September Favourites 2014

I know this post is a week late, but as they say, better late than never!

It’s late because I’ve honestly just been too busy to do any writing, although I managed to get my wish list written okay… I put that down to picture-taking though!

So finally my favourites post is here and I really have loved September. It wasn’t so bad and even involved a fresh start that I’ve needed for a long time! I’ve been at university for three weeks now and whilst I am extremely nervous, I am really enjoying it.

Without further delay, my favourites!

• N SPA Cherry Body Scrub.

After using up my body scrub I decided it was time to buy a replacement and whilst I wanted to buy a nice one for myself (The Body Shop, or Soap & Glory) I opted for this one by N Spa, to try and save myself a few pennies. I bought this one and a Raspberry one, which I am yet to try. This body scrub I at first thought would be rubbish but alas I was wrong and it’s turned out better than I thought it would be! There’s a few things I really like about this, first of all the fact it lathers up when applied to the skin! I use it with my sponge and it really does leave me feeling soft after use, but what else is great about this is how it smells delicious! Although I do sway more towards citrus and strawberry scents, I am a total sucker for cherry too and this is a nice black cherry scent that any cherry scent fan will fall in love with. N Spa is a great and affordable brand and I recommend it to anyone fancying trying something new.

• Simple Anti-Bacterial Hand Wash.

I know I used to say last year and the start of this year how after finding Dettol’s hand wash I would NEVER use another hand wash due to my eczema, but I have broadened my horizons lately, as regular readers will know and this is a hand wash I HAVE used in the past and had problems with. This is a mint scented hand wash and due to that I was already sold, the anti-bacterial  side of it was just a bonus really! However when I used this about a year ago my hands were left tight, dry, and extremely sore and due to it my eczema was worse than it needed to be! I vowed never to use it again, but I didn’t keep it. Recently my mom decided to bring this into the kitchen for us to use and as I thought it would be better for my hands than fairy liquid, I reluctantly started to use it. My hands have been nothing but soft and not exactly perfect, but not as bad as they originally were with previous uses of this hand wash and I was pleasantly surprised! So I decided to pick one up for myself and I am glad I did, especially for a £1! I recommend it, especially in the run up to Christmas as the mint scent really does remind me of the time of year.

• Dolly Mixtures Shower Gel in Pina Colada.

Dolly Mixtures is a new brand that Asda have brought into their stores and I have wanted to buy all the shower gels they sell, but as I don’t have the room, nor the money to buy them all I decided to just pick up one instead, which is Pina Colada. I’m a sucker for the drink, as it’s my favourite cocktail and I love pineapple and coconut scents, especially together. I wanted a bog standard shower gel to use before work and this one was the perfect choice! The scent really uplifts me and wakes me up in the mornings before I head to work, and the way this leaves my skin feeling and smelling is divine! At the time of buying this it was on offer at £1, but it retails for £2, which is definitely worth the money! As soon as this runs out I’m going to buy another scent to try! I can see me buying these for friends this Christmas as they’re really nice and for the price, a real sweet treat!

• Garnier Pure Active Wasabi Fresh Face Scrub.

This was a spontaneous purchase as my Soap & Glory face scrub finally saw its last day and I threw the rest of it away, I think I’d have it nearly 2 years and with a shelf life of just a year, I wasn’t going to risk using it anymore! I had a look at loads of face scrubs during a visit to Tesco and this one was half price so I had a look and decided to buy it. The day after buying I decided to give it a go and it was amazing! It foamed up, which I really like in a face scrub and just felt like it was really working to cleanse my skin, as well as wash away any dead skin, as well as clear my blackheads. After using it I decided to read the back of the tube a little more than I had done in the shop and as I read  more I read how it is formulated for men. YES, MEN! I bought a man’s face scrub and you’re probably shaking your heads at me or laughing, but does it really matter who it’s made for? I don’t think so and since using it my skin has really improved and even my boyfriends has too! I really want to try the face wash next as if the scrub has left my skin looking good, then I’m sure the wash will too.

• Maybelline Color Elixir in Fuchsia Flourish (review here).

I have never loved a lip product as much as I love Maybelline’s Color Elixir’s! I want to get more shades yet but out of the three I bought this one has been the most worn and therefore most loved. It’s a gorgeous dark pink and is wearable day-to-night and leaves a lovely subtle stain behind. I have really enjoyed wearing this for work but I’ve also loved wearing it for university too as it’s easy to apply, leaves your lips feeling soft and nourished as well as giving your lips a pop of colour. If you want to know more about it, go and read my review, it’s been linked in the title.

• Chapstick in Apple.

I LOVE apple Chapstick and when I spied 4 of these for a £1 in Pound World I decided to get myself some! This is probably my favourite lip balm ever as it smells and tastes delicious, just like fresh apples and keeps your lips soft and smooth, can’t really complain with that! I have really enjoyed using this at university as traveling to and from uni, as well as to and from lectures I sometimes just want to keep my lips hydrated instead of looking colourful so the days that I don’t wear lipstick/gloss there this lip balm comes in handy. Plus I love wearing it at work too!

• Simple Moisture Boost Hydro Mist Spray.

I bought this for uni and it’s really been a savior to use after work whilst I make my way to university! It really does refresh my face and I even use it throughout the day and after work even if I don’t have uni. I’ve never used it before and whilst it was half price I thought I would pick it up, as I have wanted to try it since it came out. I really like Simple’s products as they’re perfect for my sensitive skin and never break me out or cause any issues on my skin. With the moisture boost it really does help bring some moisture into the skin and refresh your skin after a long day. It’s really nice to use after a hot bath because of that too, as well as after using a face scrub or face mask. I recommend it if you’re busy like me and want something to freshen the skin up whilst on the go!

• The Body Shop Strawberry Hand Cream.

I had the coconut hand cream on my favourites last month and now I have the strawberry one this month! All I’ve been using is the strawberry hand cream as it’s kept my hands lovely and soft, as well as smelling delicious! This isn’t a huge tube either so it fits perfectly into my handbag. It’s just a gorgeous light hand cream that absorbs quickly and leaves my hands feeling soft and smooth! I really need to review these in the future so keep your eyes peeled! I recommend these if you’re like me and don’t like thick, greasy hand creams.

• Viktor & Rolf BonBon EDP.

Oh my life I have been lusting after this perfume ever since it was announced late January and I finally got my hands on it in September! I didn’t have to pay for this 30ml bottle and it was worth £55. It wasn’t a gift and it did cost me something, but not cash. If I explain where I got it from and how I’ll also be talking about my job and where I work, which I don’t wish to do on my blog… ANYWAY I have it now and it’s one of my favourite perfumes! It’s such a gorgeous sweet scent and not only does my Mom love it, but my boyfriend really does too. I’ve already asked for one of these in a 50ml or 100ml for Christmas! I WILL be writing a post about this soon!

• The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Hand Cleanse Gel.

As regular readers will know, I’m a total sucker for The Body Shop’s hand sanitizers and I love to use them for work and keep them in my bag for on the go. I think I’ve tried them all apart from Mango now and this is one of my favourites out of the all! It’s really strong citrus wise and when I use this at work it really does perk me up and wake me up. Like all the hand cleanse gels, it’s a strong scent and as soon as I use it I get comments, positive of course. As usual, I recommend these to everyone to try at least once!

So those were my favourites for September… FINALLY!

I’m sorry for the wait, but sadly my studies for university come first at the moment.

I shall have my empties post up tomorrow though, so don’t worry.

I hope everyone’s week has gone off to a good start and until next time, take care all.

October Wish List

Wow hello October! It’s not officially autumn and thus my favourite time of year! I’ve also officially been at university for two weeks now and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t enjoying it. However due to going to work and to university day after day, one after the other I haven’t really thought about buying myself anything and if I have it has been for university. However with some thought I finally put together this wish list and the majority of it is things I would like for university, as well as things I can benefit and use in my own time too. Surprisingly there aren’t many autumn items here but I’ve been so busy with university to even look at stuff to buy or lust over.

So whilst the list is small, it’s all things I want and well, sorta need.

 

•  Yankee Candle Ghostly Treats Candle.

I love Yankee Candle’s and I also love Halloween so whenever they’ve brought out their Halloween range I have usually always been rather disappointed, purely for the fact that I’m not a fan of Witches Brew and whilst Candy Corn smells nice, it isn’t something I would buy. HOWEVER this year Yankee Candle have brought out a new scent to join their Halloween collection, Ghostly Treats. Basically it is the same scent as Fireside Treats but in this gorgeous Halloween themed jar. I can see me buying it as soon as I use up all my none Yankee Candles, as from now on the only candles I’ll be buying is Yankee Candles, as well as trying a Flamingo Candle.

• Fox T-Shirt by Element.

I love shopping in Two Seasons, they have such great skate, surf and snow clothing and I always go and check them out when I’m near one of their stores. They recently gave out a 20% off code to use in store, so my boyfriend and I headed to the Coventry store to check out what we could pick up. Alas nothing really took our fancy and we ended up leaving our discount codes unused. I did see one thing I thought about picking up but I left it, it was a gorgeous clutch bag by Element with the same fox print on the front as this t-shirt, but at £30 I couldn’t justify it. Only a few nights ago did I pop onto Two Seasons website to check out what nice clothing they had out for autumn and winter this year when I stumbled across this t-shirt. I love foxes and I’m especially a sucker for any clothing with foxes on! I can see me picking this up for university, as well as for my holiday in the New Year as it would look amazing with a pair of baggy jeans here, and a pair of denim shorts abroad.

• Maybelline Color Elixir Lip Lacquer in Breathtaking Apricot.

After writing a post (link here) in September about how much I love the Maybelline Color Elixir’s I decided that I wanted some more shades and I have two in mind from over the pond that I need in my life. One is Vision In Violet and another is this one, Breathtaking Apricot. These are only available from America and as regular readers may know about me is that if I want something, I go to eBay for it and on this occasion I was lucky. For less than £10.00 I can pick up both shades, yes BOTH shades and also from a UK seller, not bad eh? I love these lip lacquers and they’ve actually replaced my MAC lipsticks because they’re so quick to apply, last ages and make my lips feel and look moisturised and gorgeous. These have especially proven great for university as it means I don’t have to worry about my lipstick feathering or fading away and looking weird. I’ve of course had a look at swatches of this shade online and it’s definitely one I have wanted from day one of the Maybelline Color Elixir’s being for the past year, so I can see me picking it up very soon, especially for my holiday in the New Year.

• Adventure Time Jake’s In Here Hoodie.

I’ve mentioned this hoodie on a wish list post before (link here) and it’s found its place on a wish list again as I just want it that much! I want this for 2 reasons, 1. Because it looks amazing and 2. Because with university I am currently living in one hoodie, so I am in need of another one now! The hoodie is just super cute and it looks really warm and good quality for the money. I’m hoping to pick one up on my week off from university. If you want to know more about my views on this, click the link!

• Yankee Candle Moon Pie Swirls Candles – Set of 2.

Oh how I love QVC, especially when they sell Yankee Candles. Yes another Yankee Candle, but I don’t care it’s autumn and that only means one thing, CANDLES and plenty of them! This is a special edition on for grabs from QVC, especially considering that this candle isn’t available in the UK, only in America, plus the fact QVC are giving them away makes me laugh. For £25.00 you’re getting two medium candles which would usually cost nearly £10 more if you were to buy them separately. The Moon Pie swirl candle is said to be a mixture of both Yankee Candles Whoopie Pie and Buttercream candles, which I can tell you both smell delicious! I know if I were to buy this set then I would keep one and give my boyfriend the other, because I’m a nice girlfriend! 😉

• Shopaholic To The Stars by Sophie Kinsella.

I LOVE the Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella and I have fond memories of university because of it. I started to read it in my first year and went on to finish it just as I left university. It was an enjoyable series and one that I have waiting in anticipation for to continue after the last book, which may I add came out four years ago! I don’t care if they hardback copy costs £9.00, as soon as I spot it in the shops, I’ll be picking it up and starting to read after I finish my current book (An Abundance Of Katherine’s by John Green).

So that was my wish list! My boyfriend suggested that I try and do a university wish list, but considering that I’ve already bought all my stationary and such I wasn’t really able to do such a thing, but with the t-shirt and hoodie I would like to think this is included in what I would like/need for university.

What do you have on your wish list this month? Let me know in the comments.

Until next time, take care all and I hope you’ve had a great week.

Maybelline Color Elixir Lip Lacquers – Swatches & Mini Review

For nearly a year now I have been waiting for Maybelline’s Color Elixir’s to come out in the UK and FINALLY they’re here and I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited!

As soon as I heard about them coming out I went to Boots and made myself an online order and FYI Boots have Maybelline on 3 for 2 at the moment, whilst Superdrug have buy 1 get the 2nd half price, so if you like the look of these, make sure to go and grab a bargain!

So with Boots offer on when I ordered my lip lacquers, I ordered three! But before I show and tell which shades I ordered, I’m going to tell you a little bit about the new Color Elixir’s.

Maybe gleaming colour can feel as good as it looks. New Maybelline Elixir, with its moisturising formula and velvety wand, cushions lips in lustrous colour that’s soft not sticky. Our 1st colour hit with the addictive feel you’ll crave.

The color of a lipstick, the cushiony care of a balm, and the glass shine of a gloss Our brush helps application and can create a smoothing sensation for the lips

These have been out over the pond for about a year now and whilst they have 20 shades, we’ve only been given 10, which I won’t lie, sucks! The 10 shades we have are Signature Scarlet, Blush Essence, Caramel Infused, Nude Illusion, Petal Plush, Fuchsia Flourish, Rose Redefined, Raspberry Rhapsody, Mandarin Rapture and Hibiscus Haven.

The shades we’re missing out on are Mauve Mystique, Glistening Amber, Captivating Carnation, Vision In Violet, Dashing Orchid, Celestial Coral, Amethyst Potion, Intoxicating Spice, Breathtaking Apricot and Caviar Couture.

I’ve picked up (from L-R in above image) Fuchsia Flourish, Blush Essence and Raspberry Rhapsody and I won’t lie, picking which shades I wanted was hard as all the shades are beautiful.

Although to many this probably doesn’t matter, I want to talk about the packaging of these and how much I love them! The tubes are a hard acrylic plastic with a silver lid and the rest of the tube see through so that you can see your lip colour. The color tube inside the clear tube doesn’t just show off what color you have but is also in the shape of a lipstick and to some people may even think these are actually lipsticks! I think it’s very different and extremely nice to look at when you take it out of your handbag, make up bag, etc. As well as that whilst on the go and at work it makes me feel safe that the packaging will keep the lip lacquer safe from damage, which aside from the shade, how long it lasts and how it feels on the lips, the packaging of a lip product is one of my top priorities!

As well as that the doe foot applicator of these are really nice and soft, therefore they catch-all of the product on the applicator. As the tip of the applicator is rather pointed it makes easy application on the top lip and especially if you have thin lips.

Now onto the actual lip lacquers! These are amazing and I really did worry that by the time I received them in the post I would have set my expectations really high and would be let down. Oh how wrong I was!

In daylight L-R: Raspberry Rhapsody, Blush Essence and Fuchsia Flourish.

In shade/indoors L-R: Raspberry Rhapsody, Blush Essence and Fuchsia Flourish.

These lip lacquers really are what they say on the tin! They have the pigmentation of a lipstick, the wet look of a lip gloss, the leftover colour of a lip stain and the feel and comfort of a lip balm. These are definitely a 4 in 1 product and great for people who are on the go and don’t have time to keep reapplying lipstick. I’ve been using these for a week now and they’ve actually replaced my MAC lipsticks in that time, which has really shocked me!

When applying these they really do feel like butter on the lips and the color payoff is amazing, even with lighter shades! The gloss is lovely and thick and isn’t sticky but feels more like a thick lip balm (similar to Carmex) which I really like. There is NOTHING worse than applying a lip gloss, going out for a walk and having your hair get stuck to the gloss and then said piece of hair sticking to your glasses. Glasses wearers will know what I mean!

My lips felt really soft with this applied and the past week of just using these my lips have been really soft and not dried up once, which I’m really pleased with. Alongside that after 2-3 hours of work I will get a chance to reapply these but I don’t really need to as with some of the shades this does stain slightly. I’ve noticed that out of the three shades I bought Fuchsia Flourish leaves the best stain and it really did cheer me up knowing that this hadn’t worn off completely after a cup of coffee (or two!).

Finally I want to say how lovely these smell! From reading reviews from over the pond some loved the scent and some hated the scent and I was worried it would be unpleasant to use, but I was wrong and its a very enjoyable scent. Although lovely, it is very hard to describe and is one you have to really smell yourselves… But I shall try my best to describe to you how it smells! It reminds me of a sort of sherbet scent with a sort of washing powder type scent in there, it is a somewhat comforting scent and works well for a lip product. Personally I didn’t find it transferred into my mouth when I was eating or drinking, although I have read people say that they can taste it when they do drink and eat… Each to their own!

Now onto swatches of the shades I picked up!

Fuchsia Flourish

Fuchsia Flourish

Fuchsia Flourish is a gorgeous Barbie pink shade that is not too neon looking and wearable day-to-night. Out of the three this one is the most pigmented and by far my favourite of the shades! This leaves behind a nice light pink tint as it wears away, which is always good. This was applied in one go, no need for going back into the tube for some more gloss.

Blush Essence

Blush Essence

Blush Essence is a lovely nude pink shade and not usually the sort of shade I pick up. This is a gorgeous light pink shade, sort of peachy but not too peach. This one does have a subtle hint of shimmer in which isn’t as noticeable as some shimmer lip glosses. This is great to apply when I’m not fancying wearing anything heavy on my lips. This was applied in one go, no need for going back into the tube for some more gloss.

Raspberry Rhapsody

Raspberry Rhapsody

Raspberry Rhapsody is a purple pink shade but whilst it looks scarily purple in the tube it really isn’t that bad when applied on the lips… Which to me was a tad on the sad side as I hoped it would be like MAC Rebel (review here). Due to it being a subtle purple pink this can be worn both day and night. Out of the three this one is at the bottom for a few reasons, 1. The colour payoff isn’t as good as I feel it should be and 2. You have to keep going back into the tube for some more gloss which just shows that this isn’t as pigmented as it could or should be.

Overall I LOVE these lip lacquers and will definitely be buying more in the future. The only downside is that we have 10 shades missing in the UK, which means I’ll have to venture to eBay for any of the other shades I want.

I recommend these to anyone who would like a 4 in 1 lip product, especially if you live a busy lifestyle! These would also be great for school kids and students galore!

Will you be picking up some if not one of these Color Elixir’s? If not, why not? Hey maybe you already have some! Which shades do you have and what do you think of them? Let me know in the comments!

P.S. I apologise for having my earphones in on my swatches of each product on my lips by the way. I’ve been listening to “V” by Maroon 5 and it’s actually amazing! I recommend you go and check it out if you’re a fan of them.

Until next time, take care all and I hope your weeks are going well.