Product Reviews Ahoy!

Well as you can imagine, I’ve been filing away a whole heap of reviews for you guys because quite simply when I try something new I always think “I must blog about this!” A little like sharing a piece of great news or gossip with a friend over a cup of tea or coffee ; ) I’ve well and truly missed my little run-downs on all of the cosmetics I’ve got my hands on in recent months so in the next few weeks you can expect to see my thoughts on:

• Boots No. 7 Extreme Lash mascara
• Lush Vanilla Dee-Lite Hand & Body lotion
• Lush Maple Taffy lip balm
• Body Shop Coconut Shimmer Body Butter
• Laura Mercier Silk Creme foundation
• Maybelline Volume Express Falsies mascara

And plenty, plenty more..!

Image from Keep Calm, Stay Positive Blog

Lip Balms & Hand Creams - What Works, What Doesn't & Why

With the chill of winter making itself well and truly comfortable, skin starts to cry out for moisture: Lips become dry and cracked just when we need them lush for the many opportunities under the mistletoe. And hands turn flaky and leathery as soon as we start thinking about having our party manicures.

For years now I've constantly struggled to find a hand cream that actually does what it claims to. I've been using a hand cream that boasts to moisturise even after you've washed your hands - it's complete rubbish. As soon as I wash them, the silky smooth feeling that came with the handcream is down the sink and my skin looks cracked, dry and a complete state once more!

As of late my last lip balm had stopped having its desired effects as well. So recently I've been in a pretty poor state skinwise, ha! However having spoken with Gemma from Anderra and doing further research since I've discovered that many hand creams and lip balms on the market don't do their jobs because there are certain ingredients in them that only produce false or short-lived effects.

Take a look at the labels and see if you recognise any of the below:

Petrolatum or Petroleum

You may recognise this ingredient because it's the basis to Vaseline - something I've seen nearly every girl slather on hands, elbows, eyelids and lips. All this ingredient does is seal moisture out, it doesn't provide moisture to the skin whatsoever. Meanwhile it also seals out oxygen preventing skin from breathing and traps in toxins - not really what you want from a moisturiser!

It's added to cosmetics to make you think that it's doing its job when in fact once you wash it off the effects are gone. Further research shows that petroleum, like petrol, is carcenogenic. Remind me why we use this so enthusiastically?! I once opened an ancient tub of Vaseline at home a few years ago and remember it smelt like a petrol station. Trust me if you smelt an out-of-date tub/tin you'd think twice about using it anywhere on your body. I've therefore never felt compelled to use this. Ever.

Mineral Oil

This is a by-product of petroleum, therefore having the same effects and incurring the same problems. If it's in your hand cream and you're wondering why it's not really working for you, it's because mineral oil is simply greasy, but it has no benefit like bringing moisture to your skin.

Propylene Glycol

Another by-product from petroleum posing the same problems as the ingredients listed above.

Camphor, Menthol, Phenol

Added to lip balms for a cooling effect so you think that they're soothing the sore, chapped sensation you suffer in times of cold weather. You feel a tingling but all the ingredient is doing is drying out your skin further. So you reapply, reapply and reapply. Oh and then run out so you buy more of the product sooner. Clever maths from cosmetic companies...

Salicylic Acid

If you think you've seen this in acne treatments and skin care products for oily skins, you'd be right. It's a great exfoliant and is intended to dry skin rather than add moisture. Believe it or not though, this ingredient is added a-plenty to lip balms, drying and peeling your lips as you wear it.

Fragrance

Some fragrance, whilst nice for the senses, can dry out the skin, especially when combined with alcohol. If you have sensitive skin, fragrance can also irritate it. If you can overcome the temptation to have your lip balm or hand cream smell of fruits or an equally delicious scent then opt for the fragrance-free variety - it will be much gentler in the long-run.

Silicone Oil

This ingredient's added to glosses, lip balms and even lipsticks to make them stay put for longer and prevent pigment in tinted lip moisturiser, lip gloss, or lipstick from transferring. But like mineral oil it too locks out moisture and doesn't provide any benefit to your skin.

The Alternatives?

What then, do you use if your lip balm or hand cream has any of these ingredients? I've come up with a list of products for you to look into as great alternatives that will cure you of your dry-skinned woes without the nasty side-effects and many are even multi-purpose giving you more for your money:

Badger Balm Healing Balm

This one's perfect for people who work outdoors or who, like me, suffer from chapped, dry hands in the depths of winter. Full of wonderful ingredients like Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Beeswax it will provide the natural solution to your skin's upsets. Use it as a lip balm or moisturise with it, it really is multi-purpose because the ingredients are so safe and natural! This balm smells great too and comes in a massive tub - you can take a look here.

Alba Un-Petroleum Lip Balm & Multi-purpose Jelly

If you can't go a day without your Vaseline why not switch to Un-Petroleum lip balm? It's completely petroleum, petrolatum, paraffin and mineral oil-free making it much safer and does a much more effective job too : ) It also comes in a variety of scents including Cherry, Tangerine and Vanilla. The multi-purpose jelly can also be used to remove makeup as well as soothe and cure dry skin. Find more details at www.unpetroleum.com

Steam Cream

I haven't tried this myself, but word on the street is this is the new craze in skincare. It's becoming vastly popular because it provides much more effective moisturisation due to the way it's produced. Because of the use of steam in the manufacturing process, the emulsion is held together very loosely so that when you apply it to your skin it breaks down faster allowing for better absorption into the skin.

If that's not enough, each pot only costs £9.95 and also comes in many pretty boxes of different designs: you choose which one you prefer - it makes beautifying more fun and colourful! Not only is it safe for hands, you can use it on your face and body. You can browse and find out more here.

Lush Lip Balms

Last weekend I bought the Christmas edition lip balm 'Let Them Eat Cake'. It smells like toffee, vanilla or even Sailor Jerry's - when I use it you can smell it across the room - my boyfriend can tell when I've put it on, people ask me what it is all the time and the smell lingers long after you've left a room.

The great thing is that the fragrance is derived from completely natural ingredients - if you can smell sherry, it's because there's sherry in the lip balm. And vanilla absolute. But instead of useless, cheating mineral oils this beauty saviour has organic olive oil in it - a favourite natural moisturiser, hoorah! This one comes thoroughly recommended (I bought two pots to see me through the year). Get yourself down to your local Lush store or shop online at www.lush.co.uk

Green People Help At Hand

For those of you who like your hand creams to do their job but not be heavy or greasy this one is the answer. This light hand cream contains Geranium and Lavender to help your skin return to its former glory. This one's completely organic and is free from all preservatives and other synthetic ingredients. You can find out more at Green People. As testament to its effectiveness, this is out of stock until January on Green People's website! If you want some now however you can find it on other online stores like There Must Be A Better Way.

Lush Helping Hands

This hand cream is also ideal at this time of year because of its ultra soothing and nourishing ingredients. A popular product among nurses and those who work outside due to all of their exposure to detergent and the great outdoors. Many claim this to be their saving grace when all other hand creams couldn't even come close. Coming in at only £5.94 a pot I think that it's at least worth a go. Try www.lush.co.uk to get your hands on some or pop in-store for a sample!

La Parfumerie - part deux

As promised, this is the second part of my perfume rundown featuring the other half in my collection...

Estee Lauder Pleasures

My first ever perfume - I think it's about 10 years old now, but it's still fairing well! It's not my favourite these days but I think that's more because I've changed a lot and so have my tastes. That and I think since it was first brought out perfumes have vastly improved. But getting to the point this fragrance is perfect for those girls who love their florals. Their are hints of sandalwood and rose in this fragrance. I think you could wear it day or night really, but I choose to wear it in the evening because I feel it's a little on the stronger side (that maybe because my bottle's matured though.)

Kylie Minogue Couture

I'm still not sure about the celebrity movement in the perfume industry. I can't decide whether they've cheapened it by all cashing in or made perfume more attainable and accessible to everyone. Sometimes the fragrances produced are blatent copycats of brilliant designer fragrances but with a celebrity's name plastered on the front of the bottle. It's one way to make money for them I guess, but I don't think they're all of high quality. I once smelt one celeb perfume that was so close - correction - too close to Ralph Lauren Blue. I wasn't impressed.

Nevertheless there are three perfumes in my collection that are celebrity fragrances. Before you call me a hypocrite, they were all given to me! The first, being Kylie Minogue's Couture, came free in my goody bag at the Clothes Show Live this year. I actually quite like the fact that it comes in a roller-ball bottle so I can roll it onto pulse points. It means I can put more of a specific amount just where I want it as opposed to a spritzer/atomiser (I think however this version might only be for the sample bottles which is a shame). Despite my doubts of celeb scents, this is my favourite of them tried and tested so far - I find it works well both day and night and makes me feel really uplifted and ready for anything.

Christina Aguilera - Christina Aguilera

This perfume is lovely, sweet, soft and very feminine - the lace print detail on the bottle and sexy black ribbon around the neck perfectly match the undertones in the scent as when I wear it I feel very classy and ready for a night out on the tiles. Definitely a night number for a lady who likes to have fun!

J Lo Love at First Glow

Bought for me for my 21st birthday *sigh* Whilst I'm really not sure about the name, this perfume is perfect for younger women and teenage friends/relatives - the bottle's pink and very girly with a sparkly mobile phone charm wrapped around the neck of the bottle. It's a very musky scent without being heavy so it makes a perfect daytime perfume, brilliant for heading out for lunch with friends or family or wearing to work.

Ralph Lauren Ralph Rocks

Surprise, surprise, yet another Ralph Lauren fragrance! This one instead is a fruity, citrusy version of the original Ralph Lauren Ralph scent, which I can also thoroughly recommend. Whilst the original is a bit headier this one smells delicious, I think it actually makes my mouth water a bit. This might be owing to the orangeflower overtones. This too would make a perfect scent for a younger woman or even a teenage girl as the scent's fresh and light and the packaging reflects the citrusy notes - it's wonderfully bright and therefore would make a very fun perfume to give away!

There we have it - 10 scents trialled, tested and highly recommended. These perfumes often come in sets at this time of year, perfect for gift-giving. They often come with accompanying moisturisers and shower gels which mean you get more bang for your buck and your loved one gets three gifts in one - triple the fun! If you have any questions about any of the scents please feel free to post them in the comments box and I'll get back to you.

For more perfume perfection, check out the December issue of Vogue magazine feature on the language of perfume and also the Vogue TV 'making of' video 'The Sound of Scent' - if you can stand to watch lots of beautiful perfume bottles be smashed into a gazillion pieces for art that is...

The Sound of Scent

La Parfumerie part un

Over in one corner of my bedroom the view represents something like a perfumery - there are now 10 bottles of fragrances adorning my chest of drawers, some with their accompanying moisturisers (scattered in amongst a hair salon's worth of hair products, but that's for another day!)

I realised that I've never done a perfume review or run-down so I decided that today's post would change all of that, especially as perfumes make great Christmas gifts for loved ones and ourselves of course! Seeming as there are 10 scents to cover I thought it best I break the post into two parts. Today's will be covering the first five scents; tomorrow's post will break down the remaining five.

First thing's first, you may be surprised to find that I haven't got any of the classics like Calvin Klein's CK One, a Jean Paul Gautier number or a Georgio Armani fragrance. I couldn't figure out why I don't have a Chanel number either.

The other day whilst in House of Fraser I popped over to the Chanel counter and picked up Coco Mademoiselle and remembered why... For some reason Chanel fragrances remind me of unpleasant perfumes that smell too alcoholic - the type our beloved grandmothers might wear - contraversial, yes, but I'm afraid it's the first thought that jumps to mind when I smell them. It's such a shame because every woman should have a Chanel scent and I want to like them but they've never agreed with me...

Ralph Lauren Blue

This has got to be one of my all-time favourite fragrances. There's something about Ralph Lauren's collection that I love, love, love! I don't think I've ever tried a scent of theirs that I haven't fell in love with. To be honest, if I didn't have so many perfumes to get through I'd have tonnes more from the collection like Ralph Lauren Romance, my Mum has a bottle and it's so beautiful!

As for this scent it's musky but light and sexy and makes a perfect summer time fragrance. Sometimes, depending on my mood I feel it's best for evenings rather than daytime because it can be too heavy but in small doses it's still very versatile. The men's cologne version is heavenly as well so if you're hunting down a cologne for your other half, etc. then I thoroughly recommend this one. I have an ex who wore this and it's so dreamy - it sounds mad but if I ever detect it in a crowd it makes my heart skip a beat and that's a testament to the cologne not the ex...

Ralph Lauren Ralph Cool

This one is a fresh, breezy, woody alternative to that of the original Ralph Lauren Ralph scent that tends to lean to the more youthful side. This is one of my favourite daytime scents, especially for work for some reason and seems to last the day as you wear it. A great quality scent in a very pretty pink bottle!

Benefit B Spot

This was thrown in free when I nearly cleared Benefit's counter of all their stock. The branding and idea behind this scent is to apply it to any of the areas of your body that work well with perfume - normally seductive points like the decolletage, the stomach (try it) and even the backs of your knees! It's very fruity and for some reason it reminds me of honeydew melons and has a musky undertone. It's quickly become one of my favourites, I wore it a lot on holiday this year and now it reminds me of Brighton - fun times!

DKNY Be Delicious

Smells like apples. Which is hardly surprising considering their marketing campaign was full of apples and the bottle is designed to look like one. In fact I still think that this is one of the most original and prettiest fragrance bottles I've ever laid eyes on. This scent's perfect for daytime and is a very fresh, summery scent. It's not too girly either, I feel it's quite the sophisticated number actually. There's also a nighttime version available which is equally as delicious, just a bit sweeter!

Estee Lauder Beyond Paradise

You may remember Madonna starring in the advert for this particular fragrance a few years ago. The bottle is as multicoloured as the advert was and a very cute teardrop shape. The scent's quite heavy so I tend to turn to it less than my other perfumes; I've taken to wearing it at night now, but when I do get it out again I always fall back in love with it! This scent is possibly the most floral in my entire collection - there are notes of orchids and honeysuckle in it making it rather delish : )

Lush - A Few Reviews

Seeming as their sister brand (B Never) is saying a fond farewell to us all at the end of the year, I thought I'd celebrate my favourites at Lush to take our minds off the very sad news! I love Lush and their products because they make such fun cosmetics for all ages - it's like being a kid again when you get to try all of the different types of textures, smells and sensations. And because their products are so different from your average cosmetics and toiletries on the market, it makes preening and cleaning yourself that bit more special and fun!

I've got a list as long as my arm here people, so if you're thinking of making a Christmas list for yourselves, then you better get scribbling...

Cupcake Fresh Face Mask

It smells like chocolate icecream, looks like chocolate icecream so it's got to taste like it, no? I don't know, I can't say I've tried but what I can say is that whilst I can't recommend you taste it I can recommend that you use this all over your face every week if you suffer from oily or acne-prone skin.

This face mask has been specifically designed with teenagers in mind. It's perfect to soothe breakouts and prevent new ones. The main ingredient that you may mistake for chocolate icecream is Rhassoul mud which is responsible for soothing angry red blemish-prone skin...

Whilst my skin isn't so teenage anymore, I do have skin that leans towards the oilier side and I also suffer from clogged pores. So I use this mask on my T Zone once or twice a week. It has peppermint oil in it so it's slightly cooling and when you take it off your skin's left feeling really smooth, soothed and soft. You'll also end up with a slight whiff of chocolate on your skin so don't be surprised if people start to drool after you!

Snow Fairy Shower Gel

It's pink, has sparkles in it and smells divine - what's not to love?! In fact I wish my blog came with Smell-o-Vision, I don't think describing the scent can do it justice. The first time I smelt this I got very excited, haha! My sister had received a bottle one Christmas and I decided I just had to have some too. Except by the time I trotted along to Lush I'd missed out and found out that this beautiful shower gel is only limited to the Christmas period.

Well I'm not going again another a year without it so I'm all stocked up now. I love that it leaves you feeling young again - it smells like all the naughty sweets you used to love as a kid and the smell lingers on your skin and in the bathroom long after you've showered. You can also use it in your hair if you like and you can buy it in three different sizes 100g, 250g and 500g. If you haven't smelt this yet then I'm sure when you do you'll be stocking up on the largest bottles to last you until the next Christmas... Snow Fairy is available to buy now!

Ocean Salt Facial Cleanser

It's like rubbing the contents of a cocktail bar... ON YOUR FACE! There's salt, lime and even vodka in this heavenly facial cleanser. It works as an exfoliator and is ideally best for those of you with oily skin. This is the best exfoliator I have ever used on my face and I mean EVER! Not only is it really fun - when you open the tub you'll see big, blue, beautiful chunks of sea salt and then if you delve in you'll notice the mousse-like cleanser all mixed in underneath! It's also really good at controlling oil, unclogging my pores and making my skin super soft! My skin hasn't been in this good condition for a long time, I love it and will definitely be stocking up on this in future...

Curly Wurly Shampoo

There's no chocolate or caramel in sight but if you open up the tub you'll find a very fun coconut mixture inside. I dare you to turn the tub upside down - with the lid off! No it doesn't move - at all. This is a solid shampoo and as you'll see if you scoop some out, it contains tonnes of dessicated coconut. All you need to do is wet your hair, grab a small amount of Curly Wurly and rub it in your hair and voila - as if by magic, it bubbles up and creates a wonderful lather leaving your hair feeling silky soft!

Designed for those of us with curly hair (hence the name!), it's great at curing the dried, dull texture that curly hair can suffer from time to time. If you have processed hair then this shampoo will work wonders for you too! If you want to follow up with a conditioner too then you can buy Coolaulin - a similar mix but with creamed coconut and lemon juice for added shine - this conditioner is however a liquid and comes in a bottle.

Bye Bye B Never...

Well I'm certainly not the first to be announcing this really sad news, but I wanted to let those of you who may still not know. Georgie of So Full of Twilight Dreams That Glitter broke the bad news just under a week ago. You may remember my post on the magic of B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful - Lush's sister makeup and beauty brand? Well unfortunately after this Christmas B Never will be no more : (

The company have made the decision to pack up shop after all these years, they won't be going into liquidation, administration or anything nasty like that but instead Lush will be absorbing all the assets. I'm really going to miss this brand - I loved everything about them - their awesome products with amazing names and super gorgeous and fun packaging, philosophy, branding and the stores were like candy shops!

But in true B Never style this Christmas all the stores will be going out with a bang and celebrating their wonderful six years of trading with YOU their loyal fans - so gets yourselves down to your local store and if you're not very local to one then it should still be worth the trip to your nearest. Their UK stores are in Covent Garden, 332 Oxford Street (the one off Carnaby Street isn't there anymore so don't go over there by mistake!), 29 High Street, Poole, Dorset and 21 Commercial Street, Leeds. And if you're in Tokyo, Japan or Vienna, Austria then you too can find your way to your local store for a fun-packed Christmas/Goodbye Do!

In the meantime if there's anything you would like to stock up on before B says goodbye then get online or head to one of the stores because as their website says all their products now really are collectable!

I'll be stocking up on the glitters, concealer and bath products, yes please!

www.bnevertoobusytobebeautiful.co.uk/

B is for B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful!

My boyfriend introduced me to this store two years ago when we stumbled upon it in London nextdoor to my favourite MAC store just off Carnaby Street (a friend of his had worked there for a while and she sang its praises constantly!) When I first went in I thought I'd travelled back in time - the store's decorated and furnished with very beautiful and vintage decor and reminds me of little old English sweet stores... but obviously houses makeup instead!

B Never... is the sister brand of Lush and you'll soon realise this as you walk around and notice that a lot of their ingredients are natural and some of their cosmetics are even suitable for Vegans! The packaging, products on offer and branding are also very similar to that of Lush with bright colours and unusual names to boot. You'll soon notice that most of their colours on offer, whether those of eyeshadows, mascaras, blushes or foundation shades are named with the letter B.

The packaging is also very unique: Glitters for instance come in tiny handcrafted wooden pots that look like they fell off a lorry full of Far East Asian pottery! The eyeshadows sit in the most beautiful, elegant bejewelled containers, all differing in design, colour and materials. The foundation bottles look like they should only ever sit on the most elegant of dressing tables as they have ornate gold decorations trailing up the glass of the bottles. Nothing is done by halves by any means!

B Never certainly fulfil their name - they not only sell makeup and cosmetics to make a girl faint, but they emphasise the importance in feeling your best and taking relish in it! How could you not enjoy it with all of the beautiful packaging, fantastic shades and brilliant selection to choose from at your fingertips?!

However B Never may not be for everyone's budget! An eyeshadow will knock you back £8 and you'll find that the pan is rather on the small side. The liquid foundation is £20 - more than most retail foundations on offer, however perhaps you can take solace in the fact that most of the ingredients are natural and therefore very beneficial for your skin!

Another disadvantage is that there are very few B Never... stores around the UK at the moment. It's still early days as far as expansion here is concerned so if you don't live in London and you're not fortunate to live in Poole (B Never's hometown) then you won't easily be able to take a look at all their wares. However they do have a great website, plus one for all of you makeup lovers in Japan and one for Austria, where you can buy everything you need. So if you're unable to sample in-store you can email them and ask to try out some of the products they have to offer. They'll be more than happy to send some your way.

I know I've waxed very lyrical about this brand, but I can't wait to see what they offer next and if they expand around the UK, plus maybe offer more of you from abroad a taste of their delights. I'll be giving a range of their products a try in the next few months and reviewing as I go so watch this space... One thing's for certain - their approach to beauty is very unique and exciting - exactly what getting ready should be all about!

Go and see what all the fuss is about by visiting www.bnevertoobusytobebeautiful.co.uk!

Image Source

All images courtest of B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful.