at the beginning so only a few changes to my favourites this month.

Starting of with the Lush bubblegum lip scrub. My lips have been super dry this month I'm assuming due to the change in temperature and this has been a lifesaver. I'm sure most beauty lovers have this but if not you need it to scrub away any dryness and prep for winter vampy reds and purples. As well as my lips, my hands have been really dry this month and what brand is better for moisturising than soap and glory? Their hand food is super moisturising without feeling sticky on my hands and not to mention it smells lovely, there is a mini travel version which I will be purchasing for my handbag.  For hair I have been continuing to use my Moroccanoil * and don't think I will be stopping anytime soon. I apply to the ends of my hair everyday when damp and it leaves my ends feeling much silkier. 

Now onto make up. Since going back to uni and having much less sleep I have been using the YSL Touche Eclat  to brighten my under eye area making me look much more awake than I am. I also love using it to highlight my brown bone. I also posted about the NYX Jumbo eye pencils  this month and my favourite has definitely been yogurt as a lovely base under this soap and glory palette Off the wall flowers. The eyeshadows are super pigmented and buttery with my favourite shades being the neutrals of course!

What have you been loving this month?

Leigh

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