bloomzy /

Review: Maybelline Baby Lips ‘Cherry Me’

This review has been a long time coming.
I know you’re probably all thinking “Oh not another Baby Lips review”.
I know, and I agree with you. Wait, what? Yeah, I think they’re overhyped too.
At the base of it all, they’re just a tinted lip balm, nothing fancy, nothing unique, right?
Well here’s what I had to say about the ‘Cherry Me’ version…

Pros:
+ Love the tube packaging
+ Nice hint of colour
+ Moisturising

Cons:
– Dated outer packaging
– Colour comes off easily
– No lasting hydration

Notes:
Honestly even though I knew what to expect from Baby Lips I was disappointed.
My disappointment started when I couldn’t find one large Boots or Superdrug store that was stocking the lip balms – not that they were sold out, but the stores weren’t stocking them. This went on for several weeks, and I didn’t want to buy them online as I didn’t fancy paying the postage. Now I’m not a business woman but it seems odd to me that a large store wouldn’t carry an item that has this much hype around it. Anyway, I finally found them in Superdrug and I was slightly appalled at the packaging, it was dated and looked like an advert that had been left in the sun too long (deteriorated). Still I like the packaging of the tube (very cute) so I grabbed the only one I knew I would use – Cherry Me. The colour is nice, I like that it’s only a hint but others shouldn’t expect great pigmentation. The colour doesn’t stay though, neither does the moisturising (which was good when first applied) – it came off easily and didn’t last. 
Sorry Baby Lips but this is one hype that just doesn’t live up to it’s reputation.
It’s a bye bye from me – I won’t be re-purchasing you.
If you fancy buying Baby Lips, you can find the full range here.
bloomzy /

Review: One Direction ‘I Want’ Liam’s Lipstick

One Direction Lipstick ‘I Want’ by Liam…apparently
First off, a small disclaimer.
I’m not a One Direction fan and I don’t know much about the band either.
I just wanted to get that out there so you all know that I’m not bias in anyway.
The collaboration this time is taking place with MUA a brand I’ve reviewed on here previously.
To be honest I was a bit appalled at the idea of a boy band/On Direction releasing a line of make-up.
Why? Well I don’t like it when celebrities bring out items that they don’t use themselves.
Now I can’t speak for the boys but I can’t say I’ve ever noticed them wearing make-up.
Nevertheless I liked the shade of one of the lipsticks so I decided to give it a go.
Pros:
+ Pigmented
+ Moisturising
Cons:
– Shimmery
– Leaves a stain
– Came off quickly
Notes:
So the pros and cons are pretty much 50/50 here, unfortunately though one of the cons is a big problem for me.
The shimmer. It’s horrendous. Whereas I loved playing around with the cheap make-up set my Uncle bought me from Debenhams when I was 13, it’s not really something I want to relive. In my opinion, this lipstick is far too shimmery to be taken seriously – unfortunately shimmer is a not the easiest thing to catch on camera, as I’m sure most of you will know. That said, the pigmentation is great and I love the colour of the lipstick itself. It felt pretty moisturising when I put it on, but unfortunately it came off pretty quickly too, and then it stained. This is obviously not the right lipstick for me and for £3 I’m not going to moan that I wasted my money either. At least they put a bit of effort into the packaging of the lipstick…even if it did go under-appreciated with me.
You can buy Liam’s ‘I Want’ Lipstick in Superdrug stores, or online here.
Browse the rest of the collection here.
bloomzy /

Review: Battle of the Dry Shampoos

Superdrug Chocolate Brownie, Batiste Paisley, Klorane Oat Milk*

Recently I’ve been trying out a selection of different dry shampoos.
My main purpose for using them is giving my hair some volume, and a little perk in between washes.
I’ve been using 3 main ones over the last few months, so I decided to do a little battle between them.
All 3 come from different price ranges, from cheap, to average, and luxury.
Let me introduce them and tell you their pros & cons:
Superdrug’s Chocolate Brownie Dry Shampoo – £1.99
– Currently on offer at ‘Buy 1 Get 1 Free’ –
The main reason I bought this was because it was part of a deal where you buy 1 and get 2 free! You’d have to be crazy to turn that down, right? Well anyway, this particular dry shampoo is made specifically for brunette hair. At the time I had dark red hair, so I figured that would work fine too, and it did. I found though that the coloured granules (?!) stained the skin surrounding my head and hands when I rubbed it in. It also got on my clothing, so no impressed.
Will I be buying it again? Nope sorry! This only gets a 3/10 from me.

Batiste’s Rice & Elegant Paisley Dry Shampoo – £3.99
I received a Batiste sample in a goodie bag earlier in the year, and I’ve bought a couple of cans myself since then. This isn’t a tinted dry shampoo like the last one, but it does have a slight scent to it unlike the others. I’ve found that this one is good value for money and really perks my hair up in-between washes. I’ve only tried ‘Paisley’ so I don’t know what the others are like, in fact I don’t even know if there’s any difference between them all. The only downside to this one is that you really have to rub it in, or you might look as if you’re greying (if you have dark hair).
Will I be buying it again? Yes, I give it a 9/10.

Klorane’s Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk* – £7.50
Finally we have the most expensive of the three. Klorane is a natural haircare brand that I have been using for a while, and adore. I have used both of their dry shampoos, and the oat milk is my favourite of the two. It gives my hair amazing volume and doesn’t really leave any white marks. It is expensive but it is also great quality.
Will I be buying it again? Maybe…probably…after I’ve saved. 8/10!
The winner is obviously Batiste in this challenge.
Their dry shampoo does what it says on the can and doesn’t mess around.
bloomzy /

Animal Crossing New Leaf Diary

It’s been a while since I mentioned Animal Crossing, hasn’t it?
Well even though I took a short blog hiatus I didn’t stop playing.
Since my last diary post, I’ve done quite a bit.
I’ve built a few things for my town, such as the dream suite and camping site.
I’ve also had Sami visit me a few more times, as well as Ken visitine me, and me visiting him.
Club LOL (music/comedy club) has opened, as has Shampoodle (beauty parlour) & Kicks (shoe store).
Not only that but I’ve really got into collection furniture & clothing, and donating items to the museum.
I also got the QR Code reader so I can now download outfits and prints etc. that others have made.
It’s fair to say that after investing more time in playing the game, I want to play it more.
I think that’s one of the big appeals of Animal Crossing: New Leaf.
There’s always something to do, and more to create.
I’ve also been using the pedometer (on the 3DS XL) most days.
I realise now that I do a crazy amount of walking.
You can purchase Animal Crossing in stores on the high street, or online here.
bloomzy /

Review: Nuxe Rêve de Miel Lip Balm

Nuxe Rêve de Miel Lipbalm
 
It was my good friend Alanna who convinced me to buy Nuxe’s Rêve de Miel.
I had been umm-ing and ahh-ing and finally after chatting with her, I was convinced.
I was after a lip balm to help keep my lips from drying, especially as I wear lipstick everyday.
You know, something to help combat those annoying bits of dry skin you bite off (I know I shouldn’t).
Was Nuxe the brand that could help me do that?
Pros:
+ Smells divine
+ Stops my lips drying out
+ A little goes a long way
+ I love the packaging and glass pot
 
Cons:
– Expensive
 
Notes:
At £9.50 it’s safe to say this is the most expensive lip balm I’ve bought.
I thought about it for a long time but decided to take the plunge as I’d heard wonderful things.
This lip balm is super concentrated (if that makes sense), and is much more substantial than others I’ve tried, and smells absolutely amazing! As I mentioned above, a little bit on my fingertip helps hydrate all of my lips and makes them feel lovely. I’ve only been popping some on in the morning and evening (unless needed during the day) and I love it already. My lips are much more nourished now and they don’t feel dry at all. It also helped me out when I had chapped lips recently – gone in a matter of days! As for lipstick drying out my lips (yep, even high-end brands such as Chanel dry mine out), Rêve de Miel has definitely helped combat that. In the last week I haven’t found myself feeling as if my lips were dry or that I needed to bite at dry skin, and that’s coming from someone who wears lipstick everyday. My lips are softer and more hydrated. This is definitely an investment lip balm and worth saving the pennies for if you happen to suffer from dry/chapped lips, or just think yours could do with a pick me up.
You can buy Nuxe Rêve de Miel in Space NK stores, or online here.
bloomzy /

Review: Born Pretty Holographic Nail Polish

Born Pretty Holographic Nail Polish*
Another nail polish to add to my ridiculously large collection!
This time it is a gorgeous silver holographic shade, with a very futuristic feel to it.
Left: After 2 coats, Right: After 4 coats
 
Pros:
+ Great shade
+ Applies easily
+ Amazing holographic finish
+ Can be worn sheer or opaque
 
Cons:
– 3+ coats are needed for an opaque finish
– Small bottle
 
Notes:
I love the shade of this polish, it’s so much nicer than other holographic polishes I’ve tried.
It applied very sheer to start with and it took me 4 coats to get an opaque finish (which I prefer).
However that does mean that this is kind of a 3-in-1 polish, meaning you could use to just add a bit of glitter to your fingertips, layer it with other colours, or you can wear it opaque. I was pretty impressed with the selection of shades available on the store too so I’ll definitely be checking out more of the collection.
You can purchase Born Pretty’s Holo Polish here, and view the other shades here.
bloomzy /

Review: Yuko Lock In Colour Shampoo & Treatment

Yuko Lock In Colour Shampoo & Treatment*

I’m a fan of Asian beauty products, as most of you will probably know by now.
When I was living in Japan of course I used Japanese shampoo and I quite liked it.
However after returning from Japan I switched to natural shampoos/conditioners instead.
So I was interested to try this Japanese shampoo/treatment duo when it arrived at my door.
I still use natural shampoos 99% of the time but I like to mix it up every now and again.
Founded by a Japanese hairstylist in 1996, Yuko is a well known brand for hair straightening techniques.
They have now branched out to include other products in the range such as shampoos & conditioners.
I was sent the Yuko Lock In Colour Shampoo & Treatment to try out.

Pros:
+ Plenty of product
+ Lathered well on my hair
+ Washed out easily

Cons:
– Dried my hair out
– I didn’t notice a scent

Notes:
I was so looking forward to using this but it just didn’t work out for me.
Naturally my hair is quite dry after washing but natural shampoos have remedied this.
However this duo dried my hair out and left it very frizzy. I’d like to say some of this is due to the lovely hot weather we’re having but these products are meant to help target that. It just seemed to be down to the shampoo and conditioner, which is a real shame. This is probably due to the fact that my hair hasn’t dealt with non-natural products for a long time (apart from dye). I also didn’t notice a scent, which is a shame because I love it when the fiancé comments on how nice my hair smells (slightly creepy, I know). I may give this another go at some point but unfortunately it just proved that natural is the way to go for me. This would be better suited to someone who uses non-natural products regularly.