LookFantastic & Elle Edit

Image Credit - LookFantastic

Discover the ELLE Beauty Favourites in this month’s LookFantastic beauty box! The lovely people over at LookFantastic are so excited to celebrate Powerful Women this March and the contributions they have made to both the beauty industry and beyond. Products have been chosen because it’s time to show that GIRL POWER!

What's in the box?

PÜR Minerals Disappearing Act Concealer - This lightweight yet powerful concealer helps to hide dark circles, blemishes and signs of redness thanks to its unique formula. Paraben-free, and blended with Retinol, Ceramides and Salicylic Acid, it evens out skin tone and fights blemishes at their source to leave you with a radiant complexion – just what you need to feel that little extra confidence.

SKINCHEMISTS 24H Aqua Repair Facial Serum - It’s gentle formula is suitable for all skin types, it works to improve the skin's natural firmness, promote healthy skin and stimulate renewal for a brighter, smoother complexion.

CAUDALIE Vine active 3 in 1 Moisturiser - Anti- pollution shield & healthy glow

ST. TROPEZ Instant Gloss - It’s this little something extra that will boost your skin’s appearance and make you feel good.

REDKEN Heatcure Treatment - Have you ever dreamed of that fancy colleague who has that salon like blow out, wondering how does she do it? Well, there’s your answer right there. This treatment is all you need.

STARSKIN EYE CATCHER™ - Smoothing Coconut Bio-Cellulose Second Skin Eye Mask. Those masks are trendy right, but these are the bomb. Each mask is soaked in a host of vitamins to reduce dark circles, and fine lines, while Chamomile works to reduce any puffiness.

Worth over £70, and from only £13** a month, don’t miss out on this brilliant deal. Not only do you receive the Elle Edition Beauty Box magazine, but you also get the Elle magazine in every box! Find out how the Beauty Box Subscription works by clicking here.

*this post contains PR samples and Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise
** £13 per month based on a 12 month subscription to the BeautyBox

Rimmel's Brow Boutique #BrowLikeCara

Way back when I had over-plucked brows, don't judge it was fashionable, Rimmel gave me my first brow pencil, fast forward a few years and Rimmel are back in my stash with some new products which I have been getting to know. With a hashtag #BrowlikeCara Rimmel have launched a whole swathe of products to smooth, groom, sculpt and illuminate your brows!

Impressively they have quite a range of shades to choose from, so whether you have blonde hair or black there is something that should work for you.

Rimmel Brow This Way Styling Gel comes in three different shades - Blonde, mid Brown and dark plus a clear gel. They are designed to sculpt, define and smooth your brows. 

 The Long lasting formula is really lightweight and you don't know it is there. it is also smudge proof, fade proof and it literally lasts for most of the day! Priced at £3.99 each, you can find them right here.

Rimmel London Brow This Way Eyebrow Kit comes in two shades - middle brown and dark brown and is designed to shape fill and fix your brows. 

The little duo palette of wax also comes with its own little brush and spoolie which are incredibly handy to have. Priced at £3.99 each you can find them right here.

Rimmel London Brow This Way Professional Eye Brow Pencil comes in three different shades Hazel, Dark Brown and Black Brown. 

 You use these brow pencils to fill in gaps or lengthen the arc of the eyebrow for a natural look before grooming and shaping the brows with its built-in brush. Priced at just £2.99 you can find them here.

Rimmel London Brow This Way Brow Highlighter is available in one shade - gold shimmer and you use it to lift and illuminate your look. 

Perfect for applying under the brow arch. The formula is really soft so applying it is really easy and blending is an absolute breeze. Priced at £4.99 you can find it here.

I am really impressed with these products. They are easy to use whether you are a novice with your brows or an expert and they are more than definitely affordable.

Have you tried anything from this range yet?

*this post contains PR samples/Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise

SkinFix Heathly Skin Face Range

Skinfix is perhaps a brand you might have seen in Boots, it is hard to miss with such bold packaging, the blue more than definitely catching you eye. Skinfix is described as being a brand which meets the need for today's ingredient conscious consumer, Skinfix Healthy Skin Face Range uses luxurious natural ingredients that are clinically proven to leave skin looking radiant, plump and healthy. 

There are five products within this range which I have been getting to know and this is essentially an entire skincare regime with just five products. With everything from cleansing to moisturising, there is something here that could slot into your existing regime or if you don't have a skincare regime, there is one waiting for you try.

The first step with these products is The Foaming Oil Cleanser and it is my favourite of all the products. At 97% natural it is made with natural coconut based cleansers that gently wash away dirt and make up, without stripping the skin’s essential moisture. Red Seaweed Extract also helps moisturise the skin leaving it feeling soft and smooth to the touch rather than dry and dehydrated. 

I love how creamy the foam becomes when using and as this is a pump action bottle, I have found just one pump creates enough lather to cleanse your entire face. Designed to be used on damp skin, it is a great product for using as a first cleanse, if like me, you double cleanse. Priced at £14.99 you can find it here from Boots.

Next comes the Moisture Boost Serum and this is perfect for when your skin needs that little bit of extra love. Using extracts of Peony Root and Red Seaweed which work together to enhance radiance, reduce pigmentation, repair collagen and enhance the skin’s elasticity, it is especially good if you have dry skin. 

One pump is again all you need to cover the entirety of your face. Priced at £29.99 you can find the product here from Boots.

The SkinFix Hydrating Lotion is the next step. I was surprised at how lightweight the formula for this is when I used it for the first time. With a formula which is clinically proven to increase skin’s moisture in just one use, leaving skin feeling soft, dewy and renewed. 

It uses a Healthy Lipid Complex which is designed to maintain glowing, plump, radiant skin, while powerful natural botanicals and Rice Protein peptides work to hydrate, soften and provide optimal benefits for healthy, happy skin. Priced at £19.99 you can find it here.

The SkinFix Nourishing Cream follows and this time it is in a pot rather than a bottle. Still mimicking that pump action, you press the top of the pot to release the cream and again no more than two pumps will be needed. I have alternated the use of this cream with the lotion depending on how my skin was feeling each day. Some days I felt my skin needed a bit more moisture, so I used the cream over the lotion. 

The Nourishing Cream works to boost moisture, elasticity and as well as delivering essential nutrition to deeper levels of the skin, this then helps to smooth and improve the complexion, making skin feel softer, smoother and more radiant. Again, this is not a thick textured cream that takes a while to sink in, once massaged into the skin, it leaves no trace behind and can be used both morning and evening. Priced at £24.99 you can find it here.

Then finally there is the Skinfix Brightening Eye Cream. With a lightweight formula which absorbs as soon as it comes into contact with your skin, it is designed to improve the health of the skin barrier and deliver intense nourishment to the delicate eye area. Using Alfalfa Seed Extract which helps to reduce puffiness and dark under eye shadows alongside the infusion of betacarotenes and essential vitamins to leave skin glowing, vibrant and smooth. It is rare I suffer from either dark circles or puffiness but what I did like about the cream is how it smoothed the skin under my eye. 

Every time I have my skin mapped, the one common occurrence is dehydration under the eye, so I am hoping next time there will have been some improvement! Priced at £19.99 you can find this eye cream right here.

I love the absolute simplicity of this range. It is a skincare regime in just a few products which are natural, free from synthetic chemicals, parabens, hydrocortisone, steroids, and fragrances and everything they do and do not use is listed clearly on the website for you to see, along with reasons as to why it was or was not included. 

Priced competitively and available from Boots, it is a brand worth investigating and trying out.

*this post contains PR samples/Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise

Tropic Skincare Colour Click Lipstick

Tropic Skincare is a brand which has products which are Vegan and Cruelty free and within their range have everything from Skincare and Bodycare to Makeup. As Lipstick week continues on the blog today I am talking about Tropic Skincare Colour Click Lipsticks. 

Encased in some super sleek matte back casing with god lettering. These lipsticks are enriched with camellia, jojoba, avocado, Shea, Coconut and argan oils that work to nourish and condition your lips. Instead of using beeswax they instead use a vegan wax in its place and it makes no difference to the performance of that lipstick and how well it performs.

They have a super smooth and creamy formula which glides on to the lips adding colour with everything from muted nudes and striking red hues to beautiful berry bullets there is definitley something for everyone. I was given the task of choosing my favourite shades and it was quite a hard choice and in the end I opted for Jazzberry Jam and Rosehip. To remove the lipstick bullet from its casing, you simply click the end to release it and the click is really quite satisfying and my inner-child just loves it.

Starting with Jazzberry Jam which, I chose purely because of the name, it can best be described as a shimmering plum shade and it sits somewhere between plum and a berry red. On the lips it lasts for a good 2-3 hours before the need to re-apply.

Rosehip is a seductive red berry shade and it sits between a red and a berry shade without conforming to either. What I love about this lipstick is that it not a red and not a berry, it is simple as that. I don't fee comfortable wearing a red and a berry colour is usually my go to shade so I kind of feel I have tried something new.

What I love is that Tropic Skincare have managed to successfully combine the functionality of a lipstick with the added benefits of enriching and protecting skincare.  Available in 5 other shades which are:

• Poppy - A vibrant 1950’s Marilyn Monroe red
• Peach Perfect - A subtle peach to enhance your natural lip colour
• In Bloom - A sheer soft rose for a subtle spring blush
• Dragonfruit - A fresh pink coral for the young at heart
• Sweet Pea - A soft pink pastel to warm anyone’s heart

The Tropic Skin Care Colour Click Lipstick retail for £14 each.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Benefit they're real! double the lip

If you have been reading my blog this week then you might have noticed that I have a lipstick things going on. I am obsessed with lipsticks right now - crayons, liquids, sticks, stains and so on and because there are so many amazing releases right now, it seemed like a great idea to have lip week on the blog!

The Benefit 'they're real' family is growing and moving on from the eyes where the family already has Mascara and eyeliner, we now have LIPS and more eyes which are coming in a separate post, but today we are doing they're real Double The Lip!

The description goes 'Get fuller-looking lips in one easy stroke with they’re real! double the lip'. So what you get is not just a lipstick, but a lipstick and lipliner in one, a total revelation for those like me who never ever remember the need for a lip liner and I can count on one hand how many I actually own!  The custom Teardrop tip is said to grab and define your lip line as well as filling the lips in with a complimenting colour for both the appearance of volume and dimension.  

There are eight double the lip products within the range and all of them are semi-matte with everything from your very nude neutral to the brighter more daring shades and here they are: 

• Nude Scandal, 
• Lusty Rose, 
• Juicy Berry 
• Pink Thrills

• Fuschia Forever
• Flame Game
• Criminally Coral
• Revved-Up Red

It did take a while for me to get the hand of how these lipsticks worked. With the liner being at the top of the tear drop, remembering to turn it upside down to do your bottom lip was something I forget all the time and getting it to sit right on the outline of my lips has been testing, but I have persevered and can now master it with no problem, the curse of having thin lips!

What I love is how the liner and the lipstick compliment one another and work so well together. They are also not only really pigmented but also really moisturising too which is an added bonus plus the formula is so lightweight that once applied to the lips you forget that it is there. The longevity is also really impressive, once applied you get a good 4-5 hours wear time and after lunch when I have re-applied it stays again for the same amount of time and impressively I have found very very little transfer onto glasses or mugs when I have had a drink.

I am finding it hard to pick a favourite shade, I can narrow it down to three - Lusty Rose, Juicy Berry and Nude Scandal and those are the three I have used the most. I am not brave enough to even attempt to pull off the coral but it is beautiful.  If you have been wanting to add to your lipstick stash then I would definitely recommend investing in one, of these. They are just a little bit different to anything else you will own and regardless of your skin colour or tone there is something for everyone. Priced at £16.50 each double the lip is widely available from the likes of Benefit, John Lewis, House of Fraser, Boots stores, Lookfantastic, and ASOS to name just a few!

What do you think to these? Do any of the shades catch your eye?

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Burt's Bees Lipstick - The Lipstick that Loves you back!

It is fair to say that I am a huge Burt's Bees fan, whether it is the skincare or the makeup, I love it and I am yet to feel disappointed by anything I have tried.  Imagine my delight to learn there was to be a brand new launch featuring 18 lipsticks - yes EIGHTEEN!!

Burt's Bees New 100% Natural Lipstick collection deliver luscious, bold colour which moisturises your lips thanks to the use of Beeswax, Moringa Oil, Mimosa Flower Wax and Raspberry Seed Oil. So a lipstick that cares for your lips as you wear it.

What I love about these lipsticks is their texture, not only do they feel more like a balm than a lipstick, they are incredibly creamy and just hug your lips but at the same time are so lightweight you don't even know that you are wearing anything on your lips. 

Fully pigmented with a satin finish, these lipsticks are broken down into different colour groups and given the wide variety of shades, there is definitely something for everyone.  

So with the Pinks and Corals, there is five to choose from:

• Iced Iris - If you like your creamy bubble gum pink shade then this is the one for you.
• Doused Rose - For me, this is a deep rose shade that has slight hints of mauve. 
• Fuschia Flood - A medium light Purple Pink shade 
• Magenta Rush - A medium reddy fuchsia shade
• Sunset Cruise - This is a really pretty medium coral shade.

Then we have the nude family and here you have a choice of three different shades to choose from and they are:

• Nile Nude - A light beige nude almost reminds me of the Kim Kardashian nude!
• Blush Basin - This has a peachy-pinkish sheen to it and is stunning.
• Suede Splash - A shade I didn't think I would like but do. It is a medium brownish mauve, the perfect daily nude.

The red family come next and no lipstick collection would be complete with a red, though in this case there is four to choose from and they are:

• Scarlet Soaked - This is a medium red shade with Coral undertones.
• Crimson Coast - This is a deep ruby red shade but it has hints of purple
• Ruby Ripple - No doubting it, this one if your classic medium dark Red
• Russet River - This one if a dark almost vampy brownish red

Sadly I don't have Scarlet Soaked, in my box, there are two Ruby Ripple shades.

Which means the final six lipsticks belong to my favourite Plums and Berries and the choices here include:

• Tulip Tide - This one is a cool pink’ish nude.
• Wine Wave - I adore this shade and it is a deep, warm plum
• Lily Lake - This one is a medium brownish mauve and one I have worn more than any of the other shades during the daytime
• Brimming Berry - This one is a warm berry pink shade
• Juniper Water - The kind of shade everyone needs in their stash. This is a vampy oxblood, burgundy-red shade
• Orchid Ocean - This is an intense shade of purple

I am sure you will agree that this is one impressive release of lipsticks and choosing a favourite colour is quite hard. What I am most impressed with is how long the lipstick lasts once applied and without question these are one of the longest lasting lipsticks, colour wise, that I own and you do get at least 7 hours wear, during that time I have never felt the need to re-apply or even add lip balm which is a slight worry for a lip balm addict with an ever increasing stash. Priced at £9.99 each, these Burt's Bees lipsticks are made with recyclable packaging and are free of parabens, phthalates, petrolatum and SLS.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

The Spring Edit by Sheerluxe with Latest in Beauty

Image Credit Sheerluxe

Latest In Beauty have had some incredible boxes lately and this Spring Edit in collaboration with Sheerluxe is really impressive. With 13 full-sized beauty treats inside the box from incredible brands, including my absolute favourite Aquis Towel, it has a value of over £260 but is selling for just £69 - HERE!

AQUIS Lisse Luxe Hair Turban (worth £30) I have done a review of this (here) but this towel will not only dry your hair naturally and quickly it also helps to de-frizz, so those annoying flyaway strands of hair stop ruining your day.

This Works Stress Check Breathe In (worth £16) - This is a roll-on rescue remedy chock-full of natural oils to invigorate, soothe and relax.

Living Proof Healthy Hair Night Cap Overnight Perfector (worth £30). With this product, you apply to hair before bed and prepare to wake up to smooth enviably glossy locks – and the effects last for up to five hair washes.

Scentered Love Candle (worth £16) - Scentered is a really lovely brand and again I have reviewed some of their products before on this blog (here). The description with this candle is to 'Harmonise the mind and body with this comforting aromatherapy blend'.

Soigné Nail Polish Crème Au Beurre (worth £11) - Everyone needs a nude shade of nail polish and this one is described as being a 'sophisticated nude shade which is easy to wear and always on trend'. 

The Konjac Sponge (worth £8.99) - The original, multi-award winning 100% pure Konjac Sponge with added pink clay.

Browtician Minimalist Square Tip Tweezer (worth £7.99) - These high-grade stainless steel tweezers are a must-have for polished brows and the handy travel case makes on-the-go grooming a breeze.

100 Acres Bubble Bath (worth £14) I absolutely love the sound of this and so will anyone else who adores the fresh scent of Lavender - 'A heavenly blend of rose and lavender to leave mind and body restored and relaxed'.

Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips (worth £12) - Everybody needs this beauty in their stash, it is my absolutely favourite go-to product, it is just brilliant and again I reviewed it here.

Smith & Cult Above It All Top Coat (worth £19) - These are the most incredible nail polishes from packaging to actual product. This top coat is said to need one application only.

Balance Me Super Moisturising Hand Cream (worth £14.50) - This hand cream uses both shea butter and lanolin to protect and soothe even the driest of hands, it’s no wonder this cream is quickly gaining cult status.

Perricone MD Photo Plasma Broad Spectrum SPF30 (worth £30) - This is moisturiser has a lightweight texture which glides on skin smoothly and evenly, leaving it soft, hydrated and radiant.

Institut Esthederm Gentle Deep Pore Cleanser (worth £26.50) - This is a soft and rich cleanser that delves deep into pores to remove impurities for a refreshed, glowing complexion.

Finally there is a SheerLuxe Luxe Slogan T-Shirt (worth £30), whether or not you would ever pay £30 for a white t-shirt with a logo on it I don't know, but that is its price.

For a box with a value of over £260, for those of you wanting the exact price it is £265.98, then for £69 I am sure you will agree it is an absolute bargain and a chance to try some amazing brands, all from one box and it is here.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Gerard Cosmetics - the lip products

I was lucky enough to get my hands on some Gerard Cosmetics at the Beauty Bay Carnival towards the end of last year and since then it has been a bit of a love affair with the brand. The description of the brand is as follows: "Gerard Cosmetics was created with a true passion and clear vision to offer a solution to the everyday makeup blunders of women. This is a cosmetics brand created for women by women who empower each other and strive to offer products that are luxurious, accessible and endlessly chic.

So I was really lucky to be given an in-depth look into the brand and swatch and use so many products in one afternoon. Given the choice to choose a favourite product was so much harder than I had imagined, so with a little help, I now have Merlot and Berry Smoothie lipsticks and Ruby Slipper and 1995 Hydra matte liquid lipsticks and I just totally and utterly love each one and am determined to add to my stash.

Merlot and Berry Smoothie look incredible. The gold lipstick bullets are sleek, elegant and stand out amongst the crowd. Once in your handbag there is little chance you are going to miss this looking back at you, it calls to your inner magpie for being oh so shiny. The lids click on really securely and click into place, so thankfully there is little chance of them coming apart in your bag.

Berry Smoothie: This is described as being a neutral pink brown shade. It is opaque, giving full coverage and the pigmentation is really quite something. It glides on to the lips and has quite a creamy and once applied it dries down to a semi-matte finish with a really nice sheen. At just £6.90 this lipstick is such a bargain.

Merlot is quite a striking to look at. It has notes of a red and berry blend to create what has been described as a 'full bodied vampy hue'. It is not only Matte but is also packed with pigment and was created as an alternative to your classic blue based red. It glides on to the lips with its creamy almost buttery texture and is not at all drying. Priced at £11.50 this is a shade for your stash without question.

So I am really impressed with the lipsticks and given my obsession with liquid lipsticks, I was really excited to give Ruby Slipper and 1995 a try, the latter being incredibly popular amongst bloggers in America. Encased inside a slightly frosted looking tube, the gold lid is quite classy looking and again appeals to my inner magpie. 

Ruby Slipper is not a shade I would usually ever opt for, but there is something about it I just adore.  It takes on the classic dark red shade, applies like a liquid and dries down to become a dark matte red but it has an infusion of sparkling glitter which makes for a truly unique and dazzling effect.

It is a product you need to layer on a few times to get the full on vampy effect, but beautiful it definitely is. It doesn't budge once on the lips and as the colour begins to fade some 8 hours later, it still looks incredible.  Priced at £11.50 it is amazing value for money.

1995: This is the Gerard Cosmetics all-time best-seller and was inspired by the neutral hues of the 90's. A liquid to a matte formula that is long-wearing but comfortable. It has a Mauve and rose tone which flatter all skin tones and this is my favourite of all the Gerard Cosmetic products in this post, I just love it.

Again, once it has been applied it doesn't budge but does fade after around 6-7 hours and during that time I have never felt the need to re-apply. Priced at £11.50 this is the one nude you need in your stash.

Both of the Hydra Matte liquid lipsticks obviously are matte, but the texture is not at all drying when on the lips. Lightweight with no transfer, they last for such a long time once applied it is almost effortless to wear them.

This was my first venture into the world of Gerard Cosmetics and I have loved what I have used so far and they are a cruelty-free brand.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Sleek MakeUP Matte Me New Shades

I am a big fan of Sleek and their lip products, so when these beautiful shades came through my letterbox I was incredibly excited to give them a try because, well just look how pretty they are.

The three shades are Pastel Mattes and whilst they are not the normal shade that I would wear, they scream 'Spring' at me. Matte Me lipsticks are a matte finish liquid lipstick that is designed to glide onto the lips in one smooth application, with no need for a second coat.

The three shades from left to right are Crushed Lavender, Apricot Blooms and French Fancy. What I love about these shades is that the swatch is just one coat from the applicator and no more, they are just so pigmented.

As you can see Crushed Lavender is everything you expect it to be, it is a light lilac shade which is fully pigmented and would definitely see you stand out in the crowd.

Apricot Blooms is a beautiful peach shade which again is fully pigmented and quite different to anything else I own.

French Fancy is a beautiful shade of pink, it isn't bright Barbie Pink, it has a depth to it and is my favourite shade of the three.

As with the rest of this collection, these retail for just £4.99 and you can find them right here at Boots and here from Superdrug

*this post contains PR samples/Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise