bloomzy /

Cuticura Lemon Sherbet & Sugar Candy Hand Gels

Cuticura Lemon Sherbet & Sugar Candy Anti-Bac Hand Gels*

I wasn’t sure whether to blog about these when I received them as it’s not my usual content.
Then the fiancé came home and told me that one of his work colleagues was sick with a cold.
I grabbed up one of these and put the other in my handbag – I don’t need a cold on my birthday!
It made me realise that anti-vac hand gels are commonplace now, and very helpful in the Winter months.
These arrived with a personalised jar of sherbet lemons too (not included with purchase unfortunately).
How cute is that? Cuticura had definitely got my attention, and I decided that warranted a post.
Cuticura are known for their lovely scented anti bacterial hand gels and hand washes.
They come in two sweet and delicious scents: Sugar Candy & Lemon Sherbet.
The scent isn’t amazingly strong, as they are alcohol based gels, but it’s sweet.
The lemon sherbet is my favourite of the two, but it wasn’t an easy choice.
These are perfect for carrying around with you or taking to the gym/work etc. 
I like the idea of a sweet smelling alcohol gel that isn’t just in a boring bottle.
The packaging is incredibly cute and fits the concept perfectly.
Both scents are exclusive to Primark stores from February, and are priced at only £1.
bloomzy /

Review: DHC Liquid Eyeliner EX Pen

Liquid eye liner is one of my must-have beauty products.
I use it in my everyday make-up so it’s important I have a good one.
Recently I was recommended a liquid eyeliner pen by Japanese brand DHC.
I love Japanese beauty products, and DHC, so of course I had to try it out.
Pros:
+ Applies easily
+ Love the packaging
+ Good staying power

Cons:
– Smudges during wear
– Needs to be used with a primer

Notes:
I really wanted to like this and to start with I did. I noticed that some of the liner had smudged (transferred) from my upper lid but I thought that may have just been because I didn’t use primer on the first wear. I prefer not to have to use a primer but I understand that some products just need it. Yet when I wore it using primer it still smudged. I really don’t know how to work this liner, as the person who recommended it uses it everyday and had no problem with it. I guess I’ll have to just try another primer. On the plus side, this applies well and seems to stay, despite the smudging. On top of that the packaging is simple and cute, and the pen itself is great for carrying in your handbag. I’m on the fence about this one. Price wise it’s on the higher end of what I would usually pay at £16, so I’ll definitely be giving it another try before I give up entirely.
You can buy DHC’s Liquid Eyeliner EX at Beauty Mart.
bloomzy /

Little Mix by Collection Make-up Line


Lipstick, eyeliner, mascara and eyeshadow palette: Little Mix by Collection Make-up Line*

Remember when I bought that infamous One Direction lipstick?
Well that didn’t give me much faith in band-related make-up lines.
Thankfully Little Mix were round the corner to bring back my hope.
Whenever I see the Little Mix ladies their make-up is always on point.
So I was pleased to hear that they had a lot of personal influence in the collection.
Whether you like them or not you’ve got to appreciate their hard work and personal styles.
Jade, Jesy, Leigh-Anne & Perrie each created products based on their favourite items, colours etc.
So if you ever had a favourite Little Mix(er?) and fancied imitating their make-up look, now you can!
All of the products are different from the next, and together represent styles from natural to sultry.
Products include: mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow, palettes, lipstick, bronzer, lipgloss and nail polish.
Each Little Mix lady has a different colour for each item – meaning you have plenty of options.
Of course you can mix up styles and products, but it’s always helpful to have some inspiration.
My personal favourite looks have to be Leigh-Anne’s and Jesy’s though – they’re gorgeous!
I was sent a few items from the collection:
Jesy’s Trio Palette
Jade’s Lipstick & Rock It Liner
Perrie’s Lengthening Full On Mascara
I was also sent Perrie’s Rock It Liner but forgot to take it out of my bag for the photo (bad blogger).

I’m quite excited by all of the colours and the quality feels and looks good.
I think I’ll be picking up Jesy’s Lipstick and Leigh-Anne’s Trio Palette.
Prices start at £1.49 and you can purchase the collection in Superdrug & Boots.
bloomzy /

Review: Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

Just before New Year a friend recommended a brand to me that I hadn’t tried before.
That brand was Liz Earle, and her argument was pretty solid, as she has perfect skin.
She’s been using the brand for years and swore by their products, especially their cleanser.
I’ve never really been a fan of hot cloth cleansers but I decided to give this a go, considering the evidence.
I had also actually just run out of my micellar water so I went to my local Boots to check it out.
The woman on the counter had perfect skin and also told me she used the product.
I really didn’t need anymore persuading than that and I picked up this special gift version.
It comes with 2 x muslin cloths and a small travel bag, to keep everything together.
It’s the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, and here is my review:
Pros:
+ Love the set
+ Cloths can be machine washed
+ Packaging is simple but cute
+ Lovely smell
+ Removes make-up well
+ Good for sensitive skin
+ Leaves my skin smooth & supple
 
Cons:
– Cloths need to dry naturally after (and before) each use
– Price point is slightly high
– 100ml lasted only a few weeks
 
Notes:
I have no massive complaints about this product, more like a few niggles. Maybe I was looking for something to complain about because the whole cloth drying thing sounds silly now I’ve written it down. Of course they need to dry Emma! The set does come with 2 cloths though so if the one you’re currently using hasn’t dried in time you can always alternate, which is also a plus. I won’t repeat the majority of what I wrote above, but I really like this product. It smells good and leaves my skin feeling good – that’s all you can ask for really. I’m hoping that after a month (I’ve been using it for almost 2 weeks) I’ll start to see some results on my long-term skin pangs. At £15 this isn’t a product you would pick up without considering. I do think it’s worth the money, but I’d like to maybe see some offers or different sets to add more value.
You can buy Liz Earle’s Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser at John Lewis and in Boots stores.
bloomzy /

Review: Inside the Ciate Advent Calendar 2013

Why am I talking about advent calendars in January?
No I’m not trying to make a head start, and no I’m not a bit slow either.
I’m not someone who is bothered by Advent calendars, so I never get myself one.
Even so I still wanted the Ciate advent calendar last year but didn’t like the price tag.
Don’t get me wrong, you get a lot for your money, but £42 was a bit too steep for me.
So I decided to wait and see what would happen after Christmas and if it would be reduced.
Well luckily for me I managed to grab the last one in the Selfridges in-store sale on Boxing Day.
I’d been thinking about it for ages and as a nail polish addict I figured it would be worth it.
I even used it as an excuse to throw out all of my old nail polishes.
The Calendar contains:
19 x 5ml Mini Ciate Polishes
1 x 13.5ml Ciate Polish
2 x 10g Ciate Caviar Pearls
1 x Ciate Caviar Pearl Funnel
2 x 5g Ciate Sequin/Glitter Pots
– With a total value of £119 –

I removed them all from the calendar, which was still fun even after Advent by the way.
And looking at them all together made me realise that they are actually great value for money.
Even though the majority of the polishes are mini pots, you’re going to get plenty of uses from them.
I liked the inclusion of Ciate’s famous caviar pearls, even if they are slightly off-trend right now.
They’re still a fun item to play with and are still sold in stores for full price, so it’s not bad value.
The sequin and glitter pots excited me immensely, as did the amount of glitter polishes – I live for glitter!
The full size polish wasn’t exactly to my taste but I thought it was a good colour to include.
The majority of the polishes are inoffensive and would suit most tastes and styles.
There are a couple of shades I’ll be giving away but I’m pretty happy with the rest.
You can purchase the Ciate Advent Calendar 2013 at Ciate for £21.
In case it sells out, it’s also available on ASOS for £33.50.
bloomzy /

The Blogger Made Me Buy It Tag

A few days ago Danniella of Famous in Japan started the ‘The Blogger Made Me Buy It’ tag. This is all about those pesky (we love you really) bloggers who convince you to buy products etc. It could be beauty products (my weakness), clothing or even lifestyle items that you’ve read about. This tag lets you air all your dirty secrets and share your favourite blogger loves. I don’t usually ‘do tags’ but this is right down my street! So let’s get started then shall we?

1) Who are your most influential bloggers? 
Who are the ones that you really rely on for reviews and swatches? 
My most influential bloggers have to be Ghostparties & The Sunday Girl.
These two lovely ladies are my go-to for beauty product reviews and swatches.
Their content and personalities shine way above the rest!
 
 2) Do you buy a product solely as a result from one review from your favourite bloggers, 
or do you look for more reviews from others? 
It depends but it’s usually a bit of both. I might buy something I was interested in because it’s had a glowing review from one blogger, or I might end up buying something I wasn’t too sure about thanks to several good reviews.
 
 3) What is your most favourite item that you have ever bought as a consequence of blogs? 
Evian facial spray – it started my massive on-going love affair with facial sprays.
 
 4) What is your least favourite item that you have ever bought as a consequence of blogs? 
Hands down Baby Lips, a not so great product with a ridiculous amount of hype.
…and Glossybox, not really a product but it’s still overhyped.
 
 5) Name 5 products you have bought recently as a result of blogs. 
1. La Roche Posay Serozinc
2. MUA Velvet Lip Laquer
3. Nuxe Rêve de Miel Lipbalm
4. New Look Cut-out Boots
5. Ciate Advent Calendar
 
 6) Have you ever given into blogger hype? If so, which hype? 
As I mentioned above – Baby Lips!
I loved the idea, and the hype surrounding them was amazing.
I literally spent weeks trying to find them in stores across London.
 
 7) Have you ever avoided blogger hype? If so, which hype? 
Urban Decay Naked Palette 2 & 3.
I loved the first one but the follow ups were basically the same thing.
There is very little difference between the palettes for such massive hype.
 
 8) Is everything you buy based on blogger reviews, 
or are there some items you buy without checking out a review?
If I don’t have time to look up a review for a product I will buy it without reading one.
That said, most of my purchases are made by looking up reviews or coming across them.

Leave your links in the comments below if you decide to do this tag, and link back to Danniella.

bloomzy /

Review: Topshop Nails Polish in Mardi Gras

Topshop Nails Polish in Mardi Gras

Two Topshop nail polish posts in two days?! Yes I am spoiling you I know.
This one is an effect polish though so it’s again it’s a different type of polish.
Mardi Gras is made up of small, colourful foil pieces to give a confetti-like effect.
Swatched on my nails, over Topshop’s Drink Pink Matte Polish

Pros:
+ Feather/Confetti-like effect
+ Great effect top coat
+ Foils are colourful and noticeable 
+ Fast drying

Cons:
– Difficult to apply evenly
–  Too sheer to wear by itself

Notes:
This is a great feather/confetti-like effect top coat that I will be sporting on my nails this New Years Eve. The small foil pieces are colourful and apply onto the nails well. Unfortunately it is quite difficult to get an even application, something that happens often with this kind of effect polish. I love how it looks on top of a base coat, but wouldn’t wear it alone as it would be too sheer. Of course it is perfect for the Christmas season, with blues, reds and greens, but this is a polish you could wear anytime. I’d like to try this with a darker colour next time to see the outcome. At £6 it’s not too pricey for an effect polish, and I can’t say I’ve seen a similar polish that I like as much as this one. 
You can purchase ‘Mardi Gras’ at Topshop for £6.