Clinique Gift Review

Hola!

It's time for me to stop being lazy and start getting on with the Christmas madness. I'm having so much fun buying all of my presents, especially those for my secret santa :) and I couldn't help buying myself a few gifts along the way. Recently I've been spending a long time browsing the Clinique website and adding pretty much all of their Christmas gift sets to my list to Santa. So whilst I was in House of Fraser and I saw they were giving away a free makeup bag with lots of lovely minis inside. I thought seeing as I had two products in mind that I wanted to buy I would and the fact that I haven't used Clinique for a while now that I would just bite the bullet and rekindle my love for the brand.

So here's a little review of all the products inside (because the bag itself is fairly self explanatory) and I'm also going to do a little count up of how much the bag is worth. I'll divide up all the ml's, don't you worry, just leave the maths bit too me.

So starting from the left we have the Turnaround Overnight Radiance Moisturiser (15ml = £10.40)
I'm not sure what I think of this product. Granted I've only used it for a few days now but I fully intend on replaying my usual overnight cream with thins until the sample runs out to get a really good idea. So far though I am very impressed. Like I said, I haven't really noticed any lasting results but when I put this on at night it just feels indulgent. It's a perfect creamy consistency without being too heavy and absorbs within seconds. It's non greasy as well which makes it more comfortable for overnight as there's nothing I hate more than rolling over in bed and that really heave face cream that refuses to sink in just goes ll over your pillow. Final verdict: gorgeous and fuss free.

The Take The Day Off Makeup Remover (30ml = £3.84) is the star product in this bag for me. I really love oil based makeup removers as they just break down the makeup but this product is a miracle. The smallest amount of this and the makeup just slides of. It feels almost dry when you sweep it across the eye and doesn't tug or irritate the eye area. Plus it's suitable for contact lens wearers like myself so that's a bonus. I honestly have nothing bad to say about this product and it's at the top of my repurchase list.

Just right from the above is the first step in Clinique's 3 step process. The Mild Liquid Facial Soap (30ml = £2.25) I've found pretty much does what a lot of reviews have already said. It feels lovely and lathers up nice but it is a little drying. I wouldn't fancy using this with the very strong Clinique toners and you really do need the Turnaround... Moisturiser to give the skin that extra moisture. However this does leave the skin clean and soft which I like. If all I need is a good moisturiser then I can't complain that this gel wash really does strip away oils.

This next one is a bit of a oops as I haven't actually used it yet. This is definitely more of a first impressions review so yeah, it's the Sparkle Skin Body Exfoliating Cream (40ml = £3.20)

Okay! So after that embarrassment we move one of the products most suited to my picky tastes, the High Impact Mascara (3.5ml = £7) I wouldn't use this mascara alone for a night out because I have a five step system for my lashes (Which I will be sharing later this week, hint hint, wink wink.) but for day time wear this mascara has just about enough lengthening and volumising potential to be a lovely addition to any make up bag. It's definitely not a wonder product for me but it's mane selling point for me is it's defining power. The brush really separates the lashes and the formula isn't clumpy. I just wish it was a full size... *sigh*

Last but not least is the Superbalm Moisturising Gloss in Currant (7ml = £6.76) This lip gloss is much like any other. It's very much bang in the middle of what I like to think of as sticky glosses and wet glosses. The shade is also good, very good for a bag like this in fact as it comes out quite neutral so it'll suit pretty much everyone. I found that one coat of this in the morning really did last most of the day without drying up, settling into lip lines, gathering at the corners, you know, all those things you get with some glosses. Overall, an average product, no complaints but not my favourite.


So with a final total of £33.45 plus the price of the makeup bag I'm really really happy with this gift. With it only being a case of buying two Clinique products you don't have to spend a fortune to get this lovely set of indulgent items and if you've had a break from Clinique like I have it's a lovely way to get back in touch with their products.

If you're thinking of treating yourself this offer, as far as I'm aware, is only running in House of Fraser stores, NOT Clinique as a whole.

Hope everybody's having a lovely run up to Christmas and don't forget to buy presents for yourself too!

Bye. xoxo

Boots Points Treats: Mini Reviews.

Hello! 

The recent points event at Boots really got me in the mood for Christmas and spurred me on to start getting my Christmas shopping done stat. The event meant that for every fifty pounds you spent, you got twelve pounds worth of Boots point on your card. I also had a voucher to boost the total. May have been slightly helped by the obscene amount of money I spent as well but that's besides the point. 

At the end of buying all my lovely Christmas presents for everyone else I decided to use my points and buy myself some treats. I jumped headfirst into Boots' three for two offer (okay, so it's not the first time this season) and bought myself two items I've been eyeing for awhile and my free item, but more on that one later.

The first products that I've been lusting after for a long time now is  Soap and Glory's concealer. Kick Ass Concealer is a three step concealer compact that has an eye brightening corrector, a facial blemish concealer and a translucent setting powder. My views on this product are a little mixed. I love the idea of this compact, it's super cute and great for travelling and touch ups, perfectly handbag sized. The consistency of the product is good too. The only thing I don't like is the colours. I have very very pale skin but the light concealer just wasn't a match for me at all. I got the medium. I can only assume that they will bring a darker one out at some point as it seems to be strange that they have light and medium. Why not just light and dark if there are just two? A mystery. The translucent powder is just white, it's way to light so I've been using it as a matt highlighter, which is always great to have, but still not what I brought the product for. As for the concealer, the brightening corrector is just too light for me, it makes my under eye area look very strange and mismatched to the rest of my face, the blemish concealer is far to dark. On the plus, whilst it is a hassle, I have found very good results in combining the two shades so for that reason it wasn't a total loss. It's also a lot more matt than my Collection 2000 one, which I love, but it's not as multi purpose as I can't really use the concealer on large areas. Overall, with the £10 price tag I'll give this product a 7/10.

The Revlon sections sits right next to Soap and Glory in my Boots store. In seeing it I was reminded of the frantic conversation I had with my best friend over whether I wanted to buy  the Passion or Frenzy shade in their Just Bitten Lipstain. I originally bought Passion and loved it and couldn't help going back for the red/plum colour that is Frenzy (think the mental image of when Rob Pattinson talks about his vampire frenzies in Twilight, yikes!) but yes, it does have that blood red, I've just vamped up my look impact. I won't ramble on about this lip stain as you can read exactly what I thought of it in my Kiss Proof Colour post along with several other lip stains out there.

Last but not least was my free product and let me just say this was a chance find. Due to the lack of time I challenge my friend Luke to choose me a product to get free. Don't worry, I chose some backup myself just in case. However, like a true shopper at heart he headed straight for the Maybelline ColorSensational lipstick. With a little bit of careful guidance I eventually walked away with the shade Cherry Candy. This lipstick is just sheer enough to look strangely natural and yet still give you a full colour pout. This shade comes the 'The Shine' collection so it's ultra moisturising and well... as you'd expect, shiny. These lipsticks are a bit similar to the Revlon Lip Butters in their consistency so they aren't particularly long wearing but do build well when reapplying so it's not a problem for me as I always have a mirror handy. 

So have you treated yourself to anything nice lately? Let me know! 

Bye x

Why I Wear Makeup Tag.

How I feel wearing mascara :) Well, not quite.

 Hello Amigos!

After doing my It's Only Makeup post I wrote up my answers to the 'Why I Wear Makeup' tag. At some point it got saved in a blogger file somewhere whilst I was looking for some photos or something equally unimportant and I forgot to upload it, so here it is. Why do I wear makeup?


1. When did you begin wearing makeup?

I started wearing makeup when I was about thirteen. Now, when I say wearing make up I do not, by any means, mean wearing it well. For example, this picture. Now ignore the glasses, the red eye and the freakish pale glare I'm getting of that flash. Look a bit closer, oh yes, that is red eyeliner! All over my lid. I think for me wearing makeup was just a natural part of growing up but also a weird way of expressing myself when I got to high school. That age is pretty hard to figure out who you are and makeup was my way of saying 'look, I'm a grown up' even if I wasn't.




2. How do I feel without makeup?

How  I feel without makeup really depends on who I'm with. If I'm at home with my family I don't even think about the fact that I'm not wearing anything on my face and it's shiny with moisturiser. With friends I actually prefer it that way (Monkey-Mouse is revealed :)). If I'm going out then I feel quite awkward without it, you never know who you're going to meet and a lot of people, however wrong to do so, do judge on first impressions. I definitely feel more confident when I'm wearing makeup, especially for an evening out.



3. What do I like about makeup?

Buying it. As much as I love makeup I also really love buying it. Now maybe that just because it's of my shopaholic tendencies but there's just so much of it and everything is so colourful. Plus, unless I'm being really extravagant it doesn't cost half as much as a new dress. Makeup is the one think I can buy and KNOW that I'm going to wear it, unless I hate it of course. Makeup, whether it's buying it, putting it on, or just wearing it is an experience and it's the experience I enjoy.

4. My 3 Holy Grail items:

Wow, that is difficult. I have thinks that I'm loving at the moment but holy grails! I think I'll have to start with my foundation. I'm a bit of a foundation whore but I always end up going back to the Max Factor Xperience Foundation it's just so light and matt that I end up going to the mirror to give my makeup a touch up and then thinking, 'oh, it's not even shiny.' My second holy grail is my Collection 2000 Multiplier Mascara. This mascara is sooo cheap and so amazing. It thickens, lengthens and curls all at the same time and it's the perfect consistency formula. Lastly, my No.7 Natural Blush Cheek Colour in the shade Melon. It's an older blusher that's changed since No.7 went through their major revamp but Melon is pretty close to the shade I have. It's the perfect buildable, pigmented and matt blush that I have and I feel like I can wear this and nothing else because it just makes me look alive.


And that, my friends, is why I wear that colourful makeup stuff. What about you? Why do you wear makeup?


Bye!

Gift Voucher Blogger Challenge

Hello My Lovelies.

The Gift Voucher Blogger Challenge is almost over so I know I'm cutting it fine but if there really anything better than a gift voucher! I mean, really?

So here's how it all works. You trawl the internet (I love some internet shopping) and select 5 awesome gifts that you would love to give this Christmas.


Then, giftvoucher.co.uk will select 2 winners. And here's what you can win:

• ASOS Gift Voucher worth £35
• Topshop Gift Card worth £35
• Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate worth £35
• JolieBox.com 3 Month Subscription
• BooHoo.com £35 Gift Voucher

So here's the catch, each gift must be under £35! Not too hard I don't think, time to get creative.

Competition closes on the 9th November and all you need is a blog and some gift ideas :)


 Lets have a look at my picks: 






My first gift, and I actually want this myself if the 17 Nail Clash Complete Collection.
I think this is a perfect gift for anyone who wants a quick, easy ways to jazz up their manicure. I also worked out that at £20 you really do get a lot more than what you pay for in this se.

 

Next up is probably something I would look at for a best friend. A little quirky but colour blocking is so on trend and I have a feeling it's going to come back with full throttle next summer.It's never too early to get started on your summer wardrobe so I'm going to take full advantage of the Little Mistress sale with this lovely lemon and coral play suit at just £11.40.

To me, Yankee Candle's are that gift that when you get it, you know it's cost money and I always feel like the person that's bought the gift has really put some thought into the scent they choose for you. However just receiving a candle alone can be a bit boring. That's why I love the Yankee Candle trays and shades. A small tray, shade and candle will come in at £24.69 exactly and look so adorable. I personally love the Vintage Blue Floral  shade.





I've recently become a big fan of the knuckleduster clutch bags that are all over the market at the
moment. It's a fantastic way to instantly get four rings on your hand without looking ridiculous and keep a firm hold on your bag. I know that this one from Missguided is on my Christmas list and come in way under budget at the affordable price of £25.99.




My last, and final gift is a piece of jewellery is something I bought a very long time ago for my Mom and I would love to buy again. It's such a lovely idea and the end result is very cute. For £24.99 you receive a silver cage pendant, and a shell containing a pearl. Each colour symbolises something different and it's from.... drum roll, Argos!




So if you want to get in on the action just head over to Giftvoucher.co.uk here: Click me!


Bye Addicts!

It's only makeup!

Hello my beauties.


I often get asked the questions, 'Why do you buy so much make up?' and the classic boy talk: 'Why do girls even wear make up?'

I've been thinking recently that this is in someway true. It's not necessary. It's not life and death. Whatever each beauty obsessive out there gets out of a new foundation or that latest handbag it's important to remember that behind the perfect hair, bold lips and judgy comments, we're all still just real, average people. Even celebrities look like everybody else in the morning!

So here are a few inspirational beauty quotes to remind us all that it's just make up :)

"A woman whose smile is open and whose expression is glad has a kind of beauty no matter what she wears." - Anne Roiphe.

"The best part of beauty is that which no picture can express.” - P.C. Cast.

 “I think happiness is what makes you pretty. Period. Happy people are beautiful. They become like a mirror and they reflect that happiness.” - Drew Barrymore

“The human body is the best work of art.” - Jess C. Scott

“There's nothing more inspiring than the complexity and beauty of the human heart.” - Cynthia Hand

 “I don't take good pictures 'cause I have the kind of beauty that moves.” - Ani DiFranco (One of my favourites, make of it what you will x)

“Nature didn't need an operation to be beautiful. It just was.” - Scott Westerfeld

 Now go have a sexy lazy day in your PJ's you beautiful people!


Bye bye!

International Secret Santa

Is it too soon for a Merry Christmas?

The lovely Sandra from The Puzzle of Sandra's Life has organised an international Secret Santa that sounds just about too lovely to be true. Personally this is a great fuss free way for all of us bloggies to discover other blogs and connect whilst getting a hand picked gift under our tree to boot. Everybody loves receiving a secret gift but I personally love shopping for them too. So if you're like me and want to get involved, all you have to do is have a blog. I think I'll leave all of the rules and details to Sandra so go click this nice link right here: Secret Santa! to get involved!

Bye Bye!

Slightly Late... October Favourites.

Hey Beauty Addicts,

Halloween, bonfires, autumn... it's just all to much! I have no wish lists for September or October. Not a favourites in sight! I don't know what's going on but clearly all this busy season has gotten the best of me.

So here's some of the things I just can't get enough of, in October at least. I'm not going to do full reviews because let's face it, I've been rabbiting on about some of these products in posts (which I will link for you as always) for the past month.

I'll start my journey back in time to last month with, yes, again Soap & Glory Cheekmate. (Seven Shades of Autumn and The Beautiful Big Screen.) I won't even tell you how much I love this, because I'm sure you already know. If you don't, just go clickety click on those links in brackets there.


My next favourite of October is my Warehouse scarf. I got this beauty in the very last days of October, but my love for it is so strong that yes, it makes up for that lost time. 20% student discount at Warehouse going on at the moment, just so ya know. This scarf is a weave of cream, baby blue and pale pink wool with cute little tassells.

Whilst a still beauty related my next favourite isn't exactly an item but a website that I cannot tear myself away from. Fantasy Shopper is a style sharing website where you can shop real items in hundreds of stores right now and create outfits, mood boards, help other members find nice outfits and create your own outfits. It's a great way of trying pieces before you buy them and you can do just that, purchase them through the website with one click. I found out about the site from
the wonderful Makeup Savvy. Careful though, it's addictive! 


My last beauty favourite for October is the Herbal Essences Drama Clean shampoo and conditioner.
A clarifying shampoo but gentler this combo gets rid of excess oil and keeps hair naturally shiny without the grease all day.

What are you loving this month, or like me, last month?

Bye Addicts.

The Beautiful Big Screen

Hello Beauty Addicts,

I've been thinking about this post for quite a while mow, thinking, how am I going to present these looks. Should I do individual posts with tutorials? Or should I just stick with a classic show and tell. So here's how it runs. I wanted to create a post with what I have narrowed down to my favourite TV shows or movies BEAUTY wise. These shows/movies are not necessarily my favourite things to watch but they are the ones I've watched and thought, 'wow, their outfits are amazing,' or, 'I just love her make up.' Then I thought, that's all well and good but how do we make these looks real. So here's what I'll do, I'm going to do a top five and then recommend what I feel would be the fundamental product to getting that look, yes? Yes.

If you guys want to see tutorials for any of the following, let me know! Because they're all awesome.


1: The Debt.

I'm a huge sucker for a spy movie. Thanks to my Dad I've grown up on a huge action heavy diet, meaning this 1965 set remake of the 2007 film of the same name is right up my street. However for me it's Jessica Chastain's make up that steals the limelight for me. This slightly rouged lip and deep set brown eyes is just awakening all of my early 1970's love. This look it just all about the eyes, sultry and doe-eyed all at the same time. To achieve this look I'd be looking for some super smooth eye shadows which is exactly what you get in the Rimmel Glam'Eyes Eyeshadow Quad in shade Smokey Brun. This quad provided four colours from highlight to contour allowing you to adapt this smokey brown eye to your eye shape.


2: Game of Thrones.


Yeah, you guessed it. How could I not put this in here with those hairstyles! Daenerys Targaryen's (yup, without even Googling the spelling)  hair veil is surprisingly easy and can be adapted to almost every hair length. All you need is a pair of crimpers, or plaits over night, some hairspray to give Dany's waves some volume and some clear elastic hair ties. As entertaining as it would be to give you a run down of each piece of hair involved, I think I'll leave it to YouTube's very own Game of Thrones hair expert LaDollyVeta33 to show you how it's done.

Oh, and product? The hair rings she wears are quite intricate from what i can see but some regular styling hair rings are fine. I like the look of the Regal Rose ones.


3: The Tudors.

Anybody who knows me well will know that the recent Virgin Media Tudor Marthon combined with my current Tudor's study at college has got me pretty much hooked on this period of history. In the show, as beautiful as Henry Cavill is, it's difficult not to love the soft rouge but barely there make up his wife Catherine Brooke (historically Catherine Willoughby) played by the stunning Rebekah Wainwrigh. This look is all porcelain skin, thick brows and most importantly that subtle rouge lip. The perfect product that springs to mind for me is Soap & Glory Cheekmate. Let's face it, I've mentioned it before in my Seven Shades of Autumn post,and I just love the stuff. 

4: Hunted.

Guns again! But wait, hello, who is doing  Melissa George's wardrobe in this show! Kicking some serious ass as Sam Hunter we've seen Melissa in everything from swanky LBD's to a beautiful dusky pink blazer in that very first episode and I cannot get enough of her style.It's impossible to just pick one look but how about Sam's distressed denim jacket and long scarf combo? Ya know, when it looked pre-shoot out hot.

Jacket:

The Boyfriend Grunge look: Forever 21 Destroyed Denim Jacket

Female Rocker: Topshop MOTO Denim Worker Jacket

Scarf: River Island Cream Sequin

           AllSaint Warp Scarf

5: Roman Holiday.

This is going to be a quick on as you don't really need to say anything other than: LOOK AT THOSE EYEBROWS! We all know Audrey has some serious eyebrow going on in this film, and pretty much all over the place in the 50's and there's nothing like the IT Cosmetic Brow Power.  This brow pencil is retractable at one end and has a spooly brush at the other to keep your brows tip top and Audrey perfect all day.

Let me know which TV shows and movies get you style pulse going.

Bye Addicts x